I try not to let "technical prowess" get in the way of my enjoyment of music. As long as it sounds cool, that's impressive enough for me.
Last edited by SketchMan3 (Nov 3, 2012 12:39 am)
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roboctopus wrote:
I guess I don't understand what the difference is between using two DMGs versus adding synths or guitars or any additional equipment, really. It's not pure 1xLSDJ, is all. You're just adding to the equation. People are bringing up not being technically impressed or questioning the point of composing with a game boy, so I wonder what people think about LSDJ + anything else. Am I missing something? Just curious.
I love both, but I tend to gravitate towards straight LSDJ releases. I assure you it's not some kind of philosophical thing on "what chiptune is" at all-it's a purely an aesthetic choice and not a workflow one! I think it's because I'm really specifically interested in that exact medium. I've also personally been messing with Renoise and I listen to releases with all kinds of instrumentation very often but 2xLSDJ hasn't really caught my eye yet in that sense. I guess I haven't heard a 2xLSDJ song yet that made me say to myself, "holy crap I really gotta try syncing gameboys." The closest thing I ever would get to that is where I wrote a song on 1xLSDJ and still demanded something more to fill the arrangement which hasn't happened to me (yet). Even then I might just use the same gameboy and multitrack the needed part live, but I haven't come to a point where I wanted to have a whole nother dedicated empty channel for it. Maybe sometime in the future.
SketchMan3 wrote:
I try not to let "technical prowess" get in the way of my enjoyment of music. As long as it sounds cool, that's impressive enough for me.
Exactly. I honestly don't care about "pushing the limits of the medium" or any of that noise. I write using 1xLSDJ most of the time because I simply enjoy the sounds, enjoy the fact that it's self-contained in one portable unit for composition, and I like the way it makes me think. 2xLSDJ makes you think in a similar yet-different way too (as stated before, nothing is really different except it's just doubling the capabilities and power!) but I haven't found a motivation to try that myself yet outside of just pure curiosity.
Last edited by an0va (Nov 3, 2012 1:05 am)
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Madison, Alabama
an0va wrote:
I love both, but I tend to gravitate towards straight LSDJ releases. I assure you it's not some kind of philosophical thing on "what chiptune is" at all-it's a purely an aesthetic choice and not a workflow one! I think it's because I'm really specifically interested in that exact medium. I've also personally been messing with Renoise and I listen to releases with all kinds of instrumentation very often but 2xLSDJ hasn't really caught my eye yet in that sense. I guess I haven't heard a 2xLSDJ song yet that made me say to myself, "holy crap I really gotta try syncing gameboys." The closest thing I ever would get to that is where I wrote a song on 1xLSDJ and still demanded something more to fill the arrangement which hasn't happened to me (yet). Even then I might just use the same gameboy and multitrack the needed part live, but I haven't come to a point where I wanted to have a whole nother dedicated empty channel for it. Maybe sometime in the future.
I dig. I guess my point is that I almost view 1xLSDJ and 2xLSDJ as different mediums. I would treat the second game boy the same way I would treat guitar overdubs or adding tambourine or something. A different approach for a different sound kind of thing, which is totally an aesthetic and personal choice.
Another reason I do it sometimes is because I *hate* multitracking game boys, haha. If I can't get all my game boy parts recorded in one take I might as well be adding guitar or synth. Er, which I do sometimes anyway.
Anyhow, carry on!
Also, this:
SketchMan3 wrote:
I try not to let "technical prowess" get in the way of my enjoyment of music. As long as it sounds cool, that's impressive enough for me.
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You can fart on a snare, if its a good song, its a good song.
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roboctopus wrote:
I guess I don't understand what the difference is between using two DMGs versus adding synths or guitars or any additional equipment, really. It's not pure 1xLSDJ, is all. You're just adding to the equation. People are bringing up not being technically impressed or questioning the point of composing with a game boy, so I wonder what people think about LSDJ + anything else. Am I missing something? Just curious.
