Hello everyone. I used to be a pretty regular member here more than 2 years ago. Well, I stopped making video games, but I am still interested in music composition.
I've ran into a problem I hope you guys can help me out with. I want to compose music that is as close to NES style/quality as possible. I know that NES uses 2 squarewaves, 1 triangle wave, and 1 white noise.
The problem is, what music software will let me compose simple NES style music in either piano roll and/or sheet music format? I just want something basic and cheap/free. I don't need any fancy effect abilities, instruments, overdubbing, etc. The ability to tweak with the noises/sounds would be nice though.
Any ideas? This type of software has to exist somewhere...
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DaVince This fool just HAD to have a custom rating
Registered 04/09/2004
Points 7998
15th September, 2007 at 05:51:32 -
Famitracker is specialized in making NES(-compatible) music, but it's in tracker format, not sheet music.
Doesn't fit your criteria but there are a few soundfonts floating around for Fruityloops, Garageband, Logic et al. In the latter 2 you can apply a 'bitcrusher' filter to get a very retro sound. But they're not free so they don't count I suppose!
Unfortunately, not a lot of music programs these days use sheet music beyond the professional orchestration ones. Instead, you just get numbers and symbols.
What I would suggest is simply using NoteWorthy Composer or something similar (not free, but cheap) to write a straight MIDI, then take the MIDI and render it as a .WAV using custom soundfonts for each track. I'm suggesting this because like me, you prefer the use of actual, honest to God MUSIC NOTATION as opposed to this paint-by-the-numbers crap that has always annoyed me about most free music software out there nowadays. (Not knocking that notation or people who use it - it's effective - but it's also terribly inconvenient.)
If wishes were fishes then we'd all smell like ladies' underwear.
Thanks for all the many suggestions. I downloaded PxTone and that seems almost perfect for my needs!
In regards to Famitracker, it uses tracker format which I find very tedious to use. As far as FruityLoops goes, I like that one but yeah, it's like $100 or more. Garageband and Logic I haven't spent much time with, but their also pricy. Thanks for mentioning though!
And yes, it's unfortunate that more composers don't allow for sheet music interface. I've learned to use piano rolls... those make sense. Tracker format is just completely alien to me.
So PxTone was a great idea, thanks axel. Any other suggestions are welcome! I'll keep checking up on this thread.
i would suggest Schism Tracker (clone of Impulse Tracker). Tracker music makers let you use your own samples so you are the master of what sounds you want to use. If you want, i can send you some samples that i've used a couple of times, to get you started.
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DaVince This fool just HAD to have a custom rating
Registered 04/09/2004
Points 7998
17th September, 2007 at 13:52:03 -
Hello? Tracker format instead of music sheet format.
Not that tracker format is difficult to learn, but using music sheets will give the user some more freedom, and ease in composing when it comes to not-so-standard beats (3/4, 5/4...).
that's what happens when you return to a post after a long while, and don't read it through again.....i have dishonored my family *crawls away into a dark corner and hides*
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