Hissing Sid

More news on the SID front: it's definite that Commodore will be releasing a "synthesizer" keyboard, containing 3 additional SID chips, as an add-on for the Commodore 64 computer, thereby turning it into a "12-voice" synth. Sounds interesting, but one wonders whether the re-vamped 6502 in the 64 (the 6510) will really have enough engine power to keep on updating all 116 registers of those multiple SIDs in a musically meaningful fashion. Pretty dubious, I'd say... The price quoted for this box of tricks is under $100.

Another USA-announced product from Commodore is an under-$60 (supposedly) 3-head drum kit (plus software) for those with a desire to wreak percussive havoc on their 64 micro. But note those dollar price-tags; Commodore (UK) are maintaining their stand-off silence on the music front, meaning that no one here seems to know anything about these add-ons. So, if anyone wants to know more, the best ploy is probably to write to Commodore Business Machines, (Contact Details)

MSX (yawn...)

Fourteen Japanese and one American company are reported to have agreed upon a computer standard developed by Microsoft. The standard is aimed at promoting software and peripheral compatibility and is referred to as MSX. MSX requires a Z-80 CPU, the TI-9918 graphics controller, the GI AY-3-8910 sound chip, 64K RAM, 32K ROM (containing Microsoft BASIC, of course), a quad joystick, and a NEC cassette interface.

The companies agreeing to the MSX standard include Canon, Fujitsu, General Corp, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Pioneer, Sony, Toshiba, Sanyo, Matsushita, and the one American company, Spectravideo. If all that looks as fascinating as dishwater (especially as regards that General Instruments chip), take heart from the suggestion that it's mainly intended for the Japanese home market, which hitherto has been remarkably free of rampant micros breeding like rabbits and suffering from micromatosis (the disease of innumerable variations on the same theme). I hate to be uncharitable, but let's be optimistic and hope that MSX stays there...

Spectral Filtering

Talking of the GI chip, someone has at last realised that what this needs is a VCF with a DAC to control it. This is precisely what a new add-on for the Spectrum provides - and at a reasonable cost of £35. Details from Ricoll Electronics Ltd, (Contact Details).

Also on the design bench from the same company is an eight-slot motherboard for conning the Spectrum into thinking it's an Apple (in effect rather than in reality, I hasten to add...), as well as a range of A/D & D/A-type goodies - and that includes a board for "fast A to D real time recording and analysis of sound". We'll keep you posted on that one...

Sampling States-side

Staying with sampling, a 'digital sound effects system' for the Apple, called the DX-1, has just appeared in the States. Advertising copy dangles the carrot of 'drum sounds (drums plus cymbals), music sound, electronic sounds, or your own sounds' plus 'entering your own voice and playing it back faster, slower, in reverse, or even randomly'. Our on-the-spot hack informs us that interest in the DX-1 has been so great from sampling-seduced, hi-tech musos that the company are now working on a keyboard add-on to provide real time control of the pitching of the regurgitation. Watch out for a review in E&MM shortly. In the meantime, you're invited to call (Contact Details) for a rather impressive demo. On the other hand, if you're loathed to pour yet more profit into British Telecom's coffers (that wretched Buzby must be fed with gold-plated Trill these days), try writing to the manufacturers, Decillionix, at (Contact Details). The price, by the way, is a pretty reasonable $239.95.

TRS-80 Recalled

If you're a TRS-80 Model I owner starved of musical applications of micro processors, the latest newsletter (July '83) from the EMAS stable might offer balm to your bytes. In it, Larry Wendt, described as a 'Californian text-sound composer' (probably what we'd call a songwriter, I guess), describes the design and construction of an Audio Signal Processing System for Personal Computers. Well, actually, just for the TRS-80 at the moment.

Basically, his system is a single-channel digitisation/regurgitation set-up, using 8-bit companded conversion into 47K of memory. Software has been written in a combination of machine code and FORTH (great stuff!) and, at present, appears to offer the usual catalog of digital FX (ADT, flanging, chorusing, and pitch-shifting), with variable output rates, a choice of forward, retrograde, or random playback of 'frames', and software control of single output positioning within the stereo field. The EMAS article doesn't include any construction details, so anyone seeking more info is invited to contact Larry Wendt directly, at the Electro-Acoustic Music Studio, (Contact Details).

Cyborg

Two good things about floppy disks are that a) they're reasonably cheap, and b) they're able (or should be able) to store a largish amount of data more-or-less permanently (provided that you don't put them on top of your Auratones, feed them with coffee, or send them through the GPO's sorting machines without cardboard reinforcement). The really bad thing about floppy disks is the infuriating lack of any standard when it comes to the actual business of interfacing them with micros. If cassette decks can be made to work with any system, regardless of whether it's a micro or your Hi-Fi, then surely it's hardly beyond the bounds of human ingenuity to produce a general-purpose disk system that will allow itself to be happily moved from Spectrum to BBC Micro, Apple II, or whatever.

That's obviously only too relevant if you're intending to upgrade from a small machine to something bigger and better (meaning that you wouldn't have to flog your expensive disk drive), but it also opens up the possibility of transferring files between different micros. For instance, I'd like to be able to process text files created on the Apple with the BBC Micro's View word processor, but, given the differences between Apple DOS and Acorn DFS, that's been pie in the sky until recently.

The solution has come in the form of 'Cyborg', the 'first, all-computer, micro disk drive'. The formatted capacity for the 5.25 inch version is claimed to be 720K (320K each side), and 'personality modules' are being produced for the ZX81, Spectrum, Oric-1, Atari 800, VIC-20, Commodore 64, BBC Micro, Apple II, and IBM-PC. The drive has its own on-board controller plus a personality module ('contained in the connecting cable') which acts as the micro's control signal/data translator. So, if you change micros, want to read files created on one machine into another, or just want to be economical and share one disk drive between a number of machines, all you have to do is get the relevant personality modules and 'system nucleus' disks to reconfigure the drive from one machine to another.

At present, only the ZX81, Spectrum, and Oric have been personalised, but the others are expected to follow shortly. The price of the Cyborg is a very fair £199.95 (exc. VAT), and that includes the drive, one personality module, and one system nucleus disk. Bearing in mind the limitations of the much-vaunted Sinclair Microdrive, plus the fact that it's so machine-specific, the Cyborg does seem a much more sensible proposition. For more info or orders, contact Haytech France, (Contact Details).

CAI Directory

Musical CAI is pretty hot stuff over in the States, but, seeing that there's a rather large pond between us and them, it's quite difficult to find out what's going on, education-wise States-side. Some help in this direction is provided by 'Music Programs for the Apple Computer', a comprehensive directory of CAI material in music, providing 26 pages of info about software and hardware currently available for the Apple II. Copies of this bulletin are available for £5.00 each, from (Contact Details).

CAI Meets Pacman

CAI also enters into the scheme of things for a new Intellivision add-on, the Computer Adapter, which connects to their master unit. This add-on includes 2K of additional RAM (hot stuff!), 12K of ROM, and an extra sound Generator. A 49-note, full-size keyboard is being produced to turn the system into what they call a 'six note polyphonic synthesizer', with various software packages, including 'Astromusic' (arcade-type CAI), 'Music Conductor' (practice drills, interval recognition, and fingering exercises), and 'Melody Maker' (music composition). For more info, try Silica Shop, (Contact Details).