ST-Sound
What's that ?
 
 
What is ST-Sound ?

ST-Sound was previously a ATARI Music emulator I've written some years ago. It's now a general "Nostalgic" Computer Sound Emulator ! ST-Sound includes many sound technics:

  • Yamaha YM2149 SoundChip Processor emulation engine
  • Specific ATARI-ST Sound programming emulation. (SID-Voice and DigiDrum emulation)
  • AMIGA "PAULA" SoundChip Processor emulation engine.
  • Universal Digital Sound Tracker engine.

All these "Hardware" emulating capabilities allow ST-Sound to play such Computer musics: ATARI-ST Standard chip musics. (95% of all ATARI game's tunes), ATARI-ST specific chip tunes with SID Voice and/or DigiDrum. (80% of ATARI Demo's tunes !), ATARI-ST Digital Tracker tunes ! (All !! not only MODs, but all strange format, as "KnuckelBusters" in the Cuddly Demos or Digital Departement in the BIG Demo !) , AMIGA "Future Composer" tunes, ZX-Spectrum chip tunes, AMSTRAD CPC chip tunes, MSX Chip tunes , Mattel Intellivison Chip tunes, Sega MasterSystem Chip tunes.

 
Why ST-Sound

I learn programming by making many demos on the ATARI machine. I spent hours and hours watching other demos, hearing ATARI music tunes. Fastly, I become an ATARI sound fanatic. Some years after, when I bought a PC, I find the fantastic SIDPLAY (A c64 music emulator). So why not an ATARI music emulator ? I listen YM tunes very often, and I think I'm a specialist now ! I can tell you the music name and composer of many, many tunes, only with a very few seconds of the music ! :-)

 
What tunes should I use for ST-Sound ?

ST-Sound file format is ".YM". YM files contains only soundchip data, no player, code or anything like that. If you want to listen ST-Sound tunes, you can download many files on various web pages as the great StSound pleasure dome by Jochen Knaus and others.

If you are programmer and you want to convert an original tune to YM file format, you can read the YM File format documentation.

 
What config I need ?

ST-Sound is highly optimized (...) so you can use it while you're working without any problem. For exemple, ST-Sound takes less than 2% CPU time on my P2-233. It takes a very few CPU time. The only thing you need is a sound card ! :-)

 
Is it free ?

Of course, ST-Sound is freeware !! Well, to be more precise, ST-Sound is a cardware program. Go the the cardware page for more information.

 
What player should I use ?
There is many methods to play YM tunes. You can use the ST-Sound Windows player, or the ST-Sound Internet Explorer plugin, or the ST-Sound Winamp plugin. ST-Sound has players for various operating system too. (See the download section)
 
What Operating System should I use ?

I originally made two versions: MS-DOS and Windows. Then I give the source code to a very few serious people (c.f. Thierry Kormann and Johnny BARRAY), and they made the port on other platform. Now you can play YM tunes on: