From: Mike J. Brown <mjbrown@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Subject: What soundcard will do what I want?
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 00:03:56 GMT
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]

I am in the market for a sound card for my 12MHz 286+287.
I was impressed by the performance of my friends' EPS-16 and DSM-1
rack-mount samplers, and would like the ability to have something
like that of my own.  I need the ability to:

      * sample 16-bit, 44.1KHz over full range (low end of 30Hz or less)
      * edit and compress samples
      * use a keyboard to trigger samples (MIDI)
     AND be able to play multiple samples at once.

A typical application of the EPS or DSM-1 would be:
  I sample a breakbeat, vocal sample, guitar riff, or whatever.  The source
  would be sped up (i.e. played off a turntable at the wrong speed and/or
  from a tape at double speed) to make it as short as possible.  I assign
  the sample a root key on the keyboard by hitting the key after the sample
  is taken.  Then the sample can be played all up and down the keyboard, or
  over a certain range of keys (with the other keys being reserved for
  other samples).
  Playing the sample on lower keys (i.e. slower speed), the sample
  start/end/loop parameters are edited, then I truncate it, compress it,
  and save it.
  I get several samples (8? 10?) loaded in, then I trigger them from a
  keyboard or other composing/sequencing MIDI device.  Sometimes many
  samples will be triggered at the same time.  Other people play other
  parts live or have their own sequences going for the finished song.

I want to do all of these things with my PC.  I've been reading the
postings on comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard and the various FAQs, but I'm
still not sure what is out there for me.

1. Can you use a sound card in the manner I described above?
   Especially the MIDI part.
2. Can I run a sequencer like Cakewalk on the same PC and have it trigger
   multiple samples via the sound card?
3. How many bytes does a typical 4 second 44.1KHz mono sample use?
4. Do I have to surrender one of my internal hard drives to be used
   exclusively by the card?  That is, would the drive be plugged into the
   card and would it be accessible as normal through DOS?



I have some questions about the Pro Audio Spectrum 16 FAQ:

>Compatible with the following sound standards:
> ...
>Windows with Multimedia
>Windows 3.1

1. I have Windows 3.1 but am not a big fan of it.  Wouldn't running
   Windows take up a lot of memory which would be needed for sampling?

>--Dynamic filtering 2Hz-22kHz programmable

2. What is 'dynamic filtering'?

>Advanced 20 Voice Stereo Synthesizer
>
>--Yamaha YM262 (OPL-3) synthesizer
>--4 operator FM synthesized sound for true stereo
>--16 bit FM DAC
>--General MIDI compatible

3. How does the synthesizer relate to the sampling?  Or is it entirely
   separate - they're giving you a 'bonus' synth to go along with your
   external sampling?

>Audio Mixing
> ...
>--10 channels with stereo enhance

4. How does this relate to the 20-note polyphonic synthesizer chip(s)?
5. How does this relate to multitimbrality?

>MIDI Interface (Requires Optional MIDI Mate)
>--Full duplex MIDI port (can record and playback at the same time)
> ...
>SP Spectrum -- MIDI Sequencer
>--Compose and playback music using the on board 20 voice stereo
>  synthesizer or other MIDI devices

6. Again, I want to play multiple samples with a keyboard or sequencer.
   Can I do it?

>System Requirements
>
>--IBM PC, AT, 80286, 80386, 80486, or 100% compatible
> ...

7. I was under the impression I needed a 386.  And I gather from what I've
   been reading that faster computers are bad?  How can that be?

>Monologue -- Text to speech synthesizer

8. Is this the regular old monotone 'Gorf' chip?

That is all for now but I'm sure I will have many more questions...
Please help!

Thanks,
Mike