How do u turn your Atari ST into a midi synth?

My St's floppy drive isn't work but ST has midi so I figured it must be possible for it be a slave device. Any ideas?

I'm pretty sure you need some sort of storage device to make any use of your atari, I doubt that it does anything besides sit there without any software.. Drives are pretty cheap to get, just check some local second hand shops, thrift stores you call them right? Do you have any software for it? I have Cubase if you want it.

  forlon said:

I'm pretty sure you need some sort of storage device to make any use of your atari, I doubt that it does anything besides sit there without any software.. Drives are pretty cheap to get, just check some local second hand shops, thrift stores you call them right? Do you have any software for it? I have Cubase if you want it.

I spotted a disk drive on ebay for about £5 plus post. I understand speaking to a few peeps on micromusic that there is software out there to turn your st into just a hardsynth (be it one controlled by software). Its more just like putting an old piece of equipment to use really. Plus it looks cool in a set up with all the cables coming out of it and stuff. :D Fucking pissing angry I sat on the bastard and destroyed the internal disk drive. I'm loathed to fork out dough on a external disk drive but I'm keeping an open mind.

What kind of software is this? Share please!

i thought the ST's rep was more as a controller of other MIDI gear than as a sound source

what kind of chip does it have? can it do Amiga MOD steez?

  forlon said:

What kind of software is this? Share please!

Ask this chap gwem@preromanbritain.com. I don't actually know yet all I've been told is that yes it can be done but obviously I need a floppy drive which unfortunately is broken.

  Analogue Wings said:

i thought the ST's rep was more as a controller of other MIDI gear than as a sound source

 

what kind of chip does it have? can it do Amiga MOD steez?

Is has a sid based soundchip. Its as phat as fuck for making original sounding synth noises. The sid chip is almost as unique as the TB303.

Cool, I didn't know this. I have an Atari STf not the STfm. It has midi, but does it also have synthesizer capabilities??

  forlon said:

Cool, I didn't know this. I have an Atari STf not the STfm. It has midi, but does it also have synthesizer capabilities??

Well sure I don't know exactly how its done but its just kinda obvious. It has a midi in and out plus an in built soundchip which is perfect. Its only a question of the right software I would presume. My concern with using external hardware/old computers as synths is that although its cool and retro cumulatively they consume a lot of electricity!!! I do love the smell of my Atari though as I can get all nostalgic off that hot plastic smell!! :shade:

  leafs said:

i've recently got an STe and you can run chiptrackers (like the guy who promo mentioned, gwem's "maxymizer") or stuff like protracker on it (with 8bit samples).

 

i'm pretty sure every ST has the internal chip YM2149 which is kind of like a less advanced SID chip i think. but there's lots of stuff subverting its limited capabilities.

 

i just keep having problems with discs though... i'll save songs on there and then suddenly the disc is fucked and won't work until you format it... very frustrating.

I'm not sure if what you're referring to is the same thing I have in mind which is literally an old ST being controlled as a digital synth. Of course to control certain parameters u need a tv screen or monitor but once the software is fundamentally set up and ready roll I would have thought an atari synth could be just controlled via external Sequencer and midi controller.