Probably you know this Shiru´s crossplatform PC WIN - ZX TurboSound FM / Sega Megadrive (Genesis) tool. But I will open this topics here. This tool deserve its own rubric...
Hey all. So I was over at Spritemind (first time on that forum) and ran into this open source/open hardware project http://gendev.spritesmind.net/forum/vie php?t=1470 Very excited reading through the thread and was looking into ordering a board run from OSH park. There is a 3 board min and the Sq Inches work out to $43 per board. This is just the board: no parts, DIY assembly with a alpha prototype WIP project. I don't know any thing about the project other then what is posted on that thread so can't offer much help to anyone till I get my hands on one. But bear in mind that the prototypes have been built and work; and it looks like Aly James has been working/testing it and has posted a tease on his thread here. BUT I can't speak for him any help he can or can't offer. IF there is interest, the boards would be at cost+shipping from US via USPS. Payment by PayPal due when boards arrive here from OSH Park (before I ship to you). Can't imagine it would be too much postage for a padded mailing envelope but that depends on your location. I have to order in groups of 3 and I'd rather not consider more then 9 boards total at this point ( 8 boards up for grabs, MAX). I'll wait about a week to order so lets hear if your interested. Yogi
Hi Everyone, forgive me if this info is here somewhere already but a cursory search didn't lead me to anything definitive. I got a commission to do a iOs game soundtrack in the style of the Sega Genesis. I did a small demo using VOPM and drum samples from various Sega Games. It's nice but I want to make some legit stuff, possibly using the console. I've used VGM Maker before and have a decent grasp on FM synthesis. The Gen MDM looks like exactly what I want, but, unless I've been looking in all the wrong places, it seems like my only chance to get one of those is to watch eBay and pay big money. So my question is, are there other options out there? Even if it's making a track in a tracker and somehow putting it on a cartridge or some sort of cartridge interface. It looks like there's a lsdj-style tracker in the works, but i'm not sure when that'd be out. Ideally, I'd like something that treats it like a hardware synth where I can midi out / audio back in.
I also posted this new in the SpriteMinds forum (devoted to 16 bits sega programming) and Sega-16 forum but i think it can be interesting to post it as well so here it is !
The big addition of this version is the new sound driver : the XGM driver.
Here is what this driver supports : - 5 FM + 4 PSG + 4 PCM @14 Khz playback - 16 priority levels for SFX play through PCM. - support music pause / resume command. It's still buggy on real hardware, it was working at some point but i broke it while doing later changes (there is still note playing after a pause command). - no size limit for XGM music data or PCM data. - PCM have their size and address aligned to 256 bytes. - 100% running on Z80 - protection against DMA contention to preserve good PCM playback quality (not 100% guaranteed depending the driver load).
The XGM format is similar to VGM in the way it uses chip writes logging but is optimized for the Sega Megadrive where VGM support various systems. Because of that the XGM file size is usually about 30% smaller than VGM file (of course i am speaking about optimized VGM). The advantage of using that type of format is that SGDK enable VGM playback directly through the XGM driver ! I developed a new tool (xgmtool) which convert a VGM file into a XGM file, it was a pain in the ass to convert my java tool in C but it's working now Actually xgmtool can do a lot more than that, it is a powerful tool to optimize the Megadrive VGM file (require 1.5 vgm file at least) ! I was really disappointed with the current available VGM utilities... not able to find a working VGM optimizer, or maybe i used them incorrectly but i tried hardly at least... so i had to develop my own tool :-/ There are restrictions in the VGM optimization and the XGM convertion: the XGM format uses frame based timing so if a VGM file use sub frame timing then the conversion may fails...
Currently there is unfortunately no tracker taking advantages of the XGM 4 PCM channels and that is a reason why i decided to post the new here Of course basically the Sega Genesis has hardware support for 5FM + 4PSG + 1PCM (or 6FM + 4 PSG) so it's normal to find this configuration in dedicated Sega Megadrive tracker software. With this new driver, the number of PCM channel can be increased to 4 and i believe it could be nice to have a tracker supporting this feature (in which case only XGM export is available).
