Amiga/C64 Retro Radio Station

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Amiga/C64 Retro Radio Station

Posted by ryuzaki0 on Tuesday September 10, 2002 @10:08PM from the blast-from-the-past dept.

Hot Trout writes "24/7 Streaming Retro Radio bringing to you all those classic game and demo tunes from the 80's and 90's. Mainly C64 and Amiga but also games. This allows DSL users to enjoy their old school fav's in 128 kbps, 44Khz, STEREO. Very very cool ... Check it out at The old Computer @ Retro Radio." I've been reading High Score lately, so retro gaming is great to run through again.

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Kohina by staili · 2002-09-10 22:10 · Score: 5, Informative

Another good retro radio station is Kohina
C64 audio by wfmcwalter · 2002-09-10 22:12 · Score: 3, Interesting

For anyone who's still interesting in those classic C64 tunes, Chris Abbott (and some other folks, I think) has remade a bunch of C64 tunes with modern equipment - I can strongly recommend his site

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## W.Finlay McWalter ## http://www.mcwalter.org ##
1. Re:C64 audio by Bostik · 2002-09-11 05:42 · Score: 2
  
  Phew, thank $deity that this news item didn't appear too much sooner. Just last weekend I ordered three records from Chris's site. Lucky me, I have all the chances of actually getting what I wanted. I quite expect his stock to drop to zero after you mentioned c64audio.com in here.
  
  The shopping cart system c64audio.com runs, uses some nasty IE-specific javascript tricks. It won't display correctly (or virtually at all) on Mozilla or Opera. Being a linux user, this was somewhat problematic. When I mailed about this, Chris was very responsive and helpful. He told me to disable javascript entirely and go directly to this page in order to see what his shop has to offer. After a little education about PGP and link-hunting, I was also able to send him my credit-card details and my order encrypted. Yes, GPG is all fine and good (I use it), but it still lacks a solid, out-of-the-box integration to w32 mail clients. As I understand it, Chris is a computer-literate person but not a techie.
  
  Incidentally, if anyone happens to know a nice free software shopping-cart system that runs on IIS and can access and use Worldpay's brokerage system, Chris would love to know about it. I tried to find one, but it seems very few shopping cart packages actually interface with Worldpay. It would be so good to get c64audio.com usable and accessible to all users. As the situation stands at the moment, that functionality bug may cost Chris quite a many customers. Given the selection of retro spirited records there is rather impressive, it's a shame.
  
  --
  There is no such thing as good luck. There is only misfortune and its occasional absence.
Anyone remember Rick Dangerous? by Komrade+S. · 2002-09-10 22:14 · Score: 2, Interesting

The faux Indiana Jones themesong from the Amiga 500 classic still haunts me late at night...

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s200.org - visit it (me), love it (me).
UADE plays most Amiga music formats by Anonymous Coward · 2002-09-10 22:19 · Score: 2, Informative

If you are interested in listening to old amiga retro songs on UNIX you can use UADE (Unix Amiga Delitracker Emulator).

http://www.ee.tut.fi/~heikki/uade.html

UADE plays approximately 150 sound formats (mod variants, future composer, hippel, brian's sound monitor,david whittaker etc..)

You can obtain songs from Exotica
http://hangar18.campus.luth.se/exotica/

Oh btw. UADE is Free / Open Source Software.
128kbps 44KHz stereo by Zakabog · 2002-09-10 22:21 · Score: 2, Interesting

Why? With a 128kbps stream, 3 seconds of audio is larger than most of the games on the C64 and amiga. There's no vocals, complicated guitar riffs, anything else that would need high bitrates, alot of beeps and different pitches, why would you need 128kbps 44KHz stereo?
1. Re:128kbps 44KHz stereo by hrm · 2002-09-10 22:42 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  If you're not emulating the C64 SID chip, you'll need a fairly high-bit (just as high as for "normal" music) mp3 stream to properly reproduce the audio.
  
  The SID chip didn't just beep at different pitches, it was a digital/analog synthesizer on a single chip.
  
  When BYTE magazine compiled a list of the 20 most memorable microchips ever, the SID chip was in there. At the time, it was way ahead of every other sound producing silicon found in home computers. Some considered the Commodore Amiga's fully digital synthesizer chips a step back.
Alambik Player ??? by MavEtJu · 2002-09-10 22:24 · Score: 2

Never heard of it, but the stream looks like a normal Shoutcast/Icecast stream and xmms likes it.

Now if they only started to play Arkanoid... :-)

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bash$ :(){ :|:&};:
1. Re:Alambik Player ??? by richie2000 · 2002-09-10 22:41 · Score: 2
  
  Now if they only started to play Arkanoid... :-)
  I have it as ring signal on my cellphone. It's interesting to see who recognizes it (not many do).
  
  --
  Money for nothing, pix for free
Machinae Supremacy by eddy · 2002-09-10 22:27 · Score: 2

Since I'm not affiliated with the group I can plug them. c64-inspired rock is my own description. They have ~130MByte of music available for download. I know that most of my friends who were into c64 music also dig these guys.

