MR-8 pseudo virtual tracks

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mrx

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I just tried a test - starting with a new song, I recorded a few bars on track 1, rewound to the start, and recorded over the track. I did this a half dozen times and checked the contents of the card... Guess what? All six wav files were there, along with entires for each in the .ADL.


If 'delete unused' and "redo/undo" are not used, then the MR-8 can simulate 'virtual tracks'. With a big enough card, this could be very cool - allowing a guest musician, for example, to record several "takes" on a single track. These could later be auditioned, or editted into a "comp" track on a PC.

It also is clear proof that the MR-8 does not work as described in the manual, but is a welcome surprise.
 
That little technique should be called: Virtual Virtual Tracking

Yeah its too bad you can't rewrite your adl file on board. Actually, it's too bad they didn't just write a virtual track type thing into v1.0.3. I guess they figuired no one would have the mem capabilities to even think about virtual tracking. I wish i could write my own OS for the mr-8. They should have made the mr-8 open source.

Hey guys, speaking of ADLs, does anyone still have their "Fostex Fever" ADL file. If so please get back to me. I want it. I lost mine. I still have the wavs. I just need the ADL. Don't ask why I want it.
 
I suspect virtual track control from the menu will be an option in a future upgrade. With the card limits today, it would look pretty stupid as a "feature".

Here ya go:

<ADL>
<VERSION>
</VERSION>
<PROJECT>
(PROJ_TITLE) "A:\FOSTEX_FEVER"
(PROJ_ORIGNATOR) "FOSTEX corp"
(PROJ_CREATE_DATE) 1858,11-17
(PROJ_NOTE) " "
(PROJ_CLIENT_DATA) " "
</PROJECT>
<SEQUENCE>
(SEQ_SAMPLE_RATE) S44100
(SEQ_FRAME_RATE) 25
(SEQ_ADL_LEVEL) 1
(SEQ_CLEAN) FALSE
(SEQ_DEST_START) 00.00.00.00L0000
</SEQUENCE>
<TRACKLIST>
(Track) 1 " "
(Track) 2 " "
(Track) 3 " "
(Track) 4 " "
(Track) 5 " "
(Track) 6 " "
(Track) 7 " "
(Track) 8 " "
</TRACKLIST>
<MEMLIST>
(Memory) 01 "IN" 00.00.00.00L0000
(Memory) 02 "OUT" 00.00.00.00L0000
</MEMLIST>
<TEMPO_MAP>
(Offset) 2
(Signature) 0001Bar 4/4Beat
(Tempo) 0001Bar 1Beat 0102.0BPS
(Tempo) 0001Bar 2Beat 0103.0BPS
(Tempo) 0004Bar 1Beat 0102.0BPS
(Tempo) 0004Bar 3Beat 0105.0BPS
(Tempo) 0006Bar 3Beat 0104.0BPS
(Tempo) 0018Bar 4Beat 0105.0BPS
(Tempo) 0020Bar 1Beat 0103.0BPS
</TEMPO_MAP>
<EVENT_LIST>
(Entry) 0001 (Cut) F "tr01.wav" 1 1 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
(Entry) 0002 (Cut) F "tr02.wav" 1 2 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
(Entry) 0003 (Cut) F "tr03.wav" 1 3 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
(Entry) 0004 (Cut) F "tr04.wav" 1 4 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
(Entry) 0005 (Cut) F "tr05.wav" 1 5 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
(Entry) 0006 (Cut) F "tr06.wav" 1 6 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
(Entry) 0007 (Cut) F "tr07.wav" 1 7 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
(Entry) 0008 (Cut) F "tr08.wav" 1 8 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
</EVENT_LIST>
</ADL>
 
This undo/redo issue is the strangest thing I have come across in digital gear. It really appears to be a redundant function. I also found that erasing over the part doesn't erase the take. In fact, a lot of the lost time problems I was having was because I was erasing instead of using undo/redo, and then using the delete unused function. You have to be careful to regularly perform the latter two functions when using the recorder, or else you can lose track of what you have on the card, and also how much time you really have. Again, the manual is lacking as far as this issue is concerned. I hope Fostex are reading the posts on this site.
 
I think it would be great if this machine had the option of using whatever was connected to the usb port for storage, whether it be a computer or one of those big microdrives that professional digital photographers use. I don't think the transfer rate is fast enough for usb though.

and thanks for the fostex fever adl. Did anyone else find this song abnormally cheezy?
 
turntablist said:

and thanks for the fostex fever adl. Did anyone else find this song abnormally cheezy?
Click to expand...
I think I read a review at some site or the other that stated it was the cheesiest demo put out yet on a multi track. I tend to agree with that statement....
 
dyuob said:
I think I read a review at some site or the other that stated it was the cheesiest demo put out yet on a multi track. I tend to agree with that statement....
Click to expand...

It reminded me of Earth, Wind, and Fire. I'm not saying they are cheesy. I used to be into Earth, Wind, and Fire.
 
I googled for "Fostex Fever" in quotes and the only thing that came up is a link to the media section of my page, bumswithguns.com, where I posted the Fostex Fever song in mp3 for comedic purposes. All my friends thinks it's very funny.
 
turntablist said:
I googled for "Fostex Fever" in quotes and the only thing that came up is a link to the media section of my page, bumswithguns.com, where I posted the Fostex Fever song in mp3 for comedic purposes. All my friends thinks it's very funny.
Click to expand...
LOL!!!! THAT WAS IT!!!!
I was there about 3 weeks ago or so.
Small world.
 
