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Just to let you know that this is still in the works.  It's just taking time!  We've got USB dev carts that flash straight out of the compilers into the SNES now so we don't have to stuff around with copying binary files to the SNES.

Main issue at the start was that there was only ever hacked together assemblers for home-brew devs when it came to using the SPC700.  We've gone back to op code level and written our own assembler from scratch.  When you are making the tools so you can make the tools that ultimately make the program that sits on the hardware it gets a bit hectic!  That said - done and working - and the cool thing is we both look at the SPC700 chip architecture / block diagram now and hear every element in our heads as we look at those little pictorial little nodes ;-)  It's kinda a cute feeling.

It's a cool but strange chip kids.  It doesn't have a synth - it's all samples - but with the oddest limitations.  So it's a bit like the Paula on an Amiga, except with dedicated on board memory, double the channel count, a crude amp envelope, panning, a crude effects processor and no on-the-fly access to system ROM (or RAM) for samples.  So the sample length is actually super limited (it has super restrictive onboard RAM ... <64kb for sample data.  Maybe well under 32kb in certain situations - depending on the complexity of your tune.)  But these small samples is where the "SNES Sound" partially comes from.  It also has a really weird hardware CODEC for working with samples.  And a fuzzy-ish but almost etherial downsampling method - which is where the other half of the SNES Sound comes from (along with the iconic low quality DSP effects processor!)

Better still is the story behind the audio chip: It was basically created in secret by DSP genius / chip designer Ken Kutaragi at Sony labs.  I'd love to have the gaps filled in - but the story goes Nintendo had approached several chip manufacturers about making a new audio chip... Ken had bought his daughter a NES and loved the games but was disappointed in the audio.  He went over Sony's heads and agreed he'd have a go at designing a chip for them - developing the hardware in his spare time.  When the execs at Sony discovered what he'd been doing dev for Nintendo in secret they were super pissed off and the rumors are that Ken almost lost his job.  At the time Sony had very little interest in game consoles BUT he was so passionate about this being a vital chip for Sony to manufacture that he persuaded the Sony CEO to side with him.  He then went on to design a Super Nintendo CD expander (long story) but also formed a plan in his head to how he'd build his own gaming hardware.  When licences went pear shaped with Nintendo, he ended up heading the dev teams which designed the Playstation 1, 2 & 3. 

The core of the SNES audio system is probably the most renegade audio chip ever designed.  Probably even outdo-ing the SID / Paula chips for going "over the heads" of restrictions and executive red-tape.  Which, of course, adds to the fuel of us having our hearts set on completing this project to a usable state.  :-)

:-)  Thanks peeps!   Big up's to Mirco Monsees for the artwork and Dan @ Bleep Street for encouraging me to take my time until I was happy with the recording / mix.

Some people may have seen this already - A behind the scenes video on how this release was mixed:

I hate to break the news - but It's a terrible way for the most part.  I have a number of capture devices ranging from $80 to around $5000. 

I bought a cheap USB video cap device similar to the one you linked me as a backup to my mini LCD for Blip fest.  I found the latency made it impossible to have a good / usable experience!  Even though my mini DSE screen was a bit low res - it was instant latency wise.  There might be a newer one that is better but the dead giveaway that the Jaycar one will suck is:

> real time recording MPEG 4/2/1 video formats

Mostly these formats have 18 field GOP structures in their encoder stage - which means a minimum of 350ms delay... if not more.  The problem is that the encoder is in the device - so you can't intercept the raw signal and put uncompressed video to screen.

I do have a couple which are almost zero latency - made by Grass Valley - but they are both broadcast PCI cards and PC only.  I have a Datavideo Firewire box - but even that has a few frames latency.

Black magic make a similar thing for Thunderbolt - http://www.This spam will soon be delet … /intensity -  And reports say it has a 3 frame latency going out (which is what most people are interested in!!)  I'd guess it'd do about the same coming in.  But then again - a lot can happen in 75 - 100ms ... so for gaming, I'm really not sure any USB cap device is going to work.

So seriously; get something like - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vivid-15-4-H … amp;_uhb=1

Or if you don't have a lot of room; you can use something similar to what I use (and Xyce / 8GB also use) - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/L0608-Eonon- … amp;_uhb=1

Nice one mate!  I'll work on some more functionality for that 32/64/128 short-sample wave drawer and get a breakdown of the interface to you soon.  Going be funny to hear people rage when they hear / see the effects of BRR on their waveforms!

(In other words - hang in there.... we may have something coming if we don't run into too many hurdles.  Our little idea / workflow might not be for everyone, but it'll be something new and hopefully fun at minimum.  It'll be a fair few months off.  But 2014... maybe mid year?)

The Lynx is certainly fun to work with Tim!  I wish I'd brought it to Europe so I could have showed you it in action.  Alas, It was one of the things which was too heavy to pack :-P  (greets from AU btw, pass my g'days onto all the Utrecht crew!)

I was trailing beta's with the dev for a while - especially focusing on flashing test files to the real Lynx hardware.  It was fun but then I started doing weekly beats, met a girl, went on tour and ran out of time.   Compiling it to the real hardware was a bit of a mission - as I think I mentioned previously - the sound changed once I got the binary running on the actual hardware!  Memory also a bit of an issue; especially because I started doing arpeggios and it just ran out!

The MP3 test I posted above was generated from an early beta (so emulated sound) and it turns out I've never been able to reproduce that kick drum sound or a lot of my percussion experiments on the actual Lynx itself.  Maybe I should get back in touch with sagelynx and see how he's going... it's been a year or so!

I've just popped my Lynx in the car, so I might take a video of it tomorrow of where I was at last year when I put it back in the cupboard. I've got about 1 1/2 mins of tune before it crashes... I just felt I could have gotten something much better out of it before I demoed anything.

edit:  Just so no-one is confused - if you have read the thread you will realize this is not a program like LSDJ!  The tracker does not run on the actual hardware.  Instead it is a PC program that you make the tune in, then output the play data, pack into a play routine, then compile, then flash to a cart, then playback on the Lynx (playback happens when you turn power on).  This is still a huge effort though - sagelynx put a massive amount of work into this and you can feel it when you use the program.

Creating something along the lines of LSDJ would be very time consuming for the Atari Lynx because it's not so well documented and there are only very limited flash carts.

Cool little adapter.  The kind of thing that is great to have in case of emergency!