Note that the Z80 XGM driver does not directly play the XGM file, it requires a compiled XGM file (thanks to xgmtool) which is very similar to the XGM format with some slight changes to make file parsing a bit easier for the Z80
You can find an example in the usual sound sample: source and binary
There is a bug in my xgmtool which may not convert correctly VGM file from deflemask into XGM (samples are not correctly preserved from what users reported me). I will fix that asap
i'm really getting into VGM Music Maker, and since way more people have genesis emulators than things that can play .vgms, why not have a place for people to post their roms for others to listen to?
VGMPLAY is a program that takes a .vgm file and changes it to a .bin that plays your song on start up. as animalstyle and shiru discussed in another thread, VGMPLAY3.00 doesn't seem to work with the .vgm's that VGM Music Maker exports, for whatever reason. you can grab 2.00 here http://www.mjsstuf.x10hosting.com/SEGA% 0v2.00.zip
First, I wanna say hello to all the happy people in chipmusic land! My love for chip tunes and new found obsession with FM synthesis, especially that of the YM2612, is the reason why I decided to learn how to use VGM Music Maker. After watching the only decent tutorial video I could find on youtube and reading the VGM help file, I've been doing quite well in learning how to use this complex but awesome program. But I've stumbled on a problem that seems so easy to solve but yet, I have no idea what to do!
Ok here's the deal. I placed a note in channel 1 and tried to apply a note cut effect to stop the note from playing all the way through. The problem is, it doesn't work! This it what it looks like:
The help file says that ECx can be used without a note which will, in effect, cut the currently playing note. That's what I tried doing in the example above. I tried EC1 - EC9 and it still does nothing. What am I doing wrong here? Also, the help file says "Zero x value or a value greater than the number of frames in a row will be ignored". What exactly is a frame?? Unless I'm missing something, no where in the help file does it say exactly what a frame is.
I feel really embarassed about asking these questions. I think they are very simple problems but I can't for the life of me figure it out.
I'm sorry for coming off rude (I've just recently quit smoking), but can someone PLEASE tell me how the F*** do you place samples in the pattern editor in deflemask?? In VGM MM it was so simple (Just press "s" and the number corresponding to the sample in the FX area). I have watched the youtube video and read the manual a million times but still don't know how to do it. What am I missing?? I know it's simple but I can't for the life of me figure it out!
EDIT: Never mind. I figured it out. -_- I have plans to make a noob friendly tutorial video once I learn the ins and outs of deflemask. The one delek has on youtube is helpful but not exactly specific and thorough enough. The manual has a lot of information but I feel newbies to music tracking (such as myself) might find it hard to swallow.
Or maybe I just want a cigarette and find even the simplest of tasks are a bit overwhelming at the moment? Hmm....
ah the nomad... so much bass and also a really REALLY shitty signal to noise ratio. here's a mod i found before i realized you can replace the whole screen. i installed a switch that cuts power to the screen. this mod is really cheap and removes about 50-60% of the noise in the damn thing. with a capacitor replacement i think this thing will be fully operational. so much noise is produced by these old, dead electrolytic caps.
This thread is intended to help those who either need help getting started with their genmdm hardware . From setting it up to controlling it all your questions are welcome . And also use this thread to brainstorm new ideas on genmdm sound engineering.
This thread is for the GenMDM SEGA Mega Drive / Genesis MIDI interface.
FEATURES • GenMDM appears as a standard USB MIDI device in your favourite DAW, and connects your DAW to your SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive / Nomad. • Support for 6 channels of FM (YM2612 chip) and 4 channels of PSG (SN76489 chip) • MIDI channels 1 - 10 are used • Support for all FM functions controlled via MIDI CC • DAC and sample playback with sample rate control and over sampling multiplier • DAC custom waveform • DAC noise mode • NTSC and PAL tuning • Microtonal tuning • Sensitive to pitchbend and velocity • Store and load instruments from RAM quickly • YM2612 Ch 3 special mode • Support for 5-pin DIN MIDI input
GenMDM is currently not available for purchase or pre-order.
GenMDM Apps for Mac and PC: • GENMDM_POLY: Polyphonic router for GenMDM. • TFI2GENM: Batch conversion tool for importing many instruments as .TFI files for use with GenMDM • GENMDM VGM Capture Tool (requires GenMDM firmware 103)
(YM2612 Instrument Editor - Sega Genesis -Megadrive ROM) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tested on Emulators and Hardware. Free download at http://www.alyjameslab.com/download.html
If you want to save your created sounds or use them into YM2612 emulators synths or trackers (FMDrive VST, Deflemask, VGMM), you can use an emulator like Regen or Gens to dump the channel as a .tfi file which can be loaded into capable VST or Trackers. SRAM support or Flashcard support could be added in the future to directly dump to SD card from the hardware.
