[comp.sys.mac.hardware] Sound Digitizer

cshotton@buster.irby.com (Chuck Shotton) (12/18/89)

Once upon a time, I saw plans for a sound digitizer for the Mac. The plans
seemed relatively simple. I know the software isn't exactly pleasant, but
that's no problem either. Does anyone happen to have any info on plans for
such a beast?

kseah@cs.utexas.edu (Kenneth Cheng-Lim Seah) (12/19/89)

In article <615@buster.irby.com> cshotton@buster.irby.com (Chuck Shotton) writes:
>Once upon a time, I saw plans for a sound digitizer for the Mac. The plans
>seemed relatively simple. I know the software isn't exactly pleasant, but
>that's no problem either. Does anyone happen to have any info on plans for
>such a beast?

How about the MacRecorder? It's also a sound digitizer as well.
-- 
Kenneth Seah (kseah@cs.utexas.edu)
Computer Science Department, University of Texas at Austin
"Money means nothing 'cause hacks are free..." (Apologies to MK)
Disclaimer:  Disclaim 'er?? Why I don't even know 'er...

CHOOPER@acad.cut.oz (Todd Hooper) (12/19/89)

In article <7383@cs.utexas.edu>, kseah@cs.utexas.edu (Kenneth Cheng-Lim Seah) writes:
> In article <615@buster.irby.com> cshotton@buster.irby.com (Chuck Shotton) writes:
>>Once upon a time, I saw plans for a sound digitizer for the Mac. The plans
>>seemed relatively simple. I know the software isn't exactly pleasant, but
>>that's no problem either. Does anyone happen to have any info on plans for
>>such a beast?
> 
> How about the MacRecorder? It's also a sound digitizer as well.

Yes. And it comes with a _great_ piece of software called SoundEdit, from
Farallon Computing. Well worth the price for just the SoundEdit software
alone.

Now heres my question - what other sorts of sound digitizing gear is 
available for the Mac? The reason I ask is, MacRecorder is limited to
a maximum sample rate of 22 khz. I'd like to sample something at a lot
higher frequency - say 44 khz, which is getting up past CD quality. You
really notice the limitations of 22 khz if you want to use the Mac as a
sampler or the like. Especially if you listen to it through a reasonable
amp or stereo.

The Apple Sound Chip in the IIcx, SE/30, Portable etc is supposed to
be able to do '44 khz stereo sound', so I can't see why you shouldn't
be able to sample at that rate and play it back through the ASC.

Email replies to me please - I will summarize to the net after Xmas.

Thanks,

Todd Hooper                                                Computing Centre
                                            Curtin University of Technology
PSImail: psi%050529452300070::CHOOPER                     Western Australia
ACSnet : CHOOPER@acad.cut.oz
Bitnet : CHOOPER%acad.curtin.edu.au%munnari.oz@cunyvm.bitnet
UUCP   : {enea,mcvax,uunet,ubc-cs,ukc}!munnari!acad.curtin.edu.au!CHOOPER

cshotton@buster.irby.com (Chuck Shotton) (01/13/90)

A few weeks ago, I posted a request for information on a piece of hardware
that can do a job similar to MacRecorder from Farralon. Little did I know that
the "SID Trio" was hard at work.

Last night on GEnie I ran across a file in the Mac file are (Page 606) that
contained the complete schematics, component lists (with part numbers),
instructions for construction and software for driving the device for
SID (Sound Input Device).

From the looks of the documentation, SID can be built for about $30, and
I can't see that it lacks ANY of the functionality of the original MacRecorder.
If anyone is interested in more info, check file 16001 (I think) on GEnie,
or leave me a message and I'll post the address of the SID Trio.
Chuck Shotton
cshotton@girch1.hsch.utexas.edu
...!buster!cshotton
...!buster!brain!root

jtn@zodiac.ADS.COM (John Nelson) (01/15/90)

In article <628@buster.irby.com> cshotton@buster.irby.com (Chuck Shotton) writes:
>A few weeks ago, I posted a request for information on a piece of hardware
>that can do a job similar to MacRecorder from Farralon. Little did I know that
>the "SID Trio" was hard at work.


