Group items tagged

A demonstration of an chiptune cover.

This video demonstrates how chiptunes can be performed live using gaming hardware and synthesizers.

This is a video of a live chiptune performance. This video demonstrates one way 8-bit music can be performed by hacking into the hardware.

This Twitter list is of chiptune/video game music artists. This is a great resource to find people who are active in the 8-bit community.

A list of free chiptune vsts that can be used in a DAW to create 8-bit sounds from MIDI data.

This list has a variety of 8-bit and chiptune related links and resources that can be used as inspiration for 8-bit music.

This tracker (for windows) allows you to create chiptunes/8-bit music using software that mimics the original software used to write music on old gaming consoles. Although this might be difficult to work with, it could tie into STEM/STEAM projects.

A demonstration of an 8-bit arrangement.

This YouTube playlist could be used a source of inspiration for video game music projects. Watch some of the videos and think about what musical aspects students would engage in when working on a project like this.

This video walks you through the steps to install an 8-bit VST into GarageBand. Once you install the VST and select it on a track, your midi notation can begin to sound like 8-bit video games.

Websites like this one can be used to explore 8-bit music that was made on the Commodore 64. "The High Voltage SID Collection (HVSC) is a freeware hobby project which organises Commodore 64 music (also known as SID music) into an archive for both musicians and fans alike. The work on the collection is done completely in the Team and contributors' spare time and is proudly one of the largest and most accurate computer music collections known."

This video demonstrates a possible project where students could take sound effects from their favorite video games and use them in a video that they created. This video does have some moments not suitable for K-12 students.

"This session will explore applications of video games inside and outside of the music classroom. We will explore various games, apps, and websites that allow students to engage with music through video games. Experience with video games is not required as the focus is on the unique musical affordances students can experience when engaging with music video games. Please feel free to bring an instrument, laptop, and/or tablet as we will be exploring a wide variety of uses of video games inside and outside of the music classroom."

"This interactive session begins with a brief experience of making vocal music to an 8-bit video game. I then demonstrate how to create live 8-bit music using Ableton Live and a Launchpad. The session concludes with session attendees coming up and creating live 8-bit music to a live video game performance."

"Students are highly motivated by video games as they can spend dozens of hours playing each week. What if educators could channel this motivation into composing by allowing students the opportunity to compose to old school video games? This presentation demonstrates a variety of 8-bit musical experiences that integrate technology, theory, history, composition, and performance with 8-bit video games."

"This session will explore potential projects that involve composing and performing music in the 8-bit aesthetic. We will also explore how the 8-bit aesthetic can be used to explore technology, music theory, and music history through composing and performing with 8-bit video games. Experience with video games is not required as the focus is on the unique musical affordances students can experience when composing and performing music to old school video games. Please feel free to bring a laptop with a way to write music notation as we will create and perform music to a live video game in the session. "

"The early technological constraints imposed on 8-bit composers can act as project criteria for composing and performing 8-bit music that interacts with live 8-bit video games. This two hour session will begin with an interaction with 8-bit media and then break out into groups to create short musical excerpts and sound effects for a live video game. After all of the groups share what they created, the session concludes with a discussion on musical problems, technological constraints impacting creativity, and future projects. "