Music Deconstruction - Green Hill Zone

The Mega Drive/Genesis had two chips that it had access to in order to create it's music. The main chip was the Yamaha YM2612 FM Synthesiser which had 6 synth channels and 1 digital audio channel (DAC). This was backed up by the Texas Instruments SN76489 which had been the power behind the Sega Master System's music, this had 1 noise channel and 3 tone channels.
For this video I've played out all the individual channels used to make up the iconic Green Hill Zone theme, giving a little look at how the layering works and the chips were utilized. It's fascinating that some channels actually sound kind of ugly on their own, but great when layered up.
http:www.augmented-vision.co.uk

[@LostEngineProductions]

Someone's gotta make this a rom hack. The more rings you get, the more complete the music sounds!

[@latoallaconmocos]

It exists, It’s something about sonic 1 color restoration, look it up

[@noyz-anything]

that idea reminds me of sonic 1 blastless. it's not what you're looking for but it's a similar premise

[@liapengmakhele8276]

Well we already made that rom hack

[@maxrichards5925]

There’s a hack like this where you have to return the color back by looking for hidden monitors and it gradually brings the music back as well. It’s a bit short sadly

[@MrGuy__]

The buildup thing was awesome

[@michaelromeo9567]

Sonic 1 like its music is so underrated. Because everybody just want to go straight without learning pathways secrets trap and gameplay. The game was challenging long hard and each level had its own magic universe with amazing ost.

[@kamui7822]

i agree

[@codiepereira636]

Its like a trailer tune rimix

[@timisdor]

I have a new found appreciation for this song.

[@DDjivan]

Same.

[@inerfheroes4687]

Need your pfp

[@PKSuperStar256]

@Krynek, but I like anime. But, I'm not like that. An example is Acchi Kocchi. Another is the Japanese version of the Kirby (the pink puff ball that inhales things and copies them, not a Pokémon) anime.

[@PKSuperStar256]

@@inerfheroes4687, C:/Users/PKSuperStar256/Documents/Prized Possesions/2/5/6/A113/nope.avi

[@xXSpongeBroBrownPantzXx]

Krynek lol

[@Number_27]

Wow Green Hill's theme is more complex than I thought

[@theobserver4214]

Number 27 Many Genesis games used the SMS’s chip.

[@michaelromeo9567]

Batman and robin only use Old Japanese Master system (SEGA mark III.) chipset FM sound for its soundtracks. This machine is amazing.. 💖.

[@UserSniper]

the Mega Drive has 11 total sound channels, 6 being FM, 1 being the DAC. While the SNES has 8 sample-based sound channels.

[@vittosphonecollection57289]

I tought the song were only the song IDKnew there were all those parts

[@vittosphonecollection57289]

@@charliiviolet747 70 DAC

[@JustHackingAround]

One of the most perfect game themes ever made imo. So many great memories. Call it nostalgia if you like, but it's really a great tune. Cool to hear it deconstructed so brilliantly.

[@shadowmariogaming9702]

In my opinion this tune is the definition of nostalgia in video games

[@rebecca6683]

that and its just so perfect

[@buggyboy1356]

ZachDoesGaming 1-1*

[@theironsword1954]

1-1 and Green Hill are both nostalgic, but GH is overused at this point. Emerald Hill is my favorite.

[@marx4538]

@@theironsword1954 I find GH much better then EH in terms of music and visuals.

[@TheOscarGamer_]

And that was for Green Hill only, imagine how long it takes to deconstruct a song from a modern game! Sonic Team never fails to make amazing music. Not even in the most rushed games!

[@jan_h]

I think it's a cool little thing that the SMS chips for backward compatibility can be used in Genesis mode.

[@TorutheRedFox]

the Z80 can be controlled by the 68000, and the Z80 has direct access to that the PSG, which is embedded in the VDP chip on the Mega Drive, allowing the 68000 to control it directly too

[@LittleBabyBlue777]

One idea for a Sonic game hack could be based on building up each song to it's final form as you play. To complete each stage requires you fully complete the song. It'd make for a very nice, atmospheric approach that slowly returns to it's roots.

[@MoonlightStrider]

Christal Blue I'm pretty sure there was a level in Ristar that did that.

[@hiroaritillwhen4581]

Idea with building song with tracks was realized in Luftrausers, it always plays one song, but with different tracks depending on player's equipment.

[@KidPrarchord95]

THIS ISN'T EVEN MY FINAL FORM!

[@MayaFey11]

Sonic 1: Contrast Color does Something like this.

