Is the FB-01 multitimbral? Is it compatible with general MIDI?

...I don't think this will work, from what I know about MIDI, general MIDI, and addressing chips on sound cards vs talking to them through a MIDI interface.

I think I've seen this module listed as an available music device in Silpheed? But can't recall any others.

dumpsterac1d wrote:

Is the FB-01 multitimbral?

Yes

dumpsterac1d wrote:

Is it compatible with general MIDI?

No.

CrossBow777 wrote:

I think I've seen this module listed as an available music device in Silpheed? But can't recall any others.

Sierra has a driver for an FB-01 over an MPU-401.
Also, I will soon release a patch for DOSBox that adds IBM Music Feature Card support. The IMFC is basically an FB-01 on an ISA card with a proprietary MIDI interface, and a slightly updated firmware.
My patch emulates the proprietary interface and translates the special firmware SysEx commands to ones that are compatible with a regular FB-01.
Basically, it allows you to emulate the IMFC as long as you have an FB-01 connected to a MIDI port (and you can also use MAME to emulate the FB-01).
There is also a 'SoftIMFC' TSR, which is similar to SoftMPU, emulating a MIDI interface on a real 386+ PC, except that it emulates the IMFC instead of the MPU-401 of course. So if you have a 386+ machine with dumb MPU-401 or SB-MIDI, connected to an FB-01, you can also play IMFC games that way.

Note also that the Sierra driver for the FB-01 is bugged, resulting in missing/broken instruments in some games. The IMFC driver does not have these bugs, so playing games with the IMFC driver and a real FB-01 gives better results than using the native FB-01 driver.

bjwil1991 wrote:

The chipset is a YM2151 (similar to the YM2164)

Other way around 😀
The YM2164 is in the FB-01 and IBM Music Feature Card.
The YM2151 is similar, and far more widespread, and is the one used by various arcade games.

Forgot the YM2164 is the enhanced YM2151. However, the two chipsets are close to or are similar in sound, right?
FB-01/IMFC: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_YM2164
Arcade YM2151: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_YM2151

2164 has only few minor changes over 2151, the sound generation is identical on both. All the Yamaha 4op chips work almost exactly the same way, i.e 2203, 2612, 3438, 2608 and 2610 are 95% compatible (they lack second detune parameter but gain SSG-EG that 2151 and 2164 lack).

Yes, there is no datasheet available on the YM2164, but MAME uses the YM2151 emulation for its FB-01, and it seems to work the same.
It is said that you can't swap physical chips because some of the undocumented registers are not the same, but the sound generation part seems to be identical, and the emulated YM2151 probably just ignores writes to undocumented registers.
I also read something about a different timer resolution between the two chips, but that again doesn't make any practical differences in sound.

The YM2164 is rather obscure because it was only used by Yamaha, never available to third parties (the IBM Music Feature Card was designed and built by Yamaha).

I've just put together an early release of DOSBox + AMAME for IBM Music Feature Card emulation here:
IBM Music Feature Card/Yamaha FB-01

You could use your real Yamaha FB-01 instead of AMAME.

Received the unit today and did some tests on it:

1) plugged in the unit and it powered on without issues
2) unplugged the unit, opened the unit to get to the battery, and according to my multimeter, it showed 2.85V, which is a good sign that the battery was still good*
3) hooked it up to my laptop using my Roland UM-ONE MK2 USB MIDI adapter and played some games with DOSBox.

* will install a removable battery method someday.

I also attempted to install some sound banks using MIDI-OX and it shows as dump/received!! but it's not loading for some reason. The FB01 Sound Editor software refuses to open those SYX files for an odd reason.

Sound banks obtained from here: http://mmmazes.blogspot.com/2010/05/fb-01-patches.html

I also did some inspections for anything wrong and no missing or broken pieces on the unit itself. Could use a bit of cleaning in the back, however, there is a bit of paint missing on the top cover. Other than that, in great condition and working without issues. Best of all, no damage from the shipping carrier and packed very well with packing peanuts and bubble wrap.

Pictures:

Gallery: https://imgur.com/gallery/LlOsTnc

bjwil1991 wrote:

I also attempted to install some sound banks using MIDI-OX and it shows as dump/received!! but it's not loading for some reason.

Did you also update the configuration to use the uploaded voice banks?
The FB-01 is quite a complicated device that way. It has a number of banks, and you need to select a bank, then map its instruments to MIDI channels in the configuration (even Sierra couldn't figure it out properly, and their FB-01 driver is bugged, missing some instruments in some games).
So perhaps it uploaded the voice banks correctly, but you didn't select any?

Do I select configuration/1 and configuration/2, press system to get the confirm 1 or confirm 2 and press data+/yes?

bjwil1991 wrote:

Do I select configuration/1 and configuration/2, press system to get the confirm 1 or confirm 2 and press data+/yes?

It's about what's inside these configurations.
I'm afraid you'll need to study the manual, and get a feel of how the FB-01 works in terms of allocating voices to instruments and MIDI channels.
It's not quite as straightforward as modern MIDI devices (or even an MT-32), because of the limited polyphony.

Found it on Manuals Lib of how to store bank 1 and 2: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/427119/Yama … ?page=15#manual

I'm going to read the actual manual when I get home and wake up at 4pm (working overnights 4 days a week). Thanks for the info.

Edit: I changed the sound bank from 3 to 1 and 2 and it works. Thank you very much.