Dynamic Technologies IRC Conference

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                    Dynamic Technologies IRC Conference
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[Recently, an independently organized IRC conference was held with Dynamic
Technologies, a new Amiga company announcing its upcoming hardware
products.  The edited transcript appears below.]

Nick_S: Welcome all!  I hope you have checkout http://www.frugal.com/~amiga
for an idea of products!

Zool: The conference, in case you do not know, is with Dynamic
Technologies, (that is Casey_H and Nick_S), who are making some innovative
new Amiga products.

Casey_H: Dynamic Technologies is an amiga hardware company we are currently
working on several amiga products at the moment.  Our most popular products
seem to be the HyperSound 32 (DSP based), the ZorroPlus Amiga 1200
expander, and the FlopNET networking hardware.  Today, you may ask any
related questions, developer questions, ideas etc.

Nick_S: Casey_H is the chief developer of the team.  I am mainly in charge
of the FlopNET development, which is a Floppy port based network

Marrs: I think we need a cheap ethernet card for the Amiga.  Network
connectivity is very important, IMHO.

Casey_H: yes, we are hoping that we can create an adapter for the flopnet
...  but right now it will be limited to amiga systems via floppy port

Nick_S: We want to have FlopNET ready first before expanding it.

Casey_H: Flopnet will follow the ethernet packeting structure for full
compatablility.

GregE: Do you expect the Power Amigas to be PCI based, and be able to use
PC cards?  Do you think your Products represent good value next to these,
and are you woried about the competition ?

Casey_H: yes, we do think the poweramiga will be pci based.  I am worried,
yes, but there are currently a lot more amigas that are still zorroII/III.

Nick_S: Well, I think that the PCI systems are not yet ready to be
consitered.  I feel that the PowerAmiga systems should offer Zorro
compatability for other devices.

JimF: On your Homepage you metion the viedo blaster 128, can you give us
some more detalis especially in reguards to production time and software
compatibility.

Casey_H: The video blaster 128 is something i can not give you a date on. 
Currently it is rather expensive to produce.  We are looking into other
types of chipsets and designs, but until then...  The Video Blaster 128 is
a planned product, but it is still being thought about.  It contains a
128bit video processor.  It will use Zorro-III.

Brazilian: Well, Marrs asked my question (Cheap network cards, a must!  :)
but I am interested in multiport serial ports.  C='s was the only one I
know of that had many ports, and it never really worked right for a lot of
people.  I've heard talk of a "Comports 8" board but seen nothing.

Casey_H: Well, i can not say when we would get started on such a project. 
but being a CNet sysop, i will be releasing something soon.  maybe at the
end of the year if time permits.

AmigaInfo: Do you have a SANA II driver for FlopNET SANA (there is no info
on your homepage about it)?  How compatible is Hypersound32 with the Amiga?
and finaly, Do you belive it will be better for your company, and for the
Amiga, with VisCorp as the new owner (if they end up buying it)?  It would
be nice to have SANA II since there is a lot software for it, Envoy for
example...

Nick_S: Well, I hadn't really based FlopNET arround a network device, but I
have consitered a Serial/Network device to use.

Casey_H: the hypersound 32 works in the theory of the picasso - any
programs are promoted into the Hypersound32 .  Anything addressing the
hardware directly will be retargeted phyicaly into the hypersound.

Casey_H: We want this networking hardware to be fully compatable with any
current software, as much as possible.   i also believe that viscorp will
help the amiga.

JonL_: What is the max number of clients in a flopnet?  Two or many?  What
security does/will it offer?  (Oh and I agree, ethernet, Asap ;)

Nick_S: There will be 2 versions.  One will be a 2 computer version, with
no expansion, and the second will be a multi computer version.   as for
Security, that has not really been discused, but I will look into it.

Casey_H: security is a must also.

tommyB: Is the new audio board is only 16bit, not 20+.  There is yet NO
high-res board for the Amiga, unlike Macs/PCs.  are there RCA digital
inputs?

Casey_H: the audio board is 16bit digitizing, yes, but playback is 32.  the
RCA outputs are designed to work with current amiga audio setups.

MrDaniel: What exactly is VideoBlaster128?  a Video card?  Video effects
(like Toaster)?  Or a gfx board?  What can you use it for?  What is the
SGGS chipset you intend to use in the VideoBlaster128?  Any idea when it
might be out?

Nick_S: VideoBlaster is a replacement Video card, but like said before, it
isn't far enough into development to discuss.

