[sdiy] Re: and firmware synth

[Scott Gravenhorst]

Rainer Buchty <rainer at buchty.net> wrote:
>>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.

Wow, well, in a similar thread some years ago I had suggested this same
thing, i.e., use DOS as an OS to develop and load a music generating program
- and I got rotten tomatoes tossed at me.  I have 2 or 3 machines that I
could do this with.  I don't mind C at all and I have a copy of QuickC 2.5
for DOS.  Also 2 or 3 ISA SoundBlaster cards.  As far as 640K goes, I would
hope that something useful could be done with 640K, but I also have an XMS
library package.  

I, for one, have interest in the idea of a DOS loadable synth.  I've got
machines from a 486-33 (pizza box 486!), a 486-66 and a (AMD)5x86-133.  I've
used the 486-66 as a MIDI filter, but I've always thought these machines are
capable of more.

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-- Scott Gravenhorst | LegoManiac / Lego Trains / RIS 1.5
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