RAW: chipmusic.org forum thread "LSDJ Advanced Tricks" | https://chipmusic.org/forums/topic/8992/ | fetched 2026-08-30 with a browser user agent | post text extracted from the HTML (post number, author, timestamp; quotes marked [quote author]); signatures, avatars and images not included --- #1 | Mr.Ratburn | Nov 2, 2012 7:38 am So I've gotten halfway through making my first full-length track composed in LSDJ, and I've been a little frustrated with the lack of channels on my project. Right now I have PU1 as a "kick" drum, PU2 as the main melody, WAV as the lower accompanying notes, and NOISE as a hi-hat, cymbal, etc. I've been experimenting a lot with the Synth and wave screens, and I've gotten some cool sounds out of them, but mostly out of random luck, I still don't fully grasp them yet and I would like to learn, but most of the stuff I find on the internet is just for complete beginners, no intermediate or advanced tutorials. Basically, if you guys know of any useful tips and tricks to maximize the number of sounds coming out of the gameboy, and make some sweet sounding tracks, it would really help me alot. Also, any websites or videos that might contain intermediate/advanced tutorials that you've found helpful would be great! Oh and for the record, yes, I know what tables are and I have been using them, I am familiar with chords and arpeggios and how to make them, and I've read the manual multiple times. Thanks :^) --- #2 | SketchMan3 | Nov 2, 2012 8:18 am Mr. Rightburb, the best I can say is to just keep experimenting. And search around the forums. And keep reading the manual. As far as personal tips I can give: High frequency V effects can give you a more complex raspy sound. See "Moe Moe Kyunstep" for an NES example. Make a custom sample kit with complex chordy sounds. Youtube is a good website for intermediate tutorials. Use O command to create stereo space. Mix up your instruments in your patterns. Don't just use one instrument per pattern. You can have kicks, snares, toms, lead, bass and chords all in one channel and in one pattern if you mix it up and alternate. [img: wink] Read the manual a few more times. Noisechannel has some nice tutorials. Youtube. Chipmusic.org Nintendo Handhelds sub-forum. Search. Last edited by SketchMan3 (Nov 2, 2012 8:19 am) --- #3 | Saskrotch | Nov 2, 2012 8:33 am definitely don't use one channel for just kick drums. i usually use the wav for kick, bass and snare (to back up the noise channel a bit). (example ). try to fill up any blank space you have basically. keep it full up. --- #4 | Jellica | Nov 2, 2012 9:21 am i sometimes wish the game boy had more flexability with its sounds. being able to combine them more and fixed pitches, like you can on the c64 [img: smile] but yeah mix stuff up more, make snairs with your pulse channel. mix pulse kicks with noise kicks. bass and melody on the wav channel. you'll stumble across more interesting sounds as a result as well. Last edited by Jellica (Nov 2, 2012 9:23 am) --- #5 | nickmaynard | Nov 2, 2012 2:57 pm do a youtube search for danimal cannon's lsdj tutorial. --- #6 | roboctopus | Nov 2, 2012 4:30 pm I have a series of articles on more advanced techniques: http://www.noisechannel.org/category/lsdj-you And like Saskrotch said, don't just use one channel for one thing. You can put arps or echoes in between your pulse kicks, for instance. To really fill a track out, find every bit of free space you can and fill it with something. --- #7 | DotMatrix | Nov 2, 2012 10:10 pm I've been watching some tutorials on Youtube on my spare time. came across this one by Danimal Cannon. Don't know if it's advanced enough for your purposes, but It certainly makes sounds I myself didn't expect. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAgM3KNhSLc --- #8 | defiantsystems | Nov 2, 2012 10:33 pm Advanced tutorials? Maybe I'll cook something up over the weekend for LSDJguides. But for now I'll say: - Tables are your best friend. Do extensive sound design don't settle for generic square waves. Just manipulate different things, add wild pitch commands at the end of your tables to add subtle little bleeps and bloops. - Like SketchMan3 and Saskrotch said, don't dedicate one channel to one thing. Depending on what sound you're trying to achieve you may have to but there are work arounds. - Get comfortable with using 'E'nvelope commands. If you're mixing different instruments in the same channel you'll