| While IBM, Apple, and others are expected to introduce
computers with DSPs (digital signal processors) later this
year, the first company to ship a low-cost PC with a DSP
is none other than Atari — the video-game company that once
hit $2 billion a year in sales and then nearly collapsed
in the mid-1980s. Although Atari is smaller these days, it's still selling a line of computers. Atari's latest computer, the Falcon030, is a surprisingly versatile machine that points the way toward a new generation of multimedia computers. Given Atari's track record, it's hard not to be skeptical, but the Falcon really is something different. Right out of the box, with no additional hardware required, you can attach the Falcon to a VGA monitor, a TV, a VCR, a camcorder, a stereo system, a pair of microphones, an electric guitar, a MIDI keyboard, or almost any audio/video device that accepts a patch cord. To add similar capabilities to any other PC would probably cost more than the price of the Falcon — $799 for the basic unit with 1 MB of RAM and a 1.44-MB floppy drive. With the right software, you can mix multiple sound sources, apply special effects, and record audio on either a tape recorder or the computer's hard disk. If you choose direct-to-disk digital recording, the Falcon supports eight-track, 16-bit stereo at sampling rates of up to 50 kHz, exceeding the quality of CDs and DAT (digital audiotape). The Falcon is also adept at handling video and graphics. Built-in video supports 65,536 colors at 640 by 480 pixels, with 262,144 possible hues. The computer accepts an external video synchronization signal for genlocking, and a special overlay mode lets you add titling and special effects. Composite video and RF outputs are standard. It wouldn't take much to turn the Falcon into a low-cost video workstation. What makes all this possible is the 32-MHz Motorola 56001 DSP, coupled to a 16-MHz 68030 CPU and a pair of custom coprocessors. The DSP is the most important component. DSPs excel at processing fast streams of sampled analog data in real time, making them ideal for multimedia applications. Computers with DSPs can do a better job of manipulating music and speech, compressing sound and graphics, and communicating with analog devices. What's more, DSPs can work in the background, freeing the CPU for other tasks. For example, the Falcon's DSP supports eight 16-bit DMA channels that operate in parallel, allowing simultaneous audio recording and playback. Standard audio interfaces include stereo I/O jacks and a pair of MIDI ports for attaching music keyboards and other MIDI devices. Another port brings out the pins of the DSP bus. This makes the DSP accessible for a wide range of uses, including video digitizers and telecommunications. Also standard are a LocalTalk port for easy networking with Macs and a SCSI-2 port with DMA. The fast SCSI port is vital because the Falcon's internal 65-MB hard drive isn't nearly large enough for serious digital recording, which at CD quality gobbles up more than 7 MB per minute. With the SCSI-2 port, you can add as much storage as you can afford. The Falcon runs a proprietary multitasking operating system and Digital Research's GEM. It's compatible with most software written for Atari's earlier ST computers, including a wide variety of applications for business, desktop publishing, and entertainment. There's a particular abundance of music software, and some of it's being rewritten to take advantage of the Falcon's DSP. Only a few DSP-driven programs were available for this evaluation, however, and they were still unfinished. One program I tested was Musicom. I plugged an electric guitar into the Falcon and used Musicom to add flanging, harmonizing, equalizing, digital delay, and heavy-metal distortion — replacing hundreds of dollars' worth of special-effects pedals. Next, I digitally recorded a rhythm track onto the Falcon's hard disk. I used Musicom to play back the rhythm guitar, mix in a lead guitar, and record both parts on a tape recorder. And I did all this without any extra hardware. Until now, the only desktop computers with integrated DSPs were the Next workstations, which also use the 56001 DSP from Motorola. IBM and Texas Instruments have developed a DSP called the MWave, which will appear in IBM's Ultimedia computers later this year. Apple has adopted AT&T's DSP3210 for its future Macs. With the Falcon030, Atari is offering a tantalizing and affordable preview of things to come. The FactsFalcon030 with 1 MB of RAM and a 1.44-MB floppy drive, $799; with 4 MB of RAM (expandable to 14 MB) and an internal 65-MB IDE hard drive, $1299Atari 1196 Borregas Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94089 (408) 745-2000 fax: (408) 745-4306 Photograph: Atari's Falcon030 Copyright 1994-1997 BYTE |