MaxYMiser

An Atari ST YM2149 chip tracker

MaxYMiser is the premier tracker for chip music on the Atari ST. Of course, I cannot pretend to know anything about being a musician, but I have it running on my Atari STe right now - as a player. Once I loaded it up, I even realised how superbly well-designed it is, and it's obvious why our community loves it: it transforms the YM2149 sound chip into this surprisingly powerful sound system capable of incredible tunes.

Using a tracker-based interface, composers build songs from patterns and sequences, combining melodies, percussion and effects across the chip's three audio channels. Beyond simple square-wave beeps, MaxYMiser employs a range of clever techniques to create richer, more dynamic sounds you'll love.

The Atari STe benefits even further, as the software can utilise the machine's DMA audio hardware to blend samples with the YM synthesis. The result is a versatile music package capable of producing everything from retro arcade-style tunes to impressively complex chiptune soundtracks, making it one of the most popular tools in the modern Atari ST music scene. And that's why every musician loves it!

Give it a playtest - MaxYMiser is a babe, and here is a series of tutorial videos!! Check out the blurb...

" maxYMiser is the best and most up-to-date chip tracker for the Atari ST, and is still under constant development. To hear the sounds this tracker is capable of, visit The Phatt Demo and the maxYMiser online compo. maxYMiser is free, features a full MIDI implementation, and easy-to-use FastTracker II-style editing. maxYMiser is a gwEm production.

Subscribe for the latest maxYMiser information. You're really encouraged to join this list. I won't spread your email address to anyone, and the list is inactive. You can expect me to send an email every few months or so to let you know about the latest improvements.

Most importantly, you register an interest in the program, which strongly encourages future developments - if you don't subscribe to the list, don't wonder why new versions take a long time to arrive. "

Credits

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• maxYMiser was created by Atari chip music freak Gareth Morris, aka gwEm.
• Co-designed by Dma-Sc.
• The beautiful logos were by ST Survivor.

Sliders

Atari STe power!!

Sliders is a "sports" game by Microids for both models of the best 16-bit computer - it's the same game on either machine, but the scrolling is silky smooth on the STe (hardware scrolling? 50fps, and I'm impressed by their dedication). Okay, this is a weird game, and the boys at Microids sure had a silly idea about sporting events in the future. It's like ice hockey meets marble madness - but at frantic speeds.

The players aren't people; instead, they are balls, not very flattering, but we play as one. The other can be a human or computer-controlled player. Like soccer, we chase a little ball to score a goal before our opponent. The gameplay is furious over a metallic pitch with lots of varied terrain, like forced-directional arrows and humps to affect control. Realistic physics will affect your momentum, meaning you have a massive learning curve to master! Interestingly, you can alter various elements: thrust, friction, and more.

Balls fighting (one-on-one) over another smaller ball is hardly an interesting or innovative idea. In fact, it's weird, but I admit that whizzing around the field is great fun on the STe - kudos to Microids. However, it's too freakishly hard when playing against the computer, which is super and completely outclasses you(me!).

Sliders is a nice idea, but badly executed due to the difficulty. It's best as a multiplayer with another useless opponent for the most giggles. Can either of you play it properly? I doubt it, but it's a laugh!

 Hard drive game by 8BitChip and floppies by Atari Legend