ÔÈÅ ÈÉÓÔÏÒÙ ÏÆ ÔÈÅ ÓÔÅÒÅÏ ÐÌÁÙÅÒ 

 ÂY ÍARK Á. ÄICKENSON 
 (ÍARK Á Ä) 

 Á NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED HOW THE 
 IDEA TO CREATE A STEREO PLAYER FOR 
 THE ÃOMMODORE 64/128 CAME ABOUT. ÉT 
 COULD VERY WELL BE A LONG AND 
 DRAWN-OUT BORING STORY (MOAN). ÂUT IN 
 REALITY IT IS VERY SIMPLE. 

 ÉT ALL STARTED WHEN É PICKED UP A ÓÉÄ 
 ÐLAYER UTILITY FROM OUR LOCAL 
 ÃOMMODORE ÃLUB. ÉT WAS A VERY SIMPLE 
 PLAYER PROGRAM THAT WOULD ASK FOR THE 
 NAME OF THE SONG YOU WOULD LIKE TO 
 PLAY. ÉT WOULD THEN LOAD AND PLAY THE 
 SONG. ×HEN É SAID SIMPLE É ÒÅÁÌÌÙ 
 MEANT IT! ÎOTHING WOULD HAPPEN ON THE 
 SCREEN WHILE IT PLAYED. ÁND WHEN IT 
 FINISHED, IT WOULD JUST ASK FOR THE 
 NAME OF ANOTHER SONG. 

 ÕP TO THIS POINT É DIDN'T KNOW WHO 
 CREATED THE ÅDITOR THAT CREATED THE 
 MUSIC OR IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER 
 PLAYERS OUT. ÁT THAT TIME É DECIDED 
 TO WRITE MY OWN PLAYER AND GIVE IT A 
 LITTLE ACTION TO TRY AND KEEP A 
 PERSONS ATTENTION. 

 ÅVEN THOUGH IT WAS VERY SIMPLE, IT 
 HAD MUCH MORE THAN THE PLAYER É HAD 
 SEEN. ÉF YOU WERE TO COMPARE IT TO 
 THE LATEST VERSION (SOON TO BE 8.0), 
 YOU COULD SEE ÓÏÍÅ SIMILARITIES AND 
 SOME MAJOR CHANGES. 

 ÔHE FIRST PLAYER HAD TWO ÍÌ PLAYER 
 MODULES, THE ÏRCHESTRA ÓPRITE FILE 
 AND A ÂASIC PROGRAM FOR PUTTING ALL 
 OF THIS TO USE. ÉT WOULD LOAD IN THE 
 ÄIRECTORY FROM DISK AND ALLOW YOU TO 
 SCROLL THROUGH THE LISTING MUCH AS IT 
 DOES NOW. 

 ÔHE ONLY COMMANDS THE FIRST PLAYER 
 HAD WERE THE TWO ÃURSOR KEYS FOR 
 SCROLLING, Æ1 OR ÒETURN TO PLAY THE 
 CURRENT HIGHLIGHTED SONG, Æ3 TO PLAY 
 ALL SONGS, Æ5 TO READ ANOTHER DISK 
 AND Æ7 TO PLAY ALL SONGS STARTING AT 
 THE CURRENT HIGHLIGHTED SONG (AND 
 THERE WAS ÎÏ ×ÁÙ TO STOP THE PROGRAM 
 OTHER THAN TURNING OFF THE COMPUTER 
 SINCE É HAD DISABLED 
 ÒUN/ÓTOP-ÒESTORE. ÂAD ÍOVE). Á TOTAL 
 OF 7 DIFFERENT KEYS AND VERSION 8.0 
 USES 29 DIFFERENT KEYS (37 IF YOU 
 COUNT ALL OF THE NUMBER KEYS 1, 2, 3, 
 ETC.). 

