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From: hen@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Bill Henneman)
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth,comp.sys.atari.st,rec.music.makers
Subject: Re: ATARI ST w/hybrid arts smptetrack;
Message-ID: <9516@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: Sun, 12-Jul-87 12:45:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: bu-cs.9516
Posted: Sun Jul 12 12:45:07 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 13-Jul-87 01:17:48 EDT
References: <4552@ihlpa.ATT.COM> <9@lzfme.UUCP>
Reply-To: hen@bu-cs.UUCP (Wm. H. Henneman)
Organization: Boston Univ. CS Dept.
Lines: 27
Keywords: ATARI ST, smpte, sequencing
Summary: It's a dyn-o-mite combo.
Xref: mnetor rec.music.synth:1073 comp.sys.atari.st:4369 rec.music.makers:640

Boston University has been growing a digital music studio,+primarily
designed to supply sound for animations producedin our Computer
Graphics Lab.  The studio has a Macintosh, an an Atari 1040ST with B/W
monitor I picked up used for $300.  The studio also has access to
Suns, Encores, and an IBM 3090 (on each of these we have some
student-generated software).  I originally bought the Hybrid Arts MIDI
track because it had the interface box to do SMPTE, but I immediately
fell in love with their sequencing facilities. I use the Mac, (do a
little Jam Factory every morning) but for day-in-day-out work, I use
the Atari w/ Hybrid Arts MIDI track (along with Gen Patch & various
'droids).  They have the cleanest user interface I can find on any
of the packages: somebody inside Hybrid Arts knows how to put together
software that is intuitive to a musician and at the same time feels
right to the compunerd.

Every visitor to the studio who has experience with some other
hardware/software combination (particularly Dr.. T) has told us that
our system is unbelievably much easier to use - they very often end up
grumbling about how their software is too much like a spreadsheet.  I
would sooner give up one of our keyboards than give up the MIDI track.

Another suggestion: I would also say that the B/W monitor is much
better than a color monitor if you are going to be using the software
for any length of time.  Color is very useful for cramming lots of
information on a screen, but your eyes get glazed over much faster.  I
started with an Atari 1040 w/ color monitor, but I took it home as
soon as I got the b&w Atari.