The Sega Master System Sounds Horrible !

[samsonlonghair]

That would sound just like a mono recording, in effect removing the stereo,

Bingo!

while AK makes clear use of polyphony

Nah. If I can't hear multiple simultaneous voices, then the use of polyphony is inherently not clear.

Anyway, since you're the big expert here, why don't you tell us what attributes make PSG music sound good?

[samsonlonghair]

Yes Maestro Leever, I do have hearing issues, but I ain't deaf yet. Those drums you mention just sound like a single syncopated snare crunch to me. Maybe it's just my busted old cartridge, or my busted old ears, but I can't hear the drums when any other sound is being played. I bet a chip tune wizard such as yourself could recreate that whole song as monophonic with hardly any changes to the output.

Why Alien 3 sounds so good: Periodic noise bass goes lower than psg bass, combined psg and noise for thicker drums, echo and chorus effects on leads, fast arpeggios for chords. Besides good composition.

So which other PSG soundtracks on SMS utilize these attributes?

[samsonlonghair]

And now you're mad? I wasn't being rude man.

Nah, I ain't mad. I'm just givin' you a hard time.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I prefer PSG over FM in Phantasy Star. Sounds so nice and chipper. Especially the title screen theme.

[Sarge]

I tend to agree. I'm not a fan of the sound chip, due to its inability to get some bass in there. The NES trounces it in that respect. My understanding is that it just can't get the waveforms to a low enough frequency because of the main clock speed of the system.

This is a decent tune, though.

[pierrot]

Here's some good (decent?) stuff. (I like it, anyway):

Dragon's Trap (I actually kind of like the PSG more than the FM soundtrack)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgSE-uoXltE&t=157s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgSE-uoXltE&t=763s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgSE-uoXltE&t=1100s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgSE-uoXltE&t=1349s (would put this up against almost any Mega Man track--definitely not the title track from 3, though)

Sonic the Hedgehog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHdhj7psoV0&t=143s (classic)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHdhj7psoV0&t=279s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHdhj7psoV0&t=483s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHdhj7psoV0&t=768s

Quartet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVtLa7yYZtU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDH7LdwYts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbn1iHks8FY

(The arcade soundtrack is still the king of kings, though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkyTz1Lwqvw)


I'm just gonna leave this here. I think if you just start listening through some soundtracks you could be pleasantly surprised. The NES has a shrill sound to it, too, I feel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDk_vKzu7kI

[marurun]

So, I listened to a bit of the Alex Kidd in Miracle World soundtrack. I don’t like it. It’s overly simplistic and the melody is rather basic. Decidedly not monotone, though. The main melody is indeed two channels playing different notes to create a simple harmony. But it’s such a simple harmony it might as well be note doubling since there’s so little variation in the note separation. There’s also a, maybe not counter-melody, exactly. And then there’s the rather bland percussion. 1 Star. Kinda sucks.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Stage 1 theme of Quartet is the best Sega track of any kind, ever. Sounds great on the Master System, but absolutely god-tier in the arcade.

[marurun]

Stage 1 theme of Quartet is the best Sega track of any kind, ever. Sounds great on the Master System, but absolutely god-tier in the arcade.

One of the few Sega FM tracks that really sounds just like a DX7 from some 80s pop song.

[nightrnr]

Anyone mention Fantasy Zone yet? I know it's an arcade port and all, but seems destined for the Master system audio. Just sounds so trippy and happy.



Also, GG Shinobi II: Silent Fury has an excellent soundtrack (as does the 1st game). Same sound chip as Master system, I assume?



The takeaway I get from this thread is that, yes, the PSG audio is pretty limited compared to its contemporaries, but that's also part of the charm.
Helps if you have good memories with the system though (even if it was well into the 90's or early 2000's like me).

I do have some favs and or tracks I find amusing on SMS.