CVGM.net - Chiptune, Retro & Video Game Music
Platform - Computer » MSX (FM-PAC + MSX-Audio)
Info from: http://www.faq.msxnet.org/fmpac.html & http://www.faq.msxnet.org/msxaudio.html
FM-PAC is an FM sound synthesizer cartridge which was originally made by Panasonic. The full name is FM Pana Amusement Cartridge. It's the only official cartridge version of the MSX-Music standard.
The specs of FM-PAC:
- 16kB FM-Basic
- 4kB SRAM (just like the Panasonic SW-M001 PAC)
- Volume adjuster (3 possible output-volumes can be chosen with a switch)
- Basically a PAC + YM2413 + FM-Basic :)
- Mono sound output
MSX-Audio is a standard for FM sound synthesizer cartridges, which contain an OPL-compatible chip made by Yamaha, the Y8950. This chip is called the MSX-AUDIO. The FM sound generator in the MSX-AUDIO is compatible with the YM3526 (OPL, sometimes called OPL1), so any OPL software can be used with an MSX-Audio. The chip was produced in 1984.
The general characteristics of the chip:
- 9 channels of FM sound without drums or 6 channels of FM sound + FM drums.
- 8-bit ADPCM (Advanced Differential Pulse Code Modulation) sample unit. The maximum sampling rate is 16kHz, then you can get a maximum of 4.6 s of sampling when the standard 32kB of sample RAM is in the cartridge. It is easy to expand the amount of sample RAM to 256kB though.
- mono output.
- compared to the MSX-Music standard: all instuments can be used at any time; there is not that stupid limit that we all hated in the MSX-Music, allowing you to choose only one of the instruments marked with a "*" on the manual. No boring asterisks on the MSX-Audio, just fun. :) "