issue08

EMUSIC-L Digest                                      Volume 54, Issue 08

This issue's topics:
	
	Audio Support for Linux/386/BSD? (2 messages)
	Cakewalk pro (5 messages)
	csound for ms-dos
	Csound sound file output on a PC
	PC/MIDI (5 messages)

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Date:         Thu, 15 Jul 1993 09:43:57 MEZ
From:         Thomas Neuhaus 
Subject:      Audio Support for Linux/386/BSD?

Dear fellow emusicians,

I'm considering to migrate from my old Atari-based equipment to some
486 machine running Linux or 386BSD. I also want to incorporate
(beside an obligatory MIDI-card) a D/D-converter which has S/PDIF I/O
(no analogue circuitry inside the computer!)

As the manufacturers of this card do not support these OSs I will have
to write my own drivers. I'm not a UN*X-wizard so if someone out there
has some experience with Linux or 386BSD and could help me with the
following questions s/he would make me quite happy.

1.: Is there (and if yes, where is) any audio-device driver available in source-code that could serve as a template to be adapted for the
    D/D-card?
2.: Is there a program available that allows for playing/recording soundfiles, preferrably in AIFF format? (again: if yes, where is)
3.: Any MIDI-Sequencers seen for Linux/386BSD?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Thomas

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Thomas Neuhaus| "American beer is like making  |
| Frankfurter Str.16, D-45145 Essen/Germany | love in a canoe -- fu**ing     |
| Phone 49-201-767748                       | close to water"  Monthy Python |

------------------------------
Date:         Thu, 15 Jul 1993 11:13:47 GMT
From:         Greg Lee 
Subject:      Re: Audio Support for Linux/386/BSD?

Thomas Neuhaus (FFH002@VM.HRZ.UNI-ESSEN.DE) wrote:
: 3.: Any MIDI-Sequencers seen for Linux/386BSD?

There's a midi file playing program -- mp, part
of the Adagio distribution for Linux.  So far as I know,
that's it.  A new version of it and of the Linux
sound driver will probably be announced on the
linux-activists SOUND channel in a week or so.

--
Greg Lee 

------------------------------
Date:         Thu, 8 Jul 1993 09:48:52 -0400
From:         Jonathan Black 
Subject:      Cakewalk pro

Does anyone know the expected release date of the new version of Cakewalk Pro
for Windows?  I'm looking for a notation program (just a basic one) and I was
wondering how long until the upgrade is available.

                                Thanks,

                                jb   (jo_black@acad.lvc.edu)

------------------------------
Date:         Thu, 8 Jul 1993 18:18:25 -0500
From:         Kenneth Wayne Goodson 
Subject:      Re: Cakewalk pro

I believe the new update for Cakewalk Pro for Windows is due this fall
about the same time as the new update for Finale for Windows.

Best Wishes,
kennyg (No, not that one)
kgoodson@tenet.edu

On Thu, 8 Jul 1993, Jonathan Black wrote:

> Does anyone know the expected release date of the new version of Cakewalk Pro
> for Windows?  I'm looking for a notation program (just a basic one) and I was
> wondering how long until the upgrade is available.
>
>                                 Thanks,
>
>                                 jb   (jo_black@acad.lvc.edu)

------------------------------
Date:         Fri, 9 Jul 1993 16:33:25 -0500
From:         Kenneth Wayne Goodson 
Subject:      Re: Cakewalk pro

Yes. As I understand it, the new Cakewalk Pro for Windows will have
printing capabilities. I don't know to what extent. If you have access to
CompuServe, you can do email with the people at 12-tone Systems who write
Cakewalk.

kennyg (No, not that one!)
kgoodson@tenet.edu

On Fri, 9 Jul 1993, Simon Weatherill wrote:

> Is it supposed to included a notation part?  With printing and all?
>
>
>                                 Simon A.T. Weatherill
>                                 Senior Network Engineer
>
> +---------------------------------------------------------------+
> + Burlington Coat Factory      Voice: (603) 643-2800            +
> + Schoolhouse Lane               Fax: (603) 643-3945            +
> + Etna, NH 03750            Internet: simon.weatherill@coat.com +
> +---------------------------------------------------------------+

------------------------------
Date:         Tue, 13 Jul 1993 07:10:07 GMT
From:         JOEL STERN 
Subject:      Re: CAKEWALK PRO

Yes. As I understand it, the new Cakewalk Pro for Windows will have
printing capabilities. I don't know to what extent. If you have access to
CompuServe, you can do email with the people at 12-tone Systems who write
Cakewalk.

kennyg (No, not that one!)
kgoodson@tenet.edu

On Fri, 9 Jul 1993, Simon Weatherill wrote:

> Is it supposed to included a notation part?  With printing and all?
>
>
>                                 Simon A.T. Weatherill
>                                 Senior Network Engineer
>
> +---------------------------------------------------------------+
> + Burlington Coat Factory      Voice: (603) 643-2800            +
> + Schoolhouse Lane               Fax: (603) 643-3945            +
> + Etna, NH 03750            Internet: simon.weatherill@coat.com +
> +---------------------------------------------------------------+

------------------------------------------
THIS IS A REPLY TO THE ABOVE MESSAGE
SUBJECT OF THE REPLY: REPLY
------------------------------------------
          Simon:

          I  saw  a  fairly  thorough description on  MIDILink  of  CW  for
          Windows'  new capabilities. Music  printing  is definately there,
          with supplied fonts  on  up  to  sixteen  staves.  That's  all  I
          remember or  was  told about printing. The 12tone tech. rep. says
          release is scheduled for  late summer--upgrade from 1.0x will  be
          $49.

