Someone used the MAME game emulator for synths (Yamaha, CZ-101, even saw ANX)

[MillerSam]

Sojus Records released the Ensoniq SD-1: an open-source emulation of the 1990 TransewaveTM synth based on the MAME emulator
https://synthanatomy.com/2026/03/sojus- ... synth.html

[osiris]

I chatted with the Claude AI and asked if it was doable. I even mentioned the Ensoniq VST, and it told me that it is doable, but not easy. It seems MAME handles midi differently and it's not just wrapping it in a VST wrapper.

[autodafe]

I am also experimenting with Synths emulated in Mame. I also (in my very limited knowledge of C++ doc) tried to study the possibility of a "wrapper", but doesn't seem so easy. Kudos on the Sojus Records team for the SD-1 emulation!

[osiris]

The Claude AI mentioned how clever the dev was using (I think) something called loopback cycling for the midi. It was on the Github page, so yes this took work.

[Frank_Kreuzberg-Audio]

Whoa, this is a wild idea and I'm totally here for it. For years I've been sampling old game consoles to get that specific digital grit for tracks. The thought of running the actual sound chip emulations directly is mind blowing. Imagine the crunchy FM basses you could get for some raw techno with this. Definitely going down this rabbit hole this weekend.

[IvyBirds]

Whoa, this is a wild idea and I'm totally here for it. For years I've been sampling old game consoles to get that specific digital grit for tracks. The thought of running the actual sound chip emulations directly is mind blowing. Imagine the crunchy FM basses you could get for some raw techno with this. Definitely going down this rabbit hole this weekend.

Plogue has already done this, beyond just emulations of the various Yamaha FM Synths, they also emulate the DAC and the audio path

They make hyper realistic bit accurate emulations

https://www.plogue.com/index.html