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Author Topic: hybrid arts smptetrack (April 1988, article)  (Read 3957 times)

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Offline chrisNova777

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hybrid arts smptetrack (April 1988, article)
« on: June 25, 2017, 09:24:35 AM »
http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/hybrid-arts-smptetrack/3503
Quote
Sometimes it's fun to spend money, sometimes the parting of the ways between grasping hand and grubby fiver is more troublesome than getting the top off an old tube of superglue. For example, buying a pair of furry dice to dangle in the car may be a pleasurable purchase; having a new exhaust fitted is certainly not.

It's a bit like that in the musical world. To add a new synthesizer to one's set-up is something most of us do with a glad heart. Finding a MIDI synchroniser to link the sequencer to the multitrack is not a conventionally accepted source of amusement. To put it bluntly, it's a pain in the neck. The problem has been that the sequencer comes in one black box, the MIDI synchroniser in another. However well these components fulfill their destiny in life, there is always the problem that you have to actively deal with two separate command centres. The desirability of having the two in one unit will be obvious to anyone who has been doing the synchro two-step for any length of time.

One of the highlights of my MIDI synchroniser reviewing career - long may it continue! - was the J.L Cooper PPS-1 [reviewed Nov 87], 'PPS' was taken by some to stand for Poor Person's SMPTE. It provides a method of linking a sequencer to multitrack tape without the hassle of setting tempo changes and meter changes on the synchroniser - it takes all its information from the MIDI clocks it is provided with. Unlike other non-SMPTE sync boxes, the PPS-1 can chase — ie. it is possible to move the tape to any position, start it, and the sequencer will come in at the correct point. None of that 'take it from the top, lads', which is a phrase which should remain the copyright of live musicians.

So, if you wanted to chase - and who doesn't? - there was the choice between SMPTE proper, which was not too convenient, and the PPS-1. The advantage of SMPTE timecode is that it is a standard. If you want to exchange tapes with timecode on, it's essential. Keep nonstandard code to the privacy of your own establishment. Thankfully, there seems to be a trickle of combined sequencer-SMPTE packages coming onto the market. Soon it will be a flood.

In the first wave of this deluge is the Hybrid Arts SmpteTrack package for the Atari ST (requiring at least one megabyte of memory if you want to fit notes in as well as the program!). It comes in the form of two 3.5" floppy disks, a manual and the all-important SMPTE unit. I must confess that I wasn't exactly inspired by the flimsy appearance of the SMPTE box, but the Atari isn't exactly built like a battleship either, so pack it well when you're on the road.

The SMPTE unit plugs into a 'D' connector at the back of the computer, and also into the joystick port at the front. This makes for an untidy cabling arrangement, but I'm sure there must be a good reason for it. Also, the two cables really should have been longer than the one metre provided. There are no controls on the box so you want to be able to tuck it away somewhere. After all, there is enough equipment already jostling for a position in the 'near zone'.

ACCESSORIES


The Hybrid Arts SmpteTrack is a big program and is getting bigger by the minute. Not that you can judge quality by the number of bytes of course, but you will find that the package comes on two single-sided disks. If you are in the fortunate position of having a double-sided disk drive (like on the 1040ST), then you can make one combined boot/program disk from them. Happily, the program is not copy-protected so you can back up heartily. Would-be hackers will get their come-uppance when they find that the program will not load without the SMPTE box connected.

The boot disk contains a number of desk accessories, which can be prodded into action from the Desk menu. Among these are 'GenPatch', which is used in conjunction with Hybrid Arts' separate GenPatch ST program to send and receive System Exclusive data from your MIDI synthesizers [reviewed March 88]. There isn't much joy to be had if you don't already have this program, but if you are a keen GenPatch ST user, then it means not having to leave SmpteTrack to set up an instrument using System Exclusive. There is also the possibility of automatically setting synth patches on loading a song. This is called 'Auto GenPatch' would you believe?

Also among the accessories is 'SMPTE Mate', which is destined to receive the most use. I shall be giving this a thorough going over in due course.

Most of the work with SmpteTrack is done on one screen with pull-down menus. The screen is split into two windows, one showing track information, the other showing a control display. There are 60 separate tracks available, which sounds like a lot, but if the way I used this software is the way a typical user would, then 60 tracks is probably just right. You can mix MIDI channels onto any track, so if things are becoming congested then you just double bunk a few instruments and off you go again...

If your eye has drifted over to the photo of the main screen, then you will see the sequenced version of my Unfinished Symphony. Actually, it's my Unstarted Symphony too - I didn't want to get too carried away. As you can see, tracks can be named, and given long names too - up to 16 letters. The control display on the right shows counters, registers, sections - it seems fairly basic at first glance, but let me assure you that it all works out in practice. Let's dive straight in and go through the recording procedure...



Offline chrisNova777

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Re: hybrid arts smptetrack (April 1988, article)
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2018, 03:47:14 PM »