Hello everyone, HVSC Update #34 is now available for you to download, just in time for the Christmas period. This one-off update is the largest ever HVSC Update, not only in terms of its size but also the number of SIDs added. This bumper bundle of SID tunes will I am sure brighten up the cold winter nights, and the 20,000 mark is reached too, which is an outstanding achievement! Please note: you must use update tool version 2.8.2 to run this update successfully. The Windows version is included with the update, for other OSes please see the Downloads page at the HVSC web site at http://www.hvsc.c64.org/Downloads/ After this update, the collection should contain 20,325 SID files. This update features (all approximates): 1009 new SIDs (yes, over 1,000 SIDs!) 64 fixed/better rips 100 fixes of PlaySID/Sidplay1 specific SIDs (ie: RSID files) 2 repeats/bad rips eliminated 275 SID credit fixes Main Artists Featured In This Update (new additions only): Deek Amorphis (all musicians) Dwayne Bakewell Richard Bayliss Bleed Into One Blues Muz' (Glenn Gallefoss) Bzyk Comer Da Blondie DaFunk Aleksi Eeben Emil Extern Eye Harmony Productions Harti Matthias Henckell Image Jadawin Jammer Jaymz Julian Konrád Kiss (Con) Klax Maciej Kochan Kordiaukis Merman Mindflow Oedipus PST Rabbi Rayden Shapie Shogoon Sidder László Simon (Roy) TDS Touldie Twoflower Vip and lots, lots more... ---------------------------- What else is in this update? ---------------------------- * Lots of real C64/Sidplay2 fixes and bugfixes * C64-specific sample rips in RSID format (another 100 here) * Competition entries from many C64 competitions, including Flag 2002, Solskogen 2002, Symphony 2002, Role 2002, Vision 2002, Arok 2002, LCP2002, Antiq 2002, North Party 7 and the SID Music Compo II! * Still more credit fixes! * and much more... --------------------------- What's to come next update? --------------------------- * More real C64 specific sample rips * Competition tunes from TUM Party 2002 (hopefully) * and much more.. ------------------------------------ HVSC Administration and Team Changes ------------------------------------ This update is Warren Pilkington's final update as HVSC Administrator. Here's a few words from him: "I would personally like to thank you all for all the support and encouragement that you have given me and indeed the whole HVSC project over the years. Without your help the collection wouldn't be as enjoyable not just for us to look after, but for you to enjoy too. I have mainly decided to retire for personal reasons, and in addition I also feel a new change in direction with new administration will keep the collection's quality intact." Jan Diabelez Arnt Harries (nmioaon) has volunteered to take over the Administration duties, with Peter Sandén assisting him. So in future, if you wish to email the Administrator, please email: Jan Diabelez Arnt Harries If your mail involves a a rip pack or general HVSC Submission, please also email: Peter Sandén LaLa, too, has decided to retire from the HVSC Team due to personal reasons. I am sure I speak on behalf of many SID fans to thank him for the time and effort he's put in, and indeed for initially administrating the STIL. He will still be doing his SID related stuff on his homepage, though, which is very nice of him :) The Team already has fresh new blood, and they joined in September 2002: Simon White (Sidplay2 author) Stephan Schmid (of http://www.demodungeon.com/ fame) Michal Hoffmann (Smalltown Boy/MultiStyle Labs) (C64 musician) ------------------ Minor HVSC Changes ------------------ As from this update, a composer now only requires 4 SIDs (must be from 4 unique games or 4 demo tunes) to gain a directory of their own. You may find that some of your favourite SIDs have moved, so please check the update34.hvs file included with the update if you need to locate where a particular SID went. --------------------------- Back in Time Live - Germany --------------------------- Due to the overwhelming success of Back in Time Live!, there is now going to an event in Germany (near the city of Hamburg) on Saturday 21 June 2003, which will be exactly one year from Back In Time Live! 3. It's still being put together at the moment but you can register for the event at the official site: http://www.c64audio.com/bitlive/sidology/ ----------------------------------------- Edge