Are there any programs for DOS that allow you to directly manipulate an OPL3 chip and play it like a synthesizer? It has a really cool sound to it and I'm thinking if I ever decide to do some amateur music, that I'll do part of my sound generation on an old DOS PC, and maybe parts on an NES and some other old platforms with synth chips as well.
http://www.oplx.com has many OPL2 and OPL3 music composing programs and instrument editors.
Maybe you can find something suitable there?
At least check out the different versions of Adlib Tracker II, it has native DOS versions to drive a real OPL3 and also Windows version that can emulate OPL3.
What about creative FMORGAN that was distributed with older sound blasters pre SB Pro?
If you are squeamish, don't prod the beach rubble.
wrote:...and also Windows version that can emulate OPL3.
Any idea how accurate the emulation is? or in general, a recommendation for more or less accurate OPL3 emulation engines?
FWIW, more here: http://adlib.wave460.net/trackers.html
It seems to use OPL3 emulator by Jarek Burczynski, originally written for MAME project. But I don't know which version, as MAME changed licensing and there was a GPL licensed fork, some of them may get the latest updates and some not.
I personally think it is one of the most accurate ones there is when it is used correctly. Not based on how it actually sounds but merely how it models the chip. Usually the OPL3 emulator is requested to output samples at sampling rate native to current sound cards instead of native sampling rate for the OPL3 chip, so that will alter at least how the feedback sounds. So if it sounds wrong then the emulator is used wrong.
wrote:It seems to use OPL3 emulator by Jarek Burczynski, originally written for MAME project. But I don't know which version, as MAME changed licensing and there was a GPL licensed fork, some of them may get the latest updates and some not.
That situation is mostly to blame of myself, vladr of VDMSound, and Jarek. I am, for my part, sorry about all that.
The best version of Jarek's code is in MAME/MESS and is accordingly "MAME license", which is not GPL-compatible and is instead "BSD-license with a non-commercial use clause", which is not OSI compatible either.
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Stiletto
wrote:http://www.oplx.com has many OPL2 and OPL3 music composing programs and instrument editors.
Maybe you can find something suitable there?
At least check out the different versions of Adlib Tracker II, it has native DOS versions to drive a real OPL3 and also Windows version that can emulate OPL3.
Adlib Tracker II sounds interesting. Are there any programs that allow you to do real-time programming though, like tweaking different waveforms and stuff, or are they all just restricted to creating different instrument patches?
I guess that is the whole point of these editors; try out how it sounds while changing parameters.
I think I have never met an instrument editor or tracker that does not allow trying to play the instrument while it is being edited.
Of course the list is smaller when talking about software that supports OPL3. My experience is mostly from OPL2 era.
In fact I could also use a good OPL3 instrument editor or live register debugger to see better how the parameters affect the output. I have only used manual register writing or wrote some subroutines, but that is awkward. It is tricky to initialize the OPL3 chip so that all channels output true silence instead of all previously used channels outputing either 0 or -1 or toggling between them at some frequency.
hi.
you could have a look at my own MIDI program for the OPL3:
http://fm801.kewl.org/
this isn't for DOS but has been tested to work in Windows 95
and later. 95 and 98 are not ideal though and XP is preferred
if all features are enabled.
this program uses a hardware OPL3 or compatible synth in
windows up to XP but can support the MAME emulator mentioned
by stiletto above where hardware isn't available, such as
windows 7 or linux wine. this emulator is distributed
separately here:
http://dev.kewl.org/misc/ymf262/
for real time control of the chip, you would utilise midi CC
and this can be aided by in the built-in LFO which can automate
that process somewhat. for an external clock source you
could utilise midi-ox for example, or use the built-in clock.
you will need a MIDI keyboard to control it or a virtual one
such as VMPK along with a MIDI loopback driver such as
maple midi for example.
good luck, bye.
PS. you may enjoy the virtual circuit bender which of course
works even with the MAME virtual synth.
I've been playing around a bit with Adlib Tracker II, and it is an interesting program with a lot of power to it, though clearly I have a lot to learn about tracking, FM synthesis, and music composition in general. 🤣
I remember on this 486 I had, there was a copy of the Creative FM Organ, though I think my copy was intended for the Soundblaster Pro, which is somewhat fitting since that box had an SB16. If there was some sort of a program that combined the keyboard from that with some sort of realtime editing, like in the form of tweakable knobs, that would be really cool. Even if it's just a VST with OPL3 emulation.
wrote:hi. […]
hi.
you could have a look at my own MIDI program for the OPL3:
http://fm801.kewl.org/this isn't for DOS but has been tested to work in Windows 95
and later. 95 and 98 are not ideal though and XP is preferred
if all features are enabled.this program uses a hardware OPL3 or compatible synth in
windows up to XP but can support the MAME emulator mentioned
by stiletto above where hardware isn't available, such as
windows 7 or linux wine. this emulator is distributed
separately here:
http://dev.kewl.org/misc/ymf262/for real time control of the chip, you would utilise midi CC
and this can be aided by in the built-in LFO which can automate
that process somewhat. for an external clock source you
could utilise midi-ox for example, or use the built-in clock.you will need a MIDI keyboard to control it or a virtual one
such as VMPK along with a MIDI loopback driver such as
maple midi for example.good luck, bye.
PS. you may enjoy the virtual circuit bender which of course
works even with the MAME virtual synth.
This actually looks pretty ideal 😁 Now I just need to put together a box with an ISA slot that's also powerful enough to run XP. 🤣
Hate to double post, but here's a really lame little tune I composed on Adlib Tracker II. Somehow, I think this might work as a simple piece of video game music. 🤣
The a2m file is included along with the wav in this zip file.
This isn't exactly a synthesis "program", but someone found a way to take an OPL3 and turn it into a full-blown hardware synth. 😁 This is really cool. http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_fm.html
