Atari Cubase on STeem vs. Atari ST vs. PC

[Atari Music Network]

Every Atarian who's dabbled with emulators knows that the STeem emulator is MIDI capable. The following video shows Cubase 2.0 running on STeem without a problem.

[youtube][/youtube]

I often wonder why someone would want to use Atari Cubase on an PC emulator considering the MIDI timing isn't anywhere near as stable as a real ST. Certainly there must be disadvantages. Furthermore, if you wanted to use MIDI gear with a PC, why not just use a current version of Cubase? Is all this just for nostalgia? What do you think?

[David Etheridge]

Hi AMN,
well it all looks very nice, and at least I now know what to do if I ever get a commission for brain damage avant-garde classical piano pieces!
Yes, it obviously runs on Steem, BUT (and this is a big but) like you say the timing's going to be at PC levels, PLUS there's the unsurmountable problem of what to do is you want more than 16 MIDI channels, which I'm guessing means most of us folks here!
So if you're a Cubase fan but used to working with MIDEX and 32 + MIDI channels, with Cubase (and Notator, if it ever happens) running under STEEM, there is just no way to incorporate the hardware MIDI routers that we all know and love into a PC environment. ..(not that anyone in their right mind would want to? )
The biggest hurdle to overcome is the creation of configuration files for Atari Cubase under STEEM to enable routing to Logic 8 or some such unit.
Personally I think that won't happen unless we have a secret lottery winner here with more time and money on his/her hands than they know what to do with!

And the easy option to my mind is to stick with Atari hardware and add ons.
After all, if it ain't broke....
Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking STEEM; it's a terrific idea and works well within its own limitations. For folks who've never used an Atari it's a great prog for all those who want to experience what this Atari lark is all about, but to my mind, nothing beats the originals.
So is STEEM the sequencing version of a softsynth?
I always prefer hardware sunths, as a lot of the softsynths I've heard don't have that X factor that the originals did. For some that will be fine, for others, only the originals will do.
For me, only an ST/E running the original prog gives that warm fuzzy feeling!

Best wishes,
Dave.

[Waxjoz]

I use STeem when I want to look up something quick in my archives. I use Cubase on PC now most of the time, but recycle some Atari Cubase files now and then.
Thanx to STeem I don't have to go to another platform.

But if I want to make music with Atari, I'll take my Falcon.

[David Etheridge]

basically i see what david is saying about needing more than 16 channels

but just use control changes and patch changes to broaden the possibilites of sound..

most synths offer at least 32 or 64 maybe even 128 patch banks per channel

unless he uses all 16 tracks/channels at once,, which is kind of messy , no?

any how i get confused after about 5 channels so there.

callaghan

[Guest]

Hi Callaghan,
I see where you're coming from, but this only works if you're quite happy with only one synth for your sounds. While I'm sure that there are many folks to whom 'one synth fits all' that's not for me .
Personally I like having my 24 hardware synths, many of which are multitimbral, and I like the fact that they're all from different manufacturers and having different systems of sound creation. Each one will have its own audio footprint that's distinctive in a mix. So in my case I've got Yamaha FM, Roland's LAS, Emu's Morpheus (S+S plus mega filters), acoustic modelling from Technics (WSA1), Kawai digital stuff, Korg's DWGS in a DW8000, an OSCar doing it's Minimoog impersonation and my infamous pile of Kurzweil 1000s modules, plus three drum modules of varying pedigrees.

ALL of which get used in an arrangement, and as most of my ssynths don't have 512 sound sonboard, it's often handier to try a different synth completely rather than dialling your waay through all the patches on one synth.

I also have a library of at least 20,000 DX sounds. By the time I've auditioned that lot, I'll have forgotten what sound I was looking for in the first place!
I don't subscribe to less is more -for me MORE is more!
..and how am I going to pass up all the excellent deals on hardware synths now that so many folks are selling them off to go software?
Even with my setup above, some synths are set on only 1 channel, and if I had a slave Atari running, I could expand things even more.
Eeven in my early years with Pro 24 on 16 channels and only 7 or 8 synths, I was rather limited by 16 MIDI channels. In addition it was a pain in the butt having to switch OFF channels on synths at the start of every working session.
Going to Notator and Unitor with 48 channels in 1990 really freed me up regarding textures and orchestration.

Best wishes,
David.

[Waxjoz]

Hi Dave, even with 16 channels you can use more synths than one. Most synths have the possibility to switch midi channels off. Or just receive 1 channel.
I had an Atari with 16 channels running an Yamaha A3000 sampler (5 channels), E-mu XL module (5 channels), Roland JP8080 (1 channel) and an Access Virus (5 channels).

On the other hand I use more tracks for one channel, for example: Kick, snare, hihats, cymbals on 4 seperate tracks on midi channel 10.

Everybody has his own preferences.

Hi Callaghan,
I see where you're coming from, but this only works if you're quite happy with only one synth for your sounds. While I'm sure that there are many folks to whom 'one synth fits all' that's not for me .

[David Etheridge]

its reassuring to know you tryed out the options ,,
what ever is best for you ....
i like just using two modules per atari working out a song one that arrangment then when near finished point add another module and make new parts ,(adds to the constructive element)
i guess we have similar setups....(d110 tx816 cz101 jv880 etvc etc)

ever tryed this david e?

steem
master sync-ing up a real atari -->l enables 32 independant channels

16out on steem to devices
one thru from one of those 16 devices to the real atari.

every thing but midi clock masked or filtered on real atari
allows midi external sync on real atari with another 16 tracks of data to play out from there to 16 more channels

as long as thru is not enabled on real atari no notes or controllers should pass

, difficult part is recording onto tracks ...

and being energy efficient !

charles

[David Etheridge]

or get another 8 dollar pc and run two instances of steem , better yet runn two instances of steem on same computer!!!,,,,,

never tried two steems for this purpose ,

i used to record into steem to steem
then my computer config altered and now doesn't work

like i said befor tho i get really grumpy and disorienteed after
trying to manage five parts , let alone 32 parts

charles/|\

OOPPSS!!@#!@$!$%#%$&^^%*!!!
edit***

i ttake this back , the two steem on same computer won't work
it all comes out same midi port ,
but
if you use joystick port midi out for steem instance 1
and
use usb midi port out for steem instance 2 , this will give us 32 separate channels

ok , grumpy allready , too much programming to do and not enough time to midi .

charles

edit end**

[alphasun]

To answer the opening question on this topic, I want to use an emulator to open and recover some Atari Cubase ARR files that I have on floppy. I have managed to transfer many of them into the PC domain but can't run them -- imported MIDI files will run though.
If possible I want to reproduce the track structure and be able to look at the notepad, where I have put some of the lyrics.

[mal7921]

That will work, though your disks would have to be formatted on TOS 1.04 or above for the pc to be able to see them. If you ever used one of the high capacity formats you will need access to an ST to transfere the files over, especially if you have a pc without an internal floppy drive!

An interesting side note, RISC OS has an option to format floppy disks in Atari ST format, either double or single sided!


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