Sound on Spec.

All the best.
With respect, Roman Milukov.

RM> ^^ It would be nice, but it’s too expensive, the GS itself is about
RM> 240 rubles + expansion
RM> up to 512, I think it costs $18 = 330 rubles. And this is too expensive for the average petrumist
RM>!
RM> -+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+---
RM> And in your scheme, what about this?

This is not _our_ scheme, this is the scheme A. Inozemtseva from Zugres.
With _this_, what is this with? This card works the way files
of sound standards based on the sampling principle are played on PCs and Amiga
(I didn’t break the rules, did you notice? :), the sound quality is amazing! (I can
digitize and compress it into *.MP3 without loss of quality and send it, and to spin it up on
the real people will have to ask some PC specialist).
And the price... this is not a commercial project, the author is releasing the circuit for everyone to see,
gave the go-ahead for the board layout, so we will do this, release a dozen experimental
instances, we'll see... The boards will be sent to everyone those who wish, for
minimal
remuneration. As for the ready ones... let's think, maybe we'll provide for such an opportunity.

2Vitalic Svetashov: why are you silent? It seems like this concerns you as a musician,
at least ask questions, you’re a better iron worker than me!

Hasta la vista.
Tim Kelly

Hello, Tim

23 Mar 98 Roman Milukov was pinching in the hope that Tim Kelly would read about Sound
on Spec., but I read it and decided to intervene:

TK> This is not _our_ circuit, this is the circuit of A. Inozemtsev from
TK> Zugres.
Yeah, I just didn’t know what to call it in short and so that it would be clear.

TK> gave the go-ahead for the layout of the boards, so we’ll get on with it,
TK> we’ll release a dozen prototypes, we’ll see... Boards
TK> will be be sent to everyone for a minimum
TK> fee. As for the ready ones... let's think, maybe
TK> we can provide for such an opportunity.
The right decision. With clean ones everything is clear. But, judging by the diagram, what is the
approximate price of the finished board?

TK> 2Vitalic Svetashov: why are you silent? You seem to be
TK> a musician, this concerns
TK> at least ask questions, you’re a better iron worker than me!
Has he seen the diagram? His opinion about this board is interesting from the point of view of its use in scoring games. GS was highly advertised.

Personally, I was interested in it after the message that it had a
PDP controller and it could be used for other purposes.

Hello, Tim!

24 Mar 98 Tim Kelly was pinching in the hope that Roman Milukov would read about Sound on Spec. you'll have
TK> to ask some PC guy).
Well, let's come and listen.

RM> Did he see the diagram? His opinion about this board is interesting from the point of view
RM> of its use in scoring games. GS was well advertised.

I'll take it to the show on Saturday, I'm interested in the opinion.

RM> Personally, I was interested in it after the message that it contains
RM> a DDP controller and it can be used for other purposes.

The author is working on it, now the screw is connected, we will cooperate, although
force the fidoshnik to handle it write letters... :) And he doesn’t have Fido :(

I greet you from the bottom of my heart, Andrey!

Wed Mar 25 1998, Andrey Isaev squeezed the keyboard, hoping that the following words would reach Tim Kelly:

TK>> (I can digitize and compress it into *.MP3 without loss of quality and

Hello, Tim!

26 Mar 98 Tim Kelly hoping that Roman Milukov will read,
wrote:

TK> The author is working on it, now the screw is connected, let's
Well, there you go! Did you come up with the scheme yourself?

TK> And he doesn’t have Fido :(
This is bad. Probably because he doesn’t have a phone? Or then I won’t understand.

I greet you from the bottom of my heart, Roman!

Sat Mar 28 1998, Roman Milukov squeezed the keyboard, hoping that the following words would reach Tim Kelly
The author is working on this, now the screw is connected, let's
RM> Well there you go! Did you come up with the scheme yourself?

He came up with it. You can ask when it will be.

TK> Who should I send it to? It's better if you use the Internet.
if it’s the Internet, then I don’t need it.
TK> For a quick introduction
TK> you need to throw in mega three.
Yes... if that’s the case then we’ll forget it.

It is more interesting for “pure” musicians to build up a mid-middle.
And for trackers who use samples of not only standard
instruments? What about sound effects in toys?
For example, I still don’t understand why in toys “musicification”
more often comes down to adding background music, rather than creating
adequate high-quality sound effects?

