What is VRC6? - FamiTracker

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## What is VRC6?

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princedmorn
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### What is VRC6?

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Post by princedmorn » Wed Dec 30, 2015 1:27 am

So yea, kind of new to the chipmusic scene. I'm coming from a background in music, but now wish to combine my love of video games from when I was a kid to music that I compose. I have been seeing a lot of this VRC6/7 and when I saw a screenshot of it I noticed more channels. Thought this might come in handy since I write a lot of 'full chords' (7ths and 9ths, and don't really want the arpeggio feel). Can anyone help explain this to me? And if it is something useful, where could I download it?
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Dr. Merio
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### Re: What is VRC6?

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Post by Dr. Merio » Wed Dec 30, 2015 1:39 am

VRC6 is an expansion chip developed by Konami which was present in Famicom games like Akumajou Densetsu (Japanese version of Castlevania 3). You can read more about it in the Wiki: http://famitracker.com/wiki/index.php?t ... onami_VRC6
It basically provides 3 new channels when you enable it in FamiTracker's module properties. Those are 2 pulse channels with 8 pulse widths each (the 2A03 pulse channels have 4 different pulse duties, so you can compare), and a sawtooth channel. This expansion is commonly used and you can easily find a lot of modules where it's used, so there's plenty of material you can check out if you want to see what it does or learn from them.
You don't need to download it. Simply go to "Module > Module properties" inside FamiTracker, or press Ctrl+P. Then, choose the VRC6 expansion on the dropdown list at the botton.
I hope this helps.
Oh btw if you want to actually use the expansion, you need to make specific instruments for it in official FamiTracker. Put the cursor in one of the VRC6 channels and then create a new instrument like usual. A new option to create an instrument also appears when you click the "New instrument" button below the instrument list.
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ollaxe
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### Re: What is VRC6?

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Post by ollaxe » Wed Dec 30, 2015 1:50 am

Goddamn. What's up with everyone ninjaing me all the time? Well, I'll leave what I wrote anyway, because I spent 15 minutes writing this and I ain't gonna let it go to waste.

> I wrote: The VRC6 is nothing you download. It's built into the programs, and so are all the other expantion chips that are currently supported. To access them, go to Module > Properties and change Expantion sound to Konami VRC6 or any other expantion chip you want to use. Then just click OK and now you have three more channels to work with.
> Note that these chips (with the exception of the MMC5 chip) use their own kind of instruments, so you can't use the 2A03 ones in them. To create an instrument for your expantion chip, mark one of the channels of the expantion chip and then click new instrument. The instrument editor on the VRC6 works basically the same as the 2A03 one, so if you know that, then you'll learn the VRC6 one in a matter of seconds.
> Good luck!

Hi! I'm not really active here anymore but I still make music. Nowadays I mostly make dubstep with emphasis on good melodies and chord progressions.
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8BitZtunerYT
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### Re: What is VRC6?

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Post by 8BitZtunerYT » Wed Dec 30, 2015 2:18 am

Y'see, every expansion chip that FamiTracker offers you did really exist on NES Games, providing more capability with Sound Design, and each of them is unique in its own.
Those are (like my predecessors said) accessed in Module > Properties.
Try them out if you like, and choose the one you like the most.
Also: Don't use one specific chip everytime you make music, e.g. if you want some different sounds, the N163 or VRC7 might be of good use, instead of using the 2A03 + MMC5/VRC6.
Nothing really stops you, 'xcept the NES' limitations.
slowly ceasing to exist.
"8BitZ caresses his keyboard as he orgasms to the sounds of Winamp."
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Dr. Merio
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### Re: What is VRC6?

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Post by Dr. Merio » Wed Dec 30, 2015 3:31 am

8BitZtunerYT: You mean the Famicom. The NES had no expansion sound. :P
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iYamWhatIYam
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### Re: What is VRC6?

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Post by iYamWhatIYam » Wed Dec 30, 2015 3:33 am

> Dr. Merio wrote:8BitZtunerYT: You mean the Famicom. The NES had no expansion sound.

Yeah, that sucks. Who thought at the NOA offices that we should get the inferior audio?
oh and NOE too so pls dont kill me
i am the minestrone bottom | roxanne | she/they, 22
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sirocyl
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### Re: What is VRC6?

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Post by sirocyl » Wed Dec 30, 2015 8:40 pm

They had planned to have expansion paks and docking hardware, like the later BS-X or the 64DD, for the NES.
They would have plugged into that undocumented connector on the bottom.
Apparently a music expansion pak would have been trivial, since jumpering two pins on the ext connector enables cartridge music, and you can also mix in extended audio, even video, from an expansion-bay device through the ext connector.
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aishi
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  Joined: Fri May 22, 2015 10:48 am

### Re: What is VRC6?

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Post by aishi » Thu Dec 31, 2015 1:04 am

Hey, if you're interested, also check out the Shovel Knight soundtrack. It uses the VRC6 chip effectively.
Also If you're new to Famicom music and are interested in analyzing chip 'orchestration'/technique, I highly recommend using Patashu's NSFPlay-Synthesia add-on application.http://forums.famitracker.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=101&p=597#p597
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ImATrackMan
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### Re: What is VRC6?

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Post by ImATrackMan » Thu Dec 31, 2015 3:18 am

> sirocyl wrote:and you can also mix in extended audio, even video, from an expansion-bay device through the ext connector.

the Video is just an output tbh.
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sirocyl
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### Re: What is VRC6?

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Post by sirocyl » Thu Dec 31, 2015 5:31 am

> ImATrackMan wrote:

> > sirocyl wrote:and you can also mix in extended audio, even video, from an expansion-bay device through the ext connector.

> the Video is just an output tbh.

Oh, alrighty. Wonder why they put the video output in the ext connector? I'm thinking for applications of genlocking and chroma-key overlays like the Famicom Titler.
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