David Arnold - His First Computer - The Atari ST

[@suitandtieguy]

Pro-24 is what the KLF used for sequencing as well. Great interview, thank you!

[@nilesspindrift1934]

Fascinating stuff; brought back memories, from the late 80s, of our amazement when we managed to sync up 2 Fostex 8-tracks with an ST1040 plus S900 for a recording session

[@jamesdecross1035]

"Sunked-up" the past-participle of "sink up". The creative mind at work. Great interview. Great to hear his experiences.

[@hymanmj]

Great insight into a "better" time. Thanks for the time you all put in to these videos and running a museum with the gear in. :)

[@TheCentreforComputingHistory]

Why thank you for your support :)

[@wesstarmedia]

The atari and cubase was way ahead of its time and I've still got mine. David Arnold has done amazing work. 🎶

[@mattsephton]

Amazing. Thanks for sorting this out and thanks to David for the donation.

[@IanDixonTDL]

Great video. Amazing to see the CS80 there!

[@nigelrhodes4330]

I love my Akai S1100 connected to my Atari Mega STE and a rackmount Amiga 1200 for Octamed, I have also gotten into synth, midi module and rack unit collecting, living the life 😊.

[@Neffers_UK]

Octomed was awesome, software sample playback, allowing for more than the standard 4 channels. (up to 16 if I'm right with a 1200 or any 030 CPU?) I've got an ST, it's only an FM, but has a 4 Megabyte Marpet RAM upgrade, a whopping 40meg Gasteiner SCSI / ASCI HDD, and when I can get round to it, I have a Blitter chip to install (so very much needed for any GEM based software, such as Cubase and Pro 24). Then I can start derping around with MIDI stuff again, so far Novation Super Bass Station, EMU Orbit 2, Akai S2000, and a few extra bits and bobs like the venerable dbx compressors, Alesis Midiverb 4, Lexicon reverb, and the "dude that's awful - but I love it " Yammy CS1-X synth.

[@fredflintstone1428]

What a great interview. Many thanks. I watched a film the other day, 'Paycheck' from 2003. What was fascinating, is that this period in film was one where computers and sound libraries were at a point where mock ups were at least beginning to take hold. Watching this film in 2023 however, I was struck at the lack of orchestral stabs and loops (which are now synonymous with action scenes, fight scenes and chase scenes) by modern standards. There was also a totally different feel to characterisation. I've just looked up the composer and found it was John Powell, who of course composed music for The Bourne Identity films so can only assume something got lost in translation between the director and composer as this film (Paycheck) seems to lack any 'authenticity' to the characters. Although the film grossed well, it was apparently slammed by the critics.

[@kencoxdesign]

I still have a working 520ST with a black & white monitor and Cubase on a tank-like external HD from my college days. It was a great machine for its time and I don't remember it crashing once.

[@aminekostone1411]

Wow this was such an interesting interview. I could listen to this kind of discussion about music tech all day!

[@FailedMuso]

I'm beyond delighted that he chose the CfCH as this machine's home 🙂

[@Vapor3D]

Well, I still have my Atari ST, with two screens, monochrome and colour, but the monochrome one doesn't work, otherwise I would occasionally use my Cubase 1.0, of which I still have the manual in Spanish. I started recording music seriously with a Tascam PortaStudio and from there to the Atari and MIDI synthesizers. Today I only work with my Yamaha MOXF and PC and with that I have everything to make all the music I need! Very good video with a lot of very relevant information to understand the revolution that the Atari ST meant to reach the reality of today's world. Thanks!

[@jonrpearce]

The S6000s were the mainstay of theatrical sound effects for many years. Tape and minidisc were all too slow for spot effects on hit points, so until direct computer playback took over (QLab mostly), the S6000s triggered from GType ran shows. There could be an interesting exhibit to be had out of an old theatrical sound setup with midi and rs232.

[@novachord1]

Wonderful interview (and donation). I sold a lot of the stuff David talked about (was in keyboard retail from 85 till 2001), including Atari computers. Hearing about the Akai S1000, M1, Oberheim Matrix 1000, etc., was a trip down memory lane. Love his work, too; brilliant composer.

[@puressenceuk35]

Wonderful donation, real piece of memorabilia right there

[@bitley]

My first as well. The Sinclairs I'd used were my relatives' machines

[@stevec00ps]

Great interview - loved it thank you!

[@benedictnothing]

I spend roughly 50% of my life with the Live & Kicking theme tune on loop in my head. David Arnold has a lot to answer for.

[@markwrightrf]

29:54 what a fabulously ingenious insight that's finally caused a penny to drop! Forget DOScember, we need TOSeptember! PS: Jason, 36:57 - a man clearly in awe rocking about with his hands where you can see 'em ;-)

[@cpcnw]

Changing Lanes score is superb.

[@jaycee1980]

Wow, he's got a CS-80. Of course he has. Amazing machine best used by Vangelis (rip)... the sound of Blade Runner

[@fredflintstone1428]

At 27' 40'' there is a rack shot of an AKAI 1000. Who's rack is that? I ask not because of the S1000, but because above it is an ancient TASCAM MX2424. I had a few of these over the years. They were developed by another company for Tascam, I think called Timeline or something similar and included the Tascam SX1 machine, which again around 2008 I owned a couple. These machines combined midi and audio and were brilliant machines but Tascam offered no service backup for them and so it was down to the user and forums to keep the machines running. As an aside, I used the Atari ST and a bootleg copy of Pro24, until I bought a legit copy of Cubase Version 3 I think for Atari. I recorded a couple of albums on this machine, before abandoning it for a hardware solution which was the Yamaha QY700. It's amazing to think how my studio has shrunk now to one computer for orchestral stuff and for other stuff an AKAI MPC Key 61 (which is the best piece of equipment I have ever owned, and wished it had been around 45 years ago) and a TASCAM Model 24 mixing console.

[@elyuw]

A great interview and donation. The only question that I wish had been asked, what made him buy the ST in the first place?

[@jaycee1980]

Wow!! thats quite a donation!

[@mindthreatx]

Do wonder what kept him from just jumping right into a Stacy!

[@sagantiworrior5284]

Please how can I cordinate a Korg M1 with the Atari 1040st computer? I seriously need David's help with that.

[@ohareport]

so cool

[@LFOVCF]

What a scoop!

[@guilherme5094]

👍!

[@sn1000k]

Jason sure interrupts a lot and gives loads of his opinions. Let the guest talk for crying out loud. I doubt you know as much about synths as this fellow.

[@gadgeroonie]

I think thats unfair, Jason is trying to add to the discusion in his own way

[@elyuw]

I must have watched a different interview, David talked for long periods of time from simple questions. If anything Jason had trouble getting further questions out. Still, whatever we think, it was really interesting.

[@LFOVCF]

Uncalled for. Firstly, he is not a professional interviewer, and when talking with someone who has the same passion, it's exciting. When it's David Arnold, it's knuckle bitingly exciting. You don't need to be so rude.