** 2 page review / 1634 words **

Zero-X v2.0
Sample editors are the bread and butter for electronic musicians, 
Danny McAleer reckons Zero-X is a slice from a premium loaf...

Zero-X is feature packed with support for hardware specifics (the 
Falcon in particular is well catered for), as well as an endearing 
longevity that has to be admired. This latest version is the first 
upgrade that isn't free, but then again, there's so much more to 
explore.

Zero-X's interface is based around a single sample edit window. As 
such, only one sample can be edited at any one time, although 
clipped regions can be overlaid or cross-faded with the sample 
data in memory; or right channel of stereo samples can be 
creatively utilised to merge sounds. Mono and stereo files can be 
interchanged in a variety of different ways, the simplest of all 
being a straightforward conversion between mono and stereo. This 
function actually throws away one channel (the one used as a 
scratch pad); for combining the two channels, there's a separate 
merge-to-mono option.

All of the editing tools are sensibly grouped into menus, whilst 
above the sample view (which can be toggled between two different 
draw modes) there is an additional set of miniature quick function 
buttons. These cryptic icons can be deciphered using the useful 
help text that appears in the top right hand corner of the menu 
bar. Amongst these buttons are the play modes, of which there are 
four: play all, play loop, play block, and play clipboard. Play 
back of samples in whole or part can be played back either from 
memory, or even from disk.

Playback quality varies considerably between machine types:
** Bl here **
* Falcons owners get the comfy chair of 16-bit stereo with plenty 
of internal and external (with an FDI attached) clock frequencies
* STe/TT owners have a more practical wooden seat with 8-bit 
stereo DMA and four playback frequencies (6.25, 12.5, 25, and 
50KHz)
* ST owners have to sit on the floor - there's no audio playback 
whatsoever.
** BL end **

Ins and outs...

A broad range of import and export sample formats are supported, 
as well as the facility to load raw sample data and MOD files. 
Standard sample types include AVR, WAV, DVSM (WinRec format), TKS 
(DAME format), AIFF, and Sound Designer. As well as load and save, 
Zero-X has a batch converter that can transform individual or 
entire folders full of samples from one type to another without 
having to load them into the editor.

Sounds can also be dumped from and to external MIDI samplers, 
using either a MIDI or SCSI connection. SCSI dump is best suited 
to the TT or Falcon, but it does work with a device connected to 
an ST via a host adapter. According to the manual, the adapters 
that successfully performed a SCSI sample dump were: Toplink I 
(not version II), and the ICD Link II. When dumping a sample, a 
dialog box appears estimating the time it will take to transfer 
the file, so you can wander off and do something more constructive 
than staring at a busy bee while it works.

Most of the popular samplers are supported by Zero-X, either with 
specific drivers, by using the sample dump standard protocol, or 
using the unique Akai (HD or DD) disk reader facility. The latter 
method is enormously faster than MIDI dumping since it reads the 
disks directly (actually in the Atari's floppy drive!), but the 
current version of Zero-X has a few problems with certain types of 
Akai disks, sometimes resulting in failed or corrupted transfers.

Finally, sounds can be plucked from the outside world, via 
Zero-X's direct-to-disk recording feature, and either the Falcon's 
own A/D input or a device connected to the DSP port (an FDI or 
analogue audio expander). Recordings can be made in stereo or 
mono, the latter using either channel or producing a mono mix of 
the two signals. There are various options for setting up a 
recording, including a control for input gain and the sampling 
time and frequency. Measurements for gain and attenuation are made 
in decibels, and peak values are stored for reference both as dB 
and as a numeric value (where 32,768 is the maximum amplitude for 
a signed 16-bit sample), and displayed in graphic form on a meter 
bar. Overload and optimal messages also flash when these 
respective targets are met.


Twiddly bits

One of Zero-X's most creative tools is a "drum split" mode which 
automatically splices a drum loop (or indeed any musical or spoken 
word passage) into individual slices. How the split points are 
chosen is dependent on the method employed: "gating" or "beat 
slices" (dividing into even note lengths, such as quavers or 
semi-quavers). The second option requires the tempo and time 
signature to be set, although this can be automatically 
calculated. Split points occur in the sample in "gated" mode where 
the amplitude falls below a user-definable threshold for a certain 
duration, making it really useful for extracting individual sounds 
or events.

