Cubase Audio for the Falcon gets an upgrade, there's a new shareware editor for Sound Canvas users just out, and controversy rages on the net about the place of the Atari ST. Ofir Gal presides...
I actually mentioned some of this month's news in my last Atari Notes column — a new version of Cubase Audio for the Falcon has been released. This month, I've space for a few more details.
Cubase Audio Version 2.06 incorporates various undocumented bug fixes, and, significantly, the ability to record up to eight tracks simultaneously using a separate utility program and optional hardware, such as the SoundPool ADAT interface. The update is available freely on the Internet or from Harman Audio (0181 207 5050). There is no mention in the short 'read me' file of if and when the 8‑track support will be added directly into Cubase, but at least Steinberg have managed to provide this facility.
Still on the software news front, owners of the Roland Sound Canvas or any of its variations can make use of a new shareware editor from France, called SC Pilot. The program is very comprehensive and allows full access to the complete range of parameters available on the synth for a minimal shareware fee of 100 Ff (about £15). You can download it from www.compulink.co.uk/~gal/ccd/mai.... I've placed it on my own page since it's only available otherwise via CIX.
Moving on to hardware, System Solutions (0181 693 3355) have several new items of interest to musicians, including the new SoundPool Digital Patchbay (£295). The device features four digital inputs and two outputs, and any input can be patched to any output, giving the digital musician or sound engineer the ability to connect all their digital equipment quickly and easily. The unit comes in a 1U rack package and includes a send/return facility, allowing you to patch additional devices into the system. Although it's not Atari‑specific, it works well with the Falcon and the rest of the SoundPool range.
New Atari Magazine
The closure of Atari World and ST Format shocked many Atari users, and for several months discussions have been going on about reviving Atari World or starting a new enthusiast magazine. Finally, ex‑radio DJ Mike Kerslake, former ST Format technical editor Frank Charlton and Atari World journalist Joe Connor have taken the plunge and announced the first issue of Atari Computing — a new subscription‑based Atari magazine, written by users, for users. The first issue will boast 60 A4 pages including contributions from the likes of Graeme Rutt, Jon Ellis, Denesh Bhabuta and Kev Beardsworth. The launch issue will be on sale at the forthcoming Atari shows, which will be held on Saturday, September 28 in Birmingham and Sunday, September 29 in London. For more details about the shows, contact the organisers Goodman International (01782 335650). Atari Computing is aimed at all Atari users, including musicians, and you can order an evaluation copy from Mike Kerslake, 42 Larch Hill, Handsworth, Sheffield S9 4AJ (0114 2618940) for £3 including postage in the UK.
Other Goodies
PhotoLine is a new graphics‑ and image‑editing package from System Solutions (contact number elsewhere in this column). Aimed at high‑end users, it features both paint and vector‑based drawing, and includes a host of options for colour correction. The various tools are fully configurable, and the application supports GDOS and NVDI, and uses a modern GEM interface. The program requires an 030 processor and an FPU, and therefore only works on the TT and Falcon, or an upgraded ST. The retail price is £169. Also new from System Solutions is Infopedia, the first CD‑ROM encyclopaedia to hit the Atari market. The product is based on Infopedia 2.0, which includes the complete Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopaedia, with almost 27,000 entries and 8000 photos and sound clips and retails at £49.95.
Positive Image, the image‑editing package (see Atari Notes August '96) from Floppyshop (01224 586208) has just been updated to version 1.1. Among the many enhancements are speed improvements in both display and print times, and support for multiple masks. Various bugs have also been fixed, and the upgrade price is only £6 including postage and packing.
And Finally...
My Atari Notes column about Atari emulation on the Mac and PC has managed to stir the emotions of many Atari users and has sparked a discussion on the Cubase users on‑line conference on CIX. I also had several conversations with Atari dealers about the column and the general state of the Atari scene. It appears to me — and this may well be just a personal opinion rather than an objective truth — that some people get an attack of religious fanaticism whenever they feel their beloved machine is being criticised. The logic behind this behaviour is their belief that such public criticism automatically affects the support and development of products for said machine. This may have been true in the past, but the reality is that no major software or hardware developer is going to be greatly influenced by what I write in these pages. The moral of this story: make music with your Atari while it does what you want. Until then it's the music that counts, not the computer chips used to make it.
Atari users should take a look at our three‑page ST feature, starting on page 50, for the story behind one man's decision to stick with his Atari, and upgrade its capabilities, rather than changing platforms. There's also a roundup of useful Atari PD/Shareware contacts and Internet addresses.