VOGONS


Yamaha S-YXG50 and DB50XG

Topic actions

Reply 20 of 106, by rfnagel

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
gerwin wrote:

I made this daughterboard adapter a while ago: Link to post with Picture It is fed directly by the computer's PSU and soundcards, and therefor can function fine with a direct electrical connection, no opto-coupler. The main usage of the adapter is allowing me to swap daughterboards fast, without even having to reset the computer (just power of the DB host). Also it allows me to have two soundcards interfacing the DB at once: one dos soundcard, one windows soundcard.

Wow! That's a fine piece of work, gerwin 😀

It is definitely within my skill to construct such a device (or follow several of the homebrew circuits that I've seen on the Internet), but I'm just so damn scared (paranoid) of damaging my old WB1. Like I've posted previously, I can't even find them on EBay anymore.

Nevertheless, that's a real nice setup that you have there 😀

gerwin wrote:

Cloudschatze wrote something worrysome about the DOXBox; about it having audible internal interference. I suspect the 12V to -12V power conversion is the culprit. I wonder what Miditemp's statement is on this matter.

Thanks for the info. I was seriously thinking of purchasing one (or even possible two) of those units, although dunno when the budget would allow. Definitely have to do more research now.

Wave Blaster aside, I've also been considering an MU10 or an MU50 as a substitute for a DB50XG. The former being difficult to find, the latter still being pricey even on EBay. I'm sure that if anyone here knows me, they know I'm a "soundfont man" <grin>. But, those variation effects in that S-YXG50 sure sound nice! 😀 Would be a welcome addition to use in conjunction with my SBLive and soundfonts, if just for the rock instruments.

@All,

Speaking of which, has anyone taken a listen to the MP3 that I linked above?

Almost forgot, if you have an XG compatable device (or the S-YXG50), here's the MIDI -> http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Weeds_Music/Bl … _White_Live.mid . Note that if you try to play it on nothing but a GM or GS compatable device, it'll prolly sound weird (strange sounds and such).

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 21 of 106, by rfnagel

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

(re: the Yamaha 4MB ROM)

Ya know, it seems that *MANY* of the Yamaha MIDI modules have that *exact* same 4MB sample ROM on them (the DB50GX and the S-YXG50 as well). Some that come to mind from what I've read on the Internet are the MU10/MU15/MU50/etc... not sure about the MU80 (or higher) though, and there may be others that I'm not aware of (since I'm fairly new to this Yamaha "thang").

(I thought that) I wanted an MU50, but I don't really need all of the cool buttons and LCD display (although it sure looks cool sitting on your desktop <grin>), as I can do most anything with XG Edit (I think). And, the lower version models are considerably cheaper (if someone can actually _find_ one).

Anyhow, if what I've said above is in actuality true... man... Yamaha sure got their money's worth out of that 4MB sample ROM <grin>!

Anyways, just thinking out-loud...

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 22 of 106, by rfnagel

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Folks,

Been "Rockin' in the Backwoods" again!

Here's a song that I had originally written back in 1995, which was later added to the soundtrack for Team Eternal's "Eternal DOOM". Most of the music that I had composed for Eternal DOOM was fairly "high-browed" type of stuff, but this song was one of the more driving rock pieces included with the game.

I have re-sequenced the song in Yamaha XG format, recorded it to an MP3, and uploaded it here, "DOOMin': Live!":

http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Weeds_Music/DOOMin_Live.mp3

Like the song "Black and White: Live!" that I posted earlier, the song is a live rock concert performance sort of thing, with a driving Hard Rock style that the screaming girls in the crowd and the audience in the MP3 seem to like! Again, crank up your speakers and rock-out, and cheer along with the crowd if you feel like it 😀

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 23 of 106, by rfnagel

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

P.S. Some more extremely cool XG MIDIs from Yamaha (cut 'n' pastes directly from the packs' readmes):

(from "Yamaha XG Verses GM")
03EG_XG.MID - Electric Guitar: In order to get that heavy guitar sound of a cranked-up amp, you used to need a collection of effect pedals. XG lets you say good-bye to such complications; ultimate guitar sound is at your fingertips, and you can adjust every detail of each effect. And remember that great wah distortion sound that's been impossible to reproduce? XG gives you an updated version that's even better than the sound you could get on a real electric guitar. Try it out!

(from "YAMAHA MU50 XG SONG SHOWCASE FILES")
21BIRD.MID - "Bird Of Paradise", White / White Flames Music

(from "Yamaha XG Wonderland", Note: this one is based on "D_RP_02X.MID" mentioned previously)
LIVE.MID - You are standing in the arena, waiting for the live concert to begin. See the effect settings, and how "Applause" and "Whistle" voices are used effectively.

