Mr.Ratburn
Offline
Orlando, Florida

So I've gotten halfway through making my first full-length track composed in LSDJ, and I've been a little frustrated with the lack of channels on my project.  Right now I have PU1 as a "kick" drum, PU2 as the main melody, WAV as the lower accompanying notes, and NOISE as a hi-hat, cymbal, etc. 
I've been experimenting a lot with the Synth and wave screens, and I've gotten some cool sounds out of them, but mostly out of random luck, I still don't fully grasp them yet and I would like to learn, but most of the stuff I find on the internet is just for complete beginners, no intermediate or advanced tutorials.

Basically, if you guys know of any useful tips and tricks to maximize the number of sounds coming out of the gameboy, and make some sweet sounding tracks, it would really help me alot.  Also, any websites or videos that might contain intermediate/advanced tutorials that you've found helpful would be great!

Oh and for the record, yes, I know what tables are and I have been using them, I am familiar with chords and arpeggios and how to make them, and I've read the manual multiple times.

Thanks :^)

SketchMan3
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NC in the US of America

Mr. Rightburb, the best I can say is to just keep experimenting. And search around the forums. And keep reading the manual.

As far as personal tips I can give:

High frequency V effects can give you a more complex raspy sound. See "Moe Moe Kyunstep" for an NES example.

Make a custom sample kit with complex chordy sounds.

Youtube is a good website for intermediate tutorials.

Use O command to create stereo space.

Mix up your instruments in your patterns. Don't just use one instrument per pattern. You can have kicks, snares, toms, lead, bass and chords all in one channel and in one pattern if you mix it up and alternate. wink

Read the manual a few more times.

Noisechannel has some nice tutorials.

Youtube.

Chipmusic.org Nintendo Handhelds sub-forum. Search.

Last edited by SketchMan3 (Nov 2, 2012 8:19 am)

Saskrotch
Offline
Chicago IL

definitely don't use one channel for just kick drums. i usually use the wav for kick, bass and snare (to back up the noise channel a bit). (example).

try to fill up any blank space you have basically. keep it full up.

Jellica
Offline
England

i sometimes wish the game boy had more flexability with its sounds. being able to combine them more and fixed pitches, like you can on the c64 smile

but yeah mix stuff up more, make snairs with your pulse channel. mix pulse kicks with noise kicks. bass and melody on the wav channel. you'll stumble across more interesting sounds as a result as well.

Last edited by Jellica (Nov 2, 2012 9:23 am)

nickmaynard
Offline
rochester, ny

do a youtube search for danimal cannon's lsdj tutorial.

roboctopus
Offline
Madison, Alabama

I have a series of articles on more advanced techniques: http://www.noisechannel.org/category/lsdj-you

And like Saskrotch said, don't just use one channel for one thing.  You can put arps or echoes in between your pulse kicks, for instance.  To really fill a track out, find every bit of free space you can and fill it with something.

DotMatrix
Offline
DC

I've been watching some tutorials on Youtube on my spare time. came across this one by Danimal Cannon. Don't know if it's advanced enough for your purposes, but It certainly makes sounds I myself didn't expect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAgM3KNhSLc

defiantsystems
Offline
.FILTHadelphia

Advanced tutorials? Maybe I'll cook something up over the weekend for LSDJguides. But for now I'll say:

- Tables are your best friend. Do extensive sound design don't settle for generic square waves. Just manipulate different things, add wild pitch commands at the end of your tables to add subtle little bleeps and bloops.

- Like SketchMan3 and Saskrotch said, don't dedicate one channel to one thing. Depending on what sound you're trying to achieve you may have to but there are work arounds.

- Get comfortable with using 'E'nvelope commands. If you're mixing different instruments in the same channel you'll want some things to continue to ring out so start experimenting.

- Noise channel doesn't have to be strictly percussion instruments. Experiment with it and throw in some crazy sounds in place of or between your percussion instruments for some nice variation.

I had more but I'm running out of time. Good luck.

The Laohu
Offline
Utah
roboctopus wrote:

I have a series of articles on more advanced techniques: http://www.noisechannel.org/category/lsdj-you

This. A lot.

danimal cannon
Offline
buffalo, NY

It's funny how much more I know now than when I made that tutorial.  Maybe another one sometime

L-tron
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Kit percussion used tastefully at times can make your tracks sound 100 times better

Edit: Also, play with a Wav Pingpong with a really low cutoff (1a or so) at the start column or the end column in the synth editing menu.

Last edited by L-tron (Nov 2, 2012 11:47 pm)

herr_prof
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Dont be afraid of silence.

Mr.Ratburn
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Orlando, Florida

Wow, thanks for the overwhelming amount of responses!  I'll definitely check all of these out!  Also, I didn't elaborate, but I wasn't using PU1 JUST for the "kick", I was also interchanging it with actual melodies as well.  What was making me frustrated is that at some points in the songI had to choose between A) have a kick drum, but no 2nd/3rd melody or B) don't have the drum and have a melody.  I will try switching off roles between the channels as some of you suggested, making alternate versions in different channels.  I will also play around with the envelope and let things keep playing.  The "Danimal Cannon" videos seem great and the noisechannel website is almost exactly what I was looking for, I'll check them out very soon.

Thanks guys!  If you have any more tricks to share, don't hesitate to post them! I think this thread might also be useful to catalogue some of these websites and also people's own personal discoveries.

Analog
Offline
Ciudad de méxico, MX

I'll try my best to challenge/advice you to grow your skills with this simple points.


1. Learn your WAV channel. Make awesome kicks, powerfull bass lines. The F command and H command can make your instrument go nuts. Search for a fuller sound (or whatever you want/need), try to imitate the sounds from another music that you may like. think in a sound and make it.


2. Invest some time layering your channels (E.G. 3 channel kicks/snare). Work on how one channel affects others, to make distinctive sounds.

3. Give room to everything that sounds, work your volumes and sound designs (don't overload some frequencies)  so they can fit on to your ideas at your command.

4. Don't forget to make good music and have a good time. Practice a lot and be happy.

Victory Road
Offline
Gosford, Australia

ah, channel juggling is tricky but you'd be surprised at how many gaps in the music the listener's brain fills in on its own. perception is magic!

danimal cannon
Offline
buffalo, NY

If I have a free channel, occasionally I'll create an unusual timbre by doubling, echoing, octaving, or detuning what's already there.  Compensate volume to taste.

Last edited by danimal cannon (Nov 3, 2012 6:40 am)