diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 642b76e..7c1824d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -104,6 +104,21 @@ on a peak of 32767.
 - A bar-length linter in the score parser catches more composition bugs
   than any amount of staring at note lists.
 
+## OPL3 rendering (the authentic one)
+
+For real Sound Blaster flavour — FM synthesis, no soundfont, like the
+actual YMF262 chip:
+
+```bash
+./tools/opl/build.sh      # one-time: fetches + builds libADLMIDI
+./tools/render_opl.sh     # renders all midi/*.mid through OPL3
+OPL_MODEL=4 ./tools/render_opl.sh midi/03_late_equaliser.mid
+```
+
+Volume models mimic real game sound drivers: `2` NativeOPL3 (id-style),
+`3` DMX (Doom, default), `4` APOGEE (Duke Nukem 3D), `8` AIL, `10` HMI.
+Output is normalised (OPL runs quiet). Needs `cmake` + `g++` to build.
+
 ## Licence & soundfonts
 
 MIT — see [LICENSE](LICENSE). Rendering needs a General MIDI soundfont,
diff --git a/tools/opl/build.sh b/tools/opl/build.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..bbab148
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/opl/build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# build.sh — fetch and build libADLMIDI, then compile render_opl.
+# Idempotent: skips anything already present. Run once per machine.
+set -euo pipefail
+cd "$(dirname "$0")"
+LIBDIR="${OPL_LIBDIR:-/opt/libADLMIDI}"
+
+if [ ! -f "$LIBDIR/build/libADLMIDI.a" ]; then
+    echo "cloning libADLMIDI..."
+    git clone --depth 1 -q https://github.com/Wohlstand/libADLMIDI.git "$LIBDIR"
+    echo "building (a few minutes)..."
+    cmake -B "$LIBDIR/build" -S "$LIBDIR" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release >/dev/null
+    cmake --build "$LIBDIR/build" -j"$(nproc)" --target ADLMIDI_static >/dev/null
+fi
+
+g++ -O2 -I "$LIBDIR/include" render_opl.cpp "$LIBDIR/build/libADLMIDI.a" \
+    -o render_opl -lpthread
+echo "built: $(pwd)/render_opl"
diff --git a/tools/opl/render_opl b/tools/opl/render_opl
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..372e9a0
Binary files /dev/null and b/tools/opl/render_opl differ
diff --git a/tools/opl/render_opl.cpp b/tools/opl/render_opl.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b19d41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/opl/render_opl.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+// render_opl.cpp — render a MIDI file to WAV through OPL3 FM emulation
+// (libADLMIDI), i.e. the authentic Sound Blaster / AdLib sound. No
+// soundfont involved: pure FM synthesis, like the real 1993 silicon.
+//
+// Build: see build.sh in this directory.
+// Usage: render_opl in.mid out.wav seconds [volume_model]
+//
+// Volume models (the fun bit — they mimic real game sound drivers):
+//   0 auto   1 generic   2 NativeOPL3 (CMF/id-style)   3 DMX (Doom)
+//   4 APOGEE (Duke Nukem 3D)   5 9X   8 AIL (Another World era)
+//   10 HMI
+#include "adlmidi.h"
+#include <cstdio>
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <vector>
+
+static void wr32(FILE *f, unsigned v) {
+    unsigned char b[4] = {ADL_UInt8(v), ADL_UInt8(v >> 8), ADL_UInt8(v >> 16), ADL_UInt8(v >> 24)};
+    fwrite(b, 1, 4, f);
+}
+static void wr16(FILE *f, unsigned v) {
+    unsigned char b[2] = {ADL_UInt8(v), ADL_UInt8(v >> 8)};
+    fwrite(b, 1, 2, f);
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv) {
+    if (argc < 4) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "usage: render_opl in.mid out.wav seconds [volume_model]\n");
+        return 2;
+    }
+    const long rate = 44100;
+    double secs = atof(argv[3]);
+    int model = (argc > 4) ? atoi(argv[4]) : 3;  // default: DMX (Doom-ish)
