http://akaobi.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/authenticity-and-emulation-chiptune-in-the-early-twentyfirst-century-by-sebastian-tomczak/
Showing posts with label written things. Show all posts
Showing posts with label written things. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
Proper Japanese Translation of "Authenticity and Emulation"
Translation by Takashi Kawano (@aka_obi). Thank you for your efforts! Your kindness and hard work is very much appreciated.
http://akaobi.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/authenticity-and-emulation-chiptune-in-the-early-twentyfirst-century-by-sebastian-tomczak/
http://akaobi.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/authenticity-and-emulation-chiptune-in-the-early-twentyfirst-century-by-sebastian-tomczak/
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Proper Japanese Translation of "Handheld Console Comparisons: Lateral Consumer Machines"
Translation by Takashi Kawano (@aka_obi) with foreword by Yuya Shirakami (@tanikugu).
Thank you for your efforts!
http://akaobi.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/handheld-console-comparisons-lateral-consumer-machines-as-musical-instruments-by-sebastian-tomczak/
Thank you for your efforts!
http://akaobi.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/handheld-console-comparisons-lateral-consumer-machines-as-musical-instruments-by-sebastian-tomczak/
Thursday, September 04, 2008
"HANDHELD CONSOLE COMPARISONS: LATERAL CONSUMER MACHINES AS MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS" (Tomczak, ACMC 2007)
A paper from the Australasian Computer Music Conference 2007.
Disclaimer: Please, don't expect too much.
Download it here as a PDF.
HANDHELD CONSOLE COMPARISONS: LATERAL CONSUMER MACHINES AS MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
This topic will examine the field of modern chipmusic – being the composition and performance of present-day electronic music on obsolete videogame hardware. Recent software utilities neither authorised nor endorsed by first or third party corporations are used.
In particular, the topic of specific differences between hardware units and models in relation to the genre of Game Boy music will be explored.
Unlike devices that are designed and manufactured for the explicit purpose of producing and composing music (relevant examples include palm studios, handheld recorders and portable synthesizers), Gameboys were originally created first and foremost as toys. In the context of music making, the Game Boy can be considered a lateral device – a machine that has been taken out of its original context and now serves a new and different purpose.
By extension, it can be assumed that the design and production quality of such a lateral device for the use of music would be lower than that of a machine designed from the ground up and exclusively for such a purpose. It is a matter of what the first-party corporation deems as vital for the end-user demographic. A portable video game console manufacturer will have certain priorities – in particular, cost effectiveness relating to production, ease of use and accessibility, battery life, visual appearance, physical bulk and so on. The retail price of a unit for the end-user must be very competitive.
Such was the case when the original Game Boy was introduced in 1989. The machine was a direct competitor to the Atari Lynx. The Lynx boasted advanced technical features for the time, including a backlit colour liquid crystal display, 8 bit sound delivered across 4 channels and the possibility of relatively large-scale networks of up to 18 machines. Nonetheless, with an initial retail price of US$179 (double what Nintendo was asking for the Game Boy upon release), the Lynx was a failure. [1]
The purpose of this paper is to provide a starting point reference to the differences in sound between the various models of Gameboys capable of playing original software titles. The differences in sound between different units of the same model will also be discussed in addition to anomalies between models and issues of quality across a given model line. Some regard will be given to serial numbers; however, there are too little subjects in order for the chronology of production versus sound quality to be of any real significance.
For individuals wishing to take part in the Game Boy music community, the question arises as to the Game Boy model they should purchase, with which to compose and perform. Although often asked, the question ‘Which Game Boy sounds the best?’ is not an irrelevant one, considering there are at least (depending on definition) six different models released between 1989 and 2003 that share the same software library. This longevity in succession is testament to the Gameboy’s commercial achievement and popularity. [2]
Although some research has already been done in this area the aim of this paper is not to supercede or infringe on the available work. Rather, it has been written with the aim of adding to what already exists. The results of the comparisons presented here are available online in an accessible and easy to read format. Downloadable sounds that serve as an aural comparison for the end-user as well as sonograms and waveform representations are also included. At the time of writing, the online Game Boy comparison is located at: http://www.milkcrate.com.au/_other/gbc/.
An example of research that has already been done in the area of Game Boy sound comparisons comes from Herbert Weixelbaum, a well known Austrian Game Boy musician and founder of the Vienna Game Boy Music Club. Weixelbaum has created an excellent online resource detailing sound comparisons between various models of Gameboy. He covers visual pulse waveform analysis and describes the types of noise and timbre generated by each of the Game Boy models he has compared, allowing the user to listen to the differences. At the time of writing, Weixelbaum’s online Game Boy comparison is located at: http://www.herbertweixelbaum.com/comparison.htm [3].
This paper will cover the commonly available models of Game Boy that are able to play original Game Boy titles (as opposed to Game Boy Advance software). This includes the original Gameboy, Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP. A total of 34 individual units across these five model lines have been recorded and the results analysed and compared.
The original grey Gameby was released in 1989 and features a relatively large, green and black display. Its successor, the Game Boy pocket, features a smaller form factor with a clearer display and uses two AAA batteries as opposed to four AA. As a result, battery life was roughly halved when compared to the original.
In 1996, Nintendo released the Game Boy color. This machine represented a large step forward for the Game Boy family as it was able to display 56 different colours on screen of a possible palette of 32,768.
2001 saw the release of a 32-bit portable gaming platform, the Game Boy Advance. The model is completely backwards compatible with original Game Boy and Game Boy Color software. This compatibility is achieved without software-based emulation.
The Game Boy Advance was followed up in 2003 by the Game Boy Advance SP with a backlit display and a more compact (and different) form.
Due to financial and time constraints, the Game Boy Light and Game Boy Advance SP 2 are not represented in this investigation at this point in time. However, both of these are included in Weixelbaum’s overview of Game Boy sound comparison, should a comparison with these units be desired. It also should be noted that research such as this is still very much a work in progress and will hopefully be complemented with the addition of these models in the future.
