Category: Spectrum

  • Midi Interface for the Zx Spectrum

    The program is still strong in beta, but now allows sending data from a MIDI keyboard connected to the sifu and the ZX Spectrum to play three tones at the same time using a standard audio circuit AY . Nov? program umož?uje používat dynamiku kláves, pokud jsou jí p?íslušné klávesy vybaveny. Newly program allows you to use dynamic keys, where are the keys to her suite. P?ipojení je uskute?n?no klasickým MIDI kabelem s pomocným modulem zprost?edkovávajícím komunikaci pomocí opto?lenu. Connection is made with classical MIDI cable to the auxiliary module engaging communication through the optocoupler. Protože AY má pouze t?i kanály, lze zahrát najednou jen t?i tóny, což ?lov?ka, hrajícího na klavír b?žn? ob?ma rukama omezuje. Since AY has only three channels, you can only play three notes at once, a man playing the piano with both hands normally limited.

    Google P?eklada?.

  • TCTD Interview with AY-Riders’ Yerzmyey

    This week TCTD talks to Yerzmyey, organizer of AY Riders, producer of awesome tunes, lover of the z80 and generally all round amazing guy. So thanks very much to Yerz for being so generous with his time and lets get down to business!

    Lazerbeat – Where are you from?

    Yerzmyey – Ah, well. I come from Rubber Planet. ;) A place where all computers have rubber keyboards. ;) Well, actually that’s not exactly true. :) ZX Spectrum was highly popular in PL, in 80s and early 90s, however, somehow it stopped suddenly and now literally only a few people support the machine here. Cry, cry! As for geography matters ;) , my mother’s family came here from Czech and Austria (in that time it was connected with Hungary) and my father came here from Lithuania.

    LB – It looks like you have been active in the Demo scene for for over 20 years. How old were you when you founded H-PRG? Why did you start it?

    Y – First programs we made with Mr Hangman about 1987. We were 12 years old or so, in those days. :) We were only making games (just occasionally some simple pseudo-demos, haha). The games were not that bad actually :) – ugly but playable. Sadly in those times the only thing we had for saving the progs – was a tape-recorder, so the games didn’t survive to the present day, heh. Our the earliest programs that have survived come from 1989, so I took the date as a beginning of the HOOY-PROGRAM group. :)

    And what is funny, it wasn’t me who started all of this, it was my younger brother (who isn’t very interested in 8-bit nowadays, after all) who met Mr Hangman – and HE started making ZX games with him. :) I only joined them. But then my brother lost interest (well, not in playing games but in making them :) ), and I stayed. In this way we founded a team. ;)

    They were funny times. :) I remember that we had to be very careful and save our programs very often because every time Mr Hangman’s refrigerator/fridge turned on – then ZX Spectrum got reset, hahaha. :)

    Also, while loading (from tape of course) everybody was forced to leave to room, so as not to disturb the loading process. (more…)

  • Arkos Tracker appeared

    Arkos Tracker is a freeware Windows-based tracker to compose music for the AY3-8912, a soundchip used in the Amstrad CPC, but also on MSX, Spectrum, Atari ST and many other computers in the 80’s.

    Arkos Tracker is born from the native CPC tracker called STarKos, which I also programmed. It retains most of its features, extends some, and will evolve in future versions.

    via [Grimware].

  • Artcity: new website by Bitfellas

    This is  weekly demo special edition! Since I am behind two weeks, I decided to post this related news item.

    Once upon a time I used to go all the time to a site called GFX ZONE which was a repository of demoscene pixel artists, both old and new. Those fanatic of digital graphics and the demoscene probably remember it (you can still watch it, in its zombi state, clicking here)
    Long defunct, I now found this site, recently re-launched, with a huge archive of pixel art to dive on. Run by the awesome Bitfellas crew, the site is pretty amazing, and a -necessary- stop for every pixel art aficionado.

    Ah, the good old days when we actually DID antialiasing, and by hand.

    Most recommended visit: Artcity

    Illustrating this post: one of my favourite pieces by one of my favourite artists, “Too much clubbing”  by Cyclone, from Germany. Check out his gallery.

  • Beepola 1.03.00 released

    A new version is now available:

    The main new things in v1.03 are:-
    * Full support for Shiru’s awesome Phaser1 beeper engine (with either digital sampled drums, or synthesised drums), full 5 octave range with no detuning issues, up to 100 configurable instruments, etc.

    * Song data and player routines are now fully split from one another to allow a single copy of the player routine to easily support multiple songs (see the online help via the Help menu) in games.

    * Tied-in with the above, there are various “Save Song Data only…” options available in Compile Song dialog.

    * New Phaser1 demo song, and an excellent SpecialFX demo song by 4mat (insane use of sustain messages to control the sound volume – have a listen).

    * Cleaned up the user interface and added a toolbar.

    * Bugs fixed, some minor feature requests added, blah blah.

    As always – please let me know if it’s broken in any way. smile

    Copied from a 8bc forum post by ccowley