furnace/doc/7-systems/tia.md

Atari 2600 (TIA)

help me! I can't even get this character in where I want! I've spent hours debugging the issue, counting every possible cycle and I still cannot get it right!

only 2 channels and 31 frequencies?!

Furnace isn't complete without this one...

effects

• 10xx: select shape.
  • 0: nothing
  • 1: buzzy
  • 2: low buzzy
  • 3: flangy
  • 4: square
  • 5: square
  • 6: pure buzzy
  • 7: reedy
  • 8: noise
  • 9: reedy
  • A: pure buzzy
  • B: nothing
  • C: low square
  • D: low square
  • E: low pure buzzy
  • F: low reedy

ROM export

a song can be exported to assembly code for use with the TIunA software driver for the Atari 2600. see TIunA on GitHub for explanations of the export options.

chip config

the following options are available in the Chip Manager window:

• Software pitch driver: use TIunA, a software pitch driver similar to TIATune. it increases pitch precision by rapidly switching between two pitches.
• Old pitch table: use an older method to calculate pitch. only for compatibility.
• Mixing mode: changes mixing mode.
  • Mono: normal output.
  • Mono (no distortion): process each channel separately to eliminate distortion.
  • Stereo: output two channels on left and right.
• PAL: run slower blah blah blah

info

this chip uses the TIA instrument editor.

the arp macro's fixed mode operates differently, writing the direct pitch to the chip. here's a list of pitches.

shape 1

pitch	NTSC	note	cent	PAL	note	cent
0	2096.0	C-7	+2	2080.0	C-7	-1
1	1048.0	C-6	+2	1040.0	C-6	-1
2	698.7	F-5	0.0	693.3	F-5	-1
3	524.0	C-5	+2	520.0	C-5	-1
4	419.2	G#4	+16	416.0	G#4	+3
5	349.3	F-4	0.0	346.7	F-4	-13
6	299.4	D-4	+33	297.1	D-4	+20
7	262.0	C-4	+3	260.0	C-4	-11
8	232.9	A#3	-2	231.1	A#3	-15
9	209.6	G#3	+15	208.0	G#3	+2
10	190.5	F#3	+50	189.1	F#3	+37
11	174.7	F-3	+1	173.3	F-3	-13
12	161.2	E-3	-39	160.0	D#3	+48
13	149.7	D-3	+33	148.6	D-3	+20
14	139.7	C#3	+13	138.7	C#3	+1
15	131.0	C-3	+3	130.0	C-3	-11
16	123.3	B-2	-3	122.4	B-2	-16
17	116.4	A#2	0.0	115.6	A#2	-14
18	110.3	A-2	+5	109.5	A-2	-8
19	104.8	G#2	+16	104.0	G#2	+3
20	99.8	G-2	+31	99.0	G-2	+17
21	95.3	G-2	-49	94.5	F#2	+36
22	91.1	F#2	-27	90.4	F#2	-40
23	87.3	F-2	0.0	86.7	F-2	-12
24	83.8	E-2	+29	83.2	E-2	+16
25	80.6	E-2	-39	80.0	D#2	+48
26	77.6	D#2	-5	77.0	D#2	-18
27	74.9	D-2	+34	74.3	D-2	+20
28	72.3	D-2	-27	71.7	D-2	-41
29	69.9	C#2	+15	69.3	C#2	0
30	67.6	C#2	-44	67.1	C-2	+44
31	65.5	C-2	+3	65.0	C-2	-11

shapes 2 and 3

pitch	NTSC	note	cent	PAL	note	cent
0	67.6	C#2	-44	67.1	C-2	+44
1	33.8	C#1	-42	33.5	C-1	+42
2	22.5	F#0	-46	22.4	F-0	+46
3	16.9	C#0	-44	16.8	C-0	+44
4	13.5			13.4
5	11.3			11.2
6	9.7			9.6
7	8.5			8.4
8	7.5			7.5
9	6.8			6.7
10	6.1			6.1
11	5.6			5.6
12	5.2			5.2
13	4.8			4.8
14	4.5			4.5
15	4.2			4.2
16	4.0			4.0
17	3.8			3.7
18	3.6			3.5
19	3.4			3.4
20	3.2			3.2
21	3.1			3.0
22	3.0			2.9
23	2.8			2.8
24	2.7			2.7
25	2.6			2.6
26	2.5			2.5
27	2.4			2.4
28	2.3			2.3
29	2.3			2.2
30	2.2			2.2
31	2.1			2.1

