“Reformat the Planet (RTP) is a feature length documentary which delves into the movement known as chip music, a vibrant underground scene based around creating new, original music using obsolete video game hardware. Familiar devices such as the Nintendo Game Boy and Nintendo Entertainment System are pushed in new directions with startling results.”
I saw those videos a long time ago–I wish I had that kind of ability! Damn is he good! Also the ragtime style freshens up almost anything.
The chiptune platform I’m most familiar with is the NES, and since I like music that pushes hardware limitations, the
takes the cake for me. Koji Kondo was able to get a variety of sounds out of the two pulse wave oscillators by varying the pulse width and envelope and often by having them play similar parts, and the soundtrack featured a range of drums (I managed to sample at least 10) made with PCM in a fifth audio channel. The music for defeating the final boss includes tympani made on that channel and thus manages a brief moment of four-voice polyphony on a system which was barely designed to support three-voice polyphony.
takes the cake for me. Koji Kondo was able to get a variety of sounds out of the two pulse wave oscillators by varying the pulse width and envelope and often by having them play similar parts, and the soundtrack featured a range of drums (I managed to sample at least 10) made with PCM in a fifth audio channel. The music for defeating the final boss includes tympani made on that channel and thus manages a brief moment of four-voice polyphony on a system which was barely designed to support three-voice polyphony.
I love the PCM samples in SMB3 also! They add a lot of depth!
I’m guessing Koji had to write pages of code to get his music into the games like C64 composers did, before thd days of trackers?
I was watching this interview with him in the late hours this morning!
That video should have millions of views considering his contribution.