Atari ST computer
Category: Products / studio equipment / studio bitz
Added: 27-Mar-01 | Author: admin
New price: $1000 when released !! | S/H price: �10 - 150 ex-cond' with screen, s/w etc
Company Link: Atari Stuff
Atari ST computer
The ubiquitous Atari ST personal computer is probably the widest used music computer ever in history when you discount modern Windows & Mac OS machines, taking dominance at a time when IBM & MAC computers were mere playthings in comparison. Even today with the rise to prominance of PC's & Mac's the humble ST in it's two most common guises of the 520 & 1040 configurations is widely used with many studio owners swearing by it's stable working ability & rock-solid clock. The original ST's were announced in 1985 as the 130ST and the 520ST. They had a Windows driven interface powered by an Atari implementation of DR's GEM (Digital Research's General Environment Manager) - They came with a standard mouse, 16 colour and high-res monochrome displays' and a range of add-on's such as the external disk drive and printers. Eventualy due to the low RAM, the 130ST wasn't actualy launched - instead Atari released the 520ST with 512Kb RAM in the 3rd half of 1985. Atari next released the 1040STF, which had the external floppy disk drive of the original 520ST built-in the main package - later 520's came with the disk built in and to all intents and purposes are 1040's with half the RAM.
The 1040 is the one most people use, unless it's an upgraded 520 (512kb RAM) - The original Steinberg Pro24 ran on a 512, but Steinbergs Cubase & Logic's Notator & Creator require the 1024kb of RAM that is in the 1040 series or above, (ram upgrades, mega-st, falcon etc) As a bit of history, the faithful 1040 was the first computer ever to launch with 1mb of RAM for under a $1000.00 !! - heh heh... put's things in perspective eh ?!!... 1040's can be had as low as £10 quid in London now, although a higher price of £100 - £150 with screen and some s/w is the norm' for a good clean machine that's been well looked after - Also Atari was the first computer company to utilise the 3.5" standard disk and drive apparently.. There are a few models, and i'm not 100% sure about this but if i remember right, the STFM's was where the 'FM' stood for 'frequency modulation' and they could drive a standard TV set for a screen, the STE was a later model 520 with a different board - STE's can be upgraded to 1024 of RAM quite easily & cheaply but the others (ST, STFM etc) But the other have to have some extra board fitted or something and cost alot more.
I even beleive 1040's can be now upgraded to 16mb - I do know they can be bumped to 4mb like a 'MEGA-ST' quite easily tho by a qualified Atari engineer. (the MEGA-ST was a later release with a wopping 4mb RAM !! - if you see one they are the ones to get) -
Secret Weapon !!
The 520/1040 uses a 16-bit Motorola powered cpu which I'm pretty sure runs at 8mhz !! - This seems ludicrous compared to the stuff we use now... but these machine are superb and their secret is the built-in midi I/O ports on the end !! - Because they have a dedicated midi bus inside they offer rock solid sequencing !! - (you can or could also get an additional plug-in extention to turn one of the rear ports into another midi port as well as various multi-out midi devices that plugged into the 'business-end' of the ST such as Steinbergs multi-out MIDEX unit etc etc...
Due to these included MIDI ports, music s/w writers and companies attacked the 1040 with a vengence and it gave rise to the classic's we all know today from the likes of Emagic, MOTU and Steinberg etc as well as various now redundant almost-classic's like the LYNEX sampler ...
Yup !! - You could get stereo audio editor recorders for the 1040 - I personally have two 16 bit LYNEX sampler racks (8 outs each + stereo) that use the atari as a host controller interface & drive system with an extention box which plugs into the dongle port and they are SUPERB!
Well... there it is, a total classic - they are rock solid and pretty bombproof - I've done long 8 hour sets from generators outdoors with the old 1040 and would never sell mine... user comments please - or add some useful atari resource links !!...
Product Manuals or Files
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Category: Products / studio equipment / studio bitz
User Comments
Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: Oldskool303
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 23-Apr-01
Like the man says - tight, reliable, get one for MIDI and use yer PC\Mac for audio\synthesis you won't regret it. Long live the ST :)
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: dale shephard
Email: Email supplied but hidden
dancetech
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 30-Apr-01
i have an atari 520stfm and want to know exactly what equipment i need to do something usefull with it!which programmes work on it and how to release its full potential. please let me know, thanx.
Dale
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: k
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 30-Apr-01
well mate there are some sequencer that'll work on a 520 with it's 512kb ram, but idealy you want to have it upgraded to 1024kb and run Cubase and then all you need is two midi cables and some midi gear, drum, sampler, synth/s etc - if you check those two links on the right-hand column you'll see somelinks toi uk places that'll upgrade & service your atari for the upgrade, outside the uk i dunno, try a websearch mate. You will need to get a s/h copy of cubase tho.
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Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: TonMeister K.
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 10-Jul-06
Atari STs were and still great computers, especially for MIDI sequencing. Even though we now have 4 PCs and 2 Macs in our studio, we stll use our Ataris for MIDI sequencing, running Cubase, Dr. Ts, and Hybrid Arts SMOTE-TRACK StT.
