Liven MEGA SYNTHESIS - Retro Game Music Production Machine
Вставка
- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- If you'd like to support the channel I will make a small profit from any purchase you make after using one of these links:
Amazon UK - Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 Audio Interface amzn.to/3zYoVvo
Amazon USA - Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 Audio Interface amzn.to/3BIZXQm
chrislody.band...
www.etsy.com/u...
Full Disclosure: I occasionally take on freelance work at Sonicware on an hourly rate producing synth & sample sound design, beta testing, checking English text and videos like this. Any other shorter videos on my channel containing Sonicware products are not paid content.
More about the Sonicware Liven MEGA Synthesis:
Sonicware's Website: sonicware.jp/p...
Trailer: • LIVEN "MEGA SYNTHESIS"...
Yuzo Koshiro's Patterns: • Yuzo Koshiro Preset Pa...
So I'm really excited about this one, Sonicware has made a new Liven that emulates the FM, PCM and PSG capabilities of my favourite 90s games console! It's sound had a huge influence on me back in the day and is probably the thing that drove me towards getting into electronic music, but more of that in a later video I think. I'm also therefore very familiar with Yuzo Koshiro's work so thrilled that he's worked on this too. This being an official Sonicware video, I can't mention the console by name here, but if you'd like to know more about the original hardware, this playlist will fill in a lot of the blanks for now: • YM2612+SN76489 Sound C...
This Liven holds the distinction of being the first model to remove the knob shift button. This means that apart from the slight differences I mention when using the PSG channels, it's one knob per function where the other Livens have two functions per knob. This is also true when using the editing overlay and it makes it a lot easier to operate
Some deeper technical stuff:
As mentioned late in the video it removes some of the technical barriers that were present on the original hardware. The editing overlay on the MEGA give full patch programming including the YM2612's pretty unique 'SGG EG' which makes it possible to loop operator envelopes.
1: The YM2612 had a design flaw in it's 9-bit DAC which gives it a distinctive tone when played quietly referred to as 'the ladder effect'. Also the whole output ran through a smoothing filter to remove high frequency aliasing. On the MEGA you can turn this on and off per track so you can adjust it to taste using the Legacy Mode.
2: The YM2612 had 6 monophonic channels which can be switched into different function when needed. Sample playback on the YM2612 was only possible through channel 6 and was typically monophonic unless some clever software mixing was used in it's 'driver' (think software control of the hardware), but this would use up precious CPU resources. It was also uncommon to have samples pitched up and down as this also used up resources. When using samples, 5 channels were left for FM sounds. On the MEGA you can have 3 notes of polyphony for it's DRUM mode and chromatic playback in mono mode. It's also possible to pitch drum up and down using the Sweep function in envelope mode for greater flexibility. The polyphony for the PCM channel is separate from the FM polyphony so you still have access to 6 voices FM voices when playing samples.
3: Sample playback quality varied a lot on the original hardware with the sample rate usually being constrained by cartridge space and the driver. Though 8 Bit playback depth was the max the YM2612 could manage devs would often lower this to 4 bits to save more space. On the MEGA you can use 12, 24 and 48 khz sample rates at 8 bit and apply 4 bit depth using the Legacy Mode if you want to
4: Only channel 3 on the YM2612 could have FM operator ratios that were non-integer values and fixed frequency values. On the MEGA you can freely use these features on any operator and with polyphony bringing it more into line with DX FM hardware
5: While velocity response was possible on the original hardware I can't find many games that used it much beyond changing volume. On the MEGA you can program velocity sensitivity per operator so the tone can be really expressive which is something I love about FM!
6: The YM2612 and SN76489 could only play voices in the centre or hard panned left and right. On the MEGA you can freely pan your tracks and even automate this while the sequence plays. You can also adjust per track volumes too.
7: The YM2612 had a single LFO synced across the whole chip that was mostly used as an Amp LFO with vibrato usually being added from the 'driver'. On the MEGA you can set the Amp LFO speed and depth per patch.
8: The SN76489 can play square on 3 of it's 4 channels and noise on it's 4th, or a pretty out of tune pulse if it refers to channel 3 for pitch. The MEGA has 4 voice polyphony of square, noise or pulse to use freely
#ChrisLody #MEGAsynthesis #SonicwareLiven
I grew up with a Genesis and I couldn’t order one of these fast enough. I can’t wait to try and re-create some of my favorite OSTs (Streets of Rage, Shinobi 3, ect)
So incredibly pumped for this!
