Is dual PSG a real thing?

Paladin (675)

06-06-2020, 21:23

So I have been rediscovering MSX happily the past few weeks. Sorting stuff I still had, searching stuff I didn't have before and exploring the new stuff from the past two decades. For the moment I'm an emulator only user, my 8235 is still in deep storage.

I have plans to get it back soon, so in the meantime I'm looking for things I'll need to get it going again. At first I thought I only had to get a Gotek drive (I probably still will), but in the meantime I found out about the Megaflashrom. It's clear I got to have one of those, they make life so much easier.

However, there is one feature of the Megaflashrom that fascinates me. And that's the second PSG. Don't get me wrong, I really like the sound of it (pun intended). But I could only find very little information on it. What is it for? Is it just a gimmick or is there any software actually using it?

Who can give me a brief update on this?

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Par Grauw

Ascended (10772)

06-06-2020, 21:37

The original reason to include the PSG in the MFR was to deal with audio issues in the Philips 8250/55/80 computers I think.

Additionally you can use it with VGMPlay, there’s a couple of multi-PSG tracks out there.

Par Manuel

Ascended (19469)

06-06-2020, 22:00

There are also some enhancement patches for Konami games using it.

Par meits

Scribe (6544)

06-06-2020, 22:08

You can force the MFR to use it. If you make an audio line out on your MFR you get PSG that does not go through the circuitry of your MSX and will therefore be way cleaner.

I'm not sure it's there for the 8250 and up computers since you can choose to get an MFR modified to run on those computers.

Par Briqunullus

Paladin (675)

06-06-2020, 22:31

Thanks a lot, this makes sense. I've found a few topics on those sound problems to read further.

Par Grauw

Ascended (10772)

06-06-2020, 22:37

Those do not apply to the 8235.

Par Parn

Paladin (837)

06-06-2020, 23:23

There's also a few demos that use dual PSG as well. It's actually an easy way to add soundtracks to older games that don't have it, since you don't need to manage sound effects in the replay routine, you just use one of the PSGs to play music and the other for music. Since it doesn't seem to be too expensive in terms of FPGA gates, this second PSG is also present in other all-in-one FPGA-based cartridges like GR8BIT and Carnivore 2.

Par iamweasel2

Paladin (716)

07-06-2020, 04:02

Manuel wrote:

There are also some enhancement patches for Konami games using it.

Which classic games received patches to enhance its sound?

Are those patches available somewhere?

Par Wlcracks

Hero (566)

07-06-2020, 07:34

https://nopmsx.nl/dotattack/

uses dual psg, normally it would mute a music channel for sound effects. With 2 psg inserted its very easy to program the six to psg #2 so no music muting has to be done.

Par hamlet

Scribe (4106)

07-06-2020, 15:32

Kralizec‘s Goonies take use of a second PSG. The original cart even has a build-in one.

Par Manuel

Ascended (19469)

07-06-2020, 16:58

Look for the Victor Martinez patches, for instance.