YM2612 Instrument editor lets you control the Sega Genesis FM sound chip in real time, access the main parameters of the Channel 1 and select which note to play. If you want to save your created sounds or use them into YM2612 emulators synths or trackers (FMDrive VST, Deflemask, VGMM), you can use an emulator like Regen or Gens to dump the channel as a .tfi file which can be loaded into capable VST or Trackers.
It is also a useful tool for YM2612 musicians or Genesis developers to quickly test a sound directly on the hardware in a friendly way.
A and B increase or decrease the values C does a note on Start does a note off
e= will enable or disable an operator CONST = If it's enabled, it reloads the FM registers every frame, so you can trigger the note and then alter the options in real-time. If it's disabled, you trigger the note once and the registers stay the same until you trigger the note again.
If you don't know how to program the YM2612 FM synthesizer chip The freely download-able FMDrive VST manual will helps you to understand this powerful sound chip. http://www.alyjameslab.com/wa_files/FMD MANUAL.pdf
Download link for the latest demo version is available at the bottom of this post.
Note: This is now the official development thread for this project. I've posted variations of this thread on other forums such as Battle of the Bits, Gendev, Sega 16, vgmdb, Gaia Online, and OC Remix.
Brand new video. Vibrato tests and Operator Algorithm display and animation.
Video testing Portament Up, Down, Porta to Note, and Arpeggio tracker commands. Also tested are the PSG ADSR envelopes. Video cuts off before I can show more stuff because of Bandicam Time limit.
Old Video
SPECIAL THANKS:
-Note: if you feel your name is missing from this list let me know- -Side note: if you would rather your real name or screen name be listed instead, please let me know- -Another side note: these are the people that have helped in some way with this project (info, donations, life lessons) -Final side note: This list is to be added to the tracker itself when the Options Menu is implemented-
My fiancee' Deseree Scyhler Jazzmarazz aka Jordan A. Joslin Delek Matthew Janik Michael Snarzyk Eudald Salarich monkeymook Professor Chuck Kelly Peter Swimm the mist toggles David DeGraw TmEE aka Tiido powerofrecall Chilly Willy Stef KanaedaFr neologix r57shell Nemesis Mask of Destiny Lazerbeat an0va L-tron Michael "Bibin" Moffit Qjimbo Shirobon Originoo Draggon Esopus Michael Vallejo Bart de Jong Andrew Reitano mz3364 freezedream staRpauSe defiantsystems
General Thanks: gendev.spritesmind.org Chipmusic.org
YMDj is now:
Prodigy Tracker
- A Native Sega Genesis/Megadrive Music Tracker Prodigy Tracker, is a music sequencer/tracker programmed in 68k assembly and is in development for the Sega Genesis/Megadrive.
Currently: v0.23 Bug Fixes, Tracker Commands on FM1, ADSR envelopes for FM channels, etc.
TODO: Navigation improvements Gamepad button delay/speed improvements Button combo handling improvements Fix crash that sometimes happens on really low FM notes. Fix PSG note table routines Options menu Palette Editing Tempo Control Interface improvements (On/Off for synth 0 or 1 settings) (Off Left Right Both for panning settings FM) Remembering cursor position on Song screen Fixing playback timing to YM2612 timers instead of vertical_counter Tracker Commands DAC support Ch 3/6 special mode Groove support SRAM support Saving/Loading Live mode Look into CSM mode synthesis
This is NTSC only for now. When the tracker matures, support for PAL will be added.
DONATIONS: I'm now accepting donations via Paypal. Donations toward this project will be used to fund development. This means that your donations will go towards the costs of the hardware required for testing, cart runs, and keeping this project alive. Additionally if you donate, your name will be mentioned in the "Special Thanks" in the "About" section of the tracker when the Options Menu is implemented, please make sure I get your name! https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?c aNonHosted
A little something which I started yesterday. Although I won't be adding a ton of features (it was more a learning exercise than anything), I do have a few things I want to change. Anyway, whatevs. I just thought I would post a video of it, that's all.