Yes so did I, it's sound was a big influence on me getting into electronic music! Yuzo Koshiro's presets include sections of the Streets of Rage soundtracks and a lot of his sounds. It's so great to hear that stuff coming out of this 😁 ua-cam.com/video/bZpce2q2xoc/v-deo.htmlsi=3PHgiZV1h2ZKpVLs
This was the fastest way to get my attention with a synth. Holy heck I’m getting one right away.
Ha nice 😄 I'd genuinely be all over this too if I hadn't been asked to work on it. I couldn't be more the target market for this!
So I’ve always been interested in synth stuff, the equipment fascinates me so I watch loads of videos about them.
It’s a good job I have no musical talent so the temptation to invest in one never gets too dangerous
Until…
Well, this wouldn't be a bad place to start 😄 There will be tutorials on this channel showing how it all works so there will be plenty to dig into
@@ChrisLodyMusicI'm of a similar mindset but after watching your video I felt inspired and made the purchase. Thank you for putting together some tutorials for people like us. I'm looking forward to watching them repetitively once my mega synthesis arrives🙂
File this under "Things I do not need, but ABSOLUTELY...want!"
Ha I know that feeling 😄
Ok. It looks like they made the patterns up to 128 steps and removed the shift button altogether, and made drum tracks hold multiple drum sounds without parameter locking, which means they fixed pretty much every issue I had with the workflow on the xfm. Sigh...I think I'm sold on this one.
The xfm will continue to serve it's second life as a dedicated generative midi sequencer, but this looks like it does everything I wanted the xfm to do but faster and easier.
Yes I can tell they've worked towards making this one easy to use. It still packs a lot of power but is simpler than the XFM for sure, even on the overlay.
That crasy! Will it be able to use presets from the real OPN2 YM2612? We need a more in depth video.
There will be a more in depth video on this channel next week. I'll start with the pattern edit mode then get stuck into the FM editing. You can copy in presets from real hardware but there is an element of manual conversion to it. The YM2612 has 7 levels of feedback where as the MEGA makes this much finer with 127 levels for example
@@ChrisLodyMusic Thanks Chris, thats intersting, looking forward to your next video.
@@ChrisLodyMusic hholy crap that is what Ive been dreaming of. An extended version of the YM26** or 34** synths
Impressive, Yuzo is a legend
this is kinda right up your alley
He really is yes 🙇🏻♂️👑
For anyone buying this i would also recommend the Mega FM by Twisted Electrons.
Niiiice! I've already placed my order/preorder for this. I now have three Sonicware devices on order: Elz-1 Play, Lofi 12 XT and now this Liven Mega Synthesis too.
The current schedule is pre-orders starting on the 11th. Sonicware products are back on Amazon UK too so hopefully it will be easy to get them from there once they're in stock. Btw this one has no knob shift button even on the overlay so it's pretty slick to use
wow wasn't expecting this they really have been hard at work
Yes it was a great moment when they showed me that they were working on this 😁
Can’t wait for some sound design tutorials! This is going to be a fun one.
Yes I've got a series of FM tutorials planned, the edit overlay is a great way to demo FM sound design luckily
@@ChrisLodyMusic just got my Mega Synth a week ago and I cans stop with this thing what a joyful piece of gear
@@californiadeathworm8143 Awesome, glad you're enjoying it 😁
I wanted to get one of the Liven devices, but it was kinda hard to choose which one I should get. With release of this one it's no longer a question. Mega Drive was the big part of my childhood and a lot of OSTs from SMD games living in my head rent free. Right now it's kinda hard to get music gear in my area, but I hope local music stores will figure out some ways to get Mega Synthesis in stock.
Nice one, it was a massive influence on me growing up too 😁 Are you in the UK? If so Amazon UK will stock it eventually and some other online music stores too
Same, I was interested in 8bit warps and XFM but not enough to buy. This was an instant buy.
I fixed was totally hotting the wrong thing but tha ks for the help.
