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From: ahonen@ohdake.uta.fi. (Anssi Ahonen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games
Subject: Re: Quality
Message-ID: <1650@kielo.uta.fi>
Date: 12 Oct 90 11:06:37 GMT
References: <901011.170932.CDT.C503719@UMCVMB>
Sender: news@uta.fi
Reply-To: ahonen@ohdake.uta.fi. (Anssi Ahonen)
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In article <901011.170932.CDT.C503719@UMCVMB>,
C503719@UMCVMB.MISSOURI.EDU (Baird McIntosh) writes:

> I have to agree with you on the 64-Amiga sound comparison.  The Amiga is
> definitely able to mimic anything produced on a 3-voice 64, but the software
> and programmers are not doing it.  Soundtracker, Noisetracker, et al are fine
> Amiga sample sequencers, but they don't do any synthesis.  Sonix creates its
> own custom Analog synth instruments, and these are good, but you still don't
> see a lot of 'on-the-go' sound changes in Amiga scores (such as crescendos,
> decrescendos, tempo changes, ...)  While Amiga songs are usually
sample-laden,
> they are often not very interesting musically.  I got out of the C64 games
> arena in 87-88, but some interesting/good music I recall includes: the music
> for Ocean's RAMBO, classical pieces in Gyruss and Trolls & Tribulations, and
> Seven Cities of Gold's title music.  I had a SidPlayer version of the
M.U.L.E.
> theme song as well.  Yes, the C64 really did sound good... and programmers
> really could push it to the limits.


If you like to hear your favourite C64 tunes on the Amiga, there
is a great demo disk around, programmed by two Swedish programmers,
which contains about 100 C64 tunes on one disk! And the tunes
are really faithfull conversions of C64 originals. (100 % SID emulation)

I think the reason why so many Amiga tunes are nowadays simply boring,
is the fact that it is almost TOO easy to make music with the Amiga.
You just need a soundtracker (one of the 999999 versions?), a couple of
drum samples and that's it. An instant house song, with no melody, no
chord progressions and no MUSIC. And the music programmers for the Amiga
are far too often 16-year old kids with some assembly programming 
background but no musical training.

Anyway...there ARE some good music for the Amiga!
For example, check out these musicians:

SLL (from Denmark, I suppose?)
One of the first SoundTracker wizards. Simple and melodic techno-pop.

Maniacs of Noise (especially Jeroen Tel)
A Dutch bunch of music programmers. Many great game-themes.

Alistair Brimble and Bjorn Lynne
Regular contributors of "NewsFlash"-disk magazine.

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Anssi 'Affe' Ahonen
"You're never dead till you're out of quarters"