Posted By
RobertB
on 2011-11-29
22:22:32
|  Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
------------ Original Message ------------------
Subject: COMMODORE FREE issue 56
From: nigel parker
Date: Tue, November 29, 2011 7:15 am
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Next issue is available.
I hope to have 1 more issue finished and in place for download before Christmas!
Enjoy....................
Commodore Free Magazine
http://www.commodorefree.com/
*************************************
Issue 56
Free to download magazine
dedicated to Commodore computers
Available as PDF, ePUB, MOBI, HTML,
TXT, SEQ and D64 disk image
*************************************
CONTENTS
*************************************
* Editorial
* NEWS
- Theatre of War II: The Pacific
- Amiga It's a Knockout! 2011/12
- Plus/4 Gets a SID Chip
- Chameleon Special From AmigaKit
- Slide Released
- Out Space Released
- Commodore eBook Now Available
- P1565 Project Updated
- Retrogaming Times Monthly #90
- CBM Command Updated
- CrossCrabTris 1.0 Released
- Jack 2.4 Now Available
- Commodore Video Collection
- CBM PRG Studio Version 1.6.0
- Komoda 5 Magazine Released
- USB Joystick Adapter
- Bil Herd Launches C128 Website
- AmigaOS 4.1 Update 4
- Mini SD 1541 Drive
- Cinnamon Writer Updated
* Interview With Roberto Dillon
* Review: Out Space
* Review: Prince of Persia
=====================================
Nigel Parker
------------------------------------------------------
Commodore Free Magazine
http://www.commodorefree.com
------------------------------------------------------
Commodore Computer club U.k.
http://www.commodorecomputerclub.co.uk
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2011-11-30
11:29:15
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
You're right, two big problems there.
First, they are confusing BSZ's SID card with Solder's. The latter, which they are referencing, is not readily available anymore.
Second, they worded it in a way that we wanted to avoid. The card that BSZ is producing does not contain a SID chip. The headline can be true, if someone gets a SID chip, and the card, and plugs it in. But saying "plug the card into the expansion port and you are ready to go" - that's just not true.
Well, at least it's publicity? 
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Posted By
Chicken
on 2011-11-30
13:00:05
 | Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Obviously, they learned about this at Bil Herd's site:
http://www.c128.com/plus4264ted-gets-sid-chip-yall
Over there, it's all mixed up, too 
Does someone have a login for that site? Please post a comment I think we really should set this straight. SID-CARDs have been around for almost 20 years now. And yeah, I'm glad there's finally a new one
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Posted By
RobertB
on 2011-12-01
00:15:24
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Chicken wrote:
> Over there, it's all mixed up, too
I don't see the error. Where is it?
Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
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Posted By
Luca
on 2011-12-01
03:52:45
 | Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
RobertB: Csabo has adequately descibed it in the upper post.
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Posted By
commodorefree
on 2011-12-01
08:49:01
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Hi
I edit the magazine - Ouch so sorry
Would someone like to print me a correction I couls use
Thanks
Nigel
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Posted By
commodorefree
on 2011-12-01
08:49:59
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Maybe a spellchecker as well
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Posted By
RobertB
on 2011-12-02
13:35:24
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Luca wrote:
> Csabo has adequately descibed it in the upper post.
Well, I still don't see it. It looks fine to me.
Editing Bil Herd's video for better sound,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
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Posted By
Chicken
on 2011-12-02
17:19:36
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
On Bil Herd's site it says:
"So here is Lucca Carrafiello's SID card for the Plus 4 as seen at Plus4World and more here, manufactured by S., Christian (Solder)"
However, the card you can see is neither Solders SID card nor is it manufactured by Solder.
It's NST's Audio Extension developed and manufactured by BSZ.
Solder's card has been there since the early 90s, BSZ's card is a brand new thing with many improvements compared to the old design, yet compatible in almost every way. Even including the playback functions of the Digi-Blaster which originally was an add-on for Solder's SID card.
You can find technical details in the documentation here http://bsz.amigaspirit.hu/nae/NST_SIDcard-20110910-En.pdf
Moreover, the headline "Plus4/264/TED gets a SID Chip y'all" is a bit misleading because the card comes without a SID chip. Of course a SID is required.
