After having owned both the MEGAfm and BlastBeats, I’ve found that I don’t like any of the “emulations” I’ve tried. This emulation actually doesn’t sound that good imo.
I think the Inphonik emulation sounds better, but still doesn’t sound authentic to me:
https://www.inphonik.com/products/rym2612-iconic-fm-synthesizer/
There was a Genesis/Megadrive version of Megaman 1-3. It was quite good.
The demos Sounds very good to me. Like a megadrive.
I mean, it looks like a fun box and I don’t want to get holier-than-thou about FM or chip purity (which I know I have a bad habit for) and you should ignore me because I’m just a big nerd.
They didn’t use the Wiley Wars background or fonts, they used the NES version with its flatter surfaces, lighter blues, and vanishing-point title with striped magenta and blue chrome effect, none of which were in Wiley Wars and, I mean, yeah the Megadrive was more than the YM2612 and most soundtracks used the 8bit SN76489 too so maybe they’re calling that out except the 76489 is all pulse and the thing that made the NES distinctive was its wonky triangle and Mega Man in particular really relied on that sound and if the whole point of your box is it sounds like games, show the right games, you know?
Wow, I’m impressed! 
I sadly missed out on the Mega Man games as a kid, somehow they passed me by. But I did get into Mega Man 10 on Xbox Live Arcade… Man that was a brilliant game. Got me emulating the originals, and made me realise what the fuss was all about.
Has it occured to you that its a piss take?
Did you watch the promo vid?
Bloody obvious to me.
@jemmons @Microtribe
Heck yeah video games and synthesizers, amirite? 
Yes! I played 1, 2, and 3 a butt ton as a kid but felt like it lost its way a little. 9 and 10 brought it back in a great way. I’m a big X and X-2 fan too along with the Rockman Zero games.
Any way, they’re absolutely targeting 16-bit nostalgia and I’m all for it! Looks like there’s a sampling function too so we can get some sounds from the era just right.
I’d love to use a sound test screen from a game to grab some classic one-off sfx.
Maybe. Imagine they made something called the Acid Box promising “the classic sounds of Roland’s most iconic bass synth”. And in a cheesy 80s Roland-style promotion, the screen where they touted its “TB-303 Engine” they showed a picture of an SH-101.
To anyone who doesn’t care, they probably didn’t notice. If they did, they’d say “It looks like one of those 80s synth. And it was used to make acid. And it sounds pretty close. They were just having a laugh.”
But someone looking for an authentic 303 emulation would have to be crazy to order that box without some serious vetting, yeah? And to be fair, maybe that’s the intent. To keep sanctimonious pricks like me away 
I suspect (maybe?) a large portion of the target demographic won’t have the depth of knowledge to notice, as they were not around in the 90’s or playing video games at least. Also knowing how Nintendo, and probably Sega are around use of their imagery IP maybe even this (fairly loose) visual association is skirting perilously close to what could constitute infringement?
It’s a small thing. I’m not worried about how the target demographic sees it. But if the creators of the promo didn’t have the depth of knowledge to notice, that argues against the kind obsessive commitment to detail that’s necessary for accurate emulations.
Again, if someone said “here’s our new TB-303 emu that lets you play classic acid tracks like Britney Spears’s Toxic” you’d be a little sus about how deep they really went on the 303 details.
But, as I think you’re saying, accurate emulation is probably not the goal. There are many, many more people that just want the vibe of “video games” (or of the 303, for that matter) and they will love this and make fantastic music with it. Both these things can be true. Promise I’ll shut up now 
Yeah BTW I’m not disagreeing with you, I’m just postulating why they might have gone that route with the visual aesthetic.
I reckon it is most likely that they put enough visual cues in to give a nod and wink, a little bit of this and a little bit of that so to speak, to avoid having to get permission or license.
Personally I have not really listened to it with enough scrutiny to determine how accurate it sounds when compared to a Megadrive/Genesis, I suspect that even with legacy mode enabled it will lack the grit. I think maybe that your point that they are shooting for the vibe rather than proper authenticity is probably right.
That said, for me it isn’t that important within the scope I’d use it - and I can be somewhat particular about accurate emulation and authenticity for certain things, for sure.
This topic got me thinking of one of my favourite Mega Drive soundtracks, for a game called Warlock, which was based on the pretty messed-up movie starring Julian Sands. The intro was awesome:
Heck yes.
Without going for a Koshiro track right away, one of my long-time favorites is My Dear D from Shinobi 3. Earliest odd time signature track I can remember paired with a body horror of a boss fight.
This is one of my favorites:
Dunno, youre talking to someone that owns a Xoxbox. Which looks nothing like a TB303…
Does it sound like one? Well, hard to say since TB303s dont sound exactly like each other.
I built my Xoxbox, so it doesnt sound like anyone elses.
Accurate emulations? Absolutely not. Do I care? Nope.
I also own a TR8-S, which shock horror, doesnt sound exactly like 606! Nor does it look like one… its not even real analogue
Is this Liven thing an accurate emulation of a sega mega drive? No.
Does any of this matter? Not to me it doesnt
This is pretty cool. If Sonicware keeps this path, I wonder if we’ll see an NES (RP2A03) machine.
A fave of mine, some gems in here.
I raise you one more!
Totally agree. I had a megadrive in the 90s (still have the same unit) and I’ve played with emulators for years and years. I don’t know if its an accurate version but I don’t mind. It resembles me a lot how the megadrive sounded. For me, it sounds like megadrive.