[@Serpter4215]

Yep that exists, sonic hack called 'sonic 1 colour contrast'

[@brubarurno]

that bassline is fire

[@Octo4533]

Oh! The DAC.

[@FrijolesyQueso]

Even Better When Both Are Playing At Same time

[@brodysstuff6461]

Slap Bass 1 on the megadrive/genesis soundfont

[@PKSuperStar256]

@@brodysstuff6461, the Genesis doesn't use soundfonts.

[@brodysstuff6461]

@@PKSuperStar256 yeah, but midi files do, that's what i was referring to.

[@michaelangeloh.5383]

"It's fascinating that some channels actually sound kind of ugly on their own, but great when layered up." That even happens with acoustic instruments and voices. You'd be surprised as to how weird or "bad" some individual instruments or voices sound in some of one's favorite songs or pieces. - That's the nature of music, though... Oh, and the ability of great composers and mixers.

[@Zombi3Slay3r03]

0:13 when your running through a desert in Minecraft

[@Automatik234]

Wow! This really shows, how impressive Sonic was, compared to previous platformers on 8 bit systems.

[@Jombo1]

2:40 dunno why i laughed at that

[@nexusetmiaouss]

What XD

[@gukeoke6312]

that was cute

[@gukeoke6312]

@@Speed_311 i'm following your trend of being omnipresent

[@darkbowserdofus9978]

The most depressing thing is hearing the main green hill melody (md channel one) without any other tracks. Its kinda creepy.

[@brisoatisuto9795]

Theres been no reply cuz sonic is about positive shit not no creepy shit stfu

[@digimaks]

Nothing creepy. oit's standard thing with chiptune channels- only single tone played at once on one channel (no duo or chords. )

[@elsheddars3918]

i love the second MD

[@AndyHappyGuy]

When he sees his movie design

[@ItsLeavee]

@@brisoatisuto9795 Bruh what is your problem

[@dariorodriguezmendez6167]

1:49 - end: epic music in 3, 2, 1...

[@LuterofromTx]

Are there any other deconstruction videos of Sonic music like this?

[@0MochiCoconut0]

Logan Prosperie Look it up. There is bound to be plenty.

[@BigOlSmellyFlashlight]

Logan Prosperie I have a video of Mario 64's bobomb battlefield split into each track, it's basically the same thing.

[@hypergreedgaming9590]

Look up starlight zone deconstructed. I guarantee you will smile

[@Jasons_Arcade_PLUS]

Logan Prosperie : kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZojTdayqqbt9gbs Here ya go!

[@PhilipWalker]

Thank you very much for posting this video! This is one of my favorite video game themes, and I'm currently attempting to deconstruct and reconstruct this song for practicing chiptune composition. I was wondering, how in the world did you deconstruct the song like this?

[@AugmentedVision]

Philip Walker sorry for the late reply! I used winamp with in_vgm plugin available here: www.smspower.org/maxim/Winamp/InVgm then I set it to write to disk as a wav, turned off and on channels as required! It's a little fiddly clicking settings back and forth but works really well.

[@jaggass]

+AugmentedVisionVideo i wish sega released all the sound effects off the YM2612 chip

[@Zedek]

It's a synthesizer, no samples. You can let it play all you want. That's why there are different samples that are shared together: There is a *funky* one, used in ACTION52 and TOEJAM AND EARL for example. A very *weak* one, used in SUPER HANG ON. A *Carribean* one, used in GREENDOG and TALE SPIN. Many other games used different drivers to achieve different sounds, e.g. PSYGNOSIS did a good job with LEMMINGS2 and the outstanding NU*ROMANTIC PRODUCTIONS. Jesper Kyd and Emi Shimizu are more examples of great FM componists. The Yamaha DX7, the famous FM keyboard used by so many 80s musicians, the AdLib/Soundblaster OPL2 (YM2812) and the OPN (YM2612, MegaDrive/Genesis) are all from the same era. You would get a Yamaha FM sound overkill in the mid-80s to the mid-90s if you had these devices :D RISKY WOODS for example uses a very, very well-known Slap bass that you will remind you of actual pop songs. By the way, the AdLib chip is being used in many phones today to create ringtones. We have one system at work that plays some funky FM ringtones.

[@tonmasboy]

AugmentedVisionVideo Search them on internet...I have all samples and soundtrack of all genesis game in one zipped file

[@tonmasboy]

Team Fusion I afraid if I couldn't help you they were all in opm files format...about samples I didn't find them in my computer...If opm is interesting here is the link www.mediafire.com/file/ynnygzowyzw/2612org+OPMs.zip#!

