Amiga Music Preservation -

Interview

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`qb ,dP'

TLb. ,dMP' all rite, now you get the chance to read

TML.dMMP some facts about some of the major amiga

,nmm`XXMPX musicians. read about their history in

,#MP'~~XNXYNXTb. the scene and their plans in future.yes,

,d~' dNNP `YNTb. that's meant to be read while listening to

,~ ,NN' `YNb their modules. read 'em over and over and over..

dNP `Yb.

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Handle:

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Group:

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Date of birth:

1-How did your interest for computers start? Which year was that?

When I was about 2, my dad brought home a C64/128. I was encouraged to use it
since computers were said to be big in the future. Of course as a kid you get
hooked on games for some time before finding out other things you can do.
I was not terribly good at social skills in school or good at sports (very
big pastime in Aus, especially in the country areas where I grew up) so I
spent a lot of time on the machine rather than playing whatever was the current
sports based pastime.

2-What machines did you previously have? What did you do with them?

First off was the C64, for about 12 years or so I tried a bit of coding but
never really got anywhere (too young and no references available) So I just
ended up playing text adventure games. Other major machines (like the Amiga)
never really saw themselves in homes where I lived and hence I never used or
saw them. I had a few Sega game systems before we got out first PC,
a 486/DX-40. Internet was not available and I was too busy elsewhere.

After this was a P1-166 and internet was finally available in the area.
7 hours per week doesn't give much to do (it did eventually go up to 150);
however I did manage to get a copy of Turbo Pascal and experiment with it.
Jingle bells in PC speaker eventually got annoying though and at some point
nothing DOS based would work, the machine died and got repaired.

Now more interested in the music area I got a copy of YAMP off a magazine cover
disk, it contained the ability to play a bunch of music files I had never heard
of I did some research via search engines found out about the retro and tracker
scenes, although all attempts to do anything would fail as FT2 would completely
kill everything and IT2 would never download :\

At about late 1999 early 2000, I got a P3-650 and was able to get modplug
tracker working and did a whole bunch of crap before switching over to buzz in
2002-3 and now use a P4-2.53GHz machine.

3-For what specific reason did you end up making music rather than gfx, Coding?

Actually I do a bit of each because I was not too skilled at any of them.

Music was also easy to start out with; my family had a large chunky organ in
the lounge room which I would practise on. Also it's easier to get something
running and a lot of programs are freely available. $1200AUD for Photoshop
or a decent C compiler is not good for the average teenager who makes $5AUD a
week.

I guess its also something you can start up and go just to pass the time;
results may not resemble music, but its better than writing out lines of code
that do nothing or Cursing the lack of a drawing tablet.

4-Which composing programs have you been using? Which one in particular?

Nothing I tried first off would work, so it's the more recent programs.

Modplug Tracker and Buzz for the PC. I've got Midi soft 4 but its win 3.1
layout and tracker based programs making more sense to me has seen it been used
once.

I'm currently using Buzz for everything I do, however due to its buggy nature.
I'm looking into others that are good.

5-With which module did you feel you had reached your goal?

Not many, I'm aiming too high with what I do. There is a few I'm happy with
but I always feel afterwards that little things could be changed or added or
have more depth. I guess as an answer this would technically be a few -test-
modules where I would be trying to achieve a certain effect or sequence of
sounds.

6-Is there a tune you would like not to remember? For what reason?

Tune number #2, it was called in a very creative manner -The BUZZING song!-
And is pure rubbish and very annoying.

Dooo-Doooo-Dooo-Dooooooo! Clap-clap! (Repeat for 1.5 minutes) then place cat
on keyboard.

At the time I though I as really clever until I improved and looked back on it.

7-In your opinion, what's the value of music in a demo, game?

It sets the scene, mood and theme. If the music doesn't fit in with its
visual companion, then it will not only sound bad, but make the demo or
game look bad as well. So it's very important to get it good and synched.

It doesn't have to be a demo or game, have you seen movies with an awful
or out of place soundtrack and also thought the film to be bad?

The one thing I dislike now is the use of vocal pop or rock bands in games.
Where is the charm gone? I don't mind if a song with vocals is used or if an
independent band is playing.

But if some popular group is trying to cash in on and/or improve popularity by
sticking themselves in a game then I either ignore the game or put volume to
zero and play something on the CD player in the background.

8-At present, are you still composing? For professional or leisure Purposes?

Yes, VERY SLOWLY and for leisure. I'm not yet at a commercial or pro level,
but working on improving.

9-What do you think of today's pieces of music such as mpeg,wave,midi,etc...?

to sum each one up:

Wave: samples

Midi: General midi is crap; there is no good way to say it. Although the use
of sound-fonts and its use for storing notation are still good and keeping
it alive, a midi file is not something I want to hear now-days.

Mp1-2-3-4 etc: No point denying that this is very popular, but I'm disappointed
it too so long and is now (MP3 specifically) the only one
getting attention.

OGG: I try getting ogg files when I can in place of mp3, a smaller size and
higher quality are most welcome, unfortunately there are not a good number
of players out there and it's very disappointing.

WMA: Or what ever it is called, I haven't heard too much of this apart from
Microsoft promoting it to hell and back. Nothing too good though.

I know of a few others out there, like digital surround formats but have yet
to hear them. I question the logic in some cases as most people still have a
2.0 or 2.1 speaker setup, thus making the effort wasted.

10-Could you tell us some of your all times favourite tunes?

By other artists?

Martin Galway's Wizball intro. This was the first computer tune I ever heard
played. No one I knew could be bothered listening to anything made on the
Sid-chip though.

I also like the work demo group FR has done with kb's softsynth. The sound is
rather unique and refreshing.

11-Are you planning to make an audio CD with some of your music Remastered?

Maybe in the far future when I get to a level I am happy with.

12-What bands are you currently listening to?

Not many, I prefer more solo electronica acts or small non-band groups,
however I've recently been listening to: IRiS, Machinae Supremacy.

13-What does/did the amiga/c64 scene give you?

Many happy memories and a preference for the different.

14-Are you still active in the scene these days?

I'm planning on making more ways inward. At the moment my only activity is
downloading prods via pouet.

15-Anyone to greet? Anything left to say? Feel free...

Heya to Dae, Sythian, MiE, T. Dawson, N. Drew and all others I knew when I got
on the internet. Anybody in the C64 scene. Family, friends or pets who may
read this.

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please note: this interview is ©opyrighted in 2005 by crown of cryptoburners
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