The new Macinstoshes use sampling rates of 44.1 Khz (only 8 bit
samples though).  To utilize this capability it looks like Farralon
and The SID Trio will have to redesign their boards.

Just a thought.



-- 
John T. Nelson -- The Conrail Locmotive / Harpsichord fusion project

Advanced Decision Systems	(703) 243-1611
UUCP: sun!sundc!potomac!jtn	Internet:  jtn@potomac.ads.com

cc4b+@andrew.cmu.edu (Christopher Brian Cox) (01/16/90)

>>A few weeks ago, I posted a request for information on a piece of hardware
>>that can do a job similar to MacRecorder from Farallon. Little did I know 
>>that the "SID Trio" was hard at work.
>The new Macinstoshes use sampling rates of 44.1 Khz (only 8 bit
>samples though).  To utilize this capability it looks like Farallon
>and The SID Trio will have to redesign their boards.
 
44.1 kHz ~= 4,410,000 bits / sec. (1 start, 8 data,  1 stop bits) (ouch!)
If you use the serial port.
 
How about somebody setting a new standard:
	44.1 kHz sampling (mono or stereo)
	SCSI buffered/intelligent transfer
 
At least standardize the communications interface so there is some clear
path between the cheap (SID) and big (studio) digitizer/sampler units.
This would also make it easy for software developers to support a wide
range of devices, and possibly convince some of them to write some decent
sound software.
 
Come on Farallon, how about doing it right?
 
Chris

d88-jwa@nada.kth.se (Jon Watte) (01/16/90)

In article <sZgfnPi00Ug_M5bGRD@andrew.cmu.edu> cc4b+@andrew.cmu.edu (Christopher Brian Cox) writes:

>44.1 kHz ~= 4,410,000 bits / sec. (1 start, 8 data,  1 stop bits) (ouch!)
>If you use the serial port.

C. B. Cox, Math - D

44.1 * 1,000 * (8+1+1) ~= 441,000 bits/sec. Still twice as much
as the serial port manages, though.

>How about somebody setting a new standard:
>	44.1 kHz sampling (mono or stereo)
>	SCSI buffered/intelligent transfer

How about buying a sampler and getting the sampler via MIDI ?

Or better, sample into a fairlight, and lift it over via SCSI ? :-)

h+
-- 
   ---  Stay alert !  -  Trust no one !  -  Keep your laser handy !  ---
             h+@nada.kth.se  ==  h+@proxxi.se  ==  Jon Watte
                    longer .sig available on request

ragge@nada.kth.se (Ragnar Sundblad) (01/17/90)

In article <2739@draken.nada.kth.se> d88-jwa@nada.kth.se (Jon W{tte) writes:
>44.1 * 1,000 * (8+1+1) ~= 441,000 bits/sec. Still twice as much
>as the serial port manages, though.

No. The serial port can be externally clocked up to ~1Mbit.
(compare: Flashtalk = ~750Kbit)

gosselin@CLIK.QC.CA (Pascal Gosselin) (01/17/90)

>
>The new Macinstoshes use sampling rates of 44.1 Khz (only 8 bit
>samples though).  To utilize this capability it looks like Farralon
>and The SID Trio will have to redesign their boards.
>
>Just a thought.
>
>

This is untrue, Mac II's and the Portable have TWO 22Khz channels, not
a 44.1 Khz as stated above.  The MacRecroder software SOUNDEDIT address this
concern by providing support for stereo sound via two MacRecorders, each
doing a particular channel at 22Khz...

CHOOPER@acad.cut.oz (Todd Hooper) (01/17/90)

In article <10417@zodiac.ADS.COM>, jtn@zodiac.ADS.COM (John Nelson) writes:
> In article <628@buster.irby.com> cshotton@buster.irby.com (Chuck Shotton) writes:
>>A few weeks ago, I posted a request for information on a piece of hardware
>>that can do a job similar to MacRecorder from Farralon. Little did I know that
>>the "SID Trio" was hard at work.
> 
> The new Macinstoshes use sampling rates of 44.1 Khz (only 8 bit
> samples though).  To utilize this capability it looks like Farralon
> and The SID Trio will have to redesign their boards.

