rdefabri

That is a good idea for voting if there are future compos.

They aren’t cheap! https://reverb.com/item/10817569-nakamichi-t-100-audio-analyzer-working-and-tested

As I suspected - thanks for confirming!

I think this question was answered, but if you use 15KHz mode on a physical A8 computer, can you have the other channels in 64KHz mode? Or - like in RMT - are all the channels affected? I hope the limitation is RMT, not the A8, but I think this is the case for programming on an actual A8 - is that correct?

Yes great work - I am impressed with the entries!

I created a 4-channel / mono version that can be played on an actual Atari 8-bit. The video is the .xex played through Altirra, and I've attached the .xex and RMT files for it. I've also attached the RMT files for the 8-channel version. NOTE: I create all my songs using NTSC format, so if you play it in PAL, it will sound slower. A few of my songs were posted on ASMA in PAL format, and they didn't sound right. Eek! Surrasshu (mono).xex Eek Surasshu mono version.rmt Eek Surasshu stereo version.rmt

Awesome! Good luck to everyone! minor comment - the song I submitted seems to be playing at a slower tempo in the video than what I submitted. I tend to do all my songs NTSC (I’m in the US), so it is slower if converted to PAL. No worries, I appreciate the inclusion!!

Yea I think I could have used more of a triangle-based clarinet, but wasn’t sure if the range of notes would work. I was thinking about analmux’s Instrumentarium, but couldn’t make it work. Here is the original: Here is a solid C64 version. This is what inspired me to do the song:

Although I prefer to keep my POKEY songs in 4-channels, I felt the need to challenge myself and try to do something in 8-channel stereo. I was prompted by discovering that the song I chose had been covered on multiple 8-bit or PC sound cards / platforms, including the C64 SID, NES, Yamaha OPL / YM, etc. The song has a unique name, so I won't provide the full name. Rather, it has a sub-title - "Eek!", composed by Netherlands-based Surasshu. He does a lot of 8-bit type songs and this one is a fun little tune. I originally wanted it to be faithful to the original (e.g., use a square bass tone, triangle clarinet, etc), but it was proving to be more work than I wanted it to be, and transcribing the song was no simple task. Check it out, let me know what you think!

Is there an updated RMT file for Instrumentarium? Seems when I use the "original" in RMT 1.34, I don't get the proper sounding instruments.

Thanks - this really helps! I didn't realize the limitation was with POKEY. I guess the other option would be to do stereo and limit 15Khz channels to one side. Not elegant, but could work.

I'm working on a new song that will require a prominent, deep bass sound. Not using joined channels / PWM, just a 15KHz square bass will work fine. The goal is to create the song in mono / 4-channels. The problem I am running into is when I create an instrument using 15KHz mode. No matter what channel I have that instrument playing on, it affects the sound of the instruments on any other channel. In this case, it's affecting the drum track, so much so that it's barely recognizable as drums. Would this happen on a physical A8 or is this something that is related to POKEY emulation in RMT? It's frustrating because no matter what I try, I can't get it right, and I've shelved the project for now. Any advice or assistance is greatly appreciated!

Not finished, but here's a taste of AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill" in 8-channel stereo. So far it has been fun, doing the leads might be a slight task...

I got my first 2600 in 1977 (still own it). That was a Christmas present from my parents. I purchased my Atari 400 with money I made cutting lawns and what not in 1980 IIRC. I was definitely not yet in HS, I was in 7th or 8th grade which was around 80 / 81. As far as age, I didn't enter anything in the original poll, but I'm 55 now. Still own my Ataris and a lot of extra stuff (Catalogs, Activision newsletters / patches, etc).

Very sad news, my condolences to his family and friends. Many of us are likely around the same age (I'm 55), and this is an unfortunate part of growing older. As I age, it's on my mind more and more. 57 is far too young, sorry to hear about his passing.

I would love to try 8-channel / stereo, but I've been struggling trying to create something there. I'm prone to wanting to use the extra channels as additional voices, rather than as true stereo, and I end up with a funky mix. I'm not 100% sure, but is there a way to pan channels from left to right? I doubt that exists, but if it does, then I could make some hay with it. I'm a massive AC/DC fan, Shoot to Thrill will be on my list of "to do's". I have a good back story for that song, if I get around to creating it, I'll tell the story along with it...

