8bitcollective

Music made using a sound chip to generate music.

Maybe i asked the question wrong, I know what  it IS, i wanna know what makes it sound so nice, maybe the question is... what does the trackers do that modern sequencers dont?

Last edited by Chipdip (October 29th 2009 2:01 AM)

Listen to Disasterpeace or Derris-Kharlan for some really good DAW chiptunes. I think you have to just think about what sounds and techniques you are using in your songs, and recreate that in your DAW - things such as arpeggios, portamento, PWM, making drums from noise, using the same sounds such as pulses, triangles, saws, etc.

ant1 wrote:

Listen to Disasterpeace or Derris-Kharlan for some really good DAW chiptunes. I think you have to just think about what sounds and techniques you are using in your songs, and recreate that in your DAW - things such as arpeggios, portamento, PWM, making drums from noise, using the same sounds such as pulses, triangles, saws, etc.

This, for the compositional aspect. On a lower level, there are a few restrictions most trackers have which you will have to emulate:

- Envelope
Notes on the same channel don't bleed into each other. You'll probably have to kill the Release and only work with ADS if you're using a softsynth, unless it's a monosynth.

- Interpolation
Understand that by changing the pitch of a sample in a tracker, you're effectively changing it's sample rate. While you can interpolate in some trackers, uninterpolated sounds more 'classic'

- Bit depth
You can degrade softsynths with a bit crusher, but this requires tweaking to get right. A synth with built-in low bit envelope will almost always sound better. If you need to use a bit crusher, check the waveform on a scope.

- Sample rate
Again, trackers can do samples up to 48000Hz. The classic stuff is however sampled lower, mostly 11025 or 22050. Some machines, the Amiga for example, operate on even lower frequencies. Find a good degrader effect (most bit crushers also have the option to reduce sample rate)

- OSC reset
This is a subtle one. You retrigger samples in trackers from the start (unless you override this with commands) with each hit. Softsynths that have an option for that are few, chip VSTis are fewer. I'll probably try to put that into the next version of Medusa.

Its a philosophical question, ease up. I think the keys are tables.

STereochan wrote:

NOSTALGIA
music made with something associated with the bright, happy nintendo ways (C64, if you're into that kind of thing)
It just ties together with positive feelings for us
and feels so warm and soulfull compared to the industrialized heartless stuff that you get as music hardware (since it's just made as a tool and not as a way of getting happier and warmer).
...that's what I think anyways...

Word...

µB wrote:

CHIP SCIENCE!

that was a good read

more than just the tracker though, i think its the spiritual essence of the chips themselves.

Last edited by BR1GHT PR1MATE (October 29th 2009 7:31 AM)

joule wrote:

Chipmusic is not a technique but a style/genre that has come to evolve into several sub-genres. What they all still have in common is the fact that some or all of the instruments are generated by simple waveforms in a relatively static way.

That's a very elegant definition.

How do I sound goof


...
Seriously, commands is something I miss in modern sequencers. It gives you *unlimited power*.

Modern sequencers don't have a parameter/command track? Serious question, because the newest thing I use is Buzz, which has a tracker interface. I thought for most of what you can do with tracker commands there's a midi command equivalent?

flegmatical wrote:

µB wrote:

Modern sequencers don't have a parameter/command track? Serious question, because the newest thing I use is Buzz, which has a tracker interface. I thought for most of what you can do with tracker commands there's a midi command equivalent?

Well, yeah you kinda have. I use Reason myself (one of the few pieces of software I actually own a license for), and you can draw as much effect stuff as you want in the sequencer, pitching, volume, velocity, etc. But it doesn't feel the same. Feels more imprecise and like more work for some reason.

edit: But of course, you can record this on the fly via midi-controllers also, so that's a bonus. And I still love Reason.

isn't it obvious why modern DAWs don't have parameter commands? not only are they un-neededly precise, but to an fresh user they are like a foreign language (especially since they are different on like every tracker out there). Plus MIDI and automation is so much more versatile

chipmusic=good
chiptune=better
game genie prosound=best