Thread
DigiDesign Sound Accelerator for Mac SE/30
I just acquired the DigiDesign Sound Accelerator Mac SE/30 and I was wondering if anyone here has previous experience with it. I have not installed it yet, but I have looked into its features, I could not find a lot of information about it through a web search. The board has a Motorola XSP5700 DSP chip and the ROM says SE30, Rev A. It has a 1/4" output jack and a DB 25 conector as well. There were ones made for the Mac SE and Atari. Looks like it can be used with programs like Sound Designer II and Turbo Synth.
Does anyone know what kind of software was available for the card such as extensions or control panels? Can it enable higher sampling rates for playback in all programs, or just some that are designed to interface with these sort of boards?
Looks like it also can be used with "AD In" analog-to-digital converter to import audio. I have not seen anything about what it looks like yet.
I found these links that have some useful info in case someone else stumbles upon one of these boards.
DigiDesign Ad: http://suonoelettronico.blogspot.com/2009/04/digidesign-digital-audio-card-for-mac.html
PDF about the system written by Mike Collins: https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mikecollins.plus.com%2FPUBLICATIONS%2FPDFS%2FSound%2520Tools.pdf
Does anyone know what kind of software was available for the card such as extensions or control panels? Can it enable higher sampling rates for playback in all programs, or just some that are designed to interface with these sort of boards?
Looks like it also can be used with "AD In" analog-to-digital converter to import audio. I have not seen anything about what it looks like yet.
I found these links that have some useful info in case someone else stumbles upon one of these boards.
DigiDesign Ad: http://suonoelettronico.blogspot.com/2009/04/digidesign-digital-audio-card-for-mac.html
PDF about the system written by Mike Collins: https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mikecollins.plus.com%2FPUBLICATIONS%2FPDFS%2FSound%2520Tools.pdf
As this is such a rare card, if you can make a scan of it, please consider adding it to the Nubus Mafia collection at applefritter.com too.
The DB25 probably connects to Digidesign's external A/D/A I/O converters, such as the 882, 888 etc. I would suggest searching the digidesign.com website for the exact compatibility information for your board. They keep a good library of documentation for their old hardware, but the site can be difficult to navigate at times. If you have trouble with it, consider using google with "site:digidesign.com" in the search field. (or some other site name if their vintage docs are on a different server)
Great score BTW, and if you can get it set up with some external IO that would be a nifty little rig
The DB25 probably connects to Digidesign's external A/D/A I/O converters, such as the 882, 888 etc. I would suggest searching the digidesign.com website for the exact compatibility information for your board. They keep a good library of documentation for their old hardware, but the site can be difficult to navigate at times. If you have trouble with it, consider using google with "site:digidesign.com" in the search field. (or some other site name if their vintage docs are on a different server)
Great score BTW, and if you can get it set up with some external IO that would be a nifty little rig
What software version came with your card? The PDF reviews version 1.2 and states it has some problems that made editing with it less accurate than editing with tape (which certainly doesn't say much for software version 1.2). But at the end of the PDF it says at the end of August 1990, version 2.0 of the software was to have become available.
If you have version 2.0, I guess you could become the first person to write a review of that! :beige:
8-o That's new to me too!
I've got one NuBus SAII that I use to get stereo outta' my Duos. IIRC, I've still got a couple of LC PDS SAIIs for backup/extra I/O boxes when they were on clearance at Shreve Systems way back when. I'll dig around as I'm organizing (AGAIN!!!!) to see if I can find an extra boxed set to put out on loan, just to see you get that beautiful card up and running! [
] ]'>
I've got one NuBus SAII that I use to get stereo outta' my Duos. IIRC, I've still got a couple of LC PDS SAIIs for backup/extra I/O boxes when they were on clearance at Shreve Systems way back when. I'll dig around as I'm organizing (AGAIN!!!!) to see if I can find an extra boxed set to put out on loan, just to see you get that beautiful card up and running! [
] ]'>I had no idea either. :b&w:
Trash80toHP_Mini, thanks for the offer, any help would be appreciated. If you have software you can point me to, that would be great. Do you know if it requires some kind of control panel or extension? Will it allow any program or the entire system to output sound, or just specific applications? In one of the links I posted, it mentions using the SA with HyperCard so I was thinking maybe it can work with common apps, or maybe it came with some stacks with XCMDs that play with it.... see if I can find an extra boxed set to put out on loan, just to see you get that beautiful card up and running! [
Search the archives here and over on 'frutter for duoboomboxdock and for a topic something like: Stereo out of my Duo!
