Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!wuarchive!emory!att!pacbell.com!ucsd!ucbvax!SNYBUFVA.BITNET!NOWAKO09 From: NOWAKO09@SNYBUFVA.BITNET (APPLE //GS - THE POWER TO BE YOUR BEST) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: Stellar 7 re-release Message-ID: Date: 15 Dec 90 01:03:00 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 37 I remember reading somewhere (a Macmag?) a description of the IIgs with the sentence "...and its unusually sophisticated sound capabilities will be welcome by any music teacher." As of 1990 the only computers with better sound than the GS BUILT IN are the Next and POSSIBLY the new Atari ST. The sound capabilities of a stock GS are far superior to ANYTHING on the market. Any IBM has pathetic sound capabilites from a 4mhz XT up to an i486 PS/2. "But I can connect a Roland/Yamaha/Casio etc... to my machine that BLOWS AWAY your stinking GS!" True, you can, but I can connect the same stuff and instantly have parity if not superiority. You can connect ANY MIDI device to ANY properly equipped computer and have a computer controlled digital synthesizer. The difference with the GS is that for no additional cost (or parts) you get this tremendous sophistication in sound. Then when you do want to spend the $$$ on sound you don't have to buy a synthesizer in the first place, you can go for amplifiers , stereo card, mixers, samplers, etc... The big BIG diffeculty is in programming the damn 5505 chip! I thought when I bought my GS that I could get great stuff out of Basic. Donkey chips! Its only asscessible through assembly/machine language which I am only a fair beginner at yet (though trying hard). As someone pointed out here, the problem with GS sound is that it has not been fully exploited yet in software, there is no integrated package for sound development available (sort of an Appleworks of sound). Sure theres individual neat stuff but they are not modular to one anothe r. Despite the ASIF (apple standard instrument format) its still a pain getti ng some of these music packages to share instruments let alone songs. (sure you can do it but it SHOULD be much easier). I still think that the GS can be looked at as 'a synthesizer wrapped in a computer' and that means unlike many digital midi machines on the market you can program your own instruments AND your own sequencers AND your own translator (midi keyboard to notes on a staff) AND anything else you want. This 'synthesizer' also is expandable 'cause it has six built in slots for various fun cards. The only synthesizer I can think of that offers ALL these options standard like the GS is the Fairlight series that routinely go for 10000$+! So, for music/digital synthesis/no-extra-hardware voice synthesis, I'll stick to the best...the GS! - Joseph Nowakowski - nowako09@snybufva (bitnet)