Here are some more links you might enjoy, including extended plays of the device in action on the second channel: Hear more Castlevania tracks on the MT-32 | kzfaq.info/get/bejne/q6ybq7KXnMralHU.html Hear the Yamaha MU 80 Demo Track | kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fN2Hq6h_l7SreHU.html Midiori MIDI card: github.com/tdaede/midiori RAM upgrade: github.com/stas2k/galspanic Neil - RMC PS If you enjoy what I do you can support the channel at patreon.com/rmcretro - Thanks!
@bryndaldwyre30993 жыл бұрын
I would love to get a hold of one of these machines, or at the very least figure out how to setup an emulator. The X68000 really intrigues me. Awesome vid Neil.
@TheTenthArt3 жыл бұрын
Very nice video! Kudos! But, you could at least adjust the image to fill-up the monitor, or at lease center it
@NoobixCube3 жыл бұрын
The Japanese text on Final Fight translates to “The game cannot allocate the required memory”. Well, more literally, “The game’s use-memory partitioning cannot be done”, but “cannot allocate the required memory” is how I’d translate ゲーム用のメモリ領域が確保できません。
@Dorelaxen3 жыл бұрын
Oh, wow, that "Theme of Simon" sounds absolutely badass on that.
@TheKayliedGamerChannel-YouTube3 жыл бұрын
Agreed! :D
@WalrusFPGA3 жыл бұрын
you get a slightly different composition depending on if you go with mt-32 or sc-55 for audio on that one also. really went above and beyond with sound design. even the stock x68000 soundtrack is a bit different and totally worth listening to.
@retro_reflections3 жыл бұрын
No apologies ever necessary when it comes to the Bubble Bobble BGM! But a cracking vid, wish I had an X68k myself!
@briero3 жыл бұрын
That Castlevania music is brilliant ❤️
@superotterboy79373 жыл бұрын
Something about hearing that Castlevania music on the MT32 immediately made me feel that excitement old 80s / 90s games would give me back in the day. It sounded so fresh and clear. Amazing what was achievable with the albeit, expensive technology of the time. You can really see from this setup why retro MIDI and game music never died out and become more popular in recent years with artists. That Sharp's keyboard is a thing of beauty also! Great video, really sparked the magic of retro games for me again.
@wilsvgaddiction44567 ай бұрын
I can only imagine what it must've been like to be able to play Street Fighter II and Final Fight on a Sharp X68000 in the very early 90s. It must've been pure bliss.
3 жыл бұрын
WOW, this is amazing 11:52
@wishusknight30093 жыл бұрын
MT32 i think really is the best of the lot when its properly supported.
3 жыл бұрын
@@wishusknight3009 yeah !!
@wishusknight30093 жыл бұрын
@ Although I do think if I could choose only one for all time, its the SC55.. As it has the broadest compatibility and support. It really is the one that set the standard.
@411pete3 жыл бұрын
Those MIDI devices were pure luxury science fiction for me back in the day, just known from articles in some go-to mags, I never knew some who owned one and I never did as well. This makes those MIDI insights even more fascinating, be it yours or the ones from LGR wo seems to be into them a lot as well. BTW: Can't wait to see your new DIY update from the mill! :-) Cheers, Peter
@elmosexwhistle3 жыл бұрын
Nice to see the MT32 getting some love, I hadn’t used it in years 👍🏻
@cbmsysmobile3 жыл бұрын
Still think that the MT-32 sounds better than the later SC-88, when you find tracks that are written to properly utilise it.
@ExperimentIV3 жыл бұрын
yeah, i prefer LA Synthesis to General Midi ROMplers too
@hardcore8uk3 жыл бұрын
Yes I concur , have you listened to TFX on PC DOS with MT32?, Superb, much better than the SC55 version
@Something90084 ай бұрын
The Gradius II soundtrack is stellar too.
@Safetytrousers3 жыл бұрын
A comfy chair is certainly one of my aspirations.
@wimwiddershins3 жыл бұрын
The X68000 had "enhanced" arcade ports at a time when everything else was struggling to get "arcade like" ports. It's a very desirable bit of kit.
@garethjones27463 жыл бұрын
Wow, that is just another level. In 2021 I’m amazed so imagining what it would be like back when it was released. Thanks for this one. I’m taken back.
@dangerotterisrea3 жыл бұрын
That apron makes you look like you work part time at the little chef XD
@RMCRetro3 жыл бұрын
Maybe I do :D
@dangerotterisrea3 жыл бұрын
@@RMCRetro if only.....I think they may have gone the way of the Happy Eater, Bloody good video as always. Thank you for sharing with us this almost unobtanium.
