Garageband isn't a bad way to get into this -- just pick simpler sounding instruments and heavily quantize everything:https://soundcloud.com/chiptheme/beat-brat
Megaman music is really dense and I think it was designed to allow some tracks to drop out during game play to make room for sound effects, so it's a particularly challenging set of constraints to work with.I'd recommend starting with Ramones covers, then work your way up to Dr. Wily.
― Philip Nunez, Sunday, 19 June 2016 14:58 (seven years ago) link
That's another thing, that the NES could only handle so many (four?) tracks at a time, and the sfx would take up one or two of them during gameplay, and they'd have to account for that! That a punch or an explosion would just cancel out an entire track of your song quite all of a sudden, just tremendously interesting constraints to work with.
It's the limitations I think that elevates the "chip tune" into some kind of bizarre instrument unto itself, an instrument that only a handful of people learned how to play and then just as soon completely forgot about as soon as videogames could incorporate any kind of recorded music, for better or worse...
Philip, are you a chiptuner in a professional capacity?
― it's sort of a layered stunt (sheesh), Sunday, 19 June 2016 23:45 (seven years ago) link
haha no! unless some podcaster has a dumptruck full of squarespace money to unload...
also, the sample-based way of tracking is a bit different from the NES paradigm, though there was some crossover whenever you had space constraints, like fitting the music + samples to under 1K.but mostly it tended to be more maximalist:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAcWkfww30I
― Philip Nunez, Monday, 20 June 2016 15:28 (seven years ago) link
Philip, how should I credit you for the theme music?
― Sentient animated cat gif (kingfish), Monday, 25 July 2016 17:19 (seven years ago) link
The Mysterious Breakfast'r Cereal
― Philip Nunez, Tuesday, 26 July 2016 17:53 (seven years ago) link
Right then
― Sentient animated cat gif (kingfish), Wednesday, 27 July 2016 02:28 (seven years ago) link
Philip, are you still doing these?
― Google Murray Blockchain (kingfish), Saturday, 11 November 2017 08:52 (six years ago) link
as long as there are fictional podcasts without themes...
― Philip Nunez, Saturday, 11 November 2017 17:31 (six years ago) link
What about one about holding conversations with engineers located in the PacNW?
― Google Murray Blockchain (kingfish), Saturday, 11 November 2017 17:40 (six years ago) link
OK!https://soundcloud.com/chiptheme/8bit-rainy-day-singularity-conference
― Philip Nunez, Monday, 13 November 2017 18:21 (six years ago) link
Hey, that one sounds familiar. Thanks!
― Google Murray Blockchain (kingfish), Monday, 13 November 2017 20:35 (six years ago) link
I really want to do a podcast about video stores but I know I never will. if I heard a theme song, I could dream a little more vividly
― Simon H., Monday, 13 November 2017 20:37 (six years ago) link
I have an actual podcast with no theme tune, is it ineligible? https://centuriesofsound.wordpress.com/about/
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Monday, 13 November 2017 20:40 (six years ago) link
Video Stores are Still a Thing?
Lyrics:Video StoresAre still a thingYou owe 10 grand in late feeeeees
https://soundcloud.com/chiptheme/8bit-video-stores-are-still-a-thing
A centennial song for a century of sound:https://soundcloud.com/chiptheme/8bit-centennial-party
Though this old one might be more apropos, given that it spans both Daisy Bell (1892) and The Message (1982)?https://soundcloud.com/chiptheme/8bit-geriatric-rap
― Philip Nunez, Saturday, 18 November 2017 01:32 (six years ago) link
that rules philip thank you
― Simon H., Saturday, 18 November 2017 03:21 (six years ago) link
Brilliant, Philip, I love both of them, might make something with the second one...
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 18 November 2017 21:59 (six years ago) link