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Apple II Digital Music Synthesizer available now for 8-bit die-hards
The last time we had occasion to feature 8 Bit Weapon in this space, our man Seth had hacked his Nintendo Power Pad into a music controller. Now the team is back with something a little less strenuous -- but no less musical -- for all of you budding chiptune artists out there. The Digital Music Synthesizer for Apple II is a wavetable synthesizer designed specifically for live performance. Not only does this bad boy come with ten voices (including bass, trumpet, square wave, sawtooth wave, and sine wave), but sequences can be recorded for a later time. But wait, there's more -- there is no monitor required. If you've ever had to lug an Apple II monitor to a dank performance space on a weeknight (and who hasn't?), you understand what a sweet setup this is. Supports your Apple IIe, IIc, IIc+, or IIgs computer with 80-column capability and at least one 5.25" floppy disk drive. Get yours now for $19.95 -- but not before checking out the demo after the break.
Game Trivia Catechism: Casual, homebrew gaming for the hardcore gamer
Programmer Multiple: Option continues to release some of the most interesting homebrew titles out there, this time with Game Trivia Catechism. Billed as a casual game for hardcore gamers, this original title takes the bland and basic multiple-choice trivia format, spicing it up with an intriguing storyline, a gaming theme, and a chiptune soundtrack provided by artists like 8-Bit Terror and PDF format. Instead of solving math equations or recalling historical facts, players will have to put their useless gaming knowledge to work and answer questions like "Which of these games was NOT designed by Yu Suzuki?" or "Which Mario game did Super Mario Advance remake?"It's a short game -- you can probably finish it within 15 minutes -- but Multiple: Option deserves praise for creating an entertaining title that doesn't rely on the assets or designs of other developers. If you have the equipment to play homebrew games, we definitely suggest you try this one out. Let us know if you're able to score any higher than a "C" without cheating and using the internet!
Crystal Castles rips off chiptune artists
For those of you who don't follow indie music, no, we're not throwing plagiarism accusations at Atari's Crystal Castles arcade game, nor are we denouncing She-Ra's headquarters of the same name. Crystal Castles is a Toronto-based, two-man group generating a lot of buzz on the strength of its "new sound" and favorable reviews from tastemakers like Pitchfork.Though the band claims to have no connection with chiptune artists, their songs don't venture far from the micromusic genre. As fans of the chiptune scene, we were irritated to see Crystal Castles snub the community in a recent Exclaim! interview: "It was only to create annoying sounds. That keyboard was made back in 2004 and then we learned about this whole 8-bit scene, which we don't really have anything to do with. It's a completely different world."Attentive ears, however, have noticed that the group has a very direct connection with several chiptune artists, such as Lo-Bat and Covox, two artists whom Crystal Castles has sampled without credit or compensation, disregarding the Creative Common License the original songs were released under. Crystal Castles' response? They're denying it. Listening to the juxtaposed tracks in the video above, the similarities seem obvious ... [Via Gameboy Genius, GameSetWatch]
Chiptunes homebrew is cool, but pricey
As gamers, we can't help but adore chiptunes. That's why we were originally giddy over Pixelh8's new program, Music Tech Pro Performer. Not only is Pixelh8 a respected chiptunes musician himself, but having software that lets us mess around with 8-bit sounds seems right up our alley.Yet, this software doesn't come cheap. It's not available in ROM form, so you won't be able to download it off the internet like many other homebrew apps. Pixelh8 is looking for some compensation for his hard work -- fair enough. But, the price is pretty steep (£30, approximately $59 USD) for a somewhat limited piece of software. If you disagree with us and have to have it, you can order one of your own here. As for us, we'll be admiring his work from afar. To admire away with us, check out another video past the break.
