Nanoloop

Nanoloop

Nanoloop 1.6  is a sequencer for the Game Boy. Sound that is generated by Nanoloop 1.6  uses the Game Boy’s analog sound chip which is restricted to raw rectangular waves, noise and a 4-bit wave form. Nanoloop 2.5 is a version for the Game Boy Advance, which can produce filtered waves, filtered noise and simple FM. The iPhone version of Nanoloop, the version I used for this project shares the same sound engine, file format and a similar interface that Nanoloop 2.5 uses. It combines an enhanced version of Nanoloop 2.5’s synthesizer with a simple sampler. It also allows the user to record audio onto their mobile device and then may import it to a PC.

I used Nanoloop to create “chiptune” music to be played as the soundtrack for a small fast paced third person arena style shooter that I am working on. Technically, only Nanoloop 1.6 may be considered “chiptune” as known as “8-bit” instruments, because it runs on an 8-bit system with a soundchip while the other newer version are digital synthesizers for a 32-bit system. Nanoloop for the iPhone however does not simulate vintage hardware, nor was it designed to sound like a “Game Boy”. However the general minimalism and lack of effects often lead to raw, chippy results that may sound like “chiptune” music, but if refined and worked on the music crated can sound very different.

This project was the very first time I have ever done anything in the realm of music creation. So because of my inexperience with any sort of audio design I needed a program that would be incredibly user friendly, not very difficult for someone to pick up and understand, as well as produce the type of sound I was looking for for the game I am working on. After asking numerous experienced audio designers and digging through countless forum posts I decided on using Nanoloop. Not only did Nanoloop meet all my requirements but it also has a beautiful and simple UI, it’s also mobile which allowed me to work on my project at any moment which was a huge selling point for me. So for $2.99 Nanoloop was a steal!

“DESIGN! This user interface should be in the design museum. It's a bit hipster but you can adjust the volume, attack, decay, LFO depth and speed (doubles as filter envelope), cutoff frequency and pulse width OF EACH INDIVIDUAL NOTE from the step sequencer screen. Excellent for making chip music but also has a sampler. If you can't make good music on this you should think about doing something else with your time.”  -Ian Hamlett

While researching for the program I would use for this project did my research on what kind of chiptune audio style I would like create. I listened to hundreds of different track by many different artists, some of my favorite were: “So Gentlemen, Here’s the Plan” and “Exit Dungeon Left” by Pixel Storm. These were the songs that had the feeling I would plan to emulate with my project.

Nanoloop uses a sequencer that displays its pattern as a grid of 4 x 4 rectangles. Notes can be set, removed and edited just by tapping and swiping. This editing without mode allows for changes on the fly coupled with its generous layout provide a great environment for a smooth workflow. Unlike the Game Boy versions, Nanoloop for iPhone only allows the user to set pitch and one additional value step in the sequencer. All other sound parameters use controlled channels through the synth panel.

The simple but powerful synthesizer allows the user to create a great bandwidth of sounds, including beats, noises, basses and pads. Available synthesis types are: rectangular wave with filter, FM, and LFSR noise generator. Rectangular wave and LFSR sound similar to the Game Boy’s and other console’s soundchips but offer more fine control and additional effects. The FM synth is the simple type with two sine wave oscillators, with fixed base frequency and variable modulator frequency. An envelope / LFO can be applied to modulation amplitude or frequency. For a sweeping spatial effect, the modulator can be slightly detuned, with inverted phase for left/right. Each synth channel is two-voice polyphonic and a stereo effect can be applied. Samples of one second length @ 44 kHz, mono cannot just be used in a drum-machine style, but also be pitched and played as notes.

Nanoloop allows for multiple recording sources for samples such as the built-in microphone (iPhone only), a headset microphone (iPhone, iPod touch 2nd gen only) and Nanoloop’s own sound output. The latter allows the user to create new samples from scratch, using up to five channels to create one single sound!

With Nanoloop for the iPhone, you can send your saved projects to other Nanoloop users via e-mail. If Nanoloop is installed on the recipient’s iPhone / iPod, they can simply tap on the files name in the received e-mail to start Nanoloop and import the attached file so that it is available for editing. This makes collaboration very easy, multiple users around the world can work on the same project by simply e-mailing the file back and forth. This function may also be used to backup projects on a PC. It also works with other mobile device apps such as Dropbox and Google Drive, making the music crated with Nanoloop very accessible.

This however doesn’t mean that files are sent as audio files, data received is in the native Nanoloop format which can be read only by Nanoloop. I found this to be incredibly annoying and it caused a lot of headaches on my part. I found that you can save the project you’re working on within Nanoloop as a .wav file and then plug the mobile device into a PC and import it through iTunes. After many frustrating hours of trying to figure out how to get my music off of my phone in a version that could be played by music players that is the solution I came up with and to my knowledge that is the only way so far. There are options to copy and paste the .wav file to applications such as Dropbox, Google Drive and attach it to an Email, but it wasn’t working.