@BeastOfSoda3 жыл бұрын
I actually thought it was leading into a sponsored segment for Hello Fresh or something, haha
@adimifus3 жыл бұрын
8:13 You could try setting the MT-32 to use MIDI channels 1-8 instead of 2-9 (default) by holding MASTER VOLUME and pressing 5, then 1 EDIT: When you played the same song on the MU80, it looks like the lead is on channel 1, so my suggestion should fix that problem. I actually have the same 3 MIDI devices in my PC setup, along with some extras to enhance the experience (mixer, MIDI splitter, spectrum analyser)
@RMCRetro3 жыл бұрын
I'll give it a go, thanks for the tip
@BobbyCharlz3 жыл бұрын
I had no idea that this system was in existence and I thought that my video game geekery ran deep. I guess this just goes to show that their are truly levels to everything. Thank you for sharing; great, great music and sound. 👍
@ElShogoso3 жыл бұрын
SF2 sounds wrong to me, but Ghouls n' Ghosts sounds absolutely amazing.The Castlevania Chronicles game on PS1, had a secret feature where you could change the soundfont to MT-32 or FM Synth, so it was definitely composed with that card in mind.
@BeastOfSoda3 жыл бұрын
"you'll have that tune stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Sorry everyone." All is forgiven!
@plan7a3 жыл бұрын
It could have been worse, it could have been ********* ******** or ******** *******! =(Sorry for reasons of sanity this comment has been censored to protect the reader from having to endure further tunes/songs stuck in their head all day)=. [Note: the number of stars is random, there is no actual tune/song mentioned really, LOL].
@TotemSP23 жыл бұрын
Yes! So glad you pursued this! I'm also happy you had the courage to show off Cyberblock Metal Orange, one of the best sounding h-games ever.
@Jef_Vermassen3 жыл бұрын
No matter how many times I see this machine I'm always impressed. The machine coupled with a midi device would have blown away anything I was used of back in the day. Maybe some day I can visit the cave and finally play on one. :D
@anttiharju37393 жыл бұрын
I once in my youth read about X68000 and was blown away, while drooling a bit, never could I've guessed that I'd once watch a MIDI-pimped up version of it, and I don't think there's anything cooler than that
@cousinmerl4 ай бұрын
Man the audio hard ware on this system was AMAZING! Still to own it, it had a very expensive price tag. All this from 30 years ago!
@WhatAboutZoidberg3 жыл бұрын
Wow this sounds spectacular, especially Castlevania. Been wanting to get my hands on a MiSTer to see how these cores sound. This era was really magic. Also Parodius is wo wacky because its a parody of gradius and a super light hearted take on the shoot em up genre. Great video.
@JVHShack3 жыл бұрын
This makes me want to get my own Sharp X68000.
@mysterynad3 жыл бұрын
Same *Takes one look at the prices* Nevermind...
@thera343 жыл бұрын
or a MiSTer fpga and recreate it :) X68000 core is being developed ;)
@mynameistechno3 жыл бұрын
I bet the synthesizer community is proud some people utilize this boxes in a inoffensive way.
@davebarnes26013 жыл бұрын
Sharp X68000 was truly well ahead of it's time. Such a shame it never got a worldwide release. Fantastic content as always!
@geneshifter2 жыл бұрын
I got the MiSTer and a MT32pi and I absolutely love finally playing on this thing. Very cool system. Castlevania has been a blast on it.
@corty19803 жыл бұрын
Loved Bubble Bobble back in the day, my mom and sister even got hooked on it so no need to apologise RMC.
@organiccold3 жыл бұрын
The Sharp is an impressive machine, and those MIDI tunes, they are amazing.
@noctis16723 жыл бұрын
I LOVE the Bubble Bobble theme song. I hum it a LOT. To the point that it irritates people around me :D
@Marcus_K2 жыл бұрын
Castlevania and Ghouls'n Ghosts sound phenomenal. I think these classics should be rereleased with these soundtracks. A remixed soundtrack can do so much to enhance a game.
@waynecuff3140 Жыл бұрын
With the announcement of the Sharp x68000 mini, can only hope the midi tracks are implemented. Would be amazing if that happens.
@diskoBonez Жыл бұрын
It's crazy to me that there was a time in gaming history where gamers could all be playing the same game, even on similar hardware, but with soundtracks sounding so wildly different. Thankyou for showcasing such a wide variety! The SF2 track with some missing instrument sounded so smooth, a totally different vibe!
@briantaylor30313 жыл бұрын
That breakout song should be the battle music for a jrpg.
