Parallel Super Computer Project
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High performance computing makes its way from the vintage world of computing to the music studio. In a bold move towards the future of parallel processing, the VCF or Vintage Computer Festival envisioned connecting Commodore 64 computers together to form one massively parallel Commodore 64 Super-Computer. The project has sputtered and stalled but the vision has never died. The Vintage Computer Festival has selected Commodore 64 Orchestra to be the first to create the historic Commodore 64 Parallel Super-Computer. Chicago Based Commodore 64 Orchestra's use of mutliple Commodore 64 computers was a perfect fit for this project and for the Chip Wave movement. Date for completion has been set for 2014.
"The hardware and networking design is being finalized and the drivers and software specifications are being developed. Currently, we are in need of sixteen Commodore 64 consoles for the initial prototype. These consoles should be fully functional (including the graphics and sound chips and all interface ports). All contributions will be acknowledged by naming each donated Commodore 64 node on the network in honor of the donor. Once the experimental 16-node cluster is debugged and fully functional, we'll seek to expand the system to the full sixty-four nodes." -VCF
The project is slated for completion for exhibition at VCF 6.0, where the 20th anniversary of the Commodore 64 will be celebrated. The first prototype will utilize 16 Commodore 64 machines in sync with a musical application that Commodore 64 Orchestra will program to write its Symphony No 1. series. The Vintage Computer Festival is an international event that celebrates the history of computing. The mission of the Vintage Computer Festival is to promote the preservation of “obsolete” computers by offering people a chance to experience the technologies, people and stories that embody the remarkable tale of the computer revolution.
