There’s DIY synth projects, and then there’s this latest effort from Sam Battle, aka Look Mum No Computer.
Battle has taken an old Sega MegaDrive and hooked it up to a vintage synth cabinet to take advantage of the console’s Yamaha YM2612 sound chip.
Using the chip’s capabilities, which include six FM voices, a sine-wave low frequency oscillator and per-channel programmable stereo sound, Battle’s creation might be cumbersome, but the sounds generated transport us straight back to darkened bedrooms in the early 1990s.
Initially, the net result sounds a little bit like the intro to 808 State’s Cubik – fast forward to 6:13 to see Battle really put the unit through its paces.
But can he get it to play the soundtrack to the Marble Zone of Sonic The Hedgehog – in our opinion the Sega Megadrive’s finest musical opus? Here’s hoping…
Altogether now… “SAAAAAY-GAAHHHHH!!!” 🙂