If you either dumped the rom directly from the chip on the lapc-1 card (you need to desolder it I believe) or got it from someone who did, it MIGHT be usable (I'm guessing its the same bizarre bit-misordered format as the regular MT-32) but will probably need a new offset definition file. You should PM canadacow, he should be able to tell you how to rig it up. IIRC you need to derive the offsets by extracting them from the smaller I8095? CPU's rom (or maybe thats only for drums, I don't remember)
Good luck though, I'd like to see 'true' LAPC-1 emulation in addition to MT-32 (LAPC-1 has a few extra sound effects which the MT-32 lacks)

Lord Nightmare

The control and PCM ROMs (at least those that I know about) from the LAPC-I/CM-32L will be supported in Munt 0.1.3. Most of the extra capabilities of those devices will also be supported when these ROMs are present.

Do you have LAPC-I or CM-32L ROM file?

Is there a not-so-scary way to extract the ROM from the LACP-1? Has anyone extracted the ROM yet?

It would be better to get LAPC-I ROM than CM-32L. LAPC-I has more features than CM-32L. "The LAPC was a CM-32L on a PC card, with enhanced sound effects and additional user patch RAM." LAPC-I is most feature packed LA synth.

The control ROM that I have is from a CM-32L, and has the following ID string:

CM32/LAPC1.02 891205

The only way to dump the ROM involves some level of electronics work. The most typical way is to desolder the ROMs and read them using an EPROM programmer. The earliest MT-32 units had socketed ROMs, but as far as I know all subsequent boards were soldered.

I'm not aware of any advantages of the LAPC-I over the CM-32L - as far as I know, their capabilities are identical. zbiggy, I think the Roland-FAQ that you're quoting from is confusing the CM-32L with the MT-32 in that sentence.

Also, the LAPC-I isn't the most feature-packed synth. The CM-64 adds the rompler functionality of the CM-32P/U-110, and the CM-500 adds SC support on top of that. There are also various other MT-32 derivatives with sequencers (MT-100), arrangers (RA-50) and keyboards (E-20) built in.

Ultimately I'd like to emulate the CM-64. I own one of these, so this should happen in the not-so-distant future.

Also, the LAPC-I isn't the most feature-packed synth. The CM-64 adds the rompler functionality of the CM-32P/U-110, and the CM-500 adds SC support on top of that. There are also various other MT-32 derivatives with sequencers (MT-100), arrangers (RA-50) and keyboards (E-20) built in.

CM-64 == CM-32L + CM-32P. CM-32P is useless for gaming purposes.
SC is other technology than LA. CM-500 = CM-32L + SC-55mkI (because have only 317 sounds, not 354). Sequencers (MT-100), arrangers (RA-50) and keyboards (E-20) are also useless for gaming.

That is why I consider CM-32L or LAPC-I most feature-packed LA devices for gaming. Any other LA devices have less features or their additional advatanges will never be used by DOS gamers. CM-500 is sometimes good for gamers because it have GS synth with 317 sounds. If they do not need complete 354 soundbank.

Sorry if I wasn't clear, I was responding to this comment:

It would be better to get LAPC-I ROM than CM-32L. LAPC-I has more features than CM-32L... LAPC-I is most feature packed LA synth.

My point was that the LAPC-I has no advantages over the CM-32L that I am aware of, and that the LAPC-I is not, in fact, the most feature-packed LA synth. I don't have any plans to emulate the more esoteric devices I mentioned.

I just opened my CM-500 to located the ROM chips. I don't know much about the electronic devices in there but I located a removeable ROM-chip with 28 pins. On the top is written "CM-500 1.0.0". I know that you (KingGuppy) are not interested in this device, only in the CM-64. But I wanted to know if that's the control chip. What do you think. Is it only the control data that is saved in the chip or also instrumental data? Or do I have to look for some other chips on the board? By the way there are so many!!!
I already have the MT-32 ROM and the MT-32 itself, but I wanted the CM32-L ROM too, but I haven't seen one of those devices on ebay in the past few months.
Didn't you buy a CM-64 some time ago on ebay from Spain? I just heard about it, and want to know if that's right. How far are you with it's emulation?

I'm not sure whether that's the control ROM; it's certainly possible. Neither the MT-32 nor CM-32L have these ROMs stamped with the name of the device (they just have "Roland" and the part number), but it's entirely possible they did this on the CM-500. I haven't opened up my CM-64 yet.

