Phoenix/Pleiads emulator with accurate sound?

[GaryMcT]

Anyone know of an emulator that does Phoenix/Pleiads audio properly?  Mame is getting closer on Phoenix, but isn't quite right yet.

Thanks!
Gary

[FrizzleFried]

Anyone know of an emulator that does Phoenix/Pleiads audio properly?  Mame is getting closer on Phoenix, but isn't quite right yet.

Thanks!
Gary

Really?  It's been a LONG time since I played a dedicated Phoenix,  but I thought MAME was pretty much spot on now?

[GaryMcT]

Compare the firing sound to this video of an actual machine.  Greater attack on the original where the emulated one fades in:

[ahofle]

You should post this (and the attached video) on the MAME forum: http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=mamechat
Requests like this typically get more traction when there is an original PCB video posted as evidence of the discrepancy (although, not always -- COUGH -- Joust  ).

[GaryMcT]

You should post this (and the attached video) on the MAME forum: http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=mamechat
Requests like this typically get more traction when there is an original PCB video posted as evidence of the discrepancy (although, not always -- COUGH -- Joust  ).

Cool. . . will do.  I've been wondering where to sign up to fix things in Mame, so maybe this'll be a good place to start.

What's wrong with Joust?

[ahofle]

What's wrong with Joust?

There is a bug when the cliffs disappear that leave a couple remnant pixels floating in midair.  Once you fly through them, they are gone.

[Ummon]

To report bugs or inaccuracies, you need to go to mametesters.org .

[FrizzleFried]

What's wrong with Joust?

There is a bug when the cliffs disappear that leave a couple remnant pixels floating in midair.  Once you fly through them, they are gone.

That also happened in the original game (at least some versions)...

[2600]

Actually I'm pretty sure this would not go well on the MAME World forums. 

Several PCB's were compared when they did the sounds last and they found out why everyone thinks they sound different.  The capacitors in the sound section have aged differently on different boards.  So unless you can verify the circuitry on the PCB in that video I doubt it will get changed to suit your preference.

[GaryMcT]

Actually I'm pretty sure this would not go well on the MAME World forums. 

Several PCB's were compared when they did the sounds last and they found out why everyone thinks they sound different.  The capacitors in the sound section have aged differently on different boards.  So unless you can verify the circuitry on the PCB in that video I doubt it will get changed to suit your preference.

I'll bring it up anyways.  I haven't played Phoenix much since it first came out when I was a kid.  I fired it up recently and thought the shot sounds were off from what I remember from playing on a new machine when I was a kid.  I dug up the video to make sure I wasn't mistaken.  That's a long time to remember exactly how it sounded back then, but I'm pretty sure it is closer to the youtube video than what is in Mame right now.

[2600]

Actually I'm pretty sure this would not go well on the MAME World forums. 

Several PCB's were compared when they did the sounds last and they found out why everyone thinks they sound different.  The capacitors in the sound section have aged differently on different boards.  So unless you can verify the circuitry on the PCB in that video I doubt it will get changed to suit your preference.

I'll bring it up anyways.  I haven't played Phoenix much since it first came out when I was a kid.  I fired it up recently and thought the shot sounds were off from what I remember from playing on a new machine when I was a kid.  I dug up the video to make sure I wasn't mistaken.  That's a long time to remember exactly how it sounded back then, but I'm pretty sure it is closer to the youtube video than what is in Mame right now.

It's always possible it could of broken between releases when they first fixed it.  I'd try MAMEtesters.org though instead as that is where bugs should be reported.

[GaryMcT]

Actually I'm pretty sure this would not go well on the MAME World forums. 

Several PCB's were compared when they did the sounds last and they found out why everyone thinks they sound different.  The capacitors in the sound section have aged differently on different boards.  So unless you can verify the circuitry on the PCB in that video I doubt it will get changed to suit your preference.

I'll bring it up anyways.  I haven't played Phoenix much since it first came out when I was a kid.  I fired it up recently and thought the shot sounds were off from what I remember from playing on a new machine when I was a kid.  I dug up the video to make sure I wasn't mistaken.  That's a long time to remember exactly how it sounded back then, but I'm pretty sure it is closer to the youtube video than what is in Mame right now.

It's always possible it could of broken between releases when they first fixed it.  I'd try MAMEtesters.org though instead as that is where bugs should be reported.

Thanks.  Will do.

Gary

[iano]

I think i remember reading somewhere a few years back that the sound in Phoenix is not 100% accurate because they didn't know how to emulate accurately the discrete circuitry on the arcade pcbs or something along those lines. Dunno ?!?

 

[ahofle]

What's wrong with Joust?

There is a bug when the cliffs disappear that leave a couple remnant pixels floating in midair.  Once you fly through them, they are gone.

That also happened in the original game (at least some versions)...

I call BS on that claim until I see a video.  I have yet to see it happen on a real PCB (there is a Joust at the local arcade).  Conversely, there isn't a single MAME Joust set that doesn't exhibit the extraneous pixels EVERY TIME.

[ahofle]

Actually I'm pretty sure this would not go well on the MAME World forums. 

Several PCB's were compared when they did the sounds last and they found out why everyone thinks they sound different.  The capacitors in the sound section have aged differently on different boards.  So unless you can verify the circuitry on the PCB in that video I doubt it will get changed to suit your preference.

I actually spoke with couriersud (the guy who fixed the discrete sounds in Donkey Kong/DK Jr./Mario Bros, really nice guy).  He said the same thing about aging capacitors when I asked about the Mario Bros running sound being way off a few versions ago.  But when it came up he looked at the schematics again and found some miscalculations that were causing the discrepancy, not capacitor aging.  He fixed it and the Mario Bros running sound is just about spot on now.  So it's not entirely a waste of time to bring it up.  Also, I think creating a bug for it on mametesters without any discussion is a waste of time (it will most likely be rejected unless you can back up your claim with proof/schematics).

[inkeye]

The left-over pixel in Joust is not a bug in MAME.  It's a bug in Joust.  Our family was in the arcade business from 1983 - 1995.  We actually bought a Joust brand new in the box (only time we ever did that).  I can specifically remember me and my friends playing that game and it was kind of an extra "sub-game" of who could wipe out the floating pixel first when those cliffs would disappear.  We would fight for it and kill each other over it.  Nope, not a bug!  It really truly was in the original.