I used to use a Yamaha fb01 and it’s newer cousin that I can’t recall the name of, but neither was anywhere as easy to program as this cool tool, I think it’s worth the money
Yeah I always wanted an FB01 but was put of by not being able to program it from the front panel. I borrowed a Dx100 too which i still love the sound of. It's not as easy to access the parameters as it is on the Liven though 😄
Whelp, I know what I’m buying when I get my next bonus. Great video, thank you!
Thank you. Hope you have fun with the MEGA!
This might work as a stepping stone away from my LSDJ gameboy :o
Yes I think if you enjoy what that can do you'll enjoy this. I've seen some amazing work on LSDJ but I always wanted to run it on an original DMG and never got round to it
Hello Chris ! What would be the main differences between the mega synthesis and the 8bit wraps ? Are they similar units just with different sound designs or does one do way more different stuff than the other one ? thanks, love your vids
So the 8bit Warps is a synth that emulates the simple wavetable abilities of early 8bit machines with editable waveforms and a 4 track audio looper. The MEGA is inspired by the 16-bit console era and therefore gives you full access to editing an emulation of the YM2612 chip's 4-op FM synthesis capabilities & it's ability to play samples. Plus it adds on simple square, pulse and noise sounds found in the SN76489. It uses a 6 track sequencer so you can have FM, chip-tune style sounds and lofi sampling all at once
So the main difference is the synthesis type which is more complex on the Liven MEGA, also the MEGA has more options because it includes sampling and more polyphony. The 8bit Warps uses an audio looper whereas the MEGA is multitimbral with multiple tracks playing different sounds.
Hi @ChrisLodyMusic, I've been searching for something like this to help me develop chiptune tracks for games. I saw your videos here and on the Sonicware site - it's great to have someone doing tutorials for this. I've looked at trackers but they're not for me, but this looks fantastic. I'm now on the preorder list for April. One thing I can't find any guidance on is how a sequence (plus track instruments) can be recorded to mac/pc. I guess there's recording the audio as a line out, but I wondered whether it can be stored as midi notes and instruments so it can be edited in a DAW.
The only other way I can see getting some form of track editing would be to mute all but one track and record each of them individually as wav files to the pc. I guess this is something everyone knows about as it doesn't seem to get covered much for any brand - and nothing I can find for Sonicware. Thanks.
Hi, sorry to take a while to respond. The method you've mentioned would work well yes. Ideally you could do that with your Liven synced to the midi clock of you daw which you can do by changing the SRC (source) setting in the Clock menu to Midi. It will also respond to play and stop commands from an external source.
Another option would be to sequence it from midi tracks on you daw because each of the tracks on the Liven can receive a different midi channel of incoming notes
the build qualty of these synths feels very flimsy and hollow plastic; it sounds good but I am sure the 12 bit one was also geared toward doing computer game music so whats the difference?
The build is on par with other gear within the same price range, of which there isn't much as it's designed to be a budget machine.
I think you're getting two of the Livens mixed up there. The Lofi-12 is a sampler so I think you're talking about the 8Bit Warps. Apart from the fact that they're both inspired by old game console sounds, there's no commonality between the 8bit Warps and the Liven MEGA. The 8bit Warps is a synth that emulates the simple wavetable abilities of early 8bit machines with editable waveforms and a 4 track audio looper. The MEGA is inspired by the 16-bit console era and therefore gives you full access to editing an emulation of the YM2612 chip's 4-op FM synthesis capabilities & it's ability to play samples. Plus it adds on simple square, pulse and noise sounds found in the SN76489. It uses a 6 track sequencer so you can have FM, chip-tune style sounds and lofi sampling all at once
Can you save your settings for when you come back after a couple of months and need to make a change to the track in a DAW MIDI roundtrip scenario?
Yeah there's tons of memories to save your work so you can return to it at anytime. There's also many different things you can export via midi Sysex if you'd like to back them up too like the pattern contents, synth presets, pcm samples or even a complete dump of the whole device
On the pre-order it says with or without PSU. Does it come with a UK PSU if I choose with option? Bit confused which option to pick. Thanks
To be honest I'm not entirely sure. If you decide to buy without one you can grab a Korg Volca power supply like the one I've linked to here. I've just bought a couple of these myself: Korg - KA-350-UK 9V/1.7A Power Supply (UK plug) amzn.eu/d/bN4wtyC
It is nice to hear new product from Sonicware but I wish little more supports for the products already out there. Any firmware updates on older gears? Please
Well there's firmware updates for all it's old gear already, ELZ_1 reached version 7 and 8bit Warps version 3. So they're adding features and fixing bugs, but obviously there are limitations regarding internal memory etc, but if you need anything specific ask on the Facebook group or contact tech support
Oh my god! That's awesome!
