cjhoward@lotus.waterloo.edu (Caleb J. Howard) (10/04/88)
Hi there! For the last month or so, I've been trying to get ahold of a MindLight electronic ear type thingy. It comes from Visual Aurals, and I want one Gawdammit! Is there an address that I can send a cheque to and have one of these critters sent to me? I really am serious in my intent to purchase one if someone will only point me in the right direction. Much obliged to the kind soul who aids me in my quest. Secondly, I need a copy of 'RunBack' to augment the 'VirusX' program. Could anyone in the Waterloo area help me out on this? Thirdly, if you get the chance, see "Light Years". It's weird. Mucho Gracias mi amigos (amigas too) Caleb J. Howard P.O. Box 821 Uxbridge, Ontario. L0C 1K0
bdb@becker.UUCP (Bruce Becker) (10/05/88)
In article <8867@watdragon.waterloo.edu> cjhoward@lotus.waterloo.edu (Caleb J. Howard) writes: >Hi there! > For the last month or so, I've been trying to get ahold >of a MindLight electronic ear type thingy. It comes from >Visual Aurals, and I want one Gawdammit! Is there an address >that I can send a cheque to and have one of these critters sent >to me? Visual Aurals P. O. Box 4898 Arcata, CA 95521 Phone: 1 707 822 4800 I believe they want a US$ money order from Canada. >Caleb J. Howard >P.O. Box 821 >Uxbridge, Ontario. >L0C 1K0 Cheers, -- Bruce Becker Toronto, Ont. Internet: bdb@becker.UUCP, bruce@utgpu.toronto.edu, becker@ziebmef.UUCP BitNet: BECKER@HUMBER.BITNET "A day without steroids is like a day without sunshine" - Owsley
cjhoward@lotus.waterloo.edu (Caleb J. Howard) (11/23/88)
Hi there.
I just received my MindLight 7 from Visual aurals after an
acceptably short wait state. First off, let me just say that this
is the finest product I've ever seen from anybody to do anything.
It's a psychodelic light show drug toy. Like a laser show,
but more personal. truly spectacular graphics varying at awsome
speeds accoreding to user input and ambient or piped sound.
I do have a problem with it, however. I always have to boot
it four or five times before it will work. Most of the time it
comes up with a requestor telling me to turn up my gain controlls,
and that it's waiting, and then hangs. I have turned all the knobs
up, then down, then sideways. I have piped signals with lots of
gain into it. I have screamed prayers to allah into its built in
condensor mike. Only about one time in five does it not hang, and
there seems to be no way to affect its decision one way or the
other. The manual, while well laid out, and very informative,
does not seem to mention how to appease this godly bit of
technology.
Perhaps someone could alleviate my only frustration with
this superlative device.
Let me reiterate: Even WITH this major source of irritation,
this is the closest thing I've ever seen to the real reason I
love computers. Thank you, Visual Aurals, for seeing fit to exist.
-Caleb J. Howard
--
Caleb J. Howard "They pushed the button, Jim"
University of Waterloo "What button, Billy?"
"The big, red one."
cjhoward@lotus.waterloo.edu (Caleb J. Howard) (11/30/88)
Hey.
I keep getting this back, so maybe it's not getting through.
I got a MindLight 7 creature from visual aurals, and it's
truly spectacular. Thank you VA for existing and for creating
this deity among peripherals.
Why does it tell me to turn up the gain control when it's
up all the way? Why does it not respond to any attempts I make
to comply to its requestor? It works ok about 1 time in 5, but
the rest of the time it comes up with this damned requestor that
will not go away until the entire program times out and leaves me.
I love this device. It makes me writhe in extasy. It is the
closest thing I have seen to the real reason I love computers.
I don't like the mortal struggle that I have to go through to
induce the software to work.
Help me, please.
