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Introduction
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Wrap
Text File
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1992-09-11
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5KB
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88 lines
"OctaStuff" - OctaMED 3.00 (and 4.00) material
by
Alex Van Starrex
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Introduction:
Welcome to "OctaStuff", a disk based around my work with OctaMED versions
3.00 and 4.00. The "Info" drawer contains a review of these programs (which
I wrote for "Megadisc" disk-magazine), together with other text-files and a
tastefully-executed picture of yours-truly; and the "Music" drawer contains
the songs I created while using/testing "OctaMED" 3.00. The reason I called
the disk "OctaStuff" - as opposed to something more extravagant - is that I
didn't set out to create a new music-disk; the contents of the disk more or
less fell into place over time.
The disk started out fairly modestly - I had intended to merely write the
the OctaMED 3.00 review for "Megadisc" who very graciously supplied me with
the review copy. However, an opportunity to try and "introduce" the program
to large numbers of people was hampered shortly afterwards, when "CU Amiga"
magazine released it in on their July, 1992 cover-disks (which arrived here
in Australia much later). To add to the confusion, I got a phone-call a few
days later from Amiganuts United Australia, promising to send me out a copy
of version 4.00 (which arrived just as I was finishing this disk).
Anyway, I loaded up the Megadisc-supplied program, played around with the
instruments on the demo-tune and created "Question", pretty much from start
to finish. The rest of the tracks gradually came together during one or two
further experiments with the program, using tracks from my - incomplete and
unreleased - "OctaSongs" disk of late 1991. Due to the fact that I was just
toying with ideas, the songs developed in a sort of stream-of-consciousness
way - though there is some excellent writing in them.
And, when all was said and done, I had enough material to fill a disk, so
I strung it all together and added some finishing touches. I've consciously
"borrowed" material, such as icons, to add to the "ad hoc" look of the disk
while other things - like the "AVS-Pic" (courtesy of "DigiView", Canon A11E
camcorder and "DeluxePaint III") - were specially created for this purpose.
All that's left is for the public at large to appreciate the results.
Disk-features:
The disk is fairly self-explanatory, in terms of contents and layout. Any
readers who don't "boot" with the disk may have problems if their boot-disk
doesn't have the libraries which the OctaMEDPlayer needs to run - though no
other "system-requirements" are needed. I haven't tested this disk on other
Amigas (my own is a one-megabyte A500 with 1.2 ROM) - but I'd still suggest
that half-megabyte machines may have a hard time running some of the larger
OctaMED songs. I've also noted that the songs cannot be loaded into earlier
versions of OctaMED.
Owners of Amigas with ordinary run-of-the-mill 68000 processors (like me)
will, of course, note that OctaMED songs "drain" a lot of processing-power.
As a result of this, it may be wise to "pause" the songs, when carrying-out
other disk-based processes or accessing files. Processor "speed-freaks" and
A3000 owners, on the other hand, shouldn't find any problems (unless you've
got a monitor with no sound-output). This disk is bootable, for those users
who prefer to run it that way (it looks a bit snazzier too) though it works
just as well from an already-loaded Workbench.
Like most of my other PD-disk releases, "OctaStuff" is shareware - to the
extent that those people who get a copy are encouraged to register with me,
in order to receive news of updates and other past/present/future releases.
Letters of appreciation (especially with cheques attached) are also welcome
- from end-users and PD-distributors alike. Without any "feedback" from the
public-at-large, I find it difficult to direct and balance my work; so feel
free to write if you've got the slightest inclination to.
My thanks, as always, go to those people who support my work - by getting
or carrying my disks, or writing, sending me software to review, and so on.
Special mentions for Tim Strachan at Megadisc, Richard Ramella of Jumpdisk,
Ray Burt-Frost of Amiganuts (and Kevan Fitzalerley, its Australian licensee
and distributor) and programmer Teijo Kinunnen. Final dedications go out to
Madelaine, as a source of inspiration (of things musical and otherwise).
A.V.S. - September, 1992.
(P.S. Though it's not directly related to this disk, I've borrowed the icon
for this file from Ed Mackay's excellent "EdPlayer" utility. Apart from the
fact that it's a really neat icon, the main-program itself is brilliant: it
plays SoundTracker/ProTracker and MED 3.21 songs (though not earlier songs,
for the latter) from Workbench in a simulated cassette/CD set-up. There are
a host of functions available, and the presentation is nice and colourful.)
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