For the sake of coherence and simplicity non-portable devices that potentially are able to play original Game Boy titles have been ignored in this paper. This includes the Super Game Boy and Super Game Boy 2 as well as the Game Boy Player. These devices are peripherals for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo Gamecube respectively, and use a television for visual display. Other members of or successors to the Game Boy line that are unable to play original software without software-based emulation have also not been incorporated. This includes the Game Boy Micro, the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo DS Lite. For the sake of completeness, all of these machines have been included in the online Game Boy sound comparison reference.
The Game Boy does not have an individual sound chip as such. Instead, the main processor handles sound routines, including sound output. The pseudo audio processing unit of a Game Boy has a total of four channels. Channels 1 and 2 are pulse wave oscillators. Channel 3 is a programmable waveform channel capable of playing back samples and synthesizing more complex waveforms. The last channel is a noise channel. [4]
Methodology for testing the sound characteristics of each unit has been undertaken by programming a simple test song and playing this song back on the different Gameboys. The same gain setting has been used on the recording hardware and software and the same cables and connectors have been used to connect the Game Boy to the audio recording chain. After having been recorded, none of the samples have been normalized. All units are powered using batteries of various types during the recording stage, so as to minimize noise and interference generated by use of a mains power transformer.
The test song has been written in Little Sound DJ (commonly abbreviated to LSDJ). This is a popular Game Boy music tracking program written by Johan Kotlinksi. The author himself describes it as “…The Game Boy… tool of choice for amateur & professional musicians and composers!”.
This test song trials each of the four sound channels. The two pulse channels are tested across the four types of waveform that they are able to reproduce – these being approximate square waveforms with duty cycles of 12.5%, 25%, 50% and 75%. These waveforms are played back using notes whose pitches are spaced a perfect fifth followed by a perfect fourth. This process starts at the C two octaves below middle C and continues for a range of six octaves.
This procedure is followed by a set of broken chords and arpeggios played very quickly interspersed with frequency sweeps by pulse channel 1 and portamento by pulse channel 2.
Channel three is tested next, with basic playback of a set of samples from a drum kit. The same series of samples is then played on a loop whose length is continuously getting shorter. Rudimentary pitch-shifting is also employed.
The test concludes with a collection of short bursts of noise that have been shaped by using different cut off frequencies of a low pass filter.
It should be obvious that the test song does not in the least exhaust the capabilities of the Game Boy in terms of its possible diversity of sound output. This is not the aim of the test song. Rather, the point is to play back test material through which one is able to quickly and efficiently form an overview of the sonic characteristics and performance of a given unit.
One issue when considering the sound quality of a device is the type and amount of self-noise that it creates even when it is not playing any music. When Game Boys are used as musical instruments, background noise can be split into two broad categories – relatively broadband noise, whose components are not harmonically related; and noise whose components are harmonically related but not affected by which particular notes a unit might be playing at a given moment. This latter type of non-musical harmonic noise is responsible for a buzz or a hum type sound present in the signal even if a sequencer is stopped. It can be considered an annoyance to the average Game Boy musician.
The issue of non-musical harmonic noise is an interesting one in respect to all of the Game Boy models. As a general observation, this harmonic noise is most prevalent when the sound output drops out as a result of apparent hardware or software failure.
An appropriate starting point for discussion regarding this harmonic noise is the result of a sonogram of a certain purple Game Boy Color. Unfortunately, this particular Game Boy Color was purchased second hand for this investigation and as a result lacks a serial number. Thus, it cannot be placed in a chronological timeline in reference to the other Game Boy Colors whose sonic characteristics have been recorded.
The pseudo audio processing unit of the purple Game Boy Color appears to fail when the frequency sweeps oscillate back and forth by extreme amounts. No musical sound is emitted from the unit in these short periods. However, it is at these positions that the sonogram shows a large band of non-harmonic noise in the mid to upper frequency range as well as an obvious harmonic series (see figure 1). In the sonogram, the vertical axis is frequency and the horizontal axis is time.
In figure 1, the sonogram of an artificially synthesized harmonic series beginning with 766Hz can be visually compared with the noise recorded at the moments of audio playback failure of the anomalous purple Game Boy Color. The most striking feature is the dominance of even harmonics within this noise (with the exception of the 2nd and 14th) compared to their odd-numbered counterparts. The 12th, 22nd and 24th harmonics are particularly prominent. In addition, the odd- numbered harmonics appear to consist of broader range noise rather than very tightly confined notches in the spectrum. Nonetheless, they are still strikingly visible in this representation.
Certain harmonics of this series are found (of course with varying amplitudes) across the board in almost all of the units and models of Gameboys that have been investigated in the course of this research.
Figure 1: A comparison of a harmonic series with a 1st harmonic of 766Hz compared to the anomalous Game Boy Color’s noise.
The original Game Boy units appear to be the least susceptible to this harmonic noise. The sonogram of a typical unit is shown in Figure 2. The original Game Boy model tends to pronounce the 12th harmonic the most, followed by a weaker 24th. This 24th harmonic only clearly appears on the oldest unit that has been recorded. This unit also has manifestations of noise around the 8th and 16th harmonics points.
An interesting point of note is the results from a sonogram of the single modified original Game Boy that is included in this investigation. With this particular Gameboy, the crystal resonator has been replaced with a new one operating at roughly half the speed. This results in a unit whose pitch is significantly lower and whose playback speed is significantly slower than an unmodified unit. There are no visible or audible harmonic noise bands of the same type as can be seen and heard with the other original Game Boy units. However, it is possible that this is simply a coincidence and not a result of the modification.
Figure 2: A typical sonogram of an original Game Boy unit (to the right).
The Game Boy Pocket units hardly vary at all in their harmonic noise content. All units tested displayed a relatively prominent 12th and weaker 24th harmonic. An interesting side note is that the band of noise around the 12th harmonic is significantly broader than any other model at that harmonic. This fact is demonstrated in all eleven Game Boy pocket units tested. The Game Boy Pocket represents the least amount of difference in background noise and changes timbre and output volume upon comparison on a unit-by-unit basis.
The last of the classic models– the Game Boy Color – tends to exhibit harmonic noise at the 12th, 18th and 24th harmonics. The 12th harmonic is always present at roughly the same amplitude, regardless of whether the unit is outputting sound or not. This is in contrast to the 18th and 24th harmonics, which are much higher in amplitude if the unit is actually playing back music. There is a larger difference in maximum playback level and amounts of overall broadband background noise in the Game Boy Color model on a unit-by-unit basis when compared to any other model of classic Gameboy.