Glad you like it, I've enjoyed working on it 😁
Yes.
Oh wow! This might very well be a GREAT sketch up tool for my more melodic side! Awesome piece of gear, great presentation. 🙌😊
Thanks very much 😁 Yes it's a great all round groovebox with FM, samples and chiptune style sounds all in one place 👌
Would this be a good purchase for someone looking to get into this stuff for the first time? It looks great but have absolutely no experience
Well if the quick tutorial in this video made sense to you then that's promising. If I were you though, I'd wait for a couple of days because I'm working on the main tutorial at the moment which will give you a better idea of whether it's suitable for you. It's capable of quite a lot, not all of which you'll necessarily need to begin with but I try to approach things basics first. Some of the Livens are a bit deep for a beginner but this one is laid out nicely in that regard in my opinion.
Can't wait to get this. Love the sound of the megadrive chip.
Glad you like it, it's lots of fun has to be said 😁
@@ChrisLodyMusic it looks it. What batteries does it take?
6x AA batteries. You can change the type in the system menu for Alkaline, Nickel Metal and Lithium rechargeables too
@@ChrisLodyMusic cool. Thanks for the info much appreciated.
Although I've never had one, I've been aware of Sonicware and their Liven Synths... but man o man.. I've just discovered this one, this is for me... thanks for the video.
Yes to be honest this is my favourite Liven next to the Lofi-12. This was the sound of entire 90s gaming experience, big nostalgia trip for me 👌
@@ChrisLodyMusic Had this a couple of days now and my first thought is, it's very buggy and glitches lots: example - the Octave select doesn't work at first time of asking, you have to go up to go down? I also had a problem where the FX migrating when moving to another pattern. The display constantly shows leds running along the bottom of the 'P2.01' [example] even when it's not being played? did you have any issues?
I'm not sure about the FX but the other issues you're having are not bugs, they're related to the Knob Latch feature that I talk about at around the 3 minute mark. It's designed to preserve the pattern contents and can very easily be turned off
@@ChrisLodyMusic thank you.. that makes sense as I did a couple of resets, and they were gone but came back, probably my error again, 👍🏻
2:59 boss sounds right there🎉
@@ManCalledMif thanks 😁
Does it have parameter lock on the sequemcer?
Yes it does. All the knobs in the grey section can be recorded or sequenced per step for each track
This one is begging for an actual song mode. Does it have anything like that, or does it just have pattern chaining like the other livens?
It has pattern chaining like the other Livens. Chain looping was added to most models recently though including this one
@@ChrisLodyMusic Hey thanks for the quick reply! There’s always manual triggering of patterns, but I was hoping for something that would leave my hands free when using it live. I’m sure I’ll end up getting it regardless, it sounds great!
Yes pattern chain looping will do that, line up a bunch of patterns and they will plan one after another in a loop, so that should do what you need 😁 Have fun!
its only missing an lcd like in Sonicware ELZ_1 :(
Yeah but it doesn't need it to be honest. It's quite simple to operate. Plus having hardware with a screen on like that makes it more expensive
I wonder if they'd ever make a SNES/SFC-inspired one. I mean, it'd basically just be a sampler-sequencer with some very specific limitations and a sample pack, so you could just put the samples in a different sampler and apply your own limitations and get the same result, technically.
I guess a C64/SID emulating one would make more sense in terms of specificity.
