c64 Messiah

Electronica / Hip Hop / Other

West Palm Beach, Florida

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About

The Commodore 64 personal computer released in August 1982 became the best selling single computer model of all time. It also contained the sid chip which enabled the greatest 8 bit noises ever produced.

Roberto Aloi (aka c64 messiah) can still picture the day he was at his parent's bedside. He managed to convince them that he needed a c64 by somehow associating inflation before the holiday season as a viable reason for purchasing a c64 personal computer. It really made absolutely no sense and it's doubtful he had any clue what inflation was at such an early age.

The c64 did not have the highest video resolution available or a staggering palette of colors to choose from.

What it did possess was a revolutionary sound chip referred to as the "SID" chip. The SID was created by engineer Robert "Bob" Yannes who later founded the Ensoniq digital synthesizer company. Yannes was inspired to create the "SID" by his previous work in the synthesizer industry and was not impressed by the current state of computer sound chips.

Instead, he wanted a high-quality instrument chip, which is the reason why the SID has features like an envelope generator, previously not found in home computer sound chips. The sid was instrumental in making the c64 the best-selling computer in history and is partly credited for initiating the demoscene.

Yannes is best quoted as saying "I thought the sound chips on the market, including those in the Atari computers, were primitive and obviously had been designed by people who knew nothing about music."
- Robert Yannes, On the Edge: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Commodore.

The young messiah had no clue that the computer he played games on, bbsed with, and practically grew up using would inspire music creation years later. It's funny how his various Amiga machines and IBM compatibles have been forced into retirement at the local landfill and his c64 is still always within reach...

c64'in till I die - Commence stroking!