The hardware

Genesis

Sega's Mega Drive, sold as the Genesis in North America. Six FM channels from the YM2612 - the last of which can be switched to play 8-bit samples - plus the older SN76489 for square waves and noise. Its sound owes as much to software as to silicon: the GEMS driver used by many Western studios sounded nothing like the in-house Japanese ones, which is why the same console seems to have two entirely different voices.

34 tracks Mega Drive, YM2612 + SN76489