[@chipsnegativeharmonyrips7187]

Dang this is really cool just as a listening experience, the single tracks followed by a buildup is very impactful to listen to I find. I think I will try and use such a technique in composition

[@Gamesmarts194]

I never understood soundchips/hardware as a whole but taking apart the song actually makes it really easy to see how other games use the Genesis sound font.

[@tabletgenesis3439]

0:13 Stepping Dust 0:22 Gameboy Music 0:33 Happy Gameboy Music 0:42 Not-so-green Hills 0:51 Boring Green-like Natural Mess 1:02 Blue-ish Land of Things 1:12 Boring Blank Place 1:20 Determined *h* _iLL_ 1:33 Rebuilt Greeny Hills 1:43 Eventually Better Hills

[@RWL2012]

WOW! This confirms my suspicion that the SMS noise channel was used for the hihats; I did NOT however know that the PSG chip also helped out with some of the tune! Maybe you should do one of these for Sonic sound effects ;-) And confirm my beliefs that the jumping and "braking" sounds are in PSG and the ring and spring sounds etc are in FM ;-)

[@danielb2392]

All of these things were already obvious and widely documented elsewhere, but congratulations on your intuition. :P

[@RWL2012]

D. B. Perhaps not obvious to some.

[@billforigno]

On the topic of the "SMS noise channel", I've noticed that this same "hi-hat" sound exists in other emulators including Gens, but not (or not as much) in Kega Fusion. This really bugged me so I had a search around for audio inclusive playthroughs on multiple models of actual Sega Genesis consoles (I don't have my own), and the music from them actually resembled Fusion's more than anything else, especially when Fusion's Sound -> Filter setting is active. I'm not sure what else to make of this.

[@RWL2012]

Talking of hi-hats, the Streets of Rage 2 Go Straight deconstruction video demonstrates that emulators fail to reproduce the SOR FM hi-hats correctly.

[@Oysterblade84]

@@billforigno SMPS sound driver just about always uses PSG periodic noise hi-hat cymbals but Cube uses FM periodic noise hi-hat cymbals. Also Kega Fusion is a rather bad example of SMS noise channel investigating, real hardware PSG noise was never that quiet, if you want a 99% near identical emulator of real hardware PSG noise channel then it's got to be Regen.

[@RM-mi8ov]

The main Melody for this song is majestic

[@Zedek]

I have the in_vgm.dll for roughly 10 years on my computers. Disabling the SN and only let the YM2612 do the job was great. E.g. slowing down the GHOSTBUSTERS' "DEEP HOLE" to 48Hz and disabling the SN makes a great song that got burried under the annoying TI SN's sound. Channel 2 is usually the bass in the Sonic soundtracks. Best thing is the groovy bass line in TOP HILL ZONE. Try it. It's so Disco. Same with the fast bassline in ALLEYCAT (Turtles: Hyperstone Heist)

[@gluGPU]

Zedek holy shit its Zedek! DA famous crappy WAD reviewer!

[@EspyPom]

is there a program that deconstructs genesis songs? I'd really like to hear all of these instruments fully separately. i know there's an nes program that deconstructs tracks but does that work for songs on the Sega Genesis?

[@boblione3252]

ShadowPuppy There is a genesis smps player that can play individual songs.However you need the music files first.The program is smps_play

[@withonetouchishallbringyou8038]

Or get regen the emulator it depends on which version

[@greenchillzone7090]

Man!!! Thanks a lot for your share this website. That's what I looking for...

[@sheik124]

ShadowPuppy you can also use a program called "RYMCAST" to isolate individual tracks in Genesis VGM/VGZ tracks and then export them too!

[@lucasmarcall]

@@greenchillzone7090 Do you remember the website they say for listen the channels individualy? cause i remember seeing here, but now, i forgot the website.

[@MichaelOKeefe2009]

The MD Channel One fucking is responsible of makeing Green Hill Zonme, Green Hill Zone.

[@razzerraw1108]

God bless you for this

[@8077DARKNESS]

i love md channel four deeply

[@mikesully110]

damn this video really shows you just how much is going on in that deceptively simple song

[@natay3688]

Buildup was the best.

[@cynthiazapien8566]

I like how you did this!

[@ritaandrunt5767]

It's nice to hear what this zone's theme sounds like when it's deconstructed like this please could you also do this for other sonic levels as well if you could I'd greatly appreciate it and would love to hear what other zone themes would sound sound like when deconstructed

[@PoorPescado]

My favorite is "MD Channel 1" and "MD Channel 5."

