Theme from Stationary Ark-- C64 version. HQ

Here's how it's REALLY supposed to sound. Gerg Feil reprogrammed it for VICE's reSID.

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• stationary
• ark
• c64
• SID
• awesome
• correct
• version

[zaphod77]

Filters on commodore 64s simply weren't very consistent across machines, especially with the older SID chip design.

That said, there was a certain unofficial standard, which more machines had than not, and it's what the developers wrote the songs to. But i'm not sure if Georg Feil's personal machine met it.

Fortunately the emulated c64 in VICE sounds the same on every machine. So the original author was able to optimize the tune properly for it.

[vendert]

Finally, someone who knows the way it was supposed to sound!

[zaphod77]

@vendert Yeah. as I said, the original composer decided to make a new synth sample program designed for playback of the reSID engine in VICE, and tweaked the fliter settings to sound like his machine. He also released, along with it, the program he used to MAKE synth sample. google

synth 3.1b georgie

and click the first link

[turpinzgirl]

@zaphod77 This is the way i remember it - I used to watch this show all the time!

[zaphod77]

@turpinzgirl I've never seen the original show. you know where to get a recording of it so I can compare how it sounds?

[turpinzgirl]

@zaphod77 no , sorry - I just looked on the internet on a hunch - don't see any actual programs - checked out youtube and saw the theme song - happened across the original version on my 2nd try - I looked on youtube for the episodes - if not here, don't know where - but there are british catalogues which offer series of progamming on dvd or vcr - but can't think of anything specific - Shellee

[zaphod77]

@turpinzgirl there is another video on youtube that claims to have the original theme, but instead it is a remix from another site i think. Does that version, with piano and strings, sound right to you?

[mefpazur]

Great tune, and now also very accurately recreated.

For comparision; and all those who always wanted to download an mp3 of it:

[triple w].se2a1.net/soasc/dl.php?d=so­asc/soasc_mp3%2FDEMOS%2FS-Z%2F­Synth_Sample_T01.sid_MOS6581R4­.mp3

It's the original (unmodified) version played on old "breadbox" C64 (pre '87, just like the one Georg Feil had when composing it), with MOS 6581R4 SID chip, recorded as a part of the epic "Stone Oakvalley's Authentic SID Collection" (SOASC=).

Enjoy!

[WinstonSmith6079]

Ahh, this is so nice, so wonderful, sounds so excellent.

IIRC, was this one of several tunes from a type-in program called something like "Swinth" or some such, that also had hi-rez bitmapped multi-colored design visualizations accompaning them?

*Thumbs Up* *Fav*

[SquareWaveHeaven]

Funny, the lead synth is a lot darker and the filter tremelo effect is news to me :) I prefer the "wrong" version because I like to hear the sudued but present upper harmonics to the melody. In this version the left hand seems to overshadow the lead.

I'm also fairly sure our breadbin used to alias on high notes (a slightly screeching distortion caused by digital oscillators) but talk of modern emulation always seems to feature antialiasing.

Really makes me want to go in the loft now :)

[insanityjanitors]

this is so beautiful :)

[steveasat2]

Strange. Mine always sounded more like the version KMoser posted. I guess coz I was playing it on a C128? This version's better, obviously, but it's not the one I remember so fondly. Funny how that works.

[MoopyHedgehog]

omfg it sounds so much more epic :facemelt

[MultiBootee]

Wow! I can't believe that I actually found this! This is such a trip back in time. : D