archive/topic.asp.TOPIC_ID=1195.html
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz xx(
edit:
GAAA!!!!!! My roommate woke me up for a ride because he needed to be at work in five minutes! xx(
He walks to work and doesn't have a car . . . when he got in mine . . .
. . . he noticed that it was only 4:30 am . . . he starts work at 5:30 am! 8-o
Couldn't really get back to sleep, so I got up early and got another rude surprise . . . :disapprove:
:I Sorry to say . . . I located one of my NIB LC card's . . .
. . . and found out they're Pro Audio Spectrum PAS-16s. :
I think it was cinemafia who was using the SAII . . .
. . . or maybe I've got a card and no breakout box somewhere, just the 1/4" Headphone Jack.
I'm sorry to dash the false hopes I gave you for software and support. :I
archive/topic.asp.TOPIC_ID=1195.html
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz xx(
edit:
GAAA!!!!!! My roommate woke me up for a ride because he needed to be at work in five minutes! xx(
He walks to work and doesn't have a car . . . when he got in mine . . .
. . . he noticed that it was only 4:30 am . . . he starts work at 5:30 am! 8-o
Couldn't really get back to sleep, so I got up early and got another rude surprise . . . :disapprove:
:I Sorry to say . . . I located one of my NIB LC card's . . .
. . . and found out they're Pro Audio Spectrum PAS-16s. :
I think it was cinemafia who was using the SAII . . .
. . . or maybe I've got a card and no breakout box somewhere, just the 1/4" Headphone Jack.
I'm sorry to dash the false hopes I gave you for software and support. :I
Wow, I actually have the full rig !
I use the exact same card, with te Sound Tools Analog Interface and Sound Designer II 2.7 on my SE/30.
I actually recorded and edited some stuff with it last week !
I hooked up one of my CD-players to the inputs, and recorded a track from a cd.
With that one saved on the harddrive (40 MB 8-o ) I could edit the song and could for example cut the song in several pieces, change the pitch, equalize, etc. etc.
If you wanna see pictures or just ask me something, please do.
Although I won't guarantee my English correctness :lol:
I use the exact same card, with te Sound Tools Analog Interface and Sound Designer II 2.7 on my SE/30.
I actually recorded and edited some stuff with it last week !
I hooked up one of my CD-players to the inputs, and recorded a track from a cd.
With that one saved on the harddrive (40 MB 8-o ) I could edit the song and could for example cut the song in several pieces, change the pitch, equalize, etc. etc.
If you wanna see pictures or just ask me something, please do.
Although I won't guarantee my English correctness :lol:
Nice, I just found a DigiDesign AD-In interface, so I should be setup hardware-wise with the full rig. One of my main questions at the moment is if I need some sort of system extension or control panel to enable playback through the 1/4" output.
SEthirty, it's good to hear someone making some sounds with that rig. I do some sound design as a hobby, so it will be interesting to try out old software to see what kind of different sounds I can get out of it. Do you use any other software with the Sound Accelerator?
SEthirty, it's good to hear someone making some sounds with that rig. I do some sound design as a hobby, so it will be interesting to try out old software to see what kind of different sounds I can get out of it. Do you use any other software with the Sound Accelerator?
No, unfortunately not.
I wanted to use some sort of soft-synt for the Mac, but couldn't find one.
Perhaps you do know of one ?
There actually is also a Digital Interface for the system.
