Mark of the Unicorn Performer 3.61 for the Apple Macintosh

Abstract

Since its initial release in 1985, Mark of the Unicorn's (MOTU's) Performer program for the Apple Macintosh has been the flagship of Macintoshbased MIDI sequencer programs, leading the pack with its winning combination of friendly graphics and powerful editing capabilities. Competition in the music software industry has been fierce, however. For the uninitiated, the choice today of which software to buy is no longer so clear as it once was. Developments in several areas of computer music technology have forced MOTU to keep pace with its competitors. In this review I will reveal how MOTU's response to these developments has impacted the growth of its star product, and give users unfamiliar with Performer a taste of its particular view of the MIDI world. I point out, where possible, areas in which Performer differs from other major sequencing programs. I chose to compare Performer primarily with Vision by Opcode Systems, because these two programs reflect markedly different approaches to the problems of MIDI sequencing. By excluding comparisons with other popular programs, I did not intend to negate their importance or worth. A widespread comparison of all major sequencing programs, however, is beyond the scope of this review.