The Game Boy Advance possesses a similar harmonic noise profile to a relatively clean-sounding Game Boy Color. This is in contrast to the Game Boy Advance SP. In this case, all harmonic noise relates to a series whose fundamental is approximately a perfect fourth above the harmonic noise series seen on all of the classic models.
There are many other issues to consider when comparing various Game Boy models, some of which can be found in the online reference. Nonetheless, background noise is an important issue and impacts, for instance, upon a Game Boy unit and model’s suitability for live performance.
Having been invented and implemented originally as toys, one manifestation of which are differences in sonic characteristics, the choice of which Game Boy model is the most appropriate for composition and performance is important.
In closing, it should be iterated that this investigation is one that will never be completely finished, as such. It should simply be viewed as being a reference or a growing guide for the Game Boy music community from which hopefully something may be learned.
References
[1] Latimer, Peter. 2005. "Atari Lynx". Retro Gamer 2 (6): Pages 24-31.
[2] Polsson, Ken. “Chronology of Video Game Systems (1989)”. http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/vidgame/vid1989.htm/. Accessed 16 May 2007.
[3] Weixelbaum, Herbert. “Game Boy Sound Comparison”. February 2007. http://www.herbertweixelbaum.com/comparison.htm. Accessed 16 May 2007.
[4] Gevaryahu, Jonathon. “Nintendo Game Boy Sound System PAPU guide, v0.99.21.pre”. http://www.netaxs.com/people/gevaryah/GBSOUND.txt. Accessed 13 May 2007.
Disclaimer: Please, don't expect too much.
Download it here as a PDF.
HANDHELD CONSOLE COMPARISONS: LATERAL CONSUMER MACHINES AS MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
This topic will examine the field of modern chipmusic – being the composition and performance of present-day electronic music on obsolete videogame hardware. Recent software utilities neither authorised nor endorsed by first or third party corporations are used.
In particular, the topic of specific differences between hardware units and models in relation to the genre of Game Boy music will be explored.
Unlike devices that are designed and manufactured for the explicit purpose of producing and composing music (relevant examples include palm studios, handheld recorders and portable synthesizers), Gameboys were originally created first and foremost as toys. In the context of music making, the Game Boy can be considered a lateral device – a machine that has been taken out of its original context and now serves a new and different purpose.
By extension, it can be assumed that the design and production quality of such a lateral device for the use of music would be lower than that of a machine designed from the ground up and exclusively for such a purpose. It is a matter of what the first-party corporation deems as vital for the end-user demographic. A portable video game console manufacturer will have certain priorities – in particular, cost effectiveness relating to production, ease of use and accessibility, battery life, visual appearance, physical bulk and so on. The retail price of a unit for the end-user must be very competitive.
Such was the case when the original Game Boy was introduced in 1989. The machine was a direct competitor to the Atari Lynx. The Lynx boasted advanced technical features for the time, including a backlit colour liquid crystal display, 8 bit sound delivered across 4 channels and the possibility of relatively large-scale networks of up to 18 machines. Nonetheless, with an initial retail price of US$179 (double what Nintendo was asking for the Game Boy upon release), the Lynx was a failure. [1]
The purpose of this paper is to provide a starting point reference to the differences in sound between the various models of Gameboys capable of playing original software titles. The differences in sound between different units of the same model will also be discussed in addition to anomalies between models and issues of quality across a given model line. Some regard will be given to serial numbers; however, there are too little subjects in order for the chronology of production versus sound quality to be of any real significance.
For individuals wishing to take part in the Game Boy music community, the question arises as to the Game Boy model they should purchase, with which to compose and perform. Although often asked, the question ‘Which Game Boy sounds the best?’ is not an irrelevant one, considering there are at least (depending on definition) six different models released between 1989 and 2003 that share the same software library. This longevity in succession is testament to the Gameboy’s commercial achievement and popularity. [2]
Although some research has already been done in this area the aim of this paper is not to supercede or infringe on the available work. Rather, it has been written with the aim of adding to what already exists. The results of the comparisons presented here are available online in an accessible and easy to read format. Downloadable sounds that serve as an aural comparison for the end-user as well as sonograms and waveform representations are also included. At the time of writing, the online Game Boy comparison is located at: http://www.milkcrate.com.au/_other/gbc/.
An example of research that has already been done in the area of Game Boy sound comparisons comes from Herbert Weixelbaum, a well known Austrian Game Boy musician and founder of the Vienna Game Boy Music Club. Weixelbaum has created an excellent online resource detailing sound comparisons between various models of Gameboy. He covers visual pulse waveform analysis and describes the types of noise and timbre generated by each of the Game Boy models he has compared, allowing the user to listen to the differences. At the time of writing, Weixelbaum’s online Game Boy comparison is located at: http://www.herbertweixelbaum.com/comparison.htm [3].
This paper will cover the commonly available models of Game Boy that are able to play original Game Boy titles (as opposed to Game Boy Advance software). This includes the original Gameboy, Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP. A total of 34 individual units across these five model lines have been recorded and the results analysed and compared.
The original grey Gameby was released in 1989 and features a relatively large, green and black display. Its successor, the Game Boy pocket, features a smaller form factor with a clearer display and uses two AAA batteries as opposed to four AA. As a result, battery life was roughly halved when compared to the original.
In 1996, Nintendo released the Game Boy color. This machine represented a large step forward for the Game Boy family as it was able to display 56 different colours on screen of a possible palette of 32,768.
2001 saw the release of a 32-bit portable gaming platform, the Game Boy Advance. The model is completely backwards compatible with original Game Boy and Game Boy Color software. This compatibility is achieved without software-based emulation.
The Game Boy Advance was followed up in 2003 by the Game Boy Advance SP with a backlit display and a more compact (and different) form.
Due to financial and time constraints, the Game Boy Light and Game Boy Advance SP 2 are not represented in this investigation at this point in time. However, both of these are included in Weixelbaum’s overview of Game Boy sound comparison, should a comparison with these units be desired. It also should be noted that research such as this is still very much a work in progress and will hopefully be complemented with the addition of these models in the future.