TK> This is not _our_ scheme, this is the scheme of A. Inozemtsev from Zugres.
TK> With _this_, what is this with? This card works the way
TK> files of sound standards based on the sampling principle are played on PC
TK> and Amiga (I didn’t break the rules, did you notice? :), the sound quality is
TK> amazing!
Sound quality _what_? What samples were used / which ones could
use? (bit depth/frequency). Unfortunately, the quality of samples, as
is known, is fatally related to memory consumption :(( , which is very important for
Spectrum.

TK> 2Vitalic Svetashov: why are you silent? As a musician, this
TK> seems to concern you, at least ask questions, you’re a better hardware guy than me!
So, I woke up... ;) You should show the diagram, sho I really told you...:)
We should think about how to implement it in hardware.
Now we need to explain as clearly as possible what this thing is
and what it can do (so that everyone can determine the ratio of complexity (price)/
opportunities) and _then_throw out the cry "Guys!!! Is it necessary??!!" (exactly in this
sequence ;) And if there is a powerful echo of “We must!!!!”, proceed
to implementation into mass-produced hardware, while simultaneously consulting with the people on
current issues (interface, ports, bells and whistles...)

A few general thoughts on the subject.
Sampling is a problem, but memory, damn it, memory!
Although on the other hand, if you don’t chase after You can limit yourself to CD quality, let's say 8bit/8..15kHz, it will still be cool.

On the third hand, for specs, FM synthesis is not so bad (from the ratio
sound pleasantness / resource consumption - I don’t specifically use
the word “quality” here, since this is a very vague concept, if
talking about sound in general)

But in general, if you dream, I'd like to pick up some ESS (a stone, not a card) - the FM synthesizer is quite passable, sampling with CD-like parameters, MIDI, IDE (it's clear why ;) and they're cheap...

Okay, I'm saying something got loose...
Good luck!

Vitalic

Talking in general about music boards with sampling is certainly interesting.
First of all, from the point of view of sound effects.
In general, it seems to me that if a cannon fires in a game, then it should be accompanied by the _sound of a cannon shot_, and not by an endlessly repeating
techno-fantasy. I'll exaggerate a little, I'm not against background music (I'm a sinner myself :)
especially, for example, in adventure games, but in Action there should be explosions, the roar of engines,
the screams of dying zombies... :)
And these are samples and just samples.

TK>> files of sound standards are played, based on the principle of
TK>> sampling, on PCs and Amiga (I didn’t break the rules, did you notice? :),
TK>> sound quality - amazing!

VS> Sound quality _what_? What samples were used / which
VS> can use? (bit depth/frequency). Unfortunately, the quality of
VS> samples is known to be fatally related to memory consumption
VS> :(( which is very important for the Spectrum.

Sound quality of a music cassette :) Can use samples at least
44100 kHz, 8bit. Sampling frequency 3.54 MHz, it was written in the echo,
overslept, or what? :) Of course, the higher the sampling frequency when recording a
sample, the more memory it consumes :(

TK>> 2Vitalic Svetashov: why are you silent? It seems like you, as a musician,
TK>> this concerns you, at least ask questions, you’re a better hardware worker than me!

VS> So, I woke up... ;) You should show the diagram, right? Told

Just about, _woke up_! :) I'll bring the circuit over the weekend, I'm sick :(

VS> really...:) We should think about how to implement it in hardware. Now we need
VS> to state as clearly as possible what this thing is and what
VS> it can (so that everyone can determine the ratio
VS> complexity (price) / capabilities) and _then_ throw out the cry “Guys!!!
VS> Do we have to??!!” (exactlyin this sequence ;) And if you hear
VS> a powerful echo of “We must!!!!”, begin implementing it into mass-produced hardware,
VS> at the same time consulting with people on current issues (interface, ports,
VS> bells and whistles...)

If you haven’t seen it, Zheka Safronov posted excerpts from the description here, there
there was a maximum of information on the operation of the card, I recently painted the stones, I’m here I'm sitting there like a fool, interrupting the diagram, I think that it will be ready in a week at this rate.

VS> A few general thoughts on the subject.
VS> Sampling is a problem, but memory, damn it, memory!
VS> Although on the other hand, if you don't chase CD quality, you can
VS> limit yourself to, say, 8bit/8..15kHz, it will still be cool.

You can make variations, there is a huge field for activity. Four channels of 8
bits, sampling - whatever you want!

