Roland MT-32: Redefining Desktop Music Forever! - Sound Profile

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When it comes to making classic computer games truly shine from an audio perspective, no unit has perhaps as much notoriety as the Roland MT-32 and the many synths based on it. Beloved by budget composers then and gamers now, how does the unit fare from a musicians perspective in 2019, and what issues can one expect going into it? Watch and find out!
And join the DTM MIDI Server to chat about old school MIDI synths on Discord! / discord
Special thanks to these content creators for providing video and music to use:
LGR - Roland MT-32: Retro PC MIDI Music Revisited
• LGR - Roland MT-32: Re...
SynthMania - A few Roland D-10 sound demos
• A few Roland D-10 soun...
PhilsComputerLab - Roland MT-32 CM-32L CM-64 CM-500 Ultimate Tutorial
• Roland MT-32 CM-32L CM...
Tiago Mallen [Oficial] - Roland E-20 (Test sounds) 1988 VINTAGE
• Roland E-20 (Test soun...
Anders Enger Jensen - Planet X3, Jungle Fever & CM-32L Song
• Planet X3 Original Sou...
• CM-32L Song
Music List:
TFX - Close Air Support, by Barry Leitch
Strike Commander - Calm Flight I, by Origin Systems Music Team
Planet X3 - New Lands, by Noelle Aman (Speedy)*
TFX - Maritime, by Barry Leitch
Planet X3 - Jungle Fever, by Anders Enger Jensen (EOX Studios)
TFX - Intercept, by Barry Leitch
Granada - Nature Trail, by Masaaki Uno and Motoi Sakuraba
Arcus Odyssey - Sacred Underground Shrine, by Motoi Sakuraba
DOOM - At Doom's Gate, by Bobby Prince
Roland - SC-88 Pro Distortion Guitar Demo
Edge - Stage 1, by TGL Music Staff
Strike Commander - Calm Flight 1, by Origin Systems Music Staff
Silpheed - Legend of Silpheed, by Fumihito Kasatani
Speedy - Interface
Planet X3 - Fight for the Future, by Noelle Aman (Speedy)*
Speedy - MinTy Nights
TFX - Defense Suppression, by Barry Leitch
Edge - Tenbin, by TGL Music Staff
Detana!! Twinbee - Gift from the Wind, by Konami Keikuha Club
Anders Enger Jensen - Roland CM-32L Song
*Credited in-video and in-game as Noah Aman; this name is no longer correct.
#MT32 #DTM #SoundProfile

[@Cloudschatze]

Upgrading the control ROM chips in your unit from 1.04 to 1.07 may resolve some of the anomalous issues you'd mentioned. The documentation is vague, but 1.07 includes a "stability" fix that relates to the MT-32's work-area RAM.

[@SpeedySPCFan]

Interesting... I didn't have access to the ability to upgrade my ROMs when doing this video, sadly. Hopefully someone else can try that out and see if it improves anything I brought up. For now I've pinned your comment since that's good info to keep in mind

[@zummone]

Sorry to chime in, but what anomalous issues are you referring to? Also I assume upgrading the control ROM requires directly interfacing the chip? I don't think I'll ever be doing that, but is there any further official update after 1.07 for first gen units?

[@Cloudschatze]

The mentioned "age-related" partial and note misbehaviors, per the Granada and Monkey Island 2 examples. The TFX cymbal cutoff and guitar discrepancies are also interesting. Where these differences are commonly attributed to just the "new-type" (v2.0x) MT-32 units and CM-variants, and with this being the first mention I've seen of them occurring between "old-type" 00 and 01 units, I'm curious to check how my own 1.07-bearing 00 and 01 units behave. 1.07 is the final release for the "old-type" units. All revision 1 "old-type" units shipped with 1.07 mask ROMs, which neither require updating, nor are susceptible to bit-rot. Upgrading an older unit simply entails burning the relevant A and B binary files to a pair of new EPROM or EEPROM chips, and swapping with their socketed counterparts.

[@webfischi]

@@SpeedySPCFan You can get the new firmware on ebay www.ebay.de/itm/Roland-MT-32-MT32-Version-Blue-Ridge-enchanced-1-0-7-firmware-Memory-Fix-mod/163952506135?hash=item262c54b517:g:8b8AAOSwcnJb2xgC

[@Xonatron]

25:18 - The Legend of Silpheed ... one of the first songs I learned to play on piano, only I accidentally did it in C major. This is the first time I've ever seen someone else play it! And on a Roland MT-32 at that! Amazing to me!