For the sake of coherence and simplicity non-portable devices that potentially are able to play original Game Boy titles have been ignored in this paper. This includes the Super Game Boy and Super Game Boy 2 as well as the Game Boy Player. These devices are peripherals for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo Gamecube respectively, and use a television for visual display. Other members of or successors to the Game Boy line that are unable to play original software without software-based emulation have also not been incorporated. This includes the Game Boy Micro, the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo DS Lite. For the sake of completeness, all of these machines have been included in the online Game Boy sound comparison reference.
The Game Boy does not have an individual sound chip as such. Instead, the main processor handles sound routines, including sound output. The pseudo audio processing unit of a Game Boy has a total of four channels. Channels 1 and 2 are pulse wave oscillators. Channel 3 is a programmable waveform channel capable of playing back samples and synthesizing more complex waveforms. The last channel is a noise channel. [4]
Methodology for testing the sound characteristics of each unit has been undertaken by programming a simple test song and playing this song back on the different Gameboys. The same gain setting has been used on the recording hardware and software and the same cables and connectors have been used to connect the Game Boy to the audio recording chain. After having been recorded, none of the samples have been normalized. All units are powered using batteries of various types during the recording stage, so as to minimize noise and interference generated by use of a mains power transformer.
The test song has been written in Little Sound DJ (commonly abbreviated to LSDJ). This is a popular Game Boy music tracking program written by Johan Kotlinksi. The author himself describes it as “…The Game Boy… tool of choice for amateur & professional musicians and composers!”.
This test song trials each of the four sound channels. The two pulse channels are tested across the four types of waveform that they are able to reproduce – these being approximate square waveforms with duty cycles of 12.5%, 25%, 50% and 75%. These waveforms are played back using notes whose pitches are spaced a perfect fifth followed by a perfect fourth. This process starts at the C two octaves below middle C and continues for a range of six octaves.
This procedure is followed by a set of broken chords and arpeggios played very quickly interspersed with frequency sweeps by pulse channel 1 and portamento by pulse channel 2.
Channel three is tested next, with basic playback of a set of samples from a drum kit. The same series of samples is then played on a loop whose length is continuously getting shorter. Rudimentary pitch-shifting is also employed.
The test concludes with a collection of short bursts of noise that have been shaped by using different cut off frequencies of a low pass filter.
It should be obvious that the test song does not in the least exhaust the capabilities of the Game Boy in terms of its possible diversity of sound output. This is not the aim of the test song. Rather, the point is to play back test material through which one is able to quickly and efficiently form an overview of the sonic characteristics and performance of a given unit.
One issue when considering the sound quality of a device is the type and amount of self-noise that it creates even when it is not playing any music. When Game Boys are used as musical instruments, background noise can be split into two broad categories – relatively broadband noise, whose components are not harmonically related; and noise whose components are harmonically related but not affected by which particular notes a unit might be playing at a given moment. This latter type of non-musical harmonic noise is responsible for a buzz or a hum type sound present in the signal even if a sequencer is stopped. It can be considered an annoyance to the average Game Boy musician.
The issue of non-musical harmonic noise is an interesting one in respect to all of the Game Boy models. As a general observation, this harmonic noise is most prevalent when the sound output drops out as a result of apparent hardware or software failure.
An appropriate starting point for discussion regarding this harmonic noise is the result of a sonogram of a certain purple Game Boy Color. Unfortunately, this particular Game Boy Color was purchased second hand for this investigation and as a result lacks a serial number. Thus, it cannot be placed in a chronological timeline in reference to the other Game Boy Colors whose sonic characteristics have been recorded.
The pseudo audio processing unit of the purple Game Boy Color appears to fail when the frequency sweeps oscillate back and forth by extreme amounts. No musical sound is emitted from the unit in these short periods. However, it is at these positions that the sonogram shows a large band of non-harmonic noise in the mid to upper frequency range as well as an obvious harmonic series (see figure 1). In the sonogram, the vertical axis is frequency and the horizontal axis is time.
In figure 1, the sonogram of an artificially synthesized harmonic series beginning with 766Hz can be visually compared with the noise recorded at the moments of audio playback failure of the anomalous purple Game Boy Color. The most striking feature is the dominance of even harmonics within this noise (with the exception of the 2nd and 14th) compared to their odd-numbered counterparts. The 12th, 22nd and 24th harmonics are particularly prominent. In addition, the odd- numbered harmonics appear to consist of broader range noise rather than very tightly confined notches in the spectrum. Nonetheless, they are still strikingly visible in this representation.
Certain harmonics of this series are found (of course with varying amplitudes) across the board in almost all of the units and models of Gameboys that have been investigated in the course of this research.
Figure 1: A comparison of a harmonic series with a 1st harmonic of 766Hz compared to the anomalous Game Boy Color’s noise.The original Game Boy units appear to be the least susceptible to this harmonic noise. The sonogram of a typical unit is shown in Figure 2. The original Game Boy model tends to pronounce the 12th harmonic the most, followed by a weaker 24th. This 24th harmonic only clearly appears on the oldest unit that has been recorded. This unit also has manifestations of noise around the 8th and 16th harmonics points.
An interesting point of note is the results from a sonogram of the single modified original Game Boy that is included in this investigation. With this particular Gameboy, the crystal resonator has been replaced with a new one operating at roughly half the speed. This results in a unit whose pitch is significantly lower and whose playback speed is significantly slower than an unmodified unit. There are no visible or audible harmonic noise bands of the same type as can be seen and heard with the other original Game Boy units. However, it is possible that this is simply a coincidence and not a result of the modification.
Figure 2: A typical sonogram of an original Game Boy unit (to the right).The Game Boy Pocket units hardly vary at all in their harmonic noise content. All units tested displayed a relatively prominent 12th and weaker 24th harmonic. An interesting side note is that the band of noise around the 12th harmonic is significantly broader than any other model at that harmonic. This fact is demonstrated in all eleven Game Boy pocket units tested. The Game Boy Pocket represents the least amount of difference in background noise and changes timbre and output volume upon comparison on a unit-by-unit basis.
