Direct-to-disk Sampling System

Paul Austin looks on as the Amiga's ultimate direct‑to‑disk sampling system finally gets the software it deserves...

SunRize Industries have held the top spot in serious Amiga sampling for years, thanks to their 4‑track AD1012 and 8‑track AD516 cards, both of which offer a combination of excellent sound quality, unrivalled flexibility, and a natural affinity to other third‑party products — both hardware and software.

In the face of new competition from both the Wavetools and the Toccata direct‑to‑disk systems, SunRize have decided to consolidate their position with release of version 3 of their Studio16 control software. But before we delve into the upgrade, it's probably worth refreshing a few memories with a brief tour of the board itself. As mentioned above, the AD516 board offers stereo simultaneous non‑linear 8‑track record and playback up to and above CD quality. In addition, the card also generates internal SMPTE timecode, which can be passed on to other applications — Bars and Pipes Professional being a prime example. Furthermore, a SMPTE In socket is provided on the rear of the board, which enables syncing to any external source.

Also on the rear are the twin RCA/phono inputs and outputs. Obviously, piping the entire output of the board through a single stereo output isn't ideal. However, it is possible to attach additional boards, thereby adding more tracks and of course further I/O connections. In theory, it's possible to add up to four boards in a single machine, providing eight individual Ins and Outs on one system. Unfortunately, simply adding further cards doesn't incrementally increase the number of available tracks. In fact the maximum number of tracks on a single machine is 12 — and this can be achieved with just two cards.

Inside The Software

Although incredibly powerful, the Studio16 control software is refreshingly simple to negotiate, and shouldn't be too much of a challenge for even the most technophobic muso. All the various elements are presented in a modular form, which, when active, generate their own array of pull‑down options, avoiding the confusion and clutter synonymous with many power packages. The recording procedure provides a classic example. Just two sliders and a small selection of buttons control the whole operation. You simply select the sampling rate you need, adjust the gain — monitoring in realtime if necessary — and hit Record.

Assuming you've already defined the target drive in the Preferences section, and selected the appropriate input on the rear of the board, your new sample will now appear in the Sample list, ready to be edited or for use directly in the Cuelist (of which more below). If a particular drive is becoming short on space, it's possible to add additional drives as paths. As a result, a single composition could be made up of a selection of samples over several drives. If editing is required, a simple double click on the sample in question will invoke the Editor, in which you can apply the usual array of cut and paste operations — both destructive and non‑destructive. It's also possible to define ranges within bigger samples, which can then be called upon separately with the Cuelist, perhaps as a repeating phase, verse, chorus or whatever — which saves valuable disk space. The only minor disappointment in the editing section is the limited range of signal processing options. At the moment, the built‑in DSP can be used to generate real‑time echo, but that's about it.

Metering is well catered for, with options for graphical VUs, digital LEDs, and graphs all available. On the mixing side, things are even more impressive, with the option of saving mixes — including both pan and volume. In addition, faders can be grouped and crossfaded automatically, allowing a single mouse movement to alter multiple tracks simultaneously — all of which can be recorded, repeated on playback, and saved if necessary.

Although impressive, much of the above isn't exactly new. But when it's when you get to the Cuelist that this latest update really comes into its own. For those unfamiliar with Studio16, the Cuelist is basically the program's internal sequencer. After recording and editing your samples, it enables you to arrange them over the eight tracks of the AD516, or the four of the AD1012. In this update, the Cuelist has been completely overhauled, and now provides a graphical rather than numerical approach to the problem of sequencing samples. Better still, everything is now totally mouse‑driven, with a new drag‑and‑drop approach, enabling graphical representations of each sample to be shunted between tracks and along the time‑line with a simple mouse click. Perhaps even more important is the arrival of a range of tools which allow samples on the same track to fade, crossfade or butt‑join with adjacent samples — and again, no typing is required. Thanks to this feature, hours of painstaking editing can be avoided, and more importantly, any alterations are completely non‑destructive. If you don't like a mix, sample length or crossfade, you just grab the sample with the mouse and slide it closer or further away. It's literally that simple. The software also offers a variety of linear and non‑linear user‑definable fade styles.

On top of sample mixing, you're also provided with punch‑in/punch‑out recording direct into the Cuelist, which again is a dream for professional musicians and videographers, and the option of totally automated ping‑ponging (bouncing), again within the Cuelist.

Sound And Video

Combine the power of the Cuelist with the program's ability to adjust volume and pan positions in real time, and you have arguably the best truly non‑linear direct‑to‑disk recording and editing system on any platform. However, in the case of Studio16, the internal talents are only the beginning. As you've probably gathered, Studio16 has a natural affinity with the Amiga's premier sequencing package, Bars &Pipes Pro 2, thanks to the ability of both SunRize boards to generate SMPTE timecode, which can be passed on internally. Better still, the SunRize controls can appear within the Bars &Pipes Pro 2 interface by adding Studio16 as an accessory. As a result, you're free to combine the MIDI and multimedia talents of the standard sequencer with the sampling exploits of Studio16. As you'd expect, the primary use for the SunRize within Bars &Pipes Pro 2 is to provide live virtual tracks which sync precisely with the MIDI output of the sequencer, bringing vocals, guitar and other analogue elements into a digital environment.

In addition to software, Studio16 also provides a direct link to digital video, via the same SMPTE generation used by Bars &Pipes Pro 2. As a result, either the 12‑ or 16‑bit board can be linked directly with the PAR animation recorder, to provide a 16‑ or 12‑bit soundtrack to accompany the 24‑bit video of the PAR card. If the PAR is used in combination with the optional AD3000 TBC/Real‑time Digitiser, you have perfect audio/video sync, which could even enjoy simultaneous MIDI and multimedia support from Bars &Pipes Pro 2.

In my opinion, the combination of the SunRize hardware and the new software is the only credible option for anyone involved in professional Amiga audio. Although the opposition offer excellent sound quality, they simply can't match up when it comes to usability. Neither offer SMPTE or MIDI support, and they certainly can't compete when it comes to joining forces with other products.

Unfortunately, there is a price to pay for near perfection, and in the case of the Studio16 it comes to a heart‑stopping £200 for the software upgrade alone. In addition, the SunRize card, like almost all direct‑to‑disk systems, still lacks internal EQ. Obviously, if you're happy with the existing Studio16 software, stick with it, but if you're a heavy user who's looking for improved productivity and unbelievable ease of use, you'd be insane not to invest in this excellent, if rather expensive, upgrade. For those still considering when and how to go digital, I'd say SunRize have probably made that decision for you. The combination of the new software and the existing power and flexibility of the card quite simply puts the AD516 head and shoulders above the opposition.