MOS6581

[Christopher Randall]

> Didn't it originate in the Commodore 64s? It was developed for Commodore
and
> used in 64s, but my memory is a little fuzzy about weither it did occur in
> some earlier model (i.e. VIC-20), but I don't think so.
>

Yep. AFAIK, the C64 series was the only device to ever use this chip when it
was in production. You can get the SidStation ( http://www.sidstation.com )
which is built around a MOS6581. I have one, and while it's certainly a
little silly, it can make some cool sounds. Good lead sounds, actually. By
the nature of the chip, it can only do 3 voice polyphony, and the unison
mode is first note priority, which is the single most annoying feature I
could possibly imagine, but I like it anyways.

-Chris Randall