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Which communication protocol is used in AdLib sound card?

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2

By "AdLib sound card" I mean AdLib Music Synthesizer Card released in 1987.

Wikipedia says that AdLib uses frequency modulation synthesis to produce sound, but does it use MIDI communication protocol or some another way?

It's entirely possible that the FM synthesis uses MIDI under the hood to control the FM synthesis chip. The other option would be a specific driver control library which would be linked into the software.

-- From the question on the sound.stackexchange.com

ibm-pc gaming sound

share|improve this question

asked 2 hours ago

john c. j.john c. j.

1155

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  This type of device is (was?) well supported in Linux. So the driver details captured in that code-base would tell you pretty much everything.
  
  – jdv
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Or, if you can find a copy of the "AdLib Music Synthesizer Card Programmer's Manual". My feelings are that MIDI was not used under the hood, as programming this thing was very much a low-level thing, where a handful of specific operators gave you access to oscillators, mixers, etc. (The control was such that you didn't have to use FM if you didn't want to -- there was an additive mode.)
  
  – jdv
  2 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @jdv Yes, I'm sure that MIDI wasn't used, because it's very easy to find YouTube videos entitled like "AdLib vs. MIDI". One: youtube.com/watch?v=He_mlHj7tOU, another: youtube.com/watch?v=v9snl7f5oms
  
  – john c. j.
  2 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Sound cards based on Yamaha's OPL2 / OPL3 FM synthesis chips had a predefined set of patch definitions corresponding to the 128 standard General Midi instruments. The MIDI driver software simply loaded the appropriate data into the chip as required. Computer games typically defined their own set of "non-standard" sounds, but still used MIDI to play the music. MIDI is a very compact data format and there would have been little value in trying to "invent a better wheel" to do the same task.
  
  – alephzero
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @johnc.j. Both the options in the videos use MIDI. They are using the same MIDI file to control two different synthesizers. (Virtually every form of computer music still uses MIDI to control the synths, even if the synth is accessing hundreds of Gb of sampled audio to generate the actual sounds.)
  
  – alephzero
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 2 more comments

2

By "AdLib sound card" I mean AdLib Music Synthesizer Card released in 1987.

Wikipedia says that AdLib uses frequency modulation synthesis to produce sound, but does it use MIDI communication protocol or some another way?

It's entirely possible that the FM synthesis uses MIDI under the hood to control the FM synthesis chip. The other option would be a specific driver control library which would be linked into the software.

-- From the question on the sound.stackexchange.com

ibm-pc gaming sound

share|improve this question

asked 2 hours ago

john c. j.john c. j.

1155

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  This type of device is (was?) well supported in Linux. So the driver details captured in that code-base would tell you pretty much everything.
  
  – jdv
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Or, if you can find a copy of the "AdLib Music Synthesizer Card Programmer's Manual". My feelings are that MIDI was not used under the hood, as programming this thing was very much a low-level thing, where a handful of specific operators gave you access to oscillators, mixers, etc. (The control was such that you didn't have to use FM if you didn't want to -- there was an additive mode.)
  
  – jdv
  2 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @jdv Yes, I'm sure that MIDI wasn't used, because it's very easy to find YouTube videos entitled like "AdLib vs. MIDI". One: youtube.com/watch?v=He_mlHj7tOU, another: youtube.com/watch?v=v9snl7f5oms
  
  – john c. j.
  2 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Sound cards based on Yamaha's OPL2 / OPL3 FM synthesis chips had a predefined set of patch definitions corresponding to the 128 standard General Midi instruments. The MIDI driver software simply loaded the appropriate data into the chip as required. Computer games typically defined their own set of "non-standard" sounds, but still used MIDI to play the music. MIDI is a very compact data format and there would have been little value in trying to "invent a better wheel" to do the same task.
  