After many hours spent on the bus, walking to and from class/work, lunch breaks and any other moments of downtime that I found myself without something to do, I plugged away at my audio tracks. Here they are:

Space Oddity - Start Screen

Space Oddity - 1

Space Oddity - 4

Space Oddity - Credits

Pure Data and plugin evaluations

Here is a link to my work in Pure Data and some thoughts on a few plugins for Ableton Live.

http://www.onedropmonkey.com/?page_id=901

Massive Evaluation

Massive is a super useful VST. That sounds vague, but trust me; it's worth it. The amount of variability and customization you can achieve with its tools are quite impressive. Although it's drum and rhythm section could use a bit of work, the synth gives you a lot to work with (pretty much everything else).

First, I'd like to say, if you want good drum sounds you're not going to find them here. I know I said that already, but I cannot stress this enough. What I did for most of my tracks was find drum samples online and import them into the Impulse drum machine in Ableton. I'd recommend you do the same should you use this and focus on the more melodic aspects of the song. When you get to that part, boy howdy is Massive happy to accommodate. Ignoring the plethora of pre-made effects at your disposal, there're just so many customization settings. Literally every, single aspect of the sound is mapped out on the Synth tab, giving you te ability to harness the exact sounds you want. For me, this proved a bit difficult, as I didn't really understand certain labels within the tab. However, after fiddling around with it quite a bit, I felt pretty good at manipulating certain effects.

And, while we're on the subject of effects, dear God are there a lot of them. The leads hit hard, the bass hits harder, some beats are genuinely interesting (although I most likely wouldn't utilize them). I really love utilizing the Lazarus bass in this specific VST just because of its evil distortion. I do wish the brass sounded a bit brassier, but I probably could've messed around with the settings a bit more in both Massive and Ableton to get the desired sound. But almost any sound you can think of is in here. If you were looking for better vocal effects than the ones in Ableton ('cause, man, those are bad) then you've come to the right place.

I do have an issue with the lac of an arpeggiator in the program (or, at least, there wasn't a readily apparent one). This issue was easily remedied by utilizing the arpeggiator in Ableton, but I would've preferred not switching constantly between the two. But that's really minor, and, really, the only problem I had with this VST. Everything else is super easy to understand, and, if you don't understand it, super easy to manipulate. It works well with Ableton and was easy to install. I don't know what else you could ask for.

Now, I utilized Massive a lot for the final project I was doing (a student-run television show where I did the music) and I really liked what I had on offer. The producers of the show asked for relatively specific tracks and I did my best to accommodate them. Mostly, my compositions were acoustic, to give it a sort of "indie darling" feel, but I had to use electronic music quite a bit as well. I've attached a few clips that showcase some work I did in Massive.

"Outside Cool Party" was pretty easy. The producers wanted a subby, bassy piece of music as if electronica was being blasted from within a house. I took one of the beats within Massive (one of the ones I swore not to use) and ran it through Ableton. After getting the BPM I wanted, I applied a low pass filter and a sub booster, giving it that sound. I'm pretty happy with the result, but I do wish I had added more variety to the track. Then again, I thought the scene would be shorter.

"Party Beat" was a bit more of a challenge. I just wanted to compose a bit of generic techno for this scene (bunch of kids having a good time at a rave essentially), but I didn't even know where to start. Well, I figured the drum beat would be best, so I attempted to make one using the Impulse drum machine built in Ableton. I was really happy with how "housey" the drums turned out and moved on to the melody. I knew I wanted some sort of trance vibe, so I wanted an arpeggiator with a brighter scale. All of the synths used were in Massive (three total). One just rises and falls over and over again whilst panning between your left and right ear. Another is a simple lead with the "Housier Than Thou" Arpeggiator. The other one is a sample essentially that plays over and over. The scene was about five seconds long, and I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

"Fight Club Beat" was absolutely bonkers. I must've written something for it three or four times before I settled on what I have here. I'm not totally happy with it, but it served the scene better than my previous iterations. Before shooting and editing, the producers simply told me to make a "rap beat." I had a pretty good idea of what this might consist of, and went about making said "rap beat". I was really happy about the songs I did make, utilizing chopped up samples of classical pieces of music and distorted melodies. However, when I played that with the scene, it just didn't fit. I set about making a new one using the same process. The bass in the beat is a Lazarus bass with the gain turned down. It has a sort of broken electronics feel that I really like. However, that's the only thing I used from Massive. The drums are Impulse and the siren is a looped siren, delayed to play over itself and reverbed up the schnowzer. I wish I had more time with this track (namely the drums, 'cause the kick sounds to airy), but I'm satisfied with the result.

Get Massive, if you can. It's a great VST that will only help you in the long run. One of the best synths I've used this semester as well. Trust me. It's good stuff.

Links:
"Outside Cool Party" (https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/Outside%20Cool%20Party.wav?w=AABKfMW_wLube9hSlVX085N0ePWL6jugnTFCGf9ekWdk7g)

"Party Beat" (https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/Party%20Beat.wav?w=AABS1XGNNowCCxKvJDHVN-AJkjxbJeSTnmucGa41m8hdSg)

"Fight Club Beat" (https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/Fight%20Club%20Beat.wav?w=AABdj6mvHTDeVaww6H3rljNNUjTTUhYmgW8nCj2kV6iqXw)