RE: idea/new feature

[Greg Meredith <gregmer@MICROSOFT.com>]

Dennis,

Your idea is superlative.

--greg

        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Dennis W. Leas [SMTP:dennis@mdbs.com]
        Sent:   Thursday, February 18, 1999 3:04 PM
        To:     Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
        Subject:        idea/new feature

        Here's an idea for a new feature for the EDP (Kim, are ya'
listenin'?).

        It would really be cool if you could dump/load samples in a speedy 
        manner.  I'm thinking of something like 1 or 2 seconds to complete
the 
        operation.  I know MIDI wouldn't support this but I'm thinking of 
        something like 10 or 100 Mbps Ethernet.

        Why?

        I'd like to use multiple EDPs as input and play-back devices.  (The
EDP 
        user interface is GREAT for quickly improvising loops.)  The EDPs
would 
        connect to a computer via a speedy interface.  I could tell the
computer 
        to "take a snapshot" of the loopers.  This would dump the digital
audio 
        data into the computer, perhaps it would also snapshot the 
complete 
        state of the looper (i.e., all memories, parameter settings, etc.).

        Later, I could command the computer to restore a given looper to a 
        "saved" setting.

        In this scenario, the EDPs functions as special purpose audio 
        input/output devices.  The computer functions as a programmable
"master 
        coordinator."  The EDPs are able to respond in real-time to the 
user

        interface (being dedicated, special purpose, etc.) without audio 
        "glitches".  The computer isn't required to respond with a
guarenteed 
        real-time latency so it could run Windows 95 or NT or MacOS.  This 
        permits the use of standard developer tools like VB, VC++, even
Java.  I 
        suppose you could have features like: the computer "merging" data
from 
        two sources (say two different loopers, perhaps two memories from 
a 
        single looper, or two loops constructed at different times), etc.
After 
        doing the math, the new data would be downloaded into an EDP for 
        playback and more manipulation/improvisation.

        MIDI footpedals would send commands to the computer to
upload/download 
        loopers and perform whatever other functions you wanted.  The
complete 
        system could manage multiple loopers easily.  I'm thinking at 
least 
        three EDPs in the system but more could be easily added.

        My friends would probably file a "missing person" report on me, if 
I
had 
        a system like this.  You might require a medical release form as
part of 
        the sale. :)

        What da' ya' think?

        - Dennis Leas
        -- 
        dennis@mdbs.com