Short: Info about new SID-card for the parport Author: pipe@algonet.se Uploader: pipe algonet se Type: docs/anno Architecture: generic ******************************************************************* This is information about a new audiocard for the Amiga. Read all about it at www.algonet.se/~pipe/ ******************************************************************* The ParSID is a piece of hardware designed to hook up to the parallell port of a computer. It allows you to connect up to 8 SID-Chip to your computer, and to access them in a very easy and convenient way. The SID is an old chip designed by Bob Yannes back at the early 80'ies, to produce the sound in microcomputers like the famous Commodore 64. Because of the many many great composers that where hired to compose songs for the games on that particular computer, the capabilities of the SID were quickly spread among "normal" people, who came to remember the games for their music, and not for the actual gameplay. The SID is capable of doing alot of things that todays "Digital Analog" synthesizers like the JP-8000 brag about, for example: * 3 independent oscillators with waveforms such as: · Sawtooth · Triangle · Pulse/Square · Noise * Hardsync oscillators * "Ringmodulation" * 12 dB/Octave rolloff filters: · Lowpass · Bandpass · Highpass * And alot more... The main reason for the game music to sound "computermade", is that the composer only have ONE single SID to compose on. This forces him to cheat alot, and to only use the filter on one oscillator for example. How do you make a 4-note chord with only 3 oscillators? Together with a bassline and some drums? Not to forget the lead.. With 8 SID's it's a whole different thing! Now you suddenly have 24(!) oscillators, 8 filters, and no additional noise except from the SID itself! Add a comprehensive composing tool and you have a pretty darn good sounding synthesizer! There will also be a replacement for playsid.library that will support the card, so you can listen to SID-songs for real on the Amiga using your favourite player like HippoPlayer! *************************************************** * * * Read all about it at "www.algonet.se/~pipe/"! * * * *************************************************** / Anders Andersson