Yamaha FM Chips

Some famous Yamaha FM chips. The numbering system is very confusing.
(This is only a small selection of the total produced)
Many of these chips are still available and are excellent for DIY projects.
ALM Busy Circuits Akemie’s eurorack modules are made with some of these old Yamaha chips (YMF262  aka OPL3).

These came out around 1983
     YM21280 (OPS) operator chip (Yamaha DX7& DX5)
     YM21290 (EGS) envelope  (Yamaha DX7 & DX5)
                                  16 voices (6-op) (32 in DX1/DX5)

1983
     YM2151 (OPM, 4Operator Type-M)
      Used in Yamaha SFG-01 and SFG-05 FM Sound Synthesizer units. & Yamaha CX5M.
      Yamaha's first single chip FM synthesis implementation.
       Used in Sega arcade boards from 1985 & Sharps X1 & X68000(1987) home computer
       The YM2151 chip developed into the YM2164 which found its way into the DX21, DX27, DX100

1984
    YM2203 (OPN) Type N
     4 operators per channel, 3 channels. Eight algorithms.
     Used in lots of video games & NEC computers

1984
     YM3526 (OPL)
      Low cost, 9 channel.
      2 operators. Used in the Commodore 64 expansion as wellas several arcade games ..eg Terra Cresta

1985 - DX21, DX27, DX100, FB-01, SFG-05 + Korg DS-8, 707
    YM2164 (OPP, FM Operator Type P)
     4 operators, 8 voices

1985
     YM3812(OPL2)...... famous for its wide use in IBM PC-based sound cards
     such as the AdLib, Sound Blaster and Pro AudioSpectrum (8bit),
     as well as several arcade games by Nichibutsu, Toaplan and others.

1985 ?
    YM3526(OPL).... 2 operator FM synthesis chip.
                                   used in a Commodore 64 expansion, the Sound Expander,
                                   as well as several arcade games, such as Terra Cresta and Bubble Bobble.



1986 --- used in the DX7 markII , TX802
     YM2604 (OPS2)... operator chip
     YM3609 (EGM) ..... envelope chip

1988
   YM2612(OPN2)..... Sega Mega Drive/Genesis & the DAFM synth
   FM/PCM hybrid chip

   FM channels: 5-6 channels (5 channels with PCM, 6 channels without PCM)
   The YM2612 has six channels with four operators per channel.
   Used in arcade machines, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis (1988), Fujitsu FM Towns (1989)
   8 algorithms. The envelopes, frequencies and LFOs can be changed to get a good range of FM sounds.

    The YM3438 is a modified CMOS version of the YM2612 
   I recently built a DAFM synth using the YM3438.

1987
       YM2414 (OPZ, four Operator Type-Z), 2 LFOs, 8 waveforms
       Used in TX81Z, DX11, YS100, YS200, PortaTone PSR-6300 and PSR-80

1987
         YM2413 (OPLL) .... cost reduced FM synthesis sound chip. Used in the SEGA Mark III &
                                        Yamaha SHS-10 (1987)

        YM2413-B   (OPLL revision2)
        YM2413-F（OPLL-compatible flat package)

1988
        YMF262-M（OPL3-L）
        Used in  many of ALM Busy Circuits Akemie’s eurorack modules... like the castle.
        OPL3 stands for FM operator type L. Mostly SMD format. ... really cheap on ebay.
        The YMF262 was used in many sound cards, such as the Sound Blaster Pro 2.0,
        Sound Blaster 16 ASP and Creative Labs AWE family
         

     Four op FM. .... pairing 2 channels together to create up to six 4 operator FM voices
    4 channel sound output
    4 new waveforms (alternating-sine, "camel"-sine, square and logarithmic sawtooth).
    In addition, 5 different rhythm sounds (BD,SD,Tom TOM, Top Cymbal & Hi hat cymbal) are available.
   Manual


1989
    YM2424 (OPZII, FM 4Operator Type-Z-II)
     Used in the Yamaha V50 synth

1990 ???
    YM2610(OPNB)
     used in  NeoGeo hardware. Needs an external DAC.Four FM channels
     (The YM2610B variant added two extra FM channels for a total of six)
     In the original chip, sound comes from 4 different generators, each having their own channels:

• SSG (Software Sound Generator): 3 channels -- compatible with YM2149 (Atari ST)
• FM (Frequency Modulation): 4 channels. 4 operators per channel.
• ADPCM (Sample playback): 7 channels
• Noise : one channel

1994
       YMF292 (SCSP)
        Used in the Sega Saturn, Sega Model 2/3
        This is actually a hybrid FM/PCM. It uses 32 channels (4-op).

1994
        YMF271 (OPX)

        used in Seibu SPI arcade board
        Again, its a hybrid FM/PCM chip.
        I think there are 9 channels  .. can configure the number of operators?? (Up to 4 op)

1994 ??
     YMF276-M（OPN2C-upper compatible?)
     It's a 6 channel FM synthesizer based on the Yamaha YM2203c.
     used in  FUJITSU FM TOWNSII

1985
      YM2608B(OPNA)
      Used in the NEC PC98 ... PC-8801 (1985)/PC-9801 (1986)
      16 voices, six FM channels, 4 operators.
      Uses the same algorithms as the DX21 ??


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    YM3438(OPN2C)
    YMF288-M(OPN3-L)

    YMF286-K（OPNB-compatible）
    YMF281-D（OPLL Another version?）
    Y8950（MSX AUDIO）

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**** OPL  is a  FM Operator Type-L

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About the different types of Sound chips:
These ICs, were used in arcade game system boards, video game consoles, home computers, and PC sound cards.etc etc.
They are not all FM.

There are 4  main systems:
1. PSG - programmable sound generators
2. Wavetable synthesis
3. FM synthesis
4. Pulse Code Modulation

Link - wikipedia

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FM Index
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