Tracking/music production on Amiga

09 December 2014, 05:53

Hey guys!

I'm mostly a PC (Impulse Tracker) musician but I just scored myself a nice CDTV setup that I'd like to use for music production. I'm not really sure how to start on this thing so I need some recommendations.

I want to control MIDI instruments (and use samples), so I'm thinking OctaMed, Music-X and maybe AHX & PT-1210

- or are there better tracker/sequencers kicking around?

Can I just burn Workbench and a bunch of trackers & samples onto a CD and make it bootable?

My machine is a completely standard CDTV so ECS, 1MB, KS/WB 1.3, etc. Should I be looking into some upgrades? What kind of RAM should I add (chip/fast/slow??)

Any advice is appreciated!

^^ Came with a ton of floppies and CDs too

Daedalus · 09 December 2014, 17:58

Nice setup! Yes, you can throw stuff onto a CD and use it that way, but you need to make a special bootable ISO that you then burn to a disc. This appears to be a decent guide but I haven't tried it.

I think the newer versions of OctaMED need a newer kickstart than 1.3, and that complicates things a little I think because you need to update the CDTV's special ROMs as well as kickstart. I would recommend kickstart 3.1 and whatever additional ROMs the CDTV needs to match that.

The more memory the better really, as samples are played from memory which will run out quickly on that machine. There are modifications around for upgrading the memory, a bit of a search around these forums should turn up a few pointers.

Good luck, and enjoy! Still a lovely looking machine to this day!

adrdesign · 09 December 2014, 20:01

I would first upgrade rom to 3.x and add some memory. Then you could use this
http://grandis.nu:81/eabsearch/searc...cd+SoundStudio

it is bootable and comes with a bunch of sounds and examples

good luck!

11 December 2014, 00:54

^^ I couldn't get either version of that disc to boot on FS-UAE? I tried a virtual CD32, A1200, and A4000 and none worked. Do I need to do anything special?

I definitely want to run SoundStudio though! I'll look into upgrading the Kickstart, but I don't have an eeprom burner (or really any tools for that matter, just moved house.) Octamed 4.00 should work on 1.3 though for now...

I think my floppy drives are dying (they both sound like that.) Guessing this is not a quick-fix... Is it possible to wire up this USB floppy emulator as an *external* drive for my system? (i.e. DB25 cable) That would be super convenient.

Does anyone know if Kipper2k's RAM upgrade board will allow the lid to close when fitted? Doesn't look like there's a lot of room between the CPU & the top of the case.

I'm also interested in doing a full PAL conversion to my NTSC machine - if that's possible on a CDTV...

Cobe · 11 December 2014, 01:09

In order to be bootable disc for cdtv apart obvious S/startup-sequence disc has to have embedded cdtv.tm in iso. You can find it in cd32 developers kit. And then you can rebuild your iso with IsoCD, it's simpler then MakeCD(that also needs tm files from dev kit)

Apollo · 11 December 2014, 14:41

wheee, a MC-202 and a Xoxbox (? or maybe a ML-303). Is this a JV1010 over there?
Seems like you're into the old-school house/acid-house stuff.

11 December 2014, 21:15

Haha, yep! I used to have a much bigger setup (with a Pentium 233 running DOS as the main workstation, it's the grey server thing with the floppy drives) but I just moved across the Pacific and slow-shipped most of my stuff. Fortunately I was able to bring my absolute core gear in my luggage: the x0x, MC-202, JV-1010, Kaoss Pad, tiny mixer, & crucial MXR Distortion+ pedal. Everything I need to survive.

Here's my Soundcloud if you're curious. I'm also submitting tracks to Acid December at the moment; I was hoping to finish one on the Amiga but without a reliable way to get data on & off of it I might have to stick to Schism Tracker or emulators for now.

Amiga1992 · 12 February 2015, 16:03

I want your MC-202

Hewitson · 13 February 2015, 11:24

Thats a cool setup. I would avoid putting the monitor on top of the CDTV though, it may cause it to overheat and/or bend the case.

s2325 · 13 August 2015, 18:33

Someone made 4 Channel Amiga module of Treasure Trove Cove. Some of the samples are from Soccer Kid and various sources. The only thing I need tweak is the drum variations. Was playing Rare Replay the other day and this tune kept looping in my head.. the only cure was to track it old school. Original song by Grant Kirkhope. [ Show youtube player ]

