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HuC6280 chiptunes?
16 years ago
General
I am interested in possibly doing some chiptunes in the 6280 style. This chip's DAC could produce some very nice tones, while still being undeniably chiptune-esque due to its limitations. The time period which it was created puts it squarely in the transition period from simple PSG's to more advanced FM and even some PCM-based chips, while at the same time it opted not to use Yamaha FM technology to produce tones.
So, how to go about reproducing a similar sound? For starters, here are a few limitations of the PCE system:
1. Limited to 6 channels
2. Waveform playback is somewhat similar to the Konami SCC (used in MSX games) -- except instead of 32 bytes of 12-bit signed audio, it is 32 bytes of 5-bit unsigned. This means while there is some control over the "chippy" sounds, they will still have a bit of a crunch edge to them.
3. All six channels can be used for "Waveform playback", but some channels also have special functions, for example....
4. combining channels 1 and 2 can allow for a simple 1-op FM channel. Great for making a few nice sounds, or adding LFO to a lead.
5. Channels 4 and 5 can also produce white noise based on a randomized square wave.
6. PCM (for drums, for example) can be achieved through Direct Access mode, although this takes up some of PCE's (very limited) CPU power. Remember that it will be 5-bit, so reproductions must use the appropriate bit-crunching level.
Well, this doesn't seem so bad. So, let's have a listen at what some of this music sounds like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emHpgi0QSN0 Here we can hear some excellent use of polyphony from the system during the chorus, as well as use of a specialized lead in the verses, a good typical example of the music. White noise is used for all the drums, as was typical until later on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCzAxCz2kj0 Zuntata's classic DADDY MULK, in 6280 style.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me_gdAJx2Gw This game made extensive use of D/A to produce PCM instruments, as you can hear in this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhRe6YnJvK4 Here's one that didn't push as much as Coroyon, but still utilized PCM drums.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mEzTC7E7Xw Some relaxing sine waves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UEWBQJ2OQ0 FM style stuff from Naxat Soft. Devil Crash was released in the US for the Genesis as "Dragon's Fury" and was one of my faves at the time.
Starting in the 90s, the HuC6280 was used less for its audio capabilities in lieu of redbook audio, provided by the CD-ROM add-on to the system (PCE/TG16 was an early adopter of CD games and perhaps the first successful console to utilize them. While not chiptunes, they're still awesome examples of the game music genre. Just for shits and giggles let's hear some of that, too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-bnJYxGfik In many ways, Ys I&II exemplifies the transition period. These were some of the last tunes Yuzo Koshiro composed for the developer Falcom, and when he really started to come onto his own thing in terms of notoriety. The soundtrack this song comes from is from 1989, and in places still sounds like an adaptation of the earlier chiptunes to CD audio. To his credit, Koshiro did many of these tunes while still in high school working for the Falcom Sound Team. Many of his themes are still heard in modern Ys games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIE3lKzC008 Did I mention it was an early inspiration? Well, it was. More stuff available in the replies to this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TmMg7PkKCI&feature=response_watch Some music from Ys3, the SNES version of which maybe the first time many of you guys were introduced to this game, if at all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ow55BXt8XE NEC/TTi's Splash Lake. Some silly anime-style music from 1992. This seems to harken back a bit to the cheesy styles popular with analog synths, but obviously using FM stuff with lotsa reverb with some real instruments mixed in. Wish I had that kinda money!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IohEo9TdHbo Terraforming is a Right Stuff shooter from 1993. Classic synth rock stuff here; unfortunately, it's really hard to get information about Right Stuff since many companies used that name.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtZP9K2OhsE Late (1995) PCE stuff. Smooth jazz.
So, how to go about reproducing a similar sound? For starters, here are a few limitations of the PCE system:
1. Limited to 6 channels
2. Waveform playback is somewhat similar to the Konami SCC (used in MSX games) -- except instead of 32 bytes of 12-bit signed audio, it is 32 bytes of 5-bit unsigned. This means while there is some control over the "chippy" sounds, they will still have a bit of a crunch edge to them.
