MacLOOP (was: Hello and such)

[matthias@bahianet.com.br (Matthias)]

>> >I really like this idea.  Once you take the hardware issues 
>(digitizing,
>> >user interface) out of it, it's just a matter of throwing CPU and RAM 
>at
>> >the problem until it goes away.
>>
>> MacLoop!  Matthias has been evangalizing for this idea for ages. 
>Somebody
>> definitely has to do it. A protools plug in and a standalone would be my
>> choice.

Actually, after trying to stay analog forever, I bought my first computer
(Mac cx) in '89 only because I saw an advert of the first MO disc and
understood that this was the size and speed for music and that the HD
recording had started and that I needed to do a looper on the computer. I
applied as a Apple developper and Digidesign developper.
I ended up developping the stand alone version first, mainly because the
computers did not become adapted to stage. Independent LCD screens came
around then but did not turn popular as I had expected. Why?

>> >Performance interaction could occur via any MIDI device,
>> >and new/clever functionality could be added at the software level.  A 
>gui
>> >with a keyboard and mouse could be used, rather than the tiny knobs,
>> >buttons and LCD screens that can fit on a 19" rack.

Can anyone understand why under the zillion models of Apple, there is none
made for the musician, who always was the most faithfull mac client?
It would be very easy to do a 19" rack version with a LCD screen for stage
and a ordinary monitor for home!
All the musicians and studios and probably even some industries would want
that model!


>Actually, I'm a professional programmer, and I have a pretty good grasp
>of numeric analysis programming and how audio works.  My usual
>environment is Unix, but I'm sure I could pick up Mac/Windows programming
>easily enough if I tried.

Ups, there might be some problems...

>Yeah, I'm seriously considering buying a new Power Mac just to work on
>this idea.  What do y'all think?  Would you be willing to use a personal
>computer for a looping device?  Do you HAVE a computer capable of this
>sort of thing?  All the necessary hardware is built into Power Macs and
>most modern PCs.  The whole thing could be sold as software, or even
>given away.
>
>Let's think about this.  What sort of features would we like to see?

Well Dave, if you really do it, I will be very happy!
- One thing would be a shareware version, that does the basic for everyone
to play. Go ahead.
- Another thing would be the soft version of the ECHOPLEX which I could
help with soft modules for the functions. All that rounding and syncing is
nothing easy!
- The real thing would be a HD recording program which works with
integrated loops, so we can record what we loop, loop what we record and
edit the loops we recorded by relooping. This is definitally a comercial
project that has to be done in colaboration with a enterprise that
developped HD recording.

>What about the user interface?

A MIDI Pedal board with "volume" controller input for the FeedBack and
maybe other parameters.

There is a lot to do!
Lets loop a bit first...

Matthias