What chip produces sound in arcade version of Golden Axe like in this video? Seems to be sort of FM synthesis more capable than OPL2 or OPL3.
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IIRC golden axe is a System16 game so it uses the YM2151 FM chip: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_YM2151
Most known games in arcade format used the YM2151 chip that was used in the DX7 keyboard and the Sharp X68000 computer together with a Motorola 68000 processor
Capcom did use the x68000 to program most of their arcade games like Street Fighter, so if you play the arcade version and then the x68k version it will sound the same despite being a different BGM
As for Sega, the use of a 2151 chip gave them the ability to port it to the Megadrive since it uses a six channel only chip, the 2612, and as I said to most of my friends about the YM2xxx series is despite being various models and different channel selections it ALWAYS be sounding the same, the only exception of the family is the 2149 which is basically a rebadged AY-39810 commonly used in the CPC
Another example is the PC-98 series by NEC (If you love the Touhou franchise you will know this) that used a YM2203 and then, the Speakboard expansion did use the so called "complete" version of the 2612 called the 2608, which for me was the cost the reason why Sega didn't want to install on the Megadrive and going with a much cheaper alternative which is the 2612 combined with the popular SN76489 PSG by TI :3
wrote:Most known games in arcade format used the YM2151 chip that was used in the DX7 keyboard and the Sharp X68000 computer together with a Motorola 68000 processor
Nope. The DX7 used a different series, the YM212xx I think. The YM2151 was used in the DX21, DX27, and DX100 as well as a few cheap electric pianos. It was later replaced with the YM2164 and the two are not directly compatible due to some undocumented register BS. It is basically the same synthesis as the YM2612 used in the Mega Drive.
wrote:Nope. The DX7 used a different series, the YM212xx I think. The YM2151 was used in the DX21, DX27, and DX100 as well as a few cheap electric pianos. It was later replaced with the YM2164 and the two are not directly compatible due to some undocumented register BS. It is basically the same synthesis as the YM2612 used in the Mega Drive.
That seems to be right, it uses an OPS 8op type generator.
wrote:...the YM2xxx series is despite being various models and different channel selections it ALWAYS be sounding the same...
YM2151 sounds much better than YM2612, for example check the 1st level background music in Smash TV.
Win 11 - Intel i7-1360p - 32 GB - Intel Iris Xe - Sound BlasterX G5
I did actually hear it, it has a good bass to it and yes, sounds much much better than the Megadrive
When we had the fight between the Soundblaster and the MT-32, the Japanese people had the YM series vs. the Roland itself, a very good example of this is Gradius II for the x68k (I forgot to mention that the x68k has two chips, one for FM and another one for digital effects and percussion, also called ADPCM)
