Questions for David 'Q*bert' Thiel

[DRS]

Hello all - hope the new year is bringing you much joy and happiness. Erm... anyway, my next interviewee started in coin-op at Gottlieb, moved into home micros and console development at Action Graphics & Incredible Technologies (he jointly founded the latter with Richard and Elaine Ditton) and has had a long career in pinball, which continues to this day.

David did the sound for the many games listed below - a real pioneer of game audio.

As always, ask whatever you want and I'll get your name in the mag. This will be for RG218.

Cheers
Paul

David Thiel - Selected timeline

Videogames

Reactor [1981] Arcade
Q*bert [1982] Arcade
Mad Planets [1982] Arcade
Krull [1982] Arcade
Insector [1982] Arcade
Artillery Duel [1983] Atari 2600
Beam Rider [1983] C64/Colecovision/Atari 800
Pitfall! [1983] C64/Colecovision/Atari 800
Pitstop [1983] Various
Mach III [1983] Arcade
Jeopardy [1984]
Richard Scarry’s Best Electronic Workbook Ever [1984] Adam/C64
Winter Games [1984] C64/Amiga/Colecovision
RockNBolt [1984] C64/Colecovision
The Three Stooges [1986] Amiga
Championship Wrestling [1986] C64
Capcom Bowling [1988] Arcade
Golden Tee Gold [1989] Arcade
Dyno Bop [1990] Arcade
Angry Robot: Attack of the Titan [2014] Mobile
Treasure Tombs [2015] Mobile

Pinball

Q*bert’s Quest [1983]
Laser War [1987]
Secret Service [1988]
Time Machine [1988]
Pirates of the Caribbean [2006]
Family Guy [2007]
Spider-Man [2007]
Indiana Jones [2008]
Iron Man [2010]
Avatar [2010]
Tron [2011]
The Rolling Stones [2011]
Transformers [2011]
The Avengers [2012]
AC/DC [2012]
X-Men [2012]
Star Trek [2013]
The Hobbit [2016]
Alien [2016]
Dialled In [2016]
Lexy Lightspeed Escape from Earth [2017]
Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland [20221]

[merman]

What was the most unusual sound sample you ever recorded?

What was your favourite mechanical sound effect in a pinball table?

Did you ever have to fight for more memory in a game for your sound/music?

What sort of sound routine/driver did you use on C64?

[DRS]

Merman, I really do appreciate you getting the ball rolling (ooh, nice pinball link there... sorry...) - many thanks as always!

I'm speaking to David via Skype on Monday evening so do get your questions in by then - cheers all.

[NorthWay]

(Is that Epyx' "Winter games"?)
Did you have tools on the C= 64 that would analyze real sounds and generate similar synthetic sound effects? I always wondered this about the Epyx 'Games series.

[DRS]

(Is that Epyx' "Winter games"?)
Did you have tools on the C= 64 that would analyze real sounds and generate similar synthetic sound effects? I always wondered this about the Epyx 'Games series.

Yes it was Northway - and I'll definitely ask that question!