Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!ists!sgl!georg
From: georg@sgl (Georg Feil)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Re: synth sample
Message-ID: <19297@ists.ists.ca>
Date: 20 Feb 91 19:30:34 GMT
Sender: news@ists.ists.ca
Reply-To: georg@sgl (Georg Feil)
Organization: Institute for Space and Terrestrial Science
Lines: 57

astrix@cs.wisc.edu (Lou Goodman) writes:
> somewhere in the deep dark recesses of my mind I seem to remember
> the sampler, but dthere were several (?). Only one seemed to
> have an "ad" with it for the processor... 

I only ever "put out" one version of Synth Sample. Actually, I just gave
a copy to a friend at U of Waterloo, and thought that's where it would end.
Big surprise, when it started to crop up all around the world.
This original version didn't even have my name on it (how was I supposed to
know?).

Eventually Jim Butterfield (Toronto Pet/CBM guru) tracked me down, and 
he must have let others know who did it (He wrote at least one article
about it in TPUG magazine, the Toronto Pet Users Group newsletter). 
Maybe he added the advertisement to later versions of Synth Sample.

In any case, the computer bust of 85/86(?) hit and Synth was never marketed.
The software company I was negotiating with went out of business, and I
started work on a new version of Synth for Midi, to be called MSS.

> So... what is
> synth? (and, while you're at it the cost, since you are probably
> the sole possessor/distributor at this time).

Synth is a music and sound effects development system. You edit music in the
form of a simple computer language (with "loops" and "subroutines"), which lets
you do things very compactly (that's why Synth Sample was small compared to
the amount of music in it).  All music plays in the "background" (interrupts).
When you're done, you can automatically link the music (and the music player) 
to any basic program, ending up with something similar to Synth Sample, except
that the basic program can be arbitrary. You could, for example, write a
game, design the sound effects and music using Synth, and then link the two
in one automatic step. If your game is more complicated, with overlays and
machine code, you link the music to the initial basic boot program.

As for cost, it's ten bucks, which is just enough so I don't have to 
stuff envelopes for nothing. I have been selling MSS at this price as well.
So far sales volume hasn't reached double digits yet :-}

Anyone who really wants Synth can send a cheque for $10 to the address below.
Keep in mind that you get what you pay for -- it's not a professional
"product", especially by today's standards. There's no fancy graphics (except
for the intro screen) and it's not particularly user-friendly. There is 
plenty of online help, so you don't need a printed reference manual.

Georg.

----------------------
Georg Feil
425 Main Street
Toronto, Ont. CANADA
M4C 4Y1
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Georg Feil                                 Internet: georg@sgl.ists.ca
Space Geodynamics Laboratory               (toronto.edu address no longer valid)
ISTS, 2700 Steeles Ave West                   Phone: (416) 665-5458
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