I'm gonna try to find that one as well
I also need a extension or something to play sounds through the headphone jack.
That would be awesome !
I wanted to use some sort of soft-synt for the Mac, but couldn't find one.
Perhaps you do know of one ?
There actually is also a Digital Interface for the system.
I'm gonna try to find that one as well
I also need a extension or something to play sounds through the headphone jack.
That would be awesome !
Ah, please PLEASE post it on the Macintosh Garden (or upload it just here) !
It would be nice if you saved it as a Stuffit 1 .SIT, so everybody can unpack it easily.
It takes a little more trouble with .image files.
That would be too awesome, because TurboSynth can't be downloaded anywhere !
It would be nice if you saved it as a Stuffit 1 .SIT, so everybody can unpack it easily.
It takes a little more trouble with .image files.
That would be too awesome, because TurboSynth can't be downloaded anywhere !
The version on the Macintosh Garden is really old - 2.02 if memory serves my right.
I downloaded my version from (also) an obscure Sampler site.
Here, I mean : http://emax2.com/digidesign.htm.
I must say, it was well hidden :lol:
Download the 2.7 version, because 2.82 is only an updater for 2.80.
Now the most difficult part (at least for me) : the unpacking.
First : write the file to a floppy, and copy it to your Mac.
Then install Stuffit ver. 4 or newer onto your Macintosh.
Now the tricky part : option-hold the packed Sound Designer (poor man :lol: ) and drag it on the Stuffit program-icon.
If you didn't already know : now you force the program to open the file.
It will unpack the .sea file, and there you have it : Sound Designer II 2.7 !
It MUST run with Virtual Memory and 32-mode turned on, and the INIT file in the Extensions folder.
Only then it will work.
Have fun ! :
I downloaded my version from (also) an obscure Sampler site.
Here, I mean : http://emax2.com/digidesign.htm.
I must say, it was well hidden :lol:
Download the 2.7 version, because 2.82 is only an updater for 2.80.
Now the most difficult part (at least for me) : the unpacking.
First : write the file to a floppy, and copy it to your Mac.
Then install Stuffit ver. 4 or newer onto your Macintosh.
Now the tricky part : option-hold the packed Sound Designer (poor man :lol: ) and drag it on the Stuffit program-icon.
If you didn't already know : now you force the program to open the file.
It will unpack the .sea file, and there you have it : Sound Designer II 2.7 !
It MUST run with Virtual Memory and 32-mode turned on, and the INIT file in the Extensions folder.
Only then it will work.
Have fun ! :
I got it too, now just I need to find the SA II to try it on my IIfx.
I finally remembered what was going on back then. I've still got the RAM upgrade for it sitting around somewhere in the Memory Boxen. The author of MPegDec (?) used to hang around here back in the beginning. IIRC, he was working on a version to use the DSP on the SA II and I wanted to use it for the DuoBoomBoxDock™ hack.
The acceleration scheme never worked out though. :-/
I finally remembered what was going on back then. I've still got the RAM upgrade for it sitting around somewhere in the Memory Boxen. The author of MPegDec (?) used to hang around here back in the beginning. IIRC, he was working on a version to use the DSP on the SA II and I wanted to use it for the DuoBoomBoxDock™ hack.
The acceleration scheme never worked out though. :-/
What a cool idea.
There is another copy of Turbosynth available if you search for that name in youtube and click on the link in the description section. There are many more files such as demos files. The unfortunate part is that it looks like the maker of the .RAR file lost the resource fork and creator info for the files. I was able to restore the demo files by correcting the creator and type info with a batch utility in OS X, but not the waveforms-- at least not yet.
I have the Sound Accelerator installed and it sounds good!
SEthirty, you mentioned you have the full rig with AD-In. The unit I received had a cable to attach to a NUBUS card so the cable it came with went from DB25 on the AD-In to a smaller connector. The SE/30 has a DB25 connector on the back. Do you know if the DB25 connector is standard or if each pin is straight through (no crossing over of pins) to the other end?
