Please Help Me Get Started!!!, Help needed with Logic software Options

Hi, I recently brought a Mac g3 and Logic Audio 5.0 to start a home studio.

So far, however, I have had nothing but trouble! I own a KORG TRITON Pro Classic keyboard and really wanted to get started making some professional music. I thought the Blue and White G3 would be the best option on my budget because of the power. This however is not the case.

I got the thing home, took a good look at it and realised that there is no MIDI port! Arrrrr. So, I rang the Logic Importers in Australia, and they advised that I get a good, cheap MIDI sound card. I then rang the place where I bought the computer, and they are happy to refund the money if I want to downgrade to a Beige G3.

I need your advice! Should I

A)Buy a cheap (<$200AU, $110US) MIDI card to put in my B&W G3

-or-

B)Downgrade to the Beige G3, upgrade the processer, get USB put in, and get a new, multi res screen (the 15" I bought is crap)

Also, I need to ask if the Beige G3 will run OS 9.1, will it take an upgraded processer, and will the soundcard that comes standard with the Beige G3 be enough to use for MIDI and LOGIC 5.0?

I have spent a fair bit on the B&W G3 so far, and getting a Beige G3 plus all the extras would get me up tp about the same price as I paid for just the B&W G3 originally.

I know these are a lot of questions, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

-l0gix

[pandrews]

This is just my humble opinion, so take it for what it's worth. Stick with the more powerful (newer) machine. For about $50(US) you can get an Edirol UM-1. It is a cable which is USB on one end and MIDI IN/OUT on the other. You can use the Triton as the tone generator, or you can use the internal sounds of the Mac. Done, in 16 bit stereo. For general MIDI this should be fine. Rahter than spending the money on a cheap sound card, you could buy a small mixer to monitor the two sound sources. (Oh yeah, the drivers on the Edirol CD should work fine)

The bus speed on the blue & white Mac is probably greater than that of the beige powermac. (I have no handy specifications.) That's important for moving audio as well as for the upgrade path. It is less of a bottleneck in the future.