Attachments

  • Filename
    Cool_XG_Songs.zip
    File size
    49.63 KiB
    Downloads
    478 downloads
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 24 of 106, by rfnagel

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

BTW, I was just thinking (something that I haven't done much of recently 🤣):

Does anyone know of any PC games that have specific support for Yamaha XG hardware (i.e. games that include music specifically sequenced for XG hardware, such as custom instruments and such via sysex)?

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 25 of 106, by Mau1wurf1977

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

That would be very interesting!

I came across this statement:

Goes beyond General MIDI. It's the first daughter board with XG- a major technological advancement developed by Yamaha. XG allows significantly more voices than GM. In total, the DB50XG adds over 548 voices to the 128 standard GM choices.

Reply 26 of 106, by HunterZ

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Final Fantasy VII has an XG soundtrack and a GM soundtrack, and you choose which one you want via the installer. It comes with a demo version of a Yamaha-produced XG softsynth.

My understanding is that XG is Yamaha's competition to Roland's GS extension to GM.

Reply 27 of 106, by rfnagel

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

That would be very interesting! I came across this statement:

I was thinking more along the lines of the various effect proccesors that the XG supports (i.e. the MP3s that I've linked to in this thread). The vast amount of effects that the XG supports can make a world of difference in te final sound (as well as making a lot of the instruments/samples sound completely differnet/new) 😀

HunterZ wrote:

Final Fantasy VII has an XG soundtrack and a GM soundtrack, and you choose which one you want via the installer. It comes with a demo version of a Yamaha-produced XG softsynth.

Thanks for the info 😀 I'll have to see if I can dig up some of the FFVII XG MIDIs 😀

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 28 of 106, by rfnagel

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Folks,

Been "Rockin' in the Backwoods again!

I took the MIDI file "Layla" (that is freely available all over the Internet), and re-sequenced the song in Yamaha XG format, recorded it to an MP3, and uploaded it here: http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Yamaha_XG/Layla_Live_XG.mp3 .

Like my own two other songs "Black and White: Live!" and "DOOMin': Live!" (previously uploaded/mentioned above), the song is a live rock concert performance sort of thing, with a driving Hard Rock style that the screaming girls in the crowd and the audience in the MP3 seem to like! Crank up your speakers and rock-out... oh, and cheer along with the crowd if you feel like it 😀

P.S. If you have Yamaha XG compatable MIDI hardware (or the Yamaha S-YXG50 software synthesizer installed), here's the MIDI file -> http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Yamaha_XG/Layla_Live_XG.mid . Note that it will sound strange on non-XG (GS-only/GM-only) hardware.

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 29 of 106, by Mau1wurf1977

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

😳 Wow that's impressive...

Just shows you how limited General Midi really was...

Wish that DOS games would have supported GS / XG...

Reply 30 of 106, by rfnagel

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

😳 Wow that's impressive... Just shows you how limited General Midi really was...

It's really not so much the limitations of GM (or GS), but rather the expanse of effects processors that the XG hardware (and the S-YXG50) has... amp simulations (tube/stack/combo), several reverb and chorus effect types, as well as being able to edit most all of the parameters for the effects (which allow you to, among other things, simulate guitar "wah" pedals, change tonal quality, and the like).

Hehe, you should hear those rock guitars in that same song WITHOUT any of the effect processors that XG supports (I used tweaked parameters of the tube amp simulation effect); in other words, using nothing but the base samples (which is identical to a DB50XG/MU50)... GAG! PUKE! ETC! <grin>.

Heh, some of the external Yamaha XG MIDI modules (or "Tone Generators") even have external line inputs that are patched to the unit's effect bus; allowing one to use them as a "stomp box" of sorts for a real guitar 😀

Now mind you, I'm extremely impressed with what the S-YXG50 can do as far as the pop and rock instruments (which would be almost the same as what a DB50XG daughterboard or an MU50 tone module could do)... but as far as orchestral type stuff, my good old Sound Blaster Live (with my custom soundfount loaded), well, is pretty phenomenal in itself 😀

Surf to my web page at http://www.richnagel.net , and have a listen to the two "Movie Soundtrack" songs near the top 😀

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 31 of 106, by rfnagel

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

'Nuther question for the XG gurus:

Does anyone know of any new third-party skins for the S-YXG50's "XG Player" application that may have been created? Did a lot of Googling, and I'm rather surprised that no one has ever created any new (or modified/edited) skins for the player program that comes with the S-YXG50.

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 32 of 106, by HunterZ

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++
rfnagel wrote:
Folks, […]
Show full quote

Folks,

Been "Rockin' in the Backwoods again!

I took the MIDI file "Layla" (that is freely available all over the Internet), and re-sequenced the song in Yamaha XG format, recorded it to an MP3, and uploaded it here: http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Yamaha_XG/Layla_Live_XG.mp3 .

