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Chris Abbott
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Nice to hear it 
Well, I was going to launch, but I decided that the site that was beta-tested was a good proof of concept, and that I'd better move everything to a dedicated server and implement the new system that I started designing last November. The cashflow from the ringtones would have been nice, but I want to launch with a bang and not a whimper.
Watch for a massively expanded C64Audio.com soon*, as I finally get all the nice content I've been sitting on online. There's gigabytes of the stuff.
Chris
* Well, OK, soon-ish!
Well, I was going to launch, but I decided that the site that was beta-tested was a good proof of concept, and that I'd better move everything to a dedicated server and implement the new system that I started designing last November. The cashflow from the ringtones would have been nice, but I want to launch with a bang and not a whimper.
Watch for a massively expanded C64Audio.com soon*, as I finally get all the nice content I've been sitting on online. There's gigabytes of the stuff.
Chris
* Well, OK, soon-ish!
Hi there,
Just had a quick listen to some of the ringtones. Some are good but others are, well, not so good. The way I transfer the SID tunes to my K700i is to play the SID on Sidplay and record using All Sound Recorder XP. Edit the bits I don`t want or need (you usually answer the phone within 10 secs anyhow...) and then Bluetooth the MP3 to the phone. I have the beginning of Danko`s Elemenatry as a ringtone which sounds good. Anyway...
Just had a quick listen to some of the ringtones. Some are good but others are, well, not so good. The way I transfer the SID tunes to my K700i is to play the SID on Sidplay and record using All Sound Recorder XP. Edit the bits I don`t want or need (you usually answer the phone within 10 secs anyhow...) and then Bluetooth the MP3 to the phone. I have the beginning of Danko`s Elemenatry as a ringtone which sounds good. Anyway...
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Chris Abbott
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Well, they're as good as they'll get in MIDI.
And don't forget:
(a) the vast majority of phones out there don't support MP3 (yet)
(b) even less phones have good quality punchy MP3, and even less support 128kbps, so often a polyphonic MIDI ringtone is still the audible or practical choice. Often you're left with AMR wideband which is a pretty crappy playback quality.
Plus they're pretty good compared to other polyphonic ringtones out there. When I offer realtones, I'll be using CD tracks and real SIDs.
Chris
And don't forget:
(a) the vast majority of phones out there don't support MP3 (yet)
(b) even less phones have good quality punchy MP3, and even less support 128kbps, so often a polyphonic MIDI ringtone is still the audible or practical choice. Often you're left with AMR wideband which is a pretty crappy playback quality.
Plus they're pretty good compared to other polyphonic ringtones out there. When I offer realtones, I'll be using CD tracks and real SIDs.
Chris
I got a Nokia 6230i and the solo tune of wizball sound's great on mine got it sms alert now
but a better thing is they can play Mp3 files so i can get all sid's to wave then mp3 and then a c64 tune on the phone its just so awesome!
but a better thing is they can play Mp3 files so i can get all sid's to wave then mp3 and then a c64 tune on the phone its just so awesome!
Commordore Remix Spirit 4 lives on because of YOU GUYS! Dont ever freaking give it up YA HEAR!!!! 
I used to have a Treo (before I lost it in a cab, and the scummy git didn't respond when I called it) - there's an API for it (and for Windows-based smart-phones) which lets the phone intercept incoming calls and run custom code (I had an MP3 player, for example). It should be possible to port SIDPlay (if it hasn't been done already). Likewise with any modern handset (esp. the Symbian-based phones, like Nokia).Raiden wrote:haha chris... u should contact the Nokia mobile company and tell them to make a mobile who can play real sid files.
But i doubt that they will make it, but its a worth a try
That aside (and I must stress I have the greatest respect for Chris and folks like him who really work hard for the C64/retro scene), I detest the price-point for ringtones and such. I think it's even worse when it's things like 20 year old tunes that have limited appeal (come on, I mean outside of our sphere). It's justifiable for chart hits, where royalties must be paid (I guess, although even then I doubt I'd want to pay for a ringtone), but for something that an individual can put together with SID2MID and a $20 program from Coding Workshop or Xing, it just seems a tad unfair. At the current exchange rate (I'm a Brit in Canada), 2 quid is about $5 CAD. The US$ is weak, so let's call it $6 US. For around 3 times the cost of one ringtone, I can have an unlimited number of ringtones generated directly from SID files and transferred to my phone either via a WAP server that the program runs on my own PC or via their own server.