The last of the classic models– the Game Boy Color – tends to exhibit harmonic noise at the 12th, 18th and 24th harmonics. The 12th harmonic is always present at roughly the same amplitude, regardless of whether the unit is outputting sound or not. This is in contrast to the 18th and 24th harmonics, which are much higher in amplitude if the unit is actually playing back music. There is a larger difference in maximum playback level and amounts of overall broadband background noise in the Game Boy Color model on a unit-by-unit basis when compared to any other model of classic Gameboy.
The Game Boy Advance possesses a similar harmonic noise profile to a relatively clean-sounding Game Boy Color. This is in contrast to the Game Boy Advance SP. In this case, all harmonic noise relates to a series whose fundamental is approximately a perfect fourth above the harmonic noise series seen on all of the classic models.
There are many other issues to consider when comparing various Game Boy models, some of which can be found in the online reference. Nonetheless, background noise is an important issue and impacts, for instance, upon a Game Boy unit and model’s suitability for live performance.
Having been invented and implemented originally as toys, one manifestation of which are differences in sonic characteristics, the choice of which Game Boy model is the most appropriate for composition and performance is important.
In closing, it should be iterated that this investigation is one that will never be completely finished, as such. It should simply be viewed as being a reference or a growing guide for the Game Boy music community from which hopefully something may be learned.
References
[1] Latimer, Peter. 2005. "Atari Lynx". Retro Gamer 2 (6): Pages 24-31.
[2] Polsson, Ken. “Chronology of Video Game Systems (1989)”. http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/vidgame/vid1989.htm/. Accessed 16 May 2007.
[3] Weixelbaum, Herbert. “Game Boy Sound Comparison”. February 2007. http://www.herbertweixelbaum.com/comparison.htm. Accessed 16 May 2007.
[4] Gevaryahu, Jonathon. “Nintendo Game Boy Sound System PAPU guide, v0.99.21.pre”. http://www.netaxs.com/people/gevaryah/GBSOUND.txt. Accessed 13 May 2007.
"AUTHENTICITY AND EMULATION: CHIPTUNE IN THE EARLY TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY" (Tomczak, ICMC 2008)
A paper from the International Computer Music Conference 2008.
Disclaimer: Please, don't expect much.
Download it here.
AUTHENTICITY AND EMULATION: CHIPTUNE IN THE EARLY TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Abstract
The modern practice of chiptune music is based around the appropriation of sound generation as utilised in video game technology. The obsolete consoles and their integrated circuits explored in this practice focus almost exclusively on synthesis techniques rather than sample playback. Examples of consoles that have been extensively explored include the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Nintendo Gameboy and the Commodore 64.
The unique sonic characteristics of the devices used and the way in which they are controlled form an integral part of the identity that is shared by many chiptune musicians and performers. This paper will explore the role and the importance of authenticity within the chiptune genre of the early twenty-first century.
Conversely, the function that this authenticity serves within the genre will be contrasted against the advantages afforded by the emulation of video game sound chips within modern computer music environments.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Chiptune Overview
This paper will examine the field of modern chiptune– being the composition and performance of present-day electronic music on obsolete videogame hardware. Recent software utilities neither authorised nor endorsed by first or third party corporations are used in the process.
Examples of consoles that have been extensively explored include the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Nintendo Gameboy and the Commodore 64.
It should be noted that hardware and software development within the field of chiptune continues into the present day.
The availability of accessible software development tools in the late twentieth century for obsolete consoles such as the Gameboy helps to explain the growing number of programs and subsequently users that the scene has enjoyed in the last decade. As explained by the programmer of the well-known Gameboy music program Nanoloop, Oliver Wittchow [7]:
“In the late 90s, development tools (compilers, flash carts, etc) became available and it's just natural that music software development started immediately.”
1.2. Hardware
The importance of hardware within the chiptune genre can be viewed as being at least two-fold in nature. On the one hand, it is the original hardware that provides the musicians with a unique-sounding tool for the creative process. On the other hand, the hardware can hold a symbolic strength for many persons involved with chiptune music, from nostalgia to anti-consumerism.
2. EMULATION
2.1. Conceptual Basis
In recent years, the rise in the computing power available to consumers has made the emulation of non-host computer systems a reality in regards to a faithful reproduction. Sound chips from various video game consoles and arcade machines have been emulated successfully for many years in emulators such as MAME (Multi-Arcade Machine Emulation) and MESS (Multiple Emulator Super System). These systems aim to accurately emulate the complete behaviour of a video game system, including graphics, user input, physics engine and sound generation.
It is software such as this that provides a conceptual basis and a precursor for the emulation of the sound generating circuits for the use of musical production. In the case of arcade machine or game console emulation, data is retrieved from the read-only memory file in real time in the same process that memory is accessed and that the sound generation hardware is written in a physical machine.
This concept is not too far removed from having a software-based plug-in running within a software music environment (such as a sequencer) and routing data to that instance of the plug-in. Thus, a sequence of music can be played back. The sequencer represents the game memory, the plug-in represents the sound generation hardware and the routing in between the two represents the data and address bussing physically found within a real-world device.
2.2. The benefits of Emulation
The emulation of sound generation hardware within a host computer system whereby the main synthesis parameters can be controlled by the end-user holds a number of clear benefits over the more ‘traditional’ method of using actual, original hardware. Such advantages include ease of integration and synchronization into a host sequencer music environment, potential cost effectiveness and accessibility and the freedom of musical control via an interface or system as chosen by the user (not the music software programmer).
2.2.1. Ease of Integration
If a sound generation integrated circuit is emulated successfully and used as software plug-in, any data that is routed to the plug-in will play as expected from a software-based synthesiser (i.e. quickly and directly). This affords a high level of integration into a musical work with relative ease when compared to using purely a hardware-based approach.
2.2.2. Affordability
In addition to the ease of integration aspect of using emulated sound circuits, there may also be financial incentives. A number of freely available synthesisers or sample libraries are direct reproductions or have been inspired by classic chiptune hardware.
For example, Basic64 is a virtual instrument synthesiser inspired by the sound chip of the Commodore 64, released by de la Mancha production studio. This software is compatible with a wide range of modern sequencing environments. [3]
Kyle Buza’s Mmonoplayer site features programming objects and virtual instrument plug-ins that aim to emulate the sound chips of various consoles directly, including the Atari 2600, 5200 and 7800, Sega Master System, Gameboy and the Nintendo Entertainment System, among others. [2]
Both of these resources are freeware.