VS> In general, if you dream, you would pick up some kind of ESS-card (a stone, and
VS> not
VS> card) - the FM synthesizer is quite tolerable, sampling with CD
VS> parameters, MIDI, IDE (it’s clear why ;) and they’re cheap...

So for what's the matter? Are you an ironworker? So why are you sitting there!!! :)

RM>> advertised.

VS> Speaking in general about music boards with sampling - it is certainly interesting.
VS> First of all, from the point of view of sound effects.
VS> In general, it seems to me that if a cannon fires in a game, then it should
VS> be accompanied by the sound of a cannon shot, and not endlessly
VS> repetitive techno-fantasy. I'll exaggerate a little, I'm not against background
VS> music (I'm a sinner myself :) especially, for example, in adventure games, but in Action
VS> there should be explosions, roaring engines, screams of dying zombies... :) And these are
VS> samples and just samples.

Let's plug it in... :) And you'll have a zombie... :)
It's only bad that there's no operational connection with by the author. Although, he doesn’t mind if
someone adds/changes something. But who will do it? I'll come in and let's sort it out :)

Hello, Tim!

29 Mar 98 Tim Kelly hoping that Roman Milukov will read,
wrote:

TK>> The author is working on it, now I have connected the screw, we will

RM> using it in scoring games. GS was great
RM> advertised.
VS> Speaking in general about music boards with sampling - of course

Cheap ones are cheap, but about the stone, of course you are dreaming: there
there are a lot of these stones, one is an FM chip, another is sampling/playback,
the third is a MIDI interface, the fourth is an IDE bus, so there you go.
IMHO (as a musician by the way) - it would be very nice to connect to Speccy
FM chip (OPL2/OPL3/OPL4 - I don’t really understand them).

With respect, Roman aka Megus of BrainWave association.

[Team ZX-Spectrum] [Team Agatha Christie] [Team Metallica] [Team Iron Maiden]

TK> This, IMHO, is a very useful thing!
Of course, IMHO now cartoons are quite expensive and there won’t be enough of them for all
spektrumists, and you need to connect a screwdriver!

Well, packa, Tim, packa!
[Team thief Alos MUST DIE!]

VS> they...
RP> Cheap they are cheap, but about the stone, of course you are
RP> daydreaming: there
RP> there are a lot of these stones, one is an FM chip, the other is
...If there are a lot, and besides, they are imported and rare, then this is a dead idea. It will be problematic to blind yourself.

VS>> and not a card) - the FM synthesizer is quite tolerable, sampling with
VS>> CD parameters, MIDI, IDE (it’s clear why ;) and cheap
VS>> they...
RP> Cheap then cheap, but about the stone, of course you’re dreaming: there
RP> there are a lot of these stones, one is an FM chip, another is sampling/playback,
RP> the third is a MIDI interface, the fourth is an IDE bus, so there you go.
That's the point, it's all in one stone! All the delights at once.

RP> IMHO (as a musician by the way) - it would be very nice to connect to
RP> Speccy
RP> an FM chip (OPL2/OPL3/OPL4 - I don’t really understand them).
2/3/4-operator FM synthesis.
You can’t go far with FM alone - i.e. FM is pure-sounding, but "electronic" sounds, which is especially evident when trying to imitate
live instruments. Before this, I chatted about my thoughts on the use of sampling. For these purposes, we are no longer talking about
FM synthesis. So ideally it’s good to have both,
so see the original dream ;-)

Vitalic

I greet you from the bottom of my heart, Roman!

Tue Mar 31 1998, Roman Milukov squeezed the keyboard, hoping that the following words would reach Tim Kelly
:

TK>>> The author is working on this, now I have connected the screw, we will

VS>> In general, if you dream, you would pick up some kind of ESS (a stone
VS>> and not a card) - the FM synthesizer is quite tolerable, sampling with
VS>> CD parameters, MIDI, IDE (it’s clear why ;) and cheap
VS>> they...
RP> Cheap then cheap, but about the stone, of course you're dreaming: there
RP> there are a lot of these stones, one is an FM chip, another is sampling/playback,
RP> the third is a MIDI interface, the fourth is an IDE bus, so there you go.