09 December 2014, 05:53	#1
jmph Posts: n/a	Tracking/music production on Amiga Hey guys! I'm mostly a PC (Impulse Tracker) musician but I just scored myself a nice CDTV setup that I'd like to use for music production. I'm not really sure how to start on this thing so I need some recommendations. I want to control MIDI instruments (and use samples), so I'm thinking OctaMed, Music-X and maybe AHX & PT-1210 - or are there better tracker/sequencers kicking around? Can I just burn Workbench and a bunch of trackers & samples onto a CD and make it bootable? My machine is a completely standard CDTV so ECS, 1MB, KS/WB 1.3, etc. Should I be looking into some upgrades? What kind of RAM should I add (chip/fast/slow??) Any advice is appreciated! ^^ Came with a ton of floppies and CDs too

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09 December 2014, 17:58	#2
Daedalus Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dublin, then Glasgow Posts: 6,335	Nice setup! Yes, you can throw stuff onto a CD and use it that way, but you need to make a special bootable ISO that you then burn to a disc. This appears to be a decent guide but I haven't tried it. I think the newer versions of OctaMED need a newer kickstart than 1.3, and that complicates things a little I think because you need to update the CDTV's special ROMs as well as kickstart. I would recommend kickstart 3.1 and whatever additional ROMs the CDTV needs to match that. The more memory the better really, as samples are played from memory which will run out quickly on that machine. There are modifications around for upgrading the memory, a bit of a search around these forums should turn up a few pointers. Good luck, and enjoy! Still a lovely looking machine to this day!

09 December 2014, 20:01	#3
adrdesign Registered User Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Spain Age: 45 Posts: 314	I would first upgrade rom to 3.x and add some memory. Then you could use this http://grandis.nu:81/eabsearch/searc...cd+SoundStudio it is bootable and comes with a bunch of sounds and examples good luck!

11 December 2014, 00:54	#4
jmph Posts: n/a	^^ I couldn't get either version of that disc to boot on FS-UAE? I tried a virtual CD32, A1200, and A4000 and none worked. Do I need to do anything special? I definitely want to run SoundStudio though! I'll look into upgrading the Kickstart, but I don't have an eeprom burner (or really any tools for that matter, just moved house.) Octamed 4.00 should work on 1.3 though for now... I think my floppy drives are dying (they both sound like that.) Guessing this is not a quick-fix... Is it possible to wire up this USB floppy emulator as an external drive for my system? (i.e. DB25 cable) That would be super convenient. Does anyone know if Kipper2k's RAM upgrade board will allow the lid to close when fitted? Doesn't look like there's a lot of room between the CPU & the top of the case. I'm also interested in doing a full PAL conversion to my NTSC machine - if that's possible on a CDTV...

11 December 2014, 01:09	#5
Cobe Registered User Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Belgrade / Serbia Age: 41 Posts: 999	In order to be bootable disc for cdtv apart obvious S/startup-sequence disc has to have embedded cdtv.tm in iso. You can find it in cd32 developers kit. And then you can rebuild your iso with IsoCD, it's simpler then MakeCD(that also needs tm files from dev kit)

11 December 2014, 14:41	#6
Apollo Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Germany Age: 49 Posts: 137	wheee, a MC-202 and a Xoxbox (? or maybe a ML-303). Is this a JV1010 over there? Seems like you're into the old-school house/acid-house stuff.

11 December 2014, 21:15	#7
jmph Posts: n/a	Haha, yep! I used to have a much bigger setup (with a Pentium 233 running DOS as the main workstation, it's the grey server thing with the floppy drives) but I just moved across the Pacific and slow-shipped most of my stuff. Fortunately I was able to bring my absolute core gear in my luggage: the x0x, MC-202, JV-1010, Kaoss Pad, tiny mixer, & crucial MXR Distortion+ pedal. Everything I need to survive. Here's my Soundcloud if you're curious. I'm also submitting tracks to Acid December at the moment; I was hoping to finish one on the Amiga but without a reliable way to get data on & off of it I might have to stick to Schism Tracker or emulators for now.

12 February 2015, 16:03	#8
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	I want your MC-202

13 February 2015, 11:24	#9
Hewitson Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Age: 41 Posts: 3,773	Thats a cool setup. I would avoid putting the monitor on top of the CDTV though, it may cause it to overheat and/or bend the case.

13 August 2015, 18:33	#10
s2325 Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Gargore Age: 43 Posts: 17,789	Someone made 4 Channel Amiga module of Treasure Trove Cove. Some of the samples are from Soccer Kid and various sources. The only thing I need tweak is the drum variations. Was playing Rare Replay the other day and this tune kept looping in my head.. the only cure was to track it old school. Original song by Grant Kirkhope. [ Show youtube player ]

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