Jazzmarazz
Offline
Michigan
seatrash wrote:

writing on a game gear could be super awesome.

using little-scale's SMSM system, could you control the game gear with a gameboy-lsdj-arduinoboy?

Yeah, but you need the interface, remember? Its basically an arduinoboy for SMS/GG. Leta say you have a MIDI to USB cable with both MIDI IN and OUT, then you can use the midi out on your gameboy, to your computer and have it running out your computer to your SMS/GG. Or so I assume.

Last edited by Jazzmarazz (Sep 17, 2013 10:25 pm)

yogi
Offline
Jelly Stone park, MD USA

I've been setting up littlescale's SMSM on a GG for a while now, but it's been on hold for a bit.
The GG will run SMS code just fine with the SMS/GG pin set. You need a converter for a SMS cart, but with a GG flash cart you could run the code with just a jumper. As to the board thickness of the GG cart, be careful.  I have found that the GG's cart port can be a real pain. I had a lot of problems with a 'New"  adaptor that was too thick. And if it's too thin it can lose contact also.
Littlescale's kernel is very basic, just scans the game port and sends incoming values to the PSG regs. The Teensy code can use the USB or a true midi in port, so there are lots of options as far as midi control.
A native tracker would be cool, but a midi interface works for me also!
Yogi

Delek
Offline
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Jazzmarazz wrote:
metropeak wrote:

Could music be written using only the PSG channels in VGM Music Maker or Deflemask, and then that VGM played back on the gamegear perhaps? Not as funky as LSDJ of course but an option for those interested.

I don't know how Deflemask for example exports VGM files, but I did read something about an export option...if you can run it in an emulator, you know it can run on the GG itself.

DefleMask creates automatically roms for SEGA Master System. I don't know if Game Gear is compatible 100% with SMS, but always you can use the .vgm export feature and process it to create a ROM for GG.

yogi
Offline
Jelly Stone park, MD USA
Delek wrote:

.... I don't know if Game Gear is compatible 100% with SMS, but always you can use the .vgm export feature and process it to create a ROM for GG.

Yes, AFAIK
  The only real diff between the two systems is the display resolution. The SMS/GG pin on the GG cart port flags the VPU to switch resolution to accommodate the SMS code's displays on the LCD. Now this difference may or may not be an issue if someone is writing a native tracker.
As far as PSG, Mem access and mapping the two are the same.

Last edited by yogi (Sep 18, 2013 3:36 pm)

Jazzmarazz
Offline
Michigan
Delek wrote:
Jazzmarazz wrote:

I don't know how Deflemask for example exports VGM files, but I did read something about an export option...if you can run it in an emulator, you know it can run on the GG itself.

DefleMask creates automatically roms for SEGA Master System. I don't know if Game Gear is compatible 100% with SMS, but always you can use the .vgm export feature and process it to create a ROM for GG.

The incompatibilities lie within accessories. No dance mat support, no 3D glasses support, etc.

yogi wrote:
Delek wrote:

.... I don't know if Game Gear is compatible 100% with SMS, but always you can use the .vgm export feature and process it to create a ROM for GG.

Yes, AFAIK
  The only real diff between the two systems is the display resolution. The SMS/GG pin on the GG cart port flags the VPU to switch resolution to accommodate the SMS code's displays on the LCD. Now this difference may or may not be an issue if someone is writing a native tracker.
As far as PSG, Mem access and mapping the two are the same.

As far as I have read, yes. Someone should send me some exported SMS ROMs to try out granted it may not be immediately.

Oops, look like I forgot to add two holes to the board. There are actually three mounting holes rather than just the one. silly me. tongue

Last edited by Jazzmarazz (Sep 18, 2013 4:28 pm)

Jazzmarazz
Offline
Michigan

Bumping this thread to say that I will be toying with littlescales SMSM program. I hope to write own music maker but for the time being, I will be modifying my board design to accommodate an FPGA over the footprint of he mapper chip for future use and sometime hopefully adding a battery and ram. I do not own a battery backed cart to base it in though.

Steele
Offline
Denver, Colorado

This is a great idea. I am very exited about composing on the gg.
However the sync cables seem to be so rare and dang expensive!

Jazzmarazz
Offline
Michigan
Steele wrote:

This is a great idea. I am very exited about composing on the gg.
However the sync cables seem to be so rare and dang expensive!

Yeah, once a software exists I think we could propose a solution/replacement. I feel like the port itself could be pulled and replaced by a DB9, as illustradted here:
http://www.smspower.org/Development/Gea … lerAdaptor

I mean, the GG has four programmable sound channels, copious amounts of internal space for mods and already has a mod for video output. Plus, its in freaking color with a pre-existing backlight!

yogi
Offline
Jelly Stone park, MD USA
Jazzmarazz wrote:

Yeah, once a software exists I think we could propose a solution/replacement. I feel like the port itself could be pulled and replaced by a DB9, as illustradted here:
http://www.smspower.org/Development/Gea … lerAdaptor

I mean, the GG has four programmable sound channels, copious amounts of internal space for mods and already has a mod for video output. Plus, its in freaking color with a pre-existing backlight!

Do believe that cable is not too rare, got one a little while ago off EBay for like $10, an after market repo.
The worst thing with GGs are the caps on the system board. If you haven't replaced them you will at some point. It's not too bad of a job but it does require some skills.
Yogi

Jazzmarazz
Offline
Michigan

Yeah, 3/4 of my GGs have dead caps. As for the cable, 10 is not bad, but its certainly not the best. Lol

Speaking of which, its only a matter of time until 3 of every 4 gameboys need new caps.

kineticturtle
Offline
Matthew Joseph Payne

I already replaced all the caps in all my gameboys and noticed an immediate difference. The audio levels across my gameboys now match and I feel like the screens look a bit better but I have no hard evidence.

Never got around to doing a gamegear replacement though. A quick cost/benefit comparing the quantity of SMD caps vs. the audio channels of the GG made me sell all the ones I had. tongue

Esopus-dragon
Offline
New York, New York

I would love to compose on a Game Gear.