I read some various soundcloud comments and some comments in threads on a few 2 x LSDJ trax that expressed awe in the fact that the music was made with a gameboy, when in reality it was made with TWO gameboys. haha... So I guess sometimes when people post "Made with LSDJ" and its actually made with 2 LSDJ, it's misleading to people who can't tell the difference. Why do I care so much? Cause I guess at heart I'm a purist prick and am drawn to the aesthetic appeal of music made with one copy of LSDJ and people "pushing limits" with that. Also I love when I'm listening to a track and I'm thinking "wait, is this only one game boy or is it two?" and it ends up being only one.
A few examples of awesomeness:
ctrix
Analog - La Maquinita (Single)
A.M.U - Diamond (EP)
USK Picopicodisco (ep)
CCIvory:
The Unnatural
Club Bit
Machine
Mad Magician
My love
lots of good stuff out there I'm forgetting
Also LSDJ + something else is cool too.
Last edited by L-tron (Nov 3, 2012 3:23 am)
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Canada
herr_prof wrote:
You can fart on a snare, if its a good song, its a good song.
See, this I agree with. If you put it together MUSICALLY, then all the power to you. I understand arguments like "it becomes too forced" and "it defeats the purpose of writing chipmusic," and I may be a pushover when it comes to argument/discussion/debate, but all these reasons are thusly informed: They're subjective to the point that you create what you love to create because of how you relate to it or how much you're interested in it.
I dig everyone's answers because it's a great representation of the chipmusic culture–exotic or not.
inafter farting on snare.
Last edited by Jansaw (Nov 3, 2012 4:52 am)
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buffalo, NY
herr_prof wrote:
You can fart on a snare, if its a good song, its a good song.
I ain't fartin on no snare drum
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Seattle, WA US
defiantsystems wrote:
To be honest I think adding another Gameboy kind of defeats the purpose of using a Gameboy to create chip music. I enjoy the limitation of the 4 channels and any time I've ever experimented with using 2xLSDJ I feel like everything I add is forced. Purist sentiment aside I feel like if I were to ever want more channels for LSDJ I'd be better off just sampling everything into Renoise.
I don't know how valid my opinion is though, I'm in the process of abandoning LSDJ altogether for different trackers.
8 channels is still limited as fuck.. especially when 4 of them can only work with a square wave, and only two of them actually allow you to shape your waveform. There are just plain things you can't achieve with one Gameboy, and I think it's just a stigma among LSDJ users that using more than one cartridge for a purely LSDJ song takes away from the song's "pureness." The single sound chip can only handle those 4 channels.. if a single instance of LSDJ had always had an 8 channel capability, nobody would consider a song utilizing only half of the available channels to be a purer form of chipmusic.. in fact, you would be unwise to not utilize all of the channels. With that said, I do personally view the good tracks which are made within the highest levels of limitation to be more impressive than those which were not (i.e. people making crazy 1-wave-channel-only tracks). However, this only happens when the track is on the same level as (if not better than) similar tracks created with fewer limitations.
I can't personally see how layering numerous 8bit systems for a single track could take away from the integrity of the work. Each 8bit platform is limited in itself based on the soundchip/processor/tracking interface combination, and being able to piece together a full production by utilizing the different strengths of individual hardwares (or multiple of the same hardware) takes a good ear and a lot of balance.
In my opinion, bringing a full fledged DAW into the mix ends up making the 8bit platform being used into more of an accessory, where it is used to make the sounds you know it can make, and you use the computer to create the sounds you don't know how to make. I think this cuts out a lot of the creativity involved with composing chiptune, as you no longer need to find new ways to achieve your desired sound while working within the hardware's limitations. The DAW can make almost every sound you could make with a tracker.. if you're going to incorporate one in for the purpose of adding sounds which (perhaps only apparently) can't be made on your chip, why incorporate the chip at all? For the most part, I believe that the people who do this are more interested in the image and aesthetics of chipmusic, losing sight of what I think chip really stands for.
Just my opinion.. but I think its fairly sound
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This is why I stuck with the hybrid chipwaveforms/samples solution used by chip modules in Pro/Fast/Impulsetracker. Tons of scope there, all within the same tool and a practically unlimited palette.
