MSX Synth - beta | MSX Resource Center

Juan Luis (MsxKun) just updated his website with a beta release of MSX Synth, which uses the MSX as a (simple) 3-oscillator monosynth. As it's a beta version, you may encounter bugs and functionality omissions, but as it is it can be used. Some of its features:

It uses Vincent Van Dam's MIDI Framework for note playing and MIDI controllers. For now only the MIDI from the Music Module is supported. The MSX Keyboard is also supported however.
Supports PSG and the Playsoniq's SID (separate ROMs for now)
SCC version is planned for a future update

More info can be found in the included manual. An MSX with 16KB RAM is enough to run this new product and should invite everyone to give this synth a swing. Juan is happy to receive bug reports, feature suggestions and such.

Relevant link: Paxanga

Comments (26)

By edoz

Prophet (2501)

11-07-2011, 22:51

Looks nice... just tryed it one a MSX emulator.. tomorrow i will try it on my SID..

By syn

Prophet (2135)

11-07-2011, 23:07

Nice stuff! I had this idea as well but I haven't gotten around to learn how to code on MSX yet I'll give it a try when my exams are over

By Vincent van Dam

Hero (513)

12-07-2011, 09:55

Very cool! Good job!

By edoz

Prophet (2501)

12-07-2011, 10:00

It's indeed nice to play with this tool.. but for me it's little bit difucult to play some music .. but i realy like the second program for the SID sound processor!!

By MsxKun

Paragon (1134)

12-07-2011, 10:18

Ty for checking!
Specially thanks to Vincent, his framework saved me lot of work!!

I'm also not a musician, so the point of view from somebody with more musical knowledge would be great!

By yzi

Champion (444)

12-07-2011, 11:47

Great stuff. Any idea what would be a cheap and easy way to get a MIDI interface for MSX? I mean MIDI input.

By wolf_

Ambassador_ (10135)

12-07-2011, 11:58

Perhaps a Music Module? I feel these have slightly lost their appeal in these recent years (in which PSG and SCC had their revival) because many people moved from demo making to game making. And somehow I think for games people tend to stick to PSG, SCC or FM-PAC. So you may spot a Music Module on eBay..

By yzi

Champion (444)

12-07-2011, 12:23

I've seen Music Modules a few times on eBay, but the prices seem to be nothing short of rediculous.

By MsxKun

Paragon (1134)

12-07-2011, 13:00

@yzi.: Yeh, i thought the same... A cartridge with just midi plugs would be sexy, but it's beyond my skills.

By wolf_

Ambassador_ (10135)

12-07-2011, 14:49

I wonder whether it would be possible, somehow, to use a common USB MIDI together with a Nowind..

By Sander

Founder (1872)

14-07-2011, 00:04

Thanks Juan Luis! ;-)

By sinus

Expert (85)

15-07-2011, 16:58

Very nice project, might even be really useful! I mean, listen to pop radio, many songs make use of these chips' sort of sounds (PSG/SID), certainly using virtual synthesizers plug-ins on Cubase like software. With such a kind of app', the MSX makes one step into live music . I'm already a fan. Great to support Playsoniq, by the way, excellent piece of hardware too.

Two questions:
- With Playsoniq plugged in I have to replace my SD storage cartridge with Music Module, so the only way to load the soft is through the tape port: does anyone know if there is a way to store it somewhere in the Playsoniq (flashram)?... I know it's not designed as a mass storage thing, but for only a couple of kilobytes, it would be a shame...
- My MSX is a Yamaha CX5MII, with MIDI inside (SFG-05): MSXKUN, do you think this kind of hardware can potentially be used instead of Music Module's MIDI? (whatever future development will be). Are the Midi in/out data processed the same way by the MSX's Z80?

I'll provide feedback if any.
Sinus

By MsxKun

Paragon (1134)

15-07-2011, 17:03

Ty sinus!

I'm sure the MIDI ports of the Yamaha are fully usable. I just need to know the port numbers and the exact way the work. But don't have a Yamaha to test But as I said, if people is interested and somebody can help, in the future, MIDI support for these machines (and the TR MIDI) would be nice.

All the MIDI data is managed by the Z80, it's just numbers it gets via the MIDI device, no matter which one is... Otherwise it wouldn't be standard MIDI.

By Manuel

Ascended (19679)

15-07-2011, 21:02

You could start with blueMSX, which has the MIDI of the CX5M (actually the SFG-05) fully implemented, AFAIK. The openMSX implementation is not complete, so that won't really work.

By NYYRIKKI

Enlighted (6093)

16-07-2011, 02:58

@MsxKun: I think here is what you need to support CX5M:
http://www.cx5m.net/techn.htm

By MsxKun

Paragon (1134)

16-07-2011, 10:02

Ty NYYRIKKI! I got another CX5M Faq from another place. With both, it will be enought. It shouldn't be difficult.