44.1 khz? So the glossies say. But has anybody seen anything - hardware,
software - that can handle over 22 khz?? Even Farallon's excellent SoundEdit
program only handles up to 22khz.

BTW, I know about the expensive NuBus boards that do everything short of
signing you up for a record contract. But in the long run it would be 
cheaper to buy a Roland sampler than one of these boards plus a Mac II to 
drive it.....

--
Todd Hooper                                                Computing Centre
                                            Curtin University of Technology
PSImail: psi%050529452300070::CHOOPER                     Western Australia
ACSnet : CHOOPER@acad.cut.oz
Bitnet : CHOOPER%acad.curtin.edu.au%munnari.oz@cunyvm.bitnet
UUCP   : {enea,mcvax,uunet,ubc-cs,ukc}!munnari!acad.curtin.edu.au!CHOOPER
Phone  : +61 9 351 7467 (24 hour messaging system) Fax +61 9 351 2673

cc4b+@andrew.cmu.edu (Christopher Brian Cox) (01/17/90)

>>44.1 kHz ~= 4,410,000 bits / sec. (1 start, 8 data,  1 stop bits) (ouch!)
>>If you use the serial port.
>C. B. Cox, Math - D
>44.1 * 1,000 * (8+1+1) ~= 441,000 bits/sec. Still twice as much
>as the serial port manages, though.
 
WHOOPS, I hit one too many zeros on the calculator!
(PDE's I can remember, multiplication - that's another matter)
 
Chris
 
 
ps. priced a sampler lately? Some of them have a reason for being expensive,
 but most don't.
 
pps. (ragge@nada.kth.se) I'll have to try an external clock on the serial
port, thanks for the suggestion.

jtn@zodiac.ADS.COM (John Nelson) (01/17/90)

In article <1700@acad.cut.oz> CHOOPER@acad.cut.oz (Todd Hooper) writes:

>44.1 khz? So the glossies say. But has anybody seen anything - hardware,
>software - that can handle over 22 khz?? Even Farallon's excellent SoundEdit
>program only handles up to 22khz.

Of course... hardware for 44.1 Khz support is built INTO the Mac IIx
and IIcx.  That's 8 bit though.  Still the 44.1 Khz rate is
incompatible with Farrallon.

>BTW, I know about the expensive NuBus boards that do everything short of
>signing you up for a record contract. But in the long run it would be 
>cheaper to buy a Roland sampler than one of these boards plus a Mac II to 
>drive it.....

Ah yes, Digidesign.  These are fully functional 44.1 Khz / 16-bit
systems that both sample and generate sound.  Option is available for
DAT interface too.  They are MUCH more capable and MUCH more expensive
than the little Apple ASC chip.



-- 
John T. Nelson -- The Conrail Locmotive / Harpsichord fusion project

Advanced Decision Systems	(703) 243-1611
UUCP: sun!sundc!potomac!jtn	Internet:  jtn@potomac.ads.com

vallon@sbmiclr.cs.sunysb.edu (Justin Vallon) (01/18/90)

In article <2739@draken.nada.kth.se>, d88-jwa@nada.kth.se (Jon Watte) writes:
> In article <sZgfnPi00Ug_M5bGRD@andrew.cmu.edu> cc4b+@andrew.cmu.edu
(Christopher Brian Cox) writes:
> >How about somebody setting a new standard:
> >	44.1 kHz sampling (mono or stereo)
> >	SCSI buffered/intelligent transfer
> 
> How about buying a sampler and getting the sampler via MIDI ?

Sorry.  If you want real-time sample input, MIDI just can't deliver.  MIDI
is ~30K baud.  That'll give you 3K samples/sec, or 1500 Hz.  Oh well.

I still believe that a good, cheap SCSI data IO device could be easily
built.  Let's see...  SCSI transceiver, cheap 8-bit CPU (or even a 68K),
256K IO buffer, memory control, and a slot to insert your favorite card(s).

