KC89C72 Sound System, DIP 40 Housing

The KC89C72 system (full name: KC89C72A or KC89C72P) is a 3-channel sound generating system (PSG – Programmable Sound Generator), manufactured by Korea Electronics Co. (KEC) in the 1980s.

Clone of AY-3-8910 / YM2149

This is a Korean clone of the AY-3-8910 (General Instrument) / YM2149 (Yamaha), offering almost identical functionality but made using CMOS technology. As a result, it features:

• lower power consumption,
• better compatibility with modern systems.

Applications

The KC89C72 system was widely used in home computers and 8-bit consoles from the Korean and Asian markets, such as:

• Samsung SPC-1000 / SPC-1500,
• Daewoo Zemmix (MSX clones),
• Korean clones of ZX Spectrum,
• some arcade game machines.

Sound Characteristics

It's a typical chiptune chip, fully compatible in sound with AY-3-8910 / YM2149. Additionally, it stands out with:

• lower power consumption,
• better clock stability.