Colecovision Drum Machine Cart Created

Thanks to AtariAge for discussing their first title to be published for the classic ColecoVision console, called CVDRUM. According to their site, "CVDRUM is a new ColecoVision cartridge by E-Mancanics, based on popular software and hardware drum machines, that enables the user to create up to 9 different one measure musical rhythm patterns.. which can then be arranged.. [and] looped for musical performance. The tempos are also close enough that it can be used in concert with Paul Slocum's Atari 2600 SynthCart." The cart will be unveiled at the Austin Gaming Expo on July 26th.

Comments

Commodore?

[GigsVT]

Wouldn't it make more sense to put these types of things on a Commodore 64/128 that already has a kick ass synth chip?

Re:Commodore?

[bjb]

Wouldn't it make more sense to put these types of things on a Commodore 64/128 that already has a kick ass synth chip?

Yeah, sure.. it's already been done, but that's not the point. The point is that someone did it, its got very cool retro gaming geek value, and it is the first (?) exploit of the ColecoVision's capabilities to date. We've had the Atari SynthCart before and C64 toys before, we've seen the IntyOS just in the last two weeks, but nothing yet for ColecoVision.

However, I will agree that the ColecoVision's sound chip (AY-5-8910, I believe?) was nothing special. Using it for a drum machine is a bit limited. If I remember correctly, it has 1 white noise channel and 3 tone generators. Still, it made better music than my Apple ][ at the time (until I got the Echo ][+ card, which had the same chip).

Re:Commodore?

[Winterblink]

Wouldn't it make more sense to put these types of things on a Commodore 64/128 that already has a kick ass synth chip?

It might. But then most of the work is already done for you.

Re:Commodore?

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

Commodore 64 Cynthcart has been done. Here's the author's summary:

"I've got a working cartridge image that plays filtered bass notes from keyboard keys (keys match up with the C64 piano keyboard overlay: Q,2,W,3,E,R..etc) Currently it's monophonic and only plays one bass sound, but it does sound pretty nice. It runs on the CCS64 emulator. In the emulator press ALT-C to select a cartridge image.

I've also got it working as a cartridge on a real C64. I removed the chips from a Magic Desk I cartridge (thanks to Nicholas Coplin's hardware projects page) and installed a socket for an EPROM. See pictures below."

Re:Commodore?

[Brandon T.]

A company has already built a completely dedicated piece of hardware around the sid music chip from the commodore 64: http://www.sidstation.com.

Re:Commodore?

[Paul Slocum]

Many retro-programmers like to program the console they first owned which may be the reason for the programmer's platform choice.

But for people that are really into making music using old computer/video game gear, each of those sound chips has its own unique sound. Granted the CV's TI chip is less interesting than the Atari and Commodore chips, but I think the CVDrum programmer has come up with some cool sounds. I even programmed a synth on my TRS-80 Model III with no sound chip because of the great gritty tone the cassette output produces. Plus, working within the limitations of those early sound chips forces you think about sound and be creative in ways that you aren't with a Korg workstation.

Re:Commodore?

[mrseigen]

I'm also just interested in having a new cart to shove into my CV. Frenzy's wearing a bit thin.

Re:Commodore?

[Anonymous Coward]

i want an SB Live on a coleco.

Re:Commodore?

[zonker]

the colecovision was the best console system out at the time until the nes ran away with the show. i still have mine with a large pile of games. god i love that machine.

My question is....

[Anonymous Coward]

...why?

Why on earth would you want to do this?

Is this what unemployment does to people?

[Ath]

So much free time, so many new worthless creations.

Re:Is this what unemployment does to people?

[karmawarrior]

Rather than bitch about it, have you considered actually doing something about unemployment? If you, as you apparently do, believe that unemployment leads to people wasting time, then surely the way to create new and wonderful things is to do something about unemployment. Create jobs where people can create things of worth.

Not that this means I agree with you in your senseless flame of the person who put together this project, but I do have concerns when people do not themselves deal with issues. Creating jobs is creating something worthwhile, and I believe strongly that doing so will improve the situation for everyone.

This quagmire of job creation being undermined by unnecessary flames and those in work seeing the work of those who are not as worthless will not disappear by itself. Unless people are prepared to actually act, not just talk about it on Slashdot, nothing will ever get done. Apathy is not an option.

You can help by getting off your rear and writing to your congressman or senator. Write also to Jack Valenti, the CEO and chair of the MPAA, whose address and telephone number can be found at the About the MPAA page. Write too to Bill Gates, Chief of Technologies and thus in overall charge of systems like Windows NT, at Microsoft. Tell them that unemployment is a critical issue for you. Tell them that the talents of people are being wasted by not providing them with jobs. Tell them that you appreciate the work being done to improve the economy but that if unemployment continues to grow you will be forced to use less and less secure and intelligently designed alternatives. Let them know that SMP may make or break whether you can efficiently deploy OpenBSD on your workstations and servers. Explain the concerns you have about freedom, openness, and choice, and how unemployment harms all three. Let your legislators know that this is an issue that effects YOU directly, that YOU vote, and that your vote will be influenced, indeed dependent, on their policies concerning job creation.

You CAN make a difference. Don't treat voting as a right, treat it as a duty. Keep informed, keep your political representatives informed on how you feel. And, most importantly of all, vote.

Not Impressed

[Picass0]

A real challenge is port Ardour to the Colecovision. Then I'll be impressed!

Where's the love ?

[Anonymous Coward]

I need my Lunix on CollecoVision !

Re:Where's the love ?

[Anonymous Coward]

its in the works probably, hard to fit a kernel into such small memory

The complete system

[Dsal]

Now I can play the bongos and Congo Bongo on one convenient platform