If you are building a hardware player (e.g., using an Arduino to play VGMs on a real YM2413 chip), you are likely looking for the C header file definition of instruments. You would typically define the instrument array in your code like this:
// Example: Generic FM Instrument Data structure
// Usually 8 bytes per instrument
const unsigned char instruments_bin[] PROGMEM =
// Instrument 0: "Fat Bass"
0x21, 0x21, 0x1E, 0x1E, 0xA0, 0xA0, 0x0F, 0x0F,
// Instrument 1: "Electric Piano"
0x06, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xF0, 0xF0, 0x00, 0x00,
// ... add more instruments
;
If you are looking for the actual data to put into your instruments.bin:
The most historically significant version comes from the MSX computer standard. Later MSX models (MSX2+) included the YM2413 as a standard feature. Microsoft and ASCII created a standard INSTRUMENTS.BIN file located in the system BIOS or on disk. This file contained 16 custom patches that were designed to be loaded into the chip's user slot in real-time. ym2413+instrumentsbin
If you download a random ym2413_instruments.bin from a retro archive, you are likely getting the MSX standard bank. These patches include:
The term "instruments.bin" likely refers to a binary file that contains instrument definitions or sound data for use with audio hardware, possibly including the YM2413. In the context of audio chips like the YM2413, such a file would contain the patches or instrument settings that define how the chip generates sound. These could include definitions for waveforms, envelope settings, and other parameters that determine the sound produced by the chip. If you are building a hardware player (e
In systems that used the YM2413, developers could create custom sounds and instruments by manipulating these parameters. A "instruments.bin" file could serve as a repository or library of these custom instruments, which could then be loaded into a system or application to provide a specific set of sounds.
If you have ever downloaded an MSX music player, a VGM (Video Game Music) pack, or a tracker like Arkos Tracker for OPLL use, you have likely encountered a file named instruments.bin. If you are looking for the actual data
If you have downloaded a game that requires "OPLL custom mode," here is how to apply the correct .bin file on popular platforms.