Atari ST MIDI handyman well worth downloading

[Commie_User]

I know I know. But let's have a word in edgeways on this Commodore board.



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI. ... TQ:GB:1123


Once in a while retro software is the only thing to do the job. An ST now acts as MIDI controller to convert Omni MIDI to single channel in realtime, using Edit Track. An ST is now cheaper than a box and operates little features I would have to install sprawling programs for on the PC. And it can run in chain between instruments and sequencer PC.

[EDIT: Er.. except for Bome Mouse Keyboard or Cantabile 1.2, which can also do stacks more. But the ST for these is more flexible in chain and does free up the PC for main duties.]





Some fantastic miscellaneous, too much of it with no Windows equivalent: http://tamw.atari-users.net/timidi.htm






However, I much prefer running these odds and ends on a PC screwed to the wall. Two old Compaqs are a godsend to both run VST software in realtime in the keyboard room, plus format 720K floppies and handle other obsolete connections too.

Mouse keyboard players, kooky composers, MIDI controllers, no-frills sequencers.... I'm yet to discover them all and these compliment the other 'retro wall' specials sublimely.

600Mhz 128 RAM SB Live.jpg (93.75 KiB) Viewed 52560 times

The STEEM ENGINE works superbly, interfacing with the PC's MIDI and being able to access disk images and uncompiled archives. You wouldn't even need an original system, which I found rather scanty compared to the Amiga 500 I've used for similar things. Though an original can copy disks from ST format to IBM, which can then be taken up on the emulator, as well as the below which can compile direct to ST images.

http://steem.atari.st/





Have a play. There's still plenty fresh in the vaults beyond the usual Cubase. I don't doubt the ST's long-earned reputation as a studio essential and there's much archive stuff to prove it.



_________________

DATA TRANSFER: Floppy Image And File Transfer Program - http://atari.8bitchip.info/floimgd.php

FORMATTING A 'BIG' FLOPPY IN XP: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/geekslut ... at-xp.html
http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/format ... 01862.html

ATARI SYSTEM DISKS: http://www.atari.org/services/systemdisks.php


DISK TOOLS:

http://www.atari.org/links/ST/Emulation/

https://sites.google.com/site/stessential/disks-tools

http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blo ... ari-st.htm

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Sys ... over.shtml




FUN AND GAMES: http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=9151

ftp://ftp.cs.tu-berlin.de/

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 401&type=3

[Commie_User]

Though if anyone knows how to whiten the keys I would be rather grateful. That would save me buying another more pristine unit for the vanity of it.


However, there are some other nice pieces to command the attention.



JUNKPILE: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Atari-ST-stfm ... 618wt_1059

INTRODUCTION TO SOUND AND MUSIC: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ATARI-ST-INTR ... 500wt_1076

C-LABS DONGLE AND BOOK: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ATARI-ST-C-LA ... 500wt_1076






NICE-LOOKING ST: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Atari-520-St- ... 500wt_1076


FRENCH LANGUAGE KEYBOARDS: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Atari-520-St- ... 500wt_1076




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I'd probably want a 1040 as swapping the extra RAM from one 520 to another sounds a real nightmare: http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2904

Fun for someone though: https://sites.google.com/site/probehous ... o-1-mb-ram

[Analog-X64]

I highly recommend Hybrid Arts - Edit Track Gold for your Atari ST. It has Colour and Monochrome modes.

You can download it from here: http://tamw.atari-users.net/editrk.htm

This Track was sequenced with Edit Track gold on my Atari 1040STE

[Commie_User]

Thanks Analog. That software's the exact same one I'm using for my MIDI controlling, downloaded from the exact same place.

I look forward to experimenting with other pieces. Especially as Steem can be used to copy between disk images and a real 720K floppy disk, assigning the real floppy as the emulator's 'hard drive'. I should get some more in.






http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-x-3-5-FLOP ... 5440812966


http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from= ... Categories




I'll have a rummage: https://sites.google.com/site/stessential/

[Commie_User]

This early ST won't run many games properly, even with the 1 meg' RAM supposedly fitted. It's not too fiddly without a mouse. (Though hitting 'Help' and crashing the thing in keyboard mouse mode irritates a lot.)