@Manuel: I knew bluemas had the SFG-05 thinggy, but can't be sure if I can trust! You know, these emulators... But if the MIDI of the CX5M is 100% working on BlueMSX, i'll try it In september.. ! And hope then Sinus can test it

With that and the TR GT MIDI tests I made and it seems to work (again, on bluemsx), there will be 3 MIDI devices supported
Now only have to improve the program itself You'll let me know any suggest. But not gonna code until september, only taking good note of the suggests and so. You know, some MSX2 game has priority

By sinus

Expert (85)

16-07-2011, 10:56

Nice to hear that. Just note that there seems to be a difference between the first Yamaha extension (SFG-01 in most CX5M) and second version (SFG-05 in CX5MII, and MSX2 series) concerning MIDI ports: you can plug in a midi controler in SFG-05 and use it properly.
As for SFG-01 there seems to be a bug(?): Yahama keyboards can be used (dedicated connector), but MIDI controlers are reported to be unusable right from the start, unless you upgrade your SFG-01 to SFG-05. The upgrade, both software (ROM) and hardware (wiring), is mentioned here: http://www.cx5m.net/soft.htm .
I'm not a hardware expert, but I guess this bug is only software related, due to Yamaha ROM inside SFG-01. Hardware modification seems to aim at replacing ROM with a larger one. So just keep an eye on this, but your piece of software should run just fine whatever the SFG-0x version. SFG-05 seems to remain a reference when developing MIDI apps anyway. Documents in various faqs will be more accurate than me on these topics.
So, more about this in september!
Sinus :P

By sinus

Expert (85)

16-07-2011, 16:25

... and, quite too much anticipated as a feature suggestion, I know: SID implies Playsoniq, which means SMS VDP with another VRAM/audio-video Output. Sure you thought about this, but I confirm a clever usage of Playsoniq's dual screen capabilities to gain some more visibility on controls may be comfortable when using PSG+SID+SCC live on 256x192 screens. Now, not every users would necessary like it.
Sin

By MsxKun

Paragon (1134)

17-07-2011, 12:12

Lol, interesting.
The problem is, the more data you dump to vram while vblank, the more MIDI data you can loose in the meanwhile. At first, when I updated the full screen, it was a mess. Most of the notes where lost in the way. Now I only update a few lines and only when necessary. It still can be improved.
Could do the same with 2nd screen, to minimize data loss, or just update it when editing stuff, not when playing... And anyway it should be for optional stuff, so the people with just 1 screen doesn't miss important info on screen.

I'll add it to the suggest list tho!

By Vincent van Dam

Hero (513)

18-07-2011, 08:50

The whole idea behind the midi framework was support for the CX5M (and create something like this for the CX5M), but I couldn't find out how the midi interrupts worked. That's why I started templating it for the music module instead. Daniel worked on the blueMSX emulation more or less simultaneously, but I am not convinced it is a 100% accurate emulation of the hardware. I think Benoït still has some documents about the CX5M hardware that are not online, I remember some reverse engineered notes from some music store, done in the 80s (I should have them too, but I am not sure where).

By Sander

Founder (1872)

18-07-2011, 15:00

I have a few SFG-01 converted to SFG-05 lying around (thanks to msxholder ;-)

Let me know if I can help out.

By Sander

Founder (1872)

18-07-2011, 15:02

MIDI in works ok after the SFG-01 to SFG-05 upgrade. I even made a config file for the midi-pac. The SFG-01/05 accept a maximum of 4 midi in channels in the rom software, I don't know if this is a hardware limitation or just the software. But maybe this is enough for your software, msxkun?

By MsxKun

Paragon (1134)

18-07-2011, 18:02

Hi!

It can't be hardware limitation i think. Every MIDI command sent has midi channel on the lower nibble of the byte (if my memory is ok...) Unless the hardware takes this byte and makes an AND 11110011b internally (which has no sense), it should work.
Probably the Yamaha soft doesn't need more than 4 channels, so that's all. In fact i only use 1 channel, tho I always set channel as cero, to get data no matter the channel you send.

By syn

Prophet (2135)

11-07-2015, 00:59

The url doesnt seem to work anymore, I think this is the most current website: http://paxangasoft.retroinvaders.com/

By Grauw

Ascended (10821)

11-07-2015, 02:49

Specifically, for the lazy clickers, http://paxangasoft.retroinvaders.com/msxsynth.htm

@Sander It’s a software limitation.
@Vincent SFG-01/05 MIDI documentation, sample code.

By Manuel

Ascended (19679)

18-07-2015, 23:30

Manuel wrote:

You could start with blueMSX, which has the MIDI of the CX5M (actually the SFG-05) fully implemented, AFAIK. The openMSX implementation is not complete, so that won't really work.

Update: the latest openMSX build has an implementation of the YM2148, enabling MIDI emulation of the SFG-01/05, thanks to the things grauw found out (and documented in the MAP article he posted). It seems to work pretty well so far, at least it should be able to run existing MSX software. Please try it out and help testing!

You need openmsx-0.11.0-267-g11fa3f7 or later.

MSX Synth - beta

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