MSX MoonSound
| Sunrise MoonSound | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| MoonSound cartridge, labelled "Produced by Sunrise for MSX, (c) Henrik Gilvad 1994/95" | |
| Manufacturer | Sunrise; designed by Henrik Gilvad |
| Type | OPL4 sound cartridge |
| Release date | 1994 |
| Price | ƒ390 at introduction, ƒ449 afterwards |
| Interface | MSX cartridge slot; 3.5 mm stereo output jack |
| Model | Version 1.0, version 2.0 |
| Storage | 128 KB sample RAM as standard, up to 1 MB |
The MoonSound is the original OPL4 sound cartridge for MSX, sold by Sunrise from 1994. It carries a Yamaha YMF278B (OPL4) sound chip, a Yamaha YAC513 digital-to-analogue converter, Yamaha's YRW801 sample ROM and 128 KB to 1 MB of sample RAM, and it sends its sound out of its own 3.5 mm stereo jack.[1] The chip combines an FM synthesiser compatible with the OPL1 to OPL3 with a 24-channel wavetable section that plays samples from the ROM or the RAM.[2]
Versions
[edit | edit source]
| Version | Output jack | Sample RAM |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | On top of the cartridge | 128 KB in one socket |
| 2.0 | On the right side | Two sockets; the second takes a 128 KB (Sony CXK581000AP) or 512 KB (Hitachi HM628512LP-7) static RAM, both 70 ns, 32-pin DIP |
[1] The version 2.0 board is marked "MSX MOONSOUND 2.0 (C) Henrik Gilvad 1995 (P) Sunrise Swiss 1995". A table on its silkscreen sets jumpers J2 to J4 for 128 KB or 512 KB RAM chips and J1 for an emulation mode.[3] Set the jumpers to match the RAM chips fitted when upgrading.
Using it
[edit | edit source]The MoonSound does not send its sound through the computer. Connect its jack to an amplifier with the supplied cable; the output is too loud for headphones.[1][4] Switch the computer off before inserting or removing it, as with any MSX cartridge.[5]
Known faults
[edit | edit source]| Symptom | Cause found | Source |
|---|---|---|
| No music, sound effects only | Nothing wrong: the amplifier was not connected to the MoonSound's own jack | [4] |
| Not detected after a power surge | The programmable logic chip (a PEEL) had failed; replacing it with a programmed part repaired the cartridge. The repairer later converted the PEEL logic to a more easily found GAL. | [6] |
| Dead after years in a damp cupboard | Leaking electrolytic capacitors and corroded chip pins; the cartridge could not be saved | [7] |
If a cartridge fails in a particular computer, stop using that computer's slots until the cause is found; one owner lost a MoonSound twice to a faulty external bus.[6]
Capacitors
[edit | edit source]Both board versions have a few electrolytic capacitors, grouped near the output jack, with another near the 78L05 regulator on version 2.0.[3][8] Their values cannot be read from the published photographs, and no parts list has been published. Leaking electrolytics have been found on a cartridge stored in the damp.[7] Read the values from your own board, check for leakage and corrosion round them, and replace any that are suspect; see Capacitor Failure Symptoms.
Documentation
[edit | edit source]The MSX Resource Center links Sunrise's product, manual and software pages through archived copies.[1]
Related pages
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 MoonSound, MSX Resource Center wiki, 12 March 2025—link(accessed 2026-10-21) Community page: the original OPL4 cartridge distributed by Sunrise; Netherlands, 1994; launch price ƒ390 at introduction, ƒ449 afterwards, with 128 KB and 512 KB SRAM upgrades at ƒ45 and ƒ83; in the first series the output connector is on top of the cartridge, in version 2 on the right side; version 1 has 128 KB of sample RAM in one socket, version 2 a socket for a second sample RAM chip, either a 128 KB chip (Sony CXK581000AP, 70 ns, 32-pin DIP) or a 512 KB chip (Hitachi HM628512LP-7, 70 ns, 32-pin DIP); supplied with a mini-jack to two-phono stereo cable, a manual and the MoonBlaster software; Yamaha YMF278B OPL4, Yamaha YAC513 DAC, 128 KB to 1024 KB sample RAM, Yamaha YRW-801 ROM, external stereo output on a 3.5 mm TRS jack.