I'd still give the emulator first refusal in session though. Steem seems niftier, more software runs and all machines seem covered. Nice to have an original computer plumbed in at the gear end of the house though.

Floppy swapping between PC and Atari is easy, yet I still prefer C64TPC for convenient booting via serial.

Creamy obsoletey goodness.JPG (102.73 KiB) Viewed 52516 times

I've been having fun with these MODs too: http://www.thegamearchives.com/?val=0_2 ... 5_0_6_34_0

A nice player bundles with those disk images for yet more fun. Though I bet those programmers wished they had the money for Amigas: http://www.modplug.com/modfaq/3-2.html

Atari ST: This machine is very bad at playing MODs 'cause its sound basically isn't up to it.

Oh I don't know.

[LMan]

Coooool track, Analog-X64!

[Analog-X64]

Coooool track, Analog-X64!

Thanks.

[Commie_User]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ATARI-ST-STE- ... 500wt_1076





I may stay the only bidder for this Atari sampler plugin. May offer that lo-fi 80s 'character', or it may just look good on the shelf. Just so long as it's cheap.

[Commie_User]

Topping off this 'blog', it's actually quite good for a lo-fi sampler. Entry level 22 years ago to hear 8 bit grittiness.




Having said that, Stereo Master contains some very good features and now makes two reasons my original ST can compliment the emulator:



http://www.atarimania.com/utility-atari ... 21557.html

http://www.leftiness.org/Stereo_Master.zip

http://www.thegamearchives.com/?val=0_2_1_0_0_9_94955_0_0_0_0

A real proper DAW plugin.jpg (48.18 KiB) Viewed 52402 times

http://www.oldgames.sk/en/game/steem/download/5919/


No real ST? You can always have the rompler in the emulator or the actual ST without the interface.


Enable MIDI and run the software in Steem, the program folder put where the emulator accesses the 'hard drive'. (That's always best put in the STEEM root folder.) For period flavour I took a sample by The Alarm, so load that. Then play your keyboard or run the MIDI file to the input.

Either that or load the sample into an editor and save as whatever you like. A good free one is Gold Wave and you can create your own Atari samples without the box. Just save as a signed 8 bit, 16khz. (or thereabouts) RAW. Also maybe change the file extension too.

And there we are. Anybody can have that Atari ST retro sound. Not very good but you can have it.



My nice piano sample. Rather smooth too, especially as it was made and saved on a modern DAW. And downsampled to 11 khz., it does sound a bit like an electric: http://www.leftiness.org/2.AVR

Some people didn't want the cut down home one and plumped for a real studio editing solution. I didn't know they were as good as this for personal computers that far back.

Digidesign Atari ST Sound Tools.jpg (193.37 KiB) Viewed 52402 times

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Just one thing: When a sample's loaded and the thing's in MIDI mode, just hit Test. And hit ESC in some modes which appear to be stuck.

And I think the realtime effects routing is very game. Way off for anything studio-worthy but still a nice little box of tricks for an old Portastudio rig, especially as some light reverb refines the sound a bit - just like an inexpensive FM radio with its layer of fuzz. (That only works if you grab yourself the input cartridge of course.)

Things like assigning different samples to the function keys you can work out for yourself.

[Commie_User]

Lastly...

http://lowendmac.com/clones/atari.html




http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Atari-1040 ... 588788ef69



Common sense for the ST to emulate the Mac, given the 'Jackintosh'.

[Analog-X64]

I'll hand it to you Commie, your always finding stuff that I've never seen before back in those days.

[Commie_User]

Glad you like 'em! You know how I like to poke about in the dusty old corners.






Lastly Lastly...



