> Step by step

4. Further sound features

1

RYM2612 has a number of further sound generation parameters. Firstly, Operator 1 has a dedicated feedback amount so you can feed its output back into itself. Try this and you’ll see it’s easy to create more edgy sounds and at higher settings, pretty noisy sounds too. 2

As discussed, operator pitch is influenced by integer multiples. However, you can also use the YM2612 ‘special’ mode, which you’ll find just below the preset bar. Set this to Float Multiplier and you can select any value from 0.5 to 15.0. Try using this for dissonant effects or fatter sounds with modest pitch offsets. 3

For modulation there’s one very basic LFO with eight preset rate settings (0 to 7). The LFO can modulate both pitch and amplitude (PMS and AMS) and also integrates with the modwheel. The modwheel can also be used to control operator level. Here we’ve used the AM activate button for operator 1 and set overall PMS and AMS amounts. 4

In this mode, you can also make use of the fixed pitch option. Each operator has its own Fixed button and, once engaged, the Multiplier button becomes a frequency selector (20Hz to 15kHz). This is great for percussive effects and here we’ve used it to create a ringy ride sound. 5

CSM mode is an undocumented option found in the YM2612 that allows very fast note retriggering to create continuous tones. Select the Auto Retrig option and then adjust the Retrig Rate control next to it. You’ll see that, in this mode, the frequency multiplier uses the floating option so you can more freely adjust the frequency. 6

Finally, RYM2612 has two hardware feature options at the bottom. Output Filtering (Legacy/Crystal Clear) provides the option to emulate (or not emulate) the sound of the Sega hardware output. Meanwhile, Ladder Effect replicates the original D/A low amplitude distortion. For retro sounds, both settings impart quite obvious effects.