What is Ay_Emul

ZX Spectrum Sound Chip Emulator (Ay_Emul) is Windows or Linux program designed for playing music for AY-3-8912 sound chip (or its analogs are AY-3-8910 and YM2149F). Ay_Emul emulates these sound chips and does not require real ones. Ay_Emul can play ZX Spectrum beeper sound also. Additionally, Ay_Emul can play CD's audio tracks and MIDI-files. Optional BASS library by Ian Luck can be used for playing various formats like MP3 and MOD.

Ay_Emul can play files of next types.

  1. Dumps of registers recorded in many computers' emulators:
  2. Popular ZX Spectrum musical editors' modules:
  3. ZX Spectrum's, Atari ST/STe's or Amstrad CPC's memory dumps with player for processor (Z80 or MC68000):
  4. CD audio tracks (CDA). Ay_Emul can work with several CD drives, and also with disks containing not only audio tracks.
  5. MIDI-files:
  6. Files played by BASS library:

Two of the most tracker module types from item 2 can be replayed simultaneously in Turbo Sound (TS, device for ZX Spectrum with two ordinary sound chips) mode. PT 3.7+ TS-format is also supported.

For SNDH playing MFP, DMA-Sound and some TOS functions are emulated. For MC68000 emulation used Starscream 680x0 emulation library by Neill Corlett (corlett@elwha.nrrc.ncsu.edu). Supported SNDH music duration database by Benjamin Gerard if timedb.inc.h or sndhtimedb exist in Ay_Emul folder. To install or update just place original timedb.inc.h to the Ay_Emul folder, and sndhtimedb will be generated/regenerated at next startup. The original base can be found in sc68 project sources.

Ay_Emul supports playlist files of Winamp (M3U, M3U8), XMPlay (PLS) and of own format (AYL), and also CUE-sheets for sound streams. AYL can contain full info about each item.

Ay_Emul can be used as powerful tool for working with AY/YM data files. Built-in Speccy music ripper can to find modules of many ZX Spectrum musical editors in any non-compressed source data. Ay_Emul can convert modules to WAV, ZXAY, VTX, YM6 or PSG formats. Ay_Emul can play digital sound is stored in OUT, ZXAY, EPSG, AY or AYM files. Beeper music in AY and AYM formats are supported too. Ay_Emul can play special effects are used by Atari ST musicians and stored in YM2, YM5 and YM6 formats.

Skin-files can change view of Ay_Emul main window.

BASS library is loaded only before playing corresponding file and unloaded immediately after stopping playing.

System requirements: as minimum Windows XP or Linux; for just work processor 386 or greater is required; for playing need sound card with support of 8 or 16 bit Stereo or Mono digital sound at any sample frequency in range from 8000 to 300000 Hz and powerful processor (Ay_Emul uses special filter by default for more quality of sound chip and beeper emulation). For playing extra file types of BASS require DirectX 3 or above (in Windows), for MOD music additionally processor with MMX is required.