I wouldn't say that I'm not interested in the CM-500 - I'd at least like to support its control ROM, but probably not its Sound Canvas abilities. I haven't been able to find one for sale, though.

I did indeed get a CM-64 from Spain some time ago, along with a CM-32P and several U-110 PCM cards. I also got an MT-32 within Germany (a fairly nasty eBay experience), and recently a CM-32L from England. This is becoming a rather expensive hobby...

I haven't started emulating the extra features of the CM-64 yet, but the CM-32L emulation is fairly complete.

So that were you who bought the CM-32L from the UK for 19,99 pounds as "buy now" item. I waited too long, cause I asked the seller about the shipping costs to Germany, and he said he will tell me, but it seems that you were quicker.
I hope that I have a chance next time, now that you have all devices.
The seller of the CM-64 told me that it was you who bought the CM-64 and he knew about your project. By the way the seller is an active member on the queststudios forum and a great composer.

Sorry about that. By pure coincidence, a colleague was going to the UK, so I didn't have to ask about buying internationally. He ended up picking it up for me and paying cash. Turned out to be a pretty good deal 😀

Shadfax (the Spanish guy) was an absolute pleasure to deal with, and assured me that he'd continue to make music. He was just upgrading his instruments.

I think I'll be laying off the eBay purchases for a while, but don't even think about bidding on a CM-500 😀

If you have read my previous messages carefully you would have seen that I already have a CM-500. So no need to get another one. I think I will sell it after getting a CM-64, don't know yet.

I did read that in your earlier message, but I thought you may be an avid collector and/or want a spare synth in case desoldering ROMs on one of them went bad. And of course I wasn't serious - bid all you like.

What I did forget was your question about the control ROM: This does contain instrument data, in a way. Though it doesn't have any samples, it does contain the configuration information for all the built-in instruments. This data is in more or less the same format as is used in the MT-32's sysex commands. You'll also need the PCM ROM(s), which I strongly suspect are identical to those in the CM-32L.

If you have a digital camera, it would be great to see a high-quality photo of the CM-500's board. That would help in identifying the ROMs.

Sorry I don't have a camera at all. I borrowed a really bad one from a friend, so no good quality, but I can tell you what is written on the chips. One thing I recognized: the "SC-55 GS board" is an additional board on top of the CM-500 mainboard. I think I have found the PCM chips ( 4 chips: MN4264-12 91272D011 is written on them).
Maybe I have to scan the board with my scanner tomorrow. I think this will result in better quality pictures.

Interesting stuff, thanks!

I could be completely wrong, but I suspect that those four chips are RAM (from Matsushita/Panasonic?). The custom Roland chips generally have the Roland (or BOSS) name on them, and an R-prefixed part number.

For example, on an MT-32 I have a photo of (from Canadacow, I think):

Reverb processor (IC17): BOSS R15229863 HG61H20R36F
LA processor (IC36): Roland R15229896 LA32
Gate array (IC35): Roland R15229865 HG61H15B59F
Reverb ROM (IC13): Roland R15179857 HN623257PC21
PCM ROM (IC37): Roland R15449121 TC534000P-7476
Microcontroller ROM A (IC27): R15449123 HN623258PH26
Microcontroller ROM B (IC26): R15449123 HN623258PH27

Note that I'm typing this out quite late at night; there may well be errors.

On the CM-32L, iirc, the microcontroller ROM is on a single chip. In older revision MT-32s, I believe the PCM ROM was on two chips (based on a schematic I have, originally from Snover).

I hope that's helpful in identifying the ROMs. I'm looking forward to seeing better photos or any other information you manage to get.

Here is the picture of the board. Tell me what you see.

Here are my best guesses:

IC2 and IC3: PCM ROMs.
IC44: Reverb ROM

The microcontroller is under that SC daughterboard, I think, so I'm not entirely sure where the control ROM(s) are. The one with the CM-500 sticker on it is a likely candidate, as you said.

under the SC daughterboard are three chips:
1. S80C198 G1084321B Japan Intel 1986 --> Commercial CHMOS microcontroller ROMless in 80-pin QFP package.

2. Roland R15239106 HG61H15B727
3. Mitsubishi M37702S4AFP 150602