PortaFM vs real OPLL in real time + Prototype chipsynth FC hardware.

chipsynth PortaFM is a new virtual instrument emulating Yamaha FM PortaSound keyboards of the mid 80's. This video explains how I test its YM2413 (OPLL) emulation code against hardware live though analog captures. (The OPLL has an internal Time-division multiplexed 9-bit DAC)
0:00:00 Yamaha's OPLL FM chip range
0:01:29 Primer: homebrew Famicom-style hardware vs software emulation
0:02:55 Comparison: OPLL vs OPL2 chip
0:04:48 Why emulate aliasing?
0:05:10 PortaFM's Drum mode
0:05:54 How to judge emulation quality?
0:08:02 Tremolo steps
Main product page:
plogue.com/products/chipsynth...
You can also read the manual here:
s3.amazonaws.com/chipsynth/Po...
Music used:
toycompany.bandcamp.com/track...
Notes:
1)My hardware OPLL-based Famicom cartridge has an active low pass filter to keep its op-amp from going crazy, so that explains why the top end is slightly duller on hardware. This is not a flaw of the emulator. The emulator does not filter anything to match any specific OPLL-using circuit.
2)Lagrange Point (the last cartridge shown) is a 1991 Japanese exclusive Famicom game which uses the VRC7 mapper for sound purposes. This special chip, made by Yamaha (but Konami branded), has a slightly modified OPLL core inside.
3)My "chipsynth FC" hardware synth is not yet ready to show/explain fully yet, it will be around time its plugin counterpart is shipping.
4)The "tremolo steps" test: The host emu and the external chip are driven by separate master clocks and have not be reset at the same time. So their LFOs phases - which derive from that master clock are not obviously not hard-synched. So if you actually look closely, the red and green lines will eventually do the same patterns, just not at the same time.
Great PortaFM walkthough video from @cuckoomusic
• Chipsynth PortaFM by P...

[@nichttuntun3364]

Hi. Really astonishing how much detail flew into your emulation with all the sonical movements grittyness and awkward behaviour of the sounds. I appreciate that very much because I am always looking for that extra unique and not unified clean sound like they all have. Your philosophy seems to be emulating without compromises. Well done! Joy to you.

[@truecuckoo]

Loooovely! Such deep care for this stuff, mate!

[@JimLeonard]

Bless you for testing against real hardware!

[@bodoelsel]

Great video. Just bought Porta fm yesterday and having a good time now. Amazing plug-in.

[@Sakanakao]

Those matching spectrums are pretty sexy. :O

[@plgDavid]

Thanks! Means a lot coming from you!

[@getter7seven]

Fine work and finer still to come.

[@SMAAAASHTV]

At 0:09 that was my childhood right there. I had that exact PSS-140 when I was younger.

[@justingoers]

So good. Thank you!

[@lutello3012]

00:8 Oh god, haven't heard that for almost 30 years!

[@nicolesproducerpack]

Men's brains amaze me with these kind of details haha. I am trying to understand some of the terminology and it is going over my head 😂 I love the FM sound!

[@plgDavid]

Music Resources, Gaming, Nicole Marie T Not sure its gendered more than my autism at work ha!

[@EgoShredder]

@@plgDavid Around 2010 I once met and briefly talked to a woman from a team, that worked on the original ARM chip. She definitely knew her sh*t! I forget her name though as it was a very quick chat at a supermarket checkout.

[@Felecc]

This is soooooo awsome, like wow :D Do you make VSTs from those chip dumps?

[@plgDavid]

Kacper Jacuński most of our VSTs are based from my hardware rigs and the research team I put toghether see plogue.com Thanks!

[@Felecc]

No, thank you :D

[@Azelf89]

Man, this is just awesome! One question: Would it be possible to add in support for the YM3812 (OPL-2)? I know that the main focus of PortaFM is the YM2413 (OPLL), however because PortaFM is supposed to be based off of the Yamaha FM Portasound Keyboards, I think having support for the OPL-2 would make the whole thing feel more complete, since the OPL-2 was also used in Yamaha’s Portasound line of Keyboards.

[@plgDavid]

As well as the OPK and OPK2, maybe in the future. Cheers

[@Azelf89]

@@plgDavid Slightly late, but thanks for the response! By the way, I have a question: Would you happen to know the parameters to recreate the sounds found on the Yamaha PSS-270? I'm asking because I would love to play around with the sounds found on that keyboard, *especially* the Baby Doll sound.

[@plgDavid]

@@Azelf89 $38 $24 $91 $03 $90 $83 $11 $F3

[@0e0]

incredible

[@pumodi]

Very interesting to see behind the process. Are the cartridges still something you're thinking of putting out?

[@plgDavid]

Jeffrey Brice Music Yes eventually. It will be a small production. While I did buy 300 of those chips Who knows how much more there are that will get recycled and resold in china.

[@pumodi]

plgDavid that's totally fair. I'm sure it's quite a process. Out of all the music tech projects out there yours are the ones I follow most. If and when you do release carts I'm hoping to have one of each :P

[@danzarz]

Great synth! I had PSS-390 in 1990s... I have purchased the PortaFM lately. I love it :) What does the DMXOPLL mean?

[@plgDavid]

Its a suite of open source patches out there

[@danzarz]

@@plgDavid Thank you. I have another idea: it would be interested to have a library of rhythms (drum loops) from styles in PSS 380/270/140 etc in PortaFM...

[@joshi_6887]

How did you command the sound chips from famicom carts on famicom directly from the synthesizer ?

[@plgDavid]

Custom C++ code on microcontroller inside the shell

[@plgDavid]

Et le VST lui parle à travers MIDI

[@joshi_6887]

plgDavid what

[@plgDavid]

@@joshi_6887 Quoi what? Il faut préciser la question.

[@jackcimino8822]

This is cool, but why is there no OPL2 or OPL3 mode for extra waveforms?

[@plgDavid]

Jack Cimino Because its an emulation of the OPLL only. Would be easy to add but wouldn’t be the “cheapest FM synth” anymore

[@dysamoria]

"Did you have one of these?" [Opens closet, pulls out exact keyboard as the first example in the video] Yes, I apparently do. Given to me from its previous owner, who was probably not its first owner. Please tell me there's something useful I can do with it, ha ha ha

[@plgDavid]

Look silly on stage

[@mirabilis]

Have the instruments from the VRC7 been dumped?

[@plgDavid]

We are not conducting decapsulation, but my sources tell me some deeper intrusive methods would be needed to capture the VRC7 instruments as they are on the DIE. We used a different method for all 4 known variants which are 100% "ear accurate", but surely a few bit off with the actual ROM. I dare you find a difference though :)

[@mirabilis]

plgDavid It would be cool to have the exact settings, but as long as they sound the same, I really don't care that much.

[@plgDavid]

@B3ro1080 That they were.

[@plgDavid]

@B3ro1080 Yeah I actually reproduced the debug mode on hardware and had 9 channels on VRC7. Pretty amazing discovery

[@plgDavid]

@B3ro1080 Yamaha made the chip and stamped a Konami logo on it... so doubtful!

[@hacktrixapii]

I have a PSS-170 across the room from me for no reason. It sounds just as quanky as it did when I got it.

[@heiyi5843]

请问大大，软件她支持中文吗？

[@ne7andyL]