Last edited by 4mat (Nov 3, 2012 12:11 pm)
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L-tron wrote:
Why do I care so much? Cause I guess at heart I'm a purist prick and am drawn to the aesthetic appeal of music made with one copy of LSDJ and people "pushing limits" with that. Also I love when I'm listening to a track and I'm thinking "wait, is this only one game boy or is it two?" and it ends up being only one.
...
Also LSDJ + something else is cool too.
Don't get me wrong I *love* it when I hear a mind blowing track and find out it's just one Game Boy.
But saying you love the purity of 1xLSDJ, feel that 2 is somehow "less pure", but that you like LSDJ + something else is like me saying "I love solo classical guitar, but I don't like pieces with two classical guitars, but I do like classical guitar with piano, or percussion, or cello, etc."
So what I'm struggling to understand is why the second Game Boy is stigmatized whereas a guitar or Ableton is not.
Edit, just saw this:
Victory Road wrote:
victory lapse and roots were both completely 1x albums afaik, so anything's possible.
Yeah, Victory Lapse was 1x, recorded straight, no channel separating, cause multitracking DMGs irritates me. I can never get the tracks to perfectly sync.
Last edited by roboctopus (Nov 3, 2012 1:21 pm)
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buffalo, NY
My first record is almost entirely 'legit' 1x
The one I'm working on now is not only 2x, but it will be channel separated and mixed as well. Because why not?
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roboctopus wrote:
L-tron wrote:Why do I care so much? Cause I guess at heart I'm a purist prick and am drawn to the aesthetic appeal of music made with one copy of LSDJ and people "pushing limits" with that. Also I love when I'm listening to a track and I'm thinking "wait, is this only one game boy or is it two?" and it ends up being only one.
...
Also LSDJ + something else is cool too.
Don't get me wrong I *love* it when I hear a mind blowing track and find out it's just one Game Boy.
But saying you love the purity of 1xLSDJ, feel that 2 is somehow "less pure", but that you like LSDJ + something else is like me saying "I love solo classical guitar, but I don't like pieces with two classical guitars, but I do like classical guitar with piano, or percussion, or cello, etc."
So what I'm struggling to understand is why the second Game Boy is stigmatized whereas a guitar or Ableton is not.
Oh man nothing grinds my gears more than songs made with multiple classical guitars! ...jk... Well an example would be someone uses classical guitar in access of one and says "This song was written and recorded on classical guitar" but fails to mention that it's actually two.
I just get tired of all the praise people give some of these 2xLSDJ tracks for the sound design and how huge it is, especially when the artist doesn't mention that it is 2xLSDJ and just says "Made with LSDJ". It's like duh, this was made with 2 game boys, of course it's going to sound bigger. Again, there's nothing wrong in 2xLSDJ stuff in itself, it's just annoying when people view it and praise it as if it's made with 1.
I respect the cats that make 2xlsdj stuff and I realize it is also limiting and challenging.
To each his/her own but personally if I'm going to bring another gameboy in, Id just as soon bring in some "real" electronic kicks and snares. The challenge there is EQ, mixing, mastering to make it sound better.
Check out this one:
Prom Wolf makes some super impressive stuff with just 2ao3 for synths and some sort of daw for drums
http://dataairlines.bandcamp.com/album/ … ss-data018
Edit: 2ldr
Last edited by L-tron (Nov 3, 2012 2:47 pm)
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Los Angeles
When it sounds like notes are 'fighting against each other' or 'sounds like 2 seperate songs playing at the same time',... that just bad mixing.
btw this is an interesting thread.
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Canada
I study classical guitar at my uni, and classical guitarists fervently differentiate between duets and solo pieces because both styles have performance and merit of skill that the other does not have. It is much MUCH harder to play a barcarole in a duet because of the 6/8 feel (harder to keep symmetry between two players).
Although LSDj is an electronic medium with fixed parameters, there is still merit as such; to make it musical by using two gbs can sometimes (if not most of the time) be harder because of the amount of space there is for error, improper mixing, poor arrangement, etc.
It's just another type of style that came about from this little culture's love for altering and bending the constraints that are inherent with older technologies. I find this interesting because apparently the "point" of this type of medium is to have limitations? There are merits for each.