@djsquarewave3 жыл бұрын
One of the composers on that game was Masaharu Iwata who later worked on games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Ogre Battle, and Odin Sphere... so you're pretty much correct. :)
@megaglowz85403 жыл бұрын
Does MIDI gaming get better than this? Clint: Yes.....Yes, it does. Great video!!
@StevenMorris3 жыл бұрын
Fascinating stuff~ great to hear these old games with these nice sounds
@Jyve3 жыл бұрын
I miss those speakers. Best desk speakers ever, with a bass that rattled my teeth.
@AmigosRetroGaming3 жыл бұрын
Very interesting stuff! I had read that the 68k had decent MIDI support...very nice to see and hear that in action!
@MattyStoked3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this. The X68k is out of reach for so many of us. I'm so glad you put Castlevania in the video, especially Simon's Theme! You can get decent results with emulation but nothing compares to the real deal!
@CorporalDanLives3 жыл бұрын
OHHHHHH I USED TO HAVE THOSE SPEAKERS. They made my midis SLAP
@tankgrrl3 жыл бұрын
Me just playing this in the background while working. Then Theme of Simon Belmondo starts playing... 🤩 Wow!
@RetroSegaDev3 жыл бұрын
😍 Sharp + MT32 = bliss
@allan.n.72273 жыл бұрын
WAUW .. Just WAUW.. MIDI actually can sound amazing..
@infi843 жыл бұрын
it's a pity that the default microsoft GS font is what most people identify MIDI with
@UpLateGeek3 жыл бұрын
Love the sound of those midi synths! I've added your Castlevania video to my watch later list so I've got something good to listen to tomorrow night while I'm "capturing" a schematic!
@thorc41673 жыл бұрын
Castlevania through MT-32 is amazing.
@MeanMachineDean3 жыл бұрын
Came for the Sharp Sharp X68000, left with Bubble Bobble in my head. Great video Neil! Love this computer, one day I'll own one...(wishful thinking)
@MessiahProphylaxis2 жыл бұрын
Simon Belmont's theme on an MT-32 would have switched up my whole life if I heard it on my beige-ass 486.
@killab1383 жыл бұрын
Ghouls and Ghosts sounds SOOOO AWESOME!!!!!!
@alistairblaire60013 жыл бұрын
Man the Castlevania soundtrack is the best. I hope X68000 emulation progresses far enough on MiSTer and allows MIDI output somehow. I want to try combining that with MT32-pi. It's the closest any of us would get since these machines still cost a fortune, especially complete and working.
@WildkatPhoto3 жыл бұрын
Goodness those things were beautiful!
@imhafdhom3 жыл бұрын
Akumajou Dracula's Creatures In The Depth MT32 rendition is the OG of boss music
@user-vu5kx1hj7b3 жыл бұрын
「データ用のメモリ領域が確保できません」 means that it could not allocate memory for data.
@FinalBaton3 жыл бұрын
As you've just found out Neil, Cyber Block Metal Orange is an elite videogame OST. The composer (JKL Furukawa) did only a couple of games but it's all ace. Do check out Carat also by him. Both games were originally made on the PC-98 and they sound great on those machine via FM synth.
@RMCRetro3 жыл бұрын
Thank you, off to check that out now!
@Breakfast_and_Bullets3 жыл бұрын
The "wide" sound you hear it's called "sound stage." The general idea being that it sounds big, as if you're there in an amphitheater where it's being played.
@WhoIsLudwig3 жыл бұрын
I'm deeply in love with how Daimakaimura sounds on the MU80
@WhoIsLudwig3 жыл бұрын
Castlevania is incredible too
@worldofretrogameplay69633 жыл бұрын
It’s official for me - I’m taking my savings and buying one of these computers. I’m aware of how expensive this venture will be, but come on - the Sharp X68000 is a ‘killer’ computer setup. I have emulated the system before in the past, so I know how to load software from the DOS prompt, etc. From what I heard, a homebrew community is slowly growing for this computer. I can’t even begin to imagine the type of games we will eventually see for this system (it makes me giddy with excitement; it makes me feel like a kid again!). My only regret is not knowing about this system sooner, when the prices weren’t as insane as they are today. *BUT* - I know a few trustworthy resellers in Japan, who should be able to hook me up with a fair deal.
@waynecuff31409 ай бұрын
That's what is amazing about Castle chronicles on ps1. Has the midi tracks available on the options menu :)
@nosferadu3 жыл бұрын
Holy MIDI, Batman! Some of these sound fantastic!
