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misc:music_chimes

Music Chime Information Database

Overview

Documenting dedicated chime devices, primarily of Japanese manufacture.

Scope

Electronic only, no electromechanical. Currently limiting this to the sort of devices that are intended for permanent installation in a rack or similar. Not documenting things like door chimes at this time.

Sound Sources

Manufacturer Model No. Chime Types Synthesis Method Production Start Production End Audio Samples Notes
National/Panasonic WZ-245 Westminster Digital control of analog tone generation 1980s 2005/03/01 Reduced version of WZ-250. A few parts not populated, otherwise identical. Manual
National/Panasonic WZ-248 Westminster (2 variants), Memories, ding-dong (repeated 3x) PCM 1990s? 2006 Uses companded PCM. Main IC is gate array, not MCU? Manual
National/Panasonic WZ-250 Westminster (2 variants), Memories, ding-dong (repeated 3x) Digital control of analog tone generation Sequenced by bipolar PROM. Manual
National/Panasonic WZ-255 TODO grab from manual PCM/MIDI 2001 2005/03/01 MIDI input. Manual
National/Panasonic TD9102, TD9103 FM (YM64A0W [YMU251 series]) [src] Schedule on paper cards. TD9100,9101 have no chime, TD910x model differences here
CITIZEN TIC C-4100-A Wavetable Info scarce aside from this video, “C-4200-A” in video is a mistake, 4100 is correct
Takacom PBS-D401 4 factory, others user-recordable PCM Sound data on card, schedule on floppy. Selectable 16 or 32khz PCM. Flyer Supplemental material - office Supplemental material - school Software. Uses Takacom proprietary flash memory card, not CF!!!
Takacom PBS-D500 / PBS-D500II 15 factory, others user-recordable PCM Data on internal CF card. 16-bit PCM, optionally ulaw companded 8bit. SH3-DSP CPU. Software
Takacom PBS-D600
TOA EC-012 4-note
TOA KT-140 / KT-011 / KT-011N Westminster Digital control of analog tone generation Late 1970s Sequenced by discrete logic. Production order is 140 → 011 → 011N src. KT-011N spec sheet. KT-140 spec sheet. KT-140 manual. KT-011 spec sheet.
TOA ML-102 2x Customer option Unknown 1ch?
TOA ML-202 / ML-202N 2x Customer option Unknown 2ch? MN6221 series melody IC, according to [src]. Although [src] claims different than early TT-021B models which are confirmed MN6221TA? Two UV EPROMs inside [src], why? Sometimes referred to as the Hasuda system - 蓮田系
TOA ML-301 / ML-301B Westminster, 4-note FM (YM2203) in early units, PCM in later units Reduced version of ML-304. Program shared with ML-304 MCU, selected by hardware. Newer production units use sampled audio (OKI MSM9810) and different CPU [src]
TOA ML-304 / ML-304B / ML-304BLK Determined by MELODIX CARD FM (YM2203) 1987 [src]
TOA ML-1000 Determined by MC CARD PCM via DSP
TOA TT-021/TT-021N Westminster Program timer with integrated sound source. sample
TOA TT-021B (early model) Westminster Melody IC (MN6221TA) sample. Z84C000 CPU. 256 kbit ROM, seems huge for a timer? Is this actually 021B and not 021/021N?
TOA TT-021B (later model) Westminster FM (YM2203) Program timer with integrated sound source (same sound as ML-30x series). sample
Toshiba ACH-100WA Westminster [src] Half-rack.
Toshiba ACH-101* Westminster, 4-note FM (YM3812) [src] *Rebadged UNI-PEX MZ-1201
Toshiba ACH-400WA Half-rack. TMS3615 octave synth. CPU-less, sequence data on UV EPROM? Spec sheet Manual
Toshiba ACH-401 Westminster, Blue Sky, Memories, Joy FM (YMF262) 2006 [src] Z80 based. Spec sheet Manual
UNI-PEX MZ-101A Westminster Digital control of analog tone generation? [vdo]
UNI-PEX MZ-1141 Spec sheet Manual
UNI-PEX MZ-1142 MP3 SD card. Spec sheet Manual
UNI-PEX MZ-1143 MP3 SD card. Spec sheet Manual
UNI-PEX MZ-1201 Westminster, 4-note FM (YM3812) Spec sheet
UNI-PEX MZ-1202 Westminster, 4-note ADPCM (OKI MSM6650) Not sure what it samples, but it's not MZ-1201… Spec sheet Manual
UNI-PEX MZ-1203 Westminster (3 variants), 1/2/4-note chime, radio calisthenics MP3 128kbps MP3 on internal memory. Spec sheet Manual
Victor DM-53 Westminster, Joy, Blue Sky, ding-dong (repeated 3x)
Victor PA-DT600 Customer options (default: Westminster, Joy, Blue Sky, radio calisthenics) PCM Sequencer 44100Hz 16-bit mono, 22050Hz 16-bit stereo/mono. 46 chimes/music available. [src] Software
Victor PA-DT600(B) Same as PA-DT600 PCM Sequencer Updated version of PA-DT600. Unknown differences. B version has LED “Chime/BGM” instead of just “Chime”. Requires different PC software. Software
Victor PA-DA700 Same as PA-DT600 PCM Sequencer
Victor PA-T30 FM (YM2413) Same as PA-T130 in different form factor. Manual
Victor PA-T130 Westminster, Joy, Blue Sky, ding-dong 3x, one custom programmable FM (YM2413) Schedule is on paper cards. Spec sheet, Manual
Victor PA-W53 Westminster, Joy, Blue Sky, ding-dong (repeated 3x) Spec sheet, Manual

Card Types

Manufacturer Type Name Notes
Takacom Flash Memory Card (BFC-30M, BFC-60M) Proprietary, as far as I can tell. Looks like CF but fewer pins and physically larger, inside is simple NAND flash
TOA MELODIX CARD Fujisoku B-series physical standard
TOA MC CARD CompactFlash physical standard

Notes

  • All recordings in “Audio Samples” column are recorded by me from my own devices.

TODO

  • Photos
  • Sound samples / videos
  • Manuals
  • Archive all links
  • The dates on the Panasonic stuff are sus. For example, production start in 2001 for WZ-255, but 98.02 on footer of manual PDF?
    • My WZ-248 has early 90s date codes
  • Figure out 202 situation. Some comments say it is MN6221 series, but this contradicts hoi9007's 202N PCB shots: https://twitter.com/hoi9007/status/1223509959977000960. Possibly melody IC on 202, and CPU based on 202N? No RAM!!!
  • Panasonic TD and TA series program timer / bell timer
  • ACH-400WA manual mentions ACH-4000W, ACH-4001A. Do these exist…?
  • Great info on YMU251 series here
misc/music_chimes.txt · Last modified: 2024/09/04 09:07 by natalie