AI2 memories

It is been a while I wasn't wiriting here.
There's not much to say about my AI2 development. To write a tool for assembling these cards from a random sample, some format is needed to link samples to parts of a keyboard, pitch, etc. So I just developed a JSON structure to describe them to pack into a card. Sort of.. Couple of times.. and then I've abandoned all the that stuff. I'll return to it, but later. I am on the run, and still all the things around are not settled. Birth of a child, House building, Pandemia, War, Escape from a country where the house is build.. OMG will it ever end? And this is a almost 9 years passed.

Lance's Abair instructional video I uploaded 3 years ago to my YT channel has got 23,735 viewsas per today. It wasn't much viewed first, but a year or so ago, it started to get more and more views every day. I have no idea what's happened, maybe 80's nostalgia embraced all the world?

I found more info about Lance, and it turns out he was a really cool musician and I really like the structure he explains the instruments. (not just 01W) That's a good approach. I hope he is still doing well.
As for the comments, they were really fun to read. To summarize, many having fun on Lance's mullet, many astonished by the fact they are viewving a video of an prehistoric instrument they never had, and many are really using it for studying how to use it.
I've also asked for some 01/W parts on YT, and once a guy (and I am sincerely thankfull for the offer I really not expected) offered me to ship whole 01/W thing in a exellent condition for free. I modestly refused, though I'd like to have it, but I more tend to diasssemble it to bits and bolts. An instument in a good condition must own a musician, not engeneer.
Although I realize, that no one reads my blog, still, I'd be happy if anyone whould donate me motherboards, or any other electronic parts of any KORG's AI2 synths: M1, 01/W, X3, N264/N364, 05, 03, N, T etc. At least tinkering with a boards will make me turn into the project again.
Meanwhile, I dedicated my spare time to NES or Famicom (to be more specific) nostalgia. I'll tell about it in the next post, as I have to write it down.

Mad about pinching M1 samples from everythere..
Found some un-encrypted at NDS M10D ROM.
Thought samples seems legit (32Khz, 16bit,LE, mono), Name Block similar to AI2 , but the address block looks shuffled.
Meditating on this... ~_~

AI2 pcmcard format decoded

It's been a long time without a post.

Want some news?
I stopped on hardware digging a while, and dug into software side.

With great help of Alex's pcm dumps, Korg's AI2 pcm cards format decoded for.. let's  say 98%!
 

Still my plans to dump all the PCM chips of X3 synth, write a FAQ on pcmcards dumping/writing, and some more.


And now, enjoy some Demos of XSC cards, I found no one shared on youtube yet.
(I'll upload a couple more soon, browse my channel for more.)

I dumped a ROM! (and I like it)
Currently, dumped KORG X2 ROM.

 Luckily, "The V55PI instruction set is upward compatible with the V20/V30 (native mode) and V25/V35 instruction sets"

And V20/30 is just 80186 clone, so "It's easy to find suitable disasm", I thought.
Bogus! ( I was hoping for IDA has 80186 support, but...
But I found old good dosbox-running app, called Sourcer.  Checking it out now.

P.S. Feel free to contact me, if you need Korg X2 fw file. i'll dump X3 fw soon, and some morre ;)

I always been interesting in all that KORG's chip abbreviations.
No doubt, I have a gut feeling on that TGL is a Tone Generator related chip, but what MAP is?

Unfortunately, I've never seen inner Korg's documentation, like naming convention, or data structures of AI2 synths. (I beg you to contact with me, if you have some ^__^ )

But today, I've got Wavestation service manual, and there were a little, but priceless passage on this:

MAP16 - Decoder/card buffer, The main functions are Gate Array function connected with CPU such as Address Latch, Address Decoder, R/W Pulse Occurrence Circuit and the interface with IC card.

KSP - Key scan processor. Scans the data of the keys, the panel switches, the wheel, the joystick and the pedals, converts those data to serial and transmits them to CPU.
Sweet little passage. I wish there were a memory map and programming manual for TG. ^__^

I am on comparing PCM parts of KORG'z AI synths.
Kinda funny, it seems clear why it is rumoured than one sounds better than another.. I found out, that some chips data lines are tied partly. (8 instead of 16) On X3, two chips used 16bit  data bus, and one 8 bit. Is it made for storing compressed samples maybe? Someday, I dump these chips to check it out.

			Model PCM size Chips Sample Q,bit CPU M1 16Mbit x8 16 uPD70216 O1W 48Mbit 16 uPD72016 (uPD70208) 01W-Pro_ProX 80Mbit 16Mx5 16 uPD72016 01rw 48Mbit 8Mx6 16 uPD72016 05RW 48Mbit 16Mx3 16,12,8 uPD70325 X3 48Mbit 16Mx3 16,12,8 uPD70433 X2 64Mbit 16Mx4(?) 16,12,8 uPD70433 N264/364 64Mbit 16Mx4 16,12,8 uPD70433 X5D 64Mbit 16Mx4 12,8 uPD70433 T1,2,3 64Mbit 4Mx16 16 uPD70216 Wavestation EX 20 HD641016CP10 i2 16Mx4 16,? uPD70433 CS303 2Mbit 16Mx1 16 uPD70433

I dig into AI2 synths hardware as hobby.