Well hey, at least I got a first tune done and uploaded here. I thought I grasped the basics, but then I started reading the Roboctopus pages and my poor mind is totally blown, hardly understand a majority of what he's talking about. Hmm, isn't there something to be said for the excitement of going in over your head at full bore? Good times.

I wouldn't worry too much about the stuff from LSDJ and you articles until you're really comfortable with the program itself. That's not to say you shouldn't try it, but it's not a big deal if you're confused about something. 

I think the video that pulled me from being a beginner and threw me into being intermediate was Danimal Cannon's Advanced LSDJ Tutorial. Advanced is a bit of a misnomer, but this video really helped me understand what commands are doing to the sound and how I can completely abuse that power.

Dire Hit wrote:

I feel really stupid for making seperate instruments for every different arp. It seems so obvious know, I don't know why I haven't been doing this the whole time.

This might just be in my head... but sometimes I feel that making an instrument with a table attached to it isn't always the same as using the A command in a phrase. I get a cleaner result if the table is on the instrument and not an A command. I think this happens with the O command mostly... Has anyone else experienced less 'clicking' when doing this? I might just be crazy - _ -

It is clickier, but depending on how busy the song is it probably won't matter.

I feel really stupid for making seperate instruments for every different arp. It seems so obvious know, I don't know why I haven't been doing this the whole time.

This might just be in my head... but sometimes I feel that making an instrument with a table attached to it isn't always the same as using the A command in a phrase. I get a cleaner result if the table is on the instrument and not an A command. I think this happens with the O command mostly... Has anyone else experienced less 'clicking' when doing this? I might just be crazy - _ -

TSP  CMD                   TSP CMD
00     -00                      0B   -00
04     -00                      00   -00
07     -00         OR        07   -00
0A     -00                      00   -00
00     H00                     03   -00
                                    00   H00

Tremolo, Gating, and Ducking are pretty easy to just do a search on, so I'm just gonna let you find out about that stuff on your own. Do play with the tables Dire Hit and I posted. Take your time, I just wanted you to know that you don't HAVE to lock each table to an instrument, they can be used independently. It helps to look at tables like expanded command columns.

bitpusher2600 wrote:

...like a one time use deal whereas making commands and such adjustments in the table make it a permanent part of that particular instrument, is that correct?

Not necessarily. Since there's the A command, you can create a table and use it in the phrase screen, independent of the instrument, and in a few different situations. This is useful for tremolo and other volume modulation tricks like what I said about note release; complex arpeggios (Seventh chords or more? Falling notes instead of rising?); and even pulse channel pwm or simulating effects like noise gate or ducking.

Roboctopus' LSDJ and You is really helpful for this, and all the mind blowing things you can do with the wav channel.

Ninten Kwon Do wrote:

A couple of chip artists have released their save files and stuff so I'd go check those out.

This one brought some mostly new techniques to the table AND brings both a sav and a helpful pdf talking about them! https://datathrash.bandcamp.com/album/HYMNAL

I have no idea what half of what you just said means
I have no education whatsoever in music theory and whatnot. I used to be a live turntable DJ at just a couple of local clubs years ago, and I know my way around Audacity, that's about it. I also have no idea what a stutter table or gating effect is. You guys are somewhere beyond me. I'm sorry.

Since there's the A command, you can create a table and use it in the phrase screen, independent of the instrument, and in a few different situations.

I feel really stupid for making seperate instruments for every different arp. It seems so obvious know, I don't know why I haven't been doing this the whole time.

Another cool A command tip, mess around with some stutter tables.

OLR      OLR      OLR      OLR
------      ------      ------      ------
O----      -----       ------      ------
------      O----      ------      ------
H00       ------      O----     O----
              -----       ------      ------
              H00       ------     OLR
                            ------     O---
                            H00      H00

Put one or two of these on seperate tables, and use them on every channel as a cool gating effect. I did that a lot in this  hella old track

...like a one time use deal whereas making commands and such adjustments in the table make it a permanent part of that particular instrument, is that correct?

Not necessarily. Since there's the A command, you can create a table and use it in the phrase screen, independent of the instrument, and in a few different situations. This is useful for tremolo and other volume modulation tricks like what I said about note release; complex arpeggios (Seventh chords or more? Falling notes instead of rising?); and even pulse channel pwm or simulating effects like noise gate or ducking.

Roboctopus' LSDJ and You is really helpful for this, and all the mind blowing things you can do with the wav channel.

This one brought some mostly new techniques to the table AND brings both a sav and a helpful pdf talking about them! https://datathrash.bandcamp.com/album/HYMNAL

I use noise channel for kicks mostly. But you're right, Wav channel with P command in the table is the best way for the best Kick.

Oh yeah, that is also doable. I tried this on a new song recently and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

lol I was not being sarcastic. A couple of chip artists have released their save files and stuff so I'd go check those out. I know Roboctopus and Zef released their saves with an album or two. there is also lsdsng.com but I remember their being a requirement to join like uploading something of your own first so maybe hold off on that until you have a song to post up. Anyway best of luck!

Edit: (the albums I referred to) https://roboctopus.bandcamp.com/album/tidal-bout https://zef-music.bandcamp.com/album/ground-zero
these guy's have two completely different styles but hey ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I've done chiptune with a pair of  Atari 2600's but that was essentially playing a synthesizer and then sequencing waveforms by hand in Audacity, easy stuff. Tracking though I have never touched and in fact shyed away from anything to do with LSDJ for years, just because it was massively intimidating and numbers are not something i'm good with at all, so the sight of that alone, geesh.

Thanks for the replies everyone. Hopefully I can chip in on these forums once in a while (terrible fracking pun, sorry.)

@Ninten Kwon Do,
If your statement wasn't sarcasm i'm absoluely flattered. I've been convinced for some time before just lately that LSDJ was well beyond my comprehension, and here i've got a drum track put together and have figured out some things on my own. I've looked over the Sabrepulse tutorial and a couple vids on YouTube but that stuff moves to quick for me to follow, so I'm just figuring things on my own. Anyway, thank you. I didn't expect to come away feeling incredibly encouraged

the length of a chain for me depends on the progression of the chords/melody i am using

so if I have a progression that is (for basic example) :

C major off beat chords for two bars
E major off beat chords for two bars

or

C major off beat chords for three bars
C Minor off beat chords for one bar

The Chain will be 4 phrases long. This is a simple progression of chords and goes back to the start every 4 bars. But obviously some songs are more complex or have a bit more to them, I have some chord progressions that are 8 bars long and are then 8 phrases to a chain, and I am even covering a song right now where the lead melody is 16 bars long and therefore my chains are completely full.

I find that keeping chains the same length really helps for knowing how far away sections are in the song, and how long your song is by looking at the song screen.

That's exactly what it's for! Almost everybody I know uses a WAV instrument with a P command in the table to make a kick (unless they use samples). You're really intuitive! You'll be a lsdj wizard in no time.

I use noise channel for kicks mostly. But you're right, Wav channel with P command in the table is the best way for the best Kick.

I successfully used the table to get my particular kick sound instead of putting my command on each note. If that's not exactly all tables are for, it is still a valid use apparently. There I go rambling

That's exactly what it's for! Almost everybody I know uses a WAV instrument with a P command in the table to make a kick (unless they use samples). You're really intuitive! You'll be a lsdj wizard in no time.