YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

Hi guys.
To not to add more topics.
I have a question to OctaMED masters.

Here is the OctaMED:

and there is MEM in the left/lower corner.
The first number is the ChipMem, as far as I know. The second one is "Other Mem".
This screenshot probably comes from emulator but the problem is - the "Chipmem" is never so big. It's usually 1Mb or max. 2Mb on real machines, as I noticed.
And now - why this "software" puts all the samples in this small amount of RAM whilst there is no real turbo/memory-addon, supporting the Chip?
Seem like I can have even 128Mb of RAM but if the I have base A500 1Mb (+ the 128Mb), still I will be able to load only 1Mb of samples (!??????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) - or 2Mb if I have A1200.
Is there any way to configure this shit to load samples to extended memory (Other Mem)???????
Plz help.
Y

Last edited by YERZMYEY (Dec 17, 2013 8:31 pm)

TSC
Offline
Milwaukee, WI

Octamed only used chip memory and did not start using a configurable fast memory option until Octamed 6 (I think) and Octamed SoundStudio. All Amiga trackers were this way until Octamed Soundstudio from what I understand. Don't quote me on the last bit.

akira^8GB
Offline
New York City

WinUAE can configure 8MB of Chip RAM. NO REAL AMIGA can do this.
Samples are put in Chip RAM because that's where the DAC has access to the sample data, it cannot access any other memory. All custom chips (graphics, audio and whatnot) can only access Chip RAM.

Later hacks and shits has made it possible to use Fast RAM too, though.
In any case, 2MB is a shit ton of RAM to fill up with mono 8-bit samples!!!! Specially since these samples are stored at variable rates, so you can have really small ones.

Last edited by akira^8GB (Dec 17, 2013 9:55 pm)

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

TSC, Akira:

Aaaah, thanks guyz. So - that's more less what I thought and what I was afraid of.
So I must have 2Mb of ChipRam, if possible to do such a mod (I mean the A500).



Akira:

> In any case, 2MB is a shit ton of RAM to fill up with mono 8-bit samples!!!! Specially since these samples are stored at variable rates, so you can have really small ones.
----------
Well, not in any case, as it seems: the idea was to make several techno-rave traxx in 8channels mode. There I have only 4 volumes for 8 channels, which exactly means no volumes at all.
Hence, I wanted to make twice more samples (in variations/versions: full volume + half of the volume, for delays and so on).
So it seems like I can't do it at the moment on A500, and there's no point to do it on A1200, as it has DigiBooster, a very powerful util (the most, of the Amiga soft?).

OK then, so I leave the project for "better times".

Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111elevenone

TSC
Offline
Milwaukee, WI

I have always avoided 8ch mode because of volume issues/timing/no MIDI, etc. This is understating the obvious, but you can always improve memory usage by sampling at low rates when necessary or looping small waveforms and shaping them with either the synth editor or player commands.

Also, player command "C" is your friend if delays are needed. wink

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

Yes, problems with volumes are annoying (no use of the "C" command, as it affects 2 channels, so - like I mentioned before - it's better to not to use it at all).

Normally I avoid this mode too, and use A1200 instead, to make real 8ch songs, but this time I wanted to make something new on A500, You know. However it seems like I will not be able to, with the hardware I presently own.

On the other hand, maybe You are right. Maybe I could use some really small samples and FDD instead. Hmmmmmmm.
OK, thx for the tip anyway. Looks like having A1200 made me too soft, hahah. wink

Perhaps it's time to get back to real 1Mb of RAM and floppy disks? wink

Last edited by YERZMYEY (Dec 17, 2013 11:46 pm)

DESUMATE
Offline

How many samples can you transfer via floppy disk?
What is the recommended bit rate?

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

Desumate:

I meant floppy disk because then the RAM isn't so much occupied. You know, by system, by 3.1 ROM, and so on.

> What is the recommended bit rate?
------------
I dunno. Normally 22050 should be OK. Or even 16000 (when I wanna make smaller samples...)?

Guyz will tell ya for sure.

TSC
Offline
Milwaukee, WI
YERZMYEY wrote:

OK, thx for the tip anyway. Looks like having A1200 made me too soft, hahah. wink

I know the feeling!

@Desumate: This is going to sound like a cop out answer, but do what sounds right. Sometimes higher rates are good if you want to sample hihats/etc. I've been known to crank the high-end while sampling at low rates only to play them at the "hidden" (wraparound) 8th/9th octave for crunch.

TSC
Offline
Milwaukee, WI

Also, eqing before sampling will help exaggerate the aliasing on metal guitars. wink

iLKke
Offline
Psydney, Australia

Wouldn't 8-channel mode in octamed halve the samplerate playback anyway? I think that's the way it works. Also the reason nobody uses it.

TSC
Offline
Milwaukee, WI

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Pathogenic
Offline
New Zealand

I just checked OctaMED Soundstudio V1.03c, this gives you the option to load samples into the FastMem.
It's located under the Instr menu.

Checking OctaMED 6 this option isn't available so probably isn't in any of the earlier versions.

I also turned on 8 channels in Soundstudio and it automatically turns on the option to "Halve Loaded Samples".

Last edited by Pathogenic (Dec 18, 2013 11:15 pm)

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

You can also not-accept the "Halve Loaded Samples" option but then all the samples will be heavily distorted, so it's pointless.

Last edited by YERZMYEY (Dec 18, 2013 4:57 pm)

iLKke
Offline
Psydney, Australia

Well no escaping that. All old 8 chan trackers worked like that, octamed, octalyzer, startrekker. To double the number of channels, you have to halve the samplerate. I think the first digibooster did it as well.

Later Digibooster pro and Octamed Soundstudio used the CPU and AHI but you needed much more than a standard a500 (and probably standard a1200) to make use of it. Both were basically fasttracker2 clones, with OSS being more advanced in some respects.

Which brings us to the point, why use amiga if you want to make 8 channel music? It's not like you get the "amiga sound" or can use it in a demo.

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man
iLKke wrote:

Later Digibooster pro and Octamed Soundstudio used the CPU and AHI but you needed much more than a standard a500 (and probably standard a1200) to make use of it. Both were basically fasttracker2 clones, with OSS being more advanced in some respects.

DigiBooster 1.7 does 8ch without any problems, on a standard A1200.
Check out http://yerzmyey.i-demo.pl/ (search for "RetroBeat" title). Recorded from real hardware.
With my 1200 I use only the DB.

But for A500 the OctaMED - is the best. wink