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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Desktop Audio and Video => Topic started by: tone007 on June 07, 2009, 03:14:17 PM

Title: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: tone007 on June 07, 2009, 03:14:17 PM
So, I got the idea to build a musical instrument out of a C64C. It turned out well enough, using Cynthcart which is alot of fun.

Picture:

(http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs111.snc1/4660_125771233848_788618848_2771025_4683298_n.jpg)

My question is this: are there any decent applications around that I could run on an A500 to turn it into a headless musical instrument of some sort?  (Pop in a floppy, turn it on, wait 20 seconds or whatever and have it ready to go.)  I've got a couple of spare 500s I'd like to play with.
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: minator on June 07, 2009, 04:49:15 PM
There is an app I used once back in ...1990!  
I think it was called Pro Midi Plus but I might be mistaken.
It let you play internal sounds via the keyboard as well as external midi stuff.

Some of the very early stuff let you play on the keyboard and I'd imagine many of the trackers do also.
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: Caius on June 07, 2009, 04:55:17 PM
The c=tar. Rofl! That's awesome!
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: Trev on June 07, 2009, 05:07:00 PM
Love the piano-style key color coding.
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: mr_a500 on June 07, 2009, 05:18:10 PM
I wonder how it would compare against a guAtari?
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: tone007 on June 07, 2009, 08:52:03 PM
Hm, Atari.. I've got a 520ST lying around here as well, any such apps for that one? (..I ask just in case there are any ST guys around, I've never even turned the thing on.)
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: pan1k on June 07, 2009, 09:11:42 PM
Freakin' Awesome!!! You should come to LA.. there is a club that plays music with C64's and Atari's.. you would fit right in!
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: koaftder on June 07, 2009, 09:16:24 PM
Sweet project.
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: spihunter on June 07, 2009, 09:55:42 PM
Dude! You need to do an A1200 version of this!

If you could put some kind of numerical keypad on the end of the guitar you could load up Octamed and change samples with your left hand and play the samples on the regular keyboard with your right.

That would be badass! I'll build it if you dont!
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: spihunter on June 07, 2009, 10:01:38 PM
OOhhh another idea! You could also get some of those video glasses to hook up
to the composite out on the A1200 so you could see your screen while you were playing!
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: GadgetMaster on June 07, 2009, 10:07:21 PM
Quote from: spihunter;509864
OOhhh another idea! You could also get some of those video glasses to hook up
to the composite out on the A1200 so you could see your screen while you were playing!

And play Tracker Hero (http://www.terra.es/personal8/937611204/trackerhero/screenshots.html) while you are at it. :D

(http://www.terra.es/personal8/937611204/trackerhero/screens/screens003.jpg) (http://www.terra.es/personal8/937611204/trackerhero/faqs.html)
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: tone007 on June 08, 2009, 01:12:58 AM
Quote from: spihunter;509862
Dude! You need to do an A1200 version of this!


Unfortunately I only have one 1200, and it's not getting hacked up anytime soon.

Quote from: spihunter;509862
I'll build it if you dont!


Go for it, the goggles thing is an interesting idea too.
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: klx300r on June 08, 2009, 05:20:01 AM
dude this thingy should have been in 'revenge of the nerds'..ultra retro nerdy cool !
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: spihunter on June 08, 2009, 02:17:48 PM
@tone007,

I've got a stock a1200 sitting here that would be perfect for this! Its not in great shape but it works fine. It may take me a while but I'm going to work on this.....
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: ognix on June 09, 2009, 12:02:25 PM
That's a great idea!!! :D (BTW, where's the image? it disappeared)
I wish I would created it!

On the Amiga side, there are not many software sound synthesizers AFAIK: I remember the partner of Aural Illusion (a sample editor with a synth brother).
Any other clues?
Maybe the Amiga, due to its sampling abilities, did not develop many sound synthesis programs.
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: tone007 on June 09, 2009, 12:47:24 PM
The server that image is stored on seems to be going down alot lately.  I'll link to it somewhere else.
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: Arkhan on June 10, 2009, 03:40:18 PM
Quote from: tone007;510151
The server that image is stored on seems to be going down alot lately.  I'll link to it somewhere else.


the awesomeness of the photo is whats breaking the server.


yknow the lack of a good standalone synthprogram for the amiga clearly means you need to bust out the coding skills and diddle one up!
Title: Re: guitapple?
Post by: mr_a500 on August 02, 2009, 10:45:33 PM
Apparently this idea is pretty old. Check out this advertisement I found in the September 1980 issue of Byte Magazine:

(http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/3928/guitapple.jpg)

I somehow doubt the claim that "Girls will climb over each other to kiss your feet."
Title: Re: guitapple?
Post by: AmigaHeretic on August 02, 2009, 10:49:53 PM
Wow!  That thing would be frikin' heavy.  I remember the Apple IIs being made out of some sort of concrete mixture!  


Anyway, I think the A600 would be much more appropriate than an A500/A1200.  Same sound chip either way, but much smaller!
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: graffias79 on August 03, 2009, 02:31:43 AM
It is old, but perhaps would be easier to implement because of its small size, but how about Aegis Sonix?  I seem to remember it having a synthesizer section.
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: J-Golden on August 03, 2009, 03:05:43 AM
I know it's not exactly what your looking for, but there is a screen saver program, yes screen saver, that let you do tons of other things.  One of them was mapping sound effects to any/every key on the keyboard.

You could turn off all the other programs, like the screen saver, and it was creadted to be loaded from start up and run in the background.

It was really cool and I wish I could really REALLY remember what it was called.... :(

Trust me, when I do, I'll post...
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: tone007 on August 04, 2009, 03:15:46 PM
I've got a couple of Apple IIes here, there's enough room in those to make an actual acoustic guitar.  Good idea for another project!
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: amigadave on August 04, 2009, 03:47:22 PM
Great job on the C64 alteration, are the buttons on the neck of the Ctar functional?  I could not tell if they were from the video due to poor lighting.  I have to show this to my Son who loves Guitar Hero on his X-Box360 (which he told me is dying, or has just died.  Maybe that means that he will get some homework done this year :roflmao:).
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: tone007 on August 04, 2009, 04:05:59 PM
The buttons are currently set up for quick instrument changes, though I thought about reassigning them to different notes instead.
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: XDelusion on November 28, 2013, 04:35:26 AM
Quote from: J-Golden;517824
I know it's not exactly what your looking for, but there is a screen saver program, yes screen saver, that let you do tons of other things.  One of them was mapping sound effects to any/every key on the keyboard.

You could turn off all the other programs, like the screen saver, and it was creadted to be loaded from start up and run in the background.

It was really cool and I wish I could really REALLY remember what it was called.... :(

Trust me, when I do, I'll post...


You ever figure out what that program was called?
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: Ral-Clan on November 28, 2013, 01:19:54 PM
Jeri Ellsworth version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kDhpFaf4EY
Title: Re: Commodore/Amiga instruments?
Post by: Varthall on November 28, 2013, 02:02:36 PM
A1200's keyboards have the multiple-keypresses bug (http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=71099), so better to use an A500 or A600 which do not have this problem.