Like my own two other songs "Black and White: Live!" and "DOOMin': Live!" (previously uploaded/mentioned above), the song is a live rock concert performance sort of thing, with a driving Hard Rock style that the screaming girls in the crowd and the audience in the MP3 seem to like! Crank up your speakers and rock-out... oh, and cheer along with the crowd if you feel like it 😀

P.S. If you have Yamaha XG compatable MIDI hardware (or the Yamaha S-YXG50 software synthesizer installed), here's the MIDI file -> http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Yamaha_XG/Layla_Live_XG.mid . Note that it will sound strange on non-XG (GS-only/GM-only) hardware.

Just got around to listening to these and the XG recording is quite impressive.

Listened to the .MID file on my Roland SC-88 and it's actually not *bad*; it just doesn't come alive in the same way.

I never did like the way GM electric guitars sound.

Reply 33 of 106, by rfnagel

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
HunterZ wrote:

Just got around to listening to these and the XG recording is quite impressive.

Glad ya liked it 😀

HunterZ wrote:

Listened to the .MID file on my Roland SC-88 and it's actually not *bad*; it just doesn't come alive in the same way. I never did like the way GM electric guitars sound.

It's the same with my SBLive and my custom soundfont... it sounds REALLY nice, but simply doesn't have the "bite" that the XG hardware/softsynth does (due to the XG effects processors).

Anyhow, that's how it always seems to be on most GM synths... the designers always seem to "slack" on the O.D. and Dist. guitars. Heh, even with XG hardware/softsynth... the "stock" overdrive and distortion guitars (without any of the "amp simulation" effect processors) is, well, PUKE <grin>.

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 34 of 106, by fooziex

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

I have a Yamaha MU-80 and am quite pleased with its utility in playing DOS games. The effects options are particularly nice. I'll try to make a recording of the MU-80 sometime soon. I can take requests as to what to play, if anyone is interested.

Reply 35 of 106, by rfnagel

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Been "Rockin' in the Backwoods" again!

I extracted the music "At Doom's Gate" (by Robert Prince) from the "Hangar" level (Episode 1 Map 1) of id Software's DOOM, and then converted and optimized the MIDI file for Yamaha XG format. I then recorded it to an MP3, and uploaded it here -> http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Yamaha_XG/D_E1M1_XG.mp3 .

THAT is how "At Doom's Gate" should SHOULD on all Yamaha XG compatable hardware 😀

P.S. If you have any Yamaha XG compatable hardware (or the Yamaha S-YXG50 software synthesizer), here's the MIDI file -> http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Yamaha_XG/D_E1M1_XG.mid 😀

Attachments

  • DOOM II_Rocking.gif
    Filename
    DOOM II_Rocking.gif
    File size
    39.94 KiB
    Views
    3709 views
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 36 of 106, by sprcorreia

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
rfnagel wrote:
Been "Rockin' in the Backwoods" again! […]
Show full quote

Been "Rockin' in the Backwoods" again!

I extracted the music "At Doom's Gate" (by Robert Prince) from the "Hangar" level (Episode 1 Map 1) of id Software's DOOM, and then converted and optimized the MIDI file for Yamaha XG format. I then recorded it to an MP3, and uploaded it here -> http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Yamaha_XG/D_E1M1_XG.mp3 .

THAT is how "At Doom's Gate" should SHOULD on all Yamaha XG compatable hardware 😀

P.S. If you have any Yamaha XG compatable hardware (or the Yamaha S-YXG50 software synthesizer), here's the MIDI file -> http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Yamaha_XG/D_E1M1_XG.mid 😀

I use Doom with my DB50XG and although i clearly recognize the music, this one has a certain "concert" felling that the original doesn't have.

Reply 37 of 106, by rfnagel

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
sprcorreia wrote:

I use Doom with my DB50XG and although i clearly recognize the music, this one has a certain "concert" felling that the original doesn't have.

Mostly what I did was edit some of the various effects controllers via sysex (using XGEdit 95), adding a lot of the tube amp distortion effects to the guitars. Really beefs up those guitars quite a bit 😀

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 38 of 106, by rfnagel

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

P.S. By the way, *this* is how the same song sounds without the Yamaha XG conversion and optimization: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLdO9mZ-RpY .

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 39 of 106, by rfnagel

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

On a related note... "Protect-A-DOOM Pool Fence Company"

Hehe, this is a little something that I threw together back in 1998 after the development of Team Eternal's "Eternal DOOM" for id Software's "DOOM II".

Quite a few years before, I used to install child-protection pool fences for a company called "Protect-A-Child" (located down in Miami, Florida). This was a little joke map/WAD that I had created for DOOM II with a "pool fence theme", including a running DOOM II for DOS demo, as well as a replacement splash screen 🤣!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4f5x7pEO20

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net