Casey_H the videoblaster works under the same theory of the CV 64.  but as
nick said, it is not ready to be talked about yet.  nothing is official.

Zool: Is it based on PC hardware?

Casey_H: the PC chipsets are hard to obtain ..  we might go a different way
as far as video.  most 128bit chipsets are custom made.


MrDaniel    32 channel 32-bit audio playback? Are you serious, or is this some
            kind of joke? :)

Casey_H: Mrdaniel: well, in real life, this is not possable - you can not
play all 32channels in 32bits mode.  32bits mode is just like the HAM mode.
very limited - we might take it out later.

JimF: How close to shipping are any of your products, especially the audio
board?  Before we started you mentioned that your were going to post the
prices on your HP, can you give us preview of those now?

Casey_H: well, we are not ready to ship our products..  we are coming
around $100-$150 for the final price.

[At this point, the channel became unmoderated and most of the conversation
is too difficult to pick through.]

Nick_S: FlopNET is expected to be $59.00 for the 2 computer version, and
$65.00 + $20 per additional node for the multicomputer version.  Does this
sound reasonable?

Casey_H: the hypersound 32 is 16 bit, but does have a 32bit mode.  This
might be omitted since it is causing the price to rise.

tommyB: I have been looking for a card with atleast 20bit.  will HypSnd fit
the bill??

Casey_H: well, the playback rate has not been carved in stone, i hope that
we can get the 32bit mode to work cost effectively..  there is a
professional version planned complete with BNC connectors, etc.  to pair
along with the videotoaster, etc.

GregE: Will the sound card have an ide cdrom inerface ?  And I want
EtherNet too :) What sort of software will be with the card, will there be
octomed support.  how about support for HDR and talking to SCSI midi
samplers.  Will the software have nice features like time streach, or just
plain cut and paste

Casey_H: The soundcard will not have an IDE interface - too expensive for
this version.  The software support will hopefully be great, since i will
be giving out/promoting the new amiga audio card standard.  maybe a deluxe
card, but what we need is a basic sound card for the amiga - cheap and of
good quality.

GregE: will there be a new audio.device to work with.  could i have
developer information ?

[This information is available in the News section of Amiga Report 4.06]

Santos: How does the Hypersound 32 (Hard- and Software) compare to other
Amiga Products ?  as far as sound quality and audio record/mixing options ?
compared to the Sunrize AD516 or the Meastro ?  And to Professional PC/Mac
cards ?  Can you record/edit/add effects to sound realtime to/on HD ?  What
is the planned release date, and is there an option to preorder?

Casey_H: santos: this fall ...  we are not ready for pre-orders yet.  you
can edit/record in realtime if the harddrive speed permits.  as for
quallity, we will do our best on that.  it will be good, however.

AmigaInfo: Do you have contacts with other developers and AT/VisCorp
regarding new standard API for GFX/SFX?  Will you have your own APIs to
your cards?

Casey_H: The new standard is not offical yet, but i am working with a few
people about this.  I have contacted viscorp about this.

AmigaInfo: I am convinced that AmigaOS must have new APIs, and be as
hardware independant as possible to be able to catch up even in the future.

Casey_H: i have decided to work with a very talented person, featured in
Amiga Report.

AmigaInfo: Sounds great, i hope we will see something usefull soon, it is
very needed.

Casey_H: yes, exactly.  this new audio standard will finish up this
problem.

AmigaInfo: Is it your standard?

Casey_H: no, it is Martin Blom's standard.

AmigaInfo: Will it be using a symtem like datatypes or something new?

Casey_H: something new - streamed datatype-like.

AmigaInfo: Nice, I hope it will be more complete than datatypes.

Casey_H: yes, this will allow realtime decoding without loading it into
memory.

AmigaInfo   Will it have support for handeling sound from different programs at
            the same time?

GregE: Will there be a new "audio.device" type thing to control the card. 
Could i have developer information, or have things not got that far yet ? 
Are you officaly setting the amigas RTAudio standard, or just taking it
upon your self ?  I agree with AmigaInfo, the amiga needs to be as hardware
independant as possible.  If you are doing the standard, I hope you will
make it open to PCI sound cards.

Casey_H: well, the developer software is in beta ...  but go ahead and
look.  it is on 4.06 amiga report under news.  we are taking up on it, it
is not official.  it works with all DSPs and will work with anything new. 
it works with "dumb" and "smart" sound cards.  the documentation is quite
interesting.

For more information, contact DT at http://www.frugal.com/~amiga.

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