  – alephzero
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @johnc.j. Both the options in the videos use MIDI. They are using the same MIDI file to control two different synthesizers. (Virtually every form of computer music still uses MIDI to control the synths, even if the synth is accessing hundreds of Gb of sampled audio to generate the actual sounds.)
  
  – alephzero
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 2 more comments

By "AdLib sound card" I mean AdLib Music Synthesizer Card released in 1987.

Wikipedia says that AdLib uses frequency modulation synthesis to produce sound, but does it use MIDI communication protocol or some another way?

It's entirely possible that the FM synthesis uses MIDI under the hood to control the FM synthesis chip. The other option would be a specific driver control library which would be linked into the software.

-- From the question on the sound.stackexchange.com

ibm-pc gaming sound

share|improve this question

asked 2 hours ago

john c. j.john c. j.

1155

share|improve this question

asked 2 hours ago

john c. j.john c. j.

1155

share|improve this question

asked 2 hours ago

john c. j.john c. j.

1155

asked 2 hours ago

john c. j.john c. j.

1155

asked 2 hours ago

john c. j.john c. j.

1155

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

4

The AdLib simply provides raw programmatic access to its OPL2:

The sound card is programmed by sending data to its internal registers via its two I/O ports: ...

The sound card possesses an array of two hundred forty-four registers; to write to a particular register, send the register number (01-F5) to the address port, and the desired value to the data port.

After writing to the register port, you must wait twelve cycles before sending the data; after writing the data, eighty-four cycles must elapse before any other sound card operation may be performed.

So, no MIDI, no other high-level format. The card produces nine channels of sound, each of which is the product of two sine-derived functions; you can instead configure it as six of those channels plus five percussion channels.

It supports automatic application of ADSR but otherwise it is a simple modal device. Set the current instrument set, their frequencies and volume envelopes, then they'll play continuously until you tell the card otherwise.

So, unlike MIDI or other formats like it, there's no inherent sequencing or timing of notes — the card has no autonomy in proceeding through music. It just makes the noises you've currently assigned to it.

(and as to implementation of that expensive-sounding audio generation, see this reverse engineering; summary: it's all log tables)

share|improve this answer

edited 33 mins ago

answered 2 hours ago

TommyTommy

14.8k14073

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  This is correct so far as it goes, but it's only half the story. To produce some "interesting" sounds you need to change the values on the OPL registers under real time control. MIDI has always been used for that purpose, since it is a very compact representation of "music notation". The OPL chip is the "musical instrument," and MIDI is the "performer" on the instrument.
  
  – alephzero
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @alephzero the question is "Which communication protocol is used in AdLib sound card?"; if you chose to use MIDI, that decision would live entirely in your code over on the CPU and the communication protocol you'd use with the AdLib sound card would still just be setting registers as and when you feel like it. So this is half the story as to how you'd write an AdLib music player, but the entire story as to the functioning of the AdLib card.
  
  – Tommy
  33 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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4

The AdLib simply provides raw programmatic access to its OPL2:

The sound card is programmed by sending data to its internal registers via its two I/O ports: ...

The sound card possesses an array of two hundred forty-four registers; to write to a particular register, send the register number (01-F5) to the address port, and the desired value to the data port.

After writing to the register port, you must wait twelve cycles before sending the data; after writing the data, eighty-four cycles must elapse before any other sound card operation may be performed.

So, no MIDI, no other high-level format. The card produces nine channels of sound, each of which is the product of two sine-derived functions; you can instead configure it as six of those channels plus five percussion channels.

It supports automatic application of ADSR but otherwise it is a simple modal device. Set the current instrument set, their frequencies and volume envelopes, then they'll play continuously until you tell the card otherwise.

So, unlike MIDI or other formats like it, there's no inherent sequencing or timing of notes — the card has no autonomy in proceeding through music. It just makes the noises you've currently assigned to it.

