Author Topic: Searching a melody chip "Greensleeves" (Read 2882 times)

PinheadBE · « **on:** March 29, 2018, 08:14:06 pm »

Hi,

Beginning of the 80's, a friend of mine here in Belgium, had an alarm clock whose alarm was the melody known as "Greensleeves" played with a very beautiful chorded sound.
For the technology in those times, this was mesmerizing.

I don't remember for sure, but it could have been an analogue clock (and maybe mains synchronized)

I would like to find back the chip that produced that beautiful sound and/or the clock in itself.

Remember, this was in the early 80's. The clock in itself was probably manufactured in the late 70s

(And before you ask: no I am not in touch with that friend since a long time)

Any help welcomed !

Chris-IP5 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 29, 2018, 10:54:45 pm »

I did a web search for melody chips.
My only find was something called 7561M0B by Seiko. No idea if you can get this.
Green Sleeves is one of many melodies it can make.
Only relevant data sheet I found for it was http://aitendo3.sakura.ne.jp/aitendo_data/product_img/ic/music/SVM7561/all_svm.pdf

Also came across SelecTone® Custom Tone Module.
Folk melody Greensleeves is listed as one of the messages it can give. See https://www.fedsig.com/product/tm33-selectone-custom-tone-module

PinheadBE · « **Reply #2 on:** March 30, 2018, 10:17:46 am »

Thanks for your help.

The Seiko one was a good guess, because they were (and still are) a notorious brand of alarm clocks.
Unfortunately, the SVM series of chips dates from the early 2000's (see date of datadheet here http://aitendo3.sakura.ne.jp/aitendo_data/product_img/ic/music/SVM7561/SVM7561.pdf )
But it gives me a track to follow because Seiko could well be the manufacturer I'm looking for

The SelecTone modules are even more recent technology.

Any other clues in my quest for that vintage chip ?

KJDS · « **Reply #3 on:** March 30, 2018, 10:42:06 am »

Was sat in a campsite a couple of years ago talking crap when one of the others there mentioned he was responsible for Greensleeves as the ubiquitous hold music in the late 80s. I probably won't see him until next August to ask more, however for anyone that enjoys music history, then Holst's St Paul's Suite has an excellent mix of Greensleeves with a traditional jig in the fourth movement

daveshah · « **Reply #4 on:** March 30, 2018, 05:29:24 pm »

I believe UMC made a number of multi-instrument melody generators during the 80s like the UM3481. I'm not sure if any had Greensleeves though, at least some seem to have been mask ROM programmable and customisable.

rsjsouza · « **Reply #5 on:** April 06, 2018, 07:20:16 pm »

The one I recall was an IC that played Beethoven's Für Elise - it was certainly a novelty. I can't remember the exact part number, but the interwebs told me there is a UM66T-19L.

I still have a Casio Melody calculator ML-81 that beautifully plays three different songs.

bd139 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 06, 2018, 07:30:32 pm »

Seiko Epson SVM7962C is what you are after

(I used to collect these years ago until I realised it was insane and someone offered me a stack of cash for the lot)

PinheadBE · « **Reply #7 on:** April 06, 2018, 08:30:47 pm »

That could be it, indeed....
But the only dated DS I found on that SVM series is dated 1998....

Anyway, it's my best guess. Will try to get one

Thanks !

bd139 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 06, 2018, 09:11:01 pm »

That was probably later revision. I had some from that series date coded in the 80s.

james_s · « **Reply #9 on:** April 06, 2018, 09:36:42 pm »

Quote from: bd139 on April 06, 2018, 07:30:32 pm

Seiko Epson SVM7962C is what you are after

(I used to collect these years ago until I realised it was insane and someone offered me a stack of cash for the lot)

Looks like there are some on ebay https://www.ebay.com/itm/EPSON-SVM7962C0P-TONE-MUSIC-SYNTHESIZER-PDIP16-NEW-Qty-1/201904028896?

I have no idea if they are mask programmed with a single melody or have a selection though. Seems like the sort of thing one could emulate pretty well with any 8 bit microcontroller. It would be interesting to see a schematic of the original IC to see how it was done.

bd139 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 06, 2018, 10:18:54 pm »

Think it had three melodies and a genre so it was “English Folk” IC basically.

Good idea with microcontroller emulation! Might have a bash at that (I did try and build a synth VCO with a PIC years and years ago)

Iwanushka · « **Reply #11 on:** April 07, 2018, 05:42:35 pm »

I have used one somewhere, I think I used some USSR part when I built that door bell but never used it, if I find it over the week I can give entire thing for postage fees...

james_s · « **Reply #12 on:** April 08, 2018, 12:14:48 am »

I remember those musical doorbells, that and car horns, seems like they were popular in the late 70s into the 80s. I'd almost forgotten about them.

moby · « **Reply #13 on:** May 10, 2018, 08:55:02 pm »

You could always hijack a "Mr Whippy" icecream van - each of those has one

M

james_s · « **Reply #14 on:** May 11, 2018, 09:42:47 pm »

Quote from: moby on May 10, 2018, 08:55:02 pm

You could always hijack a "Mr Whippy" icecream van - each of those has one
M

That reminds me, several years ago I was at a beach park mid summer and an ice cream van came around, I remember it for two reasons. One is it was about the most beat to shit minivan I've ever seen on the road, complete with duct tape holding pieces of the broken turn signal lamp and other various in place. The other oddity is I then realized it was blasting out Christmas tunes from the loudspeaker mounted to the roof.

Actually I realize as I write the above that people in the Southern hemisphere might not find that so odd but up here Christmas is about as far from summer as it's possible to get.

clay_cowgill · « **Reply #15 on:** May 17, 2018, 12:43:16 am »

The arcade game "Phoenix" by Centuri (circa 1980) used a melody chip that played Für Elise-- it was a Panasonic part. It also had address inputs such that multiple songs could be stored in mask ROM. I'm not actually sure if Für Elise was a 'stock' part or if someone had masked parts of that made and they just somehow wound up in an arcade game at the time...

https://www.thedefenderproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/mn6221aa.pdf

JohnnyMalaria · « **Reply #16 on:** May 17, 2018, 01:30:15 am »

Perhaps a photo of it might jog your memory as to brand. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=1980s+clock+radio

Stilett0 · « **Reply #17 on:** August 06, 2019, 02:16:00 am »

I was just looking into this, sorry for the bump

Try: Epson 7910I Multi-Melody IC (aka SVM7910I , VM7910I):
Tune 1: Home on the Range
Tune 2: Greensleeves
Electronic sound 1: Buzzer
Electronic sound 2: Chime
https://datasheet.datasheetarchive.com/originals/distributors/Datasheets-30/DSA-593790.pdf
https://datasheet.datasheetarchive.com/originals/library/Datasheets-UEA1/DSAFRAZ006678.pdf
MP3s: http://eleken.y-lab.org/melody_ic/7910.shtml

Date range seems right for early 80s. 7910 series was a very early chip series from Seiko Epson.

PinheadBE · « **Reply #18 on:** August 06, 2019, 04:44:54 pm »

Hey thanks for the reply

That website with the MP3's is awesome: this can definitively help me find the right chip back.

Furthermore, those MP3's could also be used to emulate those chips with one of the cheapo MP3 modules from China....


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Author Topic: Searching a melody chip "Greensleeves" (Read 2882 times)

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