Yes I've thought about that. The Lofi-12 or Lofi-6 pretty much has that covered I think if you're super mean with sample space. It's amazing the SNES sounded so good with 64k for samples, audio driver and effects buffer 😅 This is good watching if you've not seen it ua-cam.com/video/dtK0t8k6akg/v-deo.htmlsi=jp5nCUjeimGMBGXF
But yeah there must be more chiptune ground to cover like you say
Is this a good buy who someone who has never used a device like this? I love sega and messing with beat making apps lol
I would say so yes. Both Sonicware and I have noticed that a lot of people who haven't even bought an instrument before are buying this so they've asked me to make a particularly beginner friendly tutorial which will be uploaded to this channel very soon. So it wouldn't be a bad idea to watch that and then decide if it's right for you
Looking forward to it. Thanks!@@ChrisLodyMusic
Omg I need this in my life! You SOLD ME 😅
I was looking forward to your video! Great job
Thanks very much 😁 I've enjoyed working on this so much! The (console I can't name here) was my console of choice back in the day so I couldn't be happier 😄
hey this thing sounds GREAT and I didn't even have a Genesis as a kid so I guess I am just saying that objectively and not nostalgicly
thanks for the video, I am stoked for this one :)
Glad to hear that 😁 The YM2612 is a fantastic little FM synth so it's super useful even if you're not feeling nostalgic. I am though, I'm pretty the spot on target market for this 😄
Let me guess, the kit you used is from Shinobi?
I think you're right yeah 😄
@@ChrisLodyMusic 😄
I think it is great co-op of u n Sonicware. Keep it up SW!
Wow. No kidding Sonicware has been busy. You too, no doubt! Games are not really my thing, but you got some very musical stuff from this synth.
Yeah the emulation of the YM2612 has been widened quite a bit so even if you're not into game soundtrack you can do a lot with this setup
My KORG DSS-1, came with samples of many 8-bit game noises, as well as noise samples. Perhaps they could be used in creating a short video animation. Other than that, they are useless.
Useless, apart from making an entire console generation of game music
Can we get a tear down video please? Thanks
My only gripe is that all the I/O and even the power input is @ the top. 🙃
I won't be doing a tear down sorry, I need this hardware working so I can continue to demonstrate it. Personally I like the connections on top. When I'm making dawless jams, my gear can then fit very closely together without the cable getting in the way
What's the polyphony? And is the polyphony per-track or, shared between all 6 tracks/voices?
The polyphony is separated by track type. 6 for FM, 4 for PSG and 3 for PCM in drum mode, 1 in one-shot (chromatic) mode. So it's an improvement in that regard and some others (see description), PCM doesn't affect the FM polyphony.
When is this going to be imported for sale in the UK? It looks like a great groovebox, but import tax, customs handling fees and expensive, slow postage puts me off, would much prefer to purchase from a UK retailer or not at all.
Sonicware have their products on Amazon UK now and a few UK music stores so that's probably the easiest place to buy it. I'm not sure when that will be exactly, but that will save you import costs etc
i have been dreaming of something like this for years
Excellent, so have I to be honest 😄 I'm basically the exact target market for it, super excited to have worked on it!
Twisted Electrons had MegaFM with the real OPN2 chips for several years but the price was inadequate
When you say it’s more streamline ? Like the actual sequencer and workflow is easier ? I can use the mpc and Verselab like there’s no tomorrow but I could’ve never figured out how to do a basic simple loop sequence on the lo fi 12. 😂 @ChrisLodyMusic
@@toitoitoy And it wasn't multitimbral. Their reasoning was that doing a pad with a long release time took up the 12 voices quickly. Oh, come on! The MicroMonsta 2 and Prologue have 12 and 8 voices, respectively, and they are both bitimbral!
I have a MegaFM and it's great.. as a synth.. for exploring Megadrive FM sounds.. but you're not going to be making Streets of Rage covers easily on it without using a DAW though (no PSG/PCM either). It very much quickly descends into madness (which I like, as I like exploring synthesis).. but not so great for people who just want classic presets to make tracks with
So both systems are welcome! Stacking chips does sound great on the MegaFM though.. so I wonder if Sonicware could add a mode on the MEGA Synthesis that doubled up the emulated YM2612 with some small variations introduced..
Just discovered this and it is EXACTLY what I have wanted all my adult life! I will be preordering one this Friday and it couldn't get in my hands any sooner!
Ha yes exactly, me too 😄 It's one of those products that leaves me wonder why no-one has done this before!
Is it possible to connect it to a tablet/phone and record songs?
Not without some sort of audio interface to connect the two together. You'll need something compatible with whichever phone or tablet you have
@@ChrisLodyMusicIn regards to connecting it to a PC to record/save/export songs, would I need a 1-in/1-out USB bus powered MIDI interface cable or is one included with the kit?
