how can i do music on megadrive?

Stef · Post by **Stef** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 1:53 pm

Duke3D has definately z80 sound engine because when I overclocked z80 in my MD2, the sound quality increased a lot and that shows z80 does the sound. It is done @ 5KHz because I "listened" ROM dump from my cartridge and it sounded at correct speed when the sample was being played back @ ~5KHz

So you're right, that's 5 Khz, but 5 Khz is really... bad :-/
Funny you did all that sort of tests

i already tried to overclock the 68K cpu for 3D games and math calculations games but never tried that on Z80.

TmEE co.(TM) · Post by **TmEE co.(TM)** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 1:55 pm

I'm just a crazy progmaholic hardware guy

Stef · Post by **Stef** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:02 pm

hehe, seems you are

TmEE co.(TM) · Post by **TmEE co.(TM)** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:04 pm

Currently I'm messing with the RGB output of my MD2. RGB from the VDP not from the connector behind the system.

stalepie · Post by **stalepie** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:06 pm

I don't know much about trackers. I thought they were associated with techno music. I like the music from MD games by Telenet, NCS, Ancient, Konami, etc., but I'm in the dark about the software and tools they used.

TmEE co.(TM) · Post by **TmEE co.(TM)** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:08 pm

Trackers don't have to do techno music. For example go to my site with MSIE or OPERA and listen the tune on index page. It is metal like something made with a tracker.

sergeeo · Post by **sergeeo** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 11:13 pm

Hello everybody

This is my first post in this forum, so first of all, I'd like to say 'hello' to all the megadrivers here

Well, I'm a lot into chiptune writing stuff (making music with old sound chips) and as the Mega Drive is one of my favourite game systems ever, I've been looking for software for creating music on it.

I think a tracker would be a great tool for making smd music. I've been composing things in famitracker (a tracker for NES) and it works real great.

In SMD things would work in a pretty similar way: ten channels (six for the yamaha chip and the other four for the texas instrument's) and an instrument editor VOPM-alike. A .GYM (or similar) exporter would be great too.

Right now, the most "real" way that I've found for making music for the SMD is using MML. It's funny the fact that before existing Famitracker, everybody used MML+MCK for composing for NES.

I've seen also a program called "noise machine", but its interface is not friendly usable at all, so I didn't even give it a try...

Here you are some related links...

http://famitracker.shoodot.net/index.php
http://www.geocities.jp/sam_kb/VOPM/
http://www.geocities.com/eiennarufuyu/utils.html

TmEE co.(TM) · Post by **TmEE co.(TM)** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 9:26 am

I'm writing a MIDI tracker for my PC games, but its file format is very flexible and soon when its finished I'll write a FM tracker (YM2612, OPL3) out of it (or a conversion program).

sergeeo · Post by **sergeeo** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 11:26 am

Hey!

If you need a betatester, count on me.

There's already a FM tracker for OPL3 systems, called adlibtracker. You can check it out here. As it uses also 4 operators / channel and it's based in almost the same technology, I think it's a good idea to make an adlib / genesis converter or something. The most tricky part would be the use of the sixth channel FM / DPCM...

That's an idea.

TmEE co.(TM) · Post by **TmEE co.(TM)** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 2:08 pm

For beta testing you need a PC with Win9x or DOS, MPU-401 sound card and lots of patience as it will not be finished very soon (I'm very lazy).
IF the MIDI version works correctly, I'll add FM support and maybe PCM sample support (think of MODs). And maybe all together... lots of work.
The program itself is written in QB45 + tiny amounts of ASM.

sergeeo · Post by **sergeeo** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 4:07 pm

The hardware is not a problem. I've got experience working with MIDI as well as with trackers

Just drop me an email if you want opinions or comments!

mynick at gmail dot com

TmEE co.(TM) · Post by **TmEE co.(TM)** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:58 pm

Well, MIDI playing routines are written for a long time ago, BUT the editor is in very early stages. You can be a beta tester but know that: I'm not musician and don't know much about musical terms, but I like to make music stuff.

stalepie · Post by **stalepie** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 3:56 am

I just want to state for the record that I welcome any advancements in MD music software

Fonzie · Post by **Fonzie** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:13 pm

I have a question

I figured out that some games (and even late games) were Z80 driven for BGM and 68K driven for SFX... how it is possible?
I mean, how they did to fill correctly (at good speed) the DAC from 68K and have a 50hz game running?

I have another question

I tried to make a DAC player that use 4bit samples. So i took a 8bit .wav sample and removed the lower 4bits (set to 0) and i get... a background "CHHHHHH" over my sample. I don't think it is normal, or i misunderstood something about 4bit samples?

I also played with downsampling 8bit samples... to 16 11 8 4 2 1khz... And i noticed that, on my computer sound cart, the samples don't get grainy at all... It just get woofed (loosing details)... On megadrive, a 1khz sample would sound horrible, what does my soundcart do to avoid that?

Thx a lot for all your answers

Ketsuban · Post by **Ketsuban** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:41 pm

Fonzie wrote::arrow: I have a question :) I figured out that some games (and even late games) were Z80 driven for BGM and 68K driven for SFX... how it is possible?
I mean, how they did to fill correctly (at good speed) the DAC from 68K and have a 50hz game running?

If my experience with Sonic games is anything to go by, sound effects don't use the DAC at all.