Yesterday I released the last ever version of MultiEx Commander.

In essence, this is the same as the 2013 version, however, it is now completely stand-alone and no internet is needed to run it.
And of course completely free as it has been since forever. I will not be working on it from this moment forward. Not that I have, the past decade, but this last change was needed to have a proper closure.
From 1997’s first DOS command line tool multiex.exe, through the first MultiEx Commander for DOS in 1997, the first Windows version in 2001, the first Windows version to do away with the multiex.exe and incorporate the new multiex.dll (3.9 in 2003) and many other versions all the way up to today’s 4.6.

It was fun.  I was 23 and young when I began in 1997, see a picture of me in my student room in Groningen, The Netherlands, that year. The room where I began the project and now, time to finally officialize the end to the project. Get the version while the page is still up, since it will go down in a not so far away future.

Today I release a new analysis of CSDb, the principal Commodore 64 Scene database. In August 2010, I released the first of such an analysis, called CSDb: Quantify Me, and I rambled about a possible new era of increased scene activity starting. The last big analysis was in 2018 called DUPLUS, in which this was confirmed. Now, I took another look and collected the information in CSDb: Quantify Me – Pandemus. The increase in scene activity continues! If you fancy a read, get the PDF here.

Due to enough interest, I have produced another 60 pieces of FM-YAM! This time around I have teamed up with Protovision to do the sale, add Icomp cartridges and have a box and manual. So you can get your boxed unit soon! If you have reserved one through XeNTaX earlier, you have gotten email by now, since you get a headstart on getting your hands on one, before Protovision opens it up to anyone! Check your email!

A little belated message here on the front page, but on July 25th I shipped Batch 2 of FM-YAM to their new owners! 🙂 If you don’t know what an FM-YAM is, it is a sound expansion for the Commodore 64 that will add the OPL2 audio chip (YM3812) via the expansion port. Read more about it at our dedicated page here! To date more than 200 cartridges have been sold! Still want one? There’s a few left. 

Awesome news! Within less than one week we got enough paid reservations to start the production of a second batch of 120 FM-YAM units! The parts have been ordered! Of course, there will need to be a cap on the number of reservations that can be done to 100 first. We never know if all parts will work as expected and have to account for some faulty ones. But I am exited we can move ahead and to the second batch !

The first batch of 100(!) FM-YAM units shipped on the 16th of March 2018! A historical milestone! There are 20 more in an extended batch, of which only 10 are left. Those 10 people that reserved one in the range of reservation numbers 122 – 131 are in luck and got an email to purchase one of the last 10!

FM-YAM units are assembled the coming weeks and then ready for shipment! We changed the colour of the 3D printed cartridge cases to red, which is a lovely colour.  So, FM-YAM is still set for a Q1 2018 release! Also, you can still reserve a unit, if I get sufficient reservations, I think I’ll do a second batch.

Over the course of just 1 week we’ve passed 100 reservations of FM-YAM! This is great news! The next step is the manufacturing of the units. If you reserved a unit, you will be receiving a payment notification as soon as it is ready to ship.

FM-YAM update! Reservations are now open ! Manufacturing of the first batch of 100 units will commence once we hit enough interest in the community.

Please  visit this page to reserve a unit today!

Hi everyone! Just a small announcement of our latest project, an FM music cartridge for the Commodore 64. If you wish to read up on it, please visit this dedicated page.