@@SF-iq3vi Yes you'll need something like that. It's very useful to have for firmware updates too. If you're connecting to PC\Mac, avoid non branded ones as they're not reliable enough. Roland and M-Audio both make really decent usb to midi cables that aren't expensive
HOLY GOD! That is so cool!!!
Many thanks for the review...The device is indeed great!
You're welcome, it's a great bit of kit 😁
3:23 sounded exactly like the intro of a sonic level, with the oil.. it's been a while. This looks amazing, great demo!
Yep I love the Sonic games too 😁
If only it would've been USB-C powered... 😔
The power requirements and socket are a match for the Korg Volca series so you could just buy a usb-c to Volca cable and that would do it
Amazing! Purchased yesterday! Can't wait.
Awesome, I hope you have fun with it 😁
Do i need a pc for this
No you can do everything you need on the machine. A PC and a midi interface would be needed to install firmware updates, but it's not essential
@@ChrisLodyMusic thanks man I've got and akai medi pro I didn't want another medi lol just something I can play with with my sampler
Bought one instantly upon finding out about it. Eagerly awaiting the deep dive video.
NIce one, hope you have fun with it. Not long for that video, I'm making it at the moment
Yep this is on my list so sweet
how do you edit the decay? it looks like attack and release only from the front
I'll go over all this in the next tutorial, but on the FM tracks the Attack & Release controls are bidirectional multipliers for the envelopes of the stored sounds. Full editing of the FM sounds is accomplished using an overlay similar to some of the other Livens as there are 4 operators each with a five stage envelope (attack, decay, sustain, sustain-decay, release) so it's not practical to edit all that from the pattern edit level
I love the Mega Synthesis logo in the Sega Genesis style and font.
But it has Mega in the name for the proper name for the system 👍
😍😍😍😍
Oh man I need this. Do you think they’ll ever make an SNES or NES version?
I was discussing the SNES with someone earlier, you can get close to a SNES like experience using the Liven Lofi-12 or Lofi-6 by keeping your samples really short, the SNES only had 64k for samples and the code to play them! A sample pack would be enough to get the right sound. More info here if you need it: ua-cam.com/video/dtK0t8k6akg/v-deo.html&t
The original Liven, the 8bit Warps is fairly close to the NES in some regards but uses an audio looper rather than multiple tracks like most other Livens. So yeah, it would be nice to see them have another go at a general chiptune machine maybe covering more ground like the SID chip etc
@@ChrisLodyMusic Ohhh this is great info. Thanks for the content!
Wait, what is it? Thought that its 8-bit.
No this isn't the 8 Bit Warps, it's a new Liven. FM, PSG and sampling in one. Even if you don't care about it's 16bit game console inspiration it's a pretty tidy package
This is so rad!! Can you record/transfer your own samples to use on the PCM track?
Rad is definitely a good word for it 😄 Like the other sampling Livens, you can record you own samples in via the Line In and after that they can be transferred in and out using midi Sysex
@@ChrisLodyMusic Amazing. Wasn't too familiar with the brand until this morning. Instant buy with that information (real talk even without that capability it'd be worth it). Thanks for the quick answer!! 🙏
@@F1NG3RS No problem, glad to help. There will be a tutorial of everything apart from the FM edit mode on this channel next week so I'll demo sampling there
@@ChrisLodyMusic Subscribed. Can't wait!
@@ChrisLodyMusicwould definitely like to see more of what slicing is like
nice it has midi in. I can't play keyboard but i can program midi in guitar pro. So in some ways i can fake playing keyboard. Even tough. This screems i need it as a sega lover,
Oh that's interesting, Guitar Pro is not something I've seen before. I hope you have fun with it 😁
@@ChrisLodyMusic I think it is possible. i can make it send the same stuff as a keyboard sorta speak. Midi isntructions to the device. If a keyboard works on it then it is also possible to do so with guitar pro in a similair fashion. A bit like coding music.
This looks so fun! This is what I was hoping the 8 Bit Warps was going to be when it came out (in terms of track count and synth + samples). Does it have an arpeggiator?
Yes I think Sonicware have learned a lot since the 8bit Warps. Yes it does have an arpeggiator which functions like it does on the other Livens with speed being linked to step length and BPM
Can't wait!