Sega CD Stereo Audio

[eatenbygrues]

This isn't so much a technical question as more of a plea for clarification. Now on all the various Sega CD FAQs (and a number of posts on these forums) whenever the topic of using a model 1 genesis with a sega cd the mixer port comes up.

The general belief is that the only way to get stereo sound out of this combination is by using the mixer port. From my own limited testing that doesn't appear to be the case.

Now the AV port on the model 1 genesis only produces mono audio, but if you are using a cable with a stereo breakout (such as pcenginesales awesome model 1 Scart cables) then you can use the stereo headphone jack on the front of the genesis.

If nothing is plugged into the mixer port then the sega-cd will transmit its audio signal through the genesis, and you will actually get stereo sega-cd sound via the front headphone jack (in addition to the stereo genesis sound). You can test this by unplugging the mixer port and playing an audio cd on the sega-cd while listening via the headphone jack.

Maybe this is common knowledge but whenever I see people asking about how to setup their model 1 genesis + sega cd this never seems to come up. It seems like this would be a preferred method as it's one less loop the audio has to jump through before getting to your TV.

One capability you do lose by doing this is the ability to independently adjust the genesis volume from the sega-cd volume. If you plug a (non-genesis) source into the mixer port you will notice that the sega-cd quits sending its audio via the genesis and just outputs audio the RCA ports on the back.

So like I said before maybe this is more commonly known than I thought but I wanted to throw this out there.

[Cafeman]

A little bump - I was searching for Genesis/Stereo topics. I just hooked up my new Genny 1 and CD1 again after many years of not owning them. My findings:

1. Sega Genesis 2, even with Stereo cable that I had to search for and purchase, still doesn't seem to be outputting sound in stereo. More like Mono-X2.

2. Hookup Genny1 and CD1 without the mixing cable, and the CD output only plays the music. The sounds do go thru the Genny RF connection though.

3. Hookup Genny1 and CD1 with the mixing cable (by the way, I use a replacement cable - its just a 1/8" cable from Radio Shack) and the Sega CD outputs beautiful stereo and you can 'mix' the genny sounds quieter/louder with the headphones volume switch. This is my preferred method.

That's all - feel free to comment on this.

[mcnougat]

Sega CD Mixing Questions:

Hey, I'm new here. Great forum. I've been reading posts about the Sega CD - I have a Model 2 CD and a Gen. 1 Genesis.

I have the white and red hooked up from the Sega CD to my TV. When I unplug them, the sound stays the same. This leads me to believe that the sound is going through the Genesis regardless. Do I need to buy a mixing cable? Exactly what cable do I need to buy to mix?


Sega Genesis Model 1 (High Definition) Question

Is it true when they say that the audio is best on this version - better than the audio on later Gen. 1's and all Gen. 2's? I heard the sound comparison on Wikipedia, but I want to be sure - you guys seem like experts.

[alec006]

Sega CD Mixing Questions:

Hey, I'm new here. Great forum. I've been reading posts about the Sega CD - I have a Model 2 CD and a Gen. 1 Genesis.

I have the white and red hooked up from the Sega CD to my TV. When I unplug them, the sound stays the same. This leads me to believe that the sound is going through the Genesis regardless. Do I need to buy a mixing cable? Exactly what cable do I need to buy to mix?


Sega Genesis Model 1 (High Definition) Question

Is it true when they say that the audio is best on this version - better than the audio on later Gen. 1's and all Gen. 2's? I heard the sound comparison on Wikipedia, but I want to be sure - you guys seem like experts.

When it comes to getting Stereo audio from the Model 1 Genesis attached to a Sega CD the best way is to use a 3.5mm to RCA cable directly from the headphone port on the front of the Genesis, the mixing cable isn't needed. When it comes to the Model 2, I believe all you have to do is have a Stereo composite or RGB cable coming directly from the Genesis.

Ask for the audio quality, the early model one Genesis systems with High Definition graphics printed on them do have the best audio quality out of all the revisions. They changed the circuit in the model 2 systems which made it more muffled and lesser quality. The only problem is the headphone port sometimes has a hum or buzz to it but it's not really noticeable unless you're playing a very quiet game.