Conference napalm::commusic_v1

    I think it's Small Computer System Interface, but it was probably nine
    years ago the last time I saw the whols thing spelled out......

    
    
    	SCSI is a interface used to connect disk drives, ... to computers.
    In DEC this means RZxx type disks, TZxx type tapes, and others. These
    are used on many workstations.
    
    	Steve
    

    So if I bought a W30 with the SCSI option I could link it to an Amiga,
    but if I had an Atari instead I wouldn't need thet SCSI option?
    
    matty

    The SCSI interface on a W30 (and on most samplers) is intended to let
    you connect a hard disk for more sample storage so you don't have to
    swap floppies all day long.
    
    						Brian

    Don't be getting SCSI and MIDI mixed up.  The thing that makes the
    Atari unique is that is has a built-in MIDI interface, ie
    no worrying about what MIDI interface to get to go with it.
    (The impression I got from your note was that someone had recommended
     Atari because it was easier to "connect" to.  This is because of
    MIDI not SCSI)
    
    SCSI is completely different and is used primarily as noted in the
    previous reply.
    
    -TR
    

    I think I understand.
    
    So next question is how much extra (on average) would SCSI cost.
    
    
    matty

    Re: .6
    
    Is it worth it?
    
    Well, since you're interested in house music, etc.  I heard an Ensoniq
    demo where they had *an entire rap tune* stored on a hard disk...they
    had all the rapping and the instrumental sounds stored as samples, and
    ran the whole tune with just a EPS sampler (has a sequencer built in)
    and a hard drive.  It was supposed to impress us as how easily the EPS
    could load new samples while still playing...
    
    						Brian

    I think that a hard-disk is an ease-of-use issue. It is particular apt
    with samples, which are sizable and take some time to load from floppy,
    and tend to proliferate. Rather than pawing through a pile of floppies,
    you simply load from the hard-disk. For a demonstration of this
    convenience, go to your local musical instrument store and try an EMAX
    (I think). IMO, this would be very helpful in a time-pressed situation,
    like performing live, or in a studio gig where your client wants to
    audition a bunch of different sounds in a hurry. For making music at
    home in your vast leisure time, it's a great luxury. If you're wealthy,
    and working at Digital for the satisfaction of making a contribution to
    society, then go for it! 8^)
    
    - Hoyt

     Actually, it could be connected to the amiga scsi port, and with some
properly written software drivers, use the hard disk on the amiga for both
the amiga, and the keyboard.  So to the amiga, make the keyboard look like
just another scsi device.  There are no rules as to what can be connected
to scsi.  You would probably need to change the device numbers so they don't
conflict.  But it sounds doable to me.  Anybody see any problems?  Or am
I dreaming again?

Bill Powers

    Sounds good, but how much does it cost?

	Somewhere I think I've seen mention of dual port SCSI drives, 
though I don't remember if it was down around the home/hobby price 
range or commercial/industrial.  I know there's overlap, to me 
anything over about 150 Meg isn't home/hobby use, its "pro"  -  well, 
since I still don't have a hard drive make that 60 Meg.  I don't know 
how the dual port drives would operate, maybe they just arbitrate for 
access to the same data - maybe there are partitions.  I think I'd try 
to have the Amiga serve up the data to the synth if I were doing this, 
only one place to manage files, etc.

	R	{long way from needing this stuff (-:, (-:}

    Re: .10
    
    Well, a sampler like the W-30, or an EPS or Emax, etc. with SCSI wil
    set you back $2-3K U.S. prices, then $400 and up for the hard drives, 
    so...
    
    Samplers with SCSI drives are not beginner's gear for sure...we're
    talking about what the big boys are playing with.
    
    Based on what you've told us about your aspirations, buy yourself the
    D-20 first.  If you're strapped for cash, take out a loan...you seem
    hungry enough for the gear.
    
    						Brian

re       <<< Note 2496.12 by AQUA::ROST "Drink beer: Live 6 times longer" >>>
>                            -< Walk Before You Run >-

>    Re: .10
>    
>    Well, a sampler like the W-30, or an EPS or Emax, etc. with SCSI wil
>    set you back $2-3K U.S. prices, then $400 and up for the hard drives, 
>    so...

	Right.,  $10 per megabyte seems to be the middle figure at the 
40 - 60 meg level for the raw drive.  It gets cheaper per meg the
bigger you go, though it always costs more.  Interface cards to home
computers range from $75 to almost $300.  I've been trying to wring
the last penny out of a set up for an Amiga by shopping separately for
the controller (Amiga sources) and the drive (Generic sources, IBM
clone market).  Just when I think I've got the best deal I remember
that there are chassis brackets and cables and other junk to add in -
maybe the packaged deals aren't so bad afterall (-:, (-: 

	40 Meg Quantum 11ms drive looks like the dream right now - 
but something will probably shatter it before I get the cash together.

	Reg

    Brian,
    
    Looks like I will be getting a loan.  But it'll be April - when I've
    paid off my guitar!
    
    I'm not happy with the D20, it's only got about 60% of what I want.  I
    could afford a W30 (with the loan of course), but it doesn't fit what I
    want either.
    
    One reason why I'd like a sampler is because I wanna sample loads of my
    records and do my own mixes.  I'm trying to work out if the memory I
    would need would mean I'd need a hard disc attached, and therefore
    SCSI.
    
    A Bit of maths.  What is Price of W30 with SCSI minus price of W30
    without?
    
    
    matty

    
    
    	I was looking at a W30 to use with my AMIGA. The W30 cost about
    $2K and the SCSI interface for the W30 was $250. The one thing that 
    stopped me was the MIDI implementation of the W30. The samples are
    not accessable from MIDI as well as many other limitations.
    
    	I found I could get a better deal ( save money ) by getting a
    S-330 and a separate MIDI only keyboard. I am working on software
    that will let the AMIGA save and load the samples for the S-330.
    This way I can use my AMIGA disk space for both programs and samples.
    	I can also use the AMIGA for storage, sample editing, sequencing
    and have a much better setup.
    
    
    re. shared SCSI
    
    	I don't suggest you try it. There are many problems, one of which
    is trying to find out how and where the W30 puts the data on disk.
    
    		Steve Peters