Compare this to the costs of purchasing a Gameboy, a flash cart, a transfer device and a digital license for LSDJ (a music tracker program for Gameboy), which can easily add up to AU$80 or more.
Of course, this reasoning assumes that the end-user already owns a personal computer of some description as well as appropriate audio mixing and sequencing software that is compatible with the sound chip emulation software.
2.2.3. Accessibility
There may also be an advantage through the use of emulation if certain hardware solutions are difficult to acquire. For example, a number of instruments and packages have been produced in very small quantities.
At the time of writing, one of the most recent Gameboy synthesiser programs titled Pixelh8 by Matthew Applegate has already sold out after a small run of only twenty-five physical cartridges. A second batch of cartridges has been planned [1].
Official LSDJ cartridges for Gameboy have not been produced in a long time. In order to use the program on original hardware, users must acquire reprogrammable cartridges with flash-based memory and an appropriate transfer device [4]. Although this equipment can be purchased, it should be noted that at the time of writing only a small number of suppliers stock these products.
Naturally, digital emulation of sound chip hardware can be distributed electronically via the internet and as such there are no limitations of accessibility in the same manner as there is with actual hardware (although the end user must have appropriate host-computer hardware and software).
2.2.4. The Issues of the Human Interface
The final benefit that comes with emulation is one of how the sound chip and the sounds that it produces are accessed by a human user.
When chiptune software is used only on related hardware, it is obvious that the software must also provide an interface to the sound chip and that this interface must always be limited by the memory, clock speed and methods of user input native to the system in question.
These limitations can take a number of forms. LSDJ for Gameboy has a maximum of two hundred and fifty-six musical phrases (termed chains) where each chain is up to sixteen subdivisions in length. Although this is a large quantity, it is by no means comparable to the amount of data that can be stored in a sequence using a modern sequencing environment.
The Synthcart program for the Atari 2600 console by Paul Slocum [6] is another example of where the limitations of the console in question (beyond its sound producing capabilities) also constrain the way in which music may be created. Due to the memory constraints, only preprogrammed percussive patterns are available to the user.
However it should be noted that the assembly source code is freely available and with enough knowledge and effort, it is possible to reprogram the percussive patterns and build a new ROM image that can be burnt to an Atari cartridge.
Additionally, the range of tempi that are available within the software is small and quite non-standard. This is due to the clock speed of the Atari hardware [5].
There are some instances of chiptune software and hardware where this is not such a problem. An example is Chris Kann’s MIDINes device, through which the sound chip of a Nintendo Entertainment System can be accessed via MIDI. In essence, this turns the console into a sound module rather than a standalone music creation tool (as is the case with LSDJ and Synthcart). The upcoming MSSIAH cartridge for Commodore 64 has features of a similar nature.
None of the limitations discussed above are of any concern when emulated sound sources are used. The tempo, the amount of data and to some degree the way in which that data is entered is left open to the desires of the end-user.
2.3. Emulation and Mainstream Music
The various benefits discussed will undoubtedly influence the popularity of timbres and melodic structures from chiptune in more mainstream music.
3. AUTHENTICITY
3.1. The Importance of Authenticity
If emulation offers so many possibilities and advantages, why do chiptune performers still place such an importance on hardware solutions? Even though emulation is desirable in certain circumstances when requiring the timbres of sound chip devices, original, ‘authentic’ hardware plays an important role within chiptune.
3.2. Unique Sonic Characteristics
The devices used in the chiptune genre posses unique sonic characteristics. Elements that add character to the sonic identity of the hardware include specific noise bands that differ on a model-to-model basis as well as a unit-to-unit basis as well as frequency components affected by the electronic specifications and behaviour of an integrated circuit.
It can be stated that these elements that help shape the sonic identity of such a device are a direct product of the function of a video game console. That is to say that the design and manufacturing process employed for such machines plays an integral role in the aural outcome when these machines are taken out of their original context and used in a musically creative activity. It subsequently follows that the purpose and original function of the device (in this case a video game console) directly influences the practical issues of design and manufacture.
For instance, the fact that the device in question must be able to perform a number of other complex tasks (such as monitoring user input and generating a video signal) whilst remaining financially competitive results in a product whose sound producing capabilities are completely different than those of a commercial synthesiser purchased from a music store.
Thus, elements that might be considered as undesirable in many other contexts of instrument building within music technology such as inherent noise bands and relatively simple waveforms acquire the status of adding character.
In part, it is these unique sonic characteristics as well as the emotional and nostalgic attachment felt by a certain demographic that helps perpetuate and evolve chiptune as a computer music genre.
3.3. An Attitude of Rebellion
It would appear that another driving force behind the chiptune music genre is a sense of rebellion or anti-consumerism. Although a number of references have been made comparing chiptune to the birth and rise of punk music, it is unclear how far such a comparison will stand. However, the fact remains that through the use and development of new chiptune software, obsolete machines that have stood the test of time (and of children) have matured and found a second life through their use as musical instruments.
In the case of chiptune musicians and performers, the latest software synthesiser plug-in or tactile interface simply isn’t a necessity to own in order to create electronic music.
In essence, it is the re-assignment of a device to a role that is in opposition to the purpose it was designed for that underpins this anti-consumer sentiment. By inverting the function of a video game console from providing a purely passive experience to where the end-user is able to actively create and achieve a musical outcome, the consumer is transformer into a creator. This attitude is concisely expressed by the Gameboy musician Emma Davidson [5]:
"The joy is to take this toy and turn it from a passive consumer device for killing time into something creative."
To some degree, this is also connected to the idea of an intellectual challenge; to take something and use it outside of its normal boundaries. This can be linked to the origins of chiptune music software development as part of the ‘demo scene’.
In conclusion, the emulation of sound chips via desktop computer software does have its place. However, not all roles of sound chip hardware can be fulfilled simply by using the software equivalent.
The hardware aspects of chiptune music and the importance of authenticity play an important role in the identity of the genre. This is something that has continued into the twenty-first century.
References
[1] Applegate, M. “Pixelh8”. http://www.hiddenyouthrecords.co.uk/. (Retrieved 7 February 2008). 2007.