Don't get me wrong, I wasn't criticizing the article/posting. I'm happy about every plus/4 related posting/article. It's just that the different cards and developers were mixed up. Considering the many failed attempts to produce a new SID card, I think BSZ definitely deserves proper credit
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Posted By
RobertB
on 2011-12-02
23:33:30
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Chicken wrote:
> However, the card you can see is neither Solders SID card nor is it manufactured by
> Solder.
> It's NST's Audio Extension developed and manufactured by BSZ.
> Solder's card has been there since the early 90s, BSZ's card is a brand new thing with
> many improvements compared to the old design, yet compatible in almost every way.
> Even including the playback functions of the Digi-Blaster which originally was an add-on
> for Solder's SID card.
> You can find technical details in the documentation here
> http://bsz.amigaspirit.hu/nae/NST_SIDcard-20110910-En.pdf
> Moreover, the headline "Plus4/264/TED gets a SID Chip y'all" is a bit misleading because
> the card comes without a SID chip. Of course a SID is required.
> Don't get me wrong, I wasn't criticizing the article/posting. I'm happy about every
> plus/4 related posting/article. It's just that the different cards and developers were
> mixed up. Considering the many failed attempts to produce a new SID card, I think BSZ
> definitely deserves proper credit
Ah, thanks for the detailed explanation. I will forward the above to Bil Herd.
Still trying to edit the Bil Herd video,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
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Posted By
RobertB
on 2011-12-03
03:56:59
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
> http://www.c128.com/plus4264ted-gets-sid-chip-yall
Bil has made corrections near the bottom of the page. How does it sound now?
Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
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Posted By
BilHerd
on 2011-12-03
04:07:26
 | Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Hi All,
My apologies for totally blowing the references on the SID card for TED. Someone sent me a better explanation that I have posted in the article. Feel free to shout at me or throw heavy objects if ever I botch facts, you can email me directly at bherd-at-c128.com
Whats interesting is what is considered to be old news to y'all is pretty interesting to some of us old West Chester crew, we didn't know there had been a previous rendition of Sid on a 264 and just what the extent of the demo scene is, etc.
If anybody has stories or pictures of any CBM related stuff I would love to put up links to it, something about pictures of populated PCBs is still cool to a burn-out such as myself.
Has anyone ever got their hands on the sound data for the 364? That would be a cool cart, something that turns a 264 into a 364... not sure what you would do with it other than bragging rights.
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Posted By
Luca
on 2011-12-03
04:23:14
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
I'm guilty too, because Bil previously asked to me for references and pictures about the SIDcard, and I did the mistake of believing that some facts about the argument were given as an assumption, whereas I could give a better and deeper explication.
Hence, my apologies to everybody involved into this widespread misunderstanding
A 264 with speech module? Why not, it would be a feasible and cool task, given that all the needed roms are available since years.
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Posted By
RobertB
on 2011-12-03
05:00:26
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Bil Herd wrote:
> Has anyone ever got their hands on the sound data for the 364?
Hmm, that sounds like something Bo Zimmerman would have done with his 364. I'll send him an e-mail message.
Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
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Posted By
Gaia
on 2011-12-03
09:30:22
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Aye Bil Welcome here! On your 364 related question: we do have the Speech ROM dump of the 364. In fact, both my emulator YAPE and VICE (just recently) are able to emulate the "tragic voice". Building a Magic Voice-like speech module would - in my view - be possible, we could do without the MOS8706 as well as the rather complex glue logic found in the Magic Voice, but finding a Toshiba T6721A speech ASIC could pose problems.
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Posted By
commodorefree
on 2011-12-05
05:49:24
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Hi
I am looking to have an issue dedicated to the commodore 16 and plus 4 computers in an issue of Commodore Free magazine, If anyone would like to write something would they please contact me. If you think any other machines deserve a mention then again feel free to contact me. I am looking for someone who can write something to promote the range with the machines specific strengths. Why the machine are special, and maybe why they do not receive the coverage they should.
