Cheap & Cheerful Music Programs On The ST Platform

The ST platform is still plentifully supplied with cheap and cheerful music programs. Derek Johnson delivers an update.

Goodmans' recently released Atari Reference Guide Public Domain and shareware list has received its first update, and it includes a good collection of new and updated programming tools, games, fonts and clip art. On the music front, sadly, there's little included: disk number GD2984 contains a new version of System Audio Manager, a utility that allows digitised sound files to be attached to system events (such as opening a window); SAM also offers basic record, playback and editing features. In addition, the disk contains N Play, a simple sample player which recognises several sample file types, including SAM, DVS and WAV.

Most of the update lists the contents of a hoard of cover disks left over from American magazine STart which Goodmans recently discovered; some are 10 years old, but contain a good selection of programs. Stocks are reasonably plentiful but ultimately limited, and disks can be yours for the usual catalogue price (£1.50, or £1.25 for subscribers). Musical items can be found on several disks (for example, there's Guitar Solo, Ear Trainer and MIDI data display program MIDI View. To recap, an annual subscription to the Guide costs £15 in the UK (£20 Europe, £30 other countries). Contact Goodman's, 16 Conrad Close, Meir Hay, Longton, Stoke‑on‑Trent, Staffs ST3 1SW. (Tel: 01782 335650. Fax: 01782 316132. Email: goodmans@mcmail.com).

Moos Flash!

While I've heard rumblings about some of Electronic Cow's software being ported to the PC at some point in the future, their ST programs are still being enthusiastically supported. First of all, granular synthesis package Snippit Synth is now at v1.1; as well as using the usual waveform grains (square, sine, triangle, and sawtooth), any mono AVR sample (as created by Microsoft's Replay 16 sampling package) can be used as the basis of a user wavetable. A sample's first 20K is used, and interpolated depending on the settings made in the frequency section. The results are often quite strange, but the original sound is discernible when lower frequencies are used. Auto‑crop and optimise volume tools have been added, so that sounds can be better prepared for sample dumping or exporting. It's also now possible to copy the settings made from one chunk to another, which makes it easier to synthesize sounds from multiple chunks. The sample dump routines are now slightly faster, and a driver has been added for the Akai's S900 and 950 that automatically converts samples to 12‑bit. Extra sampling rates, 16‑bit playback and waveform‑draw colour options have been added to the Falcon version, and all versions now benefit from four different waveform draw modes. And that's not all: v1.15 (to be unveiled at the Atari shows in October, see box below) will feature AIFF and raw sample data loading, import for user wavetable grains, better input controls (including editable text fields and bigger sliders) plus the ability to mix or modulate chunks and arrange them sequentially in a sound.

MIDI Arpeggiator v2.1 should be available as you read this, and features a new pattern play mode; tracks are now 64 notes long, divided up into four 16‑note patterns which can be cycled in various ways. In the cycle modes, and with random play set, after the amount of notes determined by the locators MIDI Arpeggiator moves on to the next pattern (and plays this randomly). Left and right locators replace the 'steps' setting, so patterns can be played from an offset step — from step 4 to 11, or 8 to 16, and so on. The look and feel of the mixer controls have been improved: the dials have a greater resolution with faster re‑drawing (and animation on the Falcon). By pushing the Shift key, you can now increment values in larger steps. The duophonic part now has a channel strip, including pan, volume, and two user‑programmable dials, plus independently set controller buttons for each auxiliary, giving you greater control. Lastly, there are improvements in the MIDI File export option (both Type 1 and 0).

Snippit Synth costs £16 plus £1.50 p&p; MIDI Arpeggiator is £15 plus p&p. Upgrades are free to registered users, though original disk(s) must be returned, with a suitable stamped‑addressed envelope, to Electronic Cow; arrangements can be made to upgrade via email. Electronic Cow can be contacted at 350 Broadwater Crescent, Stevenage, Herts SG2 8EZ. (Tel: 01426 281347.
Email: electronic_cow@dial.pipex.com.
Internet: dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/terrace/abi91/cownet.htm.)

Incidentally, American readers can now buy Electronic Cow software domestically; the US distributor is Systems For Tomorrow, PO Box 3034, Independence, MO 64055, USA. (Tel: 800 875 4943 (orders only) or 816 833 4738. Fax: 816 252 3611. Email: sales@SystemsForTomorrow.com. Internet: www.SystemsForTomorrow.com). Prices should be $19.99 for Sound Chip Synth, $27.99 for MIDI Arpeggiator and $29.99 for Snippit Synth, all plus postage.