[@Miku01624]

I just bought one MT-32!, I've been waiting 2 years for it, I found it in a pawn shop in 2019, originally priced at $160 USD, literally in this whole time nobody even tried to buy it, so it was rotting in that shelf until today November 26th 2021 that I bought it for only $40 USD,

[@NinoJoel]

lucky

[@PegmodeChiptune]

Man I'm always floored both at how high quality your videos are and the rate at which you put them out. Absolutely great stuff man.

[@crtified1001]

"As much as 200 fricken dollars...!" - 2019. Two years later, good luck at double that.

[@AndersEngerJensen]

Nice retrospective! Very thorough. As mentioned in PM, there is the Ballade 2.5 (and Ballade GS) software that has a good LA-editor. My angle is of course from back then when I got my hands on my CM-32L for about 150 bucks, saved up for a long time. Totally awesome for a 12 year old. ;)

[@VioletGiraffe]

Top notch content and video production. hope your channel grows!

[@AudioVideoMideo]

I loved using this. It was perfect with the MMT-8 sequencer.

[@XzTS-Roostro]

The editing between 24:05 - 24:10 was just pristine

[@charliechumbuck9356]

They see me Roland, they hatin'...

[@Uncle-Jay]

So I got super baked and started watching it. I know nothing about music production in any capacity, sure as hell don't know about any of this, but I found it super fascinating. Also, seeing someone play a keyboard rigged up to that thing play the fantasy theme? That was nuts. Good lord! I never knew I wanted something like this.

[@minimme]

yesssssss

[@k1lldash9]

Found ya from 8-bit guy, happily subbed!

[@SpeedySPCFan]

Thank you!

[@Tehstroyer]

Cool to actually hear about these boxes from a musician's perspective for once, since most of the coverage is focused purely on the gaming side of things (one could say it's not really unjustified, I guess). This one especially, since there's more of the... actual synthesizing action than in the later, PCM-based modules. I guess I can see it not being particularly impressive in comparison to actual professional equipment (especially in hindsight, ignoring the prices from back then), but I think it's hard for me to decouple it from its gaming usage - I like it quite a bit as this weird phase between the older chip/FM stuff and later sample-based/prerecorded music. Especially since the sounds basically were a combination of both.

[@evetsnitram8866]

I bought one used back in '89 and eventually paid for Doctor T's MT-32 software editor that I found in an add in the back of a music mag. I had to wait about three weeks for it to arrive. The MT-32 also has chorus and delays too. This was before the internet and I wound up paying for third party patches. Then I spent a long time going through and auditioning them eventually coming up with a master bank of the most desired patches. These days you can get software synths and patches for free on the internet not to mention thousands of patches for the MT-32. Back then it was the beginning of the midi revolution and it was like a huge door had been opened for creativity. I still have it, haven't used it in over 25 years though, never used it for games and it seems weird to me that its a gaming icon.

[@raymarquardt5157]

I'm really glad I picked up an MT-32_old back when they were going for around $50 on ebay. Can't say I've seen any of the issues you've mentioned on mine, but mine was manufactured more recently (it's from the end of the MT-32_old run) and has the 1.07 ROMs, so younger caps and software fixes. With MUNT as good as it it, I doubt I would have paid the current going rate for the thing on ebay.

[@fffUUUUUU]

What? Not even 45 min long?! Pffff... JK. Great job man! Love it!

[@xan1242]

I am sort of thinking of making a sound editor program for my Roland D-20 which could apply to the MT-32 as well... But I'm waiting for my UM-ONE to arrive. That LA editor for old windows actually worked for me nicely when I used it thru DosBox on my D-20 As far as polyphony issues go, Konami went about it this way, the composers set up the partial reserves to be 4 partials on first 7 channels and drums, then they used one note per track (and up to 4 drum notes at the same time). Simple and effective, worked for their Twinbee and Castlevania soundtracks well on the x68000

[@DhinCardoso]

Please! Come back to us - KZbin is not the same without you

[@stanton343]

This dude's rad.

[@NightSprinter]

I just realized the way you say somethings, DEFINITELY has an LGR inspiration. "Power button for powering power-y things." That is SO something Clint would say in a video. XD

[@NightSprinter]

For the Atari ST, I recommend Dr. T's software. The late Tim Conrardy had a website where he gathered all of Dr. T's software for the ST and made it available to download (which is freeware now). As an MT-32 and CM-32L (boring beige-box variant, with a few extra SFX banks that some games for DOS only sounded correct with), I can say they worked rather nicely.

