Hucard / SuperCD are NOT the same system...

[crazydean]

Gynt,

There have been so many times I have thought about getting a CDX.  Like you said, for everything that it is, it has a nice small foot print.  The only thing that has stopped me is that I hear mixed things about it having cap issues.  And, from the videos I have seen, it looks like a bear to mess with.  I have a model 2 Genesis/CD unit that I need to fix the CD on...need new laser.  I have been holding off because the gears in it look suspect and I don't want to throw good money after bad.  Might have to pull the trigger on a CDX... would free up a lot of room that that model 2 is taking up.

For $250, sounds like you got a sweet deal on that lot.  The one main reason I like the SegaCD is for Popful Mail.  Now, if there was an English translation for the Turbo...

I wanted to weigh in real quick on the CDX. I use retroRGB.com a lot because I have an RGB setup, and he has a short video on the CDX audio vs Genesis 1 audio found here: http://retrorgb.com/genesisversions.html

As for CD-Rs, they run just fine on my PCE Duo. I can't tell the difference between a burned game and Mysterious Song.

[SignOfZeta]

I have a Genesis 1 and yes, the sound did go down hill after that. I never knew how far down the hill until I listened to the CDX clip in that video though. f*ck, it sounds like shit!

[Zero_Gamer]

I have a Genesis 1 and yes, the sound did go down hill after that. I never knew how far down the hill until I listened to the CDX clip in that video though. f*ck, it sounds like shit!

Yes, I can attest. I bought a model 1 genny a couple of years ago, and the sound was horrible!

I sold it and bought a model 1 HD, and sound was night and day different.

[rxmage]

Christ, that is a huge difference in sound quality...maybe I don't want a CDX after all...

[bob]

wow.  i wouldnt even think its the same game.  that is crazy.

[Black Tiger]

There are way too many sound chip variations inside Genesis hardware and not just one kind per model. But there is a custom amp mod that makes any Genesis/Mega Drive hardware sound great.

Otherwise, you're best off with the earliest Model 1 systems that have the High Definition Graphics monicker.

[StarDust4Ever]

FYI, my Genesis is a VA-7 Model 1. Audio is quite "grungy" through the RF and mono AV out, but crystal clear stereo through the headphone jack set to volume 5. Not bad at all when using a 1/8" phono to RCA for sound. I'm not going out of my way to procure a "High Definition Graphics" unit when what I have is fine, so long as I ignore the multi-out and use the phono jack. People only want the "High Def" versions because they lack the "Licensed by Sega" boot screen. Which was bunk anyway because the protections quickly got defeated.

[SamIAm]

Either there's some issue exclusive to Sonic 3, or that guy's CDX is messed up, because the difference is normally not even close to being that pronounced.

That's just one of many you can find.

[StarDust4Ever]

Yes, the full sound comes back out of the core consoles.

I'm wondering how this is possible to get CDDA out of the CPU pins given it's unbuffered. I studied the pinout of the 69-pin connector and I noticed there is a single sound in pin between the left and right sound output. If the mixing is done inside the coregrafx for a/v output (pc engine / turbografx rf modulator is mono by design), then you would only be getting a mono mix from the CDDA with stereo sound channels from the CPU. Since the synth is mostly used for SFX rather than BGM in SuperCD titles, the audio output from the Coregrafx in a briefcase setup would be technically inferior to the audio output from the adjacent CD unit. Unless I'm missing something.

[StarDust4Ever]

I have a Genesis 1 and yes, the sound did go down hill after that. I never knew how far down the hill until I listened to the CDX clip in that video though. f*ck, it sounds like shit!

Yes, I can attest. I bought a model 1 genny a couple of years ago, and the sound was horrible!

I sold it and bought a model 1 HD, and sound was night and day different.

I assume you had a VA-7 revision ike mine. Did you try tapping the headphone connection for stereo? I found it to be quite acceptable at half volume (5).

[Black Tiger]

Someone (Chris?) discovered not too long ago that the sound quality coming out of a CoreGrafx hooked to an IFU wasn't nearly as good as the sound coming out of the IFU.



Stardust: The right HDG Genesis models are sought after because of the sound. TMSS is not nearly as big an issue. Your Genesis might sound fine on its own, just as many people with the worst sounding revisions often don't know the difference until they compare them.

Here's what the guy behind the Mega Amp had to say about the VA7:

VA7: Sega changed the sound circuit for this motherboard, and let me tell you, it stinks. Bad. It sounds like an emulator's sound quality was set to the lowest possible setting; it's flat, muffled, distorted, and worst of all, there's an annoying hissing sound in the background (static). Unless you can mod your system with a new audio amp, do yourself a favor and stay clear of this revision.

[Gypsy]

Yeah the VA7 is the only one I'd truly avoid. I have a 6.something currently and it's good enough. I wouldn't mind an HDG Genny, but I'm not going to pay the going rate for one.

[johnnykonami]

I'm not sure which Genesis I have, it's a model 2, and it was region modded (Came with my Alien Soldier years ago).  I guess I'd have to open it up to find out..

[ginoscope]

There are way too many sound chip variations inside Genesis hardware and not just one kind per model. But there is a custom amp mod that makes any Genesis/Mega Drive hardware sound great.

Otherwise, you're best off with the earliest Model 1 systems that have the High Definition Graphics monicker.

I had two genesis 3 laying around sounding like crap. I got one of these amps that Black Tiger speaks of and wow did it improve the sound.  Much better separation and some decent bass.  I was honestly really shocked how much of a difference it did make.

Genesis 3 gets no love but it's pretty nice if you just want to play Genesis games and it has such a small footprint.

[Bonknuts]

Yes, the full sound comes back out of the core consoles.

I'm wondering how this is possible to get CDDA out of the CPU pins given it's unbuffered. I studied the pinout of the 69-pin connector and I noticed there is a single sound in pin between the left and right sound output. If the mixing is done inside the coregrafx for a/v output (pc engine / turbografx rf modulator is mono by design), then you would only be getting a mono mix from the CDDA with stereo sound channels from the CPU. Since the synth is mostly used for SFX rather than BGM in SuperCD titles, the audio output from the Coregrafx in a briefcase setup would be technically inferior to the audio output from the adjacent CD unit. Unless I'm missing something.

 Correct. When attaching a CD unit to a PCE console, the CDDA will be passed to the core unit as mono and mixed in. But unless you're using RF for some reason, use the audio that's coming out of the CD attachment; that will be both stereo chip from the system and stereo CDDA - all mixed together for glorious stereo out (no mono anything).


 Also, about your original post - that's a very Sega centric point of view. They kept their addons as addons. The PC Engine was made for the CD unit which was in development at the time of the original console (before its release date). It's the only console in which the alternate medium (for which CDs to this system really are just that), replaced the original hucard medium complete. 1991 was the official flag ship for the new PC Engine.. Duo. No other console in gaming history has this unique story, so people outside the PCE community have a hard time adjusting whatever game manufacture centric views to that of the PCE. That would be your problem, not ours.