specter@disk.uucp (Byron Max Guernsey) (06/24/91)
I have been looking through some music magazines which describe digital work- stations used for editing digital audio of everything from music to dialogue. Are there any programs to do something similar to these workstations for amiga? I know first of all that the workstations use 16 bit samples and amiga cannot readily play these back or digitize without extra hardware. But the idea I want is not the 16 bit quality, but rather a program that can take say, a 600 meg hard drive, and sample any audio I want directly to it or into large files, maybe even in tracks. Then, allow me to go through the large file or disk and modify sections, playback sections, sample over sections..etc...combine sections..etc. Right now I have only seen simple MEMORY limited programs like this with little capacity (since most amiga's are limited to 9 megs with hacks it only accounts for about 7 minute samples with any decent sampling rate. (also I remember samples being limited to chip ram also, I suppose a software genius has already hacked a solution...IE Audio Master..) ) Also from what I understand you would require a high speed hard drive to do any worthwhile editing. Wouldn't it be in commodores best interest to work up some 16 bit sound station hardware and software to do what these rather expensive workstations do? Thats what got them in the video spotlight..doing for 1000's what normally costed 10's of thousands. I could see "packages" being sold already assembled for specific tasks... "The Amiga Video Station" - which includes the amiga, a hard drive, a video toaster, a tbc, a sampler, etc... "The Amiga Audio Station" - boasting a 16 bit sampler/playback board, a high speed large capacity hard drive, software to do the editing I described, a midi interface, perhaps some form of software/hardware combined sound board, etc... Right now it looks like the "Next" computer will get the audio market as far as digital disk editors goes...but thats not a very informed opinion. Byron -- Byron 'Maxwell' Guernsey | /// //\\ specter@disk.UUCP or | /// // \\ uunet!ukma!corpane!disk!specter | \\\/// //====\\ "All we are, is dust in the wind dude!" - Ted | \\\/ // \\ m i g a
kcampbel@uafhp.uark.edu (Keith Alan Campbell) (06/25/91)
We at Vision Quest have had this idea in mind ever since we started the development of what is now the AD1016 for SunRize. SunRize doesn't seem to have a strong sense of market for the product in any area other than audio- for-video, and we kept a clause in our contract specifically so we can sell audio workstations that include Amigas as part of the package. Now we need software to help us fill out that part of the package. We're not sure yet how well SunRize's software will fulfill our requirements, so we've continued contacting developers to see if they are interested. We have yet to see anyone ready to jump in with an editing package yet. We will be glad to work with anyone who would like to get into the DSP/editing software end of things. Don Kennedy Audio Specialist Vision Quest Systems (501) 521-0420 (501) 253-5264
mykes@amiga0.SF-Bay.ORG (Mike Schwartz) (06/26/91)
In article <1991Jun24.042509.13390@disk.uucp> specter@disk.uucp (Byron Max Guernsey) writes: > >But the idea I want is not the 16 bit quality, but rather a program that >can take say, a 600 meg hard drive, and sample any audio I want directly to >it or into large files, maybe even in tracks. Then, allow me to go through >the large file or disk and modify sections, playback sections, sample >over sections..etc...combine sections..etc. > This is quite feasible with the Amiga. I'm sure there is something in the PD that plays sounds from disk. However, I haven't seen anything exactly as you describe. >Right now I have only seen simple MEMORY limited programs like this with >little capacity (since most amiga's are limited to 9 megs with hacks it >only accounts for about 7 minute samples with any decent sampling rate. >(also I remember samples being limited to chip ram also, I suppose a software >genius has already hacked a solution...IE Audio Master..) ) > I'm not familiar with Audio Master III, but their ads claim the ability to at least play from disk. The A3000 is expandable to gigabytes of RAM, theoretically, so maybe you should look for the right member of the Amiga family to use... Also, the SLOOOWWWW 68000 Mac's (pre-classic) were able to do 22KHz mono sample playback, and it only had like 400 bytes of "chip" ram (for audio). This implies that a 7MHz Amiga can easily move memory from FAST RAM to CHIP RAM fast enough for your requirements. For what it's worth, I've written a driver that does 4 voices of 11.1KHz audio using only 2K of CHIP RAM, and it plays samples as long as you have memory for. >Also from what I understand you would require a high speed hard drive to do >any worthwhile editing. Wouldn't it be in commodores best interest to work >up some 16 bit sound station hardware and software to do what these rather >expensive workstations do? Thats what got them in the video spotlight..doing >for 1000's what normally costed 10's of thousands. > Theoretically (meaning with the right software), it is possible to play 20KHz mono samples directly from floppy disk on the Amiga. The "high speed" hard drive you mention might easily go 100 times faster than required for 20KHz mono sampling, and would go 10 times faster than required for full stereo 16-bit 44.1KHz sampling/playback. >I could see "packages" being sold already assembled for specific tasks... >"The Amiga Video Station" - which includes the amiga, a hard drive, a >video toaster, a tbc, a sampler, etc... >"The Amiga Audio Station" - boasting a 16 bit sampler/playback board, a >high speed large capacity hard drive, software to do the editing I described, >a midi interface, perhaps some form of software/hardware combined sound >board, etc... > Computer stores already provide complete packages like this. >Right now it looks like the "Next" computer will get the audio market as far >as digital disk editors goes...but thats not a very informed opinion. > The NeXt has a DSP, while the Amiga doesn't. Whatever the DSP does for the NeXt in real time, the Amiga's CPU can also do - but not necessarily in real time. I wouldn't bet on the NeXt solely based upon what you've written here, because where there is a demand for software, the Amiga can fit the bill. In fact, there is a 16-bit audio board for the Amiga, including a DSP, which sells for about $2K. Add in the price of a 600Meg Hard disk and an A3000, and it still costs less than $10K. -- **************************************************** * I want games that look like Shadow of the Beast * * but play like Leisure Suit Larry. * ****************************************************
rjc@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Ray Cromwell) (06/27/91)
AGMSRecordSound and AGMSPlaySound play sounds from disk in realtime.
I have used them to play the theme from 2001, a popeye commercial, and
the drwho theme entirely from floppy. (These are 800k files!) While
playing, the program eats up only 2k of ram(or more if you want more
buffering). Other programs running, serial, etc do not affect the
playback. This is on a 68000 equipped Amiga.
A harddrive would be more than adequate to play back sounds in
real time.
I do not know of a program that can edit sounds large than ram, perhaps
its time someone does?
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