Inside you will find a lot of information about the MSX-DOS utilities for MIDI-PAC, the setup and configuration options.

You can download this manual from the WORP3 website, www.worp3.com (in the download section).

Source: Paradise MSX Forum

Also, the PlaySoniq boxes, sponsored by Sunrise are in. If you bought your PlaySoniq without box, please use the order form to get your PlaySoniq box. The box costs nothing, you only pay shipping. Shipping will be around 10 euro for most European countries. If you know other PlaySoniq users in your neighbourhood maybe you can order together to cut down shipping costs.

MsxKun informs us that he is busy with a program to control the MSX PSG and the SID on the PlaySoniq through a MIDI keyboard. For this you need a Philips Music Module to connect your MIDI controller. This is of course very exciting news. Because using the PlaySoniq as a MIDI controllable syntheziser is one of the idea’s we had when we were designing the PlaySoniq. MsxKun also has plans to build in support for the SEGA Audio chip and the SCC of the PlaySoniq. At the moment this project has a low priority but he is willing to put more time in it, if more people are interested. So please let us or him know! Read all about it on his Spanish blog here: PaxBlog.

Also new is the instruction manual how to mount the Toshiba HX-MU900 MSX Audio expander. If you have a Toshiba Music Module lying around and want some more functionality, this expander might be for you. But you need to have quite some soldering skills to install this upgrade (or know someone who does). Check it out at the Docs section. This product can also be ordered from the Order page.

A while ago we adjusted the Commodore Basic instruction manual (sound chapters) so it would reflect the SID mounted on the PlaySoniq. It also contains the Basic listing, adjusted for use in MSX Basic. You can now download this document from the Docs page, in the PlaySoniq section.

If you read the comments on this site, you can find out how to flash your MIDI-PAC with the FM-PAC basic. Please note that afterwards, you can not use the MIDI-PAC together with a FM-PAC anymore (unless you flash the original rom back). The WORP3 website has a new configuration file for MT-32 users. If you made your own configuration file, please consider sharing them so we can add them to the website for other users. This counts for other MIDI equipment or game specific configs (like playing Aleste with only pianos). The MIDI-PAC will also have support for configuring instruments outside the general midi bank on Roland modules soon. So stay tuned.

Happy MSX-ing!

Aleste:
Compile soundbite
Aleste

Fire Hawk:
First level

Fray:

Song 1 (you can compare it with an old one we posted earlier to hear the advancements: Old song 1).
Song 2 (you can compare it with an old one we posted earlier to hear the advancements: Old song 2).
Song 3.

Tower of Gazzle:
Song 1

Princess maker
Song 1

To make up for not being around in Barcelona, we will pay the shipping costs for our items bought by Spanish residents until the end of December and we hope to see you again next year.

At the Bonami fair, people liked the PlaySoniq and the MIDI-PAC. For the PlaySoniq we had to convince people that it was actually a MSX that was playing Sega games. For the MIDI-PAC we’ve got questions about which CD’s we were playing (while we actually were demo-ing MSX games). This was also partly due to Tjeerd bringing his Yamaha XG wavetable MIDI module. Which actually blows away our simple Yamaha TG-300 tone generator.

Over the last weeks, we also managed to let the PlaySoniq work together with the MIDI-PAC.There are about 64 Sega Master System games with support for OPLL (the same chip as in the MSX Music standard or the FM-PAC has). Since the PlaySoniq can reroute that music and sound effects to the MSX, the MIDI-PAC can pick those up too and convert that to MIDI data on the fly. In short: with the PlaySoniq and the MIDI-PAC combined, you can also enjoy your SMS-FM games with your MIDI equipment. Try that with a Master System Console

We recorded a little video at Mariënberg to show the MIDI-PAC and the PlaySoniq working together. A big thank you to Filip Slagter who was willing to demo YS2 FM and Scramble Spirits on the PlaySoniq and MIDI-PAC combined. And Firehawk with the MIDI-PAC. we hope you like this video. But keep in mind that this demo was recorded with a phone (and the TG-300). A lot of the lower frequencies in the bass and drums sounds are therefore missing in the sound output.

If you experience soft SCC sound, there a few ways around this. First of all, there’s a volume adjuster on the PCB which you can adjust to balance the SCC mixing. Please check the manual for details. To get full control over the audio mixing, also for mixing OPLL sounds with PSG, MSX with PlaySoniq and our upcoming MIDI-PAC we bought a Behringer VMX-300 3-Channel audio mixer. These can be picked up for about 50 euros at local or webbased trade-in markets. New it’s about 120~150 euros. We got ours for 50.

You can see the VMX-300 and the MIDI-PAC prototype in action here:

The first software package is ready and we have been busy with the instruction manual. Detailed information for users and programmers included. Check the PlaySoniq User Manual v1.3 on our documents page for all its amazing features.

Our product packaging (the outside box to shelve) will be produced by Sunrise by the end of this year and all buyers can apply for a free one (shipping excluded) when they’re ready. Please note that all PlaySoniq expanders will be send with a cartridge enclose (as seen on the above photo). We will start to process your orders at Monday the 6th of September. As all expanders have to endure testing, not all orders can be send out immediately.

Send your pre-orders to info@supersoniqs.com. We will contact you when we are ready to process your order. Until then!

• Sega 315-5246 Audio/Video chip (found in latest Sega Master System II game consoles)
• PAL/NTSC Encoder (50/60Hz real-time software switchable)
• MOS Technology 6581 or 8580 Sound Interface Device (SID), also found in the Commodore 64/128.
• Up to 128 Megabit RAM (16MB) addressable memory
• Memory switchable between MSX or Sega Master System mode
• Spartan FPGA running at 80Mhz
• SCC/SCC-I (in FPGA) + 512KB Konami mapper, compatible with romload, loadrom and others
• JTAG Connector
• PSG to SCC redirecting in FPGA hardware, software switchable
• Real-time Joystick, Keyboard and OPLL to MSX remapping when in Sega Master System mode.
• Support for +/- 400 Sega Master System, SC-1000 and SG-3000 games
• Software switch for VDP addresses: MSX1 Mirror mode, SEGA (Franky) or Colecovision mode
• Total of 13 extra sound-channels, SID filter controllable
• Gold plated slot-connector for durability

At the moment the production of the PCB with the SMD components has started. Afterwards, we have to finalize the PCB’s and product packaging. Some final testing and programming also needs to be done. We hope to start shipping in August. We’ll do our utmost best to keep the final sale price between a Moonsound and a OPL4 shockwave . We have published a little video about the manufacturing process for you. Enjoy! (If you get an error while playing, please select 480p resolution first.)

Fray:
Demo 1
Demo 2

Illusion City:
Demo 1
Demo 2

Xak:
Demo 1
Demo 2

Xak: Tower of Gazzel
Demo 1
Demo 2

Of course, in the end the final quality of the sound output will be determined by your equipment and instrument presets made.

Update October 2010: Please note that these audio files are in not representative anymore. The current quality that the MIDI-PAC can deliver is way better.