Re: Sound recordings

[dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <jm06083@pro-haven.cts.com>,
Charles Claypoole <charlesc@pro-haven.cts.com> wrote:
>  
>         I am interested in making sound recordings on my Apple //gs.  What
> equipment do I need to do this?  Any cards or ?? 

Yes, you need a card of some kind.  The Ensoniq sound chip in the IIgs
has a digitizing input, but you need extra hardware to make use of it.

The simplest card comes with HyperStudio (or at least, it did when I
bought the program many years ago).  It allows a cheap and nasty
microphone to be connected. 

Most IIgs stereo cards include digitizing capabilities.  I have a
SoundMeister (originally from Econ, now sold and supported by Alltech
Electronics), which has an input that supports a microphone or a
line-level source such as the signal coming out the back of a CD player.

The MDIdeas "SuperSonic" card has a piggyback card that adds
digitizing capabilities.  As far as I recall, most if not all other
IIgs stereo cards have digitizing built in.

Digitizing in mono is straightforward.  Stereo is much harder.  I
don't know if any of the existing sound cards provide simultaneous
stereo digitizing - mine certainly doesn't.

You can record each channel separately, then try to line them up using
sound editing software, but I haven't done this, and I don't think the
results would be particularly good.


When Econ released the SoundMeister, they were also working on a
"SoundMeister Pro" card, which did support stereo digitizing.  The
card was cancelled, probably due to lack of money and support for the
SoundMeister more than anything else.  

I think this was mostly Econ's fault - if they hadn't announced the
SoundMeister Pro, a lot more people might have bought the
SoundMeister, rather than waiting eagerly for the better card.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand