the dream gs bank is nice but i'm pretty sure it wont' play back GS techno correctly.

I'm hoping a reasonable substitute for an SCB-55 or db50xg gets made. would be nice. I know this board is powered by a pi. i lowkey wonder if a pi could actually somehow run s-yxg50, or a native port of it.

digger wrote on 2026-10-05, 21:57:

Cool little device. 🙂 Congrats on bringing this to production.

Are there any plans for adding support for L/A synthesis to it, specifically emulation support for the Roland MT-32 and CM-32? Perhaps by porting Munt to it?

zaphod77 wrote on 2026-10-12, 00:57:

the dream gs bank is nice but i'm pretty sure it wont' play back GS techno correctly.

I'm hoping a reasonable substitute for an SCB-55 or db50xg gets made. would be nice. I know this board is powered by a pi. i lowkey wonder if a pi could actually somehow run s-yxg50, or a native port of it.

The PicoPango uses a Rasberry Pi Pico microcontroller, not to be confused with the Rasberry Pi single board computer. I don't think this microcontroller has enough processing power to run a full emulator like the MUNT project.

While a re-implementation of Roland L/A synthesis or Yamaha XG extensions would be technically feasible, I do not know of anyone working on such a project.

dreamblaster wrote on 2026-10-11, 20:55:

The new firmware update 0.9.4 of PicoPango adds 'Chip' and 'Speaker' engines, and some general improvement. 'Speaker' makes a PC […]
Show full quote

The new firmware update 0.9.4 of PicoPango adds 'Chip' and 'Speaker' engines, and some general improvement.
'Speaker' makes a PC-speaker 1 channel interpretation of the MIDI music...

Some demos of Doom E1M1 for your comparison :
'GU-Wave' synth : https://youtu.be/A-C0Wr8Dc-c
'FMC-FX' synth : https://youtu.be/Ql318iBo9h8
'Chip' synth : https://youtu.be/vmddvVdgW0k
'Speaker' synth : https://youtu.be/uKuUDefiNYE
'Pocket ' synth : https://youtu.be/GWEXfo7XpH4

Thanks for the demos, impressive enough for me to put in an order for one.

I like the GU-Wave quite a bit. The others, not so much...

SuperDeadite wrote on 2026-10-13, 00:03:

I like the GU-Wave quite a bit. The others, not so much...

GU-Wave is also the default on PicoPango, so that's easy then !

Can you implement/port 8-op FM synth FM-tone-generator?

And I'm curious that it would be possible to port Casio SW-10 to RP2350 code to be able to simulate a WG-130.

Somehow FedEx decided it was important to deliver this package in less than 48 hours.
Hopefully I have some time to try it out this weekend.

I had some time to try out my PicoPango today.
Had some fun trying out the various synth engines. The FM synth engines were surprisingly convincing.

The only bug I ran into so far was with the gu-wave engine.
The distorted guitar sample sounded very quiet. Very noticeable with E1M1 music for Heretic, and the Apogee theme for RAPTOR Call of the Shadows

akimmet wrote on 2026-10-15, 16:25:

Somehow FedEx decided it was important to deliver this package in less than 48 hours.
Hopefully I have some time to try it out this weekend.

That's why I like them better than UPS, who will rush something to a depot 10 miles away from you, and let it sit there 3 days to make the delivery guarantee time exact. (In business days, so if it was a holiday weekend 8 days)

akimmet wrote on 2026-10-15, 16:25:

Somehow FedEx decided it was important to deliver this package in less than 48 hours.
Hopefully I have some time to try it out this weekend.

In your case, it might help that CVG is a major cargo hub for both DHL and FedEx. 🙂

akimmet wrote on 2026-10-22, 03:19:

The distorted guitar sample sounded very quiet. Very noticeable with E1M1 music for Heretic, and the Apogee theme for RAPTOR Call of the Shadows

I will check it during the weekend, and will make a new firmware version with louder guitar -> will be downloadable here : https://serdaco.com/downloads/?dir=PICOPANGO

new version 0.9.5 available at https://serdaco.com/downloads/?dir=PICOPANGO

New in v0.9.5
-------------

- Descent's music sounds right again: no more reverb-like wash in the
mission briefing and no crackle in level 1.
- GU-Wave sounds brighter: the distorted guitar has its bite back
(Heretic, Raptor).
- Roland GS support for music written for a Sound Canvas.
- A new setting, Sound ctrl (PANGOSET 1.3).

I gave the new firmware a quick test.

