I noticed differences in PSG's between my NMS8250 and my VG8235;
I've encountered various 8250 models and I think all of them sounded a little 'off'; with my current one it's a really tiny difference, but I can still hear it being slightly more noisy than my vg8235's PSG, which, to me, sounds like a PSG should really sound.
Did anyone else notice differences like that, and perhaps, knows a way to (if possible) changing this? If not, it wouldn't be a really big problem since it is a really small difference (I think many people wouldn't even hear it) but I'm just curious about this; it seems philips just never got the sound quite right in the 8250 models.

The Philips NMS 8250, 8255 and 8280 have a sound distortion due to a design bug. There are two resistors on the a/v board which are meant to be in fact electrolytic condesors. You can find info on how to fix this on Hans Otten's pages in the Do-It-Yourself section iirc.

In this case I'm not talking about the balance-problem with the fmpac (seems already fixed in this model, 'cause nothing 'strange' happens when I use one) or the balance problem with the SCC, but about the sound of the psg itself. You could say it sounds like the volume is just a little too loud, but naturally changing the volume of the stereo doesn't change this.
I could record it if that makes it more clear.

Try to turn around C119 on the motherboard

I have been wondering differencies with PSGs for years now, like many others too... and as humans who have used different msxs a lot, knows there are differencies in PSG in different manufacturer´s msxs and even SAME models can have different sound.

So, how we can say what is THE REAL SOUND OF PSG if every MSX has it´s own sound? (which can be heard) And propably EVERY MSX really has their own PSG sound which differs from others, we just can´t hear it..



Maybe we just should enjoy that difference! Differencies makes world more lovable place to live!

Quote:

Maybe we just should enjoy that difference! Differencies makes world more lovable place to live!

Differences also make people blow themselves up on a crowded bus...

YM and AY chips are slightly different. Mr. Bulba is the matter expert, but in short, it's something like this: AY uses 4-bits for timing and YM - 5-bits. Which makes resolution of YM slightly higher, and as result, it sounds a bit more metallic. Think transistor vs tube power amps. First are more precise, seond are more "natural".

Quote:

I have been wondering differencies with PSGs for years now, like many others too... and as humans who have used different msxs a lot, knows there are differencies in PSG in different manufacturer´s msxs and even SAME models can have different sound. So, how we can say what is THE REAL SOUND OF PSG if every MSX has it´s own sound? (which can be heard) And propably EVERY MSX really has their own PSG sound which differs from others, we just can´t hear it.. Maybe we just should enjoy that difference! Differencies makes world more lovable place to live!

well, the real sound of MSX is the original MSX1 PSG AY 3 - 8910....
having his three output chanels mixed directly by a short , and then outputing it without any equalizing...

my Talent DPC200 (MSX1), has that... sounds great...

when i bought the msx2, the sound output of the s1985 engine sucks!!!! is a lot different....not only in equalizing, if not have little differences in enveloping timing, i guest.

Quote:

YM and AY chips are slightly different. Mr. Bulba is the matter expert, but in short, it's something like this: AY uses 4-bits for timing and YM - 5-bits. Which makes resolution of YM slightly higher, and as result, it sounds a bit more metallic. Think transistor vs tube power amps. First are more precise, seond are more "natural".

4 bits?? 5 bits?? where?

Quote:

YM and AY chips are slightly different. Mr. Bulba is the matter expert, but in short, it's something like this: AY uses 4-bits for timing and YM - 5-bits. Which makes resolution of YM slightly higher, and as result, it sounds a bit more metallic.

It would be great to have his docs in english. Any chance for that?

Babel Fish is your Big Friend

babel fish sucks.... from jp to english

рыба babel будет вашим другом!

(that is one weird-ass language!)

According to sc68.atari.org/developers_technicals.html, YM is AY with a 5-bit envelope generator.