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Digital Audio on the ZX Spectrum's 1-Bit Beeper

68 points · 25 comments · ibobev

  1. urbandw311er · · focus · HN ↗
    I have a memory of a Spectrum game playing some sort of synthesised speech through the speaker that seemed incredibly ahead of its time. I believe the game was called iBall. And the sample said something like “Fight iBall!” Have I misremembered that? Was this a fever dream?
    1. _usefulcat · · focus · HN ↗
      You might be right! I had a copy of 'Slightly Magic' which had some speech synthesis. Great game. Never completed it though
    2. KnightLore · · focus · HN ↗
      You remembered correctly!

      <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;zxart.ee&#x2F;prod&#x2F;101558" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;zxart.ee&#x2F;prod&#x2F;101558

    3. flohofwoe · · focus · HN ↗
      Another Speccy game with digitized speech is Chase HQ:

      <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;youtu.be&#x2F;yjrbcLm78I8?si=GMIqDdL31hq4ik72&amp;t=87" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;youtu.be&#x2F;yjrbcLm78I8?si=GMIqDdL31hq4ik72&amp;t=87

      Although tbf apparently that&#x27;s done via the AY sound chip of the 128k, which is a lot easier than through the on&#x2F;off beeper of the 48k since the AY can do digitized audio via CPU-driven volume modulation.

      1. UncleSlacky · · focus · HN ↗
        There was also &quot;Meteor Storm&quot;:

        <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;spectrumgamesuk.com&#x2F;index.php?game=Meteor-Storm" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;spectrumgamesuk.com&#x2F;index.php?game=Meteor-Storm

        I think it said &quot;Meteor Alert!&quot; or something similar, though the quality was terrible.

    4. McDyver · · focus · HN ↗
      I remember the &quot;Codemasters Jet Bike Simulator&quot;. I always found it impressive

      (And there was a &quot;Get ready!&quot; which I didn&#x27;t remember)

      <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.youtube.com&#x2F;watch?v=hRW9vW3_M3o&amp;t=8" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.youtube.com&#x2F;watch?v=hRW9vW3_M3o&amp;t=8

    5. jesuslop · · focus · HN ↗
      I remember &quot;Rocman&quot;, how hearing a human voice coming from a 1-bit beeper sounded like sorcery: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;youtu.be&#x2F;iuT0hxjLCzc?t=95" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;youtu.be&#x2F;iuT0hxjLCzc?t=95
    6. darrenf · · focus · HN ↗
      The 128k version of Nodes of Yesod had some speech, albeit I think it was just the name of the game. My older brother told me a kid in his class got paid big bucks - like, I dunno, £50 or something? - for coding it. Almost certainly bollocks.

      For high quality speech, you could get the Currah μSpeech! <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Currah#Currah_%CE%BCSpeech_for_the_ZX_Spectrum" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Currah#Currah_%CE%BCSpeech_for...

      I swear there was one symbol it pronounced &quot;flea bleep&quot;.

      1. dcminter · · focus · HN ↗
        For some reason &quot;5&quot;, even if constructed as phonemes came out as &quot;frame&quot; - I always wondered why. I&#x27;ve never seen it mentioned in the various short pieces about it online including its contemporary reviews. I wonder now if it was a bug in the particular rom I had and it was fixed early enough to not get much visibility.
    7. stevekemp · · focus · HN ↗
      Robocop was another game with sampled speach, not yet mentioned:

      <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.youtube.com&#x2F;watch?v=Dy8kZcGz98U" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.youtube.com&#x2F;watch?v=Dy8kZcGz98U

      There were a few games (in later years) with speach&#x2F;audio. But Robocop was one that stands in my memory for the good music.

    8. dronacharya · · focus · HN ↗
      Jonah Barrington&#x27;s Squash used synthesised speech for scores
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