Hello everyone,

HVSC Update #32 is available for you to download.  It's been
a long time in coming, but for a good reason.  In the most
important update to HVSC since it went to long file names
back in 1997 and became HVSC 2.0, HVSC with this update
adopts the new PSIDv2NG file format for SID tunes and
also becomes HVSC 5.0 at the same time.  

IMPORTANT NOTE #1: Due to the sheer amount of SIDs being
worked on to ensure compliancy, this update will take on
average 15-20 times longer than normal, at least.  Please
bear in mind that it will take its time (for example, a
humble Win98SE AMD K6-2 500Mhz took about 4 minutes), however
the end results are well worth waiting for.

Although originally the plan was to have no SIDs at all
in the update, in some cases it was easier to fix the
SID tune by padding the data at the end of the SID to 
ensure more C64-friendly compliancy.  There are 346 of these,
and they're all fixes.  Please note however there are no
new SIDs, but don't worry, we'll be making up for that in the
next two updates.

IMPORTANT NOTE #2:  You are strongly recommended to use
the HVSC Update Tool 2.7.1 that is now available.  The Windows
version, as ever, is shipped with the update, but for all other
OSes please consult the link below to download the most up to
date version of your tool.  Do not use any earlier versions
lower than 2.7.0 as they will not work!

http://www.hvsc.c64.org/Players_and_Tools/

After this update, the collection should contain 18,616 SID files.

This update features (all approximates):
        0 new SIDs
      346 fixed/better rips
        2 repeats/bad rips eliminated
      122 SID credit fixes

For those of you who took part in the HVSC User Survey, your
feedback inspired us to realise that taking on PSIDv2NG was
the way to go, and it's been realised here.  Thank you all
once again for taking part in the survey.  Your feedback
and support does count for a lot, making actually organising
the collection a pleasure rather than a burden.  Thank you! :)

So, what is PSIDv2NG, some of you may be wondering?  Well, here's
a portion of the revised HVSC FAQ which should be of use to you
and should answer your questions.

You can read this in future in the hv_sids.faq document of HVSC:

What is PSIDv2NG?
-----------------

PSIDv2NG (PSID format v2, Next Generation) was invented by Simon White and
Dag Lem and is an extension of the Playsid V2 file format.  It takes
advantage of some free bytes in the header and allows for the following
situations (the first one was already in the existing PSID v2 format):

* the SID file has a standalone player or is a Compute! Gazette
  SIDplayer tune
* whether the SID file is C64 compatible of specific to the old
  PlaySID formats
* whether the SID file is for NTSC (eg: USA) or PAL (eg: Europe) TV
  formats
* SID chip selection, 6581 (old) or 8580 (new) SID chip
* relocation fields, required to support a real C64(emulator) where
  additional code must be placed in C64 ram to play the SID tune.
 
All the above means that it also allows for real C64 rips to be supported,
with unmodified real digi samples, proper multispeed timing, busy loops
and so on.  Our goal is to have real C64 rips wherever possible.

It also has the added advantage of being backwards compatible with
most SID tunes, so that older SID emulators can still play them, but
to take advantage of the features of PSID v2NG, you are highly
recommended to use SID emulators based on the latest libsidplay2
emulation engine (for example, Sidplay2 for Windows) to play SIDs in HVSC.

More detailed information about the format can be obtained on the
documents section of the Sidplay2 homepage at 
http://sidplay2.sourceforge.net/

Why has HVSC decided to go with PSIDv2NG?
-----------------------------------------

The HVSC Team had thought for some time about going with the file
format, as it would allow for better and more accurate rips, being
played with the cycle-accurate Sidplay2 player.  However, such an
issue was important and so in March 2002 HVSC undertook its first ever
user survey, which asked how the collection was used, what the users
found important in a SID file format to them, and whether the
collection should move to PSIDv2NG format.  When you consider that of
those surveyed:

* 73% wished for SID files to be played on a real C64 where possible
* 94% would like to hear SID tunes at their intended PAL or NTSC speed
* 91% wished to know which SID chip a SID tune was composed on

and that a majority also wished for us to have SID files play more
accurately, and for the collection to go to PSIDv2NG, then it was an
easy decision to make.  Further, PSIDv2NG is the only new SID file
format thus far that facilitates what was preferred.

