Super VDP for SegaCD

[Joe Redifer]

The FM in the Japanese sms is brilliant, Space Harrier's music is arcade perfect!

LOL! Not even close!

[Black_Tiger]

The FM in the Japanese sms is brilliant, Space Harrier's music is arcade perfect!

The Mark III's Space Harrier port doesn't support FM sound, but the Mark III SMS's built in Space Harrier track kicks ass.

LOL! Not even close!

There's no such thing as arcade perfect, but the Mark III FM Space Harrier theme holds up very well to the arcade original.

Sega Mark III FM

Sega Master System PSG

Joe, can you seriously say that the FM tune above sounds way worse than the PSG version?


I've always prefered good SMS PSG music over good NES PSG music.

[tomaitheous]

Well one can state their opinion on SMS vs NES sound systems based on games, but no way is the SMS sound system better than the NES system. SMS sound system is really stripped down basic PSG - nothing more. Plus the NES has one more sound channel.

I think it's more of what system you grow up with. To me, there are more better sounding NES games than SMS games.

B_T: Thanks for the links. I really like that SMS FM track from Space Harrier.

[Joe Redifer]

I don't really like the loud drums in the FM version. They stand out above all other instruments (not the bass drum, the other drum, tom or snare or whatever it is supposed to be). Also, was there simultaneous PSG in that? That's what I would have done (if possible) if I were a programmer in order to use as many sound channels as possible. How are the voices on the FM version? The NES had better voices than the SMS.

I find that all SMS FM soundtracks are exactly the same as the PSG, just with re-assigned instruments. That's all.

[tomaitheous]

I don't really like the loud drums in the FM version. They stand out above all other instruments (not the bass drum, the other drum, tom or snare or whatever it is supposed to be). Also, was there simultaneous PSG in that? That's what I would have done (if possible) if I were a programmer in order to use as many sound channels as possible. How are the voices on the FM version? The NES had better voices than the SMS.

I find that all SMS FM soundtracks are exactly the same as the PSG, just with re-assigned instruments. That's all.

I figure they would have reserved the PSG channels for multiple channel sound effects.

[Black_Tiger]

I don't really like the loud drums in the FM version. They stand out above all other instruments (not the bass drum, the other drum, tom or snare or whatever it is supposed to be).

Exactly, just like the arcade.

Also, was there simultaneous PSG in that? That's what I would have done (if possible) if I were a programmer in order to use as many sound channels as possible. How are the voices on the FM version? The NES had better voices than the SMS.

I find that all SMS FM soundtracks are exactly the same as the PSG, just with re-assigned instruments. That's all.

Most of the FM soundtracks I've heard mix PSG with FM.

Space Harrier doesn't support FM sound.

[Joe Redifer]

You are being very confusing. What was that you just posted? Space Harrier 3D? It sounds much shittier than the arcade.

[Black_Tiger]

You are being very confusing. What was that you just posted? Space Harrier 3D? It sounds much shittier than the arcade.

Its the music that plays when when you turn on the Mark III SMS console without a cart inserted. Space Harrier the game for North American SMS and JP Mark III doesn't do FM sound.

I had forgotten about Space Harrier 3D, I just checked it out on emulator and it does support FM sound, but sounds like it has a different simpler theme song.

[j_factor]

People say that the NES has better sound hardware, but I have yet to be able to tell. Both sound very, very 8-bit to me.

[Joe Redifer]

Just as the Genesis and the SNES both sound very, very 16-bit.

[evildragon]

Just for you guys, I have a "seperated" version of the Space Harrier theme for the BIOS.

Left channel is FM, right channel is PSG. There is some bleeding of the PSG in the left channel, but very little.

http://blackevilweredragon.spymac.com/msb.mp3

[Black_Tiger]

Just as the Genesis and the SNES both sound very, very 16-bit.

I think that the SNES sounds very SNES, not so much "16-bit".

[evildragon]

Actually, the CPU that drives the SNES's APU is 8-bit. Just as the Genesis music is usually driven by an 8-bit CPU.

I LOVE the SPC700!!

[Joe Redifer]

Even the SMS' sound is driven by an 8-bit CPU so therefore that MUST mean the SMS' sound is every bit as good as the SNES'. You just can't compete with solid logic like that.

Thanks for the separation of the tune, evildragon. The PSG part sounds almost exactly like Space Harrier 3D. That's definitely the most "instruments at once" I've ever heard any FM-enabled SMS do. I'm sure most games limit the numner of channels since they're busy running graphics, game logic and other complete nonsense.

[j_factor]

Just as the Genesis and the SNES both sound very, very 16-bit.

Poor wording; I just meant that NES and SMS audio sounds very similar to me. Genesis and SNES are somewhat different from each other.