DIY Misato MSX cartridge adds Yamaha YMF288 sound to MSX
The build by Ricardo Suzuki offers three SSG channels, six FM channels and six rhythm channels, with stereo line-out or mono mixing.
Ricardo Suzuki has designed a new DIY sound expansion cartridge for MSX computers called the Misato MSX, built around the Yamaha YMF288 OPN3 sound chip. Hackaday reported on the project on October 23, 2026.
The YMF288 provides three SSG channels, six FM channels and six rhythm channels, and the cartridge pairs the chip with a DAC.
Audio can be taken from a stereo line-out jack on the cartridge itself, or mixed down to mono and fed into the MSX internal mixer.
The design adds to a long line of MSX audio add-ons. Hackaday notes that standard MSX and MSX2 machines use a three-channel squarewave AY-3-8910 or a derivative chip, while earlier expansions included the FM-PAC with the YM2413 chip and Konami's SCC custom sound chip.
Quick answers
What sound chip does the Misato MSX cartridge use?
It uses the Yamaha YMF288 OPN3, paired with a DAC.
How does the Misato MSX output audio?
Through a stereo line-out jack on the cartridge, or mixed to mono into the MSX internal mixer.