An Atari ST, right on the doorstep this morning. Bit more to play with.





Full width for screen too: http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a ... 2051_n.jpg

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... da218117fd


Odd man out but at least this new one isn't yellow: http://www.old-computers.com/museum/com ... ?c=24&st=1






The ST can still be a bit of a sod. For one thing, you could need both a telly and monitor for different programs and it would have been a bit fiddly plugging control devices in at the bottom.

But if that's all the convenience you had to give up in exchange for inbuilt MIDI and OS, you'd have done pretty well.






ST to VGA, hi-res only direct connection: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ATARI-ST-VGA- ... 3138wt_935

http://info-coach.fr/atari/hardware/interfaces.php

For fussless VGA lo-res, a cheap composite-VGA conversion provides the perfect 'That'll Do' solution: http://www.mini9ssd.com/product_info.ph ... ucts_id=40




Also for £20, to add RGB to above:

ST to SCART: http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/atar ... -lead.html

SCART to VGA: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hama-SCART-To-V ... B0002W69MY



Look what some bloke made: http://www.ultimateamiga.co.uk/index.ph ... 383.0.html









PC MOUSE TO ATARI: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Atari-Mouse-P ... 016wt_1237

ATARI ST AND HARD DRIVE: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Atari-520ST-C ... 599wt_1048



ATARI ST FLASH CARD-AS-HARD DRIVE: http://afs.atari.org/satandisk.htm

DEMOS AND MUSIC ON SD: http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=a ... &_from=R40




ATARI ST ART EVEN LMAN WOULD LIKE: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/19 ... s-st-pics/





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Though having said all that, there are plenty of freeware PC applets for many specialist jobs. But I still maintain sometimes a separate processor chain is more straightforward, so an ST or old PC lying idle can be ideal:


J'S MIDI TOOLS: http://www.kvraudio.com/product/j_s_midi_tools_by_j

PIECE OF 'PIZ': http://thepiz.org/plugins/?p=pizmidi

MIDI TRANSFORM: http://www.skytopia.com/software/midi/help.html , etc.

Virtual MIDI for PC: http://www.sharewareconnection.com/titl ... device.htm



I did also see an Omni MIDI-to-single channel converter for Windows too but where it is now I can't fathom.

[Dumper]

Are you sure you don't live in a TARDIS?

[Vosla]

Are you sure you don't live in a TARDIS?

Because of all the timeless stuff or the seemingly unlimited space to store it all ?

[Commie_User]

Nice to see you with us Vosla.


No, it's called the upside of living alone - with well thought out stacking. Though much as I love it all, I do hope this is out of my system when I'm 50.

Roomier than it looks behind the scenes, clutter in exchange for the rest of the flat still looking good. Clean too.

You don't think I maybe went a bit mad.....jpg (109.42 KiB) Viewed 51909 times

Long since been the day when I could spread out a retro system like this but my 'retro wall' bunches them in nicely: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3206/2443 ... 0ec0_b.jpg



_____________________________________________________________



And lastly lastly lastly...


MS-DOS FOR ATARI ST:

http://www.page6.org/archive/issue_32/page_38.htm

http://www.atarimagazines.com/startv3n3 ... ditto.html

Seems to start but may need something else: http://www.emuparadise.me/Atari_ST_ROMs ... 1-download









EDIT: Finally got it going, thanks to these magnificient men and their dated machines: http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.ph ... 35#p217935









ATARI ST 286 EMULATOR: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Atari-520-104 ... 316wt_1022







____________________________________

MY REF. (and isn't it all?!):

Atari 520 panels: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... erface.jpg

Huge emulator list: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/emulators-faq/part1/#b

PC boot disks: http://www.allbootdisks.com/disk_contents/dos.html

MS-DOS downloads: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X55ciGJ_yPg




ST monitors: http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=23987

Utility cartridges (way behind Commie stuff!): http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=23992

Flash interfacing: http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=24010



Boot your PC straight to the ST: http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=23595