 ×HEN THE FIRST PLAYER WOULD PLAY THE 
 SONG IT WOULD DISPLAY THE FAMILIAR 
 (AND THANKFULLY NO LONGER USED) WHITE 
 SCREEN WITH A BLACK KEYBOARD. ÎOT 
 MUCH WOULD HAPPEN ON THIS VERSION, 
 BUT THE ÂAND WOULD ×ÉÌÄÌÙ FLAIL ABOUT 
 WHILE THE KEYS DID THEIR THING. 

 ÔHE KEYBOARD WAS ALSO REVERSED FROM 
 VERSION 1-3 (THE LOW KEYS WERE ON TOP 
 AND FROM ÍIDDLE Ã UP WERE ON THE 
 BOTTOM) AND THE KEYBOARD WAS EVEN 
 LESS ACCURATE THAN IT IS ON 7.0 
 (VERSION 8.0 NOW HAS A 100% ACCURATE 
 KEYBOARD AND RECOGNIZES 
 TRANSPOSITIONS, AND WE HAVE LOST THE 
 "ÄER, WHAT KEY IS DIS?"). 

 <ÐÒÅÓÓ Æ7 ÁÎÄ ÓÅÌÅÃÔ "ÇÅÔ ÎÅØÔ ÉÔÅÍ"> 

 ÔHAT WAS JUST ABOUT IT FOR THE FIRST 
 PLAYER. ÉT DIDN'T SUPPORT WORDS, 
 PICTURES OR EVEN STEREO. 

 ÎOW THE STEREO FEATURE MAY NEVER HAVE 
 EVEN COME TO LIGHT IF IT WASN'T FOR 
 ONE PERSON, ÊOHN ÓMITH (YES, THAT IS 
 HIS REAL NAME). ÈE IS A VERY AVID 
 ÒADIO ÓHACK ÃOLOR ÃOMPUTER 2 FAN AND 
 ÈÁÔÅÓ THE FACT THAT WE SELL ÃOMMODORE 
 COMPUTERS AT A ÒADIO ÓHACK STORE (WE 
 ARE A FRANCHISE AND CAN SELL ANYTHING 
 WE WANT IN ADDITION TO ÒADIO ÓHACK 
 MERCHANDISE). ÁS FAR AS É AM 
 CONCERNED, SELLING ÁÎÙ OTHER COMPUTER 
 AT A ÒADIO ÓHACK STORE HAS A KIND OF 
 PERVERSE JUSTICE. ÁNYWAY, BACK TO THE 
 STORY, WE SELL ÃOMMODORE COMPUTERS 
 ABOUT 30 TO 1 OVER ÒADIO ÓHACK 
 COMPUTERS AND THAT REALLY STEAMED 
 HIM. 

 ÔO TRY AND PUT DOWN THE ÃOMMODORE 
 COMPUTERS AND RUB MY NOSE IN IT, HE 
 PURCHASED AND BROUGHT BY THE STORE A 
 ÓTEREO ÐACK FOR THE ÃOÃO (ÃOLOR 
 ÃOMPUTER). ÔO BE POLITE ABOUT IT, É 
 WAS NOT PLEASED. ÓO É SAT DOWN AND 
 STARTED DIGGING THROUGH MY COMPUTER 
 MAGAZINES TO TRY AND FIND A ÓTEREO 
 FEATURE FOR THE 64. ÂUT AS YOU MAY 
 KNOW, É DIDN'T FIND ONE (GLOOM AND 
 DISPAIR). ÔHE CLOSEST THING É COULD 
 FIND WAS AN AMPLIFIER FOR THE 64 THAT 
 WOULD MAKE THE AUDIO OUTPUT SOUND 
 STEREO. ÂUT ALL IT WOULD DO IS DELAY 
 ONE SIDE TO GIVE A STEREO EFFECT MUCH 
 THE SAME WAY AS A ÓTEREO ÅXPANDER 
 OPTION ON AN EQUALIZER, NOT ÔÒÕÅ 
 STEREO. 

