BuildOrBuy Network News http://www.buildorbuy.org/ http://www.buildorbuy.net/ Subject: Translator Update 5/25 Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 18:00:24 -0500 From: Chicken Systems To: support_upload@chickensys.com ***************************************************************************** * * * TRANSLATOR - by Chicken Systems - UPDATE 5/22/2001 * * * ***************************************************************************** CONTENTS Translator Version 2.1 Translator Demo Version now available! Mac Version Online Documentation and Translation Status Get Translator Now At Musicians Friend (USA), Time+Space (Great Britain and surrounding areas), Best Service (Germany and areas) So, why Translator? Features In The Future Happy Memorial Day (just in case you forgot, Translator(tm) is a sampler disk/file convertor and sampler editing tool. Translator allows you to read most proprietary sampler disks, view their contents, and translate the files to most other formats. Translator is the only program in existence that can write these formats accurately directly to disk. You can also make custom CD's, defragment disks, send samples directly to samplers using SMDI, and many other helpful utilities.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ********************************* * * * Translator 2.1 Announcement * * * ********************************* We'd like to announce Translator Version 2.1. Translator keeps refining and getting better. Here's some of the highlights: **Kurzweil and SampleCell -> Giga translations Actually these have been around for awhile, but this is the first chance we've had to really announce them out loud. Translator reads Mac SampleCell CD-ROM's and/or hard drives. Excellent translations! Translator is the only software that does this. **SMDI support This gets really fun. Hook up your SMDI-enabled sampler - Emu, Kurzweil, ASR-X, others - and drop any file on it and watch the samples fly into the sampler! Of course, the keymaps and instruments don't go in, but the samples do. Or grab a bunch of samples inside the sampler and drop them on another sampler's ZipDisk or Virtual Drive! You can even, if you are a daredevil, chain two samplers up and transfer samples between the samplers in one command! Again, no other software does this. **Akai S5000 support You can now translate most formats (Akai, Roland, Emu, Ensoniq, Kurzweil, SampleCell, more) into Akai S5000 format. (You can even pull a sound off a SMDI sampler and write it into a Akai S-5000 file!) We pay attention to some special Akai details that NO OTHER SOFTWARE deals with, such as proper wave/loop writing, and the creation of stereo .wav files. **Authentic Roland Filter Translator now includes THE SAME CODE THAT IS INTERNALLY INSIDE THE ROLAND S-700 SERIES for use in Emphasis and De-Emphasis routines. We've included this along with our 4 other filters and even a custom filter where you can set the settings yourself. usually, you don't need this type of power, but if you want it, it's there. **EXS-24 Support OK, this has been around for awhile, but we'd like to show it off again. Translate ANYTHING to EXS-24 format, and place it anywhere on your hard disk so that EXS can easily find it. Akai, Roland, Ensoniq, Emu, SampleCell, and Kurzweil are now available. **Onscreen Waveplayer You've always been able to audition any sample by double-clicking on it. Now there's an onscreen waveplayer/displayer that shows you the waveform and plays it. Looks great! You can also export any sample out of Translator into your favorite sample editor. **ACID-izer You can ACID-ize any amount of .wav or AIFF files on your computer using Translator. **Other Various Translations Added This definitely isn't a complete list, but some highlights: -Kurzweil->Akai, Pulsar, MESA -Emu->SoundFont -Roland->Korg Triton -Pulsar->Giga -MESA->Giga And more! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ************************************************ * * * TRANSLATOR DEMO VERSION NOW AVAILABLE!!! * * * ************************************************ You can download Translator FREE today! A demo is finally up now at our site. It is fairly functional, you can translate just a one or a couple of sounds per disk. But you can read and write DOS Counterpart files all you want! We intend the demo to have limited usage, such as compiling of disks or CD's on "Virtual Drives", backup, visual display of samples, and even disk repair. Download it at www.chickensys.com/translator/download.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ******************************** * * * MAC VERSION * * * ******************************** Be watching for an announcement soon. We know lot's of you are waiting for this. In the meantime, Translator can work with Virtual PC 3.0 or 4.0. Virtual PC is now actually a viable option for all you Mac users who have a PC app or two that needs to be run. VP 4.0 is a lot faster and robust than it's earlier counterparts. The price ranges around $150 - well worth it, in our opinion. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***************************************************** * * * ONLINE DOCUMENTATION AND TRANSLATION STATUS * * * ***************************************************** The ENTIRE documentation for Translator is available at our Web site. It's not just a cheesy PDF file, or a Word document. It is entirely navigate from the site. It's not just about Translator, but you can learn lot's about different samplers and even the history of sampling. (You can download a PDF file of the manual, or the Help File, if you want...) Check it out at www.chickensys.com/translator/documentation.html This is also home to our Status pages. You can check out the status of your desired translation there. Translator also has a new help file which assists in the translation process. A printed manual has been published, and is now going out with all new Translator's. Previous customers will receive their copies shortly. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ************************************************************************************* * * * GET TRANSLATOR AT MUSICIANS FRIEND, TIME+SPACE, BEST SERVICE, OR NEMESYS DIRECT * * * ************************************************************************************* We'd like to welcome three dealers to the Translator "Sphere". Although you can still order direct from Chicken System's, you can also purchase Translator at these other locations. Chicken System's - www.chickensys.com/translator/order.html Musician's Friend - www.musiciansfriend.com/ex/shop/home/0105171842570240042521211971?pid=702300 Time+Space - www.timespace.com Best Service - www.bestservice.de Nemesys (Giga Edition Only) - www.nemesysmusic.com/products/3rdParty/Translator.