Making music w/Paula

[minator]

Yeah, it can be used as a sound source.  It's the only one that does with the potential of 12 voices, too.  Not bad at all, considering what's (not) available in that world.

The "Buffalo Head" cartoon used a SX64, a midi interface through the cartridge port, and the program M64.  Getting M64 from the internet to the SX64 was a serious science project... ended up somehow sending the program from my mac using a MIDI Sysex dump.  Lots of fun, but only would want to do that once, you dig.  

You can use MSSIAH via MIDI, and it supports up to 2 SID chips.  It also does samples - that you dump over MIDI sysex...


As for the Amiga most software just used Paula as a sample playback device.  The synth capabilities were hardly used.

Older versions of Med and possibly Octamed support the synth functionality (IIRC they were called chip sounds).

Another program worth looking for is Aegis Sonix.  It doesn't support MIDI but it is a proper synth.


For playing normal samples over MIDI there's a program called MidiIN that I believe supports normal 8bit Paula sounds.  I haven't used it (I did download it but never installed it yet...)

I got it for much the same purpose as you - Playing 4 channel audio over MIDI (I also just ordered a C64 & MSSIAH).


There's a thread here about MidiIN here:
http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=53999

[minator]

Well, hmm, I thought I was positive that Paula could actually sythesise sounds.

There's plenty of "real" synthesizers that work by playing loops as waveforms or have this capability:

PPG Wave
Korg DW-8000
Kawai K1
Access Virus
Waldorf Blofeld
DSI Evolver
DSI Tempest

The Amiga could do a lot more than play static samples though, it could compute new ones on the fly and create completely new sounds.  IIRC Sonix does this.

I have Synthia (Right Guys Software) which does just that.

I remember it.  Very complex, could never get my head around it!

[minator]

Hello!
Synthesis was not so popular on the Amiga as it was on C-64 since sample playback capabilities (far better sounds at that time).

But you can check the old Aural Synthetica, released for free by Blachford Technology:
http://www.blachford.info/blachtech/

Thank you :-D

[minator]

Synthsounds on OctaMED only work in 4 channel mode.  Plus they are essentially just short samples that can be switched between in the middle of a note.

People seem to say this in an almost disparaging way but this is a very powerful method of synthesis.  You can change this waveform every cycle if you have a fast enough processor and you could even make it different every time you play it.

Being able to change waveform as it plays is done by wave table synths but vey few can "morph" it into a different wave.
Some analogue synths can do it but they're very few and far between (and expensive).  You can also use this technique to recreate the sounds the Casio CZ synths made.

The end effect is far more powerful than playing back static samples.

[minator]

Wow, I am impressed, minator! Just curious, how hard is it to get these Casio CZ sounds? Anyone, ever made an Amiga Emulator-ish-type-thing? LOL!

I don't know if it's actually been done on an Amiga. Just that it should be possible.
Paula is more powerful than most people think, in combination with software makes is even more versatile.