Why no Game Gear trackers out there?  Seems with GG overdrive and GG backlight kits this handheld would be a prime candidate for some cool music software.

anybody play with this yet?

MR-16 ver 0.92
It is a 16 step 4ch rhythm machine using MegaDrive PCM.
Number of patterns 4 Total 64 steps.

https://nendo16.jimdo.com/

testing now.

Square Gear is a Master System homebrew application that allows you to control the programmable sound generator in real-time without the need of any pre-tracking or external MIDI interfaces. Just load up the ROM into your Master System, Game Gear, or Genesis and fire away! Right now, Square Gear is little more than a proof-of-concept, locking you in C Major. Note selection is done on the D-Pad as follows:

            G
        F    |    A
    E    -    +    -    B
        D    |    C (8va)
            C

Needless to say, the program has a long way to go before it becomes the versatile live performance tool I'm hoping it'll one day grow into. The reason I'm releasing what in essence is a beta is two-fold:

-If there are any nasty bugs on hardware, I want to get ahead of them before the code becomes too convoluted. I've tested on my Genesis Model 2 but not on a Master System or a Game Gear (which is ironic considering the Game Gear is the real target platform hence the name).

-I want to know what you guys want! I have a to-do list for Square Gear but I want to implement the most-wanted features first because I have a feeling the program is gonna need a few total rewrites by the final release, and I also wanna make sure I'm not missing obvious features or going overkill on things that will never get used.

PLANNED FEATURES
-Select different tonic notes and at the very least a natural minor mode. Would you guys want the full church-mode spread or is just minor fine?
-Use 1 and 2 to alter pitch- 1 by a half-step, 2 by an octave. User can choose between #/8va and b/8vb.
-Choice between soft or hard note attack and release.
-"Periodic Noise" Mode. Would people also be interested in pitched white-noise mode?
-Power chord mode to mimic arpeggiation.
-Other waveforms. Some of the stuff I saw on here and elsewhere to mimic other waveforms sounded really cool when I tried it in SnevenTracker, like two notes that are the same but slightly detuned, or playing in octaves with different volumes. Any specific techniques you want me to implement? 
-Allow all of the above to be controlled in a menu accessed by the Pause button.
-Cooler-looking interface

Square Gear will likely never be polyphonic, both due to the limitations of the joypad and the fact that I want all the channels free for additive synthesis. It will also likely never feature triad arpeggiation due to the challenge of calculating the chord quality and then building it on the fly. Who knows what the future will bring, though? I'm also aware of how difficult it can be to articulate D, F, A, and high C without getting blips of adjacent notes, at least on a Genesis pad or a computer keyboard. That might just be a reality of a D-Pad based note-selection scheme, but trying to find a solution is definitely on my todo list.

The code started as the enhanced version of Maxim's Hello World tutorial over at SMSPower. That site is such a wealth of information and passion, go check it out. Square Gear as it is right now is a very simple program, but I will keep working on it and hopefully the future will be full of crazy Master System solos and Game Gear choirs.

Yes, Square Gear was the coolest name I could think of. Sorry.

DOWNLOAD

Hello all,

My question is as follows.

I love the game Castlevania Bloodlines for several reasons. One of them is the design of the sound FX.

https://youtu.be/6uf5lN435hw?t=43m10s

For example I love the sound FX of the boss battle against the grim reaper. I want to analyse them how they are constructed, so I know how to make my own sounds who resamble them.

(Very easy to use software to design sound FX like that is PTnoise from the PXTone collage. The website from Gryzor87 however is temporary offline, otherwise I recommend you to download it from there, because it includes a very clear manual how to use the sequencer and how to compose music especially for games. PTnoise doesn't have a manual, though you'll find out yourself how it works.)

I know VGM music maker for a short while, however it will take me time to figure out how it works. The construction of the sound chips from the Sega Genesis consoles is quite differently and I don't know yet the possibilities. Also I find it quite a pity I cannot open VGM-files with it.

I know VGM-files can be made with Kega Fusion while playing the game. The data in the VGM-files contain instructions for the synth-chips for a sequence and how the sounds have to be modulated. I found some other stuff which can convert that data into a text-file. However that piece of text is so complicated.

So in a nutshell:
How can I see music and/or sounds and analyse how the FX are built up?

regards Michael

So I've tried turning all the knobs and the instruments all sound similar. I've even changed the algorithm and changes it from PSG to FM, and they all sound similar. Any tips for making a unique instrument and/or which knobs have the most influence? I'm fairly new to chiptune making, and the tracker that is the least confusing for me is VGM. Any other recommendations?

Thanks,
noobguy57

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.

