This gulping, smooth, and sometimes aggressive sounding synth chip was found in Sega Megadrive, FM Towns and a range of Sega arcade games. It was basically Yamaha's FM synthesis chip that was used in their keyboard DX synth range.
It had a very distinct sound. From the bass and brass sounds to the tingly bells (Strider snowy stage) and aggressive almost metallic sound effects heard all over the Megadrive. But that same aggressiveness could be found in attempted synthesizer guitar sounds.
Yes. The chip inside Nintendo's SFC was also sweet, and in a lot of ways better at making sound that the Megadrive may have struggled with, but I think those limitations are partly why I have fonder memories of Megadrive music. Or was it the composers?
What were you fave pieces of Megadrive music or sound fx? Or do you share the same rose tinted opinion as me about the sound chip?
It had a very distinct sound. From the bass and brass sounds to the tingly bells (Strider snowy stage) and aggressive almost metallic sound effects heard all over the Megadrive. But that same aggressiveness could be found in attempted synthesizer guitar sounds.
Yes. The chip inside Nintendo's SFC was also sweet, and in a lot of ways better at making sound that the Megadrive may have struggled with, but I think those limitations are partly why I have fonder memories of Megadrive music. Or was it the composers?
What were you fave pieces of Megadrive music or sound fx? Or do you share the same rose tinted opinion as me about the sound chip?
The Megadrive's YM6162 chip had 6 channel FM synth sounds. However one of them could be swapped out for PCM playback, which basically a method used to digitise analogue sound, sampled speech or instruments etc. You tend to find sampled drums and quick vocal hits being played here.
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