Some of the file names have _PSID in their name.  Why is this?
--------------------------------------------------------------

- If you use sidplay1, play the _PSID files if they exist.
- If you use sidplay2, play the non-_PSID files.

There were many SIDs ripped where they either used random commands
or PlaySID extended digi registers, which are specific to older SID
emulators like PlaySID and Sidplay only.   Although Sidplay2 will play
those rips, a real C64 will not and and in most cases it will lock up
with them.

As the collection develops, C64-friendly versions of these rips will
be added which will run alongside the existing PlaySID-specific rips.
However, when this happens, it would be very easy for an older SID
emulator user to play a C64-friendly sample tune rip for example which
could crash their emulator.  By marking the PlaySID specific tunes in
this way, that user then knows which rip is suited best to their SID
emulator.

My operating system doesn't yet (or can't) support Sidplay2.  
Will I still be able to play the SIDs in HVSC?
------------------------------------------------------------

Yes.  Part of the PSIDv2NG specification is to allow for backwards
compatibility, wherever possible.  The only SIDs you won't be able to
play are those which are real C64 specific, and for the majority of
those, they will have a PlaySID equivalent marked as mentioned above.

---------------------------
What's to come next update?
---------------------------

* - The competition entries from the Assembly 2002 party
* - Some real C64 sample rips - including the C64 and C128
    versions of the Last V8 (the speech is different in each!)
* - Some more game rips including SID Hunt requests
* - and much more besides!

-------------------
PSID64 0.4 released
-------------------

So, you love the SIDs in HVSC, but you want to play them on your
real Commodore 64.  What can you do?  Well, the old way used to
be to use a tool called Real SID Play on a C64, but now the
process is made easier.  PSID64 is available for Windows and
Linux platforms and takes any SID from HVSC and turns it
into a c64 .prg file which you can transfer to the real
thing and play - just load the .prg file and run it.

It's sure to be a handy tool for the real C64 diehard, so
please consult the following page:

http://psid64.sourceforge.net/

---------------------------
PSIDEdit tool 2.10 released
---------------------------

Over to the tool's author, none other than LaLa, for the
full lowdown on revisions since the 2.01 release mentioned
in the last update mailout:

PSIDedit v2.10 is now available online. It contains a few new
features based on feedback from rippers:

+ Ability to load INFO files (these are text files that were part
  of the now obsolete .dat + .sid two-file format). PSIDedit also
  handles newer INFO files that contain PSID v2NG fields in them.

+ A new button called "Run tool" allows the user to run any
  external tool in a command shell right from PSIDedit. The output
  of such commands is captured in a window - the contents of
  this window can then be saved to a file or copied to the clipboard.
  This new button was added mainly to allow rippers to run sid2crc
  right from PSIDedit which allows them to check SID files. PSIDedit
  will remember the last 10 command lines entered here and this
  command list is also saved to the PSIDedit.ini file with other
  settings.

+ On the "Display C64 data" window a new button was added called
  "Trim/pad data" that allows the user to alter the size of the C64
  data in a PSID file. This is great to trim a ripped file to get
  rid of superfluous bytes from it.

+ Pressing an alphanumeric key when the dir/file browser is in focus
  will cycle thru the dirs/files that begin with that letter. If you
  start typing rapidly, the first file whose name starts with the typed
  letters will be highlighted, similar to Windows Explorer.

+ When moving up the dir hierarchy via the dir browser the previous
  directory's name will be automatically highlighted (instead of the
  name of the very first dir entry).