          Joel Stern
          stern@mail.loc.gov

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 13 Oct 1993 11:13:28 -0400
From:         Simon Weatherill 
Subject:      File: "EMUSIC-L LOG9307B"

Is it supposed to included a notation part?  With printing and all?


                                Simon A.T. Weatherill
                                Senior Network Engineer

+---------------------------------------------------------------+
+ Burlington Coat Factory      Voice: (603) 643-2800            +
+ Schoolhouse Lane               Fax: (603) 643-3945            +
+ Etna, NH 03750            Internet: simon.weatherill@coat.com +
+---------------------------------------------------------------+

------------------------------
Date:         Tue, 13 Jul 1993 19:16:05 EDT
From:         cuenta cedida al GUI 
Subject:      csound for ms-dos

        Hi, people.... I'd like to know if there is a version of
csound for MS-DOS or IBM-compatible operating systems like OS/2,
Interactive UNIX, MArk Williams Coherent or something like this.

        Thanks in advance.

        Luis A. Fuente
        gui@cpd.uva.es

------------------------------
Date:         Sun, 11 Jul 1993 17:39:13 GMT
From:         Hans Strasburger 
Subject:      Csound sound file output on a PC

How to play Csound files on a PC

Recently, I had posted, both on comp.music and on emusic-l, the question
of how to play Csound sound files on a PC. Finally, when I had  finished
this  summary,  I  found that there is a  specialised  forum  for  this,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.  That forum also covers non-PC specific sound
output.   I  post this summary anyway,  since  several people have asked
for it. But follow up should go there.

In  my case, the Csound sound files come from a different machine, so  I
don't necessarily have Csound running on the PC. The question was, as it
turned out, the generic question of how to play a raw sound file on a PC
that is equipped with some of the better known sound cards. The informa-
tion  is far from complete, but here is my summary so far.

Csound,  as  is probably well known here, is a public domain  sound  and
music synthesis program written by B. Vercoe at the MIT. It is available
in  source  form for a range of Unix machines, and for the Mac,  by  ftp
from  cecelia.media.mit.edu. It is a Unix program, and so  are  probably
many  ports  to  the PC. There are, however, also ports  to  MsDos.  Dos
versions  for  the  386  ,  386  &  387  and  486  are  available   from
maths.bath.ac.uk.

The  MsDos version from the UK site outputs wav format. So there  is  no
play program needed since every commercial sound board has a wav  player
coming with it. That doesn't help playing Csound sound files coming from
a different machine, though.

The  Csound  play  program that comes with the Unix  version  of  course
requires that you run some Unix derivative. I don't know with which Unix
of the PC Csound has been tested. NeXTStep/Intel might be a good  candi-
date  since Csound had been ported to the NeXT, so that  version  should
run under NeXTStep. Since NeXTStep includes the specifications for sound
output,  that  version should not require further porting for  the  play
program. Erik Larson (elarson@msu.edu) pointed out that the  educational
price for NeXTStep has been announced to be $249.

Since I just want to *play* Csound files, I am interested in a  solution
that will not require Unix.

The  most general and flexible way is to convert the Csound sound  files
to  a format that is supported by the sound hardware on the PC and  then
play it with the sound driver which is supplied with that hardware. This
might  be the .voc or the .wav format. There is a  (copyrighted)  public
domain  utility  for sound file conversion, called sox,  which  supports
many  different sound formats, including Csound's, and runs on a  number
of  platforms  (many Unix workstations). On the PC,  it  compiles  under
Borland and Microsoft C. It is available from the author, Lance  Norskog
(thinman@netcom.com)  in  source  form. The Univ. of Padua  has  let  me
download  a  compiled version  (soz.zip  on  ipdunivx.unipd.it)(Roberto,
music01@ipdunivx.bitnet, has helped me there).

But  perhaps  it is quite possible to play the Csound file  directly  on
certain  cards. Chris4516@delphi.com told me, that "any sound card  that
has  an  addressable DSP should be able to accept a raw sound  file  and
play  it back. So any card that has a Motorola 560001 or  Texas  Instru-
ments  DSP  should be able to do this." That would  include  the  Turtle
Beach Multisound card and the Anatek sound card.

There  is  a  specialised  forum  for sound  output  on  the  PC,  named
comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.  In that group's FAQ I found mention of  fur-
ther conversion and player programs.

