This is the LAST tutorial in the series exploring Pico-8’s filters!
There’s an underbelly of sounds to explore when you loop different sounds at extremely fast speeds. Warning: Some of these sounds might make some people uncomfortable.
As I demonstrate in the tutorial, the best place to start is by looping two rows at SPD 1. When the second row is di...
2021-05-03 14:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
More composing using Pico-8’s new filters!
Here you can watch me design some nasty, grungy bass sounds. As well as using the filters, there are two workflows that are important to note here.
The first is using layering to explore the timbre of sounds. At first, this is as easy as copying and pasting notes from one SFX to another, and playing them simultaneou...
2021-04-26 14:01:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Parisian Thoroughfare by Bud Powell
Recorded at The Metropole, Toronto Canada, November 2020
Thanks to Taylor f...
2021-04-19 14:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostHey ya’ll!
Tl:dr - Lots of stuff coming:
Quasimodo by Charlie Parker
Recorded at The Metropole, Toronto Canada, October 2020
Thanks to Taylor for his mi...
2021-04-05 14:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello!
Continuing with filters, in this tutorial, I explore the Reverb filter.
Up to this point, I’ve used the reverb filter just as I use most of the other filters. It changes the sound in an interesting way, and so it can be used as part of a sound design toolset.
The idea with anything called “reverb” though, will be to create space. As in, sound played in a sma...
2021-03-30 14:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Visa by Charlie Parker
Recorded at The Metropole, Toronto Canada, October 2020
Thanks to Taylor for his mixing ...
2021-03-22 14:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
In this tutorial, I continue exploring open/ambient music and using the filters to give more depth.
I wasn’t totally happy with the direction the previous tutorial took, and I wanted to try again. So, in THIS tutorial, I go a bit deeper into designing the custom instruments. One approach I like to take when composing ambient music is creating parts that interact in unpredictable ways. U...
2021-03-15 15:06:02 +0000 UTC View Post
Un Poco Loco by Bud Powell
Recorded at The Metropole, Toronto Canada, October 2020
Thanks to Taylor for his mix...
2021-03-08 15:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
With the release of Pico-8 0.2.2, we now have “filters” to play with when composing.
The most interesting of these filters is DETUNE using instrument 0, which plays a 2nd note, either a perfect 5th above or a perfect 4th below the written note. This opens up many possibilities for more harmonic expression.
I had some ideas of how I wanted to explore this in the context of ...
2021-03-02 14:12:40 +0000 UTC View Post
Donna Lee by Charlie Parker and Miles Davis
Recorded at The Metropole, Toronto Canada, October 2020
Thanks to T...
2021-02-22 15:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
The theme from Monty on the Run, classic game from the C64, composed by Ron Hubbard - the perfect song for Pico-8's new filters! A lot more buzzing possibilities, and that new NOIZ filter is a big expressive addition.
This arrangement takes up three carts. It may have been possible to get this down to two carts, but my goal was to make it sound as close to the original as poss...
2021-02-15 15:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Chi-Chi by Charlie Parker
Recorded at The Metropole, Toronto Canada, October 2020
Thanks to Taylor for his mixi...
2021-02-08 15:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Pico-8 will be getting a new update soon! This tutorial is a rundown of the two new music/sound features.
First is the new LEN trigger. When the 2nd number is zero, the first number activates LEN, and represents the length of the SFX. Odd time-signatures and triplets and now MUCH easier!
2021-01-29 22:18:18 +0000 UTC
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tl;dr - I’m starting to release self produced piano music every couple weeks
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Hey everyone!
I’ve been promising new piano music for months - I’m excited to finally be able to share it with you
Every couple weeks, I’ll be releasing a video with some jazz improvisations and compositions. I’m still unsure the best way to release this for patrons,...
2021-01-27 15:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
The start of a composition can begin with spontaneous play, but that’s when the hard work begins. Most of composing is spent in the trenches, refining and developing things step-by-step.
I think it might be common for beginner composers to write down some basic ideas, put them together, but not know how to further refine and polish them. In this feedback tutorial, I isolate a few of the...
