Chris Cowley released Beepola for Win32. Currently it has 4 different drivers which play 2-channel music (some with drums) out of the 1-bit speaker of the ZX Spectrum machines. You can also export to a tap file for playback on real hardware or as part of other programs.
it's a very cool project indeed. i wouldn't call it a mature application yet, since there's still a couple of serious issues (some drums missing, unstable playback, etc.) but it's definately worth a try, and it's going to make composing 1bit a lot easier in the future.
That sound example you posted is terrific! very crisp sounding kick drums for a beeper.
just tested the new version which includes shiru's phaser1 player and has most of the playback issues resolved (at least on my computer). so, all i can say is: this program is becoming more and more awesome!!!
Last edited by irrlichtproject (May 25, 2010 2:54 pm)
v1.05 is just out. Various new (hopefully helpful) editor features, a new beeper engine (reverse engineered from the Spectrum game, Savage), and a sort of semi-working song ripper (to rip music data from Speccy games for editing in Beepola), and lots of old bugs fixed and new ones added
Little cute beeper tune I just made using the Savage replay in beepola
ne7, please upload your song at ChipMusic in MP3 as well, so more people will be able to listen it.
Wow, nice tune ne7. I think that's the first song released using the Savage engine
It also helped me find a little bug in v1.05 (I have *.bbsong files associated with Beepola, but double-clicking the link causes Beepola to open the file with SpecialFX engine selected, and you have to manually switch to Savage -- I feel a version v1.05.01 coming on soon... )
EDIT: I agree with Shiru - you should up to the site in MP3 too so people without Beepola can listen
Last edited by ccowley (Aug 16, 2010 1:48 pm)
ah thanks guys - just popped it up here: http://chipmusic.org/ne7/music/happy-hi bit-beeper
Right-o, a version that (hopefully) cleans up all the little niggles people reported in v1.05 is now available:-
http://freestuff.grok.co.uk/beepola/Bee .05.01.zip (812KiB)
Changes:-
1. FIX: After editing a song using the Savage engine, open an existing song written for The Music Box. Savage Ornament editor remains displayed.
2. FIX: Bugs loading Z80 files into the song ripper. It should now cope properly with 128 snapshots (including variants such as Pentagon & Scorpion) and Timex machines.
3. FIX: Opening a Savage engine song using the command line or a *.bbsong file association incorrectly selected the Special FX engine in the engine dropdown in v1.05.00.
4. FIX: Pattern play (F4) was playing the first row again after going through the pattern.
5. Added Edit->Pattern->Expand x3 and Shrink /3 for tripling/thirding patterns.
6. /songs/ folder updated with new material.
just did another quick track in beepola - popped it up here: http://chipmusic.org/ne7/music/pylon-zx-beeper-1bit
i linked the tap and the song data too hehe that phase1 replay is ace too!
ah cheers shiru - didnt know about that one - will try and pop something in for it \o/
Aw dang! I am not the first to make a savage engine tune . Oh well, here's my try with it. http://chipmusic.org/jredd/music/star-feild-1-bit