Get the vorbises, not the mp3s.

--
Belief is the currency of delusion.
1. Re:Machinae Supremacy by Bostik · 2002-09-11 06:06 · Score: 2
  
  Yep, their playing and sounds really appeal to retroists :) I even made an audio CD out of the vorbises, so I would have something different to listen to while driving. Evidently, my girlfriend's little brother fell in love in the music when she was visiting her family back home - and asked if he could keep the CD. Well, I can always burn a new one. At the same time, I might have given the band some new listeners. Her brother will, undoubtedly, play that cd to his friends...
  
  Their appearance on this year's Assembly was one of the reasons I organized myself a ticket there. Sure, when live, they play louder and much more aggressively than on those downloadable versions but it was a nice gig no matter what. Too bad their vocalist put too much force in his performance after the (second of third) encore that he snapped a string from his electric guitar. I never got to hear Anthem Apocalyptica live :(
  
  --
  There is no such thing as good luck. There is only misfortune and its occasional absence.
MSX radio channel by MavEtJu · 2002-09-10 22:35 · Score: 2

There is even an MSX radio channel.

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bash$ :(){ :|:&};:
Nectarine by Jugalator · 2002-09-10 22:44 · Score: 4, Interesting

I'm personally a big fan of the Nectarine. Broadcasting music from the demo scene of the 80's and 90's. Timeless Amiga and C64 music such as Second Reality, Nine Fingers, Deadlock, Desert Dreams, and much more. You need this site if ever having owned an Amiga/C64, especially if you had lots of MODs that were lost when switching to PC or was into demos. Check out the Top 50 requested music yourself and let Winamp enjoy playing some excellent retro MOD/S3M music!

I hope that site never dies, and likely it won't since the material they play is either copyright free or played with the author's permission. So it's a free station playing free music.

--
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
No Alambik needed by YeeHaW_Jelte · 2002-09-10 22:52 · Score: 3, Insightful

I dunno why Retro Radio insists on using Alambik, probably some commercial reason, because the stream is just mp3's
at http://nectarine.ipsyn.net:8002.
Alambik seems to be Internet Explorer/ Windows only.

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"The chances of a demonic possession spreading are remote -- relax."
Retro Music ... Ogged! by Jugalator · 2002-09-10 22:53 · Score: 2

Credits to Machinae Supremacy for using the Ogg Vorbis format to release free retro music and remixes! (and of course for being swedes like me ;) )

Awesome Gianna Sisters Remix
(you know -- that Super Mario clone for Amiga)

Sidology Episode I - Sid Evolution
(mix of great ogged C64 SID music)

Sidology Episode III - Apex Ultima
(more of the same!)

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Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
1. Re:Retro Music ... Ogged! by BigJimSlade · 2002-09-11 01:17 · Score: 2
  
  Sort of on-topic: I noticed that some (if not all) of the music compo entries at Assembly this year were released in Ogg format. Kudos! Now all I need is support for Ogg in iTunes for my TiBook.
Re:It's dead Jim by Jugalator · 2002-09-10 22:57 · Score: 2

Amiga isn't dead

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Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
Swinth by Micah · 2002-09-10 23:05 · Score: 2

Anyone remember Swinth and Swinth II on the C64? Produced awesome music and cool laser effects.

I have VICE installed on my Linux box, but last time I tried I couldn't find disk images for it.

I still have my stack of Commodore disks and my C64 and 1541 disk drive, but haven't bothered to look for the cable to connect it to my PC and get the disk images on my Linux box. If I did that I could finally dump the 64.... VICE really does work great.
1. Re:Swinth by dillon_rinker · 2002-09-11 09:20 · Score: 2
  
  Yup...good old Swynth. Used to zone out on it for 20-30 minutes ata time. IIRC, it was a combination of two other programs: Swish and Synth Sample (thus the spelling of the name). I've not heard it in fifteen years and can still close my eyes, see the lines, and hear the music. Google doesn't turn up anything useful; anyone got a copy somewhere?
Rob Hubbard a go-go.... by mccalli · 2002-09-10 23:13 · Score: 5, Insightful

I can't be the only one who doesn't understand why Rob Hubbard was writing computer game music.
He should have been in a band. A good band. A brilliant band. I would still love to hear One Man and His Droid played by a rock band that knows its stuff...
Cheers,
Ian
1. Re:Rob Hubbard a go-go.... by mccalli · 2002-09-11 01:05 · Score: 2
  
  Would this be the same Rob Hubbard from dearrob.mod ? I never heard any of his music (AFAIK)
  Not come across that one - at work right now but I'll download tonight and have a listen.
  Chances are very strong, though, that the answer is "yes it is the same person". If you've done any C64 gaming, chances are you'll have heard at least something by him.
  To find out more about Rob and what he wrote, go to The Complete Works of Rob Hubbard, where there are interviews and downloads. If you've not heard him before, try at least One Man and his Droid, Sanxion, Master of Magic and Commando. Probably International Karate too.
  Cheers,
  Ian
Re:broadcasting C64 apps by Jugalator · 2002-09-10 23:16 · Score: 2

I wonder what would happen if there was an active RIAA back then. Ban radio tranmissions since they're in violation of the DMCA, as they can be used to circumvent copy protection!

