[comp.sys.amiga] ECS: Enhanced Graphics, but what about sound?

niesemc@econ.vu.nl (Marco Niese) (08/04/89)

OK, the new ECS offers new graphics modes, better blitter, etc.

BUT: the four sound channels need some attention too. If you use them as
real stereo, you only have two. The Archimedes and Atari ST-E (is that
spelled ok?) will have eight. 

In Europe, (70% sales), sound is very imporant attribute. People like
demos with good music, and also some composing/converting on their own.
This last one is sometimes the problem. If I have some synthesizers/
keyboards I can make a nice loop and digitize that, but if you don't have
them you need standard instruments, and run out of channels very fast.

Eight channels for the Amiga too! 

Maybe, these can be stereo too by assigning some value (-127 left, 0 both
127 right and all integers in between).

Shields ON!
I am not an electronics expert. I do not know about reserved bytes is the
amiga audio.device, I do not know sound chip internals.
Shields OFF!

Greetings,

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usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner) (08/05/89)

In article <277@vuecon.econ.vu.nl> niesemc@econ.vu.nl (Marco Niese) writes:
>OK, the new ECS offers new graphics modes, better blitter, etc.
>
>BUT: the four sound channels need some attention too. If you use them as
>real stereo, you only have two. The Archimedes and Atari ST-E (is that
>spelled ok?) will have eight. 
>
>Eight channels for the Amiga too! 

I am certain that you do not need any more than 2 high quality
channels. The rest can be done is software.

Proof: Remember the RadioShack Color Computer. It has a single 6bit d to
a converter that can be connected to the audio output.
There are program for it that support 4 or more channels of sound.

The trick is that you just average together all of your sound
data before playing it.

With some clever software using one channel as an AM for another
channel on the Amiga, it should be able to make pseudo 8 channels
sound pretty good.

REAL NAME: Joe Porkka   jap@frith.cl.msu.edu

jwright@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu (Jim Wright) (08/05/89)

In article <4041@cps3xx.UUCP> porkka@frith.UUCP (Joe Porkka) writes:
| I am certain that you do not need any more than 2 high quality
| channels. The rest can be done is software.

I am certain that you do not need a monitor or any video circuitry.
Everything can be done with an ASR TTY33.  Bit-mapped graphics work
perfectly fine, you just have to stand a little further back when
viewing.  Just remember all those lovely Snoopy calendars.  Dithering
with characters is a real art.

-- 
Jim Wright
jwright@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu

rehrauer@apollo.HP.COM (Steve Rehrauer) (08/08/89)

In article <277@vuecon.econ.vu.nl> niesemc@econ.vu.nl (Marco Niese) writes:
>OK, the new ECS offers new graphics modes, better blitter, etc.
>
>BUT: the four sound channels need some attention too. If you use them as
>real stereo, you only have two. The Archimedes and Atari ST-E (is that
>spelled ok?) will have eight.                      ^^^^^^^^^^

It is to "tee hee".  You Amiga people have the Video Toaster, we Atari
people have the "enhanced ST".  Don't bet anything you value on the
availability, capability, pricing, color, dimensions, etc etc of either
until you own one.

-- 
>>> "Aaiiyeeeee!  Death from above!" <<<  | Steve Rehrauer
    Fone: (508)256-6600 x6168             | Apollo Computer, a
    ARPA: rehrauer@apollo.hp.com          | division of Hewlett-Packard
"Look, Max: 'Pressurized cheese in a can'.  Even _WE_ wouldn't eat that!"

Sullivan@cup.portal.com (sullivan - segall) (08/15/89)

>OK, the new ECS offers new graphics modes, better blitter, etc.
>
>BUT: the four sound channels need some attention too. If you use them as
>real stereo, you only have two. The Archimedes and Atari ST-E (is that
>spelled ok?) will have eight. 
>
Eeek.  Statistic trivia.

>In Europe, (70% sales), sound is very imporant attribute. People like
>demos with good music, and also some composing/converting on their own.
>This last one is sometimes the problem. If I have some synthesizers/
>keyboards I can make a nice loop and digitize that, but if you don't have
>them you need standard instruments, and run out of channels very fast.
>
>Eight channels for the Amiga too! 
>
>Maybe, these can be stereo too by assigning some value (-127 left, 0 both
>127 right and all integers in between).
>
Okay, so write a driver for it.  Why do you need 8 hardware channels.  If
you are inclined to have more of them, just add the wave forms.  (Better
yet, attach the existing channels end to end, and use the second to modify
the envelope of the first.  The actual hardware just adds the channels
in analog.  Since they represent a direct translation from the digital 
wave forms, you should be able to get better sound by adding them in software.
That way, they also take up less space.  (2 tracks versus 8. Naturally it 
would be harder to add instruments in real-time, though you could blit two
instruments together at a time into a pad area before playing them.  

>Shields ON!
>I am not an electronics expert. I do not know about reserved bytes is the
>amiga audio.device, I do not know sound chip internals.
>Shields OFF!
>
>Greetings,
>