Chaos Tracker is the successor to YMDj and Prodigy. With a fresh slate, tons of experience and a better vision for the project, I'm rebooting everything. This tracker aims to be the final authority for retro Sega console tracking on hardware. At a glance here's some of the planned features:
-Open Source
-Already completed Genesis/Megadrive XGM sound driver in z80, courtesy of stef. Only a few modifications are needed to get it functioning in a tracker environment.
-For Genesis and Megadrive alone, you'll get 5 FM, 4PCM, and 4 PSG channels. PCM can be disabled for 6 FM channels.
-Support for Genesis, Megadrive, 32x and CD and all of the features using the peripherals can provide for music composition (better and more samples/additional PWM channels)
-MIDI sync and MIDI controllers.
-Live mode
-More info coming soon
SPECIAL THANKS:
-Note: if you feel your name is missing from this list let me know- -Side note: if you would rather your real name or screen name be listed instead, please let me know- -Another side note: these are the people that have helped in some way with this project (info, donations, life lessons) -Final side note: This list is to be added to the tracker itself when the Options Menu is implemented-
My fiancee' Deseree Scyhler Stef Jazzmarazz aka Jordan A. Joslin Delek Matthew Janik Michael Snarzyk Eudald Salarich monkeymook Professor Chuck Kelly Peter Swimm the mist toggles David DeGraw TmEE aka Tiido powerofrecall Chilly Willy KanaedaFr neologix r57shell Nemesis Mask of Destiny Lazerbeat an0va L-tron Michael "Bibin" Moffit Qjimbo Shirobon Originoo Draggon Esopus Michael Vallejo Bart de Jong Andrew Reitano mz3364 freezedream staRpauSe defiantsystems
General Thanks: gendev.spritesmind.org Chipmusic.org
As you can see from my other post (http://chipmusic.org/forums/topic/16824 m-samples/), I have become fascinated with PCM samples on the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. However, that doesn't mean that samples from other old consoles are interesting as well (although much less so), such as the NES, SNES, and SEGA consoles before the Saturn. I want to rip samples from many of these games. Most people use Audacity to do so by using its "Import Raw Data" function at an 8-bit unsigned PCM, but they don't realize that there's a MAJOR problem with this method. You see, Audacity, and other audio editors, only go down to 8-bit. While it technically CAN read 4-bit samples at 8-bit, it either has to play at the original frequency but double speed and an octave higher, or at the right speed and pitch, but in even worse quality than in-game (e.g. it's supposed to be at 8000hz, but imported as 4000hz), when it should be the exact opposite. Most people do the second one, and don't notice the glaring flaw, probably because it sounds so degraded in-game. I mean, you call THIS "restored"? http://youtube.com/watch?v=wFwbfN18x0I A few months ago, I found this Python script: http://forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?t=6557 It solves the problem PERFECTLY for NES raw audio and GB/GBC, but it doesn't work with anything else. In fact, inside the script, it says: "Limitations: Master System/Game Gear nonlinear samples are not supported." The lack of a PROPER way to extract 4-bit samples from SEGA Master System, Game Gear, Genesis, and CD games is really irratating me. There are only a few Genesis games that actually use 8-bit samples (most games use 4-bit non-linear), such as the original Sonic the Hedgehog, Earthworm Jim 2 (NOT the first one), and Comix Zone. I know this because of the frequency in Audacity. I have also searched online for help, and I found two forums (http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2059014/converting-raw-audio-data-to-wav-with-scripting, and http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2600 t-format), but neither of them give an answer. Can someone make a program that will import unsigned 4-bit audio correctly, so I can PROPERLY extract the samples from these SEGA consoles? The program must follow the following rules: - Must run on Windows 8.1 64-bit (unless it's a 16-bit MS-DOS program, where I can run it with DOSbox). - Must include the source code if not a Python script. - Must not be a Perl script. - Must allow editable frequency. Thank you.
Overview This post marks the release of the SEGA Master System MIDI Interface (SMSM) device.
SMSM is an interface that takes MIDI data and controls the sound chip inside of the SEGA Master System in real time. The idea is to send MIDI data to the SEGA Master System using a MIDI sequencer or MIDI keyboard via the SMSM, which then sends the appropriate audio signal out of the console via its AV port or a direct output port.
So for example, if a MIDI note C is sent to the SMSM, then the SEGA sound chip will play a tone with pitch of a C. The PSG SN76489 sound chip is supported as well as the FM YM2413 sound chip (which is found in Japanese models of SEGA Mater System).