 ÔHEN CAME THE DIGGING THOUGHT THE 
 TECH SHEETS FOR THE 64. É WAS BOUND 
 AND DETERMINED TO GET STEREO SOUND 
 OUT OF IT. ×HAT É FOUND OUT WAS VERY 
 DISTURBING. ÉT WAS SO ÓÉÍÐÌÅ TO ADD A 
 SECOND ÓÉÄ CHIP! É WONDERED ×ÈÙ NO 
 OTHER COMPANY HAD EVER CAME OUT WITH 
 A ÓTEREO ÐACK FOR THE 64. ÄID THEY 
 THINK IT WOULDN'T SELL? ÄID THEY 
 THINK THAT THE 64 COMMUNITY WAS SO 
 APATHETIC TO CHANGE AS TO NOT MAKE IT 
 WORTH WHAT LITTLE EFFORT IT WOULD 
 TAKE? ÆROM THE RESPONSE É HAVE 
 RECEIVED É THINK SOME OF THE ÂÉÇ 
 COMPANIES HAVE MISSED THE BOAT. 

 ÔHERE ARE STEREO BOARDS FOR THE 
 ÁPPLE, ÉÂÍ, ÃOÃO AND ÁTARI, AND THEY 
 CAME OUT FAIRLY SOON AFTER THE 
 INTRODUCTION OF THE COMPUTER. ÍAYBE 
 IT WAS BECAUSE THE SOUND OUTPUT ON 
 THE OTHER MACHINES WAS SO ORDINARY 
 THAT THE STEREO BOARDS WERE MADE AND 
 THE 64 HAS GREAT SOUND AND WELL...SO 
 WHY FOOL WITH IT. É REALLY DON'T 
 KNOW. 

 <ÐÒÅÓÓ Æ7 ÁÎÄ ÓÅÌÅÃÔ "ÇÅÔ ÎÅØÔ ÉÔÅÍ"> 

 ÔHE FIRST PERSON É CONTACTED ON 
 ÑUANTUM ÌINK WAS ÊERRY ÒOTH (ÄR Ê5). 
 ÈE WAS VERY STARTLED WHEN THE ÏÌÍ 
 CAME ON HIS SCREEN ABOUT "ÈOW WOULD 
 YOU LIKE TO PLAY YOUR ÓÉÄS IN ÔÒÕÅ 
 STEREO ON THE 64?". ÈE THOUGHT IT WAS 
 A JOKE FROM SOME CRACKPOT KID. É WILL 
 SAY THIS, HE ÄÉÄÎ'Ô SHUT ME UP AND 
 SAY DON'T BOTHER ME. É WAS ASKED TO 
 JOIN IN THE ÍUSIC ÒOOM AND TELL 
 EVERYONE ABOUT IT. 

 ÅVERYONE WAS RATHER DUBIOUS ABOUT THE 
 PROGRAM AND THE MODIFICATION, BUT É 
 UPLOADED THE ÖERSION 3.0 PROGRAM AND 
 THE ÓCHEMATICS FOR THE MODIFICATION. 
 É HAVE TO GIVE ÊERRY CREDIT, HE WAS 
 THE FIRST ONE TO MODIFY HIS COMPUTER 
 AND IT TAKES A LOT OF GUTS TO BE THE 
 FIRST TO OPEN YOUR COMPUTER AND ADD A 
 MODIFICATION THAT MAY OR MAY NOT 
 WORK. 

 ÆROM THAT POINT ON IT WAS ÖERSION 
 12.0 HERE WE COME! (ÔHIS IS THE 
 VERSION THAT ÊERRY SAYS WILL BE THE 
 MOST ÐÅÒÆÅÃÔ AND COMPLETE ÓÉÄ ÐLAYER 
 AROUND. ÅH, WHAT DOES HE KNOW :Ä ). 
 ÔHE SUPPORT FROM THE PEOPLE ON Ñ-ÌINK 
 WAS ÆÁÎÔÁÓÔÉÃ! 

