Sega Mega Drive Directly Controlled via MIDI Keyboard

[BreakerNast]

How to make it?

[turbojet100]

HO DO WE DO IT THOUGH!!!

[bluestreak711]

I see he is making music but I don't see how the Genesis comes in.

[littlescale]

@bluestreak711 The Mega Drive is producing the sound. The keyboard is controlling the Mega Drive.

[dimasmaracas]

its fake

[littlescale]

@dimasmaracas No, not at all. Why would you think that it is fake?

[djsmiker]

@dimasmaracas STFU and show some respect to on of the greatest chiptune personalities in the chipbubble.

[rockerzac99]

@dimasmaracas You're gay.

[rockerzac99]

I opened up my Sega Genesis to find the YM2612, but I found nothing. Any ideas?

[littlescale]

@rockerzac99 It's integrated into another chip.

[rockerzac99]

@littlescale Would it by any chance be the SEGA 315-5487-01? (About 1 1/2 inches away from the cartridge socket)

[theunwrittenone]

Hello mate, just a quickie, how are you getting the midi control signal "into" the mega drive? are you using the mega-cd expansion slot on the side or is it on the a/v out on the back? cause i couldn't see a cartridge plugged in the top or anything

Thanks

[SeriousWarrior001]

Perfect for SEGA Horror games....

[ZhuchenkoM]

How you connect Sega to MIDI Key ???? Please answer)))) O.K?

[SIMONDUKEN]

HIGH VOLTAGE... :D

[KawaiiLukiie]

Sounds like Ecco the Dolphin?

[KawaiiLukiie]

Sounds like Ecco?

[VVonchop]

I have a Sega Model 2 arcade board, I was wondering if I could do the same thing with a synthesizer.

[ADVANCEDBREAKAGE]

U WOULD BE BETTER OFF BUYING A SECONDHAND YAMAHA DX100 WHICH HAS THE SAME YM2612 CHIP AND FOUR OP FM SYNTHESIS, CHEAP AS CHIPS (NO PUN INTENEDED)

[KamratSvenneryd]

How is the project going, I'm very interested.

I want to know if it's still work in progress or if it's scrapped before I join the group.

Keep up the good work. :)

[littlescale]

@KamratSvenneryd I can confirm that this project is not scrapped.

[xenocore01]

What soundchip was Technosoft using, cause I still say that sound is the superior sound on the MegaDrive... Was it the same stock soundchip?

[littlescale]

@xenocore01 Interesting - any games in particular?

[xenocore01]

@littlescale How old ARE you, I have to name them?!?!?! :-P

Well its not just them, Sunsoft and Telnet games were excellent as well.

Technosoft: The Thunderforce Series

Sunsoft: Batman

Telnet: M.U.S.H.A and Gaiares

For example.

[littlescale]

@xenocore01 Thunderforce has an amazing soundtrack, but I do think it is just the standard YM and SN. Not sure about MUSHA though. Keep in mind you can do quite a bit with the chip with enough effort - Streets of Rage 1, 2 and 3 for example have excellent soundtracks also.

[xenocore01]

@littlescale Wish I could find a VST. im no good at programming...

[jcremeans11]

Do you actually record stuff too, or do you just build these instruments?

[kotep777]

joined the announcement group!!!

cant wait .....any.....longer.....arrhhh­h!!!

haha

[BreakerNast]

How to connect a midikeybord to a Sega MD/Genesis?

Could you post a scheme of this interface, please..

[luker25]

Correct my if I'm wrong. but doesn't this video just look like someone playing a keyboard with a Sega beside it... There's no evidence that you're actually doing anything at all.

[littlescale]

@luker25 You don't have to believe me, it's OK.

[Deokishisu]

When oh when is this coming out?

[s7iily]

Wow that's really interesting... what version of Mega Drive you have ? (talking about the mainboard version which u can find out looking the back of the unit) anyway the Mk1 (model 1 genesis) the one with the High Def logo are the best because Sega started to sell more cheaper parts for future units therefore the HD logo genesis will produce best sound too bad u don't have one

[nillzhillz]

whataaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttt..­.How...this is amazing. amzing 5*

[OfficialDJDSign]

I wish i still had my sega genesis...

i have the same midi keyboard, but with 4x more notes lol

[RobinStrower]

Amazing stuff.

5 *

Robin :o)

[edisacuntface]

i wish i could afford stuff like this :\

[RoppanHipHop]

@edisacuntface

haha...i thouhght that to! but i found a cheap one!:D

JJlabs KS25B MIDI....im off to pick it up now !

[edisacuntface]

haha fantastic! its amazing what you can find

[RealDonnyK]

Whoa . . . How did you hook this up?

