Atari74user

Hi, if you mean an external sampler in a MIDI set up, then any sampler with MIDI DIN will connect with ease. Arguably, any of the 12-bit / 16-bit samplers from the 90s would be a cheap and good fit, and make sure the sampler conforms to MIDI SDS (Sample Dump Standard), if you want to be able to dump samples with ease between Atari and sampler. That way, your Atari Sample Editor of choice doesn't need a specific driver for a specific sampler, providing the Sample Editor also conforms to MIDI SDS, which many do.

Awesome news for your health, the project and your drugs!

Yep, got to say, looking good, and another

Really, order, order in the court. God these postings are meh...

Elansar received with thanks! Always pleasing to get Atari paraphernalia in the post!

No idea what your issue is, but it certainly isn't normal behaviour of Ace, none of that happens for me.

Always impressed with your site everytime I visit!

Not to cause a ruckus, but .SMF and .MID (I think) existed before GM, as Sequencers existed before GM was introduced. GM wasn't introduced until around 1991. Most synthesizers adopted GM when it was being pushed, notably Roland, Yamaha and Korg. You don't see GM on a Yamaha SY85, because as a standard it wasn't yet in full flight. Yet on the W series that proceeded, GM was becoming evident. That aside, GM essentially provided a standard, such as a core set of 128 sounds. Some synthesizers were solely GM, some had GM as a subset of their complete 'sound set'. I believe MIDI Type 1 spec. was introduced along with the GM standardisation, over that of MIDI Type 0. Although I could be incorrect. Essentially MIDI Type 0 provided MIDI data in a single track, and Type 1 split this data out in a multitrack format. As already mentioned, GS was Roland's extension of GM, but also XG was Yamaha's extension. MIDI Type 0 and MIDI Type 1 http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/Standard-MIDI-File GM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_MIDI Roland GS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_GS Yamaha XG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_XG The ST was capable of handling WAV, so you do not have to be able to convert or digitise sound on a PC. However there were other more standard audio, more specifically, sample file formats for the ST. Notably SAM, SMP, SPL and AVR as examples. Here is one Sampler in Sondigit, which could handle WAV: http://didierm.pagesperso-orange.fr/. The alternative Alternatively, you could convert an already created sample in an alternate format on your ST, as those mentioned (AVR etc...) to WAV, using such a utility like 525. 525 info http://cd.textfiles.com/crawlycrypt1/falcon/sound/525e/525e.txt 525 utility (Cover Disk 52a) http://www.exxoshost.co.uk/atari/STF/index.htm Or, there were various peripherals, MIDI expanders which gave more MIDI Inputs and Outputs. Steinberg MIDEX or C-LAB Unitor for example. In summary as already mentioned, the ST became famous for sound, but the reality is that it was it's MIDI ports that gave it's place in the Music Industry. MIDI and sound are 2 different things. Hope that helps.

Well of course it is ultimately your choice. For me, I happen to like Cubase and it's UI. I also like Breakthru by Gajits, again a nicely laid out UI. Then of course Notator Logic. Both Cubase and Logic are probably more versatile, Breakthru is a little more simple. I am not a big fan of Notator SL, only because it doesn't work well with ACCs, CPXs.... Making music via a sequencer and MIDI is different to that of a Tracker and MODs. That said, you get tracks within your sequencer to record on, and MIDI channels for each track to assign your MIDI instrument and sound. The layout between s sequencer and Tracker are different, and with MIDI you are recording the event instead of using sounds, if that makes sense, the sounds are held within your instrument. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

In terms of the DX Reface, it looks like it has MIDI over USB, and MIDI (DIN). You will be interested in the latter. Seems as though it has both In and Out via one single DIN. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Awesome, another classic, the S2000 but with the MPC architecture. Last year I went for an MPC2500, simply becasue I always wanted an MPC. The 2500 for me, was the last of the great MPCs. I hope you enjoy it, the MPCs are great tools! Some people do not like Samplers, mostly because they believe they are only useful for 'looped music', which really isn't the case, they are really versatile machines. Nice

Korg M1 is a good choice, as well as the DX7 as you say, both a fine choices and classic synths, along with the Yamaha SY77, SY99 and SY85 (although different in architecture to the other SYs) with it's AWM, but beautiful nonetheless. Even the Roland XP series. The MiniBrute is great, but has a sepcific purpose, the others mentioned are of the period of the Atari ST etc... so although not obligatory to have something of the period, work well with the Atari. However anything with MIDI should integrate well, it's only that you get specific editors for say an SY77 or SY99 etc...available on the Atari. So it is nice to have something of the period to allow that ease of integration, only my opinion. As Galax has alluded, such synths have more sounds (voices) to give you a good basis to start with. I don't think you would go far wrong with any of these. Take a look at: http://www.vintagesynth.com/ I like the idea of the Reface, this skipped me by. It has MIDI (DIN) so will connect to your Atari, interesting.