+
+    ADL_MIDIPlayer *adl = adl_init(rate);
+    if (!adl) { fprintf(stderr, "adl_init failed\n"); return 1; }
+    adl_setVolumeRangeModel(adl, model);
+    adl_setNumChips(adl, 2);  // two OPL3s: our arrangements are dense
+
+    if (adl_openFile(adl, argv[1]) != 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "cannot open %s: %s\n", argv[1], adl_errorString());
+        adl_close(adl); return 1;
+    }
+
+    FILE *f = fopen(argv[2], "wb");
+    if (!f) { fprintf(stderr, "cannot write %s\n", argv[2]); adl_close(adl); return 1; }
+
+    // WAV header (sizes patched to actual bytes written at the end)
+    const long data_off = 40;
+    fwrite("RIFF", 1, 4, f); wr32(f, 0); fwrite("WAVE", 1, 4, f);
+    fwrite("fmt ", 1, 4, f); wr32(f, 16); wr16(f, 1); wr16(f, 2);
+    wr32(f, unsigned(rate)); wr32(f, unsigned(rate * 4)); wr16(f, 4); wr16(f, 16);
+    fwrite("data", 1, 4, f); wr32(f, 0);
+
+    std::vector<short> buf(2048 * 2);
+    std::vector<short> all;
+    int frames_done = 0, frames_total = int(secs * rate);
+    while (frames_done < frames_total) {
+        int n = frames_total - frames_done;
+        if (n > 2048) n = 2048;
+        if (adl_play(adl, n * 2, buf.data()) != 0) {
+            all.insert(all.end(), buf.begin(), buf.begin() + n * 2);
+            frames_done += n;
+        } else {
+            break;  // end of sequence (or error; errorString empty at EOF)
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Normalise: OPL FM runs quiet; bring the peak up to ~-17dBFS, capped
+    // so we never amplify a near-silent track into hiss.
+    int peak = 0;
+    for (short s : all) peak = std::max(peak, std::abs(int(s)));
+    double gain = (peak > 0 && peak < 24000) ? std::min(24000.0 / peak, 12.0) : 1.0;
+    if (gain != 1.0) {
+        for (short &s : all) {
+            int v = int(s * gain);
+            s = short(v > 32767 ? 32767 : (v < -32767 ? -32767 : v));
+        }
+    }
+    fprintf(stderr, "peak %d, gain x%.1f\n", peak, gain);
+
+    long bytes_written = long(all.size()) * 2;
+    fwrite(all.data(), 2, all.size(), f);
+    fflush(f);
+    fseek(f, 4, SEEK_SET);   wr32(f, unsigned(36 + bytes_written));
+    fseek(f, data_off, SEEK_SET); wr32(f, unsigned(bytes_written));
+    fclose(f);
+    adl_close(adl);
+    fprintf(stderr, "rendered %d frames of OPL3\n", frames_done);
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tools/render_opl.sh b/tools/render_opl.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..272dd5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/render_opl.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# render_opl.sh — render tunes through OPL3 FM (authentic Sound Blaster
+# flavour, no soundfont). Usage:
+#   ./tools/render_opl.sh [tune.mid ...]     (default: all midi/*.mid)
+#   OPL_MODEL=4 ./tools/render_opl.sh ...    (4 = Apogee/Duke Nukem volumes)
+#
+# Volume models: 2 NativeOPL3 (id-style)  3 DMX (Doom, default)
+#                4 APOGEE (Duke Nukem 3D)  8 AIL  10 HMI
+set -euo pipefail
+cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
+[ -x tools/opl/render_opl ] || ./tools/opl/build.sh
+mkdir -p build/opl
+MODEL="${OPL_MODEL:-3}"
+
+files=("$@")
+if [ ${#files[@]} -eq 0 ]; then files=(midi/*.mid); fi
+
+for f in "${files[@]}"; do
+    dur=$(python3 -c "
+import sys; sys.path.insert(0,'lib')
+from midikit import read
+print(read('$f')['duration_sec'] + 3)")
+    out="build/opl/$(basename "${f%.mid}").wav"
+    echo "== $f -> $out (model $MODEL)"
+    ./tools/opl/render_opl "$f" "$out" "$dur" "$MODEL"
+    python3 tools/check_wav.py "$out" "$dur"
+done