Looking for info on Synthosaur by Hozer

[Army Of 2600]

Looking around on Ebay and found a homebrew released by Hozer Games called Synthosaur. Has anyone played or heard of this cartridge? Says "This is a simple synth program put together by George Dalli.

Give your garage band some Atari class!!!" Is it like the Synthcart? Any videos? I can't even find a ROM for it.

[KevKelley]

I bought this on a whim off eBay because it was cheap. If I remember it is nothing like the SynthCart. I think it more or less made sounds based on how you moved the joystick. I would have to pop it in to see when I get the chance.

[InactiveX]

I too would like to know the answer to this!

[pacman000]

Googling the name doesn't bring up much. It's listed in a few places, but no one's described it from what I can tell. Earliest reference I can find with a date is a list from 2007: https://cinemassacre.com/2007/06/10/mikes-atari-2600-collection-by-company/

 

Here's a pic of the cart from an ebay auction:

 

Edited December 20, 2018 by pacman000

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Rule of thumb for homebrews: The less info available, the lower your expectations should be.

[KevKelley]

So I plugged it in.

 

Basically you have a left and right portion of the screen for each joystick. When you press the button it makes a sound and pressing up or down changes the pitch. Pressing select changes the sound.

 

The graphics on the screen change as you press the button. It has a kind of neat effect. The numbers on the bottom seem to correspond with the sound selection. There is nothing to identify what "note" you are on, unless I am missing something. Not as precise or detailed as the SynthCart but could be used for some sound generation or for the flashing video effects.

 

Looks like it may be batari Basic.

Edited December 21, 2018 by KevKelley

[KevKelley]

I took a couple screen shots but am on my phone so I just uploaded them to my blog real fast.

 

https://audiotrough.blogspot.com/2018/12/instrument-review-atari-synthosaur.html?m=1

[Mr SQL]

This cart looks pretty cool - what does it sound like, are there any sample compositions available created with this Atari instrument?

 

Here is a similar program JAMOUT, the original version for the SuperCharger which has a fairly big RAM buffer (1000 variables) for storing the music along with some sample compo's. It's written in SuperCharger BASIC if anyone who wants to modify or explore how it works - there's another version posted in Flashback BASIC that has a more limited CBS RAM buffer (256 bytes) but is fun for turning the Portable Atari into a synth composition instrument where you can record, erase and playback your creations!

 

[SS]

So I plugged it in.

So, KevKelly, do you have any way to dump this?

[KevKelley]

I will have to try and record with it soon. Sounds like standard Atari sounds but I think it would be difficult to perform with since unless you are aiming for noise music or droning, unlike the Synth Cart. I think this may work better with samplers. The visuals are neat too.

 

How would someone "dump" a cartridge?

[Albert]

If you dump it, do not post the binary here unless you have permission from the author to do so.

 

Thank you,

 

..Al

[pacman000]

I'd be more interested in a short video than a ROM.

[+Gemintronic]

Rule of thumb for homebrews: The less info available, the lower your expectations should be.

 

That's why I make sure all my games get 0 publicity. Just on the off chance expectations roll back to 255!

 

[SS]

If you dump it, do not post the binary here unless you have permission from the author to do so.

 

Thank you,

 

..Al

 

You are of course right, Al. Sorry about the request, I wasn't thinking.

[KevKelley]

If you dump it, do not post the binary here unless you have permission from the author to do so.

 

Thank you,

 

..Al

I wouldn't. Especially after reading the comments on the Homebrew Publishers thread.

[KevKelley]

I'd be more interested in a short video than a ROM.

It is in the works. It was difficult for me to get the pictures. My schedule has been very weird being the holidays and as soon as I plugged in the cart my kids got crazy. Since i already posted the pics on my blog and havent posted much recently I might as well make a little review of the thing.

[KevKelley]

I have finally gotten around to recording a video (3 months late) . This is off a CRT TV.

 

The clicking noise is me hitting the game select button, which changes the sound. The difficulty switches change the bar/counter on the bottom.

 

[pacman000]

Lovely noise maker, but it'd probably be hard to make music with it.

 

Some of those sounds seem familiar; I wonder if the developer copied sounds from other 2600 games. Then again, it could just be the limits of the system.

[KevKelley]

I think it would be best if you used this in conjunction with a sampler or use this to accent certain songs. I was planning on using this to sample with it use it as a filter for something like a vocoder to Atari-ize my voice

Edited March 30, 2019 by KevKelley

[pacman000]

Sounds cool.

 

[selective]

Hello!

I came across this post while looking for something else, haven't been on this site for a while.

I made synthosaur. The version on the cartridge isn't very good, I didn't know anyone was selling it.

I made it quickly using batari basic and hadn't really thought through the design much, I just wanted something to use the TIA sounds quickly and wanted some colourful visuals. I made a custom controller with 16 arcade buttons to trigger the sounds and used all of the atari 2600's function keys to adjust settings. It is atonal, so a little difficult to make anything really 'musical'

The COLOR/BLACK & White switch toggles between paddle and joystick mode. In KevKelley's video, it is in paddle mode - which was an after thought.  Don't know why I put the default mode to black and white, but I wasn't thinking about other people ever using it. The difficulty switches changed the length of the sounds. I ended up abandoning this version and made one that used 2 star raiders keypads instead. Can't seem to find that version anywhere. I never got that put on a cartridge, I just used a supercharger. I attached the old rom, feel free to use it. I found a test audio track too(with reverb or something added, i dont remember)

I've been thinking about remaking a keypad versionit, if I do I'll make it a little more user friendly and share it!

synth1.bin 0000.mp3

[+Atari_Warlord]

Thanks, the first part of the mp3 sounds a bit like the beginning of Thriller.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

25 minutes ago, selective said:

Hello!

I made synthosaur. The version on the cartridge isn't very good, I didn't know anyone was selling it.

Did you ever get contacted by Hozer? 

[selective]

I just went to the Hozer games site, and "just Randy" and the logo look familiar. He is probably the person that burnt my cart for me. He might have asked if he could sell it, I don't remember. That has got to be over a decade ago now. It doesn't matter to me, but it probably needs a manual or something. probably seems broken out of the box. The newer, lost version was a little more polished.

[KevKelley]

On 9/5/2019 at 9:46 AM, selective said:

Hello!

I came across this post while looking for something else, haven't been on this site for a while.

I made synthosaur. The version on the cartridge isn't very good, I didn't know anyone was selling it.

 

I am just seeing this post. I had came across this one time late at night on eBay. I think there is usually a copy someone is selling on eBay that might be the same person. It intrigued me because I like using classic sounds in my music or simply for accents and thought this was a cool noise machine. It is even cooler that you made a custom controller for it and it is neat to hear more about it.