We occassional haul into use our ADAP-2 digital audio editor, and is still works reliablly on 4Mbs of RAM..and that was bought way back in 1990..WOW!!
We will keep on using the ATARI STs for as long as we can.
Cheers.
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Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: Todd Nickolas
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://www.myspace.com/toddnickolas
Activity: Professional
Date: 27-Mar-08
Does anybody have a copy of Steinberg Pro 24 for the ST available for sale, trade or donation? I am trying to recover some old music files but first have to convert from .sng to .mid and can't without the program (unless someone knows how), and I can't find my original program and key. Please email me directly if you can help.
Thank you in advance!
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Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: MGC
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 12-Mar-09
Hi Todd,
You can open Pro 24 song files using Cubase (for Atari). I have converted loads of my old Pro24 songs that way.
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Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: rupert conally
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 10-Feb-10
Hi there, I am looking to buy a chip for the Atari 1040 st. When I turn on the computer all I get is a full screen with a "crash" symbol.
A technician told me that the chip is no good.
Alternatively, I would be interseted in buying a 1040st in good working order.
Could anyone who can help with either items please contact me asap.
Regards
Rupert
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Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: mike longoria
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 18-Apr-10
i have a atari st 1040 for sale with music software 915-253-7125 mike
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Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: Eddie
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 06-Jul-10
[quote] dale shephard wrote: i have an atari 520stfm and want to know exactly what equipment i need to do something usefull with it!which programmes work on it and how to release its full potential. please let me know, thanx.Dale [/quote]
Try getting hold of the original 'Atari Basic' software that allows you to easily program your own midi software.
for example; the following command would send a midi message directly to your synth/keyboard/module
'midi out (midi message type - typical value 0-127), (value 0-127)'
with this software, you can program your ST to do anything with midi and allows direct control of your midi hardware with simple commands, you are limited only by your own ability to program in basic.
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: Eddie
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 06-Jul-10
sorry, my last post was incorrect the command
'midi out (midi message type - typical value 0-127), (value 0-127)'
would have been
out 3,(midi message type - typical value 0-127), (value 0-127)'
also, get hold of a copy of 'cubase' if you dont want to mess about with programming. It's worth the trouble of finding this software though, the ST is still better than anything on the market(including the latest macs) for midi applications
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Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: Sarah
Email: Email supplied but hidden
www.sarahtonin.com
Activity: Professional
Date: 19-Jul-10
I have a 1040ST w/monochrome monitor for sale. It's in great shape, I have a bunch of the manuals, but I haven't been able to find the software or the mouse. I'll keep looking, they're here somewhere.
I sell it with some hesitation . . . this machine, with Hybrid Arts SMPTEtrack, is to this day the best sequencing setup I've ever had. She made me a lot of money back in the '90s. When Intel had an event back in '89 or '90 introducing "Distributed Processing," I was backstage running the MIDI with my Atari 1040ST because they couldn't get the Intel machine's MIDI to stay in sync. :-) Don't tell anyone.
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Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: John Biddleston
Email: Email supplied but hidden
www.thebigconsultant.com
Activity: part-timer
Date: 29-Aug-10
I love this machine, and used it from 1990 to about 2003 and the machine was amazingly versatile. I had the 520ste, but have upgraded this to 4MB using some second hand pc simm ram.
Its a shame that Atari are no more, as this family of computers are nothing like the 'Wintel' brand.
Features:-
- always works as OS set in ROM chips (still works now!)
- reliable timing, fast boot up, great and innovative software
- pleasure to use, and great (and refreshingly simple) graphical user interface
- quiet, powerful, non-bloatware, fun
In fact, I have just discovered that a guy. I'm working for has a Mega ST, desktop verson and has offered to donate it to me. I can see me ditching tje windows machine once again, for the simple pleasures of the Atari, and I have discovered some amazing hardware add-ons that geeks have come up withj in the last few years, including SD-Card powered hard drives, and USB to Atari adapters, so I might get this baby fired up and plugged into a flatscreen vga monitor when my Windows PC is playing up.
Why did they have to stop making these??? And why do modern computers have so many rediculous moving parts that heat up and break!!
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Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: Kostas
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 29-Aug-10
Hi, i got too an Atari 1040ST and i think this is the path personal computers should have take. I had never blue screen or overheat problem and it still works in the same time while my 1998 PC doesn't work anymore and it's still going to work when my millioncore future pc will be a garbage. Thanks, something is going wrong with the present technology.
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Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: dan
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 03-Sep-10
Hi i have an Atari ST Computer and i'm looking to sell it. would anybody know how much i should be looking to get for it, any input would be greatly appreciated.
thanks
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Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: James
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 29-Jan-15
Hi, I am looking for a copy of the ADAP 2 software, do you have a copy please or know where I can get one? thanks.
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Last added comment
Product: Atari - ST computer
Name: Galax
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 16-Feb-15
The 'F' and 'M' in 520 STFM stood for '(internal) Floppy drive' and '(TV)
Modulator'. There were STFs (with an internal floppy but no modulator) and
STMs (modulator but no internal floppy. Later on the STFM became the
standard though.
| Product rating out of 5: |
'Atari ST computer'
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