Ahah indeed you are right, SysEx is not covered in the manual, this I know. In terms of the MiniBrute, patch editing is not viable, SysEx is limited. It appears the Arpeggiator you can mess with via SysEx. However as this is undocumented, it is deemed a 'hack'. Apparently you can change the Arpeggiator into the Sequencer of the SE model for example. So it can receive SysEx but limited to updates and 'hacks'. I agree, if a first synthesizer, you may want to explore a polyphonic synth to give more of an array of sounds, as the MiniBrute, as beautiful as it is, is a synth for the sole purpose of creating analogue bass sounds. More of a beautiful addition, as opposed to a main synthesizer. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

In terms of Samplers, the world is your oyster. You probably would want to go with something of the period for compatibility, but not obligatory. The infamous Akai S1000 for example, S2000 (I have used this for years), S3000XL, probably good bang for your buck. The Akai range of Samplers were industry standard, but then you have things like the Dynacord ADS (probably not cheap or easy to come by?), Yamaha A3000, Emu E Series... Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Oh, also this can receive and transmit SysEx (System Exclusive Messages) over MIDI. SysEx is typically used for changing and updating parameters of your device (synth for example). A common use is to save the parameters (not saving the actual sound) of your sounds (patches) to a Patch Editor / Librarian on your Atari for example, and maintain a log of them to retrieve and use at will to your synth. This way your sounds are not lost. I haven't got that far with using the MiniBrute's SysEx and my Atari to date. Hope that helps. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Hi, Cubase Lite should be OK. I happen to use Cubase v3.1. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Well the Arturia MiniBrute is a full anologe monosynth designed to make nice squelchy bass sounds, like the infamous Roland TB-303, although it is not a clone of the TB-303. It was Arturia's first move into making hardware, typically they were a music software company. It's beauty is it is full analogie, you tweek the knobs to tune and fiddle with sound, no preset sounds as a result. It has a developed Steiner Parker filter which sounds nice, and something called the Brute Factor which 'brutalizes' the sound to give it more weight. It has MIDI so you can hook it up to your Atari like all MIDI instruments, and record events you play via your sequencer of choice, then play back the events on your Atari's sequencer. As it has a keyboard, if you turn the volume down, you can use it as a contoller keyboard for triggering other sounds from other racked instruments if you so wish. My opinion is that it is this machine that has spawned a resurgence of monosynths in recent years, in it's own MicroBrute (you may also want to consider), Moog Minitaur (althoug modular in design), offers from Roland and Korg etc... See this article: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar12/articles/arturia-minibrute.htm

Indeed this will work as it has MIDI, I have one hooked up to my Atari. It is of course supposed to be a bass synth so is monophonic like most bass synthisizers aka mono synths. It's quite beautiful, I would recommend.

I have to say, BIG thank you! I really didn't think I would get one from the 2nd batch, however received mine about 1 month ago. I have been excited ever since, but working away from home and have not actually seen it yet! Can't wait, but thank you for making my fantasy a reality, well at least where Another World is concerned

You can also un-zip Zip files on your Atari using STZip, as opposed to un-zipping on your PC first: https://sites.google.com/site/stessential/archiver-tools

I would also recommend the Papyrus and NVDI combination. By far the best and most powerful Word Processer for the Atari range, in fact, one of the best written pieces of software for your Atari in my humble opinion. It can still hold it's head up today regardless. You can also grab it here along with other WPs mentioned in this thread as mentioned: https://sites.google.com/site/stessential/wordprocessors However you will not find the last incarnation of Papyrus X as it is still being sold under license, also as mentioned. As far as NVDI, Google is your friend Lastly, don't discount the Suska GigaFile, often forgotten but much more beautifully designed, a smaller footprint than any SSD connected externally to your Atari, and perhaps more solidly built, again my opinion, not to discredit the wonderful work that goes into the Ultrasatan of course. However, perhaps not as cost effective, but worth it, but at least you have a few good choices in the Ultrasatan, CosmosEx and GigaFile: http://shop.inventronik.de/store/10 So you do have some offerings.

Received mine the other day, only managed to get around to un-packing it today! Beautiful finish all around, thanks!!!

Can't wait!

Hmmm, now that's an idea, there's a Lite-On at my dearest mother's house, I'll try that!

That's nice, thanks very much! I trust the 16-bit forum is just as safe as the 8-bit confines