Subject: Re: [linux-audio-user] ncurses-based MIDI step sequencer a la muse (matrix mode)?
From: Christian Henz (chrhenz_AT_gmx.de)
Date: Thu Oct 07 2004 - 13:11:41 EEST
On Wed, Oct 06, 2004 at 09:50:07PM -0700, Erik Steffl wrote:
> tim hall wrote:
> >I still have a manual for cubase 2.01 ;D
> >I've often wondered about the old ATARIs, I mean I know editing was a
> >pain, but they usually played the flipping thing flawlessly without
> >falling over. How come?
>
> as far as I can tell it's the HW design. the old 'home' computers
> (pretty much everything from 8 bits to amigas) were designed kinda like
> consoles are today (compare the graphics on console and even pretty good
> PC setup - console graphics is a lot smoother (watch the animations) -
> part of it is less data moving around (lower resolution) , part of it is
> the way the individual components are connected).
>
Actually, old home computers HW rather resembled _old_ consoles, while new
consoles resemble modern PCs :)
I think a huge point was (and is, for modern consoles) the fixed hardware.
You can (or even have to) write your code 'straight to the metal' and optimize
it to take full advantage of every aspect of the hardware while never worrying
about different CPUs, graphic chips etc.
Plus, with the absence of an OS and multitasking you can give guarantees
about the timing of your code, up to a single clock cycle. And that is per
definition RT capability.
The result has of course little to do with today's general purpose computers
and operating systems.
cheers,
Christian
-- "Somewhere in Texas... a village is missing its idiot."
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