I still remember my first Apple computer. It was an Apple ] with a whopping 16k of RAM and it didn’t even have a floppy drive. So the sounds that come to mind when I think of my old are the squeals of program data loading from cassette tape. But the later models in the Apple II line actually could make their own music too. Now, thanks to the work of a couple of enterprising chiptune musicians, there’s a brand new synthesizer app that you can run on the Apple II series.

Created by M.J. Mahon and 8-bit Weapon, the Digital Music Synthesizer (D.M.S.) is the only wavetable synth for the Apple 8-bit machines that I’ve heard of. While it won’t run on the original or +, it works great on Apple //e, IIc, and IIc+ models.

D.M.S. can crank out up to 8 voices, which you can play from the keyboard. The app includes a variety of retro-modern sounds including acoustic piano, vibraphone, acoustic guitar, electric bass, trumpet, clarinet, square wave, sawtooth wave, sine wave, and of course, banjo!

Crank up your volume and click here/a> to enjoy a short sample of sound from D.M.S.

You don’t even need a monitor hooked up to use this synth. Just put in the floppy, wait for it to finish loading, and start mashing on keys for some 8-bit audio delights.

Got an old Apple II lying around? You can get your hands on DMS over at 8-bit Weapon/a> for $19.95 (USD). Naturally, it ships on a 5-1/4″ floppy. Woot!

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apple [ gets a brand new synthesizer/a>

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and what better way for us geeks to show our love than with another geeky shirt? But the 8-bit Dynamic Life shirt isn’t just any geek shirt; it’s specially made to show your loved one that you’re more alive with them around. When the wearers are far apart, the heart containers are depleted, with only 2 and a half hearts filled up.

But if the wearers get within “hugging distance” of each other, all of the heart containers fill up! Awwwwwwwwwwww, what a cute way of getting you to buy two shirts at once. Love (and radio frequency detection) at work.

strong>Click to View Embedded Video Clip

You can get the 8-bit Dynamic Life shirts at ThinkGeek/a> for $18 to $25 (USD) per shirt (price varies depending on size); in addition to everlasting love, you need to 3 AAA batteries for each shirt. But what if your special someone is a something? ThinkGeek’s got you covered – instead of buying another shirt, you can get a Transmitter Pack. Place it near your blow-up doll favorite object and watch your life max out when you get near it.

via Kotaku/a>

Read more here:
8-bit dynamic life shirts: you are my potion/a>