FIRMWARE
GenMDM Firmware:
• 101
• 102

TOOLS AND APPS
GenMDM Max for Live Tools:
• GenMDM M4L Tools 101
• GenMDM M4L Tools 102

GenMDM Standalone Editor:
• GenMDM Standalone Editor 102 - compiled for OS X | source files

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)

TUTORIALS AND SCREENCASTS
• TFI Batch conversion screencast: http://little-scale.blogspot.com.au/201 … l-for.html
• Tanikugu Japanese Introduction to GenMDM: http://tanikugu.blogspot.jp/2013/01/midigenmdm.html
• GenMDM polyphonic router screencast: http://little-scale.blogspot.com.au/201 … g-app.html
• Prototype VGM capture screencast: http://little-scale.blogspot.com.au/201 … pture.html
• How to add a 5-pin MIDI DIN input to GenMDM hardware: http://little-scale.blogspot.com.au/201 … ut-to.html
• How to update GenMDM firmware: http://little-scale.blogspot.com.au/201 … mware.html
• GenMDM basic hardware and software setup: http://little-scale.blogspot.com.au/201 … e-and.html
• GenMDM .GENM patch storage file format info: http://little-scale.blogspot.com.au/201 … ument.html
• On importing .TFI files / .TFI  folders for use with GenMDM: http://little-scale.blogspot.com.au/201 … ludes.html
• TFI file collection with friendly names: http://little-scale.blogspot.com.au/201 … ludes.html
• Register 2C "Loud Samples" mode demonstration: http://little-scale.blogspot.com.au/201 … ister.html
• Polyphonic to Multiple Monophonic MIDI Router for Max for Live http://little-scale.blogspot.com.au/201 … tiple.html

Hey guys. Circuit Bird here.

Just wanted to show my YM2017 test cart. For reasons, I cannot say what songs are on here, but I can show you the cart. It has 4 tracks on it (it's an unfinished version of the cartridge, but only relevant for testing). The LED daughterboard was really interesting. When you turn on the Sega Genesis, the board scrolls "HI!" until you select a track. When you select a song, the board then displays EQ bars when it plays, and they are in time with the song.

Seriously, the YM2017 project is really neat and I hope to join their next project in terms of music! I was a beta tester for the cart to test the music playing on both PAL and NTSC via my modified model 1 Genesis. Pic is in the link below!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYMOXbuAD-U/

Hello! My friend gave me his Game Gear. I've been looking around at music possibilities and I have a few questions; as I understand it, my main option for actually using a Game Gear is to:

-write in Deflemask under Sega Master System
-export songs to ROMs
-buy an everdrive cart, flash all of the song ROMs to the everdrive
-???

I'm coming from almost exclusively an LSDJ background so a lot of what I've read about using this and other older systems is hard to understand, not to mention less information, tutorials, etc. available

I think I read that the pulse channels can also handle audio samples, is that correct? Will Deflemask handle that while writing for SMS?
I noticed some other trackers, (sneven tracker, Little Scale's program, mod2psg2) and they all look like a more comfortable interface but Deflemask seems like the only finished program that I can use to get my songs on to hardware. Is that true?
Is there any other advice I should know for starting out?
I greatly appreciate any help!

Hey all! We had a great turnout and received 23 awesome submissions! Unfortunately due to size restrictions on the cart, we were only able to accept 9 of them for the cartridge release. The remaining tracks will be included in the digital release as b-sides (though they really are a-sides).

We're taking preorders now. These are the only carts we're going to produce, so get your preorder in ASAP.

Preorder and listen to some previews here: https://catskullelectronics.com/YM2017

I have a bunch of samples, but when I try to play them under Deflemask they either don't play or they sound hideous, even under the highest sample rate. I've tried mono samples and stereo ones. How can I make my samples work?

Examples:

Both of these sound terrible:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/411 … (mono).wav
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/411 … tereo).wav

And here:

This stereo one loads, but is horrendous:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/411 … tereo).wav

and the mono one doesn't load at all:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/411 … (mono).wav

I have a huge folder full of mono samples that I converted from stereo and they sound wonderful under VGM Music Maker. What gives?

When I look to Shiru´s webpage:

"Software :: Old and discontinued
   
VGM Music Maker v1.1 (2.10M) / pic
Music cross editor (tracker) for Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System, Game Gear. English documentation is included."

I love DefleMask Tracker but VGM Music Maker was my fav Sega Megadrive/Genesis tracker so far... Ahh. Shiru come back with VGM Music Maker v1.2 version!!!

Support me when you loved VGM Music Maker. Make comment here. I will send all positive "stay in development" feedbacks to Shiru.

Been subscribed to this man's YT channel for a while now. He never ceases to amaze me with his explinations of how they were able to push the genesis' limits. I highly suggest taking a look at the rest of his channel too.

Very cool

Hello! I'm new to gamedev for retro consoles. I just always wanted to make a small game for Sega). But now I'm studying SGDK and related issues. So I began to study how to make music for SEGA. It's clear that simply translating wav into vgm is unlikely to succeed. But here I found a manual how to translate midi to vgm: http://devster.proboards.com/thread/121 … -music-xgc
And it seems that even it turned out without problems. I downloaded midi, the program clamped the button "Forse note off if a channel tries to be polyphonic" (without it the program determines that my midi polyphonic and refuses to convert), on the right I also included the sixth channel (the sound synthesizer SEGA is like 6 channels) . And it worked out - the melody is even played in vgmplayer. And very similar to the original. But I'm trying to lose it in SEGA - no way. I take an example from the folder sample-sound, I substitute my melody, converted from midi, instead of melody sonic1.vgm. I do rebuild of resources (rescomp) and collect rom. Does not play. Has anyone done something similar? Its melodies for SEGA from midi?