Retro Special - C64 and SID Featured ----------------------------------------- UK games magazine Edge this month published a "Retro Special" which features many classic games and computers from down the years. There's a special look at the C64, Zzap! 64 magazine, and indeed the SID chip and its events (watch out for the pictures from the Back in Time Live! events for example). Be sure to track down a copy of this magazine at your local newsagents. If you can't, then Chris Abbott has set up a mini-site, which includes interviews from the magazine, features on the SID composers, and the radio show "The 10 Worst SIDs Ever!" where Chris and Boz count down the 10 worst SID tunes. And believe me, some of them are really awful ;) If you wish to take a look at the minisite, then head to: http://www.c64audio.com/edge/ -------------------- Best of VARIOUS 2002 -------------------- For all you fans of composers in the VARIOUS folder of HVSC (and I know that there are many of you out there!), the Best of VARIOUS 2002 is quickly approaching. Of course, the Best of VARIOUS (BOV) is simply the best music within the VARIOUS folder voted on by some serious SID fans. Each year's BOV results are appended to the previous year's results. Will you be nominating and/or voting on tunes for BOV 2002? The nomination phase will commence in week or two from now, so be sure to check out the homepage: www.dhp.com/~shark/BOV/ Feel free to snag the playlists from the previous BoVs to see what has been voted on before. --------------------- SID Hardware Releases --------------------- Firstly, the HardSID is getting a release in a PCI version, so no need to stumble around to find a motherboard with an old ISA slot anymore! The classic card with a SID chip will still be as reliable as ever, and is the only choice for diehard SID fans: http://www.hardsid.com/ Also coming soon is the Catweasel flipper card, which works in a PC and in a Zorro slot of an Amiga, which not only also has a SID chip on board, but also allows you to use your trusty favourite C64 joystick on the PC as well. Maybe worth checking out at: http://www.jschoenfeld.de/products/cwmk3_e.htm -------------------------------- Mods Covered on the C64 - Update -------------------------------- The "Modules Covered on the C64" collection has been updated with 14 more modules. This collection gives you the pleasure of hearing some songs that inspired a few SID tunes. Also, the collection has switched over to a more friendly ilenaming standard. Module/SID fans should check it out at: http://gallium.prg.dtu.dk/MODs/ -------------------- NanoSIDplay released -------------------- A new SID player, NanoSIDPlay, was released recently. Here's what was announced about it: There is a new sid-music player available, named NanoSIDPlay, developed by Tom Roger Skauen (that well-known C64 composer) and Laurent Ovaert. Instead of emulating the Sound Interface Device chip along with the whole environment (which is the way SIDPlay2/w does it), it simply reads values that a tune writes into the SID registers. Of course, it has to use format totally different from PSID/RSID. So, a new format is introduced - called ZSID (after Zipped SID, most probably). ZSID stores values from SID registers (also tune length/loop data and precise, almost cycle-exact information about ADSR changes) in compressed format. Of course, it has its disadvantages - for example it cannot store multiple subtunes in a file. All in all, very much alike YM format, commonly used to play Atari ST music. There exists a PSID->ZSID converter, but it is unfinished and unavailable at the moment. NanoSIDPlay developers have a plan to convert the whole HVSCinto the ZSID format, so it could be played on NanoSIDPlay. NanoSIDPlay is not trying to compete with SIDPlay2/w in terms of sound fidelity etc. (but it isn't bad compared to STSound for example, try it yourself!), it has just one advantage - runs C64 tunes smoothly even on a 386 class CPU. If you have a low spec PC, why not check it out? http://www.sid6581.org/NanoSID/ ------------ Enjoy the new update, and have a wonderful Christmas - may this be a present you all enjoy! Kind regards The HVSC Team -- This message has been sent to you via the HVSC-Update List. To unsubscribe at any time simply send a mail to hvscupdate-unsubscribe@scenelists.com .