SparkyNZ
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Hi Everyone. What other synthesizer chips were used in computers/game consoles after the SID chip? Or.. perhaps I should say, what other cool chips became available after or around that time?

My familiarity with home computers is mainly centred around the Commodore line so my next computer following the C64 was the Amiga. The Amiga's sound chip was sample-based. I'm interested in seeing if there are any other synthesized sound chips that could be worth listening to.

Any recommendations?

herr_prof
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This is a pretty good overview of the best "sounding" ones:
http://www.plogue.com/products/chipsounds/

Jazzmarazz
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Michigan

Ay38910
Sn76489
Ym2612
2a03/2a07

Last edited by Jazzmarazz (Apr 21, 2015 7:56 pm)

TylerBarnes
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Dallas, Texas

also these

POKEY
DMG-CPU
Zilog Z80

Last edited by TylerBarnes (Apr 21, 2015 8:44 pm)

XyNo
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Joliette, QC, Canada

-YM2149 in the Atari ST...it was just an AY chip but with all the trick you can do with the CPU of the computer is really cool !
-OPL3
-2A03 + expension chips (VRC6/7, FDS, MM5, N163 and 5B)

SparkyNZ
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Thanks everyone - that will give me a few chips to research. I'd be interested to know what these chips appeared in. Just checked out a couple of SNDH files this morning - are they native Atari ST synth tunes?

XyNo
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Joliette, QC, Canada
SparkyNZ wrote:

Thanks everyone - that will give me a few chips to research. I'd be interested to know what these chips appeared in. Just checked out a couple of SNDH files this morning - are they native Atari ST synth tunes?

Yes all the SNDH you find in the archive are done and can be runned on a native ST (or STe with some songs that use the DMA track)

TylerBarnes
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Dallas, Texas
XyNo wrote:

-YM2149 in the Atari ST...it was just an AY chip but with all the trick you can do with the CPU of the computer is really cool !
-OPL3
-2A03 + expension chips (VRC6/7, FDS, MM5, N163 and 5B)

Fun Fact
Most of the NES expantion chips are actually modified versions of the previously mentioned chips...

For example:
Konami VRC7 is actually a YM2413 except with 6 phase modulation channels instead of 9
Sunsoft 5B is a subset of the AY38910
Konami VRC6 has two squares very similar to the existing 2A03 and added a saw..
MMC5 contains two pulse channels identical to the existing 2A03 minus the hardware sweep. Along with a very much underused extra PCM channnel

Last edited by TylerBarnes (Apr 22, 2015 2:57 am)