Atari 8-bit Demo: REHARDEN

[Switch to 720p50] Made for stock 64K PAL XL/XE. Recorded from Altirra 2.90 as PAL XL 64K; non-linear audio mixing; bilinear filter; normal overscan; standard PAL artifacting; 50fps
Find full source code at: bitbucket.org/...
Download REHARDEN for your Atari: www.pouet.net/p... or demozoo.org/pr...
Read about the history of HARD: demozoo.org/gr...

[@swietyEFI]

Heh you warned me in the concept of your hardbass, I had the same idea a few years ago but unfortunately I did not implement it ;) The effect is surprisingly good. Greetings SWIETY/ZELAX

[@sandorhard]

Thank you for the nice comments! I'm not sure if my likes are visible, therefore I started handing out hearts instead ;)

[@jrherita]

This is an amazing demo! Great job!!

[@melomonster007]

Good demo. Music sounds almost like it's played by SID and I didn't know you could make that twisty thing on little Atari.

[@sandorhard]

Thank you! The bass sounds punchy because this demo showcases HardBass, a cheap-to-run bass soft-synth I created that any demo could use. I released the source code also ;) Oh yeah, the Atari can do any sort of twister. This one is approx 5-6KB only :)

[@DrSid42]

That bass is sweet !

[@MoparStephen]

Excellent! Can't believe it's been 22 years since Joyride. Insane that this little machine still has some undiscovered tricks.

[@tharkthax3960]

Stunning stunning work. To get the Atari to sing like this is just glorious. Can't stop playing it. By the way sounds great thru amp and big speakers! Just noticed I already commented before 😀

[@ProBloggerWorld]

The start is so cool. This distortion and falling screen is very nicely done! 😍👍🏻

[@sandorhard]

Thank you! Not a lot of people noticed that I think :)

[@yuliyamusti2011]

probably the best atari tune i ve heard so far... and still proc power left for nice grafx! respect and well done!

[@sandorhard]

Thank you! Yes, that's the point actually. HardBass takes a small amount of CPU and support very tight kernels (HCM pictures re-position and re-populate two players with data each scanline)

[@yuliyamusti2011]

@@sandorhard i can remember when i heard sidtunes on the c64 (like commando) and became jealous - if these types of tunes would have been in games 40 years ago... i would have been much happier... but thank you again for showing that my XL was and is capable of these superb tunes :) KUDOS!

[@yuliyamusti2011]

btw cutted 2 ringtones for my mobile phone out of this tune :) keeps me motivated

[@sandorhard]

@@yuliyamusti2011 I'm very glad you like it so much!

[@dannydoolhoff4215]

Wow! Just wow!

[@tharkthax3960]

Stunning! Always liked your demos over the years, and this is real nice. How you get the Atari to have bass line like that? This music sounds amazing in disco mode on my theatre amp. Respect!

[@user-wg5oq5od1v]

Very nice demo. I love the music in it. :)

[@slatorarsenic7859]

Nice comeback, technical innovation is always great. Thanks for sharing the source.

[@Null42x86]

This demo sounds like a C64

[@djaccount5458]

Nice twister scroll

[@thefluidgames]

Max respect Sándor :) Nagyon jó feeling volt nézni egy kis retrot ami rendkívül zseniális! Üdvözlet.

[@jrherita]

This is awesome work! Thank you!

[@tharkthax3960]

This demo i still think is outstanding. Sounds awesome thru a good sound system. Amazing work 😀

[@jarosawwasenko1341]

Miszczostwo...gratki...

[@M_ZS]

Szuper jó lett! Gratula!

[@Heaven6502]

Great stuff - nice comeback to the scene :)

[@TamasKalman]

f*ckin' amazing.

[@gazzaka]

Beautiful demo in all respects :-)

[@sandorhard]

Thank you!

[@random_precision_software]

Looks and sounds great..you doing no more demos?

[@sandorhard]

Thank you! Well, there was a 2x year gap between my last two creations, so never say never :)

[@Akira625]

The music gives the Commodore 64 SID chip a run for its money!

[@TheMaskarad]

the music is a banger yo! too bad the hardbass-tracker is *so* hard to get working

[@sandorhard]

Thank you! Yes, the tracker itself is experimental and should be merged into RMT.

[@TheMaskarad]

@@sandorhard do you know if anyone is/would do it?

[@sandorhard]

@@TheMaskarad I don't, but that's my vision with it since the beginning. My part of the job is done ;)

[@nickolasgaspar9660]

Are there any samples used in the soundtrack?

[@sandorhard]

It's a bass soft-synth I made called HARDBASS. It doesn't use samples, but renders soft-synth output on the fly.

[@nickolasgaspar9660]

@@sandorhard impressive!

[@nickolasgaspar9660]

@@sandorhardIs the CPU alone executing the render or just the Pokey?(or together?)

[@sandorhard]

@@nickolasgaspar9660 The CPU renders the wave into a small buffer and then you populate the generated samples into the Pokey. 39 samples per frame (1 update per "char line"). Cheap-to-run for maximum bang for the buck.

[@olynxmano]

Hi Sandor. You know , I like your work. But I have to point to some more "realistic" point of view. For people , who know the Atari, also knows what great work is done here. But, to other people it looks like a cheap C64 demo. Trying to keep the look & feel of the C64 counterpart, without the fluent presentation and variations. The Atari's strength is in the depth of view. Doing some more "3d" looking stuff in addition, or adding FX inbetween. It's the Atari, so demos should show that. The diagonal twister in Prozac Dream is such a hint. The ANTIC also has very CPU and RAM saving modes. Doing intermissions while preparing the next "big" part would also give "fresh air".

[@sandorhard]

olynxmano Well, what I wanted to achieve with this demo is already in it. You'll have to reach your own goals yourself.

[@olynxmano]

You know how it tastes to almost reach the peak of a mountain, but you don't reach it by a missing hook? Then you fall down without really being there ? Your demo is outstanding great, no doubt. But, I miss such a final hook, that would make it "unexpected" . Not sure, what it is. The graphics were at finest level, but the Atari has 128 colors there .... 8 colors per scanline and color variations vertically would have done some "missing link" . The music is also at a lonely level.... that great... really. But the high tones don't fit , as they produce clicks and gaps (cancelling) ... and , I still would love to hear more melodic stuff, using your great sound innovation for bass replaying on the Atari.

[@sandorhard]

olynxmano Thank you for your opinion and your nice words about some achievements. If you're interested in the reasons and goals behind the things I demonstrated, please read the HCM and HARDBASS documentation in my source repository as REHARDEN was created to showcase the new homogeneous graphics modes and the new bass soft synth. As for the quality of my composition, this is what I'm capable of at this point in my life. My overall goal is to give tools to others who can create better productions than myself.

[@olynxmano]

Yeah, I know . The Atari simply misses those tools to make such enhanced developments easier. You have to spend time, on and on, where on other platforms such comparable achievements were the daily agenda. Your demo shows at least, that there is still potential to work on. Thanks for that.