Re: Hello and such

[Dave Stagner <dstagner@icarus.leepfrog.com>]

On Thu, 12 Sep 1996, Ray Peck wrote:

> I've been thinking about this since seeing DT last year in SF.  I was
> thinking that if I were to try this sort of thing myself (which I'm
> far off from doing!), I'd want a Mac-based system that let me do
> multiple tracks, each with different loop times, and to be able to
> change them on the fly.
> 
> Think of this sort of thing.  Sorry if it doesn't make sense: it's
> kinda hard to explain.

I know EXACTLY what you're talking about; I want to do the same thing.
The way I see it, this program should be able to run multiple loops
simultaneously, and either mix them together or switch back and forth
betwen them.  If each loop is an independent entity from the mixer,
then loop length is arbitrary.  New loops could be created as copies
of old loops, or as rational relations to other loops (1/3, 2x, etc),
or with their own arbitrary length.  

> The system could also use spare time, if it has any, to do
> pitch-to-sheet music conversion so you could *really* see what you
> were doing.
> 
Now THAT would be scary and difficult.  :}

> A PowerMac could do all this with no additional hardware (although you
> might want a Digidesign AudioMedia card for better a/d d/a).  Deck
> will do 8 tracks off of the hard disk on the slowest PowerMac (my
> 6100/60).  Should be easy to do tons of tracks out of DRAM.

The sound source should be irrelevant.  It should be able to get sound
off the stock Mac inputs, Digidesign, Turtle Beach, or Korg cards, or
any standard-format sound files off the disk.  It should also be able
to save your loops in standard audio formats, as well as a custom
format for the system (collections of loops, a set of performance
notes attached, etc).

> 
> Now. . .
> 
> Would anyone buy it?
> 
If I could afford it.  :}

Maybe I should sell my children.  :P

-dave

By "beauty," I mean that which seems complete.
Obversely, that the incomplete, or the mutilated, is the ugly. 
Venus De Milo.
To a child she is ugly.       /* dstagner@icarus.leepfrog.com      */ 
   -Charles Fort              /* http://www.leepfrog.com/~dstagner */