Ever since I first saw Devo on Saturday Night Live in the 70's, I've been interested in synthesizers and electronic music. By the time I started going to arcades, one of my most cherished memories was hearing Gottlieb's Reactor in attract mode - it had a synthesized drum and guitar soundtrack that I absolutely loved. I also cut my teeth on NWOBHM and "glam metal" of the 70's / 80's, and I always wanted to create something similar to what I heard with Reactor on my Atari 400. I thought it might be "easy" to cover Black Sabbath's Iron Man as an RMT song, as I do play guitar and drums. This is what I ended up with - so far from "easy" that it actually took me some time to create this. It's about 95% accurate to the original - I literally tabbed the guitars, bass, and drum lines as they are heard in the song, with some exceptions. There are some mild timing issues, where Tony Iommi plays a fast 4-note run or triplets that might be off (I tend to create my RMT songs using 8 note measures). Some shout outs - I used the cool lead guitar sound that @VinsCool created, as well as a neat syn drum sound. I had to use @pseudografx snare sound, it sounds incredible (hence why the instrument speed is 2). I had some issues with the guitar sounds. By this I mean the main riff - I don't love it, although it was about as good as I could come up with (so if anyone wants to "improve" it, feel free). I also had some issues with the guitar bends that Tony Iommi does during the solos - I ended up leveraging one of @VinsCool "flute" sounds to mimic that, but I think someone could do better than me. Needless to say, I had fun doing this. I love Black Sabbath and obviously the song is legendary and kind of funny to do on RMT (there is an "8-bit" version on YouTube that is pretty cool). If you like Sabbath, enjoy and let me know what you think! Iron Man.rmt

I am working on an RMT project that attempts to create a distortion guitar sound. I say "attempts" because I'm not particularly good at editing instruments in RMT, and the results are mixed. I will post the project when done, it was a significant effort as I transcribed nearly every instrument as close to the original song as I could. That being said, I've hit kind of a block. The song has a guitar solo that would include bending strings. I'm using a guitar sound that uses channels 1+3, which affects the output considerably, at least in RMT 1.34. When I try to use the note tables, it sounds all corrupted, not so great. I'm looking for something like what @VinsCool got in Flourishing Falls. Although that's more of a "flute" type sound, it's about what I need. Any help is appreciated!

Apologies if you mentioned this previously, but dumb question - are these written in C?

I loved the Rotberg Synthesizer program as a kid. I was always frustrated that there wasn't an editor to do your own songs / sounds. I've since come to learn that Ed Rotberg didn't have much of an editor (it was more "programmed") and once he saw Lee Actor's AMS he never got around to doing much with it.

This one was always a favorite of mine! I think there's an Atari version of the C64 demo posted above. It's one where there is light snow that turns heavy and the snow accumulates on the Atari logo. I'll try to find it.

Yes, I would like to get an 800 to have. That and/or a 130XE, but my urges are mostly satisfied using emulation these days!!

I have a 400 and it will do anything the 800 could do, or at least that I would do with it. I did always envy the 800 keyboard (excellent IMHO) and the expansion slots, but they were never fully leveraged as they could / should have been.

It's likely we're around the same age. My original 400 had CTIA / 16K, I installed the GTIA and 48K chips myself. I believe I purchased the computer in 1980, which would have made me 12 or so at the time. I always felt that Atari got dragged under with the "drama" that was a) Warner and b) the video game collapse. It was just never taken as seriously as other computer manufacturers. Tramiel was always willing to wage a price war, that certainly didn't help. I'll never forget my Junior year in High School (1984), I had a Pascal programming class and we were using the first generation Apple Macintosh. My teacher was this "little old lady" that literally looked like what we call a "school marm", but she was totally cool. Drove a Monte Carlo SS, which was a pretty fast car in the day. She made a comment that the Macintosh was the first PC that could render images using fractal geometry. Having owned Rescue on Fractalus, I told her that wasn't true. She made me prove it, so I brought my Atari into school the next day and demo'd it. She was duly impressed and the little Atari garnered a little respect that day!

Will Rotor be released for download or will it be a physical release only?