--
Caleb J. Howard | "I may be going to hell in a bucket,
University of Waterloo | but at least I'm enjoying the ride."
bader+@andrew.cmu.edu (Miles Bader) (12/01/88)
cjhoward@lotus.waterloo.edu (Caleb J. Howard) writes: > I got a MindLight 7 creature from visual aurals, and it's > truly spectacular. Thank you VA for existing and for creating > this deity among peripherals. ... > I love this device. It makes me writhe in extasy. It is the > closest thing I have seen to the real reason I love computers. Uh, what is it? -Miles
rodger@hpdml93.HP.COM (Rodger Anderson) (12/06/88)
>/ hpdml93:comp.sys.amiga / bader+@andrew.cmu.edu (Miles Bader) / 6:56 am Dec 1, 1988 / >cjhoward@lotus.waterloo.edu (Caleb J. Howard) writes: >> I got a MindLight 7 creature from visual aurals, and it's >> truly spectacular. Thank you VA for existing and for creating >> this deity among peripherals. >... >> I love this device. It makes me writhe in extasy. It is the >> closest thing I have seen to the real reason I love computers. >Uh, what is it? My MindLight 7 is a hardware device that plugs into the second mouse port. Its main function is to convert sound into data. It has a microphone and an input jack. The software, called "Visual Aurals" uses the sound data to paint pretty pictures on the screen. Its sort of like a super-duper light organ. >-Miles >---------- -- Rodger Anderson (rodger@hpdml93) or(rodger%hpdml93@hplabs.hp.com)
cjhoward@lotus.waterloo.edu (Caleb J. Howard) (12/13/88)
Well, I've had a fairly large number of people ask me about the Mindlight 7 animation light show thingy, so I guess that it's about time for me to write a review of the critter. Here goes: About a year ago, I read an article in one of my various computer magazines (p68 Amazing Computing Vol 3 #2) that described a device called the "Mindlight 7" which picked up ambient sound, or took stereo input directly and analyzed it in real time, passing the description of the sound to the amiga. The accompanying software then produced a dazzling visual display to the beat of the music reminiscent of the light organs of the seventies. I was intrigued, and endeavoured to find one in the stores. Well, the bugger was hard to find, and so eventually I mail ordered one from the company, Visual Aurals. After a suprisingly short wait, the thing showed up in the mail. I dashed home and hooked it up, following the excellent instructions in the 122 page manual. After only about five minutes, I was seeing things that I just could not believe. The only thing that I can use to compare it to is a laser light show. In one of its simpler modes, I had it drawing Spiro-graph patterns to the beat of Pink Floyd in cycling colours. The colours cycled in alternating directions with each peak in the sound. The pallette that was being used was itself being modified according to some variation in the music. I was tickled, to say the least. Since then, I have become more adept with the thing, to the point where a friend of mine offered me quite a reasonable sum for a videotape I made with the thing of The Dark Side of the Moon. I am a student (starving, yes), and I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever about spending the money on it. The hardware alone is quite a powerful sound analysis peripheral. My only problem with the device is the fact that about four times out of five when I start up the software it asks me to turn up the gain controls. The requestor dosen't go away ever, and eventually the software times out and exits. This is irritating, but I would put up with much, much more for the oppertunity to use this wonderful device and, more especially the accompanying software. I want each and every one of you to rush out to your amiga dealer and demand to know why this, the greatest of peripherals, is not being stocked, and to demand that it be on the shelves within the week. In the meantime, send a certified cheque or money- order for $179.00 US to Visual Aural Animations P.O. Box 4898 Arcata, CA 95521 And see the real reason you love computers. Believe it or not, I have absolutely nothing to do with the company. I don't know anybody who is connected in any way with the company. I just bought their product, and am very, very happy with it. By the way, I don't KNOW that the people at Visual Aurals play with mind scarring toxins, but I have my suspicions. Caleb J. Howard -- Caleb J. Howard | "I may be going to hell in a bucket, University of Waterloo | but at least I'm enjoying the ride."