 ÔHE FIRST VERSION É UPLOADED TO 
 Ñ-ÌINK WAS 3.0 AND ALL IT WOULD DO IS 
 ÂOUNCE EACH VOICE FROM THE ÌEFT TO 
 THE ÒIGHT AND BACK AGAIN. ÉN 
 OTHER WORDS WHEN A NOTE WAS FINISHED 
 ON VOICE 1 IT WOULD MOVE TO THE RIGHT 
 SIDE AND PLAY ONE NOTE AND THE MOVE 
 TO THE LEFT AND PLAY ONE NOTE AND 
 ETC. AND ETC. ÔHERE WAS NO CONTROL OF 
 THE STEREO EFFECTS AND SUGGESTIONS 
 WERE QUICK TO COME. 

 ÎEXT WAS VERSION 4.0 WHICH GAVE YOU 
 THE ABILITY TO CONTROL HOW LONG A 
 VOICE WOULD STAY ON ONE SIDE BEFORE 
 CHANGING SIDES. ÉT WOULD ALSO ALLOW 
 YOU TO ÓÔÁÍÐ YOUR ÓÉÄ FILE WITH 
 STEREO PARAMETERS. ÔHIS WOULD TELL 
 THE ÓTEREO ÐLAYER HOW TO PLAY THE ÓÉÄ 
 EVERY TIME IT WAS LOADED. ÔHE ÓÔÁÍÐ 
 WOULD ÎÏÔ EFFECT ANY OF THE CURRENT 
 ÓÉÄ ÐLAYERS LIKE ÓÉÄ-ÐÉÃ. ÔHEY WOULD 
 JUST IGNORE IT. 

 ÎEXT CAME 5.0 THE FIRST ALL ÁSSEMBLY 
 ÌANGUAGE VERSION. ÉT WAS MORE COMPACT 
 AND ADDED MORE FEATURES. ×ORD FILE 
 SUPPORT WAS FINALLY INCLUDED IN THIS 
 VERSION. ÁLSO MORE CONTROL OVER THE 
 STEREO EFFECTS WERE ADDED. 

 ÉT WAS AT THIS TIME É WAS WORRYING 
 OVER HOW TO MAKE A 6 VOICE ÅDITOR FOR 
 ÔÒÕÅ 6 VOICE STEREO MUSIC. ÎICK 
 ÚELINSKY (ÎICKÚ) CAME UP WITH THE 
 IDEA THAT HAD TOTALLY ELUDED ME. ×HY 
 NOT JUST LOAD IN Ô×Ï ÓÉÄS AND PLAY 
 THEM AT THE SAME TIME? ÁFTER POUNDING 
 MY HEAD ON THE FLOOR FOR ABOUT 2 
 MINUTES, É SAID ÆÁÎÔÁÓÔÉÃ! 

 <ÐÒÅÓÓ Æ7 ÁÎÄ ÓÅÌÅÃÔ "ÇÅÔ ÎÅØÔ ÉÔÅÍ"> 

 ÓHORTLY THERE AFTER É UPLOADED A 
 PROGRAM CALLED ÐREVIEW 6.0. ÔHIS WAS 
 A NO FRILLS HACK THAT WOULD LOAD IN 
 TWO ÍÕÓ FILES AND PLAY THEM AT THE 
 SAME TIME. ÉT OF COURSE HAD A BUG 
 THAT COULD LOCK UP THE COMPUTER EVERY 
 ONCE IN A WHILE. ÐREVIEW 6.0A IS 
 CURRENTLY ON Ñ-ÌINK WITH THE ÐATCH 
 INSTALLED. 

 ÆROM THAT POINT ON IT WAS A FURIOUS 
 PACE TO GET 6.0 READY FOR THE 
 ÓÉÄ-ÆEST IN ÃOLUMBUS, ÏHIO. ÅVEN THEN 
 6.0 HAD MANY BUGS AND PROBLEMS (NEVER 
 RUSH A GOOD THING É HAVE BEEN TOLD). 

