An interesting computer music source you might have overlooked (long)

Posted by tesla (A) on November 12, 2014 at 23:29:22

Back in 1984, I was looking to buy my first computer. What to get? From memory, there were several besides the IBM, (which I couldn't afford.)
Apple, Atari, Commodore were all on my short list.

Since we had very little cash, and no real knowledge, my brother, sister, I, and several friends picked the Commodore 64. Over time, I found out that many considered it a 'toy' computer, which was fair in some ways, it certainly wasn't made as a business machine. Today, I consider it an early version of a multimedia computer, as well as it's big brother, the Amiga.

Eventually, I sold my 64, and moved on to an Amiga, and then a 486 clone. But, I always missed my 8-bit days, it just seems that things were more fun back then.

Fast forward to about two years ago.

I got the bug (again) when I found a Commodore SX64, the first color "luggable" computer, predating laptops. Weighing in at at a svelte 23 lbs, and having a built-in 5" color crt plus a 5 1/4 drive all in one box, it was a beast.

After this, things started to heat up.

I never knew this at the time, but the Commodore 64 scene was red-hot in Europe from about '82 to the early 90's. Many of the kids over there would make music and graphics demos that are still amazing. Many of the composers of SID music became famous.

Bob Yannes was the engineer primarily responsible for the Sound Interface Chip, (SID for short). Shortly after designing the SID, (The first synth chip installed in a computer), he quit Commodore and became a founding member of Ensoniq.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ensoniq

For those of you that are fans of computer-generated music, I recommend you check out the SID tunes, (and demo's) on YouTube, many of which are nothing short of utterly amazing examples of 80's synth music, created on a machine that many considered a 'toy'. I bet you won't be disappointed. For those mono loyalists out there, don't fret, the SID is mono, (although some of the present fans of the SID have installed dual SIDs to get stereo.)

I hope you enjoy, I have.

Proudly serving content-free posts since 1984.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sid+music (Open in New Window)

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Topic - An interesting computer music source you might have overlooked (long) - tesla 23:29:22 11/12/14 (3)

Thanks - Dave_K 09:05:22 11/14/14 (1)

RE: Thanks - esande 22:43:38 11/14/14 (0)

RE: An interesting computer music source you might have overlooked (long) - fantja 04:12:16 11/13/14 (0)

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