That's just my gripe, and I expect I'll get flamed - I know Chris commands a lot of respect here, and I'm just a n00b, but if there's one thing my friends know me for, it's speaking my mind. I'm sorry if I'm offending anybody, and I hope I don't get banned for expressing an opinion, because I really like this site/forum, but I just don't see the justification for charging people for snippets of old 64 tunes. Surely the market isn't that big that you're going to get rich from it - why not do as somebody else suggested, and give away free ringtones when people purchase the CD's, maybe giving 'x' free codes for downloading tones per CD?
Sorry for the rant - maybe it was caused by my last visit home, where I was bombarded 200 times a day with the "Crazy Frog" adverts...
Jax
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Chris Abbott
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I'm taking this one offlist.
[edit: when I read Jax's later post, I deleted this PM before he read it]
Chris
[edit: when I read Jax's later post, I deleted this PM before he read it]
Chris
Last edited by Chris Abbott on 14/01/2006 - 10:18, edited 1 time in total.
Won't somebody PLEASE think of the children?
I see your point, but I'm afraid you're somewhat missing the concept of Chris' ringtone site. Those are not just SID2MIDIs, but lovingly recreated Midi-Ringtone optimised little tunes, for various mobiles with various capabilities. Of course it's cool to have a SID player on your mobile - but who actually has the appropriate phone AND the know how to install such a gadget?
If you decide to spend your money on one of the ringtones, you'll get full access to various versions, subtunes and snippets of the game. And you can not really expect a small company like Chris', with a limited customer base, to throw out the ringtones wholesale... it's a fair price. Chris usually tends to sell stuff too inexpensively because he's not the guy to rip people off.
To this sum up: c64ringtones is as far away from the Crazy Frog as can be. The ringtones are worth every cent, personally, I have Commando on my Nokia 6100 and I love it.
- Markus
If you decide to spend your money on one of the ringtones, you'll get full access to various versions, subtunes and snippets of the game. And you can not really expect a small company like Chris', with a limited customer base, to throw out the ringtones wholesale... it's a fair price. Chris usually tends to sell stuff too inexpensively because he's not the guy to rip people off.
To this sum up: c64ringtones is as far away from the Crazy Frog as can be. The ringtones are worth every cent, personally, I have Commando on my Nokia 6100 and I love it.
- Markus
My bad.
I really didn't mean to dis Chris (hey, a rhyme)!
I couldn't reach the temporary site - it timed out repeatedly on me, so maybe I missed something there.
I guess it comes down to how badly you want something. Personally I'd have a hard time selecting just one or two tones, so it could end up being very expensive, hence my mentioning the SID2MID/Xing solution.
Apologies to Chris, again, if I've pissed you off - it wasn't my intention, nor would I want to discourage enthusiasts from buying your work. Perhaps I'm jaded with my carrier in Canada (Bell - they suck you dry and then they bill you some more for outdated, obsolete CDMA service - get with the times!). And that bloody frog! How can I boast about how great us Brits are when we vote a sodding crappy ringtone to number 1 in the charts!?
I'll just shut up - and maybe hammer out a ringtone for donation.
Sorry Chris!
Jax
(And no more vodka for Jax!)
I really didn't mean to dis Chris (hey, a rhyme)!
I couldn't reach the temporary site - it timed out repeatedly on me, so maybe I missed something there.
I guess it comes down to how badly you want something. Personally I'd have a hard time selecting just one or two tones, so it could end up being very expensive, hence my mentioning the SID2MID/Xing solution.
Apologies to Chris, again, if I've pissed you off - it wasn't my intention, nor would I want to discourage enthusiasts from buying your work. Perhaps I'm jaded with my carrier in Canada (Bell - they suck you dry and then they bill you some more for outdated, obsolete CDMA service - get with the times!). And that bloody frog! How can I boast about how great us Brits are when we vote a sodding crappy ringtone to number 1 in the charts!?
I'll just shut up - and maybe hammer out a ringtone for donation.
Sorry Chris!
Jax
(And no more vodka for Jax!)
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Chris Abbott
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Thanks Jax. Even after nigh on eight years doing this stuff, I still get occasional snipings... , but it's nice to know your heart's in the right place
My short list of points that I was going to reply with were:
a) C64 composers still need payment for stuff, since often then really need the money, small amounts though it is
b) Every pound counts, and I really care about the art aspect of the product. I'm still struggling financially, and an order for £10 can make all the difference.
c) SID2MIDI unadorned is horrible. If you take the pitch bend range down to 24 semitones, then some of the most well known tunes get completely corrupted. Also, there are no drums, nothing corresponds exactly to the barlines, the notes have too little space between them for four voice phone chips such as the Nokias, etc.
d) My original plan (which I told people about, so I'm not making this up) was that purchase of a subtune would give people all the bits of that subtune in poly and realtones for the one price on their own little download area. However, I needed to start off using the normal model because it was the only mechanism I had that was working.
e) people don't get banned for writing stuff like you wrote: they get banned for being abusive.
Chris
, but it's nice to know your heart's in the right place My short list of points that I was going to reply with were:
a) C64 composers still need payment for stuff, since often then really need the money, small amounts though it is
b) Every pound counts, and I really care about the art aspect of the product. I'm still struggling financially, and an order for £10 can make all the difference.
c) SID2MIDI unadorned is horrible. If you take the pitch bend range down to 24 semitones, then some of the most well known tunes get completely corrupted. Also, there are no drums, nothing corresponds exactly to the barlines, the notes have too little space between them for four voice phone chips such as the Nokias, etc.
d) My original plan (which I told people about, so I'm not making this up) was that purchase of a subtune would give people all the bits of that subtune in poly and realtones for the one price on their own little download area. However, I needed to start off using the normal model because it was the only mechanism I had that was working.
e) people don't get banned for writing stuff like you wrote: they get banned for being abusive.
Chris
Won't somebody PLEASE think of the children?
Hey Chris - thanks for not taking my comments personally - although I've not been 'involved' in the scene, I've always been around on the outskirts, and yours was the first name I ever saw associated with remixing (with your GM/XM '97 mixes), so I really didn't want to offend you!
In fact, a good few years ago while I was with another company (in the UK) I contacted you with regard to embedding a SID player as an easter-egg in a game we were developing - Rob directed me to you as you'd acquired the rights to his compositions - but the company went 'poof' (madfiddler knows the score!)
I'm hoping to become a regular here now that I've registered, and maybe even extend my involvement to trying my hand at a remix or two (although my skills lie in engineering rather than the creative side), so pissing people off is the last thing I'd want to do.
As I said, I tend to speak my mind; even if I risk offending people I find that better than beating around the bush or kissing ass, and I'd expect nothing less of people with respect to myself or my postings.
It seems to me that the average age of people on this forum (being 'oldies' - apologies to any younger enthusiasts) means that the majority of us are adults, and can engage in conversations and debate without resorting to kiddie retorts when there's a conflict of opinions.
The main point of these forums is to discuss and promote the C64 remix scene, and my gripe about your ringtones was probably poorly thought out; the temporary website didn't load for me - maybe if it had I would have seen another side of things.
Anyway, I'm ranting again - thanks for the reply, and I hope the new offerings do well for you, Chris!
Cheers,
Jax
In fact, a good few years ago while I was with another company (in the UK) I contacted you with regard to embedding a SID player as an easter-egg in a game we were developing - Rob directed me to you as you'd acquired the rights to his compositions - but the company went 'poof' (madfiddler knows the score!)
I'm hoping to become a regular here now that I've registered, and maybe even extend my involvement to trying my hand at a remix or two (although my skills lie in engineering rather than the creative side), so pissing people off is the last thing I'd want to do.
As I said, I tend to speak my mind; even if I risk offending people I find that better than beating around the bush or kissing ass, and I'd expect nothing less of people with respect to myself or my postings.
It seems to me that the average age of people on this forum (being 'oldies' - apologies to any younger enthusiasts) means that the majority of us are adults, and can engage in conversations and debate without resorting to kiddie retorts when there's a conflict of opinions.
The main point of these forums is to discuss and promote the C64 remix scene, and my gripe about your ringtones was probably poorly thought out; the temporary website didn't load for me - maybe if it had I would have seen another side of things.
Anyway, I'm ranting again - thanks for the reply, and I hope the new offerings do well for you, Chris!
Cheers,
Jax
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Chris Abbott
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Jax wrote:It seems to me that the average age of people on this forum (being 'oldies' - apologies to any younger enthusiasts) means that the majority of us are adults, and can engage in conversations and debate without resorting to kiddie retorts when there's a conflict of opinions.
Sez you, cootieface
Chris
Won't somebody PLEASE think of the children?