zaphod77 wrote on 2024-09-07, 21:09:

the qs300, mu50, mu80, db50 and sw60 all use the same SWP00 chip.

yeah, yamaha simply forgot to turn off the qs300 code when they made the db50. but it does have the 4 meg sample rom of the mu50, with the mu80 having an 8 meg rom, and the qs300 having a 28 meg rom. qs300 was essentially a qy300+mu50. so when they made the later cards they made a bit of an oopsie. 😀

Regardless some of the synth lead sounds on the DB50XG seem more dynamic than either the MU90R or MU100R (I had both back in the day). Can't say for sure if the same is true compared to the MU50 because I never owned one. I have a MIDI arrangement of the "victory" tune form Phantasy Star II that makes use of waspysyn that I made on an DB50XG and it has never sounded right on any other XG synth.

EDIT: I remembered things a bit wrong, I had an MU90 in the late 90's , then an MU128 in the early 2000's and finally an MU2000 around 2015 or so which I have to this day (also still have the MU128 but it's in a closet somwhere). I can't remember now if the MU90 sounded wrong with that MIDI but I know for sure the MU128 did and the MU2000 also does.

I also have a Yamaha FS1R (6 operator FM + formant synthesis) that I got super cheap for like $150 that I never used and should probably sell on.

This is simply a case of patches being changed, most likely.

the MU50 actually has instruments the mu80 does not, even though it has a smaller sample bank.

i'm assuming the MU90 has a 8 meg sample bank like the mu80, so some changes were probably needed to put in the extra instruments. it also uses a different chip (swp30), whihc probably changes how the effects sound a bit.

zaphod77 wrote on 2024-09-09, 16:33:

This is simply a case of patches being changed, most likely.

the MU50 actually has instruments the mu80 does not, even though it has a smaller sample bank.

i'm assuming the MU90 has a 8 meg sample bank like the mu80, so some changes were probably needed to put in the extra instruments. it also uses a different chip (swp30), whihc probably changes how the effects sound a bit.

IIRC it has a few more sounds and an extra effect processor compared to the MU80 basically halfway between an MU80 and an MU100.

I really wish Awave supported the native MU2000 instrument and bank files for RAM based sounds, don't think the file format was ever documented anywhere though.

Found this channel on youtube and it reflects what I noticed myself, that in many cases the MU-50 synth lead sounds are better than the "superior" MU-80 or even the MU-128. Jump to 0:41

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOBurLdskGs&l … vjQ9mJLSTwTONNY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpxIC8nWf0I&l … vjQ9mJLSTwTONNY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lyDSnNhKKs&l … vjQ9mJLSTwTONNY

The MU80 and MU128 leads are more complex but depending on the song that does not always work in their favor and can have the opposite effect and make them sound rancid in some cases.

Dear colleagues, I am asking for a link to download the ROM files needed for the MU 50 emulator in MAME for Windows.

Such a link cannot be posted on these forums, it will violate copyrighted content related rules.

Hi, sorry for the necro-posting, but I see the topic relevant to my query. I've seen in MAME that QY70 is available, I can run up to the intro screen animation but then the screen seems to freeze (or at least I've not being able to interact further with the machine). I've seen in the code something like getting into 'testing mode' by default, does anyone know if that might be the issue? I used to have this little box years ago and I really yearn to experience it again in a more convenient larger screen that my old eyes can bear.