Been making music on LSDJ for 4 years now. Ive released many EPs and albums and Im starting to feel like Ive hit a wall with sound design and creativity and want a fresh start. Ive always loved the sounds that C64 makes but Ive never done much research into making music on one.
Basically I just need some pointers.
1. Whats software I can use on a C64 and not emulate on my computer?
2. Which software would be closest to LSDJ, or which is the most widely used software.
3. Are there carts or floppies?
4. What hardware would you suggest to seek out to buy.
I would greatly appreciate any help!
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Austin, Texas
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oklahoma
Just use a pc for starting out. Use a c64 emulator called vice. Load that and it makes your pc a commodore of several models. Then get software called sid wizard. It's a long ass way from lsdj, but you will figure it out. Then you export your songs as files that will play on actual hardware if you need it. There are several other c64 trackers. Also the program cynthcart lets you play the pc keys as a piano keyboard. It is quite limited, but fun, and if you use a looper pedal, track audio, or sample it, you can make some cool stuff.
The hardware approach has the same software with the addition of the messiah cart. It is cool. It is limited. You decide. Then you should get a SD2IEC. It is a hard drive that uses sd cards. Put your songs on one and play them on real sid chip(s). You may find use for a freeze/fastloader cart as well.
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Austin, Texas
So just did some quick research and the Messiah cart defiantly looks like something I would love and is similar to what I am used to.
Whats the biggest differences between Messiahs software VS Sid Wizard?
Also is there no easy way to record directly from a C64? Or is it that you can only achieve the best sound quality by taking the raw file and transferring it over to your computer.
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oklahoma
The biggest difference is that mssiah is a DAW type of design and has a sampling app wrapped in soft synth/drum machine GUI. Where trackers all seem to look very similar and "matrixy" with long columns of letters and numbers scrolling. Mssiah is slow and clunky to use. Learning to use a tracker can be slow and clunky. More can be done with a tracker than with mssiah though. Mssiah uses the c64 to do what mssiah can do. Trackers are more "what all can the c64 sid chip do?" A cool thing to do with either if you are used to playing an instrument more than programming a computer to sound like an instrument playing, is to make several instrument sounds and switch between them for playing on keys. There is no easy way to do anything with an actual c64. Emulation is easy. The audio can be tapped from the back or internally. Most people add audio output(s). And if you don't want to learn to make an old machine make music by telling it what to do, just "fakebit" it up with samples and plug ins. You may even have more fun that way, and be more productive, and happier with what you make. Best thing is to try it all. Find what you like.
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The other option is cross-platform editors like Goat Tracker2 or Cheese Cutter, so you can write music on your PC with a software emulation of the SID built-in and then export a SID file to play on hardware if you want. Both of those are quite popular.
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Austin, Texas
Im pretty "pure" when it comes to making any music on game systems / old computers, I get a weird sense of satisfaction knowing I made music using original hardware. Never emulated LSDJ on my computer because I swear I could hear a difference even though Im sure it was all in my head.
I do like playing synths but at this point its much more natural for me to use trackers and sequencers. Mssiah just looked nice because of how its displayed but I can fully understand the advantages of using one of the other trackers you've listed.
Im also not very experienced with soldering, not opposed to learning how but defiantly would rather pay someone to make sure its done correctly, any good sites y'all can recommend that have stereo modded c64s?
Also I know in the case of gameboys different ones are better for certain sounds, is the main difference with commodores the sound chips? Or do some output cleaner sound or more bass etc etc