Way back when, home computers and consoles didn’t have the RAM or storage space for full-length recorded audio tracks. Instead, a variety of techniques were used to synthesize music on the fly. The SNES was no exception, using the SPC700 Wavetable Synthesis chip to bust out the tunes. [Foxchild] wanted to use this chip as a standalone synthesizer, but didn’t want to hack up a console to do so. Thus, the SNES Drone was born!
Instead of gutting the console for the juicy chips inside, à la most SID based builds, the SNES Drone takes a different approach. It consists of a cartridge which interfaces with a stock SNES console, making the install easy and non-invasive.
The build is in an alpha state, with the oscillators in the SNES generating continuous tones, with frequency and volume controlled by potentiometers mounted on the cartridge. Having physical controls on the cartridge makes the build feel more like a real synth, and promises to look awesome on stage for a chiptune performance.
[Foxchild] is looking for others to get involved to help get the project to the next stage, so if you’re interested, reach out on the Hackaday.io page. We’ve seen other projects to liberate the awesome chip sounds of yesteryear, too. Video after the break.
The SPC700 is not a wavetable synthesis chip. Its a custom CPU that talks to a DSP chip to do the actual audio (and that isn’t wavetable either)
you’re right! I should have been more clearly with my description but somehow I tried to be easily understandable as well.
The definition of wavetable synthesis is sample based synthesis from a table of waveforms. Which the DSP in the SNES can do. Nevertheless you are right, it is not a wavetable chip like that. The DSP does sample based synthesis with bit-rate-reduced PCM samples and via the SPC-700 it is possible to use this as a wavetable synthesizer though.
The S-DSP is a sample-based replay DSP that can be configured to play short loops of audio, which is the definition of wavetable.
“He’s dead, Jim!” That display on the monitor just reminds me of something.
yeah, well, I tried to keep it simple. :D
Oh come on!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dechvhb0Meo
sorry bout that :D