Spirits are high at camp Gruso, following the arrival of a legendary piece of gaming and synthesizer history: a Roland MT-32. If you’re familiar with the MT-32, then you’re already nodding knowingly. If not, I’ll bring you up to speed with some edited excerpts from Wikipedia.
The Roland MT-32 Multi-Timbre Sound Module is a MIDI synthesizer module first released in 1987 by Roland Corporation. Along with its compatible modules, it established an early de-facto standard in computer music.
If you want to breathe new life into an old C64, there’s no better toy than a MSSIAH. In a nutshell, the MSSIAH is a naughty cartridge loaded with a bunch of synth and sequencing apps that tap into the 64’s legendary audio chip, the SID. And it’s got a MIDI in port too, giving you full control of the SID via your sequencer/VST of choice (more on MSSIAH VSTs in a future post).
MSSIAH is a fantastic piece of kit, but there are a few catches. If you want to tweak all those on screen knobs, you have to peck your way around the keyboard to highlight a control, then operate it with the joystick. Doable, but… nah. There are mouse options, but they’re expensive. Lastly and bestly, you can connect up to four potentiometers direct to the joystick ports. Many MSSIAH disciples go out and buy all the components, surface mount the pots on their C64, and wire them internally (find some of these projects here). I thought a bunch of old Pong paddles would be more fun.
[insert buckazoid] 