SEthirty, you mentioned you have the full rig with AD-In. The unit I received had a cable to attach to a NUBUS card so the cable it came with went from DB25 on the AD-In to a smaller connector. The SE/30 has a DB25 connector on the back. Do you know if the DB25 connector is standard or if each pin is straight through (no crossing over of pins) to the other end?
@tt It surely sounds great !
The cable is AFAIK a standard DB25, with no strange crossings.
At least I use a standard DB25 cable and it works amazingly good.
I only had to rip the (s)hell off the cable to make it fit properly on the PDS-card side.
Really simple, isn't it :
But why can't I record something ? } :lol:
The cable is AFAIK a standard DB25, with no strange crossings.
At least I use a standard DB25 cable and it works amazingly good.
I only had to rip the (s)hell off the cable to make it fit properly on the PDS-card side.
Really simple, isn't it :
But why can't I record something ? }
:lol: SEthirty, thanks for the info on the connector, now I know to keep in mind the connector housing in the cable selection. Your AD-In is interesting in the fact it also has audio outputs. The model I have is white and only has inputs. It looks like it was designed for the SE/30 to sit right on top of it.
Could you post a pic of yours ?
Now you've made me quite curious :beige:
Mine is actually an Atari A/D, judging from the sticker on the underside of the black box.
Btw : I will shoot some nice pictures for you, YES YOU WHO'S STARING AT THAT SCREEN :lol:
Just for fun :beige:
Now you've made me quite curious :beige:
Mine is actually an Atari A/D, judging from the sticker on the underside of the black box.
Btw : I will shoot some nice pictures for you, YES YOU WHO'S STARING AT THAT SCREEN :lol:
Just for fun :beige:
I'm extremely sorry for my late reply, it has been a tremendously busy week.
I made some nice shots for you; just take a look :
There I was recording something off my iPod (works really well !) to edit on the Mac.
I also edited Nyan cat }
Here a shot of the monitor imaging the sound waves :
It unfortunately wasn't yet ready with loading, so it doesn't display the upper part of the screen well.
I also have pictures of the Analog Interface's internals (they are relatively old, so not that good quality) :
You can see the serial of the Analog Interface in the picture, but it is a little harder to look up the Sound Accelerator's SN, because it is built in.
Maybe in the near future
I made some nice shots for you; just take a look :
There I was recording something off my iPod (works really well !) to edit on the Mac.
I also edited Nyan cat }
Here a shot of the monitor imaging the sound waves :
It unfortunately wasn't yet ready with loading, so it doesn't display the upper part of the screen well.
I also have pictures of the Analog Interface's internals (they are relatively old, so not that good quality) :
You can see the serial of the Analog Interface in the picture, but it is a little harder to look up the Sound Accelerator's SN, because it is built in.
Maybe in the near future
Boy, this is trip to the past..
Other interfaces that will work with your SA card are:
DAT I/O (for digital transfers)
and
PRO I/O (A/D and D/A only)
This one is sort of 'super duper' box - analog power supply, Apogee filters, video and word clock sync and so on
Sorry for the fuzzy pictures, they are off of ebone
P.S. I have SA Nubus + PRO I/O myself, if _REALLY_ needed I can take some pics, but that wouldn't be today or tomorrow. I also have SD 2.5 PT, 2.6; 2.6 PT; 2.6 SC and 2.7 in my archives. Sampler support menus (for individual samplers) have been removed after SD 2.6
As far as I know, Digidesign slowly moved away from SD being a sample editor to SD as a 2 track hard disk recorder. According to programmers at Digi they needed space for additional code therefore some functions had to go, including sampler support.
Cheers.