A definite improvement, so far I haven't heard anything that sounds incorrect.

new version 0.9.6 available at https://serdaco.com/downloads/?dir=PICOPANGO
with further improvements :
----------------------------------------------------
- PicoPango always starts: if its stored settings ever stop it from
starting, it starts on the default settings instead.
- Every change to a setting is checked after it is saved.
- No more missing notes after the music has been stopped for a long
time.
- No more crackle in loud music.
- Busy songs no longer lose notes to repeated cymbals and drums.
- In tune: GU-Wave trumpet, accordion, ocarina and clavinet; Pocket
Fifths Lead.
- Pocket instruments that were silent now play: harmonica, tuba,
church organ and more.
- Chip: louder drums and timpani.
- Sierra's Roland GS music (Quest for Glory 2, Larry 3, Conquest of
Longbow and others) plays its instruments again instead of drums:
parts set to the Sound Canvas MT-32 sounds now get them.
- FM-Classic: eight more drum sounds (High Q, Slap, Scratch, Sticks,
Square Click, Metronome)

I have made 2 more videos to show the new version playing Sam & Max - Wak-A-Rat :
GU-Wave : https://youtu.be/-DYbVycN_nE
Pocket : https://youtu.be/2u6EuFH4wmg

another one : Sam & Max - a pleasantly understated credit sequence - on gu-wave : https://youtu.be/HlwDJoTmqtE

Awesome to see such fast improvements! I am enjoying my PicoPango.

yes another new version, bringing improvements to the 'pocket' synth : v0.9.7
----------------------------------------------------
- Pocket plays in tune: every instrument is now tuned to its exact
pitch, so horns, strings and other parts no longer sound slightly
apart on held chords.

as usual, downloadable from https://serdaco.com/downloads/?dir=PICOPANGO

added quite some recordings to youtube : check it out at the playlist : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deOBnXDcXFA&l … t=PLJ60P4yXGIRE

here are some direct links to the updated videos :
Doom - E1M1 - 'GU-Wave' synth : https://youtu.be/PNDHOr-b_bY
Doom - E1M1 - 'FMC-FX' synth : https://youtu.be/n81cbTgt0zs
Doom - E1M1 - 'FM-Classic' synth : https://youtu.be/wOfdoYmn2LY
Doom - E1M1 - 'Chip' synth : https://youtu.be/L8ROw8hzFlQ
Doom - E1M1 - 'Speaker' synth : https://youtu.be/nhfPx1UpIBw
Doom - E1M1 - 'Pocket' synth : https://youtu.be/aRAggOQIG3I
Heretic - E1M1 - 'GU-Wave' synth : https://youtu.be/eu9G6WJhWhQ
Heretic - E1M1 - 'FMC-FX' synth : https://youtu.be/MuJ89BFq_r8
Heretic - E1M1 - 'Pocket' synth : https://youtu.be/-WCUUtbyNG0
Command & Conquer - Demolition - 'GU-Wave' synth : https://youtu.be/SCa-oFAIcZw
Command & Conquer - Demolition - 'Pocket' synth : https://youtu.be/MDzCt4JHsvo
Star Wars: TIE Fighter - Title Theme - 'GU-Wave' synth : https://youtu.be/Wl5WnOBCNfw
Star Wars: TIE Fighter - Title Theme - 'Pocket' synth : https://youtu.be/i3qAQ1Zjtvw
Sam & Max - Wak-A-Rat - 'GU-Wave' synth : https://youtu.be/deOBnXDcXFA
Sam & Max - Wak-A-Rat - 'Pocket' synth : https://youtu.be/lRT6_-M-5WM
Sam & Max - A Pleasantly Understated Credit Sequence - 'GU-Wave' synth : https://youtu.be/MTmugpwL4uY
Sam & Max - A Pleasantly Understated Credit Sequence - 'Pocket' synth : https://youtu.be/GfGwkg2M59A

PicoPango firmware v1.00 is now released !!
Changes since v0.9.7:
--------------------
- GU-Wave: no more crackle on bright, loud instruments (brass, synth strings, distortion guitar)
- Updates now take two or three minutes, as the firmware is larger

The PicoPango has been turning out to be one of my favorite wavetable boards. I haven't encountered any instruments that sound weird or wrong so far as of v1.00. Once I'm done experimenting, it will find its home in a used Pixelx86 Mini I acquired recently.

The General User soundfont is one of the best for it's size. It is great to finally be able to use it on a self-contained wavetable board. I consider this soundfont to be better than many that are 10 times the size.
Masterpiece.sf2 and Falcosoft's Reality_GMGS_falcomod.sf2 are great too, but neither of which include licensing information that I could find.