YM2612. Fans of the Mega Drive and its sounds know by heart this combination of two letters and four numbers, the name of the sound chip created by Yahama for Sega and whose distinctive sounds gave the Sega machine a sound identity different from its rival the Super Nintendo (equipped with the Sony SPC700 integrated circuit, designed by none other than Ken Kutaragi, creator of the PlayStation). Available for pre-order at the price of 239 dollars, this very beautiful object therefore pays homage to the cult that nostalgic people still devote to the sound of the Mega Drive by emulating the characteristics of the YM2612.
“ We have faithfully recreated the 4-operator FM sound module, 8-bit PCM sound module, and SN76489 PSG (Programmable Sound Generator) sound module used by the original console », We can read on the site of the device, which integrates a headphone output on mini-jack, a speaker and a battery for portability. The synthesizer offers enthusiasts features that the Mega Drive could not afford, but also a Legacy mode which could not be more faithful to the sound of the era. Composers and simple tinkerers will also find 320 FM game sounds classified into 20 categories and 64 drum kits for the PCM track. Music lovers will also be able to apply around ten effects (such as reverb or distortion) to each track individually.
Yuzo Koshiro approves
Playing on the same table as Twisted Electron’s MEGAfm, Sonicware did not fail to associate its device with the emblematic figure of Yuzo Koshiro, a composer who is still active and never against a return to his roots. While the artist’s career wasn’t born with the Mega Drive, his work on Sega’s 16-bit includes legends like the Streets of Rage trilogy, The Revenge of Shinobi and The Legend of Thor. Currently working on the shoot’em up Earthion, which plans to be released next summer on Mega Drive (definitely) and modern platforms, Yuzo Koshiro has created 32 predefined sounds and 8 special patterns for Mega Synthesis. While we’re on the subject, the man recently released a complete arrangement of the OST of the little-known The Scheme, one of the first games for which he composed the music, it was in 1988 on PC-88. If you’re in the chiptune mood, you can listen to and purchase the album on Bandcamp.
Sonicware says the first wave of Mega Synthesis, which will ship starting January 11, is out of stock, but pre-orders are now open for a second wave that will ship starting January 23. Deliveries include Europe and the United States.