5 ms·

PC-98 music also has a very distinctive sound that’s worth a listen: https://youtu.be/EJ_k_QdlNYE https://youtu.be/EJ_k_QdlNYE

CharlesW 4y ago
This reminds me of QuickTime’s MIDI synth. I wonder if it also used Roland’s sound set?
- klodolph 4y ago
  You can see that the channels are labeled YM2608, which is one of the many four-operator FM chips from Yamaha used in consoles and PCs (like the Genesis and AdLib). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_YM2608 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_YM2608 Like the IBM-compatible PCs, the PC-98 series was available with various different sound options.
- daneel_w 4y ago
  It's a programmable synthesizer. You can of course implement the MT-32 instrument line-up with it.
mrighele 4y ago
Very nice. At least a couple of those songs reminds me of the style of the music in Outrun
- klodolph 4y ago
  Well, it would naturally do that, because the Outrun genre is named after the Out Run game... which, like the PC-98 series, was made in Japan during the 1980s and with Yamaha 4-operator FM synth chips. Out Run was ported to the PC-88.
  - mrighele 4y ago
    yes I was thinking about the arcade game Out Run. I checked earlier and while both PC-98 and the arcade hardware used both Yamaha chips, they were different models
    - klodolph 4y ago
      The FM sounds from the various Yamaha FM four-op chips are more or less the same, the main differences between the chips are things additional features, PSG channels, and ADPCM.
bhattid 4y ago
Also Touhou: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GsZuS-vyM4&list=PL0A503B6DADB904B6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GsZuS-vyM4&list=PL0A503B6DA...
- tmtvl 4y ago
  Gotta link Himorogi, Murasaki ni Moe: https://youtube.com/watch?v=t5BimnggJQs https://youtube.com/watch?v=t5BimnggJQs ZUN may have been inspired by an Uematsu tune.
johnwalkr 4y ago
There's a store in Akihabara, Tokyo that has PC-98 stuff always has a game or two running on display. Very cool to see/hear in person.
- qiqitori 4y ago
  Probably BEEP. (https://www.akihabara-beep.com/ https://www.akihabara-beep.com/)
  - mlindner 4y ago
    Neat, I'll have to check that out next time I'm in Tokyo.
  - unixhero 4y ago
    Ssssh!!!! It is a well guarded secret that store.
  - johnwalkr 4y ago
    Oops, I meant to specify that it is called BEEP!
nazgulsenpai 4y ago
Agreed. You can generally tell when a track was from PC-98 because of that distinctive... tinny? synth. My personal favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kqyLNJiqFA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kqyLNJiqFA

CharlesW 4y ago

This reminds me of QuickTime’s MIDI synth. I wonder if it also used Roland’s sound set?

klodolph 4y ago
You can see that the channels are labeled YM2608, which is one of the many four-operator FM chips from Yamaha used in consoles and PCs (like the Genesis and AdLib). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_YM2608 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_YM2608 Like the IBM-compatible PCs, the PC-98 series was available with various different sound options.
daneel_w 4y ago
It's a programmable synthesizer. You can of course implement the MT-32 instrument line-up with it.

mrighele 4y ago

Very nice. At least a couple of those songs reminds me of the style of the music in Outrun

klodolph 4y ago
Well, it would naturally do that, because the Outrun genre is named after the Out Run game... which, like the PC-98 series, was made in Japan during the 1980s and with Yamaha 4-operator FM synth chips. Out Run was ported to the PC-88.
- mrighele 4y ago
  yes I was thinking about the arcade game Out Run. I checked earlier and while both PC-98 and the arcade hardware used both Yamaha chips, they were different models
  - klodolph 4y ago
    The FM sounds from the various Yamaha FM four-op chips are more or less the same, the main differences between the chips are things additional features, PSG channels, and ADPCM.

bhattid 4y ago

Also Touhou: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GsZuS-vyM4&list=PL0A503B6DADB904B6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GsZuS-vyM4&list=PL0A503B6DA...

tmtvl 4y ago
Gotta link Himorogi, Murasaki ni Moe: https://youtube.com/watch?v=t5BimnggJQs https://youtube.com/watch?v=t5BimnggJQs ZUN may have been inspired by an Uematsu tune.

johnwalkr 4y ago

There's a store in Akihabara, Tokyo that has PC-98 stuff always has a game or two running on display. Very cool to see/hear in person.

qiqitori 4y ago
Probably BEEP. (https://www.akihabara-beep.com/ https://www.akihabara-beep.com/)
- mlindner 4y ago
  Neat, I'll have to check that out next time I'm in Tokyo.
- unixhero 4y ago
  Ssssh!!!! It is a well guarded secret that store.
- johnwalkr 4y ago
  Oops, I meant to specify that it is called BEEP!

nazgulsenpai 4y ago

Agreed. You can generally tell when a track was from PC-98 because of that distinctive... tinny? synth. My personal favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kqyLNJiqFA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kqyLNJiqFA