Intense Tech #21 — What's New in LSDj v9.2 (Defense Mechanism)

defense-mechanism (intense-tech) on the changes from lsdj 9.1.0 to 9.2.H: rebuilt sample timing, new synth PHASE modes, the noise PITCH FREE/SAFE setting, an envelope visualiser, a RESYNC wave play mode, row queueing in SONG mode — and which emulators can run it.

Key claims#

• Emulators: the current BGB (at least 1.5.9), SameBoy, Gambatte and Emulicious are compatible; others produce "funny volume behavior" in pulse and noise because 9.2 generates its envelopes in a new way.
• Samples: the kit timing routine was rewritten for precision; together with the kit generation of LSDPatcher ≥ 1.11.5 (lsdpatch) playback is "much cleaner, smoother", noticeably in high frequencies (cymbals). Re-patching custom kits from their sources improves them further; old kits still gain.
• Wave channel: waves are no longer inverted or shifted by one sample. PHASE modes are now PINCH, WARP, RESYNC and RESYN2 — PINCH and WARP resemble the old NORMAL with better interpolation (PINCH also with less DC offset); the new RESYNC is a smoother version of the old one, close to the old RESYN2; the new RESYN2 is the old RESYNC, "for when you really want to get dirty with aliasing".
• Noise PITCH (since 9.1.3): random hardware mutes were found to happen even when changing between values inside one loop mode, so the old S MODE FREE/STABLE was replaced. PITCH FREE behaves like the old STABLE (restart only when going from long-loop to short-loop); PITCH SAFE restarts the noise on every value change — rougher but "guaranteed never to mute". Noise instruments also gained a TRANSP setting.
• ENV visualiser for pulse and noise instruments; tooltips on parameters with A,A.
• Wave instrument RESYNC play mode: PINGPONG without silky wave — SPEED 1 gives the low undertone of versions up to 7.3.3, slower speeds switch frames exactly in time (audible on low bass).
• SONG-mode queueing: LEFT+START during playback queues a song row without switching to LIVE mode.
• Memory: song rows reduced from FF to BF, speech words from 42 to 14 with 3-letter names, to free room for future features.
• Whole screen now updates at 60 fps; the synth screen swapped the CUTOFF and Q positions; wave cursor more visible.

Practical takeaways#

Test 9.2 songs in BGB/SameBoy/Gambatte/Emulicious only; re-patch kits with LSDPatcher 1.11.5+; use PITCH SAFE for drums that must never drop out, RESYNC when frame timing matters more than clicks.

Pages touched#

lsdj · wavetable-programming · instrument-design · game-boy-apu · lsdpatch · chip-samples · intense-tech · defense-mechanism