This is an odd question. A friend asked me to make 8bit arrangements of some orchestral music. Being a sound designer I realized I currently have nothing which gives simple, oldscchool sounds (it doesn't help that I like to score tons of parameter automation).
I tried to buy Baby Audio's but my credit union is stupid and won't let me buy from that site, despite so many of my purchases being from small software companies on another continent in the middle of the night.
I suppose even something sample-based would work but searching KVR for chiptune and 8bit didn't really turn up anything appropriate. I'm sure ya'll will know.
What simple 8bit synth to use?
-
- KVRAF
- 10286 posts since 17 Sep, 2004 from Austin, TX
-
Korg Supporter Korg Supporter https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=386399
- KVRAF
- 1872 posts since 4 Oct, 2016
Best free ones: https://github.com/m-masaki72/SANA_8BIT_VST and https://ymck.net/app/magical-8bit-plug-en
Best paid one: Audiothing Minibit
You can also make 8bit waves using the stepped brush in Serum's wavetable editor if you have it. Also, any synth can do chiptune sounds if you use square waves with no filter.
Best paid one: Audiothing Minibit
You can also make 8bit waves using the stepped brush in Serum's wavetable editor if you have it. Also, any synth can do chiptune sounds if you use square waves with no filter.
-
- KVRAF
- 4206 posts since 13 Jun, 2014
If you're willing to go hardware, Sonicware just released a relatively affordable chiptune beast called Mega Synthesis.
https://sonicware.jp/pages/liven-mega-synthesis
There is also their 8Bit Warps.
https://sonicware.jp/products/liven-8bit-warps
And no I don't work for them!
https://sonicware.jp/pages/liven-mega-synthesis
There is also their 8Bit Warps.
https://sonicware.jp/products/liven-8bit-warps
And no I don't work for them!
<list your stupid gear here>
-
- KVRian
- 1289 posts since 3 May, 2005 from Victoria, BC
I did plugins for NES, Sega Master System, Commodore 64, Gameboy and generic 8 bit sound FX
https://socalabs.com/synths/
https://socalabs.com/synths/
-
- KVRAF
- 2391 posts since 10 Jul, 2006 from Tampa
Here are a couple:
https://www.plogue.com/products/chipsounds.html (Supposed to emulate "15 vintage 8-bit era sound chips (on top of their variants), down to their smallest idiosyncrasies".)
https://impactsoundworks.com/product/insidious/ (A free version of this is still available from NI if you have Reaktor.)
Steve
https://www.plogue.com/products/chipsounds.html (Supposed to emulate "15 vintage 8-bit era sound chips (on top of their variants), down to their smallest idiosyncrasies".)
https://impactsoundworks.com/product/insidious/ (A free version of this is still available from NI if you have Reaktor.)
Steve
Here's some of my stuff: https://soundcloud.com/shadowsoflife. If you hear something you like, I'm looking for collaborators.
-
- KVRAF
- 3505 posts since 27 Dec, 2002 from North East England
Plogue's Chipsounds is probably your best bet here. An oldie-but-goodie that covers pretty much the entire gamut of 8-bit consoles (and more) with solid accuracy. Also contains a useful wavesequencer for emulating specific chiptune techniques (the C64 emu benefits hugely here). I don't think you can get better quality and value in a does-it-all solution than you'll find here.
-
- KVRist
- 258 posts since 3 Apr, 2012
https://ymck.net/app/magical-8bit-plug-en/
Free/donation, tutorials linked on the page are useful too.
Free/donation, tutorials linked on the page are useful too.
-
- KVRist
- 124 posts since 31 Dec, 2021
I've tried a lot over the years and... it'll depend on the kind of 8-bit sound you want. I've actually found it more tough than expected to find one that checks all the boxes.
There's Shiru's free FTPlug which is based on blargg's work of emulating and documenting the NES sound hardware; it's very accurate and clean sounding, and also nails the abrupt attack and release, which a lot of other 8-bit synths tend to fall apart at.
I think that pure, clean pulse wave and psuedo triangle have become the typical sound for a lot of 8-bit music. I also like to use KORG's Kamata synth, which is an excellent emulation of Namco's wavetable 8-bit chip, but that requires buying an entire suite of other plugins so not really a simple option there either...
Most other wavetable style 8-bit synths tend to be far too noisy and aliased that I can't recommend them. That said, depending on your preferences that might also be what you want as well. I know that the previously mentioned miniBit pushes more towards that noisy and "lofi" retro sound, with lots of aliasing as a feature since it's based on old computer sound hardware. Again, it isn't my thing but I know people who love it.
I also think that biggest element of chiptune style music is all about the arrangement; you have to work in steep limitations (eg, NES hardware is 2 mono pulse waves, 1 mono triangle wave and a noise channel) and getting the most out of your sequencing as much as possible. It means chords have to be "faked" by lots of arpeggiation, echo effects are manually baken it in via sequencing while adjusting the volume, things like that... it gives a certain sound to it that's distinct.
There's Shiru's free FTPlug which is based on blargg's work of emulating and documenting the NES sound hardware; it's very accurate and clean sounding, and also nails the abrupt attack and release, which a lot of other 8-bit synths tend to fall apart at.
I think that pure, clean pulse wave and psuedo triangle have become the typical sound for a lot of 8-bit music. I also like to use KORG's Kamata synth, which is an excellent emulation of Namco's wavetable 8-bit chip, but that requires buying an entire suite of other plugins so not really a simple option there either...
Most other wavetable style 8-bit synths tend to be far too noisy and aliased that I can't recommend them. That said, depending on your preferences that might also be what you want as well. I know that the previously mentioned miniBit pushes more towards that noisy and "lofi" retro sound, with lots of aliasing as a feature since it's based on old computer sound hardware. Again, it isn't my thing but I know people who love it.
I also think that biggest element of chiptune style music is all about the arrangement; you have to work in steep limitations (eg, NES hardware is 2 mono pulse waves, 1 mono triangle wave and a noise channel) and getting the most out of your sequencing as much as possible. It means chords have to be "faked" by lots of arpeggiation, echo effects are manually baken it in via sequencing while adjusting the volume, things like that... it gives a certain sound to it that's distinct.