- ↑ OPL4, MSX Resource Center wiki, 12 March 2025—link(accessed 2026-10-21) Community page: OPL4 cartridges for MSX use the Yamaha YMF278B with a YAC513 or compatible DAC; the MoonSound was the original, followed by compatible clones (Wozblaster, Tecnobytes OPL4 Shockwave, Repro Factory Monster Sound FM Blaster, JunSoft DalSoRi, 8bits4ever MSX-Blaster OPL4 and others); all can hold 1 MB of sample RAM and carry the 2 MB YRW801-M ROM; the MoonSound uses the YAC513; the MoonSound fits the medium-size Philips NMS 1250 modem case; specifications: 100% OPL1/OPL2/OPL3 compatible; its own processor and memory, so even a 3.58 MHz MSX can replay samples; 24 PCM channels with stereo panning, up to 44.1 kHz, 8, 12 or 16-bit data; 18 two-operator FM channels or other FM configurations; 2 MB wavetable ROM with about 330 samples; General MIDI compatible.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 File:Sunrise MoonSound 2.0 board.jpg, photograph of a MoonSound version 2.0 board uploaded to the MSX Resource Center wiki by Retrofan on 10 November 2012. Read from it: silkscreen "MSX MOONSOUND 2.0 (C) Henrik Gilvad 1995 (P) Sunrise Swiss 1995"; two Sony CXK581000AP-10LL static RAMs; Yamaha YRW801-M ROM; Yamaha YMF278B-F with a crystal oscillator; a programmable logic chip beside the card edge; a 78L05 regulator; the 3.5 mm jack at the top right with electrolytic capacitors C12 and C16 beside it and another electrolytic, C18, near the regulator; jumper table J1 (1-2 Emu, 2-3 NoEmu), J2 (512k / 128k), J3 and J4 (128k / 512k).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Moonsound problem, February 2012—link(accessed 2026-10-21) Akiguchi, 14 February 2012: a second-hand MoonSound with very dirty contacts, cleaned with alcohol, played no music in Sonyc or Pumpkin Adventure III. Manuel asked whether an amplifier was connected to the mini-jack. meits: the MoonSound does not send its signal through the MSX, only through the jack output, which is too loud for headphones and distorts; connect it to an amplifier. Akiguchi: connecting the jack fixed it.
- ↑ Konami SCC, MSX Resource Center wiki, 26 May 2025—link(accessed 2026-10-21) "Never insert the cartridge into your computer switched on because you risk damaging it."
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Sunrise MoonSound and GFX9000 cartridges died suddenly after a power surge, August 2020 to May 2022—link(accessed 2026-10-21) Six pages. KdL, 21 August 2020: after a power surge on the external bus of an SM-X prototype, the MoonSound was no longer detected; the boards showed no burn marks, and he suspected the programmable logic chips. KdL, 3 November 2020: the MoonSound was repaired by changing the PEEL chip, with replacements programmed by friends. KdL, 18 November 2020: the damage, to the MoonSound twice, came from a faulty power supply and above all a 74LVC4245 chip on the SM-X prototype's external bus; stop using the slots at once if a cartridge fails. KdL, 24 May 2022: he has converted the MoonSound PEEL to a more easily found GAL and can help with repairs.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Moonsound OPL4 HOW TO USE?, October to November 2024—link(accessed 2026-10-21) AnimeLover, 28 October 2024: a MoonSound stored for years in a damp cabinet; first let it dry; on opening it, the electrolytic capacitors did not look good and were leaking; sent for repair. 4 November 2024: the card is dead, having stayed too long in a damp place; the chips are oxidised and their pins have wasted away.
- ↑ MSX Resource Center wiki, File:MoonSound_v1.0_PCB.jpg ("MoonSound v1.0 PCB"), uploaded by Retrofan and Gdx (accessed 2026-10-21): radial electrolytic capacitors grouped near the output jack at the top of the board and an axial part at the left.