(and as to implementation of that expensive-sounding audio generation, see this reverse engineering; summary: it's all log tables)

share|improve this answer

edited 33 mins ago

answered 2 hours ago

TommyTommy

14.8k14073

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  This is correct so far as it goes, but it's only half the story. To produce some "interesting" sounds you need to change the values on the OPL registers under real time control. MIDI has always been used for that purpose, since it is a very compact representation of "music notation". The OPL chip is the "musical instrument," and MIDI is the "performer" on the instrument.
  
  – alephzero
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @alephzero the question is "Which communication protocol is used in AdLib sound card?"; if you chose to use MIDI, that decision would live entirely in your code over on the CPU and the communication protocol you'd use with the AdLib sound card would still just be setting registers as and when you feel like it. So this is half the story as to how you'd write an AdLib music player, but the entire story as to the functioning of the AdLib card.
  
  – Tommy
  33 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

4

The AdLib simply provides raw programmatic access to its OPL2:

The sound card is programmed by sending data to its internal registers via its two I/O ports: ...

The sound card possesses an array of two hundred forty-four registers; to write to a particular register, send the register number (01-F5) to the address port, and the desired value to the data port.

After writing to the register port, you must wait twelve cycles before sending the data; after writing the data, eighty-four cycles must elapse before any other sound card operation may be performed.

So, no MIDI, no other high-level format. The card produces nine channels of sound, each of which is the product of two sine-derived functions; you can instead configure it as six of those channels plus five percussion channels.

It supports automatic application of ADSR but otherwise it is a simple modal device. Set the current instrument set, their frequencies and volume envelopes, then they'll play continuously until you tell the card otherwise.

So, unlike MIDI or other formats like it, there's no inherent sequencing or timing of notes — the card has no autonomy in proceeding through music. It just makes the noises you've currently assigned to it.

(and as to implementation of that expensive-sounding audio generation, see this reverse engineering; summary: it's all log tables)

share|improve this answer

edited 33 mins ago

answered 2 hours ago

TommyTommy

14.8k14073

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  This is correct so far as it goes, but it's only half the story. To produce some "interesting" sounds you need to change the values on the OPL registers under real time control. MIDI has always been used for that purpose, since it is a very compact representation of "music notation". The OPL chip is the "musical instrument," and MIDI is the "performer" on the instrument.
  
  – alephzero
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @alephzero the question is "Which communication protocol is used in AdLib sound card?"; if you chose to use MIDI, that decision would live entirely in your code over on the CPU and the communication protocol you'd use with the AdLib sound card would still just be setting registers as and when you feel like it. So this is half the story as to how you'd write an AdLib music player, but the entire story as to the functioning of the AdLib card.
  
  – Tommy
  33 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

The AdLib simply provides raw programmatic access to its OPL2:

The sound card is programmed by sending data to its internal registers via its two I/O ports: ...

The sound card possesses an array of two hundred forty-four registers; to write to a particular register, send the register number (01-F5) to the address port, and the desired value to the data port.

After writing to the register port, you must wait twelve cycles before sending the data; after writing the data, eighty-four cycles must elapse before any other sound card operation may be performed.

So, no MIDI, no other high-level format. The card produces nine channels of sound, each of which is the product of two sine-derived functions; you can instead configure it as six of those channels plus five percussion channels.

It supports automatic application of ADSR but otherwise it is a simple modal device. Set the current instrument set, their frequencies and volume envelopes, then they'll play continuously until you tell the card otherwise.

So, unlike MIDI or other formats like it, there's no inherent sequencing or timing of notes — the card has no autonomy in proceeding through music. It just makes the noises you've currently assigned to it.

(and as to implementation of that expensive-sounding audio generation, see this reverse engineering; summary: it's all log tables)

share|improve this answer

edited 33 mins ago

answered 2 hours ago

TommyTommy

14.8k14073

share|improve this answer

edited 33 mins ago

answered 2 hours ago

TommyTommy

14.8k14073

answered 2 hours ago

TommyTommy

14.8k14073

answered 2 hours ago

TommyTommy

14.8k14073