TK> Sound quality of a music cassette :) Can use samples
TK> at least 44100 kHz, 8bit.
I see. This is even too much for speck.
TK> Sampling frequency 3.54 MHz,
Damn, I’m starting to lose track again. What kind of sampling is this?
44100 - it is clear that the sampling frequency (AKA sampling frequency)
A 3.54 MHz? Even if we assume hardware mixing,
it’s still a lot.
TK> this was written in the echo, did you oversleep or what? :). ).
2Zheka Safronov: please tell me what you threw there, so that I don’t slow down :)

TK> You can make variations, there’s a huge field for activity. Four
^^^^^^
TK> 8-bit channels, sampling - whatever you want!
^^^^^^ So, after all, hardware mixing.
On the one hand, it’s good - unloading the software.
On the other hand, it’s a limitation. Four channels are not that much at all,
if (God willing) this board (and the software for it) starts to take off,
this is the first thing that software developers - musicians - will run into. Oneffects
of course enough.

RM> ...If there are a lot, and also imported and rare ones, then this is a dead idea.
RM> It will be problematic to blind yourself.

Vitalik said _one_, that means one! You can trust me!:) Data from the ESS website.

VS> And lazy I am! :). (specially highlighted from point 3) Purchase a batch of stones
VS> So, in this scheme, in this situation, the most difficult thing is point 2
VS> (soldering from a writing card is not a solution) and
VS> the marketing part of point 3.
VS> If I have a little time, I’ll go to the ESS Technology website again.
VS> Let’s see, think about it... :)

Ha, difficulties wow! But the result would be...

At 08:46, Thursday April 02 1998 there was such a thing that
Vitalic Svetashov wrote a letter to Roman Petrov:

VS> That’s the point, it’s all in one stone! All the delights at once.
Yes? Well, sorry, I didn’t know.

VS> 2/3/4-operator FM synthesis.
VS> You can’t go far with FM alone - i.e. FM is pure-sounding,
VS> but “electronic” sounds, which is especially evident when trying to imitate
So, actually for live samples we have GS, but for synthesis (since
synthesis is also a necessary thing) - the FM chip is ideal.
VS> FM synthesis is out of the question. So ideally it's good to have both,
VS> so see the original dream ;-)
About both, let me remind you that if you want to play
music with digitized sounds on ESS, which emulates SB, then the principle
work will be the same as when playing on the same Covox, since SB
does not have a bunch of DMA channels and mixing will have to be done by the main
processor. So from ESS you only need an FM chip and a sampler, although
that has already existed for a long time for the Spectrum (I don’t remember where the circuit was).

04 Apr 98 20:11, Roman Petrov wrote to Vitalic Svetashov:

RP> So, actually for live samples we have GS, but for synthesis (since
RP> synthesis is also a necessary thing) - the FM chip is ideal.
Honestly, I’m not particularly familiar with GS, but these are the considerations (if
I’m wrong - correct):
GS - only samples at a fairly high cost,
a board using ESS should be noticeably cheaper with
the presence of FM synthesis, sampler, MIDI, etc. (let me remind you that these considerations,
preliminary, to put it mildly, are at the level of a semi-crazy idea, no
more or less specific elaboration has been done)
RP> Regarding both this and that, allow me remind you that if you want
RP> to play music with digitized sounds on ESS, which emulates SB, then
in writing it is lowered ;) to SB if necessary, the standard, after all
RP> the principle of operation will be the same as when playing on the same Covox, so
if the Covox is 16-bit, stereo and a normal DAC is attached to it
and not using resistors R-2R
RP> as SB does not have a bunch of DMA channels and mixing will have to be done
RP> by the main processor.
Yes, considering its performance... :(
RP> So from ESS you only need an FM chip and
^^^^^^pro 1/several chips we
seem to have agreed :)
RP> sampler, although that one has already existed for a long time for the Spectrum (the circuit was
RP> I don’t
RP> I remember where).
Use only FM in ESS, abandoning everything else, and mold to it
GS, IDE, MIDI? Stupid and wasteful... Or did I misunderstand you?

Good luck!
Vitalic

I greet you from the bottom of my heart, Roman!

Sat Apr 04 1998, Roman Petrov squeezed the keyboard, hoping that the following words would reach Vitalic
Svetashov:

RP> main processor. So from ESS we only need an FM chip and a
RP> sampler, although that has already existed for a long time for the Spectrum (I don’t remember the circuit diagram
RP>).

So, are we going to cut them out of a whole chip? :) Go crazy! And who doesn't have a microscope - goes straight to the morgue? :)