3. All six channels can be used for "Waveform playback", but some channels also have special functions, for example....
4. combining channels 1 and 2 can allow for a simple 1-op FM channel. Great for making a few nice sounds, or adding LFO to a lead.
5. Channels 4 and 5 can also produce white noise based on a randomized square wave.
6. PCM (for drums, for example) can be achieved through Direct Access mode, although this takes up some of PCE's (very limited) CPU power. Remember that it will be 5-bit, so reproductions must use the appropriate bit-crunching level.
Well, this doesn't seem so bad. So, let's have a listen at what some of this music sounds like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emHpgi0QSN0 Here we can hear some excellent use of polyphony from the system during the chorus, as well as use of a specialized lead in the verses, a good typical example of the music. White noise is used for all the drums, as was typical until later on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCzAxCz2kj0 Zuntata's classic DADDY MULK, in 6280 style.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me_gdAJx2Gw This game made extensive use of D/A to produce PCM instruments, as you can hear in this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhRe6YnJvK4 Here's one that didn't push as much as Coroyon, but still utilized PCM drums.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mEzTC7E7Xw Some relaxing sine waves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UEWBQJ2OQ0 FM style stuff from Naxat Soft. Devil Crash was released in the US for the Genesis as "Dragon's Fury" and was one of my faves at the time.
Starting in the 90s, the HuC6280 was used less for its audio capabilities in lieu of redbook audio, provided by the CD-ROM add-on to the system (PCE/TG16 was an early adopter of CD games and perhaps the first successful console to utilize them. While not chiptunes, they're still awesome examples of the game music genre. Just for shits and giggles let's hear some of that, too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-bnJYxGfik In many ways, Ys I&II exemplifies the transition period. These were some of the last tunes Yuzo Koshiro composed for the developer Falcom, and when he really started to come onto his own thing in terms of notoriety. The soundtrack this song comes from is from 1989, and in places still sounds like an adaptation of the earlier chiptunes to CD audio. To his credit, Koshiro did many of these tunes while still in high school working for the Falcom Sound Team. Many of his themes are still heard in modern Ys games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIE3lKzC008 Did I mention it was an early inspiration? Well, it was. More stuff available in the replies to this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TmMg7PkKCI&feature=response_watch Some music from Ys3, the SNES version of which maybe the first time many of you guys were introduced to this game, if at all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ow55BXt8XE NEC/TTi's Splash Lake. Some silly anime-style music from 1992. This seems to harken back a bit to the cheesy styles popular with analog synths, but obviously using FM stuff with lotsa reverb with some real instruments mixed in. Wish I had that kinda money!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IohEo9TdHbo Terraforming is a Right Stuff shooter from 1993. Classic synth rock stuff here; unfortunately, it's really hard to get information about Right Stuff since many companies used that name.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtZP9K2OhsE Late (1995) PCE stuff. Smooth jazz.
I'm sure anything you made with that chip would be better than the examples you gave, though, 'cause you're a pretty awesome musician. I just don't know why you'd want to. ^.^
Not a chiptune obviously but I watched a play-through of Ys I&II on YouTube, and the music in it is fantastic. <3
I thought you were asking your watchers if you should use it, but you weren't, so my reply makes no sense. ^.^;;
What modern chiptunes artists have come up with is in a different world to what they were making back then.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, we'll know whether it has any potential or not if you can make something badass. ;p
On a semi-irrelevant note. You've probably already heard this song/of this artist, but just in case you haven't: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrew1qwH2oU.
Best. Chiptune. Ever.
i wish there were a better way to simulate the thing, because it's my favorite chip. love the pc engine :]
more processor-intensive titles are a metric fuckton louder on actual hardware, i've found. games like Adventure Island are almost hard to hear, but switching to Coryoon will blow your head off. i've also noticed that some titles actually become quieter when there's less going on, or where there's little happening between screens (Dragon Egg and Psycho Chaser do this on my PC Engine)