Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!rutgers!ames!oliveb!sun!cmcmanis From: cmcmanis@sun.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Todd Rundgren & Computers & Amiga Message-ID: <15949@sun.uucp> Date: Tue, 31-Mar-87 14:48:38 EST Article-I.D.: sun.15949 Posted: Tue Mar 31 14:48:38 1987 Date-Received: Fri, 3-Apr-87 00:50:08 EST References: <577@plx.UUCP> Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Mtn View, CA Lines: 73 Keywords: West Coast Faire Summary: Interesting stuff, WCCF was a great show [Note the cross postings were removed, lets *not* start a small war ok?] In article 3139, ed wrote : > While far from a lecture or a performance, Todd Rundgren's "Master's Demo" > at the West Coast Computer Faire was interesting nonetheless. > > The theme of the presentation was "Crackpot Software" or unconventional > approaches to music composition/performance using a computer. Todd > used a Macintosh and a new Mac II to demonstrate some really *NEAT* > software like "Studio Session Player". Rundgren thought this a "Crackpot" > piece of software because of the almost overdone graphics (it looks like > a casette player on the screen). This really was a neat demo/lecture/whathaveyou. I talked to the Studio Session people at the faire and found they have some really *sharp* programmers. They can load the samples into memory and mix and play them through the Mac's D/A converter in realtime, they are limited to six voices only because the D/A converter is only 8 bits. The samples are internally added and then truncated to 8 bits before shipping them out to the D/A. Thus if all six voices are playing you only get about 6 bits of information left after the addition and scaling operation but that is still ok for the human ear. (max error 1/64 or 1.6%) I talked to them about the Amiga a bit, and their programmer seemed to think with its four D/A converters and smart DMA channels he could probably get 12 voices. The only drawback is that the CPU is really involved so there are not many cycles left over for other tasks. > Todd seemed annoyed with the fact that AMIGA had blown him off completely. > He was expecting an AMIGA rep to show up with some software to demo. > While he did not think the AMIGA was a Crackpot machine, he suggested > that those who were involved with marketing the AMIGA may be so since > AMIGA was happy to have Todd's AMIGA serve as lampstand during the demo. > TODD NEVER EVEN BOOTED THE THING UP! I talked to Todd when he stopped by the F.A.U.G. Booth on saturday. He expressed his dissapointment that there were not more 'interesting' sound packages available for it. I told him about Pro-Midi studio from SoundScape which he said he would look at. We both agreed that DMCS for the Amiga was not very useful in it's present form. > I was SHOCKED by the quality of the "Studio Session Player" package > from BOGAS <<---(that's their name folks!). Considering the fact > that there was *NO* additional hardware required to get SAMPLED SOUNDS > on a Mac. Is this really true? I swear, it sounded better than the > AMIGA. Drum sounds too! Electric Guitar! WOW! Yup, the Mac does have a built in 8 bit D/A channel. And yes with clever programming you can get six sampled voices out of it. If that programmer at studio session comes through we should see what they can do with 4 times the hardware with a DMA assist to boot. Should be a small orchestra. Of course they will do it on the Mac II first, then the Amiga (oh well). > OH, Todd briefly played some sampled sounds on the Mac II! WOW! > Todd said he heard someone had completely downloaded a copy of > Peter Gabriel's "SO" album on to a Mac II hard disk. This same > someone was able to play it back through the Mac II's 16-Bit D/A's!! > -ed- The Mac II has 8 bit D/A's *not* 16 bit ones. As a matter of fact they are nearly identical to the Amiga's. Both have hardware DMA channels to feed them, both have filters at 7.12 Khz to filter off spurious harmonics. I believe the 3db point on the Mac filters may be at a slightly higher frequency than the Amiga's since some 'hiss' (quantitazation noise) comes through on some of their samples. All in all a very entertaining show. -- --Chuck McManis uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis BIX: cmcmanis ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.