[YM2413 Cover] Monster World IV - Over the Clouds (Adventure Theme 1) [MGSDRV]

[@slograyt6602]

Incredible! It sounds very detailed and so nice and bright.
I know the restrictions of the YM2413 but you seem to bypass them all. In other words, you made great use of the possibilities :).
Thanks for sharing so much information about your workflow. That is very interesting. Do you write your songs in MML?
I cannot read much of it though. Just wondering, did you use a custom user instrument, and how did you define it in MML?
I write my YM2413 covers in Furnace with the Master System in mind.
Keep up the great work!

[@Regacive]

Thank you for listening!
I always use MGSDRV to program YM2413 songs.
MGSDRV is a MSX sound driver that uses MML to create song data.
I sometimes post links to a MML data used in my videos in the comments section, if you are interested.
(MSXPlay is a website that can publish MGSDRV data.)
To answer your other question, this song does not use a custom user instrument, only preset instruments.
For more information on how to define custom instruments for MGSDRV, see the MML data in the comments section of the following video.
th-cam.com/video/SVIM5RJ_TIY/w-d-xo.html
I use PortaFM to create a custom instrument.

[@slograyt6602]

@@Regacive Thanks for the explanation.
So you do write the songs in MML? In the past I've written 2 or 3 songs in MML for Super Mario World (which can be added to the game using AddMusicK). I only know the very basics.
Right now i'm hooked on Furnace (similar to deflemask, if you know that). This is a tracker so the approach is very different to writing songs in MML.
You can tinker around with the custom user patch easily in Furnace (probably a lot like PortaFM).
I've seen YM2413 patches being written as HEX data before. I still have to figure out how to import that into Furnace.

[@Regacive]

I have checked the instrument editor in Furnace Tracker and it seems to be close to the way MGSDRV defines custom instruments.
In this case, if you want to use a YM2413 patch written in HEX data with Furnace Tracker, it will be easier to understand if you convert it to binary numbers.
$R0 $R1 $R2 $R3 $R4 $R5 $R6 $R7
$R0 = AM VB EG KR ML ML ML ML (M)
$R1 = AM VB EG KR ML ML ML ML (C)
$R2 = KM KM TL TL TL TL TL TL
$R3 = KC KC XX DC DM FB FB FB
$R4 = AR AR AR AR DR DR DR DR (M)
$R5 = AR AR AR AR DR DR DR DR (C)
$R6 = SL SL SL SL RR RR RR RR (M)
$R7 = SL SL SL SL RR RR RR RR (C)
M = Modulator [OP1], C = Carrier [OP2]
AM = AM(0-1), VB = Vibrato(0-1) , EG = Sustain(0-1) , KR = Scale(0-1) , ML = Multiplier (0-15)
KM = KL / Level Scaling (0-3) [OP1, Modulator], TL = TL(0-63) [OP1, Modulator]
KC = KL / Level Scaling (0-3) [OP2, Carrier], XX = Unused, DC = Half Sine (0-1) [OP2, Carrier], DM = Half Sine (0-1) [OP1, Modulator], FB = Feedback [0-7]
AR = Attack (0-15), DR = Delay (0-15), SL = Sustain (0-15), RR = Release (0-15)
* TL [OP2] = probably Track Volume
* Sustain Flag = probably Track Sustain Flag
[Example]
$E1 $02 $4B $19 $B2 $64 $35 $C5
$E1 = 1,1,1,0,[0001] AM[OP1] = 1, Vibrato[OP1] = 1, Sustain[OP1] = 1, Scale[OP1] = 0, Multiplier[OP1] = 1
$02 = 0,0,0,0,[0010] AM[OP2] = 0, Vibrato[OP2] = 0, Sustain[OP2] = 0, Scale[OP2] = 0, Multiplier[OP2] = 2
$4B = [01],[001011] Level Scaling[OP1] = 1, TL[OP1] = 11
$19 = [00],0,1,1,[001] Level Scaling[OP2] = 0, Half Sine[OP2] = 1, Half Sine[OP1] = 1, Feedback = 1
$B2 = [1011],[0010] Attack[OP1] = 11, Delay[OP1] = 2
$64 = [0110],[1000] Attack[OP2] = 6, Delay[OP2] = 4
$35 = [0011],[0101] Sustain[OP1] = 3, Release[OP1] = 5
$C5 = [1100],[0101] Sustain[OP2] = 12, Release[OP2] = 5
In addition, reading the datasheet and application manual will help you understand it better.
bitsavers.org/components/yamaha/YM2413_198604.pdf
www.smspower.org/maxim/Documents/YM2413ApplicationManual
Once you understand YM2413 user tone registers, it would be useful to create a conversion tool, e.g. using spreadsheet software.
I hope you will find it useful.

[@slograyt6602]

@@Regacive Thank you for the excellent explanation! You are too kind. This is incredibly useful.
I indeed made a spreadsheet and entered the values in Furnace. It sounds like your strings in your Umihara Kawase song. But i'm not sure if it's exactly the same. To me it sounds a bit more gritty/rough and metallic.
* TL [OP2] and * Sustain Flag.These are missing in the hex data, right?
In Furnace they are part of the instrument, but it makes just as much sense if it would be track data.
I tried your Strings B as well. I presumed it would be pizz strings as those are also in your Umihara Kawase song. But it now i can hear it is a variation of Strings A with a faster decay/release.

[@Regacive]

> I indeed made a spreadsheet and entered the values in Furnace. It sounds like your strings in your Umihara Kawase song. But i'm not sure if it's exactly the same. To me it sounds a bit more gritty/rough and metallic.
If you use a VGM player with register display (e.g. PortaFM), you will know if the conversion is accurate.
Also, Umihara Kawase cover is layered with detune and delay on strings, so strings should sound soft.
(Furnace also uses emu2413 as the emulation engine of the YM2413, so it should sound the same).
> * TL [OP2] and * Sustain Flag.These are missing in the hex data, right?
Yes. TL[OP2] and the Sustain flag are a function that adds a sound change, including built-in instruments.
"TL[OP2]" when specifying a custom instrument has the same function as "Volume" when specifying a built-in instrument.