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Quick question, which may have been answered in the past but I haven't found anything solid on it...
Is there a ROM available for Genesis that allows you to make music with it?
I found out about this thing called PC2MD which appears to be a tracker, although I think its website is down.
Although, what I'm really looking to know is if someone made something more user friendly than a tracker like that. Maybe in the homebrew/public domain scene.
There are no native music editors for Genesis. There are few cross solutions, including trackers and MML compilers.
Shiru made a tracker primarily for a ZX Spectrum sound expansion, and the tunes are playable on the genesis, too: ftp://ftp.untergrund.net/users/shiru/tfmmaker14.zip. Freezedream recently made a great album with it.
There are no native music editors for Genesis.
God how I wish there was one. 
Thanks guys.
I guess primarily we're really waiting for little-scale's midi device to be done.
There's also a new MidiBox coming out soon in 2011... First there was SammicSID, soon there will be SammichFM! 
I'm on the list to have 2 of the first available kits. I'll let you know how it sounds when i finish them.
Sammich FM!
How i want thee.
Then again my SammichSID is rather neglected.
God how I wish there was one.
Although I'm able to make one, I would never use it by myself, so I would only make it for some serious $, as it is a lot of work.
TmEE also had some plans on something native, but it is unknown when and how, he still haven't released his cross tracker yet (there was an alpha in 2007, and it was used to make music for Pier Solar).
Shiru... here's an idea.. write the program, figure out a way to do song backups... create a cart and sell it. I assure you it will sell a lot.
specially if it's extremely powerful.
People used to pay over $100 just for a copy of LSDJ. People still pay $125+ for MidiNES... you'll easily sell 50-100 copies off the bat.
Do the math. 
I'd do it if i could write code. lol
Although I'm able to make one, I would never use it by myself, so I would only make it for some serious $, as it is a lot of work.
make a rom for emulators, and make cartridges with the rom on them, for more money.
I wouldn't go pricing the rom too high. If you end up making a native megadrive tracker I would only pay under $10 (but i'm a cheapskate)
Invest months of time doing nothing else, then invest another few thousands $ into making carts (do the math), then hope someone would buy it, then hope something will left after overseas shiping, etc. No, thanks.
an0va wrote:God how I wish there was one.
Although I'm able to make one, I would never use it by myself, so I would only make it for some serious $, as it is a lot of work.
I totally would support and donate towards development of a native tracker, please consider it in 2011! If it's anything like your TFMmaker, I'm already sold.
Last edited by an0va (Dec 21, 2010 2:43 am)
Invest months of time doing nothing else, then invest another few thousands $ into making carts (do the math), then hope someone would buy it, then hope something will left after overseas shiping, etc. No, thanks.
ppsshhh
elitist. 
Why bother opening your mouth to say you could do it in the first place. lol
i have developed a lot of products.. it's not that hard. hardest part would be coding the program.
i'm sure someone with a bit more motivation will do it eventually.
in the meantime... people should just rock little-scale's arduino project.
or pick up a sammichFM when they become available.
Last edited by low-gain (Dec 21, 2010 3:01 am)
$100 would be well worth the investment for soemthing to control a genesis with midi. Even a sort of music app would be worth it given you're working in a very niche envrionment.
Little-scale's thing isn't done yet is it? I see postings going back to 2008, and ofcourse I've heard his absolutely incredible music (presumably made with his own device).
I'd be eager to get one of those, I also want to invest in the MIDInes. I'm somewhat a synth nerd in general, as I already own various "real" analog synths such as the Juno 106, Juno 6, SH-101, CZ1000 (Phase distortion ftw), and a Moog MG-1.
Of all the systems i've owned, I always loved the gritty charm of the Genesis the most. I know I could fake it with plugs, but I like to have the real gear because working that way brings something new creatively to the project.
Why bother opening your mouth to say you could do it in the first place. lol
I just inform people that if someone really need the thing (a native tracker for Genesis), he has option to hire me for this work. I'm not going to do project of this scale, which I'm absolutely not need and never will use, for free. If someone thinks it is easy and want to get it for free or cheap - he has options to do it himself, or wait for indefinite time, etc. If someone thinks I could pay his needs, he has option too, guess which one.
Yes, if you are all so sure about the commercial viability of a native MD tracker, go ahead and DIY or hire Shiru.