DOS Days

Crystal CS-9203

The CS9203 was Crystal Semiconductor's first ISA-based wavetable synthesis chip, introduced in 1993.

 

Released 1993
Bus ISA 16-bit
FM Synth None
Sample Range Up to 44.1 kHz
Packages 24-pin PLCC, 44-pin PLCC, or 68-pin PLCC
44-pin TQFP, 64-pin TQFP, or 100-pin TQFP
Standards General MIDI
Plug & Play Yes
See Also  

A GM (General MIDI)-compatible wavetable synthesis chip with reverb and chorus. No DAC. Requires DOS initialisation for the MPU-401 (UART mode) to work in Windows.

Usually coupled to a 512 KB or 1 MB wavetable sample ROM such as CS4110 or CS4111, with 128 melodic instruments and 47 percussion sounds, as it has no built-in memory for sample storage.

Its ROM soundfont is typical of old 512 KB and 1 MB ROMs. This is covered also in my Wavetable Audio page under Crystal/Dream SAM9203.

The CS9203 was designed to interface directly with the CS8905 effects processor.


Revisions

I have no revision information for the CS9203.

Competition

 

In the Media

 

Setting it Up


Downloads

CS9203 Datasheet
Nov 1993