Thanks
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Posted By
BilHerd
on 2011-12-07
13:07:11
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Hiya, thanks for the welcome. I am very impressed by the activity here, the amount of facts and the gentle correction when I botched them is likewise impressive.
@commodorefree if you are interested in background or stories let me know. Also let me know if you are open to the answers in video form, I talk faster than I type for better or worse. Got a question as to why the %$^# we did something a certain way?? I might have the answer.
As far as the appreciation or anything like that, I don't think anyone on our end has ever thought of that beyond the botched strategy that CBM used after Jack left. We heaved the product over the wall, watched the iil-informed vultures settle on the carcass, sighed, and went on to the next one. I was designing the LCD machine while doing final FCC on some of the TED models, which got interrupted for the C128.
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Posted By
BilHerd
on 2011-12-07
13:36:17
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
http://c128.com/plus-4-forums-still-very-alive
http://c128.com/commodore-plus-4-world-website
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Posted By
George
on 2011-12-07
14:49:37
 | Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Hey Bill,
welcome to this round. Its me the the V386 admirer.
The V368 is emulated in YAPE as you might already know. Great machine!!!
As fas as i know, there is no way know to us, how to make own sound files.
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Posted By
Richard Atkinson
on 2011-12-07
20:21:46
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
The best Magic Voice site is Stefan Uhlmann's. It's partly in German, so it helps if you kann Deutsch lesen.
http://www.stefan-uhlmann.de/cbm/MVM/index.html
The section "speech downloads" has the vocabularies for the Magic Voice, the V364, the demo disk, Gorf and Wizard of Wor.
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Posted By
BilHerd
on 2011-12-07
22:55:17
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
I kind of assumed that the thing to do would be to use sampled sound for the actual playback. Back then sampling was pretty new, but I would just run data to an A/D and emulate an emulation if that makes sense. (Cartridge that makes a 264 act like a 364 even if done a different way)
Bil
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Posted By
George
on 2011-12-08
04:55:45
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
eek spreken deutsch..:) I do speak German, because i am living here.
A 364 Cart would be a great thing. Like rebirth of this great machine.
I am dreaming around a little now:
How could someone make a case replica? What plastic has to be used? How connect the additional Num keys?
Since the 264 has the round Din-Connector, a mouse sopport would be great too.
Maybe you have an idea, how this could be possible with TED. Everybody would like to have mouse support to his plus/4.
Magic Desk 2.0 as OS-System programmed in a modern language like Delphi or C++ (i am a software developer).
Just dreaming here.
George
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Posted By
Chicken
on 2011-12-08
12:39:38
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
If I recall correctly, the numeric keypad's keys were just "mirrored". Maybe not… something tells me that there were two additional lines in the schematics (and even some code leftovers in the ROM?) Ah well, I'm mixing things up. I'm sure somebody knows for sure
You mean PS/2 mice? Just because plus/4 and those use mini-DIN connectors doesn't mean that there's a "software way" to use those  Besides, mouse-support already exists in various flavors, e. g. SID-Card's joyport can handle 1351's in joystick and mouse mode, same for BSZ's new card, dedicated mouse adapters for serial mice exist and then there's TLC's RS232 cart which can handle mice as well
It's not really a hardware problem but rather a software one. Unless someone includes mouse support in his programs …
I wonder if the Plus/4 version of Magic Desk ever shows up. Ppl saw it, so it should be out there somewhere
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Posted By
commodorefree
on 2011-12-09
03:17:26
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Bil Hi filled out some details on the contact page of your website, Can you email me to let me know if you wish to go ahead with the comments I suggested.
Thanks
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Posted By
BilHerd
on 2011-12-09
18:28:42
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Hi Nigel, Your email bounced. I am at bherd at c128.com if you want to email me directly.
How do I register with +4 World, I see the login links but no registration.
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Posted By
Luca
on 2011-12-09
19:27:47
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Bil, you've got mail
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Posted By
commodorefree
on 2012-01-03
11:19:30
| Re: Commodore Free issue 56 on-line (fwd)
Bil - Hi sent you another email..
commodorefree =AT= commodorefree =dot= com should work. for me
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