 Hello everyone,

 HVSC Update #40 is now available for you to download
 at www.hvsc.c64.org

 After this update, the collection should contain 27,653 SID files!

 This update features (all approximates):
      563 new SIDs
      724 fixed/better rips
        2 fixes of PlaySID/Sidplay1 specific SIDs
       10 repeats/bad rips eliminated
      323 SID credit fixes
      152 SID model/clock infos
       27 tunes moved out of /DEMOS to their composers' directories
       15 tunes from /DEMOS/UNKNOWN identified  :-)
          (and two go back due to bad credits)
       12 tunes moved out of /GAMES to their composers' directories
          (and one goes back due to bad credits)

 Main Composers featured in this update:
 (Artists marked with NEW! are either completely new to the HVSC
  or they get their own directory in this update)

   Deek                               James Hilthy  (NEW!)
   Kathy and Kidd Clark (NEW!)        Henning Rokling
   John Vanderaart                    Agemixer
   Alien                              Richard Bayliss
   Glenn Rune Gallefoss               Ciaran
   CMP (NEW!)                         ELA
   G-Fellow                           Harmony Productions
   Hein Holt                          John Keding
   Sascha Zeidler (Linus) (NEW!)      Lordnikon
   Maktone                            Murdock
   Nadira                             Ne7 (NEW!)
   Richard Nygaard (NEW!)             Puterman
   Reed (NEW!)                        Scortia
   Tango                              Jeremy Thorne (NEW!)
   Asterion                           Zeus

 So what is new about this update?

o We've got the music compo entries from the following parties in this pack:
  LCP 04, North Party 9, Assembly 04, Primary Star 04 and Solskogen 04

o The mega hyped Turrican 3 soundtrack is of course also in this update,
  check out /VARIOUS/S-Z/Sonic/Turrican_3.sid
  And head over to www.smash-designs.de and drop a mail to AEG and express
  your interest in Katakis 2, which, if all goes well, will be coproduced
  by ye ole master Manfred Trenz again!
 
o This update contains about 500 multi speed fixes. Due to an incorrect
  assumption regarding the number of cycles per frame (the C64 has
  $4CC7 and not $4CF9 cycles per frame, due to running at 50.125Hz
  instead of 50Hz) most of the multi speed tunes that you will find in HVSC
  were played a little slower than intended after converting them to play via
  the CIA timer.

  Also we removed some completely unnecessary cycle eating
  $DC0E writes, which caused a larger slowdown than the mere $22 cycles
  difference mentioned above.

  Although a 0.2% speed difference may not sound much in audible
  terms, some tunes do require very precise timing to get the instruments
  to sound correct, and so we felt it would be best to fix them all in one
  big effort in this update.

  Do note that we haven't fixed all the old game tunes yet, as some
  native CIA timed tunes were indeed made to be played at exactly
  50 Hz instead of 50.125 Hz and those will be fixed as necessary.

o We divided the update in a /fix and /new section. This makes it easier for
  us to keep track of the update during its creation and it's at the same
  time more convenient for you to listen through the update pack, so you can
  avoid the fixes and concentrate on the new tunes only (we assume that's
  your prime reason you update your collection regularly, to get new SIDs
  to listen to).  :-)
  Of course, listening to the /fix section might be interesting to some of
  you as well, as it almost exclusively contains multispeed tunes!  :-)

o A brand new version of the best-looking SIDplayer out there has been released
  lately, SIDPLAY/MAC v3.3! Andreas added some cool new features such as
  Hardsid support, improved GUI, better filter control, mixer and composers
  photo display via the composers.c64.org website.
  Of course the core engine has been upgraded to the latest reSID and
  libsidplay2 components and a lot of bugs have been fixed.
  Upgrade now! http://www.sidmusic.org/sidplay/mac/
  
o C64Audio.com has launched a C64 poly ringtones site: currently in preview
  mode (with previews recorded directly from my Motorola V525), it will
  eventually feature hundreds of SID ringtones in most formats. There's even a
  free test ringtone (Wizball Game Over Guitar Solo) to test your phone out!
  http://www.c64ringtones.com

  Keep an eye on the site for when the ringtones finally go on sale, and if
  you like what you hear, support C64Audio.com through the tough times
  following the fairly large loss of money on the last two Back in Time
  Lives... 

o New versions of Vice 1.15 and a new CCS64 3.0 beta 1.4 have been released.
  Always worth upgrading to the latest state-of-the-art emulators, if you ask
  me:
  www.viceteam.org
  www.ccs64.com
  
o A both astounding an unusual tool for the PC was released lately, a SID
  replayer aimed at the unmodified Atari XL/XE platform:
  The SID tunes are converted to the Atari format on the PC, then they can
  be played back on any stock Atari XL/XE! Considered the low processing
  power and the rather weak music capabilities of the Atari compared to the
  SID chip, this is an outstanding achievement.
  Laust Brock-Nannestadt has made a recording from his Atari with an earlier
  version of this tool, check it out and get stunned:
  http://gallium.prg.dtu.dk/~lbn/Cadaver_-_Illumination_-_Atari_XL_(sidemu).ogg
  Version 0.97 of this fabulous tool can be found here:
  http://www.atari.sk/download/sidplayer097.zip
  
  Seeya all next update, folks!
  Steppe (on behalf of the whole HVSC crew)
  
  PS: Where have these interesting BEST OF UPDATE XX lists gone? Head over to
  hvsc@yahoogroups.com and pick up this old habit of telling us your favourite
  SIDs from this update!  :-)