@35milesoflead3 жыл бұрын
Nice one Neil. Interesting to hear the difference between the Roland devices and the Yammy. I am biased though. I have been looking at getting one of those Roland sound canvas modules myself, but instead bought a Roland D-110 module for my midi set up. Bought it today, ironically. Came with an expansion card which is allegedly "R.A.R.H.S." - Rare as Rocking horse shoes ;)
@kibawolf25013 жыл бұрын
This is too bloody cool. i know I'm definitely going on a listening spree. Have you managed to try the TG300b mode on the Yamaha?
@Ojref13 жыл бұрын
Wonderful video, as always. I've always compared this era of quality MIDI devices to be as significant as movies going from silent to sound.
@AerikForager3 жыл бұрын
I started having flashbacks when I heard that midi super ghouls 'n' ghosts! :D
@Sauceyjames3 жыл бұрын
Another Sharp 86K video? Count me in!
@adamburgess12873 жыл бұрын
Wonder what the tracks would sound like thru my daily workhorse Roland Integra-7... Still has those classic Roland noises from back in the day!
@djcalle19753 жыл бұрын
Awesome stuff! Unrelated but I have to say I much prefer the videos where you host alone.
@laumpolumpio3 жыл бұрын
You should have tried the wolf Team titles for the x68k since those were the games that really nailed it with the midi music for the X68k
@MorganJustGames3 жыл бұрын
Very nice Video Neil. Some great tunes there. I liked the look of some of those Shoot Em Ups. Impressive set up you got there too.
@chr15b3 жыл бұрын
Glad I wore my headphones for this one! 😊
@takigan3 жыл бұрын
Late 80s/Early 90s Japanese tech is so fascinating. I remember as a little kid, my uncle in 1990 owned a PC Engine CD (Turbo Grafx CD) and it was leagues ahead of my NES that I had at the time. It came out here, but it never became popular like it did in Japan....their consumer market was just entirely different than ours.
@Petertronic3 жыл бұрын
Great sounds. The pirate cat made my day.
@DanielLopez-up6os3 жыл бұрын
I think the word you were looking for more "Room for the Sound" is Called A Sound Stage.
@PaulGraham1977Ай бұрын
I would love to have one of these in my future retro setup. I’m going to be getting a white Checkmate monitor to go with an Amiga 500+, Atari 1080 STe, Micro PC running Windows 95/98 and MS DOS, NEOGEO, SNES, Dreamcast and possibly a PC Engine. I’ve already got retro styled speakers that will be part of the system ( Klipsch The Fives. ). I can hope, maybe I’ll get lucky one day and get a white X68000, if not the Mini version.
@xan12423 жыл бұрын
CV 68k is forever going to be one of my favorites! Even made some videos like 10 years ago where I manually converted some instruments to the D-20, but later on made a better arrangement with direct instrument translations. Konami on the x68k has the best, most legendary MIDI music you'll ever find.
@Th3OmegaPoint3 жыл бұрын
That error message at 3:45 reads "There is not enough memory to run this game", translation by my missus.
@sethrd9993 жыл бұрын
Well this just goes to prove that all the best stuff comes from Japan ;)
@nickwallette62013 жыл бұрын
I know the MT-32 is not the most advanced of MIDI synths, but IMO, it is such a well-balanced, wide, and smooth sounding box that it STILL holds up. Gah.. that Castlevania soundtrack was leGIT. X-D Can you imagine bringing home something like that at the end of the 80s, when everyone else was rocking a PC speaker?
@tmacmc29843 жыл бұрын
Wow. The midi audio here is stunning stuff. I have to look into X68000 emulation which supports midi. Mame?
@atomicskull64052 жыл бұрын
The SCC was actually a step back from the MT-32 in some ways. The MT-32 had user editable programs where you could create new instrument sounds by changing around which ROM waveforms were used and editing the envelopes and filters. This information was uploaded to the MT-32 over the MIDI interface as a binary SYSEX dump when the game booted up. Most Sierra games for example used custom instruments. After GM came out IBM PC games mostly stopped using custom instruments on the MT-32 and just used a GM mapping instead.
@monsirto3 жыл бұрын
The lesser known Roland Studio Canvas models are rare and seriously useful,
@needfortweed87343 жыл бұрын
Seems like the Yamaha Tone Generator is also backwards compatible to older version. It said TG300. Funnily enough, two feet from my head I have a Yamaha TG300, Roland Sound Canvas SC-88 and a Korg 05R/W
@ltlk9373 жыл бұрын
I am so sad, I missed MANY of your videos because some how i stopped getting notification about your channel.