afraser@ssibbs.UUCP (Alex Fraser) (12/16/88)
In article <10393@watdragon.waterloo.edu>, cjhoward@lotus.waterloo.edu (Caleb J. Howard) writes: > About a year ago, I read an article in one of my various > computer magazines (p68 Amazing Computing Vol 3 #2) > that described a device called the "Mindlight 7" which > picked up ambient sound, or took stereo input directly > and analyzed it in real time, passing the description > of the sound to the amiga. The accompanying software > then produced a dazzling visual display to the beat of > the music reminiscent of the light organs of the seventies. <review and ordering info deleted> Does the software it comes with support using it as a sampler? Does it go on the parallel port, have a dedicated card, or what? Do they include complete info for writing your own code to use it? (Or better yet give source code!) This sounds like a lot of fun, particularly if it can do everything that Perfect Sound can do, and is only @ $100 more. (On second thought, what can this thing do that Perfect Sound couldn't do with the right graphic software? How well does it multitask? (Ie, do you think I could run Dr. T's and then run my music right through it at the same time)? -- /* Alexander Fraser 23 Sheraton Park "In the east where the bear is dancing; ssibbs!afraser Arlington MA 02174 In the west where the eagle flies..." ...{mit-eddie,pyramid,datacube}!mirror!ssi3b1!ssibbs!afraser */
cjhoward@lotus.waterloo.edu (Caleb J. Howard) (12/20/88)
I have received many replies to my review of the Mindlight 7 from Visual Aurals. Some questions asked here are answered. >Does the software it comes with support using it as a sampler? >Does it go on the parallel port, have a dedicated card, or what? >Do they include complete info for writing your own code to use it? >(Or better yet give source code!) The software included with the mindlight 7 from Visual Aurals does not support using it as a sampler. It plugs into the second joystick port directly, or using a cord provided. They do not give full (or indeed any) documentation on programming, but on the regestration card was a box to check for technical info. I'll review said info when I get it. >This sounds like a lot of fun, particularly if it can do everything >that Perfect Sound can do, and is only @ $100 more. (On second thought, >what can this thing do that Perfect Sound couldn't do with the right >graphic software? The Mindlight 7 is a device that analyzes the sound coming in independantly of the software. It is very fast, and the software dosen't do the sound dissection, and can therefore dedicate itself to blowing minds. I don't know what the perfect sound can do, but unless I miss my guess, the software does a lot of the sound analysis. >How well does it multitask? (Ie, do you think I could run Dr. T's >and then run my music right through it at the same time)? I am told in the following that the software is 100% multitasking. >You both forgot to mention you can load in a picture, display that on >for or background in different pieces, colors, sound sync., cycling, >or switch between different pictures in memory and mix it with one of the >to much to choose from standard objects in the program or with your custom >brushes or sprites you just loaded. This creature does billions (literally) of nifty things. I couldn't begin to hint at the variety of graphic displays available. >The most important thing, you didn't get any sleep for a week, did you ? >( I didn't ! ) I got little sleep for about a month after getting this intense little mind buggering creature. >For Europeans on the net, there's a distributor for Europe now: >Allicht av-pr >Zwanenburgwal 146 >1011JH Amsterdam, The Netherlands >Phone: +31 (0)20-228653 >BTW: Software is 100% MULTITASKING ! Another interesting point. One of the responses I got to my review told me that the president of Visual Aurals is none other than the venerable Dr. Timothy Leary. After seeing the software, I suspect his chemical past influenced its creation. Again, you all owe it to yourselves to at least see this critter before you die. It is truly magnificent Caleb J. Howard (Absolutely no ties to Visual Aurals, or anything else in California for that matter.) -- Caleb J. Howard | "I may be going to hell in a bucket, University of Waterloo | but at least I'm enjoying the ride."
u-mderha%ug.utah.edu@wasatch.UUCP (Max Derhak) (12/21/88)
The mindlight may be spiffy, and the new software is terrific, but
don't hold your breath for the technical info. We sent in our card
about 8 months ago, and haven't heard anything. In fact we didn't even
recieve word that there was new software from Visual Aurals. We had
to get our news from the Grapevine
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