Trend price : 50-100€
The Amiga is a series of personal computer released between 1985 and 1994 - about ten models were available during this periode with same SOUND IC called "PAULA".
Overview
COMPUTER (weight: 3,1 Kg /dimensions: 325 x 470 x 65 mm). The main panel features a classic computer keyboard (96 keys) with numeric pad.
Rear panel terminal connectors:
- Video out (mono composite or RGB)
- external drive input
- mouse input
- joystick input
- Serial port
- Parallel port
- Cinch stereo out.
Voice
A500 is based on a 16-bits Motorola 68000 CPU at 7 MHz- with limited multitasking system, graphic OCS chipset with various resolutions.
TECH: some third-part boards provides faster 68020/030 CPU.
Sound
sound processor is called "PAULA" a MOS8364 which is able to generate 4 PCM voices at 8 bits resolution with a frequency rate up to 27/28 kHz (of course there are many "tricks" to fake enhanced features like polyphony). Each set of two voices are hard-panned to LEFT and RIGHT, and each channel features individual mix gain and sampling rate.
Filter
static analog 2-poles Butterworth low-pass filter for the whole 4 channels, probably implemented to reduce anti-aliasing effects.
TIP:
the LP can be deactivated by software (in this case the red LED turns OFF).
Sampling
the Amiga does not feature internal sampling options, but cheap interface were available generally connected to SERIAL port.
Midi
AMIGA does not features nativeMIDI ports - Like for SAMPLING process, the A500 can use optional external interface for this purpose.
Memory
internal RAM is 512 kb easily doubled if using memory board in the apposite trapdor, but there were other ways to further memory using generally third-part boards.
The factory Amiga 500 come with an internal 880kb disk drive 3.5" MFM (which is NOT compatible with PC disk) but there were also an optional 5.25" device.
TIP:
depending on OS, it is possible to add an hard disk as well as a CD rom player - generally model Commodore A501.
Audio demo:
Video Clip:
Review
OK: - the 500 is cheap/ lot of good game music
NOT : limited PCM / memory /storage / obsolete
"Well a lot of games and some neat musical applications like sampling, trackers but few Midi tools"
Text , review, special demos copyright polynominal.com / Eric Pochesci