[@LittleRichard1988]

Last summer I bought a CM-32L and a CM-32P as a job lot which together cost about the same as what an MT-32 costs on it's own plus MT-32's are actually pretty hard to come by in the UK. Although I usually opt for sound modules with buttons and a display or was fortunate enough to have the flagship version in the case of the SC-88 Pro in this case having a beige plastic box with nothing other than a couple of leds a power button and a rotary volume doesn't bother me as they are set up in one of the lower desk shelves and my midi controller keyboard has buttons to allow me to go through the sounds by typing in the number. However because of the lack of controls and display on the CM-32s you are stuck with the default reverb unless your sequencer or midi controller has a means of altering it. As for the CM versions I think most people either bought the CM-32L and 32P together or went for the CM-64 as by the 90s having PCM sounds for instruments like pianos, strings, guitars and saxophones was pretty much essential but LA sounds like the panflute, celesta, xylophone and organs are still usable and I also like the lofi drums and percussions in the drum kit. I didn't know the CM-500 also had the 64 PCM sounds from the U-110, I thought it only had the CM-32L and SC-55 sounds and the "CM-64 mode" maybe used SC-55 samples but even so as the CM-500 doesn't have a PCM card slot it's not worth buying for music production but maybe ideal for dos gamers who just want it as a midi playback device. I also bought a U-220 earlier this year and was also going to buy a U-110 and I still might consider it in the future as I have quite a few of the PCM cards but buying the CM-32s was the perfect chance to have some of the U-110 sounds and the chance for me to have an LA synthesis module.

[@AstonMartinfan2]

Awesome video from a different perspective from most people. That being said would anyone know how to get medit properly working for composing? Don't know if anyone has found the keyboard shortcuts/commands to get around the tracker. I'm also having trouble with the instrument editor(if that is the editor file in the lapc1 folder), it hangs on launch in every emulator I have (don't have my hardware nearby for awhile). I've had better luck with the Atari ST editors but can never seem to get the patches to "stick", they work great when selected in software but don't actually seem to get sent to the synth (not sure if this is a problem with Hatari). Thanks for any help!

[@TheExaminedLifeofGaming]

I'm a simple man. I see a Speeby video, I hit like.

[@user-sp7mt6wf5e]

What happened to this market? Sound modules, GM compatible instrument lists and beyond. Now it seems is all about individual libraries. Am I missing something?

[@BEXYSPC]

Would love to hear a song compiled using an MT-32 and CM-32P together :)

[@SpeedySPCFan]

Check out warmbell's channel then! He has a lot of CM-64 (CM-32L/MT-32 + CM-32P) music. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2XLaq1pe82GrMU

[@KarsonNow]

Nice video. My MT-32 Has been resting in my storage room for 15 years..

[@NinoJoel]

sell it its worth around 400$ in Europe

[@geoffbarnard6648]

Hello - yes, interesting view of the MT-32. I've got one of the LAPC-I cards in an old PC which I use for midi work, I use the card to drive more modern units (Yamaha MU90r and Korg NS5r) but still use the card from time to time as a MT-32 synth. I've got a number of great midi files set up for it, and they sound so good, still. I collected a pile of user sounds, and I've loaded some in from time to time, incl some from games, but I'd still watch out for files CREATED for the MT-32 (or LAPC-I). I've got both DOS and Graphics DOS versions of the Dr T editors, but never got too far into them. Geoff, England

[@ogSquink]

Would you mind sharing some of your midi files? I love the sound of the MT32 and I've looked around the internet and picked up as many MT32 midis as I can find, but I haven't been able to find many.

[@HunterZBNS]

FYI, my M-Audio MIDISport Uno works fine for MT-32 SysEx. There was a period of time where I couldn't use it because they hadn't released Windows Vista/7 drivers. I bought an E-mu (aka Creative) Xmidi 1x1 Tab, and was frustrated to discover that it had severe problems with MT-32 SysEx. Regarding the Wikipedia list: I've been trying to help maintain this over the last several years (including converting it to a table format). I need to figure out how to get the community engaged in verifying all of the entries. I recently replayed Dune 2 for the first time since acquiring my CM-64, so I was finally able to compare the game on CM-64 versus MT-32 Old. The biggest difference is that the MT-32 has some gritty distortion guitar sustains that are basically absent on CM-64. Based on your recommendation I should probably revisit the Sound Canvas soundtrack as well. If not for the fact that I've wanted Roland synths since hearing my cousin's LAPC-I (or maybe SCC-1?) at the turn of the 1990s, and that I bought my MT-32 (Old) in the mid-2000s, I would probably be content with Munt. It even supports both MT-32 and CM-32L, based on which ROM you load.

