'Music City' the new Micronet service

Kevin Doyle

By the time you read this the new computer music magazine 'Music City' will have been launched on Micronet, the viewdata service for micros. The magazine aims to cover news from the micro music world, with a mixture of hardware and software reviews, articles, a letters/contact section, hints and tips and downloadable music and instrument files.

Initially, the service is to concentrate on the Hybrid Music System and will aim to provide AMPLE music programs of many current hits, paying royalties out of the download fee where appropriate.

AMPLINEX intends to operate a reciprocal arrangement with 'Music City' whereby information from each will be made available to the other. This might mean that selected features are distributed via Micronet at some time after the publication of AMPLINEX. For contributors this could mean the chance to earn some money through royalty payments, if the contribution was considered 'saleable'. Use of any AMPLINEX material by 'Music City' would of course be subject to the author's approval.

We will have more details of the 'Music City'/AMPLINEX arrangement in the next issue and would welcome your comments (including reviews of the 'Music City' service).

'Music City' can be found on Micronet (*800989 - *MUSIC CITY) and more details of the service can be obtained from Micronet on 01-278-3143.

Peartree Music 87

Roy Follett

At the Micro User Show in November, as at the Acorn User Show in July, Peartree were playing Music 500 tunes whilst advertising their Music 87. Any members who have made enquiries about the availability of the Music 87 must have had similar answers to me. That is, "they will be shipped out at the end of the week" or "at the end of the month, we're waiting for the user guides". The answer given at the show to my wife Jackie in response to the question "can I buy one now" was "No, the manuals are not quite ready".

However, at my request, a representative gave a brief demonstration of the Music 87. This consisted of a series of screens and certainly sounds were produced, but no music was heard under the Music 87 banner. Indeed, I had the impression that the demonstration was curtailed in order that music could be played to the visitors. This was done using AMPLE BCE.

Whilst the demo of the Music 87 was in progress, a co-processor was being used as was a hard disc unit. It is true that they could have been showing that the software would work across the Tube, and the hard disc may have been in use to provide quick access in a very busy situation, but I was most unimpressed. A moments thought should indicate that using high resolution screens does not leave a great deal of memory left for programming use.

AMPLINEX by its title is a group for AMPLE users and our initial interest in the Music 87 was because - it was being advertised it might have been pertinent to our group it might have used AMPLE.

It still is. It isn't. It doesn't.

Although it must appear an attractive option to purchasers of the Music 500/BCE setup at what seems to be a much lower price, it seems we have a classic case of 'vapourware'. I have rung on many occasions since its original announcement at the May Micro User Show this year and, despite all the assurances, nothing has appeared.

If I am talking to any potential Music 500 upgraders I can only say "come and join us". Wait for a while, save up the difference. The Hybrid upgrade will cost you £69.00; the Music 87, if and when it ever becomes available, will cost you £39.95 plus £2.50 postage and packing, plus VAT - a total of £48.82. The difference of £20.18 will get you the AMPLE Nucleus system which is tried and tested, together with an ever-increasing user base. And if you like - AMPLINEX.

Hybrid Technology products

Kevin Doyle

Increased sales and a move to larger premises have caused some delays to new Hybrid products announced at the July Acorn User Show. The AMPLE Nucleus Programmer's Guide expected in September is now due to ship within the next few days according to Chris Jordan of Hybrid Technology. Customer requests for a change in the design of the Music 2000 MIDI interface mean that this is now expected at the beginning of January.

The Music 2000 has been redesigned to provide a MIDI input channel in place of one of the three outputs in the original design. The MIDI input and clock/tape synchronisation functions will, however, require additional system software.

Two new AMPLE music discs were available at the Micro User Show, 'Notes' by Pilgrim Beart and 'Music City' by Ian Guinan (see reviews elsewhere in this section).

The Advanced Sound Studio announced by Hybrid in July has been dropped for the time being. However, at the Micro User Show a contact address was being advertised for a 'Hybrid approved' independent supplier of a waveform designer.

The author, Mr J Stockdale, developed the waveform design software as part of his PhD and after contact with Chris Jordan of Hybrid Technology is developing the product to interface with the Studio 5000 system.

The software is in the form of a toolkit with about 20 utilities and will operate outside of AMPLE using high-resolution Mode 0 screens.

The development work should be complete around January and the software plus 100 page manual is expected to sell for around £27.50p.

Brief details of the system can be obtained by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:

Mr J Stockdale, 59 Old Lansdowne Road, West Didsbury, MANCHESTER M20 8WY

but we will have a full review of the system in the January issue of AMPLINEX.