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- Music and Atari have been closely related since the
- first machine was released. The Atari ST was the
- first personal computer to include built-in MIDI
- ports, and the Falcon has continued this tradition
- with a built-in DSP chip and stereo microphone
- inputs. Software for the ST ranges from simple note
- entry programs, to complex scoring and sequencing
- software designed for professional musicians. For
- example, Tangerine Dream's Optical Race album was
- produced on the Atari ST using Steinberg/Jones
- software.
-
- Category 10 on the Atari Bulletin Board is the
- official spot for MIDI and digitized sound
- discussions in the ST RoundTable. There is also a
- Falcon- specific discussion in Category 30, Topic
- 10. Music is a common thread in CodeHead Software
- Category 32 which isn't surprising as CodeHead's
- owners were professional musicians before they
- became programmers. MIDI Spy is their commercial
- program that records and plays MIDI in the
- background. It's great for recording inspirations
- you get while working in a non-MIDI application.
- Topic 28 contains more information about MIDI Spy.
-
- If you're interested in music, don't overlook Topic
- 11 in Category 32, a kind of catch-all topic for
- CodeHead-related news. Charles Johnson of Codehead
- is posting tidbits there from his current tour with
- Al Jarreau.
-
- Musical Treasures
-
- The Bulletin Board is the place for musical advice
- and information, but the Atari Software Library is
- where musical treasures are kept. Music and sound
- files are so numerous it is hard to know what to
- mention. Library 11 is devoted to songs ranging
- from simple Music Studio files to original
- sequenced masterpieces. Library 17 contains some
- fantastic MOD and digitized sound files, and music
- and sound utilities can be found in Library 29.
- You'll find demonstration versions of commercial
- MIDI programs in Library 10.
-
- Here are some specifics about a few of the more
- recent music gems uploaded to the ST Library:
-
- 31984 MMM226.LZH: This is a new version of MIDI
- Music Maker with improvements and additions. This
- program is more than a jukebox since it also offers
- control over the music that is playing, and even
- allows you to create standard MIDI files. It can
- play 16 different types of music files!
-
- 28808 PAULA22A.ZIP: Improved MOD-file (sound)
- player for the ST/STe/Mega STe/TT and, possibly,
- Falcon. It Runs as an accessory or program and is
- shareware from Luxembourg. Also included is PETRA,
- a utility to play MOD files on TOS 1.04 (and up)
- machines that do not have a DMA chip. Documentation
- is included.
-
- 29518 SNDLB111.LZH: This is Sound Lab, DMJ
- Software's popular sample editor. It has plenty of
- features, and its edit functions are very fast, and
- it's easy to use. You can play and record samples
- from 5KHz to 30KHz, use samples in AVR, SPL, SAM,
- WAV, SND, and SMP formats. Recording samples
- requires either an ST Replay cartridge, DigiSound
- cartridge, or another cartridge compatible with one
- of them. Although it will run in only 512K (by
- placing it in the AUTO folder and booting it), that
- only leaves about 30K to use for samples. You
- really do need a meg or more to make good use of
- it.
-
- 28209 ROBO_BOP.LZH: Robo Bop is a graphic MIDI
- rhythm editor that works with any drum machine or
- synth. Programmed grids reflect their volume with
- different fill patterns. Features include
- Randomize, 250 step sequencer, user assignment of
- MIDI notes and channels, MIDIfile save, tap write,
- cut/copy/paste, variable pattern length, MIDI sync,
- randomize and more. New features for version 1.95
- include Record from MIDI keyboard, merge or copy
- instruments, and a help screen.
-
- 30461 BOP_UTIL.LZH: This archive contains two
- utilities for the the Atari ST program ROBO_BOP.
- BOP2BIAB converts ROBO_BOP drum files to Band in a
- Box STY files. MIDI2BOP converts MIDI files to
- ROBO_BOP patterns. These programs work with all
- versions of ROBO_BOP, including the demo. Freeware
- from F10 Software.
-
- 33552 FALCPL16.LZH: This is version 1.6 of
- FalconPlay, the MOD player for standard
- Amiga/NoiseTracker MODules as well as enhanced 6
- and 8 track MODules created by Octalyser and
- Digital. This version includes optional Tempo and
- Interpolation control.
-
- 33440 PSCORE11.ZIP: Proscore 1.1 is a full-featured
- music notation program for the ST line of
- computers. Features include scores of up to 18
- parts; auto repetition of clefs, key signatures and
- score designs; transposition; part extraction;
- complex beaming; block functions; excellent printed
- output; easy entry of score markings; and more.
- This sharware program from Dr. Terry Kelly requires
- GDOS or SpleedoGDOS, a monochrome monitor, and at
- least 1 meg of memory.
-
- 32931 ACP12.LZH: This is a MOD player that uses the
- Falcon's DSP so it does not use processor time. It
- will run under MultiTOS.
-
- 30015 MSPYDEM3.LZH: This is version 1.2 of
- CodeHead's MIDI Spy demo, a MIDI program that
- records and plays MIDI completely in the background
- regardless of your current activity. Documentation
- includes a list of the new features in version 1.2.
-
- 31847 HSN_KONV.ZIP: A German utility to convert and
- play sound samples. This program is not in English.
-
- 30604 AMPDEMO2.LZH: The Atari MIDI Processor [AMP]
- is a powerful, easy to use, step-entry sequencer
- for Atari ST/TT/Falcon computers. It can be used as
- a stand-alone step-entry program or in conjunction
- with any sequencer that loads and saves Standard
- MIDI files. With AMP, step-entry sequencing is no
- longer a chore. This demo shows the power of AMP's
- MIDI player, including a new multi-colored karaoke
- lyric display. A MIDI synth is required.
-
- 33272 COMPODM1.ZIP and 33274 COMPODM2.ZIP: Parts 1
- & 2 of a demonstration version of Componium, a
- sample playback sequencer for the Falcon. It's a
- lot like Music Studio, with MIDI support and
- visible score, but also allows AVR samples to be
- assigned to each track for sample playback, kind of
- like a MOD. This demo includes a few dozen AVR
- samples (which is why it's so big) and is split to
- fit on two floppies (2 HD or 10-sector DSDD.
-
-
- And that's just a sample! Visit the Atari ST today
- for all your musical needs. Simply type ST at any
- GEnie prompt.
-