A new version of Mod Master XT beta 22 by FreddyV is available on Vogons. It lets you hear a lot of music modules formats on any PC under msdos even a PC XT (CGA), for example an Amstrad PC 1512/1640 or a PPC 512/640...

New features are :

• Fixed one bug for the Tandy Port config
• Added OPL3LPT Support
• Changed in the way the mixing buffers are managed
• Added the support for the Tandy DAC output (DMA)

WARNING: Don't use Pause, it does not work.

BSC has released the source code of Soundtrakker 128.

He is also the author of AYAY Kaeppttn!a SID player/tracker .

He is working on AY³ aka AYcubed, a new SID engine which emulates some parts of the SID sound like:

• 3 independent voices
• synthesized square and sawtooth wave forms
• variable duty cycle on square waves Stereo!

I recommand to listen to the Amstrad CPC music by E-dredon which is composing music with a Playcity (made by ToTO), which means 3 AY sound chip for a total of 9 channels.

A new version of Mod Master XT beta 21 by FreddyV is available on Vogons. It lets you hear a lot of music modules formats on any PC under msdos even a PC XT (CGA), for example an Amstrad PC 1512/1640 or a PPC 512/640...

If it was possible, I would vote for JB Le Daron singing with piano. To be listened to religiously.

For the pleasure of your ears, here are two musical remixes of the game International Karate :

• International Karate played with a homemade 8-bit synthesizer : the chipophone by Linus Åkesson
• International Karate (C64 cover) by SynthPeter

Richard Bannister was the maintainer of a MacOS port of the Arnold emulator, now maintained by Kevin Thacker. But he is also the author of the Audio Overload utility which lets you play VGM music files, including .AY and .YM Amstrad music files. This utility runs on MacOS, Windows and Linux.

Targhan has released Arkos Tracker v2.0.0a9 for linux, windows and mac.

An Amstrad PPC640 computer with only a beeper is not good at all for sound, except if you use a parrallel adaptator such as the Covox4 or the OPL3LPT. I will test it later when Mod Master XT par FreddyV will support it.

But there is still a possibility to have the best sound possible for a msdos computer by using the DB25 serial port (with a DB9 adaptator) and a DB9 to Mini-DIN 8 pins cable (DBK-103 by Hosa Technology) connected to a SC-55st Roland expander presented by LGR on Youtube.

In this video the sound only starts at 35 seconds so click on this link to avoid the start of the video which only shows me launching the msdos gsplay utility.

8-Bit Keys has made an interesting video showing the structure of the music played during the high score table of Commando, which he is playing on a Yamaha PSR-32 keyboard (1987).

A new version of Mod Master XT beta 19 by FreddyV is available on Vogons. It lets you hear a lot of music modules formats on any PC under msdos even a PC XT (CGA). This last version adds the support for adlib sound music files, and for a next version the support of the OPLxLPT (OPL2 and 3).

A portable computer like the Amstrad PPC 640, released in 1988 has no ISA expansion ports, he has only a feeble speaker. So you may think it isnt possible to get some nice sound except of simple beeps ?

On the Amstrad CPC it was possible to have a better sound using a Digiblaster sound card connected to the parallel port. It was a simple electronic device with several resistors, not difficult to make in fact.

Well, there is the same thing on PC since ages : the Covox Speech Thing.. It is possible to buy a Covox 4 on Serdashop which is an upgraded version of the Covox Speech Thing (higher precision resistors : 0.1% and low pass filter). For more informations about the Covox, I recommand reading the related articles on Nerdly Pleasures.

I also bought the MCE2VGA on Serdashop which lets you use a VGA external screen instead of only using the internal screen which is quite lacking.

The software used here is Mod Master XT beta 18 by FreddyV which you can download on Vogons.

Targhan has released Arkos Tracker v2.0.0a8 for linux, windows and mac.

• Play and compose your music in real-time on your CPC via any serial interface! The CPC client supports the CPC/Mini Booster, USIfAC and Albireo! And also the PlayCity! This means you can directly hear how your 3/6/9-channel music will sound on the CPC!
• A toolbox in the pattern viewer to transpose, swap, remap specific instruments.
• Instrument preview when loading them.
• A better MIDI import.
• MOD import can generate PSG instruments instead of samples. Useful for conversion to soundchip!
• New logo and splash screen.
• And many, many smaller features and bug-fixes.

I found a youtube channel with 6 videos of Amstrad CPC music done with 3dsmax and Aftereffects, by juande3050.

Smash my CPC gives you two musical remakes of Amstrad CPC games :

• Ghosts'n Goblins
• Saboteur II, used in the new version by Clive Townsend