[2] Buza, K. “Mmonoplayer”. http://www.mmonoplayer.com/. (Retrieved 7 February 2008). 2006.
[3] Kim, P. “Basic64: Free Commodore Inspired Plug-in for Windows”. http://createdigitalmusic.com/2007/10/23/basic64-free-commodore-64-inspired-plug-in-for-windows/. (Retrieved 7 February 2008). 2007.
[4] Kotlinksi, J. “Little Sound DJ”. http://littlesounddj.com/lsd/. (Retrieved 3 February 2008). 2005.
[5] Rohan, D. “The Gameboy Music Scene”. The Times (UK). http://www.davidrowan.com/2003/06/times-tech-column-gameboy-music-scene.html. (Retrieved 3 February 2008). 2003.
[6] Slocum, P. “Synthcart”. http://qotile.net/synth.html. (Retrieved 7 February 2008). 2005.
[7] Wittchow, O. “Nanoloop Forum”. http://www.nanoloop.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=222. (Retrieved 3 February 2008). 2007.
Disclaimer: Please, don't expect much.
Download it here.
AUTHENTICITY AND EMULATION: CHIPTUNE IN THE EARLY TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Abstract
The modern practice of chiptune music is based around the appropriation of sound generation as utilised in video game technology. The obsolete consoles and their integrated circuits explored in this practice focus almost exclusively on synthesis techniques rather than sample playback. Examples of consoles that have been extensively explored include the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Nintendo Gameboy and the Commodore 64.
The unique sonic characteristics of the devices used and the way in which they are controlled form an integral part of the identity that is shared by many chiptune musicians and performers. This paper will explore the role and the importance of authenticity within the chiptune genre of the early twenty-first century.
Conversely, the function that this authenticity serves within the genre will be contrasted against the advantages afforded by the emulation of video game sound chips within modern computer music environments.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Chiptune Overview
This paper will examine the field of modern chiptune– being the composition and performance of present-day electronic music on obsolete videogame hardware. Recent software utilities neither authorised nor endorsed by first or third party corporations are used in the process.
Examples of consoles that have been extensively explored include the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Nintendo Gameboy and the Commodore 64.
It should be noted that hardware and software development within the field of chiptune continues into the present day.
The availability of accessible software development tools in the late twentieth century for obsolete consoles such as the Gameboy helps to explain the growing number of programs and subsequently users that the scene has enjoyed in the last decade. As explained by the programmer of the well-known Gameboy music program Nanoloop, Oliver Wittchow [7]:
“In the late 90s, development tools (compilers, flash carts, etc) became available and it's just natural that music software development started immediately.”
1.2. Hardware
The importance of hardware within the chiptune genre can be viewed as being at least two-fold in nature. On the one hand, it is the original hardware that provides the musicians with a unique-sounding tool for the creative process. On the other hand, the hardware can hold a symbolic strength for many persons involved with chiptune music, from nostalgia to anti-consumerism.
2. EMULATION
2.1. Conceptual Basis
In recent years, the rise in the computing power available to consumers has made the emulation of non-host computer systems a reality in regards to a faithful reproduction. Sound chips from various video game consoles and arcade machines have been emulated successfully for many years in emulators such as MAME (Multi-Arcade Machine Emulation) and MESS (Multiple Emulator Super System). These systems aim to accurately emulate the complete behaviour of a video game system, including graphics, user input, physics engine and sound generation.
It is software such as this that provides a conceptual basis and a precursor for the emulation of the sound generating circuits for the use of musical production. In the case of arcade machine or game console emulation, data is retrieved from the read-only memory file in real time in the same process that memory is accessed and that the sound generation hardware is written in a physical machine.
This concept is not too far removed from having a software-based plug-in running within a software music environment (such as a sequencer) and routing data to that instance of the plug-in. Thus, a sequence of music can be played back. The sequencer represents the game memory, the plug-in represents the sound generation hardware and the routing in between the two represents the data and address bussing physically found within a real-world device.
2.2. The benefits of Emulation
The emulation of sound generation hardware within a host computer system whereby the main synthesis parameters can be controlled by the end-user holds a number of clear benefits over the more ‘traditional’ method of using actual, original hardware. Such advantages include ease of integration and synchronization into a host sequencer music environment, potential cost effectiveness and accessibility and the freedom of musical control via an interface or system as chosen by the user (not the music software programmer).
2.2.1. Ease of Integration
If a sound generation integrated circuit is emulated successfully and used as software plug-in, any data that is routed to the plug-in will play as expected from a software-based synthesiser (i.e. quickly and directly). This affords a high level of integration into a musical work with relative ease when compared to using purely a hardware-based approach.
2.2.2. Affordability
In addition to the ease of integration aspect of using emulated sound circuits, there may also be financial incentives. A number of freely available synthesisers or sample libraries are direct reproductions or have been inspired by classic chiptune hardware.
For example, Basic64 is a virtual instrument synthesiser inspired by the sound chip of the Commodore 64, released by de la Mancha production studio. This software is compatible with a wide range of modern sequencing environments. [3]
Kyle Buza’s Mmonoplayer site features programming objects and virtual instrument plug-ins that aim to emulate the sound chips of various consoles directly, including the Atari 2600, 5200 and 7800, Sega Master System, Gameboy and the Nintendo Entertainment System, among others. [2]
Both of these resources are freeware.
Compare this to the costs of purchasing a Gameboy, a flash cart, a transfer device and a digital license for LSDJ (a music tracker program for Gameboy), which can easily add up to AU$80 or more.
Of course, this reasoning assumes that the end-user already owns a personal computer of some description as well as appropriate audio mixing and sequencing software that is compatible with the sound chip emulation software.
2.2.3. Accessibility
There may also be an advantage through the use of emulation if certain hardware solutions are difficult to acquire. For example, a number of instruments and packages have been produced in very small quantities.
At the time of writing, one of the most recent Gameboy synthesiser programs titled Pixelh8 by Matthew Applegate has already sold out after a small run of only twenty-five physical cartridges. A second batch of cartridges has been planned [1].
Official LSDJ cartridges for Gameboy have not been produced in a long time. In order to use the program on original hardware, users must acquire reprogrammable cartridges with flash-based memory and an appropriate transfer device [4]. Although this equipment can be purchased, it should be noted that at the time of writing only a small number of suppliers stock these products.
