akira^8GB
Offline
New York City
Pseudo wrote:

Haha, and here I was thinking using VSTs and Computer Trackers was almost "cheating". And ironically, I just deleted an ancient version of Milkytracker last week without even looking at it, 4mat.

As I said, you are in this becasue of the aesthetics (aren't you?) and not the methodology, so you might as well use a kazoo. As long as it sounds bleepy bloopy, it will be OK for you.

ant1
Offline
uhajdafdfdfa
Pseudo wrote:

@ant1

Are you talking about how nowadays you can digitally simulate any instrument for any genre? Call me a purist, but hardware always sounds cooler than the digital version. *coughrockguitarscough* big_smile

No, just saying that gear is not important compared to results. Maybe you need a guitar to make rock music, but not an expensive guitar.

I personally very much enjoy tracked chiptunes and such for the PC (more than Game Boy music, actually), but it's a matter of taste. I think you are focusing too much on what you gear you 'need' or what gear you can buy, rather than the music, which is 100% the most important thing. I know some people are "gear-aholics", but this isn't retroconsolesandcomputerscollecting.org, it's about music. I'm not trying to be unfriendly or discouraging, but I wouldn't want anyone to think that spending money will help them make better music. smile The bottom line from me is:
don't buy anything else, you don't need it.

e.s.c.
Offline
IL, US
ant1 wrote:

I know some people are "gear-aholics", but this isn't retroconsolesandcomputerscollecting.org, it's about music.

hey, i make a LOT of music too sad

akira^8GB
Offline
New York City
ant1 wrote:

I know some people are "gear-aholics", but this isn't retroconsolesandcomputerscollecting.org, it's about music.

God bless the Ant

BetaSynapse
Offline
Cambridge, MA
ant1 wrote:

No, just saying that gear is not important compared to results. Maybe you need a guitar to make rock music, but not an expensive guitar.

I personally very much enjoy tracked chiptunes and such for the PC (more than Game Boy music, actually), but it's a matter of taste. I think you are focusing too much on what you gear you 'need' or what gear you can buy, rather than the music, which is 100% the most important thing. I know some people are "gear-aholics", but this isn't retroconsolesandcomputerscollecting.org, it's about music. I'm not trying to be unfriendly or discouraging, but I wouldn't want anyone to think that spending money will help them make better music. smile The bottom line from me is:
don't buy anything else, you don't need it.

You are completely right.

It's true that I'm trying to get into this with my own complete misconception of the chiptune genre as a whole. I was thinking of it as instruments instead of sounds. More like a traditional setting where the instruments limit you. While that's true to a certain extent, it appears nobody cares how the crap you made it as long as it sounds good. And I completely agree with having music come first, it's just that by approaching it from an instrument point of view, I instinctively scream HARDWARE and scramble to find "the best one".

But come on, if I had to get hardware, I'd make sure it's pimped out to show off to everyone. wink Aesthetics do play a part in this for me. Heck, I even factored it in when buying my guitar.

But since I don't need hardware, I'm going to wait on that. Or obsessively compulsively buy a GB anyways. ^_^

As an additional question, is milkytracker completely sample based? Either that or I'm stupid as to how to make waveforms. =/ Or should I just ditch it for Famitracker?

dexter
Offline
southampton, uk
akira^8GB wrote:

You havea computer.
USE IT.
Why would you spend money in gear? After all you are after the aesthetics of chipmusic, not its processes.

dude shut the fuck up.
this guy could be the next fucking goto80 and your already being a dick to him

Zan-zan-zawa-butt
Offline
AANABAY01

^ban this guy

milkytracker is sample based. there are tutorials for it but basically you click the sample editor, right click and give it some space and choose a waveform or draw an ugly one of your own, go to instrument editor and give it a volume envelope by clicking the 0..9 buttons and you have a basic audible instrument

don't throw out one tracker in favour of another until you're sure you understand it and don't like it, or will never understand it

nickmaynard
Offline
rochester, ny

regarding the midines - apparently when you buy it through his site, there can be problems with shipping (like, it never ships). but i bought mine through ebay and it shipped within a day or two after payment. and he has 99% positive feedback on there.

but i wouldn't recommend it if you're not used to midi or computer programs with midi stuff.

buy the LSDJ rom for 2 bucks. play with it on your computer for a while. then if you like it enough, buy a cart with it on it. do the pro-sound mod for like 3 bucks.

then make chiptunes.

ant1
Offline
uhajdafdfdfa
e.s.c. wrote:
ant1 wrote:

I know some people are "gear-aholics", but this isn't retroconsolesandcomputerscollecting.org, it's about music.

hey, i make a LOT of music too sad

Which is why you're at a site called chipmusic, I guess. smile

BetaSynapse
Offline
Cambridge, MA

@ dexter

Haha, thanks, but I doubt it.

