pett@ucsfcgl.UUCP (Eric Pettersen%CGL) (02/01/86)
Has anyone purchased either of the Hippo sound or video digitizers advertised in the March '86 Antic? They *sound* good. For those of you who haven't seen the ad (and in the hope of luring someone into buying it and getting a review), I will repeat the ad below... HIPPO ST SOUND DIGITIZER Digitally sample, modify, and play back high-quality sounds. Experi- ment with adjustible real-time echos, phase shifts, voice synthesis and recognition, and fourier analysis. Adjustible sample and playback rates. Software includes many fun demonstrations including a real- time graphic oscilloscope. Useful for analog lab measurement and control too. Includes software (executable and source), hardware, microphone, power supply, and instructions. $139.95 THE SPECS: 8 bit A/D and D/A // 2.5 microsec flash A/D conversion rate allows sampling up to 400,000 samples per second // 1 volt peak to peak signal and source // Hardware plugs into printer port for high speed data transfer rate. HIPPOVISION VIDEO DIGITIZER Digitize from any standard composite video source (e.g. TV camera, VCR, TV tuner, etc...). Frame grabber "snaps" color picture in a single video frame. Creates Neo files. Perfect for game-designers and art- ists. Send video pictures over the phone (requires a modem)! Includes hardware and software. Contact us for high-quality color printers and ST color printer software drivers too. Call for price. THE SPECS: 256x256x9 bit resolution (3 bits per color) // Standard NTSC 1 volt peak-to-peak composite sync signal // Software color "voting" system picks optimum 16-color ST palette according to image // Hardware plugs into printer port for high speed data transfer rate. Yeah, advertising makes me sick too. But if either of these devices deliver what they claim, they could really enhance an ST. Consider working on a video image in Neo that started as a single frame grabbed from the movie BLADERUNNER! The sound digitzer can be used to analyze sound from actual instruments and thereby simplify manyfold the task of creating the "patches" for those instrum- ents for digital synthesizers. However, I'm as aware as the next guy about HIPPO's track record for producing problem-free products. This is why I'm hoping that someone to whom $139+ doesn't represent such a big investment will take the plunge and enlighten us all. BTW, if you *do* want one... HIPPOPOTAMUS 985 University Ave., Suite #12 Los Gatos, CA 95030 (408)-395-3190 (that could be 5190, my copy is bad) Don't flame me, I have flash paper underwear. Thanks. Eric Pettersen Impoverished ST owner