Hi,
Does anybody know if the mr-8 USB port is 2.0 or 1.0 ?
There is a huge difference in bandwidth.
rs8
 
the official data sheet doesn't say. It just says what type of connector it is (B Type). You should email someone at Fostex. They're pretty fast in replying to questions you may have. I have delt with them before.
 
I beleive it is 1.0, at least that is what is stuck in my mind, but I can't find documentation.
 
I'm going to have to agree, In the history of music there has never been any composition quite as cheezy as "Fostex Fever". I think thoes of us who have heard this little diddy are now dumber people...

b
 
redStar8 said:
Hi,
Does anybody know if the mr-8 USB port is 2.0 or 1.0 ?
There is a huge difference in bandwidth.
rs8
Click to expand...
I found it on the fostex web site:
Q. What USB cable can I use?
A. The Cable you need to connect between the MR8 and PC is;
the USB cable with "A-Male" on one side and "B-Male" on the other.
The type of USB is USB 1.

I hope this helps.
 
I understand that the ADL file is like telling the mr-8 what to do with that wavs in the songs folder. Most of the things in an ADL are self-explanatory, I just have some questions about the ENTRY lines. In the following line from that ADL, what does each thing mean?

(Entry) 0001 (Cut) F "tr01.wav" 1 1 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _

I want to know more so when i am adding each track into my favorite tracking program, I will be able to know exactly when (minute, second, and frame) it occurs. Because if I do punch-ins, they wont start at zero. Then when i bring the wavs in to my tracking program I won't know where to put them


The first entry thing I don't understand is '0001'. What does 'F' stand for?

I understand what 'tr01.wav' is. that's obvious.

one of those '1's before the first time stamp must be the track number this entry occurs on. I don't know this.

Are timestamps in the format of HH:MM:SS:mm|FFFF (hours,minutes,seconds,milliseconds,frame)? I thought there were only 30 frames in a second?

Is the first time stamp in this entry ("00.00.00.00|0000") when the wav starts? Is the second timestamp saying where this wav ends? If this is the case, why is there a third time stamp?

If any one who knows more, I would like some feedback, thanks.
 
This is all I could find on the ADL file, but it should answer your questions.

http://www.aes.org/standards/b_pub/aes31-3-1999.pdf


Nice of Fostex to use a standard format, although they are only using a small part of the spec.

The one thing I'm still trying to work out is the number after the pipe (|). The spec implies it is the remaining samples (like the remainder after rounding to the nearest millisecond or frame), but the actual wav data does not support this.

I've found that if an imported wav does not match the length in the .ADL, a card error ("0D", I believe) results when playback reaches the end of the track.
 
mrx said:
I suspect virtual track control from the menu will be an option in a future upgrade. With the card limits today, it would look pretty stupid as a "feature".

Here ya go:

<ADL>
<VERSION>
</VERSION>
<PROJECT>
(PROJ_TITLE) "A:\FOSTEX_FEVER"
(PROJ_ORIGNATOR) "FOSTEX corp"
(PROJ_CREATE_DATE) 1858,11-17
(PROJ_NOTE) " "
(PROJ_CLIENT_DATA) " "
</PROJECT>
<SEQUENCE>
(SEQ_SAMPLE_RATE) S44100
(SEQ_FRAME_RATE) 25
(SEQ_ADL_LEVEL) 1
(SEQ_CLEAN) FALSE
(SEQ_DEST_START) 00.00.00.00L0000
</SEQUENCE>
<TRACKLIST>
(Track) 1 " "
(Track) 2 " "
(Track) 3 " "
(Track) 4 " "
(Track) 5 " "
(Track) 6 " "
(Track) 7 " "
(Track) 8 " "
</TRACKLIST>
<MEMLIST>
(Memory) 01 "IN" 00.00.00.00L0000
(Memory) 02 "OUT" 00.00.00.00L0000
</MEMLIST>
<TEMPO_MAP>
(Offset) 2
(Signature) 0001Bar 4/4Beat
(Tempo) 0001Bar 1Beat 0102.0BPS
(Tempo) 0001Bar 2Beat 0103.0BPS
(Tempo) 0004Bar 1Beat 0102.0BPS
(Tempo) 0004Bar 3Beat 0105.0BPS
(Tempo) 0006Bar 3Beat 0104.0BPS
(Tempo) 0018Bar 4Beat 0105.0BPS
(Tempo) 0020Bar 1Beat 0103.0BPS
</TEMPO_MAP>
<EVENT_LIST>
(Entry) 0001 (Cut) F "tr01.wav" 1 1 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
(Entry) 0002 (Cut) F "tr02.wav" 1 2 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
(Entry) 0003 (Cut) F "tr03.wav" 1 3 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
(Entry) 0004 (Cut) F "tr04.wav" 1 4 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
(Entry) 0005 (Cut) F "tr05.wav" 1 5 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
(Entry) 0006 (Cut) F "tr06.wav" 1 6 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
(Entry) 0007 (Cut) F "tr07.wav" 1 7 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
(Entry) 0008 (Cut) F "tr08.wav" 1 8 00.00.00.00|0000 00.00.01.00|0000 00.01.00.00|1152 _
</EVENT_LIST>
</ADL>
Click to expand...

I don't understand what all this means? Is this some sort of code? Someone explain what all this means?????? And How do I USE IT???

Thanks

Chris
 
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