▁V angu ard ▁Studios ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 2 0 ▁& ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁ ▁Person nel ▁Max ▁Ro ach ▁- ▁drums , ▁per cussion ▁Gu ill ermo ▁Fig u ero a , ▁Donald ▁Bau ch ▁- ▁viol in ▁( track ▁ 1 ) ▁Louise ▁Schul man ▁- ▁vi ola ▁( track ▁ 1 ) ▁Christopher ▁Fin ck el ▁- ▁c ello ▁( track ▁ 1 ) ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : Black ▁Saint / S oul ▁Note ▁albums ▁Category : Max ▁Ro ach ▁albums ▁Category : 1 9 8 4 ▁albums <0x0A> </s> ▁In ▁bio in format ics ▁and ▁bio chem istry , ▁the ▁FA ST A ▁format ▁is ▁a ▁text - based ▁format ▁for ▁representing ▁either ▁nucle ot ide ▁sequences ▁or ▁am ino ▁acid ▁( prote in ) ▁sequences , ▁in ▁which ▁nucle ot ides ▁or ▁am ino ▁ac ids ▁are ▁represented ▁using ▁single - letter ▁codes . ▁The ▁format ▁also ▁allows ▁for ▁sequence ▁names ▁and ▁comments ▁to ▁preced e ▁the ▁sequences . ▁The ▁format ▁origin ates ▁from ▁the ▁FA ST A ▁software ▁package , ▁but ▁has ▁now ▁become ▁a ▁near ▁universal ▁standard ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁bio in format ics . ▁ ▁The ▁simplicity ▁of ▁FA ST A ▁format ▁makes ▁it ▁easy ▁to ▁manipulate ▁and ▁parse ▁sequences ▁using ▁text - processing ▁tools ▁and ▁script ing ▁languages ▁like ▁the ▁R ▁programming ▁language , ▁Python , ▁Ruby , ▁and ▁Perl . ▁ ▁Original ▁format ▁& ▁over view ▁The ▁original