Blip Festival returns to New York with 8-bit music, workshops, and more
Last year, the Blip Festival brought together a plethora of chiptune musical artists, visual artists, and filmmakers to relish in the aeshtetics of an 8-bit lifestyle. This Thursday, Blip Festival 2007 kicks off with an even more ambitious roster of international chiptune musicians, artists, and more.The event will be held at Eyebeam in New York City from Thursday to Sunday. Concerts each day will include a variety of musical artists, including heavy hitters like Bit Shifter, Nullsleep and Anamanaguchi. Saturday and Sunday of the event will also feature workshops and film screenings. Admission is $10 for each day's events, although multi-day passes are also available on the website.Fans of anything and everything 8-bit are encouraged to attend. Chiptune artists have to be seen to be believed.[Via GameSetWatch]
The DS Life: Insane Youth
The DS Life is a weekly feature in which we scour the known world for narrative images of Nintendo's handheld and handheld gamers. If you have a photo and a story to match it with, send both to thedslife at dsfanboy dot com.We really don't give chiptune artists or the micromusic scene the amount of attention they deserve here at DS Fanboy; to remedy that distressing fault, this week's installment of The DS Life turns your ears towards the clicks, pops, and wheezes of chiptune musician Maru's circuit-bent toys and Game Boy systems, low-tech instruments working in concert to sing a high-tech song.
Alex Mauer's Vegavox album: Now available on NES
Go ahead and toss all your CD's in the garbage, along with your SACD's, audio DVD's, cassettes, LP's, EP's, 45's, 8-tracks, DAT's, Minidiscs, wax cylinders, and player piano rolls. Crush the pile down a little and throw your fancy MP3 player on top. All of that stuff just became embarrassingly obsolete, and we don't want you to appear foolish. There's a new format in town: the NES cartridge. Alex Mauer is a prolific chiptune artist who has made music with the NES, C64, Sega Master System, and Ad Lib sound chips, among others, and for his latest work, Vegavox, he's really done something special. The only way to get the album of original NES-based music is on an NES cartridge. If you need us, we'll be installing an NES cartridge slot in our car. And, of course, by "installing" we mean "cramming."[Via NeoGAF]
Chiptune musician releases album on NES cartridge
As far as music distribution methods go, "chiptune" musician Alex Mauer's latest approach may not be the most practical, but it's certainly guaranteed to warm the hearts of his target audience (and no doubt many an Engadget reader as well). Staying true to the 8-bit nature of the tunes, Mauer's gone all out and actually stuffed his new "Vegavox" album onto an NES cartridge, which can be yours for €22 (or just under $30). Just pair it with an nPod or other portable NES and you can pretend for a minute that cartridges actually became as widely popular as you once imagined they would be -- or was that just us?[Via Digg]
Game Boy sound comparison delights musicians, confuses others
More geeky than most of us can handle, musician Herbert Weixelbaum has an in-depth analysis of the sound output for every Game Boy system, including both Nintendo DS models. He even included minor upgrades to the line and tested systems with backlighting both on and off. The guide is aimed squarely at chiptune musicians who want to get the most out of their performances. Everyone else, just smile and nod.The results? The original Game Boy has a "warm, bassy sound", the Game Boy Color produces a lot of background noise, while the Game Boy Advance SP has the best display. According to Herbert, however, the original Game Boy is the best of the lot with the all-important "retro feel".[Via GameSetWatch]
Rap song samples extensively from C64 demo
If you're into the ultra-niche classic console demoscene, last June's release of the Nelly Furtado single "Do It" may have sounded awfully familiar to you. Apparently, the single samples heavily from a 2000 piece originally composed for the Commodore 64 as part of the Old Skool Music Competition. What's more, a 2005 ringtone from Furtado mega-producer Timbaland uses the same sample. The similarities between Tempest's "Acid Jazzed Evening" (later remixed by demoscener GRG) and the Furtado track are apparent and extensive -- from the bass line to the melody, the songs are nearly identical, except for Furtado's addition of lyrics. Still, it's a tough call as to whether or not the sampling constitutes illegal copyright infringement -- the case law involved is long and somewhat contradictory. The legal point may be moot though -- according to some hearsay from a self-described friend on the SomethingAwful forums, original artist Tempest doesn't want to go through the "time-consuming and horrible" process of a legal suit. Still, the fact that a major record producer is taking direct inspiration from a years-old chiptune composition speaks to both the creativity of the demoscene and the dearth of originality in modern pop music.
