chipmusic.org is an online community in respect and relation to chip music, art and its parallels.
You are not logged in. Please login or register.
Does anyone know of old synthesizers and keyboards (etc) that uses a soundchip that's usually found in consoles/computers?
There are of course Yamaha's YM-based things (is there an extensive list?) and plenty of "new" DIY-projects - but I mean things more like the Remco Sound FX machine. Are there any POKEY-keyboards for example? Perhaps some AY-based home robot? Anyone has any ideas?
Yamaha was special in that it was a musical instrument company selling sound chips to game companies, not the other way around. Commodore/MOS Technology originally tried to sell SID to 3rd parties, if I recall the details from the book On The Edge... correctly. As history tells, they were not successful in doing that, but maybe there's some obscure product from the '80s for which there is/was only a few prototypes.
Not sure if this counts
Im sure you have it marked already but this is probably the most extensive list of yamaha FM chip usage.
The CEM3394 which was used in arcade boards is found in Sequential Circuits Six Trak, Multi Trak, Max, Split Eight, Akai AX60(an awesome synth!) and the AX73 i think as well as the Doepfer Dark Energy.
pokey.synth module.
it has pokey but its not really that old.
I guess there were also some overlaps with speech synth chips aswell. But... There must be atleast some cheap keyboards and toys with soundchips inside. Or, why not?
@nitro: the other way around?
Some time ago i had dream about Commodore Amiga with evoluted C64 SID chip with multiple channels and polyphony aside from that PCM Paula 
But man who created 6581 later founded Ensoniq and designed for example SQ-80, great sounding synth with analog filters and polyAT.
BTW I dont own real SQ-80, but i know about really great VSTi ( http://www.scoreforsale.com/html/sq8l.html ) which was developed by die-hard Ensoniq fans, if you are interested. I am mentioning this only because i feel SQ-80 is like evoluted SID and many patches reminds me it.
no this CEM is a voice chip, the 3379 is a filter. The 3394 is like the SID with complete VCA and VCF on chip.
Elektron SID Station? Or am I missing the point?
Hehe. Well, I'd still consider this as a new product. (maybe that says more about me) By now I guess the question is: why weren't the soundchips for computers and consoles used for other things, back in the days? Still too expensive & easier with analogue things, or...?
I've been wondering the same things myself. I honestly think it is along the lines that the companies that made musical instruments were either 1) stuck in their "old ways" 2) basing a lot of their concepts and designs off of previous designs 3) wasn't cost effective or was proprietary and required licensing.
ATARI arcade maschines use ATARI POKEY QUAD...
4 x 4 channel POKEY on one chip...
http://www.videogameparts.com/images/11 … 00370.jpeg
By now I guess the question is: why weren't the soundchips for computers and consoles used for other things, back in the days? Still too expensive & easier with analogue things, or...?
This is an interesting point...I suppose it could just boil down to competition in the soundchip industry, though I'm no expert in the matter. It's no surprise that Yamaha's home keyboards used the same Yamaha soundchips that appeared in their games machines. It's interesting to compare the soundchips of home computers and games consoles to toys and keyboards of the era, and ponder what would have happened if technology from one had appeared in the other.
"why weren't the soundchips for computers and consoles"
because they sound like ass
get real man !