Synthesix Lite FM

Copyright 2018 Laurens Holst

Project information

Simple MIDI synthesizer for MSX-MUSIC (YM2413 OPLL) and PSG.

• Author: Laurens Holst laurens@grauw.nl
• Site: http://www.grauw.nl/projects/synthesix-lite-fm/
• Source: https://hg.sr.ht/~grauw/synthesix-lite-fm
• Support: https://www.msx.org/forum/msx-talk/graphics-and-music/synthesix-lite-fm
• License: Simplified BSD License

Downloads

• Synthesix Lite FM development build

See the release notes for what’s new.

Media

See the Youtube playlist.

System requirements

• MSX turboR
• 128K main RAM
• 16K video RAM
• MSX-DOS 2

Usage instructions

Run SyntheFM from MSX-DOS 2.

Usage:

synthefm [options]

Options:

• /b Enter blackout mode during playback.

  This setting makes the screen go black during playback. For machines with a lot of VDP interference on the audio output, this may reduce the amount of interference.

MIDI channel assignment

• Channel 1: FM basic channel
• Channels 1-9: FM voices
• Channels 7-11: FM rhythm voices (if enabled)
• Channel 12: PSG basic channel
• Channels 12-14: PSG tones
• Channel 15: PSG noise
• Channel 16: PSG envelope

All channels are monophonic.

MIDI controller assignment

All channels respond to:

• Velocity, CC 7, CC 11: Level
• CC 64: Key hold (sustain)

Overlap the notes to play legato.

FM Voice channels 1-9 respond to:

• Program change:
  1. Original
  2. Violin
  3. Guitar
  4. Piano
  5. Flute
  6. Clarinet
  7. Oboe
  8. Trumpet
  9. Organ
  10. Horn
  11. Synthesizer
  12. Harpsicord
  13. Vibraphone
  14. Synthesizer Bass
  15. Acoustic Bass
  16. Electric Guitar
• Key-off velocity (< 63: FM sustain, ≥ 64: no FM sustain)

FM Basic channel 1 responds to:

• CC 16: Carrier Multiplier
• CC 19: Carrier Level Key Scale
• CC 20: Carrier EG Attack
• CC 21: Carrier EG Decay
• CC 22: Carrier EG Sustain
• CC 23: Carrier EG Release
• CC 24: Modulator Multiplier
• CC 25: Modulator Level
• CC 26: Modulator Feedback
• CC 27: Modulator Level Key Scale
• CC 28: Modulator EG Attack
• CC 29: Modulator EG Decay
• CC 30: Modulator EG Sustain
• CC 31: Modulator EG Release
• CC 80: Carrier LFO Amplitude (≥ 64: on)
• CC 81: Carrier LFO Pitch (≥ 64: on)
• CC 82: Carrier EG Mode (< 64: percussive, ≥ 64: sustained (default))
• CC 83: Carrier EG Rate Key Scale (≥ 64: on)
• CC 84: Carrier PG Waveform (< 64: sine, ≥ 64: rectified half sine)
• CC 88: Modulator LFO Amplitude (≥ 64: on)
• CC 89: Modulator LFO Pitch (≥ 64: on)
• CC 90: Modulator EG Mode (< 64: percussive, ≥ 64: sustained (default))
• CC 91: Modulator EG Rate Key Scale (≥ 64: on)
• CC 92: Modulator PG Waveform (< 64: sine, ≥ 64: rectified half sine)

Development information

Synthesix Lite FM is free and open source software. If you want to contribute to the project you are very welcome to. Please contact me at any one of the places mentioned in the project information section.

You are also free to re-use code for your own projects, provided you abide by the license terms.

Building the project is easy on all modern desktop platforms. On MacOS and Linux, simply invoke make to build the binary and symbol files into the bin directory:

make

Windows users can open the Makefile and build by pasting the line in the all target into the Windows command prompt.

To launch the build in openMSX after building, put a copy of MSXDOS2.SYS and COMMAND2.COM in the bin directory, and invoke the make run command.

Note that the glass assembler which is embedded in the project requires Java 8. To check your Java version, invoke the java -version command.

Release notes

For the complete list of changes please refer to the revision history.

No releases yet.