Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.audio
Subject: Amiga & Sound
From: Michael Whitten <M-WHIT2@UMINN1.BITNET>
Date: Thursday, 5 Nov 1992 15:38:03 CST
Organization: University of Minnesota - Computer & Information Services


  Nobody on the nets is saying much about the new Amigas and
sound.  Probably because there really isn't much to say.  Commodore
has never done one single thing for sound on its so-called
'multi-media' machine.  Jay Miner did.  The Amiga takes sole credit for
the existence of a new music form/format - tracker modules, and
anyone who deals with trackers knows that the current Amigas are
capable of astounding music.  Astounding because that music never
existed before.  By handing over now-crude hardware like four 8-bit
audio channels to the masses, I believe Jay Miner created near-life --
something unforeseen emerged.  The Amiga's millions of users ran
with that protoplasmic ball, while the Amiga's current keepers seem
to have dropped it.
  The Amiga has always been equally viable on all multi-media fronts.
Now, with the AGA chipset for graphics, we shift into our next level of
visual standard, but, by disregarding sound, Commodore becomes
the purveyor of a 'uni-media' machine.
   We all know that Miner et al originally conceived the Amiga as a
game machine, but, I can't help think that the idea that "Hey....let's put
all these different possibilities in ONE PLASTIC CASE and see what
emerges?" must have run through their minds.  I mean look what
happens when you take a bunch of selected chemicals in one place
and wait a few million years..........YOU happen.  I think the spirit of the
Amiga is (was) in its design team's philosophy - and not much related
to that of Commodore Business Machines, Inc.  While Mac and IBM
developers were catering to already known purposes, the Amiga team
probably was closer to Turing's original concept of 'universal machine'
than any of them; I don't think they were concerned with exactly
WHAT it would be used for as much as they were about engineering
open-ended POSSIBILITIES.  I think they wanted to leave exactly what
those possibilities were up to you - the user.  I always like to think of
the Amiga as the 'universal artist tool'.
   Now, regarding the Amiga and sound, Commodore says it will
follow up with later 'add-on' boards or some widget to hang off some
port.  This is a mistake.  The whole impact of the Amiga - from its
inception - has been that it has universality, ie, its fundamental
capabilities are built-in and available to all Amigas from your low-end
home machine to your pro high-end machine; this allows
programmers to write in a new 'language'.  This is how paradigms
shift, this is how peoples' attitudes progress.  I believe the Amiga is
the first and only computer (of all things!) to actually become a
medium....think about what that means.  Marshall McLuhan did.
   What it means to me, now, is this:  other designers are 'getting it'.
I don't know if the Atari Falcon is real or not, but I've seen the specs
and that's enough to realize that someone, somewhere understands
what's at stake.  I love my Amiga; it has both followed me and cleared
a path for me, and remains the only economically-feasible computer
capable of doing so.  But as you might have gathered by now, my
allegiance is to a spirit and not a plastic box.  By this spirit, the
failure of Commodore to include eight 16-bit D/A channels, DSP, and midi
is a disappointment.  Like George Bush, CBM had many years to invent
and develop direction and its implementation.  Arrive' derci, George.
  Well, my soap-box is teetering......I don't want to sound like some
rebel leader in Platform Wars.  As I said, I love my Amiga -- despite my
whining, its still the best, but, like any relationship, its participants
have to grow together.  And if something better comes along - some
better Keeper of the Flame - I wouldn't hesitate jumping ship.

<X>

  ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
  +      Michael D. Whitten M-WHIT2@VM1.SPCS.UMN.EDU M-WHIT2@UMINN1      +
  +          "Psst.  Hey, Guido.  Its all so clear to me, now."          +
  ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.audio