337 Reply by roboctopus

(42 replies, posted in General Discussion)

Everyone should wear a nice tie when they perform.  It really helps.

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338 Reply by roboctopus

(14 replies, posted in Other Hardware)

zaxxon wrote:

Ok thanks everyone but i might not be willing to pay that much for a synth just yet roboctopus. Is there maybe a synth i could get that is generally on the cheaper side but still decently fuctionable? Cheaper being less than 500. If this isnt a possiblity ill just have to start saving then haha. Also Grymmtymm i was wondering how much you would be willing to sell yours for? If its more than 500 i understand and im sorry i cant afford it yet.

EDIT:
would this synth be recommended?:

http://www.arturia.com/evolution/en/pro … intro.html

Sorry!  I just suggested the DSI because I thought you were looking for an analog poly...

I've actually heard pretty good things about the Minibrute.  I'm interested in it myself (even though I have a Moog Little Phatty).

Honestly, If you want an analog synth, I would recommend starting out with a modern one like the Minibrute.  My first analog synth was a Moog Prodigy.  It sounded *amazing*.  It also broke down every year or so and I eventually sold it.  If you want analog, get something newer.  You'll probably save yourself some repair headache.

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339 Reply by roboctopus

(14 replies, posted in Other Hardware)

Just want to chime in with a 2nd agreement with herr_prof.  Vintage Moogs can be finicky at best and cost some $$ to maintain, and polymoogs are notorious.  I understand the appeal, but maybe a modern DSI Prophet 08 or something would be a happy medium?

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340 Reply by roboctopus

(17 replies, posted in Releases)

Oh man!  I wish I wasn't at work.  sad 

Will download this evening!  Though I am certain it is spectacular wink

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341 Reply by roboctopus

(70 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

bryface wrote:
roboctopus wrote:

LSDJ & You #9 is up.  Topic is WAV kicks and some ideas on volume control (part 1)

http://www.noisechannel.org/8180

one thing i like to do is to pair up a WAV kick with a mid- to high-frequency kick, almost a "squeak", on one of the pulse channels.  when the two sounds combine, the resulting kick becomes harmonically richer and more complex.

obviously, this comes at the cost of using up another channel, but you're running low on channel real estate there are creative ways to work in the higher-frequency transient anyway, like incorporating the high squeak into the instances of pulse-channel notes that coincide with the kicks.

Yeah, I've done that before.  You can use the noise channel to add a short click as well, to enhance the attack of the kick.  Lately I've been using a 2nd DMG and doubling up the kick with a rimshot sample with an M command table (which dulls the sound of the rimshot's attack).  It adds a clicky thud kind of sound to the kick that's nice.

I plan on doing a couple of columns on kicks; this is just the first one.  If I use your tip I'll give you props.

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342 Reply by roboctopus

(70 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

danimal cannon wrote:
roboctopus wrote:

LSDJ & You #9 is up.  Topic is WAV kicks and some ideas on volume control (part 1)

http://www.noisechannel.org/8180

good one.  Never thought about making my kicks 6 ticks long, I occasionally go longer and use a D command on my following bass note to get the entire kick to ring out.

I used to use longer kicks and do something similar, but with my penchant for hyperactive basslines, I almost always have a note right after the kick, so I shortened the kick.  Sometimes a nice long kick sounds better though.

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343 Reply by roboctopus

(70 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

LSDJ & You #9 is up.  Topic is WAV kicks and some ideas on volume control (part 1)

http://www.noisechannel.org/8180

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344 Reply by roboctopus

(33 replies, posted in Releases)

This is all the fun in the world crammed into one place.  smile

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345 Reply by roboctopus

(38 replies, posted in Releases)

Parallelis wrote:
roboctopus wrote:

The one I'm working on now, since it feels different and new to me and not like Victory Lapse part II.

are you referring to the live instruments n' chip one you've mentioned?

No, haha.  I AM still working on that.  Just painfully slowly.  I have songs written but recording real instruments takes time and I keep getting sidetracked.

I'm working on a 2xlsdj EP right now.  Hope to have it finished in a month or so.  THEN back to the live instrument/chip stuff.  Yeah.

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346 Reply by roboctopus

(38 replies, posted in Releases)

The one I'm working on now, since it feels different and new to me and not like Victory Lapse part II.

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347 Reply by roboctopus

(53 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

VCMG wrote:

He's probably talking about the volume settings in the Synth screen, which affect the amplitude of the waveforms drawn on the Wave screen for use in the wave channel.

This is correct.  The WAV *instrument* has three volume levels, but the *synth* itself has 16 steps of volume, controlled by the parameters of the synth screen.

waveboy stated that a volume of 5 at the start and end would not result in a change.  Not sure why you would expect volume to change when the start and end volumes are the same...

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348 Reply by roboctopus

(8 replies, posted in Releases)

J. Arthur Keenes wrote:

I worship The Kinks.

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349 Reply by roboctopus

(89 replies, posted in Releases)

SketchMan3 wrote:
Feryl wrote:

Review up: http://chiptuneblog.blogspot.com/2012/0 … rthur.html

Awesome job, man.

Huh, the part about the lyrics got me thinking... and I realize... this kind of reminds me of a more serious They Might Be Giants.

TMBG have some pretty sad songs, really.  "Rocket to the Moon" sounds happy, but damn, that's a heavy song.

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350 Reply by roboctopus

(89 replies, posted in Releases)

Now that I've had a chance to sit down and really listen to this, I gotta say I really, really dig this.  Pretty inspiring stuff!

Were most of the drums programmed on LSDJ?  There are some really nice thumpy flat kick drums.

[music nerd edit] I enjoy the "early days of stereo" left-right split mixing on "Okay".  Do a mono mix!

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351 Reply by roboctopus

(89 replies, posted in Releases)

J. Arthur Keenes wrote:

YAlso, tambourine makes everything better, always.

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352 Reply by roboctopus

(69 replies, posted in General Discussion)

chunter wrote:
snesei wrote:

Quick question, how do you guys come up with melodies and bass lines? I find it hard to just work in a tracker and compose something.

There is a thread in 8BC's bit bucket where Sabrepulse said he jams melodies on a Yamaha Portasound. I recommend having many other instruments to play with and on, even if you don't record them, because your composing will take a different approach. Even harmonicas and ukuleles are okay, they don't have to be expensive.

For more thought, please ask a more broad version of the question on a new thread, it is an important subject.

This is good advice.

I usually strum guitar chords and hum to find a chord progression and melody.

Or play my chord progression on piano and plink around on the keys to find a melody.

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