@RMCRetro3 жыл бұрын
Oh no! KZfaq does some silly things sometimes 😔
@WalrusFPGA3 жыл бұрын
this was a really nice overview of midi options on x68k! Wonderful timing as well, as i've been diving into this rabbit hole the past month as well. Interesting that not only do you have options for different sound modules in a game like akumajou dracula, but they also took the time to make unique compositions for the different midi devices as well! check out theme of simon on SC-55 mode, and listen to those shredding guitars in the build-up section, that are completely missing from the mt-32 track. mt-32 version of the tunes are great also, with many unique elements of their own. Really blown away by the effort there. Essentially made three soundtracks for the game at once.
@ArrowGent2 жыл бұрын
the x68000 definately had the best music sound of the japanese computers, pc88/98, msx, pc-e and fm-towns.
@SpacePills13 жыл бұрын
Couldn't see it in the immediate comments, but sound stage I believe is what you were looking for!
@Kawa-oneechan3 жыл бұрын
By default, the MT-32 is not only not General MIDI, but it also doesn't play channel 1. If the lead instrument is played on track 1... it'd be missing on the MT-32.
@opiejaye3 жыл бұрын
Fascinating stuff! I can't help thinking that track from Spanner X (interesting title!) is more than a little 'influenced' by The KLF's What Time Is Love
@theomacer30943 жыл бұрын
🎶 Cause every girl's crazy 'bout a Sharp MIDI stack 🎶
@theomacer30943 жыл бұрын
aw man, I just got a copyright strike 😖
@kentoad89483 жыл бұрын
Gemini Wing has native MT-32 support if you hold F1 during boot. It's one of the best game soundtracks I've ever heard.
@hardcore8uk3 жыл бұрын
Quality Neil !!!!! Just a thought, can you make a video of games for Amiga & Atari ST that have midi support in games ?, Cheers buddy
@GoWstingray3 жыл бұрын
My Dads had a MU50 sat on his Yamaha Clavinova since the 90s lol, I missed the PC Dos gaming era as I had an Amiga and it never occurred it could probably enhance games at the time, I think I did try to hook it up on the Amiga as we had a midi interface but it was all to much for me as a kid. Think I might borrow it as I have a Socket Super 7 motherboard I found in the loft beginning to be part of a retro pc!
@jackeldridge13193 жыл бұрын
7:51 It feels wider because of the different technologies used. The Sound Canvas is based on a ROMpler synthesis method, this basically means that it stores all its samples on a flash chip and then plays them through a DAC. These are PCM samples recorded in a studio, it's produced to have a wide and impactful soundstage. You're basically listening to tiny clips of CD quality audio stacked together, it's amazing stuff. The MT-32 uses Linear Arithmatic synthesis, which is sort of an earlier form of this technology. Before the samples are flashed, they get very heavily compressed, and then inside the synth a preprocessor takes those samples and essentially averages and smooths out the quite nasty original sample to make it sound very harmonic. It's used to great effect in other synths like the Roland D-50 which puts the MT-32 to shame, but that's bc the MT-32s LA synthesis is based on cheaper components and has less flash memory to store samples forcing more compression. Essentially things like reverb and texture are lost in the timbral smoothing of LA synthesis, but not at all in the Sound Canvas. Because of this the Sound Canvas series, despite being budget, punched far above its weight class with its excellent DACs and samples and is why it existed into the 2000s. Hardcore Japanese musicians like Koji Kondo and Kazu Matsui made heavy use of it in their studios, an SC-88 module features heavily on Akira Jimbo's album Stone Butterfly. It's just an amazing synth for the price
@DubiousEngineering3 жыл бұрын
I bet Gary is salivating :-) ... I do love some good midi kit :-)
@stickenchuffing46943 жыл бұрын
The MT-32 can be made compatible with General MIDI by playing a midi file containing some SysEx instructions after powering it on using a midi file player. It temporarily stores some additional sounds and orders them in the correct layout for GM. You can end up with some rather interesting variations. Descent is a good one to try. A search for "MT32 GM" should point you in the right direction.
@damianknight80643 жыл бұрын
quite literally music to my ears!
@jamesburland3 жыл бұрын
Wow! Love song of these MIDI arrangements.
@robintst3 жыл бұрын
Wish the MT-32 had become more of a standard, it sounds better than most later General MIDI devices although that Yamaha sounds pretty sweet.
@CalviusSignatis3 жыл бұрын
Fantastic video as always! What's the track you've used for the end credits called though?
@dazsly3 жыл бұрын
I would love one of those sharps but the price has gone up massively and the cost getting it from Jspsn would be huge. Awsome video
@ellhawkes783 жыл бұрын
Amazing, would love to hear more retro soundtracks.