shapes 4 and 5

pitch	NTSC	note	cent	PAL	note	cent
0	15720.0	B-9	-9	15600.0	B-9	-23
1	7860.0	B-8	-9	7800.0	B-8	-23
2	5240.0	E-8	-11	5200.0	E-8	-25
3	3930.0	B-7	-10	3900.0	B-7	-23
4	3144.0	G-7	+4	3120.0	G-7	-9
5	2620.0	E-7	-11	2600.0	E-7	-25
6	2245.7	C#7	+21	2228.6	C#7	+8
7	1965.0	B-6	-9	1950.0	B-6	-23
8	1746.7	A-6	-13	1733.3	A-6	-27
9	1572.0	G-6	+4	1560.0	G-6	-9
10	1429.1	F-6	+39	1418.2	F-6	+25
11	1310.0	E-6	-11	1300.0	E-6	-25
12	1209.2	D-6	+49	1200.0	D-6	+36
13	1122.9	C#6	+22	1114.3	C#6	+8
14	1048.0	C-6	+2	1040.0	C-6	-11
15	982.5	B-5	-10	975.0	B-5	-23
16	924.7	A#5	-15	917.6	A#5	-28
17	873.3	A-5	-14	866.7	A-5	-27
18	827.4	G#5	-7	821.1	G#5	-20
19	786.0	G-5	+4	780.0	G-5	-9
20	748.6	F#5	+20	742.9	F#5	+7
21	714.5	F-5	+39	709.1	F-5	+26
22	683.5	F-5	-38	678.3	E-5	+48
23	655.0	E-5	-12	650.0	E-5	-25
24	628.8	D#5	+18	624.0	D#5	+5
25	604.6	D-5	+49	600.0	D-5	+36
26	582.2	D-5	-16	577.8	D-5	-29
27	561.4	C#5	+21	557.1	C#5	+8
28	542.1	C#5	-40	537.9	C-5	+47
29	524.0	C-5	+2	520.0	C-5	-11
30	507.1	B-4	+45	503.2	B-4	+32
31	491.3	B-4	-9	487.5	B-4	-23

shapes 6, 7, 9 and 10

pitch	NTSC	note	cent	PAL	note	cent
0	1014.2	B-5	+45	1006.5	B-5	+32
1	507.1	B-4	+45	503.2	B-4	+32
2	338.1	E-4	+43	335.5	E-4	+30
3	253.5	B-3	+45	251.6	B-3	+32
4	202.8	G#3	-42	201.3	G-3	+45
5	169.0	E-3	+43	167.7	E-3	+30
6	144.9	D-3	-23	143.8	D-3	-37
7	126.8	B-2	+42	125.8	B-2	+32
8	112.7	A-2	+42	111.8	A-2	+28
9	101.4	G#2	-41	100.6	G-2	+45
10	92.2	F#2	-6	91.5	F#2	-19
11	84.5	E-2	+43	83.9	E-2	+31
12	78.0	D#2	+4	77.4	D#2	-9
13	72.4	D-2	-24	71.9	D-2	-37
14	67.6	C#2	-44	67.1	C-2	+44
15	63.4	B-1	+46	62.9	B-1	+32
16	59.7	A#1	+41	59.2	A#1	+26
17	56.3	A-1	+39	55.9	A-1	+27
18	53.4	G#1	+48	53.0	G#1	+35
19	50.7	G#1	-41	50.3	G-1	+45
20	48.3	G-1	-25	47.9	G-1	-39
21	46.1	F#1	-4	45.7	F#1	-20
22	44.1	F-1	+16	43.8	F-1	+4
23	42.3	E-1	+44	41.9	E-1	+28
24	40.6	E-1	-26	40.3	E-1	-39
25	39.0	D#1	+4	38.7	D#1	-9
26	37.6	D-1	+41	37.3	D-1	+27
27	36.2	D-1	-24	35.9	D-1	-38
28	35.0	C#1	+19	34.7	C#1	+5
29	33.8	C#1	-42	33.5	C-1	+42
30	32.7	C-1	0.0	32.5	C-1	-11
31	31.7	B-0	+44	31.5	B-0	+33