Other interfaces that will work with your SA card are:
DAT I/O (for digital transfers)
and
PRO I/O (A/D and D/A only)
This one is sort of 'super duper' box - analog power supply, Apogee filters, video and word clock sync and so on
Sorry for the fuzzy pictures, they are off of ebone
P.S. I have SA Nubus + PRO I/O myself, if _REALLY_ needed I can take some pics, but that wouldn't be today or tomorrow. I also have SD 2.5 PT, 2.6; 2.6 PT; 2.6 SC and 2.7 in my archives. Sampler support menus (for individual samplers) have been removed after SD 2.6
As far as I know, Digidesign slowly moved away from SD being a sample editor to SD as a 2 track hard disk recorder. According to programmers at Digi they needed space for additional code therefore some functions had to go, including sampler support.
Cheers.
Oh, I missed the updates here. Really nice to see the photos of the setups!! SEthiry, I really like the composition of the second to last photo you took. It is very striking.
I'll take a photo of my box tomorrow when I get some sunlight in the room to hopefully get a better capture.
I'll take a photo of my box tomorrow when I get some sunlight in the room to hopefully get a better capture.
In the early days of digital they were mostly used for sample editing in conjunction with Emulator and later with Akai samplers. Hence the software name - "Sound Designer".
SE and SE/30 were of limited expandability, so SA and AM versions for these were considered a "poor investment" by audio recording and editing folks - they needed more "power" (computers kept getting faster all the time) and extra NuBus slots for their other cards.
Also, one needed to be in the league of well earning independent engineers/composers or owner of a more or less successfull recording studio to justify the purchase of that gear. I know all this, besause I already was in the scene by the early '90s.
http://www.mikecollins.plus.com/PUBLICATIONS/PDFS/Sound%20Tools.pdf
http://www.mikecollins.plus.com/PUBLICATIONS/PDFS/Sound%20Tools%20Review.pdf
@CJ_Miller:
NuBus versions of SA and AM could be found - you just have to look harder and ask around. ;-)
I also suspect that many of AM II's are still in use these days and people aren't dumping them only besause they're "old".
SE and SE/30 were of limited expandability, so SA and AM versions for these were considered a "poor investment" by audio recording and editing folks - they needed more "power" (computers kept getting faster all the time) and extra NuBus slots for their other cards.
Also, one needed to be in the league of well earning independent engineers/composers or owner of a more or less successfull recording studio to justify the purchase of that gear. I know all this, besause I already was in the scene by the early '90s.
http://www.mikecollins.plus.com/PUBLICATIONS/PDFS/Sound%20Tools.pdf
http://www.mikecollins.plus.com/PUBLICATIONS/PDFS/Sound%20Tools%20Review.pdf
@CJ_Miller:
NuBus versions of SA and AM could be found - you just have to look harder and ask around. ;-)
I also suspect that many of AM II's are still in use these days and people aren't dumping them only besause they're "old".
Compact Macs always were just a bit too short for comfortable viewing, as well as effective convection cooling. Apple also made their Compact Mac HDDs and the CD in the Zero Foot Print form factor. There are tons of ZFP designs from other manufacturers. With a different faceplate without the 1U mounting ears, would that long low SuperDuperBox be a ZFP case for a IIx/IIfx perchance?
Very cool boxen, I wish I had a breakout box for my NuBus SAII. The headphone jack out is all I really need in order to choke stereo out of my Duo's. What a PITA that project was!
Why would you need that? Coolness factor? ;-)
If you're not going to record or connect your Mac to some outboard gear via digital cable (external DAC, DAT recorder etc.) but all you need is analog output, I can tell you that output circuitry of SAII NuBus and SE/30 cards is identical to that in the A/D box pictured above.
* Same convertors - Analog Devices AD1856 or pin compatible Burr Brown PCM56.
* Same encapsulated Murata low pass filters.
* Same I/V stage ICs - NE5532
* Same red WIMA 1uF capacitors
.......everything..........
All you need is Y-split cable to go from jack to RCA (Cinch).
EDIT - oh, ok, Digi used "audiophile quality" WIMA FKP caps (green boxen) in filters instead of blue NP0 ceramic ones on cards, but that's the only difference.