yamaha sound yamaha 2612 sound cartridge for the STE idea

[Prosystemsearch]

This was in no way impossible. It would have helped make the Asia had it(the former model as an add-on) available, and it was just a third as powerful as the Atari ST line! Why didn't Atari corp. seriously consider this?

[Prosystemsearch]

BUMP

[pixelmischief]

I think the reason you got no response may be because your post is a little difficult to understand. I can't quite figure out what you mean. Could you maybe say a little more?

Edited December 9, 2014 by pixelmischief

[Prosystemsearch]

I think the reason you got no response may be because your post is a little difficult to understand. I can't quite figure out what you mean. Could you maybe say a little more?

I'll explain. The Atari ST series(or at least the STe models) should have had a yamaha 2612 sound cartridge(maybe even an add-on module) available that allowed for more sound channels, and maybe even allowed for a few sampling tricks as well. It certainly wasn't impossible. Hell, Sega Mark III/Master system which was based at least substantially on MSX hardware, got one, and it was at most only a third as powerful as the ST! Why didn't Atari Corp. think about striking a deal with Yamaha for such a thing???

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

if's / why's / but's are getting tiresome

[Lynxpro]

I think the subject has been raised in other threads and the cartridge port's limited connections and bandwidth/throughput was an issue. And why go with a 2612 instead of a 2151?

[Bill Loguidice]

An add-on is always a bad idea and almost never gets the type of support needed. If we're going to play "what if?," again, a better solution would clearly have been for Atari to simply include better sound capabilities by default. Interestingly, sound never seemed much of a priority at Atari in the home outside of the Atari 8-bit/5200 line.

[Prosystemsearch]

An add-on is always a bad idea and almost never gets the type of support needed. If we're going to play "what if?," again, a better solution would clearly have been for Atari to simply include better sound capabilities by default. Interestingly, sound never seemed much of a priority at Atari in the home outside of the Atari 8-bit/5200 line.

>Add-on is always a bad idea

Try telling that to the fans of the PC engine AND its CD add-on. In Asia, both the stand-alone machine and the CD module were great successes! The Sega CD/Mega CD could have too, had Sega not mad very bad to poor choices in what they chose to license for their FMV games as well as marketed smarter.

[crash]

It is my understanding that partially due to plans for a more sophisticated sound system not working out during the ST development process (Atari AMY), MIDI ports were included.

[Prosystemsearch]

It is my understanding that partially due to plans for a more sophisticated sound system not working out during the ST development process (Atari AMY), MIDI ports were included.

The MIDI Ports are indeed nifty! If they couldn't have an FM cart, why not make a Yamaha 2612 midi module that connected VIA THE MIDI PORTS(and also had pass-through ports on it for additional Midi usage), increasing the number of sound channels available on the Atari ST from 4 to 10!

[Zogging Hell]

As far as I know the ST sound chip was originally included to be just a basic buzzer like thing like in the PC to give basic sound which was above Mac quality (Remember the ST was designed almost entirely to be a cheap, but better, Mac and the original Mac's sound was... er well not that good). There is some interview somewhere on the internet where Shivaz talks about better sound being likely to be in future ST models, with a new sound chip (perhaps Amy or something else). It never happened though, as the Yamaha does just enough to get away with it. The cartridge port is perfectly capable of using cartridges sporting a better sound chip, as the catridge with the game BAT showed (although sound output came from the cartridge not the ST). But as Bill said support is the issue, it had support of about two games.. BAT 1 and 2.

[+wood_jl]

if's / why's / but's are getting tiresome

HA! Reminds me of this.... (Michael Keaton - the quintessential "Idea Man" from Night Shift (w/ Henry Winkler) from 1982)......

 

Quote - "I'M AN IDEA MAN, CHUCK."

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U5UH1kQeUA

[Bill Loguidice]

>Add-on is always a bad idea

Try telling that to the fans of the PC engine AND its CD add-on. In Asia, both the stand-alone machine and the CD module were great successes! The Sega CD/Mega CD could have too, had Sega not mad very bad to poor choices in what they chose to license for their FMV games as well as marketed smarter.

 

The PC Engine, like the Kinect on the Xbox 360, are among the few exceptions. With the former, when you release a half dozen different systems that all make use of the CD, some with an add-on, some complete, you pretty much guarantee it's going to be supported. The type of add-on we're talking about for the Atari ST would not have been well supported for a variety of reasons.

[Prosystemsearch]

 

The PC Engine, like the Kinect on the Xbox 360, are among the few exceptions. With the former, when you release a half dozen different systems that all make use of the CD, some with an add-on, some complete, you pretty much guarantee it's going to be supported. The type of add-on we're talking about for the Atari ST would not have been well supported for a variety of reasons.

If you can, could you elaborate a few bits more?

[papa_november]

It might be possible to drop in a YM2203 where the YM2149 was, but I don't know how much extra logic would be required. There'd certainly be no software support.