Setting the Super Nintendo to mono

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DRW
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Setting the Super Nintendo to mono

Post by DRW »

Some games on the Super Nintendo have an option to choose between stereo and mono sound, but not all.

For example, I've heard that "A Link to the Past" shifts Link's sound effects to the left and right speaker according to his position on the screen. Yet, the game has no option to also switch to mono sound completely.

So, what was the intended way to play Super Nintendo games back in the day when many CRT TVs had no stereo sound, but when the game didn't provide a mono option?
(Apart from using the crappy RF input instead of the AV input, that is.)
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Dwedit
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Re: Setting the Super Nintendo to mono

Post by Dwedit »

The SNES's set-up manual showed a combiner cable for the Left and Right channels.
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DRW
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Re: Setting the Super Nintendo to mono

Post by DRW »

Thanks. I had a look into a PDF file of the manual and yes, it's there:
http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/ ... manual.pdf
(page 6)

Is this the one that needs to be used?
www.ebay.com/itm/132145648654

I'm asking because it's called "splitter", even though the cable on the Super Nintendo is supposed to merge something, so I'm not sure.
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Dwedit
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Re: Setting the Super Nintendo to mono

Post by Dwedit »

Those kind of splitters can go backwards too.
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Memblers
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Re: Setting the Super Nintendo to mono

Post by Memblers »

A Y splitter would short the L/R signals together, but a Y combiner should connect each channel through a resistor. So I don't know if that one would be suitable or not.
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DRW
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Re: Setting the Super Nintendo to mono

Post by DRW »

Memblers wrote:A Y splitter would short the L/R signals together, but a Y combiner should connect each channel through a resistor. So I don't know if that one would be suitable or not.
So, in case this splitter wouldn't work backwards, where do I find a proper combiner that's called like that right from the beginning?
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nitro2k01
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Re: Setting the Super Nintendo to mono

Post by nitro2k01 »

I don't know about the accuracy of the information, but pinouts.ru specifies pin 11 and pin 12 as stereo sum (mono) and stereo difference. Can anyone confirm/deny?

http://pinouts.ru/Game/n64video_pinout.shtml
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Re: Setting the Super Nintendo to mono

Post by tepples »

I imagine that there's enough resistance in the output drivers to make a splitter act as a mixer.
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rainwarrior
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Re: Setting the Super Nintendo to mono

Post by rainwarrior »

DRW wrote:So, in case this splitter wouldn't work backwards, where do I find a proper combiner that's called like that right from the beginning?
It will work.

A passive mixer like a simple splitter cable can fail in cases where the two inputs are mismatched for this purpose, but that's not the case with the SNES' two audio outputs.

For the generic problem of combining two signals from two different devices, you would use an active (i.e. powered) mixer, which will feed each input into a separate amplifier/buffer. The buffers in a mixer device separate their output from the input, so that an imbalance in impedance won't cause the two inputs to interfere with each other. Their amplified output can then be mixed by a passive mixer component (e.g. a couple of variable resistors attached to knobs to let you adjust individual volume). Generic audio mixers are available in a variety of sizes, though they tend to made to do a lot more than just simply mix two channels. Simpler products might exist.

Anyhow, you don't need to worry about this. The SNES is already built to work with a splitter.
Last edited by rainwarrior on Sun May 21, 2017 11:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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mikejmoffitt
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Re: Setting the Super Nintendo to mono

Post by mikejmoffitt »

nitro2k01 wrote:I don't know about the accuracy of the information, but pinouts.ru specifies pin 11 and pin 12 as stereo sum (mono) and stereo difference. Can anyone confirm/deny?

http://pinouts.ru/Game/n64video_pinout.shtml
I've read this, and it seems false. Every SNES/SFC I've used sure treats the two outputs like independent channels.
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Re: Setting the Super Nintendo to mono

Post by lidnariq »

The official schematics (and jwdonal's redrawn version of same) show that they're L/R, not M/S. Also that they're current-limited by a 1k resistor, making a mono downmix as easy as just shorting them together.
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