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Author Topic: Digidesign Sound Tools II  (Read 2308 times)

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Offline smilesdavis

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Digidesign Sound Tools II
« on: September 21, 2022, 11:13:56 PM »
Sound Designer by Digidesign was introduced and ported from the Mac in 1988/89, and was a universal MIDI Sample Editor, often called Sound Designer Universal, largely due to it being named so on the Mac, to distinguigh it from it's dedicated Sound Designer products. In it's Sound Designer II guise which followed in 1990, it is the software Sample Editor for the Sound Tools hardware package, and forerunner to Avid Technology's Pro Tools. To note, the Sound Tools package included:

-Sound Accelerator expansion card containing a Motorola 56001 DSP for the Atari Mega ST
-External stereo ADC
-Of course the Sound Designer II software

Ultimately Sound Tools provides a digital link between your Atari and hardware Sampler*, allowing faster transfers than the also supported MIDI. As such, the Sound Tools package is considered to be the first Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) when it arrived on the Mac. Accompanied by the Sound Tools hardware, Sound Designer II can record stereo sound in real time directly to your Atari's Hard Disk. Despite popular belief, Sound Designer can run on any Atari ST, however with Sound Tools, Sound Designer II was made with the Atari Mega ST in mind, specifically referring to the Atari Sound Accelerator to be fitted to the Mega ST. Via the Sound Tools audio input/ouput box, Sound Designer is capable of 16-bit stereo sample frequencies of up to 48 kHz. Two version were produced, Sound Designer and Sound Designer II, irrespective of sub versions. However as alluded to, Sound Designer II was available as a package in Sound Tools, which included not only the software, but aforementioned hardware. Both introduced the SD and SD2 file formats to the Atari platform.

*Supported Samplers include: Any Sampler supporting MIDI SDS and, the Akai S700 / X7000, Akai S900, Casio FZ-1, Emu Emax, Ensoniq EPS, Ensoniq Mirage, Korg DSS-1, Korg DSM-1, Roland S-10 / S-220 / MKS-100, Roland S-50, Sequential P-2000 and Yamaha TX16W Samplers.

Overview
Name: Sound Designer / Sound Designer II
Type: Sampler / Sample Editor
Sample Format: 16 bits
Sample Rate: 1 to 48 kHz
Sound Quality: Stereo
Hardware ADC: Yes
ADC Connection Type: Via internally fitted DAC to the Atari Mega ST

- Sound Accelerator II Rev B (FCC ID: HP22V5SAMACII) (c) 1988 (p) 08/90, Motorola DSP65001, Macintosh II or Se (up to 7100/8100)
- Sound Accelerator II Rev B2 (FCC ID HP22V5SAMACII) (c) 1988 (p) 11/90, Motorola DSP 65001, Macintosh II or Se (up to 7100/8100)
- DAT I/O for Sound Tools (FCC ID: DAT I/O)
- Analog Interface for Sound Tools (FCC ID: MH017)

ported from Mac to Atari in 1988 and named "Sound Designer Universal". Master Disk Copy protection. Development ended at v1.5

Sound Designer 1.3 for Atari ST (Box, Master Disk - see below)
Sound Designer 1.5 for Atari ST (http://www.atarimania.com/pgedump.awp?id=31473)
Sound Accelerator for Atari, see below
https://www.atarimagazines.com/st-log/issue33/79_1_REVIEW_SOUND_DESIGNER.php
http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/sound-designer-universal/3988
« Last Edit: September 27, 2022, 03:29:45 AM by smilesdavis »