I got this email today from Chicken System, the develloper of Translator:
MAC VERSION
So, it's the news everyone (it seems) has been waiting for!
Translator? Mac has now been released and is shipping, serving EXS
translations and WAV/AIFF sample extraction to begin with. (Our market
research noted that 75% of the people requesting Mac compatibility wanted
it for the use of EXS-24.) Of course, the standard features like disk
viewing, sample audition, and even writing of Virtual Drives are included.
If your favorite format isn't EXS-24 - don't worry, if the Windows version
supports it, it'll be in the Mac version in a heartbeat. The entire code
base has been merged into compatibility, so all we're doing is beta-ing the
translations one by one to make sure they work as well as the Windows
versions. We expect the two programs to share the same or similar features
by mid-June. If you want to know when your format will come online, e-mail
us and we'll respond with a projected date.
So, Translator is now a dual platform package - when you buy Translator?,
you get both Win and Mac for the same price. We are not raising the price,
not for now at least.
And BETTER YET - we have a barn-busting introductory price that Mac users
can't resist. You can order a Mac-only version of the product, with free
upgrades for the life of the program - this means you can translate
everything to everything eventually - for only $49.95 - which is $100 off
the list price of the Full version. This offer is only good from May 18th
through May 31st; after that, it goes back up to the normal pricing.
For current users of Translator Full version, you can add the Mac version
for only $19.95 plus shipping. For more info, see
http://www.chickensys.com/translator/tr ... rades.html.
And - better yet - you can receive the program via e-mail during this
limited time - just download the authorizer after you order and follow the
instructions.
There is a demo up at our web site; download it if you want to see it in
action. The demo doesn't do any translations, although it will soon. Get it
at http://www.chickensys.com/translator/download.html.
For more information, see http://www.chickensys.com/translator/translatormac.html.
We're sure you'll have more questions - please e-mail us at
support@chickensys.com if you have any.
To order, go to http://www.chickensys.com/translator/order.html.
Most of all - THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE! We've never said the word "shortly"
so many times in our lives!
ASPI BLUES
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ASPI is a low level driver package that enables a Windows computer to
access any or all peripherals at a low level - it's how we access Akai,
Ensoniq, Roland, etc. CD's and hard drives. It came with Windows 95/98/Me,
but Microsoft does not include it in the NT/2000/XP packages. (See
http://www.chickensys.com/translator/misc/aspi.html for more info.)
Anyway, the biggest issue people have with XP, 2000, or NT with Translator
is that they have to install ASPI themselves, and that it needs to work.
Until recently, we advised people to get ASPI off the web and install it in
those OS's, even against Adaptec's advice (it is political, anyway).
Recently Adaptec released 4.70 of ASPI specifically to address NT/2K/XP
issues. We at the same time struck a licensing deal with Adaptec to
distribute ASPI with our updates. We thought that would solve any issues,
and make it easier for our users, but...
...it would help if those drivers worked with all/most computers! Many
users complained that it didn't see any of their drives. It did on our
systems - we couldn't replicate the issue - so we added a file called
wnaspi32_nero.dll to the update install, installed in the Translator
folder. This fixed everyone's problems - if you don't see any Akai, emu
etc. CD's/drives in Translator, simply rename wnaspi32_nero.dll to
wnaspi32.dll, and restart Translator. That should work. (That file is an
Ahead Software-written ASPI driver.)
Since then, we've been attempting (that's a good word for it) to discuss
this with Adaptec, and it looks like they are fixing the issue. Just a
couple days ago, Adaptec sent us 4.71 of ASPI, and we've included it on the
latest updates.
If anyone had this, or has this, problem, please try the latest update of
Translator (it's 2.5 Build 60 now) - and if it works for you, let us know.
Note: some of this may be moot in the future, at least made easier for the
users - Translator is set to go ASPI-less as an option in the near future.
The reason we've stuck with ASPI is that it's more reliable and the
performance is better - it allows us to do overlapping functions and
asynchronous access, where the native NT/2000/XP don't allow that.
FUTURE FORMATS
-----------------------------------------------
Here's what we are working on. Unity, VSampler, VSamp, Kurzweil,
SampleTank, SampleCell (especially for the Mac), Creamware STS (specially
the .sts format), Yamaha A-series, Motif, and trying to finish the
Waveframe, Synclavier, and Fairlight projects. Oh, and Peavey...
There are many other features that we are excited to get to and continue,
such as search functions, editing, scripting, and a number of much-asked
for features. We have now a completely cool integration of Windows and Mac
development schemes, and we are excited to start working in it.
GIGA VERSION 2 SUPPORT
-----------------------------------------------
Since the start of Version 2.5, Translator has written Giga 2.0-literal
files, which require no conversion or updating when loaded into either
GigaStudio or the Editor. Translator is the only program that does this. As
well, Translator is precise when it comes to stereo-mono conflicts
(...), and many other complex programming arrangements.
(...)
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Let There Be Music!