[youngobi2009]

wft

[nathanallan1]

This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen-- a must have when it becomes available. Subbed!

[stormtrooper1822]

Dude you are a fucking legend. Im deffo keen to buy this shit. This song your playing reminds me of ecco the dolphin in the first area after all the sea has been cleared by the 'storm' aka aliens!!!

[YTPoopsmith]

incredible. can you control all the Sega's sound channels with it - all the FM, PSG, and Sample channels?

[Deokishisu]

I NEED one of these.

[Arkhandroid]

you sell the MIDI interface for this or no? Im pretty interested in having one. ;)

My midi controller isnt as button/knob filled as yours, software could control it too?

[littlescale]

Yes - they will be on sale at some stage. It is made to run with sequencing software, rather than a live tool for keyboard playing. This is just a demo :)

[Arkhandroid]

oh cool, I usually use fruityloops. I think that will work. .... I hope

[littlescale]

I have never used FL - can you send note on and off MIDI data out of an external MIDI interface as well as MIDI CC data? If so, then this should work great :)

[Arkhandroid]

no idea, never sent anything out from it, just in from it.

I imagine you should be able to, otherwise itd be one hell of a ripoff for software.

[stormtrooper1822]

watch?v=EmgLhvIEt3Y < tutorial on how to do midi out in fl :P

[stormtrooper1822]

^ yes you can :P . Fl would see something as this as a generic controller, which allows you to autiomate CC numbers and send MIDI signal for sequencing patterns

[SirFoggy2Doped]

I love music on the Genesis/Mega Drive and it often sounds like the music was actually a recorded performance...

If that's possible then I'd want that as a feature even more then sequencing:)

[15sonic]

ECCO THE FU*IN DOLPHIN!!! YEAH!

[cakestick]

DO IT! :-D

[DeejayFrenkie]

JJ Labs KS25B

[PIKACHU49386]

wow controlling the Genesis' MIDI sequence with a keyboard! That's amazing!

[StraightGruesome]

fuck, thats like the sound i need.

it sounds so fresh.

its awesome

[muckleberryblim]

gotta have this!

hope it's not far off release...

[Biopharmer]

Has anyone made a software interface for the YM2612? so i could just use it with a microcontroller?

[Biopharmer]

nice! so could I use it with the Arduino or some other microcontroller?

[samthorn10]

Hmm what type of midi keyboard is that?

As i am considering getting one and that one looks great :D

[KonungurAfPina]

Some really nice sounds

[aphexpusher]

I am so interested in this.... how far are you along with a finished genesis midi set up? I cant wait to buy something to let me do exactly what you are doing here.

[AZthehedgehog]

YM2612 FTW!!

[glichedout]

i read alot about littlescale he seem to know a bit about 8-bit and such.i respect him!!!!

[midinerd]

I think this is awesome in concept but... nothing is being shown to describe that it is actually what it is. (I'm checking the google site).

A polyphonic fm synth is cool... think I'll go make one ;b

[littlescale]

well, it's a mega drive being controlled via MIDI, i think it's pretty self-explanatory?

[midinerd]

Where did you learn to make midi cable/connection? Did you start with a gameboy, I read about making nanoloop midi-slaved if you make your own cable but never actually did it.

I found this video from your other max sequencer, the one that selects note groups through kslider and has the matrixctrl to sequence... very cool. Where could I learn not to do -this- exactly but to make midi cables and follow along this path?

have a cdx and don't mind changin it

[spudgunuk]

So can you just plug any MIDI keyboard into the MD.. if so how?

[aphexpusher]

god I wish...

[Meteotrance]

awesome how the megadrive sound like the dx7, i think it's the same microcontroler chip. i realy realy need to have a midi interface for a genesis, could be very usefull to doing some Street of rage tracks ^^ !!!

[ajantred]

Love that YM2612 FM :)

[mtrickett1]

pretty cool

[aphexpusher]

little scale you brilliant bastard! I cant wait for this! amazing! feels good man.

[loneguitaristyannis]

I look forward to buying one of these when the developer releases them.

Really excellent work.

[randall642]

same

[HighTreason610]

Hmm, what interests me is that the YM2612 doesn't have a polyphony as large as this, i couldn't get more than one note at a time on any 1 channel when i programmed it, and if i remember correctly my DX10 had similay limitations, you could be using more than one channel i guess.

This is very cool, i've been working on a similar project, but mine is a kind of emulator opposed to the real sega.

Very awesome video, favorited.

[LooseLimbedLiquid]

Very cool.

[hexachordal]

this sounds like Paul Lansky for the 21st Century. :D

[laserbeak43]

Please send us an update :)

[PickledYoshi]

WANT.

