Vault Entry
[📷 suggested: Rob Hubbard performing or a SID tracker screenshot]
Overview
Rob Hubbard’s C64 soundtracks—Monty on the Run, Commando, International Karate—pushed the SID chip to its musical limits. A classically trained musician turned programmer, Hubbard composed and coded his own playback routines, blending arpeggios, filters, and pulse-width modulation into unforgettable hooks.
Fast facts
- Background: studied music and worked as a teacher before moving into game audio.
- Technique: wrote custom drivers to squeeze more channels and effects out of the SID.
- Career arc: later composed for Electronic Arts and worked on audio tools for game studios.
Lesson connections
- BASIC Block 4’s envelope exercises cite Hubbard’s ADSR techniques.
- Assembly sound lessons reference his IRQ-based music routines.
- Vault cross-links direct learners to compare Hubbard’s scores with Jeff Minter’s more chaotic soundscapes.