Just curious if anyone’s tried programming a 36 op mode application.
maybe it doesnt be very very difficult
there is complete doc for the opl3 chip
I would like to contrib when I know about
http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~john/computer/opledit/tech/opl3.txt
ah, I meant 18 channel mode. that is 18 2-op instruments. I suppose that is a lot less useful than 36 ops in a single instrument.
http://discourse.midibox.org/t/topic/16179
By the way, it’s not possible to make the OPL3 have one 36-operator voice, at least not with all the operators modulating each other. Only 4-op, 2-op, and 1-op (some of the percussion) are supported.
I was curious after looking up the data sheet on opl3 and think 18-channels would be amazing for using with dosbox or adlib tracker II. Since MIDI is only 16 channels though I wonder if you could do 2 4ops and 12 2ops for 14 channels or 1 4op 14 2op and drums for all 16. After playing with yamaha 2op keyboards from the 80’s I realized even 2ops can do a lot and using the General Midi compatibility in dosbox gives game soundtracks a crazy new spin as i’ve played around with on the sammichFM. Will have to try the LPC17 build someday.
Yeah, I can’t wait to hear my MIDI collection played on an OPL3 either!
One minor problem with this: the drums take up 3 two-op channels, and you get five separate sounds: bass drum is two-op, while snare, tom, hi-hat, and cymbal are one. So there’s only 15 two-op channels left; each MIDI channel would get one. The thing is that MIDIs often have polyphony within one channel, and the OPL3 doesn’t natively support this; its driver would have to distribute the voices appropriately. Someday I’d like to build a synth with 2 or 3 OPL3s (or maybe 5–you can get them cheap in bulk on eBay) that just uses the 4-op channels and gives lots of polyphony.
well 15 plus drums makes it perfect for midi’s 16 channels anyhow right? Have any links to your project?
Yeah, I can’t wait to hear my MIDI collection played on an OPL3 either!
One minor problem with this: the drums take up 3 two-op channels, and you get five separate sounds: bass drum is two-op, while snare, tom, hi-hat, and cymbal are one. So there’s only 15 two-op channels left; each MIDI channel would get one. The thing is that MIDIs often have polyphony within one channel, and the OPL3 doesn’t natively support this; its driver would have to distribute the voices appropriately. Someday I’d like to build a synth with 2 or 3 OPL3s (or maybe 5–you can get them cheap in bulk on eBay) that just uses the 4-op channels and gives lots of polyphony.
Interesting, the midibox FM did a fine job at making it 6 voices then. Playing with adlib tracker 2 I noticed this MIDI issue with the MPU-401 cable. If i played the notes with a normal computer keyboard It had no problem keeping up, in 18 channel 2 op mode I’m pretty sure i heard every channel. Midi mode was channel to channel. I wonder what they did to make the computer keyboard perfect at polyphony in preview modes.
If i played the notes with a normal computer keyboard It had no problem keeping up, in 18 channel 2 op mode I’m pretty sure i heard every channel. Midi mode was channel to channel.
I don’t quite know what you’re talking about, playing notes into an OPL3 with a computer keyboard. And there’s 16 channels in MIDI versus 18 in an OPL3.