Best sound chip in a console?

And possibly made file sizes smaller for synth songs.

 

Vectorman was unique in that the music had a techno sound that was different from the music in most Genesis games. But as you said, it's a matter of taste. Vectorman also has really good graphics and it's pretty fun. I was trying to finish it the other day, but I keep dying when I get to the big robot boss at the end of the Bamboo Mill level. What I need to do is use the debug mode and practice playing that level so I can figure out how to kill that boss. I think I've done it at some point in the past.

 

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Yeah, that's the one I'm talking about. I knew about using the double jump to damage enemies, but I didn't realize that's how you're supposed to beat that boss. I've tried it the other way multiple times, and it doesn't seem possible. When I've tried just shooting him, I can't even tell if it's doing any damage.

 

Hands down my favourite is the S-SMP in the SNES, just can't resist that sound



It's said earlier on that the C64 is not a console but regardless target renegade has my favourate soundtrack even if every cartridge was bugged and missed some channels off one of the songs (some restored versions are available on YouTube).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDwmvJOW4xA

 

*Cough* Jesper kyd *cough cough* Chris hulsbeck *cough* Tim follins *cough*

 

Nice example by using my favorite song! But the PC-Engine version is better.

 

And so it should be, that is CD audio. You can't compare the two. It would be better to compare castlevania Mega Drive to SNES.

 

In what aspect specifically?

 

SNES no doubt. Most impressive thing for t's time. More impressive than the graphics leap IMO. Not even GBA had a chip as good.

 

The GBA was just the original GB chipset but with 2 extra, low-quality PCM sound channels. If the game needed more than 2, it would need to do fast CPU mixing which took a big performance hit on games. Most games (like Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga and many, many others) use both the PCM channels and the GB hardware for music. The only GBA game that I can think of that exclusively uses the GB hardware is Game & Watch Collection 4.

 

To me the genesis is more impressive, sure the SNES is nice but it is a sample based system with some enveloppes and a somewhat low sampling rate. It is a system that is mostly limited by the amount of memory you have to store the samples.
Hi end PC sound cards used similar technology but you gotta give it to nintendo to have given it to the masses.
The thing is that as nice as it was, It always have been pretty clear as to what It can do and what it cannot. That has not really changed.

A synth chip like the YM2612 in the genesis, coupled with the master system PSG was not only an unusual setup, but it is a magical thing. Even to this day Demo artists keep pushing it to new limits and make it do things we would not have though possible.
During the glory days of the megadrive, some skilled composers and programmers made the thing shine in a way that the SNES could no replicate.

In the end though, the two sound systems are just too different to be compared.

 

I will correct some points for you sir. First, the SNES outputs at 32 khz compared to the mega drives 26 khz for its single PCM channel. Second, the Genesis was actually more limited to its samples due to its 8KB of RAM and single PCM sound channel compared to the SNES's 32KB of PSRAM, 4x as much as the Genesis's RAM and 8 channel PCM chip w/ the ability to do noise making samples sound worse on Genesis than SNES. Third, the SNES can do things better than the Genesis and vice-versa. The SNES, being good for classical and jazz (I guess?) and the Genesis being good for metal and hip-hop. Even if I love the YM2612, its bloody excellent, I still find the SPC700 to find a place in my heart. Power of Mr. Kutaragi at its best!!!

 

Uh? Well, of course the SNES sound engine is better equipped for samples than the genesis. I don't see what point you need to correct as I never hinted to the contrary.
My message being that I am more impressed overall by the genesis sound hardware considering how much juice can pressed out of such simple hardware.
I think it is much more interesting from a technical point of view than what the SNES has to offer, which is basically very similar to midi.

The genesis can produce with his synth channels, audio that is more rich; wider frequency range and higher sound definition. In this regard I think it aged better than the SNES.
Nostalgia plays a big part into this many will say. For my part I was actually lucky and had both consoles as a kid and played both as much and I am not feeling more nostalgic for one or the other.
I love both but I miss the chip tune sound, which to me means synthesis. The SNES was the first step toward the dumbing down of game music which culminated with CD audio. Fortunately some composers kept making old school game music, especially japanese ones.

 

I see.

 

Does the Amiga count? It was a computer but it's sound chip was legendary. I would put it above the genesis and snes easily.

 

The MOS paula was decent. Even then it only had 4 channels (compared to the YM2612's 6 and the SPC700's 8 channel solution) it was still good for the time.

 

Strictly speaking the YM2610 in the neo geo was a badass chip. It has a fair amount of both FM and PCM channels, + the system also has a Z80 PSG. It was a very capable machine.

 

Yep. The YM2610 was a monster. 4 FM channels, 6 18.5 khz PCM channels and a variable PCM channel from 1.8-55.5 khz, a full GI AY-3-8910 on silicon and an LFO? That is just monstrous! Sucks that theres only 2KB of RAM but at least theres sound ROM on the cart.

 

His chip-generated soundtrack for Scorcher on the Saturn is amazing!