@z-z-z-butt

Well, I could've just used modplug then. That's what I used to use before. My problem has always been trying to come up with cool samples. Does anyone have a link to a waveform generator? I remember seeing one ages ago that let you mix various frequencies of different wave forms, but I have had no luck searching for it. Any hints for samples?

Also I've picked up piggytracker for windows. Pretty sweet program. And my computer makes LSDJ sound like crap. >.<

@nickmaynard

Yeah, I've never done midi stuff before, I'll probably pass on it. And some of the prices for GBs that have backlights and prosound mods are ridiculous! It's only like <$20 for parts to do it yourself...

smiletron
Offline
Nashville, Tennessee

best of luck in your endeavors.

RushJet1
Offline
Lawrenceville, GA
4mat wrote:

I think there's a schism with tracking not being 'real chip', which is kinda weird when you check out how long the chipscene has been going on there.

Yes, you're right.  A lot of tracked music now uses a ton of channels and effects that weren't originally possible (or were they? but most music didn't use it that I've heard from the mid/early 90s).  Also people have a predefined assumption in their own head when they hear "chipmusic" and an explanation of it.  Someone from Europe might think of Amiga / C64 / SMS stuff, someone from the US will probably think NES or Atari if they're old enough tongue and those from Japan will probably think Famicom.  It's pretty region-specific from what I've seen, and now that the "scene" is opening up to other areas than just Europe, ideas start to clash, etc.






wait, what do i know? i just write music and bury my head in the sand the rest of the time

BitPop
Offline
York, Yorkshire

To answer your question. You seem to have everything you need, except perhaps the cart for the GB.

You mention a laptop and the lack of MIDI.  If you want to sync up you will need a MIDI interface and a LSDJMC^2 or Arduinoboy.  These also work without MIDI for synching two GBs together.   But if you're not planning on syncing to the laptop/sequencer or other outboard or another GB, then this is an unnecessary step.

Hope that helps, have fun smile

p.s. some people are a bit precious when it comes to chip music, gear etc.  My advice : Just ignore, get help where you can and get on with it big_smile

Speaking of which, back in the studio this weekend  - w00t!

Last edited by BitPop (Feb 12, 2010 2:40 pm)

arlen
Offline

My number 1 suggestion to you is to learn how to make your own waveforms. It's really handy, especially with drums.

Milkytracker has a waveform generator. Set the sample size to like 64 (that's the size I usually stick with.) then right click, go to Generators (I think?) and you can select Saw, Sine, Square, and Noise. For square is only gives you a 50% wave. If you want something else just make it less of a square and more of a rectangle.

Also, you don't need cool samples, you just gotta know how to make the simple ones sound cool. i.e. combining waveforms and junk.

Just mess around with things. Oh, and MilkyTracker and Famitracker are COMPLETELY different. Famitracker is for making NES music. Just sayin.

BetaSynapse
Offline
Cambridge, MA
BitPop wrote:

To answer your question. You seem to have everything you need, except perhaps the cart for the GB.

You mention a laptop and the lack of MIDI.  If you want to sync up you will need a MIDI interface and a LSDJMC^2 or Arduinoboy.  These also work without MIDI for synching two GBs together.   But if you're not planning on syncing to the laptop/sequencer or other outboard or another GB, then this is an unnecessary step.

Hope that helps, have fun smile

p.s. some people are a bit precious when it comes to chip music, gear etc.  My advice : Just ignore, get help where you can and get on with it big_smile

Speaking of which, back in the studio this weekend  - w00t!

This is what I was wondering. I guess I want to make chipmusic using wavform manipulation and not just samples. I could just do that in FLStudio easy...

Gonna look up some tuts for it soon. Thanks for this, it really helps!

Reteris
Offline
̛̛̩̥̩̥̩̥̅ ̥⎬̛̛̛̛̛̥̥̩̥̩̩
Pseudo wrote:

Care to elaborate? I can't tell if you condone or dismiss using a tracker like this...

I'm saying you SHOULD use them. Personally I think it's cool to use all platforms of hardware and software to make music on.