> Why wouldn't one simulate all this stuff with a relatively cheap
> microcontroller instead
> of trying to torque an OKI sample player? Cheap micros can play back
> samples just
> fine, plus they could real-time synthesize all the Cinematronics
> portamento
> stuff you
> would ever want (Star Castle is just two square waves, afaik).
>
Effort vs. return. ;-) You could make a Micro do it, but some
filter/noise/sweep sounds are much easier to record and playback than
trying to re-synthesize them from scratch. I like samples 'cause it
give you good results *fast* with minimal hardware. One little card
could do voice samples for Sega stuff and all the "analog" sounds in
something like Space Fury or Zektor....
> Maybe it's just 'cause I'm a programmer.
>
I was going to throw a DSP at it (for MIPs for ADPCM and multiple
streams), but there's all sorts of stuff you get to do that way-- learn
the DSP, design the hardware, write the software, etc. Compare to
record, edit, stick on ROM...
> If you want an OKI board, just use mid-period Atari sound boards. You
> get
> Yamaha
> FM for free.
>
I was pretty excited by the Mortal Kombat II sound board-- ADSP 2105
with a BUNCH of EPROM already. But, if I can do 90% of it with three
chips and little work. ;-) Doing things the easy/fast way and getting
it done seems appealing to me since we hacker-types can take months just
debating the merits of various solutions without getting much done.
*grin*
-Clay
Received on Fri Apr 24 08:28:16 1998
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