i’m playing with my new commodore 64 and trying out some demos that come with the machine. i don’t have a monitor yet so i just plug the audio channel into the speaker and leave the composite signal unplugged. i’m able to run a demo, beautiful generative SID music plays. all 3 channels must be set to triangle waves with long envelopes. i’m able to change the filter type with the function keys on the right of the c64. i switch to band pass. the music sounds resonant, clicky, and warm. the SIDs filter is slightly driven, i can tell this is the original chip. i’m in love with the machine. legendary demoscener lft is there. he tells me calmly that the graphics timing of this demo isn’t perfect, but it sounds quite nice with the monitor unplugged.
my mom walks in and asks to use the computer, i tell her this is the wrong kind of computer, and i point to the laptop across the table. suddenly, i hear a beautiful, resonant chirp coming from the machine. i’m confused, this couldn’t be coming from the demo. it’s out of time with the music and the machine code doesn’t include an interrupt. and besides, this sounds like a sample, not a channel on the SID. ah, i understand now, this is an error sample playing on the built in speaker on my c64ultimate, which is a hardware emulation, of course this would’ve been impossible on original hardware.
but what does the error mean? is there a hardware issue? i see my bedroom window, i’m awake. am i really awake? the error message continues. it’s a bird outside, with an almost digital sounding call. i’m in tennesse, and the birds are new. i wish i knew the species.
(sound is a dramatic recreation with eurorack synthesizer, until i get my c64ultimate)
