In memory of my Commodore64 + Sound Expander cartrige

[lessera]

MOS SID and Yamaha OPL in one machine. Chiptune bliss.

https://soundcloud.com/lessera/fields-of-chips

I cheated a bit with the number of tracks, as the original combo only allowed for a maximum of 3 SID voices and 9 OPL voices (if I recall properly).

[lessera]

Reworked a couple of the transitions, and added a bit of EQ to the master.

Don't judge this one by the super-cheesy intro. It gets better (though remains cheesy).

[eKeD]

I do enjoy some really cheesy intros, i think that cheese makes up this entire sound.
great work!

[lessera]

Lol. Thanks for the comments.

I am glad I am not the only person who finds cheesy chiptunes endearing. Truth is, I need to do this kind of stuff from time to time, as a rebuttal to my wife always telling me that my music sounds like 'pretentious drivel'.

[me109]

It makes me think of my first Cakewalk product - a MIDI sequencer for C-64. I've been with Sonar ever since!

[lessera]

Wow. I didn't know cakewalk made software for the C64. My first Twelve Tone software was Cakewalk that ran on MS DOS. Ahhh, the golden years of my shiny i486 and my Gravis UltraSound (anyone remember those?)

[Jace-BeOS]

Interesting. Did you actually manage to find software to use both at the same time?

I have one of those Sound Expanders and there’s so little to do with it. The software version I have has no sequencer or editor for the instruments (the tape version is apparently inferior to the 5.25” version which I don’t have). I also have no way to get new software off the web onto the thing because I have none of those modern storage devices for retro computers. Some programmers have since released drivers to unify the SID and Sound Expander, but I think it’s just for demo coders to integrate with their private tracker programs. I think they also require replacing the Sound Expander’s FM chip with an OPL2 chip.

I have a Prophet64 cartridge, but I don’t dig the software and my C64 mouse is the wrong model (one of my semi-broken Amiga mice sort of works). Sigh. Of course, they then came out with a MIDI-in-sporting cartridge called MSSIA shortly after I bought the Prophet64, which would actually be somewhat useful to me in using the C64 as a synth (if I had a working/correct model C64 mouse to operate the software).

Retro hardware. Just not really worth the effort.

[lessera]

You're really testing my memory here. I believe the sequencer I had for the SXP was called Music Maker, or Music Master (can't quite remember). SID sequencer was called Electrosound. I could not use both together (not sure that was even possible), but as a kid, I really did not care. Music Master for some cheesy drums and pads recorded to tape, then Electrosound for some PWM Hubbard-esque lead riffing.

All that was over 30 years ago. These days, I fire up Super Audio Cart along with a couple of C64 plugins made by odo. I'll save the pile of AdLib cards and old C64s for the tech-heads that have the patience for it.

[jacqueslacouth]

Duh

[lessera]

Thanks for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed!