Fountainhead / Fountainhead / Fountainhead

"My debut album: a love letter to the Nintendo Entertainment System soundtracks of old! Features every expansion chip used during the system's lifespan (save for the Sunsoft 5B, however).

Created using FamiTracker v0.3.8 beta 3, except for tracks 7 & 9, which used FamiTracker v0.4.1."

-Xenon Odyssey

Composed and sequenced by Xenon Odyssey
Artwork by Xenon Odyssey
Released on 9-bit Records (9bitrecords.com)

- Track notes -

Track 01:
This track uses the standard Ricoh 2A03 chip (two pulse channels, a triangle channel, and a white noise channel), in addition to DCPM, which are very small samples.

Track 02:
This track uses the Namco N163 expansion chip, which allows up to eight additional channels of customizable waveforms, in addition to the standard 2A03 set. However, none of the 2A03 channels are used except for the noise and DCPM channel.

This track also bypasses the channel hiss that is problematic with six or greater channels, as it was written before knowledge of the hiss was known, or at least implemented into FamiTracker.

Track 03:
This track uses the Ricoh 2C33 expansion chip, otherwise known as the Famicom Disk System sound, which adds one extra sound channel with very basic wavetable support, to the standard 2A03. However, the triangle channel is not used.

Track 04:
This track uses the Konami VRC6 expansion chip, which adds two additional pulse channels with finer controls, in addition to a sawtooth channel, to the standard 2A03 set. However, the triangle, noise, and DCPM channel are not used.

Track 05:
This track uses the Ricoh 2C33 expansion chip, otherwise known as the Famicom Disk System sound, which adds one extra sound channel with very basic wavetable support, to the standard 2A03.

Track 06, Track 08:
This track uses the Nintendo Multi Memory Controller 5, or MMC5, expansion chip, which adds two additional pulse channels of similiar capabilities, to the standard 2A03 set.

Track 07:
This track uses the Konami VRC7 expansion chip, which adds six channels of FM synthesis (2-operator phase modulation), to the standard 2A03 set. However, the DCPM channel is not used.

Celestial Subterrane and Equivocal both use the sounds from FamiTracker v0.4.1, as this was the latest version available for accurate emulation at their respective time of composition.

Track 09:
This track uses the Konami VRC7 expansion chip, which adds six channels of FM synthesis (2-operator phase modulation), to the standard 2A03 set. However, the 2A03 channels are not used in this particular track.

Celestial Subterrane and Equivocal both use the sounds from FamiTracker v0.4.1, as this was the latest version available for accurate emulation at their respective time of composition.

Track 10:
This track uses the standard Ricoh 2A03 chip, without the DCPM channel.

Track 11:
This track uses the Konami VRC6 expansion chip, which adds two additional pulse channels with finer controls, in addition to a sawtooth channel, to the standard 2A03 set.

Track 12:
This track uses the Namco N163 expansion chip, which allows up to eight additional channels of customizable waveforms, in addition to the standard 2A03 set.

This track also bypasses the channel hiss that is problematic with six or greater channels, as it was written before knowledge of the hiss was known, or at least implemented into FamiTracker.