Below are seven of the best, from a free VST by a Japanese chip tune act all the way up to a hand-made module you can plug into your MIDI keyboard. However, it’s easy and quite inexpensive to buy ready-made tools that do the job for you, whether you want software or hardware. If you know what you’re doing, it’s also possible to create 8-bit style sounds with vintage analog gear, though these instruments won’t typically have the low bitrate you need for a true ‘80s video game sound. For example, video game composer Disasterpeace uses 8-bit textures in unexpected ways to subvert the classic chiptune norms, while musicians not typically associated with the medium (see Sorry Jaynari’s recent Against The Clock episode) often use video game textures to add a touch of nostalgia or just a bit of primitive grit to their beats.Ī lot of dedicated chiptune artists go to extreme lengths to replicate the waveforms of early 8-bit systems like the NES, Commodore 64 and Sega Master System, hacking old consoles for live performance purposes. These sounds aren’t just for those who want to slavishly recreate the past though. The appeal is so powerful, 8-bit music made today has its own genre: chiptune.
For most people who grew up in the ‘80s though, all it takes to transport back in time is the chime of a Game Boy booting up, the noise of Pac-Man chasing ghosts or any video game music from the 8-bit era. Scott Wilson picks seven tools that let you make chiptune sounds without breaking out the soldering iron.įor some people, childhood memories are triggered by the smell of a favourite food, for others, it will be an old movie on afternoon TV.
You don’t need to hack an old Game Boy to make 8-bit music.
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