In the end (Linkinp Park)
midi: https://cloud.mail.ru/public/2vE5/zM55V4RKD
vgm without loop: https://cloud.mail.ru/public/4CUL/vJJcsELC1
optimized vgm without loop: https://cloud.mail.ru/public/5W5e/hF8bk8R7L

Well well, what have we here. I happened to come across an old backup of the Prodigy source code, it's right before I added in ADSR envelopes and operator algorithm displays.

For those that don't know, Prodigy was a newer version of YMDJ, a native Sega Genesis/Megadrive tracker, like LSDJ is for the Gameboys. I made wild promises to the chiptune community and failed to deliver. This has bothered me for years.

I learned how to write assembly code and program by means of this project. So the project is a real mess and isn't quite up to spec. Naming conventions and register choices are inconsistent, poor choices were made on timing and graphics displays. It was really a shocker I got as far as I did. For this and other reasons, I quit the project.

I tried to start from scratch and even recently made some headway with Chaos Tracker, but now I have 2 kids and a full time job. But still, this really bothered me. How interesting that just the other day, I accidentally ran into a backup of the source code... I don't know how useful this is right now. Maybe it can be salvaged, maybe not.

github.com/LeviathaninWaves/Prodigy

I google that in Brazil used megadrive / genesis keyboard with modem.
http://segaretro.org/Mega_Drive_Keyboard

Question is it is possible to make PS/2 or USB-PS/2 keyboard interface for MD/GEN???
It will be cool for hombrew sound software or native tracker...

Updated: 11/25/16

https://github.com/LeviathaninWaves/Cha … ee/master/

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.

- Development underway. 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
sho6un

General Thanks:
gendev.spritesmind.org
Chipmusic.org

BETA TEAM:
starpause
L-Tron
Lazerbeat
animalstyle
Jansaw
the mist toggles
defiantsystems

Old Prodigy Rom for historic purposes http://www.mediafire.com/download/9eq9t … y_v023.zip

This may help some people - i had no idea how to do this until about 2 or 3 hours ago...  Shiru tipped me off in this thread.  You can extract samples using Audacity and your .bin Genesis ROMs.  I used the Sonic 1 ROM (it has the "SE-GA" sample built into the ROM directly at the end so, it's really easy to spot).  Skitchin has some easy to spot samples, too.  From looking around at different ROMs it seems like there is no typical place within the data to find them...

Its worth noting that i used Audacity 1.2.6 for this:

1. GOTO Project > Import Raw Data...

2. locate the .bin ROM - open it

3. a prompt comes up - in the first drop down field - choose Unsigned 8-bit PCM

4. then change the sample rate down in the bottom feild to 16000  <<<  update *this is actually wrong  >>>  what you want to do is find the sample rate of the samples in GensKmod by going to CPU >> Debug >> Genesis >> YM2612 and then looking at the sample rate in the lower left hand corner - using esc can freez the ROM if there are a lot of rates flying by.  each drum can have a different samplerate!

5. Click Import

6. Highlight the samples (seems like they're usually grouped together)

7. Use Cntrl + T (Edit > Trim) to trim out the noise that the game data creates (sounds pretty cool actually)

8.  I haven't done this yet but, to avoid clipping when you throw your samples back into VGM music maker you might have to use very very tiny fade outs and fade ins at the begining and end of each sample

So it's been almost 8 years (!) since the release of my first Sega Mega Drive album on a cartridge "Today". Since then a few people have contacted me asking if I still have any copies for sale - unfortunately not, but it's been a while since I released anything and I've got an album's worth of unreleased Sega Mega Drive / Genesis music I've been performing live for the last 3 years that I'd like to put together and get it out to you.

The question is, do I release as a digital download only or go all the way and create a brand new album on a cartridge? The whole process of creating a ROM and physical cartridges is quite an expensive initial investment so I just want to put it to you guys to find out if you'd be keen on a new cartridge so it will be worth my time and effort. It would be fantastic if anyone interest could indicate your preference on the facebook poll linked below.

Thanks! -freezedream d-_-b

facebook poll

Hi peeps!

I'm usually over in the DMG section, but I have a friend who recently brought me back a Nomad and some busted battery packs. I'd followed 8Bitplus' guide, a few years ago, but the camera battery we put inside the pack no longer charges. I was hoping to replace it with new lithium cells. My dream scenario would include a voltage regulator, balancer/charger, alongside the batteries inside each pack.

Anyone attempt anything like this before? I'm not sure what to aim for voltage/amp hours wise. This guide uses a 7.4V 1500mAh Lipo which seems like a good bet. I'd love to be able to charge the pack with the standard nomad AC adapter though...

Any advice is welcome! Thanks in advance!

Has anyone else seen this? Looks promising! From the creator of the drag 'n derp gameboy cartridge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOyfZex7B3E

His patreon can be found here:

https://www.patreon.com/prof_abrasive