[@thejello0sout149]

my fav is "buildup of all tracks/real greenhill track" "MD channel 2"

[@glump7744]

I love these types of things with seperate music Stems!!

[@Rationalific]

This is very useful to those who might want to create their own songs or versions of video game songs. Thanks a lot!

[@LimeGreenTeknii]

Can we download the individual parts anywhere?

[@Bro-cx2jc]

I don't think so, but some Genesis emulators allow you to turn on and off the separate sound channels. You could record them individually with a program like Audacity and then synchronize them together. That's how I did a PXP3 remix from a Genesis emulator recording.

[@fredylanes20]

Bro which ones?

[@Bro-cx2jc]

I use Gens, the one which shows a weird fuzzy colorful screen when you first open it. It uses a lot of CPU though so best not to use it too long on a standard laptop

[@sheik124]

LimeGreenTeknii there's a program called "RYMCAST" that can play back Sega Genesis / MegaDrive music, and isolate the individual tracks. All you need is the VGM/VGZ file of the music, easy to find, and then you can save a WAV of each track! Have fun.

[@MemeFactory34]

+Bro That's a bad way to do it, you can just download the VGM file for the music (google it) and then use a program called towave to isolate the tracks as WAV files

[@Tgrey808]

As someone who is trying to get into production, this helps alot thanks man.

[@araknair9605]

CHILLS when that bass hit

[@Mikey64]

Can we just acknowledge how amazing MD DAC is?

[@gabrielvieira6529]

1:39 1.5x

[@zwataketa]

This, right here, is why I love listening to video game music.

[@enderdavid_hdde348]

0:52 best voice on the concole🤣🤣

[@goofm9]

1:41 sounds like a movie trailer, great!

[@kingofthebis1068]

How come there’s 10 voices here but if I collect a ring in chemical plant it takes out a whole damn instrument

[@PKSuperStar256]

This goes for every game with channel-based sound. If the sound is programmed into the same channel as a set of notes in a music track, it interrupts it until the sound stops. This means that it also happens with the NES, Game Boy, SNES, GBA, and many more.

[@0MochiCoconut0]

Wow. THESE ARE THE TONES THAT MAKE UP GREEN HILL ZONE!? THIS IS AMAZING!

[@Artmagic3318]

This video feels so happy it's hard to describe but those sounds building up make it feel poetic for some reason When you are in a sad moment alone and the positivity hits up and you find a base when the MD channel one comes out and then the rest is helping you to stand and making things better This comment was for sure a trip

[@TheRoboticFerret]

Artmagic 3318 I cried a little bit at the buildup, no kidding

[@ModPallet]

This is truly amazing

[@MichaelOswald05]

SMS sounds like something low brass would play if this was a band piece

[@elcfjd1]

All sounds that make green hill zone music

[@Rintricity]

MD DAC plays at 1:31 and my mind just goes.. "Oh Mickey, you're so fine, You're so fine you blow my mind, hey Mickey, Hey Mickey"

[@charlessipe8468]

The buildup part is amazing! It sounds like genuine SEGA work! They should have used it in the sonic generations trailer

[@RWL2012]

No credit to Masato Nakamura in the description?!

[@captinsparklezremix]

Morbidcrab where did you find that out? I want to know more

[@RWL2012]

Oh shit rly

[@JC-tz7mf]

This literally sounds like brass springs being twanged or LED lights being lit up.

[@atmeltronic128]

MD channel four is my favorite sound!!

[@piratemaxine]

Me channel one and two sounded really cool

[@schwiftynintendonerd]

gotta say MD channel 2 definitely my fav.

[@JamesnLollify]

That Channel Two bass tho.

[@randomvideoposter1000]

this vid is perfect for me as im making somewhat of a remix of green hill

[@Jasons_Arcade_PLUS]

What a work of art. An absolute masterpiece!

[@MegAmi24]

Who the fuck passes straight through the Giant Ring?

[@0MochiCoconut0]

MegaSuperab You cant go super in sonic 1. So the chaos emeralds are pointless, Unless you want robotnik to stomp on the end text which does nothing at all, Then yeah. Why would they?

[@jaggass]

Gay men?

[@CcJawshua]

Oh no I still hear all of it separately now

[@realDannyBoi111]

MD Channel One is most memorable one imo

[@Skyler7667]

i wan't a Angel Island Act 1 video kind of like this

[@austinreed7343]

A deconstruction of New Junk City would be nice as well, to contrast SMPS and GEMS.

