Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!rutgers!uwvax!uwslh!lishka
From: lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Fish-Guts)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Audio tape control?
Message-ID: <351@uwslh.UUCP>
Date: 9 Jul 88 14:31:32 GMT
References: <6121@megaron.arizona.edu> <59155@sun.uucp>
Reply-To: lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Fish-Guts)
Organization: U of Wisconsin-Madison, State Hygiene Lab
Lines: 58

In article <59155@sun.uucp> cmcmanis@sun.UUCP (Chuck McManis) writes:
>In article <6121@megaron.arizona.edu> rogerh@arizona.edu (Roger Hayes) writes:
>->Do you know of a way to control an audio tape from an Amiga program?  I
>->need precise repositioning and replay.
>	[.... actual application edited out ...]
>->I have thought of digitizing the recordings, but that would consume too
>->much storage.  In case we do digitize sections, it would be nice to be
>->able to synchronize the digitized portions with the source tape.
>
>->What combination of hardware and software would you recommend for this
>->project?
>->				Roger Hayes
>
>
>This sort of thing crys out to be put on a Compact Digital Disk. Why?
>Because there are CD-ROM drives available that can position the heads
>accurately to anywhere on the disk. The disk can play back sections
>of any duration. And finally the media is robust so that you can 
>be assured that 10 yrs from now it will still be available. The 
>cost of mastering a CD is getting pretty reasonable to.

     Another idea: isn't there something out there called "SMPTE" (not
the exact initials) that allows incredibly accurate synchronization of
video to music tracks?  I believe it is some sort of "time stamping"
that is recorded along with the music, and is [usually] used to
synchronize video with audio tracks when merging from two separate sources.

     The reason I mention this is because it was used at a recent Pink
Floyd concert which I attended.  They had a video screen, and all
sorts of amazing lights and lazers, which were *perfectly*
synchronized.  They also seemed to have a backup track which they were
playing with (though not on all songs).  My friend told me afterwards
that they were using "SMPTE" equipment to synchronize everything.  He
also said they (Pink Floyd) had an engineer on the commitee that
lobbied for certain standards when SMPTE was proposed.  They wanted it
to be "fine-grain" enough so that they could "lip-synch" visual images
with people singing, which they did at the concert at one point, and
which matched perfectly.

      Anyhow, I have seen articles describing SMPTE in my brother's
Guitar magazine (a few months back).  Although I am not sure of the
exact initials, I would assume that any good music store that dealt
with MIDI could tell you something about it, or at least point you in
a direction.  I don't know how much the equipment costs, but it is a
start. 

     If you would like to discuss other ideas (I have a few ideas for
some "hardware hacks" to cassette decks with electronic switches),
send me some email.

					-Chris
-- 
Christopher Lishka                | lishka@uwslh.uucp  
Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene    | lishka%uwslh.uucp@cs.wisc.edu
Immunology Section  (608)262-1617 | ...!{rutgers|ucbvax|...}!uwvax!uwslh!lishka
"...Just because someone is shy and gets straight A's does not mean they won't
put wads of gum in your arm pits."
                          - Lynda Barry, "Ernie Pook's Commeek: Gum of Mystery"