 ÁT ÃOLUMBUS É SURPRISED MANY PEOPLE 
 AND CONVERTED MANY SKEPTICS (ÅVEN 
 SURPRISED ÃRAIG ÃHAMBERLAIN AND ÂRIAN 
 ÓZEPATOWSKI, ÂRIAN SEEMED TO REALLY 
 BE SURPRISED THAT YOU COULD PLAYBACK 
 ÁÎÙ 3 VOICE ÓÉÄ IN STEREO). 

 ÉT WAS SHORTLY AFTER ÃOLUMBUS THAT 
 ÐEOPLE ÌINK (THE HOME OF ÊABBA ÈUTT) 
 STARTED PUTTING UP ÓTEREO ÆILES AND 
 ÑUANTUM ÌINK ADDED A ÓTEREO ÓÉÄ 
 ÌIBRARY SECTION. É WAS REALLY UNDER 
 PRESSURE TO GET A ×ÏÒËÉÎÇ VERSION OF 
 THE ÓTEREO ÐLAYER (7.0) ON Ñ-ÌINK 
 ÂÅÆÏÒÅ THE NEW ÌIBRARY WENT LIVE. 

 ÖERSION 7.0 DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF THE 
 CHANGES É WANTED (THAT'S WHY THERE 
 WILL BE AN 8.0 SOMETIME IN THE 
 FUTURE). 7.0 NOW SUPPORTS ËOALA/ 
 ÄOODLE ÐÉÃS AND ÐÉÃ/×ÄÓ COMBINATIONS, 
 6 VOICE MUSIC FILES, MANY NEW 
 COMMANDS AND A ÂÌÁÃË BACKGROUND AND 
 NEW KEYBOARD! 

 ÏN 7.0 YOU CAN TOGGLE BACK AND FORTH 
 BETWEEN ÐÉÃ AND ËEYBOARD. ÉF YOU DO 
 THIS WITH A ÐÉÃ/×ÄÓ COMBINATION YOU 
 ×ÉÌÌ ÎÏÔ LOOSE SYNC WITH THE WORDS, 
 THEY WILL STILL SIDPLAY AS IF NOTHING 
 HAPPENED. 

 ÈERE IS AN INDICATION OF WHAT 8.0 
 WILL HAVE IN IT. ÆAST ÆORWARD AND 
 ÐAUSE DURING MUSIC PLAY, ON A 6 VOICE 
 MUSIC FILE YOU CAN PLAY THE ÌEFT OR 
 THE ÒIGHT SIDE EXCLUSIVELY, IT WILL 
 DISPLAY WHAT EACH MUSIC FILE HAS TO 
 GO WITH IT IN THE ÓELECTOR SCREEN (Ð 
 = ÐIC, Á = ÁNI, Ó = ÓTR AND × = ×DS), 
 REVAMPED ÔITLE AND ÓELECTOR SCREENS, 
 IT WILL NOT TRY TO LOAD WHAT IS NOT 
 AVAILABLE, NOW SUPPORTS 32 BLOCK Â/× 
 ÐÉÃS AND MANY OTHERS. 

 <ÐÒÅÓÓ Æ7 ÁÎÄ ÓÅÌÅÃÔ "ÇÅÔ ÎÅØÔ ÉÔÅÍ"> 

 É WOULD LIKE TO THANK ÅÖÅÒÙÏÎÅ ON 
 ÑUANTUM ÌINK. ÉF IT WASN'T FOR THEIR 
 SUPPORT AND HELP IN DEBUGGING AND 
 SUGGESTIONS, THIS PROGRAM WOULD HAVE 
 BEEN STILLBORN. É JUST CAN'T THANK 
 THEM ENOUGH. 

 ÌOOK FOR MY NEXT ARTICLE WHICH WILL 
 TELL HOW TO ADD AND USE THE EXTRA ÓÉÄ 
 CHIP IN YOUR OWN ÂASIC AND ÁSSEMBLY 
 ÌANGUAGE PROGRAMS. 

 ÍARK Á. ÄICKENSON 
 ÓEND ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS TO 
 ÍARK Á Ä 

          <ÐÒÅÓÓ Æ5 ÆÏÒ ÍÅÎÕ>