[@thelegendarygeno1649]

Yeah I'm gonna need you to tell me how you did this. 😐

[@ZOMB13K1NG]

this sounds sick new subscriber!

[@Farofero547]

0:51 wow man ,i love dat BASS solo

[@optic9943]

It slowly reminded me of exe.

[@ReconVelocity]

There is a ROM HACK Called Sonic Color Contrast that actually breaks up the song like this. However, you just hit 1 monitor with a music note on it to revert the music back!

[@jju00]

If you listen to Sonic 1 OST by channel you'll listen that there are various channels that are used for one specific sound at only one specific moment of the loop. I don't know why it is like that though.

[@AmaroqStarwind]

I wish the music actually built up like that in the game.

[@biggie9275]

Amaroqdricaldari thats a terrible idea

[@AmaroqStarwind]

Powered By Crossiants Why? Is there an actual reason behind that claim, or are you just saying that because you personally don't like the idea?

[@flariz4824]

Terrible idea

[@Ambipie]

Well i mean. How else do you fit it on a 16 bit game without compression?

[@jewelediris]

This is great! I love stuff like this as ive made several videos like this for nes games

[@SaadNabil]

Behind the scenes of making of The Green Hill Zone Music! By Masato Nakamura!

[@Sparkette]

Your phone's SMS tones aren't very interesting. And they're kinda long.

[@electric_bimma]

can this process be done for any genesis or mega drive game? would love to get all the stems for the Streets of Rage 2 soundtrack

[@nawletorre7136]

sega masterpiece

[@spicpyboi1008]

Very nice

[@CLD21Studios]

This is kinda like Sonic 1 Colour Contrast's Green Hill Zone Music.

[@luiscastillo7009]

I always that the stage clear music was one of the best in video games history, along with Streets of Rage 2

[@My2Cents1]

I never realized how many sounds are incorporated that sound like they're from an 8-bit console. Interesting.

[@dipflipdf]

its because they are from an 8-bit console the genesis has backwards compatibility with the master system, so it can use its music channels as if theyre actual genesis music channels

[@My2Cents1]

@@dipflipdf Yeah quite ingenius. Love it.

[@dipflipdf]

i agree, its very cool

[@My2Cents1]

@@dipflipdf I'm mostly used to SNES, which is what I had when the 16-bit gen was current. The music on SNES was sample based, but I also recall some games having sounds that resembled NES. They must have also been wavefroms because they sounded too crisp and uncompressed to be samples. I just love how consoles from that era created pure greatness out of their limitations.

[@DJNeoncat]

So I'm assuming the noise channel is like the cymbal hat hits or something?

[@DeltaSpaceDweeb]

It would be cool to hear the build ups of other zones

[@jaywarudo]

1:55 fire yo

[@kellymountain]

MD Channel 1 when slowed down, sounds relaxing... to me.

[@LateNightPerson]

MD DAC sounds like Funk You! from Wolfenstein 3d

[@AdventMusics07]

Guys help I can hear the sound effects without sound effects!!

[@vincenzomonaco]

0:41 Night hill zone

[@GamePlayerZ1912]

Ah DAC, my favorite and also all the tracks togheter

[@03bgood]

They kinda did this with the map theme in the Yoshi's Island games.

[@johneygd]

Are those solid drums pcm samples or just fm ?? It’s very interesting how sega utelized all 10 soundchannels of the genesis. In fact the genesis can play 1 8bit pcm and 1 1bit pcm atonce by using the 8bit dac and by mixing all 4 psg soundchannels together with quick alternating volume in order to shape a 1bit pcm wave form, wich is a very interesting note.

[@RWL2012]

kick and snare are PCM, playing on the "Seeegaaa" DAC channel of the YM2612. hi-hats are PSG noise on the SN.

[@simonaciobanu1716]

0:23 the end.

[@flamyluci]

1:41 movie trailer music in a nutshell

[@Realicemot0]

1:14 That sounds incredible.

[@Alianger]

Only issue with this is the stereo panning on the psg, which the MD didn't have. Only the GG had that.

[@manuelink64]

Alianger what? Hell no, the genesis has a very good stereo separation, a little tricky config on ym2612 ;)

[@michaelromeo9567]

SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖SEGA💖💖💖!

[@revouirgaming144]

Good music lives 4ever Good games lives 4ever Good arts lives 4ever

[@rev-youtube3195]

Am I the only one who wants an extended remix of MD DAC?

[@Farofero547]

2:03

[@DaveVoyles]

When that bass drops on MD Channel Two.....

[@Itsyebyebbybro]

Hey ikea I wanted my music together, not in pieces