2021-01-25 15:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
A new Feedback tutorial!
This is from a cute campfire cart by jroo (thanks for letting me do this!)
The music is a cover of I’ll Be Around by Yo La Tengo
Lots of topics covered including ways to differentiate be...
2021-01-18 15:01:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Starting the new year with a request from Jonah Landis on YouTube!
This is the Title Music from Golden Axe Warrior (composed by Jeroen Tel). There are many ports of this game (I played the SMS, role-playing version as a kid).
This Pico-8 arrangement was inspired by the C64 version, so there’s more ‘buzzing’ and classic use of chiptune arps. Check out the original 2021-01-07 16:41:02 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey everyone!
Just a quick update before the end of the year. Things have been incredibly busy and to avoid burn out, I decided to delay some Patreon plans to 2021. This will be my last post of the year.
Some things that are happening:
First of all, Levi’s the best:
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S...
2020-12-16 14:41:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey everyone!
A quick tutorial on copying SFX between carts.
There are four ways I do this:
Depending on what you’re copying, you may use one way or another.
I highly recommend 2020-12-07 15:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Listen to my Pico-8 arrangement of Studiopolis from Sonic Mania! (composed by Tee Lopes).
Thanks to Niko The Hippo on YouTube for the suggestion.
This took me extra long to arrange first because of the triplet swing. And second because there are SO many layers in the 2020-12-01 15:01:02 +0000 UTC View Post
In the video above, you can here my arrangement of Hollow Knight, from Hollow Knight, in Pico-8 . Composed by Christopher Larkin. Listen to the original here.
Thanks to Retrisma for the suggestion!
Attached are:
Thanks for li...
2020-11-16 13:42:24 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey everyone!
This tutorial has been on my mind for a long time. It’s a complex topic, I’m still working on the language, so your ideas are welcome!
This is all part of a larger theory that music composition is a process guided by feedback loops. Whatever the style, whatever the tool, composers use feedback loops to interact with the music they’re making...
2020-11-09 15:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
July 26/21 update - Added a whole new cart of tunes, called CozyTunes. More information below!
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Attached to this post are carts filled with music and other interesting bits. These are for you to use, remix, learn, etc. They may eventually make it into the public forums, but for now, these are for $5+ Patrons only.
Currently, there are THREE ca...
2020-10-14 14:56:59 +0000 UTC View PostJune 9, 2021 – Article complete!! 1500-word
2020-09-30 15:04:35 +0000 UTC View PostTL;DR: Open to more suggestions for cover songs & Pico-8 tutorials!
More jazz piano articles coming, and possibly new piano music!
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Hey everyone! Happy September. For many of us, this is the beginning of a new year which includes school starting. Whether you’re a teacher, or have kids, I hope ...
2020-09-21 14:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey everyone! This is a continuation of the last two tutorials where I’ve been building a kind of music machine to help new Pico-8 users get a head start in composing their own music.
Now, I need your help and feedback!
Attached is a Pico-8 cart with a set of custom instruments. In the video above, I show you how to use it (mostly with button mas...
2020-09-02 14:01:14 +0000 UTC View Post
As some of you may know, Paul Nicholas has been working on a Dune II remake in Pico-8 (called UnDune II). The game is in it's alpha stage, so I thought it'd be a good time to release some of the music!
The video above showcases the originals next to the Pico-8 remakes. Attached are Pico-8 carts, Mp3's a...
2020-08-26 14:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostSeptember 8/20 - Added Hallucinations & Dusk in Sandy
Five tunes by Bud Powell!
Attached are all the lead sheets and solo piano transcriptions. Links go to YouTube where you can hear the originals.
This is a continuation of the previous tutorial, where I designed a “drum kit” using the instrument editor.
In this tutorial, I do the same thing, but with bass lines. With this approach, creating interesting variations can be as simple as wiggling your fingers.
In the NEXT...
2020-08-12 14:01:04 +0000 UTC View Post