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ******************************** * * * SO, WHY TRANSLATOR? * * * ******************************** You shouldn't cut corners with translations. Translator takes the musical and technical experience of our three engineers and transforms that into accurate translations that REALLY work. Translator Supports More Formats -------------------------------- Well, Awave (check it out at ww.fmjsoft.com) supports millions of formats. Literally. But are they the formats you need? Translator specializes in professional sampler formats - Akai, Roland, Emu, Ensoniq, Kurzweil, SampleCell, GigaStudio, EXS, HALion, Yamaha, and others. We are the ONLY software that READS KURZWEIL CD-ROM's. We are the only Windows translation software that reads Mac disks. Eventually we'll do everything. GigaStudio Specialists ---------------------- We've put most of our time into doing translations into GigaStudio/Sampler. Why? It's hot. No other sampler has had such a run on the market as Giga has. No other Windows software has had Mac musicians running out to have PC's assembled - simply to run Giga. Our Roland->Giga translation module took double the time to develop than any other translation. No other software even comes close to the accuracy and detail our Roland->Giga module does. Translator-only's: Roland Performances->Giga Performances, Alternate Loop translation, your choice of over 4 digital deemphasis filters to suit your taste, support for Giga 2.2 features. And we aren't even talking about the envelope, filter, and response algorithms that we've written to take on anything that a Roland file throws at us. Top Music Computer assemblers such as SoundChaser, Turnkey (London) and others, commonly offer Translator with their specialty systems. There's just no better choice for accurate translations. Quality Detail -------------- We just care about quality. We review popular CD titles such as Spectrasonics, Ilio, BestService, and others CONSTANTLY, checking and checking and checking to see if things sound right. We've got most of the popular titles IN ALL FORMATS, and most have been checked out thoroughly with Translator. Check out the online documentation - not only do we go the extra mile to show you what to expect with a translation, we explain every samplers architecture do you can at least be semi-familiar with what you are translating out of. If you are translating, say, an Emu disk - you might not have an Emu! How should you know how an Emu works? Check our documentation - you'll find our what you need to know in order to translate. Also, since Translator reads AND writes to proprietary disk, we know things about the formats that no one else does. It is very difficult to write to a disk meant for a specialty computer (which is what a hardware sampler is), and expect that to load it happily without complaint. But Translator does it - and that improves our understanding when simply reading the file. Customer Community and Service ------------------------------ Nothing beats a phone call for immediate service. Nothing beats a toll-free number either. Nothing beats a live person, in extended hours, on the other end. We've got all three. Got an error message? Pick that phone up. (Well, read the Help file first...) Translator isn't perfect - nothing is - so we back it up with service. 24-hour service. If you find a problem, something that doesn't translate, gives you an error, you can report the problem directly to us and we'll have a response - and even a new build - within 24 hours. This reporting of files has been wildly successful for users and us. For example, just the other day we got an original Roland file e-mailed to us which had illegal velocity values, and that threw off Translator. So we documented and fixed it - now all users, unbeknownst to them, don't have to worry about that issue. We get about 3-4 file submissions daily. The other day, a user called with a issue. We discussed what was going on, and the user actually took the log file Translator wrote and e-mailed to us WHILE WE WERE TALKING. Our engineer looked at it, found the problem, and fixed the code, again, during the conversation. Total time taken - 5 minutes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ********************************* * * * FEATURES FOR THE FUTURE * * * ********************************* So, what are we working on? Here's a list: Translations into Kurzweil and Roland S-700 format SoundFont->Emu samplers Property Sheet Editor - edit any file directly to disk Disk Defragmenter - Norton Utilities-like module for disk maintenance and repair Yamaha A3-4-5K, Akai MPC, Roland XV-5080, Korg Triton, Unity DS-1 SampleTank, Terratec, .94B, Reason, Recycle 2.0, Steinberg HALion translations Onboard Audio Ripper Amplitude Normalization on-the-fly for entire Instruments Database support About 3-4 top secret projects that you'll have to guess what they are We are also at a stage where we'd really like to know what you are looking for in translations. Other than a Mac version, what translations do you want? E-mail us at whatdoyouwant@chickensys.com and yell at us. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ********************************* * * * HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY * * * ********************************* We know that not all of you are American's, so I'll explain what Memorial Day is to us. This is the day where we remember all that died in our wars. Writing software takes guts, but not as much guts as it takes to fight for your country and risk your life for what you think is right. That's real stuff. Take time to remember those who died for your freedom. Appropriately, I'm listening to a great Toto song that speaks about this: ------------- Gotta remember You don't have to be afraid You still have the freedom to learn, to say what you want to say Gotta remember Don't let 'em take away The land we call the Home of the Brave ------------- Thanks, veterans. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you would like to be removed from any further mailings about Translator, please reply to this e-mail with the word "unsubscribe" (without the quotes) in the Subject line. We don't intend to spread any junk-mail plague, but just want to inform people on what may be helpful for them. -------------------------------- (c)2001 Chicken Systems, Inc. Reproduction for public consumption is prohibited. All Rights Reserved. | * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * | | Garth Hjelte and Jeff Godbloch | | Customer Service Representatives | | Chicken Systems, Inc. | | 714 5th Street SE | | Willmar, MN 56201 USA | | | | 800-8-PRO-EPS Toll Free Order Line (US Only) | | 320-235-9798 Tech Support, Sampler Questions | | International Line | | 360-838-7689 Fax | | Product Sales: sales@chickensys.com | | Product Support: support@chickensys.com | | Sampler Q+A: qa@chickensys.com | | Company Web Page: www.chickensys.com | | Translator Web Page: www.chickensys.com/translator | | * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |