,ggmmmgy, tgggmmmgyo yggmmmmmmr ,ggmmmgy, gggpmmmgggmmmqgy, [&&& N##L [&&R B&&L [&&R [&&& M&&L &&&L N&& [W&& [&&R [&&BgggN& [&&&ggg [&&Bggg&M&L &&&L &&& [&&& [&M& yyy [B&R N&&L [&&& [WN& W&&L &&&L &&& [NBR #&&ggg&#" [B&& B#&L "#&&ggggggr [M&R W&&L W&&L &B& [&&& 1996 OO ooooo oo ooooo ___ oooo OO oooo o o OO OO OO OO STE OO O OO O OO O O OOOO OO OO OO --- OOOO/ \OO \OOOO OOO/ OO OO OO OO OO O OOOOO/ OO OOOOO/ v. 1.0 written in summer '96 by Abyss and Tao of Cream Dedication: When we watch history of computer-music and its rapid technical development in the passed years, we can watch some interesting similarities to the development of music and coding in general. As the number of computer-owners rises, we find a growing mass of musicians providing games or demos with their compositions. And as it has always been, most of them try hard, but never manage to reach remarkable status. Only a few inventive characters will find themselves in the hall of fame someday. Times have changed. The big names are missing today. Of course there are still games containing great soundtracks. But the author of the music doesn't seem to be interesting nowadays, although he is mentioned in the game credits. Most of the musicians disappear after releasing only one soundtrack (for a game or even a demo). I remember times when we watched out for games or demos only to get the newest music of musician X. Some games are only remembered for their great musix. If you remember 'Warhawk' on Atari XL or ' Master of Magic' on C64 then you might agree with me. Rob Hubbard, David Whittaker, Ben Daglish, Chris Huelsbeck, Martin Galway and the Maniacs of Noise were living gods in the C64 music-scene. Jochen Hippel, Scavenger, Big Alec, Jester, TIP and Mantronix had a comparable status on ST and Amiga. (If you are musician, don't worry, if i forgot you). Why are these guys still mentioned, when we're talking about computer musix ? It can't be the soundprocessors they were programming. The YM-2149 was pure shit, Paula and SID, great chips at their time, can easily be emulated by the new generation of soundchips (even by STE). It was their fantasy in composing music and getting the best out of their possibilities. If you love computer music (and i don't mean this "i have every piece of sid-music in my collection"-love), you can identify each of these guys as author, just by listening to the first notes of a tune. It were their unique techniques to create music, what let them stand out of the mass: Check out for yourself and listen to the details in the musics. 'PlaySid STE' was not written to honour SID or the C64. SID was a capable, but ordinary processor. Nobody would talk about it today without the achievements of the few inventive pioneers of chip-music. Every soundchip needs a talented musician to show its full capability. I have listened to innumerable SID-musics and about three quarts of them were crap. The best equipment could not change them into good music. So this player is dedicated to the pioneers of chip-music, who inspired the musicians on all following generations of soundprocessors. - Tao - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- About PlaySid STE: This is the first release (v. 1.0) of PlaySid STE. It emulates all basic functions including digi-drums. The 8Mhz processor-time of an ordinary STE claimes compromises in the realisation this player, so the mixing of tone and noise had to be left in this version. Some rarely used digi-effects will be implemented later. Until now we didn't have tunes using them. The only more or less important function, which is missing is the 'Galway-Noise' effect (this is the reason, why the drums in 'Arkanoid' are missing), which is coming with the next version. Version 1.0 should play most of the tunes correctly (the Rob Hubbard tunes i found, wourk as far as i remember them by 100%). And in some very important details PlaySid STE sounds more realistic than the PC and Mac-stuff. PlaySid STE offers three playmodes: 50, 25 and 12.5KHz. This is necessary, because the ringmodulation and the sync-effect are created in real-time and may use too much processor-time to work properly. Too many effects at once in 25Khz may cause a 'hanging' of PlaySid STE. Sometimes the original 6502-player may be too slow and cause the same effect. For this, the Sound-DMA can be slowed down as described in the next chapter. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to use PlaySid STE: Install 'PSID_STE.TTP' as an application on your Desktop. Usually the extensions for PSID-files are '.DAT'. This way you can select the tunes via doubleclick in your actual window. Disk users should copy the player into a Ramdisk for faster access. PlaySid STE usually plays the tunes with a replay-rate of 25KHz. With "-1" in the "parameter"-field, the tunes are played with 12.5KHz. A "-2" starts the player with 50KHz. A replay rate of 50KHz usually works on 16MHz like Mega STE or faster speeders only. - The arrow keys <- and -> allow the selection of a single tune out of the music file. - Keys 1-4 activate/deactivate the single channels (three SID-voices and one digi-voice) - Keys 1-3 on the numerical keyboard switch the replay rate between 12.5KHz, 25KHz and 50KHz. - The function keys control the microwire interface: F1/F2 -> inc/dec bass F3/F4 -> inc/dec treble F5/F6 -> inc/dec left level F7/F8 -> inc/dec right level F9/F10 -> inc/dec master volume - A "hidden" key has a function which was only meant for testing. You shold avoid to press it, if you really love the musics. For those, who don't care: You wont't have to look too long for it..... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Feedback: Of course we don't know all the tunes ever done on the C64, so if a tune sounds strange to you in some way, please tell us the name of it and a little description of what you think sounds wrong (note the playing-time). We'll analyse it and if necessary, correct the player. For this and any other reason like critics, hints or ordinary feedback you can contact us: email: CreamHQ@aol.com By the way, we're working on our homepage. You'll be soon able to enjoy it under: http:\\members.aol.com\CreamHQ you may also try http:\\members.aol.com\CreamHQ\index.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greetings and shoutouts: Although we have reasons enough to dis one special sucker, we refuse to send out fuckings. We think we're more effective with the release of this program (There is nothing worse than not knowing that you aren't perfect, dude !). I especially want to show my gratitude to Candyman, our 'sleeping' member, without whom this project would have never been started. (Tao) Hi to: -> INTER -> TNB (danke fr die shizophrene Ader =|...A.-t-) -> LAZER ( Ich hoffe wir sehen uns mal wieder?...A.-t-) -> EXA ( esp. FLAN ) -> EKO ( esp. DJAMM) -> STAX (und das Running TEAM) -> TSCC (MANY THX fr das great Dynabuster+, macht immernoch mutch fun.) -> RISK ( esp. McFLY...wir sehen und ja jetzt oft =) -> Absence ( please release Joint Venture, soon ) -> Agression ( waiting for the new demo ?) -> TCE -> DBA -> MAGGI TEAM -> ADM -> Theraphy ( nice Bumbmapping, more Guys) -> Hydroxid -> NoCREW -> AN COOL -> New Beat Dev. ( what happens with WILLY?) -> AURA (and all Guys on XMOON) -> ATARI Inside ( THX for support...A.-t-) -> ST-Computer -> Adrenaline -> Jacky of ACF -> Delta Force ( esp. BIG ALEC) -> Gruor -> JWS -> ECLIPSE -> DHS & IMPONANCE ( shorter D-mos please =) -> EX-TEX -> (ex?)RESPECTABLES -> NPG ( echt abgeschw„chelt mit Incuboomator =(...) -> Sanity -> MUGWUMS (new Demo?) -> Frontier Software -> DUNE (esp. JADE) -> Vectronix -> A.M. -> Elite -> Wildfire ( esp. Baggio ( what about Immortalize?) -> Abstract -> MJJ Proud -> V.G. TV ( try: www.vgtv.com ) -> AVENA ( esp. Arsch Arne, sucking Fried & JET der Spackn =), hi TAT...) -> Boamaschine -> Rob Hubbard -> ICE -> CREAM D-zing ( on Commodore 64) -> Toons -> Oxygene -> Hemoroids -> ATARI ( THX for support Falcon & Jaguar so great =( ...) -> LETI -> ParaNoise Terminal -> Pentagon -> The Bad MOOD Team -> Reservoir Gods ( more cool games, please) -> Martin STEEN (Falcon Hicolor Games) have fun and see ya Cream '96 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------