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Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
Re:Amiga! ST! (really OctaMED and Bars'n'Pipes) by mccalli · 2002-09-10 23:19 · Score: 2

Seriously though, the Amiga was _much_ better for music than the ST - musicians often fell for the false economy of the ST with it's built in (crappy) midi port...
Er...no. For soundtracker and computer-based music, there's no argument. The Amiga destroyed the ST (and I was an ST owner).
For pro MIDI-work however, the Amiga never really got a look in. The availability of Cubase on the ST, and the high-res (for the time) mono monitor made for a superb production environment.
Cheers,
Ian
Re:broadcasting C64 apps by MavEtJu · 2002-09-10 23:22 · Score: 2

Heh, that reminds me of Basicode.

On the dutch radio between 1980 and 1985 there was the computer/science/space program Hobbyscoop and they always had a newsletter in Basic. This was at the time that every computer was different (Z80-based, 6800-based, 8080-based etc etc), with all different kinds of Basics with all different kind of ways to do things (for example, clear the screen, on the MSX it was CLS, on the Philips P2000T is was print chr$(12)). To overcome this problem they has a set of basic-subroutines. For example if you did "gosub 100", you cleared the screen. If you did "gosub 110", you would go to position (x%,y%) on the screen etc. This way the one basic program could be ran on all home-computers at that time.

Every wednesday evening between 19:25 and 19:30 the newsletter was send and it was just like playing an data-tape on your cassettedeck. I taped it and later on with a simple three resistor circuit played it on the printerport of the P2000 and I could read my weekly news about space and the MIR, interesting things regarding computers or if programs were send I could calculate when the next lunar eclipse was or when the next full moon would be etc etc etc.

Oh euh.. Rocketscience? Not really. But it was the beginning of the 80s, when home-computers started to become popular and the reign of the IBM PC hadn't started yet... Way cool stuff :-)

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bash$ :(){ :|:&};:
Re:Amiga! ST! (really OctaMED and Bars'n'Pipes) by cluke · 2002-09-10 23:22 · Score: 2

Actually, MS did eventually release the source for Bars'n'Pipes, and it has undergone many modernising improvements since.

Have a look.
Re:Nectarine by Jugalator · 2002-09-10 23:32 · Score: 2

Aahh... I see. :-P
Well, all credit to the Nectarine then! :-D

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Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
I think it was "Swynth" by Just+Some+Guy · 2002-09-11 00:50 · Score: 2

If anyone finds or has this program, please email me! I've had one of those songs running through my head from the moment I downloaded VICE (and Forbidden Forest :) a few weeks ago.

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Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
C64 music played live by RasmusW · 2002-09-11 02:40 · Score: 2, Interesting

Well there actually is a danish band playing C64 music on real instruments:

www.pressplayontape.com

I just love their version of Warhawk =)

-Raz
Waste of bandwidth? by poot_rootbeer · 2002-09-11 03:01 · Score: 2

The Amiga's sound system was 4-channel (2L, 2R) 22kHz, 8-bit, right?

So why is the mp3 stream being broadcast in 128 kbps, 44kHz, 16-bit fidelity?
Re:Nectarine is the BEST. I've donated to them. by Jugalator · 2002-09-11 05:17 · Score: 2

lol.. Yes, I find their music good to code to as well. :) I should really listen more to them since I tend to forget about the station. :-P And donate too.

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Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
This kind of thing pisses me off by drinkypoo · 2002-09-11 05:23 · Score: 2

What do we have here? A bunch of MOD and SID tunes, being converted to a stream, and then pushed out over the internet.
Why can't they just 'stream' me the MOD or SID and let me play it with something on my local system? It would substantially reduce bandwidth use.

--
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
1. Re:This kind of thing pisses me off by drinkypoo · 2002-09-11 09:54 · Score: 2
  
  The only difficulty I've seen with trackers is that none of them that I can find these days play Protracker mods right. The last player I had which did it properly (besides MED) was Intuitracker, AKA Buggy POS, on AmigaDOS.
  Apparently Protracker has both the usual speed command found in mods and a tempo command. If you change the tempo it remembers the previous tempo, and if you set tempo to '0' it's supposed to return to the previous tempo.
  Instead, almost every tracker treats tempo as an alias to speed and when you set tempo to '0' it starts playing at speed 0, not the previous tempo.
  Regardless winamp (and probably xmms) will play NT/PT/FT/XM/S3M/MED/OktaMED, with the caveat that they screw up PT. You can see this effect on the classic MOD "Klisje Paa Klisje" which is a demotune from Cryptoburners.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"