225 Reply by lastfuture

(6 replies, posted in Constructive Criticism)

@3ndymion: thanks. I actually can make arps easily in the Game Boy version by just pressing start on the note (splits the note into 4 notes that will be repeated within one envelope) ... I was asking about shuffle, that's what I used the delays for. Sorry if I was unclear. Glad you like my music smile

@ryba: Thank you. Yeah I'm actually making pretty moody non-chip-music, too. I've always wanted to make real chip music though and I'm enjoying the limitations. Eventually I'll probably make hybrid music, mixing tracks I made on the Game Boy with other synths. That's one reason I asked about what you guys think is the border between chip music and non-chip music.

@basspuddle: I'll be modding my Game Boy in a bit with a backlight and prosound. I'll perform some more tests if it's the Game Boy's clock that's drifting or if I just messed up loading patterns with different BPMs. If its clock is drifting I'll definitely consider also looking into replacing the crystal or what it takes to get a more stable clock. Maybe a MIDI clock via link cable?

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226 Topic by lastfuture

(6 replies, posted in Constructive Criticism)

This is the second chip tune I made, using the Game Boy DMG and nanoloop 1.6.3. The delay has been added in Reaper after recording.

http://chipmusic.org/lastfuture/music/diamond-elephant

I'd be happy about constructive criticism. Don't hold back.


One thing I'd especially like to know (as an electronic musician who's a chip music noob): What is your opinion about processing chip music with effects or sampling chip sounds and phrases to use in other genres of music. Where do you personally think is the line between chip music and non-chip-music? Are you a purist or do you like people to go wild and experiment?


Some technical background info about the track:
The shuffle is done manually with nanoloop's delay parameter for every other note. I'd be happy to know if there is an easier way to shuffle in nanoloop (yeah yeah my lsdj cartridge has already been ordered, I know it has a dedicated shuffle page)

I've tried recording 3 tracks for processing them separately, one track with the noise channel only, one with the wave channel (bass) and one pulse channel (arps), and one with the second pulse channel only. Unfortunately I think the external sound card I used isn't recording at consistent speeds (or I messed up accidentally loading patterns with different bpm) because the tracks didn't run at the same speed afterwards and I couldn't get them to line up everywhere... so I had to put one processing onto the entire mix signal.

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227 Reply by lastfuture

(1,620 replies, posted in General Discussion)

My setup before buying the Game Boys (has not been used for real chip music yet):

The latest additions:

I'm really looking forward to making chip music

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228 Reply by lastfuture

(17 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

Prosound in the DMG is as far as I've read a straight forward thing, usually connecting R, L and GND of an audio jack directly to three pins next to the potentiometer used for volume control, effectively routing the "pure" sound to said jack.

Reading about DPDT switches it says they have 6 pins, 2 inputs for one side, 2 for the other, and 2 output pins ... so one side would be LR headphones, the other side would be LR directly from the potentiometer and the outputs would go to the jack... will ground be the same for both of them? Are my assumptions correct?

edit: quick explanation of DMG prosound added

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229 Reply by lastfuture

(53 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

I bought a green play it loud DMG at a flea market on Sunday 8 days ago for 10 Euros. It's in pretty good shape except the contrast on the screen is a bit low and the screen protector is a little beat up. I even got it with batteries. Nanoloop arrived last week and I've taken my first Game Boy chip music steps during the weekend. I've always wanted to do this, this is exciting for me. (A flash cart with lsdj has already been ordered from kitsch-bent)

Today the postman also brought me a used black play it loud DMG from an online reseller (15 Euros) which is in really good shape (came with a brand new screen protector and has a better screen than the other one). Only thing I don't like is that it came with a clear battery lid that doesn't match the black body. I'm planning to mod this second one with a teal backlight just for the heck of it, and probably with prosound. I know I don't need that as a beginner, but I like to fiddle around with stuff and since I've got two, why the heck not? I'm tempted to combine the black front with the green back, just for fun and giggles.

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230 Reply by lastfuture

(8 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

I like that. Will definitely do that when I'm back home, just to make sure it won't happen again.

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231 Topic by lastfuture

(17 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

Hi everybody,

I'm looking for a way to install prosound in a DMG so that I can have a switch somewhere switching the built in headphone jack between prosound with line-level and regular headphone operation including use of the volume dial. As I'm not too handy with electronics I didn't come up with a decent solution.

Does anybody know of a tutorial that accomplishes that? I wasn't able to find one, perhaps because I don't really know how to look for specifically that.

If not I'll just install it the regular way with a second jack.

edit: clarified which model I'm talking about

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232 Reply by lastfuture

(8 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

ashimoke, thanks man! ... I feel somewhat stupid for not coming up with that. Flipping the switch quickly on and off without batteries indeed fixed it.

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233 Reply by lastfuture

(8 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

I don't have a tri-wing yet, so I can't open it just now, I just thought perhaps somebody knows the particular problem and can give me hints what to do, so that I have everything ready for fixing it when I open it for modding.

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234 Topic by lastfuture

(1 replies, posted in Constructive Criticism)

Hello,

I've recently run across a used green DMG in excellent condition on a flea market. Since I always wanted to try my hand at Game Boy chip music I thought I'd order nanoloop as well.

My first try at some chip music is a re-do of a podcast intro I made.

This is the original:
http://soundcloud.com/lastfuture/datens … cast-intro

And here's the nanoloop version I finished yesterday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2kz_DMfZjQ

Please excuse me recording the sound off the speaker with the camera's mic. I'm not at home for a bit and haven't taken the right cables with me.

So ... what do you think? What could I have done better?

I figured this would be an easy first project since parts of the original are already sounds easy to reproduce with the Game Boy's limitations.

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235 Topic by lastfuture

(8 replies, posted in Nintendo Handhelds)

Hello,

I've bought a used black DMG that I am prepared to mod (prosound and backlight). Unfortunately the on/off-switch is responsible for some weird scratching noise on the audio out (both speaker and headphones). Essentially when the on switch is all the way to the right there is occasional noise (like from turning a dusty potentiometer), even if the Game Boy lies flat and does not move. When i do not slide the switch all the way to the right, but just in between where it turns on the Game Boy and where it starts the scratchy sound, it stops. I've also made sure the volume pot is not responsible for the noise.

That means there has to be something wrong with the on-switch or a connection, since my other DMG (green) does not make these sounds.

Has anybody had this happen and can tell me what to do? I'll be slowly getting my parts to mod the Game Boy and when I have them all and I'm going to open it up I want to make sure I am also prepared for what I need to do to get rid of this scratching noise.

Thanks in advance
-- Peter

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