Francis Burton (F.L.Burton@vme.glasgow.ac.uk) of the Univerity of  Glas-
gow  has ported Csound to the PC. His port of the play program  supports
the  Data  Translation DT-2801A converter. For those who would  like  to
adapt it to a different sound board, he is probably willing to give  his
play source code.

A  search  on Archie revealed a promise (1991)  by  Christopher  Penrose
(penrose@silvertone.princeton.edu)  that he will answer  Csound  related
questions. The promise is contained in a file named  csound-FAQ-I-m-sure
(you don't need to get the file, there is no actual FAQ in it yet).

The  search also revealed that on many ftp servers there is  a  package,
called  pcsound  (that has nothing to do with Csound) that will  play  a
number of sound formats on the PC's built-in speaker.

Hans Strasburger
Inst. f. Med. Psychology, Univ. of Munich
Computer Music Studio CMRS, Salzburg

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 7 Jul 1993 17:16:13 -0400
From:         "Jack Skalon (via RadioMail)" 
Subject:      PC/MIDI

I have been away from the Midi scene for awhile. What is a decent
interface and sequencing program that won't cost me my first born?
(this would be on a PC clone)
I used to use Dr. T on the Amiga, Hybrid Arts stuff on the Atari ST, and
Syntech on the C64, but never had a PC midi set-up. Any suggestions would
be appreciated.
Jack

------------------------------
Date:         Thu, 8 Jul 1993 09:39:00 EDT
From:         John Rossi III 
Subject:      Re: PC/MIDI

I have found CakeWalk for Windows to be a very effective sequencing program.
Not to start a computer war here, but as it matures Windows is proving to
be quite the environment for music applications.  Granted, the user interface
still isn't as intuitive as most people feel the Mac is, but with the
standardization which Windows has brought to the PC platform (e.g., drivers
for video, easy implementation of independent device drivers like MIDI
and other instrumentation), I believe that by the time we get to a real
world version of NT the Windows environment will satisfy just about all its
current critics.  Anyway, to answer your question... Go with something
which runs under Windows 3.1.  I think that WinCake is the best bet, but
its amazing how much you can accomplish with some $30 programs like
Power Tracks from Peter Gagnon Software, Trax from Passport, or even a
couple of public domain Windows sequencers I have seen floating about.
The reason I recommend adopting a Windows environment is because of the
MIDI device driver standardization.  Once you have a MIDI device driver
installed (they are supplied by the hardware people, BTW), it can be used
by any Windows program.  Implementing DDE and even OLE, you can do some
remarkably powerful things with relatively cheap software.  Many of the
things can not even be approximated on a Mac.

John

------------------------------
Date:         Thu, 8 Jul 1993 09:44:14 -0400
From:         "Jack Skalon (via RadioMail)" 
Subject:      Re: PC/MIDI

thanks for the info John....
Jack

------------------------------
Date:         Thu, 8 Jul 1993 15:06:36 LCL
From:         "Philip A. Cody" 
Subject:      Re: PC/MIDI

Jack Skalon writes:

>I have been away from the Midi scene for awhile. What is a decent
>interface and sequencing program that won't cost me my first born?
>(this would be on a PC clone)
>I used to use Dr. T on the Amiga, Hybrid Arts stuff on the Atari ST, and
>Syntech on the C64, but never had a PC midi set-up. Any suggestions would
>be appreciated.
>Jack
>

I use a MusicQuest MQX 32M which has 2 MIDI outs and 2 merged MIDI ins.
It's MusicQuest's top of the line but they make MIDI interfaces in all
price ranges. They give good support and their products are MPU-401
compatible. You can contact them for more info at 214-881-7408.

I've been using Cakewalk pro since I started using PCs. There are,
however, a lot of sequencers on the market . . . so you have a range of
choices. It all really depends on what your needs are and how
sophisticated you want to get.

Philip Cody - Eugene, OR

------------------------------
Date:         Fri, 9 Jul 1993 11:26:21 +0100
From:         H6228SIP@HUELLA.BITNET
Subject:      Re: PC/MIDI

to Jack Skalon about the PC/MIDI hardware

I think that the best PC MIDI interface for you is the Voyetra V-22, or the
V-22m. Why ? Because the Voyetra had a good idea: if you want to begin with a
not too serious but cheap interface, you can buy the V-22 (it has two
independent or merged MIDI in, and two MIDI out). If the MPU-compatibility is
necessary, you can expand the same V-22 card with a small circuit (which
contains the Roland MPU chipset), and the card will work with any program (the
card type in that case is  V-22m). Later, if your needs will increase, you can
expand the card also with another circuit (it contains the SMPTE logic
-generator and reader-, and MIDI driver for two another MIDI outs). That will
be the V-24sm card, with two inputs, and four independent outputs (64 MIDI
channels) with SMPTE. I know only one drawback: the Voyetra card will not
generate and read FSK with the Cakewalk sequencer, but I think it's no problem,
because the SMPTE much more better than the FSK.

Attila Sipos
h6228sip@ella.hu
Debrecen, Hungary

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End of the EMUSIC-L Digest
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