A Question About Chiptunes
 

Hello all! First post on the forums! I have recently taken an interest in chiptune music, and I want to begin making my own. Probably all of you would be familiar with LSDj, which I am currently using, though there is one problem. The only things I have to use this program are my computer and my PSP. I feel like I'm not using the program right, like I really should be playing it on a Game Boy. Is this an acceptable way to make chiptunes?

The important thing is that it sounds good to you. Who cares what's "acceptable".

Chiptunes are not exclusive to gameboys. Most of my favourite chiptunes were actually made for games for the Commodore 64 and when I've made my own chiptunes, I've generally used Fasttracker 2 which is a mod tracker. Milkytracker is a more updated alternative.

^ This.

Saber Pulse made awesome chiptunes and they were really into what they were doing. Make chiptunes that sound like u feel. :thumb:

I used to make chiptunes in a tracker called MadTracker using samples I either downloaded or recorded from VSTi's. The difference with GameBoy-style programs like LSDJ (which is also a tracker) is that they generate the waveforms themselves, so you're as close to making "pure" chiptunes as you can get without using vintage hardware. I haven't actually tried Milky or FastTracker, but I assume they would be easier to make chiptunes in than LSDJ or Nanoloop; I find MadTracker easier to work with than programs written for emulators.

Like the Janszoon said, it's really just a personal choice. I really don't have the patience for those programs, but if you're having fun doing what you're doing then keep doing it.

You can construct your own waveforms in both Fasttracker 2 and Milkytracker (I'm fairly sure) if you feel like it, but of course just importing other people's vintage sounding samples is probably easier.

That sounds really cool! I'm definitely going to look into that.

There's also Goattracker for PC which emulates the SID of the C64. Failing that, then if you are into the more traditional sequencers, then ReFX QuadraSID is a superb C64 VSTi, and Plogue ChipSounds VSTi will emulate virtually all 80's game hardware.

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What does that mean in context of the thread?

I don't know if Logic or Reason are programs you'd be interested in investing in but they can help you make chiptunes and a lot more on top of that if you want to take it to other places.

There's some design involved in it though, especially with Logic, use the ES P synth and turn the freq. all the way up, the res. all the way down and make sure things like chorus are off or all the way down. Attack and release should also be down but adjust them for different feels and of course play around with decay and sustain.
Then play around with the waveforms on the left. Add some noise to it too with the noise slider because the sound will be a bit too clean. Consider putting some distortion on it too because that will dirty it up a lot more. Some chiptune synths have some vibrato or tremolo on them too so apply as necessary!

Like I say, you might not be wanting to invest in Logic or Reason but in case that ever became an option! It takes work to make it sound very authentic to the old kind of 8-bit tunes that you find in the old games we know and love but you can think of it as being the same, just a bit matured. I know of a guy who's made a chiptune remix of a Mozart song with fairly clean sounding 8-bit synths but it sounds alright, you get the gist of what it's doing.