[sdiy] Re: and firmware synth

[Rainer Buchty]

>I've never written machine code for an i86 and frankly, segmented
>addressing pisses me off.

Amen, brother!

>So this is my feasibility study if you like. Would a 486 be a good enough
>target to start with? How easy can I make this in terms of tools and
>libraries without having to torture myself by trying to learn something
>like C. (or even Forth for that matter. Much as I like forth.)

486, especially later models like DX4/100, should be plenty. Just look
what old Demos from the early to mid 90s show ("2nd Reality",
anyone?)... And then keep in mind that Synths in the 80s and early 90s
were driven by 8- and 16-bit CPUs in the range of 2-16MHz.

However, if x86 assembly isn't yours (which I can fully understand),
you're pretty much stuck with C and, maybe, Pascal.

>Does this sound like a plan? Anything I've overlooked? Any catches? Is this
>worth poking my head into any time soon?

If you're planning to make use of the BIOS anyway, why not going a step
further and also use DOS so you can also make use of pre-existing sound
card and MIDI interface drivers? But don't forget to keep the 640kB
barrier in mind, or else you have to get acquainted with so-called DOS
extenders. No need to license a commercial one, the (free) DJGPP suite
IIRC contains one -- but would also force you to use C.

Rainer