Posts tagged Brainstorm

NOW! Amstrad CPC Music Disk Released At Main Party 2010

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NOW! Screenshot NOW! is a music disk I have been working on in collaboration with Ultrasyd and Fenyx Kell for the Amstrad CPC 128K system. The music disk features 12 awesome music tracks, and was coded in a little over two weeks before I get settled into working on Zine again. This is my first production on the Amstrad (and also the first CPC project for Brainstorm) that was any good (as I did a bit of BASIC many moons ago), I have played with a friends system many years ago as a kid, but this is the first piece of code I have written on the system that hasn’t been utter shite. I am very pleased with the outcome of this project, and the music is amazing 🙂

I started working on this project on Sept. 13 with Ultrasyd, as the people who were supposed to write him a music disk had bailed out of the project. I took it on as a challenge, realizing the path would not be straight and easy, plus I have been looking for an excuse to get back into 8-bit development for quite some time 🙂

The project is written using Z88DK (available HERE) and uses C and Z80 Assembly language. I used CPCRSlib for some of the graphics code, mixed with a bit of my own dodgy code. The music replayer is by Targhan and available HERE.

There were many technical challenges on this project. The biggest was the small amount of RAM available to the system at any one time, certainly not enough to hold all the music let alone the program and the data it needed to run. At one point, I spent 2 solid days working on getting 5 tunes in and working without crashing the computer, when I realized a mistake I had made in some code earlier that would allow me to hold many more. So at around 4pm yesterday I was able to fit all 12 songs into the production without a problem. Nothing quite like a last second fix for a production thats due to be released the very next morning 🙂 Many thanks to Ultrasyd for staying up late on the CVGM OneLiner to get this thing finished in time for Main (and showing it off to the Amstrad community there). There is also a hidden, 13th tune 🙂

Download the DSK file Here. To run, insert the disk and type RUN “NOW!” to start the music disk. Up & Down arrow keys to change between music. Escape to quit. If you wish to run this in an emulator, I recommend using JavaCPC or WinAPE. This disk has been fully tested on real 6128 Hardware (Thanks again, Ultrasyd!).

Full Production Credits

Music: Ultrasyd/BRS and Fenyx Kell
Graphics: Yes/BRS (Loading Screen), Ultrasyd/BRS (Main Picture)
Code: FishGuy876/BRS
See the TXT file on the DSK/Zip for a full list of everyones greetings and thanks 🙂

EDIT: The music disk was entered into the Wild compo at Main and ranked in 3rd place!!! Fantastic! \o/ Congratulations to everyone again! It can also be found on Pouet now, where you can comment and rate it! Thanks!

Main Party 2010 – Working On A Project With Ultrasyd

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While I won’t be at Main Party this year, Ultrasyd will be, and to mark the occasion I am working on a project with him for some Amstrad CPC music he has written along with Fenyx Kell. We are putting together a music disk that will be released at the party, featuring my code and Ultrasyd’s music and gfx. This will be the first Amstrad CPC project I have work on in almost 16 years (and that was using BASIC code!).

The new disk will be written using the z88dk compiler, which turns raw C code mixed with assembler into Z80 code that can be used on the Amstrad, ZX Spectrum, and many other Z80/Z88 based computers. Its a very exciting project for me, as I have been itching to get into 8-bit development again for quite some time! I will post more on this project as it is released!

Evoke 2010 – You Should Have!!

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Evoke 2010 was awesome this year 🙂 Lots of great demos, great competitions and many great people 🙂 Truly a party to remember 🙂 It was extra special for me, as Zine was released there. The parties held by our fellow Brainstorm goats were also unforgetful, and I absolutely cannot wait until next year!

Yes of Brainstorm took some great pictures, you can find them Here.

Again, thank you to everybody who worked on zine to get it ready in time. It was a show that wont be forgotten!

Zine Issue #14 Has Been Released!

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I guess it is safe to say at this point that the secret project I have been working on for the last few months was Zine 🙂  Zine is a demoscene based disk magazine filled with articles and information on the demoscene and demoscene-related productions. Zine #14 is now available for immediate download. The pouet page (where you can download, as well as comment) can be found Here. Enjoy!

Zine is the first project I worked on after joinging the group Brainstorm, and has been more than a year in production on and off. Most of the work was done on the issue in the last 6 months or so, with a lot of last minute changes and implementations in the last 40 days or so until release making this one of the most challenging projects that I have ever worked on. Last minute stuff always works the best, eh?  🙂 In a positive note, it’s also the first issue to go multi-platform, working on Windows, Mac and Linux! \o/

Overall, im OK with this production. There was a shed load of features and things that I needed to get in and working, but simply didn’t have time. They will have to go into the upcoming issues to meet my personal “This rocks” meter – Unfortunately, if I can see or think of problems that exist in a production, I tend not to think too highly of myself.

Zine #14 was released at the Evoke 2010 demo party, which I attended with my wife epec. It was truly amazing to be stood on the stage in front of all those people talking about something I had worked on. Then throughout the party, looking at peoples screens and monitors to see them reading and talking about the issue. Very inspiring, and made me feel good to have produced something people liked to read 🙂 Evoke really inspired me.

The Zine team wasn’t just myself, I would like to thank the following people and individuals for their help and contributions to the issue (and I apologize if I forget anyone!) :

Axel – Chief editor of Zine
Menace – Co-Editor of Zine with Axel, both responsible for article content and chasing down articles etc.
Epec – Copy Editor & Production Assistant.  Her contributions to articles and scheduling were invaluable on this project, and it would have failed without them.
Prm – Responsible for all article and issue layout graphics once a base layout had been devised and coded in.
Prowler – Artist who composed the opening picture in such a short time period, at the same time he was opening a gallery of some of his other works, including the oil painting our picture was based on.
Bit Arts – For creating those wonderful intro & outtro jingles on such short notice.

And the Musicians who contributed to this issue:
Hansee, Mikael Fyrek, c-jeff, Scott and  Willbe

Other Thanks:
My Family – For putting up with my shit this last year as I worked on this project!
Shoecake – Your work on Dexter is invaluable, my friend! I wish you could have been there!
bpoint – Thanks for the last minute code tips and info, even though we couldn’t use most of them in the end, I thank you for being there while I was still awake at 5am fixing this stuff
deathy – Always my voice of reason when I needed to vent 🙂
Brainstorm – You guys fucking rock!

Enjoy!

Evoke 2010 – You Should

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I will be attending Evoke 2010 this year, and I will also be bringing something very special along with me to unveil, although you will have to be there to truly see what it is!

Evoke this year will be held on August 27th – 29th  at Abenteuerhallen Kalk in Cologne, Germany. I will be attending with many of my fellow goats from our group Brainstorm. We are mostly all staying in the Leonardo hotel, with a few most likely ending up in the Best western hotel, also near to the venue (but I believe that the Leonardo is actually a little closer). Come join us for a beer or 8, because you should!

Watch the official invitation demo:

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