Once the sample is chopped up, some flexibility in editing the 
positions of the markers is afforded, albeit only in the form of 
insert and deleting points (they cannot be moved). These segments 
can be then exported as individual samples (or alternatively 
sequentially dumped via MIDI) alongside a MIDI file of the 
pattern, so then drum loop can re-appear in your chosen sequencer 
in any manifestation you'd care to try out.

There are plenty of more conventional sample editing tools too, 
within the DSP and Edit menus. Digital noise-gate, and smart cut 
are two such gadgets designed for clearing up your sampling 
messes. The former analyses the start portion of the sample and, 
depending on the threshold set up in the drum split, removes any 
sample data quieter than the cut-off value. Smart cut removes any 
dead space at the start and end of the sample.

Rich chorussed stereo sounds can be created from mono sounds using 
either the detune or phase shift tools. Zero-X does this by 
copying the processed version of the sample onto the right audio 
channel, although of course it is still possible to apply the 
effect to itself, keeping the sample in mono. Detuning can achieve 
some astounding results, although since the setting is somewhat 
arbitrary, experimentation is often the best course of action. 
Phase shifting creates a second channel of audio that is offset by 
a variable number of sample points with the original sound. The 
result again is a thickening of the sample; furthermore, some 
interesting phase cancellation and shifting effects can be created 
by summing the two phased channels onto one mono channel. Other 
editing tools include a fairly decent digital delay, fade in and 
out (three different shapes - linear, or exponential, with 
weighting at the start and finish of the region), sample reverse, 
gain, volume optimising, and a selection of filters.

In Zero-X the range of filters to choose from is quite broad, from 
a simple high-pass, through an LI (linear interpolation) filter, 
to a selection of user-configurable filters. The LI-filter is 
slightly different in that it's actually a tool for joining the 
two outer points of a marked region with a straight line; thus its 
purpose is more for fixing glitches or other anomalies that often 
sit amongst the audio ripples, than for filtering in the 
traditional sense of the word.

The user-editable filters comprise low and high-pass (with a 
control for the cut-off frequency), and band-stop and band-pass 
(with two settings for specifying the bandwidth of the filter) 
varieties. A second control also exists labelled 'order', and this 
dictates the rate of the cut-off slope. Here, lower values produce 
a slower rate of decline, and larger values, create both steeper 
slopes and, with even higher values, resonant bumps at the cut-off 
point. Additionally, each filter can be plotted on a graph before 
applying it to the sound, which is exceptionally valuable.
	
As well as all these tools, Zero-X also features an auto-loop mode 
that is generally very good at picking out smooth transitions, and 
a time-stretching facility that seems to improve in quality with 
every major release. The latest release has plenty of new options 
which should make the upgrade price worth paying, but there were 
one or two bugs in the review copy of the software (the Akai disk 
reader's inability to work on occasions, and sometimes audio 
playback was corrupted) which raised a certain amount of doubt. 
However, as the authors have proved in the past, minor upgrades 
are prolific and it shouldn't be long before these bugs are 
iradicated; still as it is, Zero-X is a creative, handy, and very 
exciting program.
	

** Product box-out **
Publisher:
Copson Data
UK Distributor:
System Solutions
Contact
Tel: +44 (0)181 693 3355
Fax: +44 (0)181 693 6936
Email: info-software@system-solutions.co.uk
URL: www.system.solutions.co.uk/cafe/
Cost:
œ169, or œ49 to upgrade from version 1.x
Requires:
Any Atari with 1Mb of memory running 640x400 resolution (ST-high) 
or higher. Playback requires an STe/TT or Falcon.
Pros:
Excellent features including the Drum split mode and filters 
section. MIDI sample dump has plenty of support for other non-SDS 
compatible devices.
Cons:
Akai disk reader doesn't work properly sometimes. No playback on 
ST machines.
Rating: 79%
** end boxout **

** CAPTIONS **
** ZEROX1.GIF **
When asked a direct question about their party's policies, this 
was the response - lots of wibbly lines!
** ZEROX2.GIF **
Ruthlessly alter your samples with the filter section
** ZEROX3.GIF **
Audition your analogue input before eating up vast amounts of hard 
disk space
** ZEROX4.GIF **
Usefully Zero-X displays the amount of time left to record on the 
hard disk
** ZEROX5.GIF **
Set up your sample dump, and then take a weekend break to Paris 
while it sends your sound to the sampler
** ZEROX6.GIF **
Zero-X makes a great job of carving up drum loops, but don't ask 
it to do Sunday lunch