Naturally, digital emulation of sound chip hardware can be distributed electronically via the internet and as such there are no limitations of accessibility in the same manner as there is with actual hardware (although the end user must have appropriate host-computer hardware and software).
2.2.4. The Issues of the Human Interface
The final benefit that comes with emulation is one of how the sound chip and the sounds that it produces are accessed by a human user.
When chiptune software is used only on related hardware, it is obvious that the software must also provide an interface to the sound chip and that this interface must always be limited by the memory, clock speed and methods of user input native to the system in question.
These limitations can take a number of forms. LSDJ for Gameboy has a maximum of two hundred and fifty-six musical phrases (termed chains) where each chain is up to sixteen subdivisions in length. Although this is a large quantity, it is by no means comparable to the amount of data that can be stored in a sequence using a modern sequencing environment.
The Synthcart program for the Atari 2600 console by Paul Slocum [6] is another example of where the limitations of the console in question (beyond its sound producing capabilities) also constrain the way in which music may be created. Due to the memory constraints, only preprogrammed percussive patterns are available to the user.
However it should be noted that the assembly source code is freely available and with enough knowledge and effort, it is possible to reprogram the percussive patterns and build a new ROM image that can be burnt to an Atari cartridge.
Additionally, the range of tempi that are available within the software is small and quite non-standard. This is due to the clock speed of the Atari hardware [5].
There are some instances of chiptune software and hardware where this is not such a problem. An example is Chris Kann’s MIDINes device, through which the sound chip of a Nintendo Entertainment System can be accessed via MIDI. In essence, this turns the console into a sound module rather than a standalone music creation tool (as is the case with LSDJ and Synthcart). The upcoming MSSIAH cartridge for Commodore 64 has features of a similar nature.
None of the limitations discussed above are of any concern when emulated sound sources are used. The tempo, the amount of data and to some degree the way in which that data is entered is left open to the desires of the end-user.
2.3. Emulation and Mainstream Music
The various benefits discussed will undoubtedly influence the popularity of timbres and melodic structures from chiptune in more mainstream music.
3. AUTHENTICITY
3.1. The Importance of Authenticity
If emulation offers so many possibilities and advantages, why do chiptune performers still place such an importance on hardware solutions? Even though emulation is desirable in certain circumstances when requiring the timbres of sound chip devices, original, ‘authentic’ hardware plays an important role within chiptune.
3.2. Unique Sonic Characteristics
The devices used in the chiptune genre posses unique sonic characteristics. Elements that add character to the sonic identity of the hardware include specific noise bands that differ on a model-to-model basis as well as a unit-to-unit basis as well as frequency components affected by the electronic specifications and behaviour of an integrated circuit.
It can be stated that these elements that help shape the sonic identity of such a device are a direct product of the function of a video game console. That is to say that the design and manufacturing process employed for such machines plays an integral role in the aural outcome when these machines are taken out of their original context and used in a musically creative activity. It subsequently follows that the purpose and original function of the device (in this case a video game console) directly influences the practical issues of design and manufacture.
For instance, the fact that the device in question must be able to perform a number of other complex tasks (such as monitoring user input and generating a video signal) whilst remaining financially competitive results in a product whose sound producing capabilities are completely different than those of a commercial synthesiser purchased from a music store.
Thus, elements that might be considered as undesirable in many other contexts of instrument building within music technology such as inherent noise bands and relatively simple waveforms acquire the status of adding character.
In part, it is these unique sonic characteristics as well as the emotional and nostalgic attachment felt by a certain demographic that helps perpetuate and evolve chiptune as a computer music genre.
3.3. An Attitude of Rebellion
It would appear that another driving force behind the chiptune music genre is a sense of rebellion or anti-consumerism. Although a number of references have been made comparing chiptune to the birth and rise of punk music, it is unclear how far such a comparison will stand. However, the fact remains that through the use and development of new chiptune software, obsolete machines that have stood the test of time (and of children) have matured and found a second life through their use as musical instruments.
In the case of chiptune musicians and performers, the latest software synthesiser plug-in or tactile interface simply isn’t a necessity to own in order to create electronic music.
In essence, it is the re-assignment of a device to a role that is in opposition to the purpose it was designed for that underpins this anti-consumer sentiment. By inverting the function of a video game console from providing a purely passive experience to where the end-user is able to actively create and achieve a musical outcome, the consumer is transformer into a creator. This attitude is concisely expressed by the Gameboy musician Emma Davidson [5]:
"The joy is to take this toy and turn it from a passive consumer device for killing time into something creative."
To some degree, this is also connected to the idea of an intellectual challenge; to take something and use it outside of its normal boundaries. This can be linked to the origins of chiptune music software development as part of the ‘demo scene’.
In conclusion, the emulation of sound chips via desktop computer software does have its place. However, not all roles of sound chip hardware can be fulfilled simply by using the software equivalent.
The hardware aspects of chiptune music and the importance of authenticity play an important role in the identity of the genre. This is something that has continued into the twenty-first century.
References
[1] Applegate, M. “Pixelh8”. http://www.hiddenyouthrecords.co.uk/. (Retrieved 7 February 2008). 2007.
[2] Buza, K. “Mmonoplayer”. http://www.mmonoplayer.com/. (Retrieved 7 February 2008). 2006.
[3] Kim, P. “Basic64: Free Commodore Inspired Plug-in for Windows”. http://createdigitalmusic.com/2007/10/23/basic64-free-commodore-64-inspired-plug-in-for-windows/. (Retrieved 7 February 2008). 2007.
[4] Kotlinksi, J. “Little Sound DJ”. http://littlesounddj.com/lsd/. (Retrieved 3 February 2008). 2005.
[5] Rohan, D. “The Gameboy Music Scene”. The Times (UK). http://www.davidrowan.com/2003/06/times-tech-column-gameboy-music-scene.html. (Retrieved 3 February 2008). 2003.
[6] Slocum, P. “Synthcart”. http://qotile.net/synth.html. (Retrieved 7 February 2008). 2005.
[7] Wittchow, O. “Nanoloop Forum”. http://www.nanoloop.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=222. (Retrieved 3 February 2008). 2007.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