[@SpeedySPCFan]

That's good to hear! I have friends with some other MIDISports that work fine, good to know there's another one to add to the list of good USB MIDI interfaces. Yeah, verification is always troubling... the Sound Canvas page was pretty bad for a while.

[@Uncle-Jay]

I have a question and I apologize if this is ignorant, so I was watching this last night, I already mentioned that playing the keyboard with the fantasy theme was baller, but I was thinking about this at work, with that keyboard, could you hypothetically play sheet music intended for a piano fed in to the Roland on a theme and get something passable? Or is it a garbled mess?

[@buibuibuiestudio5561]

Yo @SpeedyDTM I looked up “development tool by Ocean softwere MS-DOS program medit interface” to modulate/control my mt32, and there is very little information.... let alone a download. BUT I looked it up on my phone and found “VGMPF” and they had an overview(on M-Edit).... my question is where did you download the tracker Medit to workstation/shape the MT32. I appreciate you and hope you are doing well : )!

[@SpeedySPCFan]

It's on the VGMPF page ^^ www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/images/3/3b/MEdit_v1.0.zip

[@buibuibuiestudio5561]

@@SpeedySPCFan thanks again @speedyDTM this is my first module and I would be lying if I said the MT32/Midi is a walk in the park. One last question 🙏🏽 so you own the Midiman midi sport 4x4, is the signal chain for the midi man: MT 32 “midi out” in “midi out A”, MT 32 “midi in” to “midi in B” a midi controller for the MT32 “midi out B” and then usb to your laptop to control the sounds on MEdit? I have yet to pull the trigger on MEdit because I am unclear how to route the laptop/mt32/midi controller. I don’t know what else to say expect I really hope to hear back from you. My midi ignorance is PAINFUL. I got this module because Kero Kero Bonito used it! The legend is they also used the mt32, SG01k and MU10. It’s on Reddit!

[@edwardgrabczewski]

Given the complete lack of documentation on MEdit, can you tell us how you installed and configured the software. Is it a DOS or a Windows 3.1 program?

[@SpeedySPCFan]

It's a DOS program, so you'll need DOSBox or any version of Windows up to and including 98 to run it. There's no special configuration besides that.

[@edwardgrabczewski]

@@SpeedySPCFan Thanks for the fast reply! I've got it working now in DOS on a physical PC.

[@edwardgrabczewski]

@@SpeedySPCFan MEdit is crashing for me. I downloaded DR.T Roland Mt-32 Editor/Librarian from www.midimusicadventures.com/queststudios/mt32-resource/utilities/ and it's not crashed yet in MSDOS.

[@buibuibuiestudio5561]

33:46 is that an ensoniq under that box 👀

[@coolelectronics1759]

oh yeah baby! Gimme dat new jack swing! Totally 80s-90s simply punch (7) on you computer keypad instant guy-al be sure!-Today-eddy merfy stuff there.

[@camulodunon]

IBM Music Feature Card, basically an FB-01 on an ISAA card.

[@carllonel6518]

can I ask a question

[@hikikomorihachiko]

I'm still more of a Yamaha man, but regardless, great video!

[@SpeedySPCFan]

Thank you! And don't worry, you'll get your Yamaha fix in June ;)

[@SirRigbyBaconKaiser]

The MT32 is weird. It's not quiet as great as the D50 but not quiet as obviously stripped down as a D10. It's own unique beast.

[@buibuibuiestudio5561]

23:44 this guitar tone is not a preset, you have to shape a sound on the editor to get this guitar tone? I really dig this heavy guitar, it’s nice 🥴

[@evetsnitram8866]

It sounds like a saw wave, its amazing how many sounds are just saw waves.

[@LittleRichard1988]

It's because the MT-32 predates general midi which is why it's playing a saw wave sound instead of one of it's guitar sounds.

[@Pimpeaux]

Hold up, do you actually own an X68000 and PC-98, of were you just toggling with an emulator?

[@SpeedySPCFan]

I own neither sadly :(

[@Hiraghm]

LA Editor 3.1? internet search turned up nothing :(

[@SpeedySPCFan]

Give me a bit and I'll throw it on archive.org. For now, these are the links I used: synthzone.com/midi/roland/d10/la31win1.zip synthzone.com/midi/roland/d10/la30win2.zip

[@coolelectronics1759]

also it looks like a vcr

[@davshan8482]

4:15 You should not use switching power supply for MT32, it sounds worse than linear power supply.

[@NeoRazor]

"it has FREE midi ports" Free? *looks back* Oh. He meant three.

[@PimpinBassie2]

Proud owner of an Rev 1 MT32 & SC88. That 'Studio Canvas' looks nice, but is a piece of garbage. Don't buy it!