HYBRID ARTS' ADAP COMPUTER SAMPLING SYSTEM by Gerardo Greco
Just when professional sampling keyboards with 12-bit resolution
had managed to lower their price under the 3000 Dollars tag, a
pro sampling system with 16-bit linear resolution showing the
same price should be a big step forward. Hybrid Arts ADAP
(Analog/Digital, Audio Processor) is a hardware/ software system
for the ATARI ST that provides 16-bit stereo (in/out) sampling
for music, video and broadcast professionals; physically it's a
rack (1U) with only a power on/off switch and, on the back panel,
four jacks for stereo in/out and a cable for connection via a
cartridge to the ST. Its main point is that it is software
driven, so the following specs are upgradeable with time.
It allows samplig rates of 44KHz, 22KHz, 11KHz and 48KHz in mono
and stereo, between 80 seconds of lenght at 11KHz in mono and 10
seconds at 44KHz in stereo with a 1040 ST; it's fully MIDI
compatible (uses ST own MIDI sockets) down to the latest MIDI
specs like the new MIDI Digital Sample Dump Data Standard that
allows the exchange of samples with other samplers despite of
their different resolution (from 8 to 32-bit); it's polyphonic
with variable number of voices, i.e. at 44KHz a 1040 ST based
ADAP can play back with six voices polyphony while at 22KHz the
voices double to twelve.
The ADAP can store up to 64 multi samples, sharing the total
amount of time available in the chosen mode, that can be
instantly played back via several MIDI controllers and keyboard
splits at once; it has built in stereo digital effects that can
affect the single sample, all software based and with spare empty
"spaces" for new effects/ algorithms to be added in future
(delay, echo, reverb, envelope following, etc.); with the digital
oscilloscope included in software you can display the audio input
on screen, but with 8-bit resolution only; being connected to an
ST means, of course, that editing of samples (Cut, Copy, Paste,
Mix, sophisticated Auto loop finder, Graph drawing of waves) is
done at a high degree of graphic on-screen implementation.
Compatibility with Digidesign's Sound Designer (an incredible
software for editing samples a' la Fairlight for Emulator II and
Prophet 2000 sampling keyboards that runs on Mac only) files is
also available for swapping files between the two systems.
An announced new hard disk buffer/interface will eventually allow
samples lenghts to be measured in minutes rather than seconds.
Its suggested retail price is $ 1995 in the USA, which includes
all hardware and software except the ATARI ST computer.
Hybrid Arts, Inc., 11920 West Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
90064, USA.
Disclaimer
The text of the articles is identical to the originals like they appeared
in old ST NEWS issues. Please take into consideration that the author(s)
was (were) a lot younger and less responsible back then. So bad jokes,
bad English, youthful arrogance, insults, bravura, over-crediting and
tastelessness should be taken with at least a grain of salt. Any contact
and/or payment information, as well as deadlines/release dates of any
kind should be regarded as outdated. Due to the fact that these pages are
not actually contained in an Atari executable here, references to scroll
texts, featured demo screens and hidden articles may also be irrelevant.