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View topic - What Master System games had OSTs with bass?

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  • Joined: 06 Aug 2021
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What Master System games had OSTs with bass?
Post Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2022 1:24 pm
I'm learning more about the weird bass mode on the SMS soundchip. Seems like you can hit much lower notes at the cost of a sound channel? I feel like that's a pretty good trade off! Songs sound more full to me when their range is a bit more broad. I was shocked when I heard how good the music in Daffy Duck in Hollywood is.


What other games have music that features low notes like this?
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  • Joined: 12 Dec 2010
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Post Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2022 1:58 pm
Matt Furniss is a genius, he did some amazing stuff on Mega Drive as well.

His CV is probably a good place to start if you're looking for more.

https://www.smspower.org/People/MattFurniss
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Post Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2022 7:49 pm
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I'm learning more about the weird bass mode on the SMS soundchip. Seems like you can hit much lower notes at the cost of a sound channel?

I never heard of this! Do you have any links to more info?
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Post Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2022 10:57 pm
It’s described as “synchronous noise” in the official docs, but it is actually running the noise channel LFSR in a way that translates to a 1/16 duty cycle tone at 1/16 the frequency of the driving frequency, which means four octaves lower.

To make it useful for music you need to also use the mode that sets the noise channel to use tone channel 3 as its frequency source. Thus you have a choice of either three regular tone channels and one noise channel (using preset noise “frequencies”) or two tone channels plus a bass tone and no noise. Advanced tracks flip between the two so noise based drums are still possible.
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Post Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2022 8:33 am
Ahhhhh, okay then I know it now, but hadn't put two and two together and realised it could be useful for extending the frequency range.

Thanks for the explanation @maxim!
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Post Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2022 9:04 am
Seconding the Matt Furniss recommendation, make sure to check his songs from Lemmings, his Ronda alla Turca also features the dynamic mode switching mentioned by Maxim.

Moving on to other composers, BGM1 and BGM3 from Slider use the periodic bass.
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Post Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2022 12:17 pm
I’d recommend https://www.smspower.org/Music/Alien3-SMS and using our videos to observe the noise channel:



When it stops looking like noise then it’s the 1/16 tone. The frequency is low enough that you sometimes can’t see the neighbouring waveforms: I think it’s a 15ms view so that means it’s getting down to about 30Hz, or B0 in standard pitch. The theoretical lowest note is 6.8Hz or A-2, but many people can’t perceive that as a note.
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Post Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:11 pm
Maxim wrote
I’d recommend https://www.smspower.org/Music/Alien3-SMS and using our videos to observe the noise channel:


Yeah you can really see the difference on the noise channel! That's so wild, it gives the sound of these games such a different feel from other SMS games. I really like it!

Definitely going to look through and see what else I can find! This channel is a true gem!
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