shape 8

pitch	NTSC	note	cent	PAL	note	cent
0	61.5	B-1	-6	61.1	B-1	-18
1	30.8	B-0	-6	30.5	B-0	-22
2	20.5	E-0	-8	20.4	E-0	-17
3	15.4			15.3
4	12.3			12.2
5	10.3			10.2
6	8.8			8.7
7	7.7			7.6
8	6.8			6.8
9	6.2			6.1
10	5.6			5.6
11	5.1			5.1
12	4.7			4.7
13	4.4			4.4
14	4.1			4.1
15	3.8			3.8
16	3.6			3.6
17	3.4			3.4
18	3.2			3.2
19	3.1			3.1
20	2.9			2.9
21	2.8			2.8
22	2.7			2.7
23	2.6			2.5
24	2.5			2.4
25	2.4			2.3
26	2.3			2.3
27	2.2			2.2
28	2.1			2.1
29	2.0			2.0
30	2.0			2.0
31	1.9			1.9

shapes 12 and 13

pitch	NTSC	note	cent	PAL	note	cent
0	5240.0	E-8	-11	5200.0	E-8	-25
1	2620.0	E-7	-11	2600.0	E-7	-25
2	1746.6	A-6	-14	1733.3	A-6	-27
3	1310.0	E-6	-11	1300.0	E-6	-25
4	1048.0	C-6	+2	1040.0	C-6	-11
5	873.3	A-5	-14	866.7	A-5	-27
6	748.6	F#5	+20	742.9	F#5	+7
7	655.0	E-5	-12	650.0	E-5	-25
8	582.2	D-5	-16	577.8	D-5	-29
9	524.0	C-5	+2	520.0	C-5	-11
10	476.4	A#4	+39	472.7	A#4	+23
11	436.7	A-4	-13	433.3	A-4	-27
12	403.1	G-4	+48	400.0	G-4	+34
13	374.3	F#4	+20	371.4	F#4	+6
14	349.3	F-4	0.0	346.7	F-4	-13
15	327.5	E-4	-11	325.0	E-4	-25
16	308.2	D#4	-17	305.9	D#4	-30
17	291.1	D-4	-16	288.9	D-4	-29
18	275.8	C#4	-9	273.7	C#4	-22
19	262.0	C-4	+3	260.0	C-4	-11
20	249.5	B-3	+18	247.6	B-3	+5
21	238.2	A#3	+37	236.4	A#3	+24
22	227.8	A#3	-40	226.1	A-3	+47
23	218.3	A-3	-14	216.7	A-3	-27
24	209.6	G#3	+15	208.0	G#3	+2
25	201.5	G-3	+47	200.0	G-3	+34
26	194.1	G-3	-17	192.6	G-3	-31
27	187.1	F#3	+19	185.7	F#3	+6
28	180.7	F#3	-41	179.3	F-3	+45
29	174.7	F-3	+1	173.3	F-3	-13
30	169.0	E-3	+43	167.7	E-3	+30
31	163.8	E-3	-11	162.5	E-3	-25

shapes 14 and 15

pitch	NTSC	note	cent	PAL	note	cent
0	338.1	E-4	+43	335.5	E-4	+30
1	169.0	E-3	+43	167.7	E-3	+30
2	112.7	A-2	+42	111.8	A-2	+28
3	84.5	E-2	+43	83.9	E-2	+31
4	67.6	C#2	-44	67.1	C-2	+44
5	56.3	A-1	+39	55.9	A-1	+27
6	48.3	G-1	-25	47.9	G-1	-39
7	42.3	E-1	+44	41.9	E-1	+28
8	37.6	D-1	+41	37.3	D-1	+27
9	33.8	C#1	-42	33.5	C-1	+42
10	30.7	B-0	-11	30.5	B-0	-22
11	28.2	A-0	+44	28.0	A-0	+31
12	26.0	G#0	0.0	25.8	G#0	-13
13	24.1	G-0	-29	24.0	G-0	-36
14	22.5	F#0	-46	22.4	F-0	+46
15	21.1	E-0	+42	21.0	E-0	+33
16	19.9	D#0	+42	19.7	D#0	+25
17	18.8	D-0	+40	18.6	D-0	+20
18	17.8	C#0	+45	17.7	C#0	+36
19	16.9	C#0	-44	16.8	C-0	+44
20	16.1	C-0	-30	16.0	C-0	-40
21	15.4			15.2
22	14.7			14.6
23	14.1			14
24	13.5			13.4
25	13.0			12.9
26	12.5			12.4
27	12.1			12
28	11.7			11.6
29	11.3			11.2
30	10.9			10.8
31	10.6			10.5

reference: Atari 2600 VCS Sound Frequency and Waveform Guide