[Hellotheres2]

oh! I've been planning to do this myself for a long time! save me the work, lovely!

[Hellotheres2]

can i ask how it works, by the way? :)

[Hellotheres2]

(realising just how vague a statement this is, I'm asking basically where your interface plugs into, haha! :P)

[Biopharmer]

When can I get my hands on this?

[littlescale]

please read the more info section of this movie on this page.

[Biopharmer]

I know but that page isn't very informative, what percentage is this done? And does it control the PCM and PSG too? Or just the YM2612?

[WhiteCircuit]

Holy god Seb! This is genius! Hope to see more info soon.

[LaTiiiiiNo]

Only 16 keys, thats shit -.-

[littlescale]

The keyboard actually has 25 keys. And an octave + / - button so you can choose the octave. And it's relatively compact. And it was very cheap. Yeah it's not the best keyboard but it's okay.

[LaTiiiiiNo]

The stupid thing is, that you can play with this only 1 Hand song or the Bass

[littlescale]

yeah for sure

[loneguitaristyannis]

Learn to count, you idiot. And not every piece needs the whole damn keyboard. Small keyboards like this are usually used for MIDI control or sequencing, not as a full performance keyboard or stage-piano alternative.

[drummercai]

sounds sweet. that megadrive has some wicked sounds in it!

[timsmedia]

cool

[socal04]

how much u pay for that ? im thinkin of gettin either that one or the M-Audio MidAir 25 Wireless USB MIDI Controller what u think ??

[ThierrySold]

This is good to buy .. i have one but more biger ...

[Hildsvfar]

Oh man I've wanted something like this for years, I can't wait till you make this available!

[ArlenAwesome]

Do you have any tutorial so I can get a sega and make it do this?

[littlescale]

no, as i have said this technology will be available at some stage.

[ArlenAwesome]

:) thanks for the reply. I can't wait til it's available!

-velo

[djsmithy]

I just had a thought!

You should totally send one of these circuits to Yuzo Koshiro, and coax him into playing his classics chiptunes LIVE! ;)

It would be a huge step up from the dj set he did of his classics!

[Christuserloeser]

Can the same be done with a model #1 Genesis / Mega Drive ? I am asking because the model #2 has a MUCH worse sound output / mixer. (The chip itself however is as good if not "better" than the original Yamaha one)

[littlescale]

yes it can be done with a MD1 / Gen 1

[JumpCheckProductions]

This is fucking wonderful... just that wonderful. 500 stars!

[IAYD]

Genius!

[everyonelovesbutters]

this would make a great christmas gift for a musician friend of mine,, thanks for adding it to news groups

[appalachianillogic]

the fact that you are doing this makes me very happy. the sound of the megadrive is wonderful. make this work please! i need it :)

[xero806]

sweet mod! cant wait to made one! :D

[littlescale]

the Sega Mega Drive itself is unmodified :)

[aphexpusher]

dear god. A CART!

[itadakimasumasu]

segaaaaaa.

[KaskelotenZebbe]

This stuff is extremely cool, yo. It sounds a lot like Ecco the Dolphin to me. What is the aim with this project, if I may ask?

[littlescale]

The aim of this project is to control the soundchip inside the sega mega drive via MIDI.

[kikencorp]

so nice !!!!!!!!

[littlescale]

thanks man :)

[drzvook]

this is brilliant! well done :)

[PiperTheGreatX]

so, does this keyboard control some music generator inside the megadrive?

[littlescale]

yes that is correct, the sounds chip is a YM2612 FM sound chip made by yamaha.

[Bisl3y]

well done. you are far smarter than anyone else i know.

[emartransformo]

It gets closer and closer, awesome man awesome :)

[BinaryBarrio]

Your stuff is so amazing. Is there a notification list for when your devices for megadrive/master system become available?

[littlescale]

hi there, yes if you look in the movie info section, there is a URL to the Google Announcement Group. :-)

[kneelherring]

Wow, thats amazing. Where do i buy one?!

[littlescale]

i designed / built it. it will be available at some stage in the future.

[kneelherring]

Thats good to hear! It sounds quite similar to the yamaha TX81Z which i own, i imagine there is a similar chip in there. Well done on getting so far with these devices, will defiantly look forward to creating with them in the future.

Cheers.

[TEMPHUiBIS]

-]. the first 20 secs reminds me of the intro for columns 1, the last part sounded familier as well but class video man .[-

[littlescale]

hey temph! how are ya? columns, eh? i haven't played that game in ages, lol! but i remember really being into it when i was young, and the music is awesome :)

[uberscientist]

excellent work!

[littlescale]

thanks

[miballz]

good job

[littlescale]

cheers