man or astro_man?
Software for Infinite [Re]Information Control
Now you can run the software Man or Astro-man? uses!
We invite you to try out Back to Basics...for free for 30 days
We just ask that you please register, and provide us with your feedback
We have developed many newer versions, and are continuing deveopment.
About "Back to Basics" and Coco's sampler situation
In the past, I used to run all the samples and sound bites for Man or Astro-man? using a digital sampler. Yes, I know, you would think that we would have some nifty space equipment at our disposal (being from beyond and all), but the crash destroyed all of our useful audio devices. So, the first sampler in the Man or Astro-man? stockpile was an Akai S950.
This sampler allowed for basic editing and playback of samples through the use of MIDI.
As the quantity , and the length of Astro samples grew, the 950 became useless due to memory constraints (only 2megs RAM max). The problem now arose: In order to get a sampler that could have the amount of expandable memory I needed, I was going to have to shell out a bunch of bucks for a fancy sampler with all kinds of features I didn't need, just to get the memory I needed. Granted, I didn't realy need the earth money in the first place, and I could always use the "Acquisition Ray" (we call the "A-Ray") in a pinch.
Well, I had no choice, so I (managed to get a hold of) an AKAI S2800. This sampler allowed me to put in 16megs of RAM (of which I could only afford, I mean, utilize the "A-Ray", 10. So now I had a bit more memory (meaning more room for samples), a few more unneeded features, and alot less money. Hmmm...
What really bugged me was that I had a Macintosh laptop that could handle 16bit stereo sound (All the Power PC Macintosh models do, right out of the box...You'd think they came from space!).
In fact, I was editing, and creating my sample on the Mac...but I could not get random access playback, which I needed during performance. This drove me nuts! There must be a way to use the laptop for random access sample playback. I called every music store in this galaxy, every electronic music/software supplier, and everyone gave me the same answer..."You just can't do that on a computer..." or "There is nothing available for what you want to do..."
What?! this is so crazy..all I want to do is be able to play back my sound files on the laptop with RANDOM access...that is SO simple...what is going on?
Of course I was aware of the loads of sound editing, recording and even playback software/shareware out there... I used it all the time,..but none allowed me to have a whole bank of samples (say, all the samples I wanted to use for tonight's show, er, I mean Mobile Lab Experiment) all ready to be played, without having to load them individually.
I wanted to be able to trigger any sample at any time, even many at once, at any time.
Another problem was playback. With the AKAI, or any sampler, you have to use some sort of MIDI device to start each sample. This is often done by assigning the samples to keys on a MIDI keyboard. Well, the thing is, I play bass at the same time...I needed to be able to trigger these random access sounds with my feet. There are no inexpensive MIDI triggering devices for your feet that allow the amount of control I need. So I had to design and build my own. No real problem consider the technology I have brought here from space.
Ok,whatever...so now I have to shell out big bucks for a sampler with features I don't need (like waveform editing..if I want to do waveform editing, I would much rather do it on a large computer screen, than on a tiny little LCD readout, thanks), AND have to build in the features I do need...UGG.
Well, I took a little MIDI program change foot controller: The MIDI-BUDDY..(which runs for like $80.00 USD.) converted the far right bottom switch (1 of 12)...to a bounce-free single pulse switch, and assigned all of my samples individual program numbers. Well ok, this allowed me to start any one of the 118 programs (128-10 for removing one digit from the selection keys)..which was now assigned a sample each. But the problem was...I had to type in the sample program number on the foot-controller to make it the active program, then trigger it using the far right bottom switch...with my feet, while I played bass!...What a pain! Not to mention..I could still only trigger one sample at a time.
There has got to be a better way!
Well, as it goes...Man or Astro-man eventually crossed paths with as group of like minded individuals. From the depths of Pittsburgh, PA , a group of former CMU students calling themselves REVO made contact with us. They were a band who used computers, along with every other electronic device known to earthlings, to make music. They gave us many tapes, and eventually we asked them if they wanted to do a tour with Man or Astro-man?
We did some east coast dates together, and on this tour I realized that they were doing exactly what I wanted to do on thier Mac laptops!
It turns out, that one of the members of this band REVO had had the same ridiculous experience with standard MIDI, that he got fed up, and wrote his own application to do what he (and I) needed!
The program was called Back to Basics, and was still very early in it's developmental stages.
It was just one part of a much larger picture known as Operation Re-Information, of which REVO was the audio division.
I let them know how blown away I was by all this, and ask how I could obtain a copy. They seemed very excited that I even cared, and said I could just have a copy..If I would use it, and give them feedback on it. (So I used the $20.00 shareware fee to buy other REVO merch!)
Well...this beta testing for them eventually grew into a much stronger relationship. I became a member of the O.R.I. development team, and eventually a core member of thier newly arranged audio division which merged with former band REVO, now known simply as the band O.R.I.
So for the past year I have been using "Back to Basics" (appropriatly named, as it does a simple task, and does it simply), for live performance.
Because BTB uses a standard Mac keyboard, I was able to make a controller, and other hardware easily, utilizing the Mac ADB. (e.g. Cocotronics Co-Control)
On the road, many people have asked me about it, and although O.R.I. has had this software available on their web site for some time (and other shareware sites, and compilations), we decided to make the software available here as well.
We invite you to try out Back to Basics...for free for 30 days
We just ask that you please register, and provide us with your feedback, and please pay the $20.00 shareware fee.
We have developed many newer versions, and are continuing deveopment.
The future of Back to Basics
We have commited ourselves to the future development, widespread usage, and the development of the BTB SOUND Standard.
We have developed version 8.009 at this time, and are working on a new one continually.