AY-3 8910 adapter for Amstrad CPC, to STOP exploitation for AY-3 8912!

[GUNHED]

Or that you have a computer with resistor network on PCB and inside the PSG, like on 6128plus...

If the 6128plus has keyboard problems, just get the resistor network out and the problem is solved (details in some other thread around here).

[eto]

The adapter board has now been published on Github:

https://github.com/etomuc/CPC-AY-3-8910-to-8912-adapter

[zhulien]

If there is such a price difference why not make a 10 AY-3-8910 sound card so we can have 33 channels not including lots of white noise.

Hmm, whst if hypothetically a powerful AY many channel card was made but with no cpu digital playback also.

[Pollo]

I would better have 2 SIDs than 10 AY chips 

Having 10 AY-3-8910 chips won't sound 10 times better as having 1. It will still be plain square wave sounds playing.

After 2 chips (to have music + sound effects at the same time), it quikly gets into diminishing returns for each extra AY chip you add.

[eto]

If there is such a price difference why not make a 10 AY-3-8910 sound card

This is not a sound card. This is meant to fix a CPC whose AY is malfunctioning. 

If you are looking for a multi-channel sound card, check out the PlayCity. 

[robcfg]

Where can I get/order some of these PCBs?

I'm building an Oric-1 replica which uses an AY-3-8912 of which I have none, but I do have several AY-3-8910, so the adapter would come in handy 

[eto]

I'm building an Oric-1 replica which uses an AY-3-8912

This particular adapter probably won't work. Amstrad used a slightly wider footprint for the 8912 than usual.

But for normal footprints there are probably already plenty of options out there. Just check Github for projects. 

[zhulien]

I would better have 2 SIDs than 10 AY chips

Having 10 AY-3-8910 chips won't sound 10 times better as having 1. It will still be plain square wave sounds playing.

After 2 chips (to have music + sound effects at the same time), it quikly gets into diminishing returns for each extra AY chip you add.

i agree, but still if the chips are 1/10th the price (plus sockets and labour additions)

[namaman]

Haven't been able to get a definitive answer on wether the YM2149F needs the pull-up resistor array installed for the "datelines".
The Git page says the pull-ups are on the "datalines", should that actually say the IO lines? Is that a mistake?

According to the Datasheet the YM2149F does has pull-ups on the IOA0 to IOA7, and IOB0 to IOB7.

[McArti0]

doesn't need

[eto]

The Git page says the pull-ups are on the "datalines", should that actually say the IO lines? Is that a mistake?

Yes, my bad. It now says I/O pins. Thanks for pointing it out. 

According to the Datasheet the YM2149F does has pull-ups on the IOA0 to IOA7, and IOB0 to IOB7.

Do you have a data sheet that specifically mentions the YM2149F not only the YM2149? I couldn't find one that mentions the F so I am not sure if the YM2149F is the same as a YM2149. For the 8910 vs 8910A the little post fix is the difference between having pull-up and not having pull-up. 
 

[namaman]

As far as I can tell the YM2149F and  the YM2149 are the same...just different revisions...of course I'm not 100% sure about that as I also couldn't find a data sheet of the 'F' variant either. 

[Anthony Flack]

I would better have 2 SIDs than 10 AY chips

Having 10 AY-3-8910 chips won't sound 10 times better as having 1. It will still be plain square wave sounds playing.

After 2 chips (to have music + sound effects at the same time), it quikly gets into diminishing returns for each extra AY chip you add.

Bomb Jack arcade has three AY chips; Gyruss arcade uses five, driven by a Z80. That's the most that I know of. Still, no filters.

[Pollo]

I had to check:

That sounds really nice indeed.

Edit: well, according to Mame, Gyruss also has one SFX channel. https://github.com/mamedev/historic-mess/blob/master/src/mame/drivers/gyruss.c

[Anthony Flack]

The AYs are sounding a little low in that mix compared to the real thing. Also it sounds a bit sparse without the two AYs of sound FX going. Gyruss was usually the noisiest game in the arcade and the bass would resonate all through the cabinet. Stereo speakers too, which was unusual for he time.

I read somewhere that the SID chip was originally meant to have 128 note polyphony - can you imagine - and Bob Yannis was dissatisfied with its ultimate form. Everybody was saying Bob, you're crazy, this chip is already doing way more than anybody asked for. And Bob Yannis decided ok then screw computers, I'll make synths instead. 

[Pollo]

When we look at the history of sound chips, Yannes was the only guy who cared about computer audio in the early 80s.
It's really appaling to see how the others didn't even try. SID capabilities should have been the norm in that era, not the exception.

I have a theory about it actually.
Yamaha was clinging on their FM synthesis patent and discouraging everyone else. And Yamaha didn't want to put their precious tech on budget computers. That would have overshadowed their keyboards.
I mean, why bother improving sound chips like Yannes when Yamaha can come and dominate whenever they want.
All that lead to that sorry state until the Amiga dynamited everything with sampled audio.

Edit: and the SID was patented too! So another hurdle for competitors...

[namaman]

So the PCB's arrived from JLCPCB today and I promptly built one up...

IT'S ALIVE!!!!!!

[namaman]

So that was a mission...lots of dead parts.
definitely some over voltage or reverse voltage issue.
Just wanted to thank everyone for your support and encouragement.

[namaman]

The only remaining issue is the stupid delete key does not work!!!!!!
Arrrgh...I think I'll ignore it for now...