Anybody want to cook something up?

> -- 
>    ---  Stay alert !  -  Trust no one !  -  Keep your laser handy !  ---
>              h+@nada.kth.se  ==  h+@proxxi.se  ==  Jon Watte
>                     longer .sig available on request

-Justin
vallon@sbcs.sunysb.edu

d88-jwa@nada.kth.se (Jon Watte) (01/18/90)

In article <4482@sbcs.sunysb.edu> vallon@sbmiclr.cs.sunysb.edu (Justin Vallon) writes:

>> How about buying a sampler and getting the sampler via MIDI ?

>Sorry.  If you want real-time sample input, MIDI just can't deliver.  MIDI
>is ~30K baud.  That'll give you 3K samples/sec, or 1500 Hz.  Oh well.

Who speaks about real-time ? If you have a sampler, you can sample
and edit to your heart's content (wd ?), then set the synth at
bulk transfer and go for lunch.

h+
-- 
   ---  Stay alert !  -  Trust no one !  -  Keep your laser handy !  ---
             h+@nada.kth.se  ==  h+@proxxi.se  ==  Jon Watte
                    longer .sig available on request

yost@esquire.UUCP (David A. Yost) (01/19/90)

In article <628@buster.irby.com> cshotton@buster.irby.com (Chuck Shotton) writes:
>From the looks of the documentation, SID can be built for about $30, and I
>can't see that it lacks ANY of the functionality of the original MacRecorder.

If it is compatible with MacRecorder, i.e. will work with MacRecorder
software, someone should sell them.  Reason is that you can record
stereo with MacRecorder, but you have to buy another copy of the whole
hardware/software package just to get the additional sampling hardware.

So, if anyone is going to make these things up in their garage,
don't forget to make some extras and advertise them for sale.

 --dave yost
 yost@esquire.dpw.COM

brianw@microsoft.UUCP (Brian WILLOUGHBY) (01/22/90)

In article <1700@acad.cut.oz> CHOOPER@acad.cut.oz (Todd Hooper) writes:
>
>44.1 khz? So the glossies say. But has anybody seen anything - hardware,
>software - that can handle over 22 khz?? Even Farallon's excellent SoundEdit
>program only handles up to 22khz.
>
>BTW, I know about the expensive NuBus boards that do everything short of
>signing you up for a record contract. But in the long run it would be 
>cheaper to buy a Roland sampler than one of these boards plus a Mac II to 
>drive it.....

Yeah, except that the Roland would sound like utter crap, be severely crippled
in capabilities, and be an order of magnitude harder to work with unless you
also buy a Mac to go along with it.

You get what you pay for, but, then again, not everyone needs to record an
album at home.

Brian Willoughby
UUCP:           ...!{tikal, sun, uunet, elwood}!microsoft!brianw
InterNet:       microsoft!brianw@uunet.UU.NET
  or:           microsoft!brianw@Sun.COM
Bitnet          brianw@microsoft.UUCP

vallon@sbmiclr.cs.sunysb.edu (Justin Vallon) (01/23/90)

In article <1764@zoom.CLIK.QC.CA>, gosselin@CLIK.QC.CA (Pascal Gosselin)
writes:
> >
> >The new Macinstoshes use sampling rates of 44.1 Khz (only 8 bit
> >samples though).  [...]

> This is untrue, Mac II's and the Portable have TWO 22Khz channels, not
> a 44.1 Khz as stated above.  The MacRecroder software SOUNDEDIT address this
> concern by providing support for stereo sound via two MacRecorders, each
> doing a particular channel at 22Khz...

This is untrue.  Mac II's have TWO 44.1Khz output channels.  That is,
the built-in hardware can produce stereo, 8-bit, 44.1 K samples/sec.

When digitizing, the MacRecorder is limited to 22 K samples/sec.  A
Mac II (because of it's speed, probably) can simultaneously accept input
from two MacRecorders at 22 K, giving stereo, 8-bit, 22 K samples/sec.

-Justin
vallon@sbcs.sunysb.edu