Paranoid_Andy
Enthusiast
Me too!Bump! Who wants crappy sound in their crappy Batman game? I do!!!!
- Thread starter Brentradio
- Start date
I own the original stv card with the sound module and this sound is better then the Sega Saturn version it’s sounds much clearer . But there must be a way to get this going even if it’s the shorty sound haha. As I like the game and don’t want to setup a nasa rocket launch center each time just to play that game 
I've taken the time to actually study this matter. I don't actually own the hardware but I've looked into the available info and came to a few conclusions.
As far as I can tell, the soundboard works as a completely separate module from the STV and has zero in common with its hardware. Commands are passed to it via the ROM board using separate address lines. In essence, from the program's point of view you're just accessing something in the cart's address space. Amplification and mixing also appear to be done in the soundboard. There's a couple of amplifiers in the soundboard which I presume are hooked up to a filter board or directly to the cab's speakers.
Now, to make this setup work with the multi one would have to either:
- replicate the soundboard and intercept the relevant commands (i.e. data/address lines) used to communicate with the soundboard OR;
- hack the ROM to interface with a sound player and play wave/MP3 files when certain triggers are met.
From my point of view the first is doable but would lead to an expensive solution. The second is a big maybe as it would possibly require either external 'helper hardware' or writing a custom sound driver to handle the music. This sounds like even more work than the first.
My 2 cents, but what do I know?
As far as I can tell, the soundboard works as a completely separate module from the STV and has zero in common with its hardware. Commands are passed to it via the ROM board using separate address lines. In essence, from the program's point of view you're just accessing something in the cart's address space. Amplification and mixing also appear to be done in the soundboard. There's a couple of amplifiers in the soundboard which I presume are hooked up to a filter board or directly to the cab's speakers.
Now, to make this setup work with the multi one would have to either:
- replicate the soundboard and intercept the relevant commands (i.e. data/address lines) used to communicate with the soundboard OR;
- hack the ROM to interface with a sound player and play wave/MP3 files when certain triggers are met.
From my point of view the first is doable but would lead to an expensive solution. The second is a big maybe as it would possibly require either external 'helper hardware' or writing a custom sound driver to handle the music. This sounds like even more work than the first.
My 2 cents, but what do I know?
Brentradio
Champion
Thank you for your info on this!
You're very welcome, that's why I hang around in this forum
I'll do some back of the envelope calculations and try to come up with a reference cost for a replica board to see if it's feasible economically. Don't want to come up with something that would be almost as expensive as the multi or the original game...
Brentradio
Champion
And people like you are the reason I hang around in this forum.
A
Apocalypse
I think it's doable by using the standard sound driver from an other game and extracting Saturn sound data. There's plenty of space in the cartridge address space to host the new driver and sound data.
Brentradio
Champion
Do it, do it, do it...
I say we start the "Batman Bounty".
I'm in for $50 to whoever can get this done.
Just because Batman deserves better.
HardAzRockz
Enthusiast
I'll drop $40 to whoever can do this. Batman demands it
Me and @Hammy have been looking at this because the same sound board is used in NBA Jam Extreme but on the ZNx system.
The DSP is available as "NOS" from the usual places but can be replaced with newer variants if needed.
This means the board can be replicated with the main issue being a CPLD that will have to be reverse engineered.
If anyone is willing to lend a soundboard for analysis or, failing that, to take pictures and help with a multimeter I'm all ears.
Do note this is a hardware solution so it will probably take a while to get it working and will not be as compact as you may hope for. But it will be smaller than the original one that's for sure!
The DSP is available as "NOS" from the usual places but can be replaced with newer variants if needed.
This means the board can be replicated with the main issue being a CPLD that will have to be reverse engineered.
If anyone is willing to lend a soundboard for analysis or, failing that, to take pictures and help with a multimeter I'm all ears.
Do note this is a hardware solution so it will probably take a while to get it working and will not be as compact as you may hope for. But it will be smaller than the original one that's for sure!
Brentradio
Champion
Awesome to hear some small progress on this!
That's why this place rocks!
That's why this place rocks!
Brentradio
Champion
Sounds like the name of the new Batman movie... Batman Demands It!
I'd watch that.
Brentradio
Champion
So are you saying you need a donor sound board to try to dump the CPLD, and it may or may not work and either way the sound board is toast?