Bugfixes and enhancements:

- Minor bugfixes in the "HVSC filename" feature that generates an
  HVSC-compliant filename based on the "name" field.

- Copying data to the clipboard INFO style had some bugs in it. Got
  rid of them. Similarly, pasting INFO style data from the clipboard
  was also buggy. Fixed that, too.

- Loading data files (.dat, .prg, etc.) will no longer reset the
  PSID header data to defaults automatically. You now have a choice
  whether to keep the PSID header data or not. This will save
  you a copy-paste step when, for example, constructing several SID
  files in a row from data files that were ripped from the same author.

- If you tried to play a SID file under Windows whose full pathname
  contained a space, SIDPlay/Win used to give an error. Fixed it.

- Other minor (mostly internal) enhancements.

The PSIDedit documentation was also updated with the new features.
Please, read it first if you want to know more about them.

http://lala.c64.org/

---------------------------------
Back in Time Live 3 - it was hot!
---------------------------------

And quite literally too.  In soaring temperatures in the centre
of London, Gossip's club was packed to the rafters with C64 and
remix fans alike as the third Back in Time Live event proved to
be hotter than the rest.  So what did you miss?

* A stunning live set from Press Play on Tape, featuring Ben
  Daglish on flute playing Krakout and Auf Wiedersehen Monty,
  and Pascal Roggen who successfully played the frantic last
  part of Monty on the Run on the violin and lived to tell the
  tale!  Simply the most awesome C64 remix - ever
* A superb rocking set from Machinae Supremacy which included
  their C64 megamixes Sidology parts 1 and 3, featuring lots
  of C64 tunes in two tracks of guitar excellence
* Live set from Seth Sternberger and his 8-bit weapon, including
  the SIDStation in full effect
* Live performances from Octave Sounds and Rebekah Mancino too
* Exclusive showing of the Press Play on Tape Comic Bakery boy
  band style video.  You have to see it to believe it
* Three CD launches (see below for more information)
* C64 musicians such as Adam Gilmore, Jason Page, Reyn Ouwehand,
  David Whittaker, Richard Joseph and Ben Daglish as compere for 
  the evening's live shows
* C64 personalities such as Jeff Minter, Stephen Robertson (SIR),
  Jon Hare, Carl Muller, and a host of scene people including
  the likes of Kwed, Slaygon, and half the HVSC Team too

Don't say we didn't warn you this was going to be the big one.

See http://www.backintimelive.com/ for more info and downloads.

---------------------
New remix CD releases
---------------------

No less than three remix CDs were released at Back in Time
Live 3, and can be purchased now from the C64Audio.com shop:

Remix64 - The remix CD collection organised by the kind folk
          at the remix 64 website.  This CD mainly re-interprets
          C64 tunes in a 1980s style of composing, so lots of
          very 80s synth workout of a good variety of tunes.

Galway
Remix   - Reyn Ouwehand's second CD release, this time it
          features a whole CD full of more electronic
          reworkings of some Martin Galway classics (and at 
          last, a great remix of his Athena tune) complete with
          the slick polished production you've come to expect
          if you've heard the Nexus 6581 CD.

Instant
Remedy  - The long time C64 remixer goes to the dance floor
          and produces a CD full of music to purely stomp to:
          play this very late at night for full effect!


For more info about this and forthcoming CDs, please be sure
to take a look at http://www.c64audio.com/

----------------------------
SID Browser Utility Released
----------------------------

There's also since been a nice little utility reached for those
of you who enjoy browsing through HVSC, and it's entirely
different from the highly recommended Sidbace.  You can do all
sorts of searches with it, and it's pretty powerful.  Why
not give it a go and see if it makes life eaiser for you?

http://www.sidbrowser.com/

------------------------------------------------------------

Do enjoy this one off update, and be sure to enjoy the fact
that HVSC is becoming more C64 compliant with each release,
which I know will please a lot of you out there.

Kind regards
Warren Pilkington
(on behalf of the whole HVSC Team)
  