Digital sound in early Macs

[Flojomojo]

Great podcast episode about the origins of digital sound on home computers, as pioneered on the old beige Macintosh, especially as used in early games like Airborne, Crystal Quest, and Dark Castle. 
 

https://lifeandtimes.games/episodes/files/20

[MrMaddog]

"Eep!"

 

That was why I loved playing games on a black & white Macintosh...

[wierd_w]

*fond memories of EEP-bombing the macs at school...*

 

(Old macs would queue up the volume up/down presses, if you held one button down and pressed the other repeatedly.  So, hold vol-up, and pound on vol-down.  that will turn the sound to zero, but queue up lots of silent EEP plays. do this for several minutes. THEN, hold in vol-down, and do vol-up presses. As many as you want, the more the merrier! When you are ready, just let go of the buttons and walk away.  The mac will start playing the silent eeps, and you will be out of the lab, and down the hall before it starts playing REALLY LOUD EEPS, for an extended period of time.  Lots of fun!)

[Flojomojo]

Wow, "eep bombing" sounds evil! I'm glad I wasn't in that school. 
 

Airborne wasn't something I remembered. Apparently this "flight to the valkyries" is the very first example of digitized music in a home computer! 
 

https://youtu.be/tEH7fml5Jl0