want some things to continue to ring out so start experimenting. - Noise channel doesn't have to be strictly percussion instruments. Experiment with it and throw in some crazy sounds in place of or between your percussion instruments for some nice variation. I had more but I'm running out of time. Good luck. --- #9 | The Laohu | Nov 2, 2012 10:44 pm [quote roboctopus wrote:] I have a series of articles on more advanced techniques: http://www.noisechannel.org/category/lsdj-you This. A lot. --- #10 | danimal cannon | Nov 2, 2012 11:18 pm It's funny how much more I know now than when I made that tutorial. Maybe another one sometime --- #11 | L-tron | Nov 2, 2012 11:45 pm Kit percussion used tastefully at times can make your tracks sound 100 times better Edit: Also, play with a Wav Pingpong with a really low cutoff (1a or so) at the start column or the end column in the synth editing menu. Last edited by L-tron (Nov 2, 2012 11:47 pm) --- #12 | herr_prof | Nov 3, 2012 1:34 am Dont be afraid of silence. --- #13 | Mr.Ratburn | Nov 3, 2012 5:56 am Wow, thanks for the overwhelming amount of responses! I'll definitely check all of these out! Also, I didn't elaborate, but I wasn't using PU1 JUST for the "kick", I was also interchanging it with actual melodies as well. What was making me frustrated is that at some points in the songI had to choose between A) have a kick drum, but no 2nd/3rd melody or B) don't have the drum and have a melody. I will try switching off roles between the channels as some of you suggested, making alternate versions in different channels. I will also play around with the envelope and let things keep playing. The "Danimal Cannon" videos seem great and the noisechannel website is almost exactly what I was looking for, I'll check them out very soon. Thanks guys! If you have any more tricks to share, don't hesitate to post them! I think this thread might also be useful to catalogue some of these websites and also people's own personal discoveries. --- #14 | Analog | Nov 3, 2012 6:25 am I'll try my best to challenge/advice you to grow your skills with this simple points. 1. Learn your WAV channel. Make awesome kicks, powerfull bass lines. The F command and H command can make your instrument go nuts. Search for a fuller sound (or whatever you want/need), try to imitate the sounds from another music that you may like. think in a sound and make it. 2. Invest some time layering your channels (E.G. 3 channel kicks/snare). Work on how one channel affects others, to make distinctive sounds. 3. Give room to everything that sounds, work your volumes and sound designs (don't overload some frequencies) so they can fit on to your ideas at your command. 4. Don't forget to make good music and have a good time. Practice a lot and be happy. --- #15 | Victory Road | Nov 3, 2012 6:29 am ah, channel juggling is tricky but you'd be surprised at how many gaps in the music the listener's brain fills in on its own. perception is magic! --- #16 | danimal cannon | Nov 3, 2012 6:39 am If I have a free channel, occasionally I'll create an unusual timbre by doubling, echoing, octaving, or detuning what's already there. Compensate volume to taste. Last edited by danimal cannon (Nov 3, 2012 6:40 am) --- #17 | boaconstructor | Nov 3, 2012 10:23 am [img: http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/29513399.jpg] --- #18 | DataFix | Nov 3, 2012 5:50 pm [quote boaconstructor wrote:] [img: http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/29513399.jpg] LOL --- #19 | SuperBustySamuraiMonkey | Nov 3, 2012 6:50 pm ¿Could someone explain a lil bit on the aliens commands? Im experimenting a bit with em on the wave channel but I get no clue wtf Im doing. --- #20 | boaconstructor | Nov 3, 2012 7:08 pm change the value until it sounds good --- #21 | roboctopus | Nov 3, 2012 7:23 pm [quote SuperBustySamuraiMonkey wrote:] ¿Could someone explain a lil bit on the aliens commands? Im experimenting a bit with em on the wave channel but I get no clue wtf Im doing. Here's a tutorial I wrote on F commands: http://www.noisechannel.org/4824 --- #22 | SuperBustySamuraiMonkey | Nov 3, 2012 8:32 pm [quote roboctopus wrote:] [quote SuperBustySamuraiMonkey wrote:] ¿Could someone explain a lil bit on the aliens commands? Im experimenting a bit with em on the wave channel but I get no clue wtf Im doing. Here's a tutorial I wrote on F commands: http://www.noisechannel.org/4824 Thanks mate, now i understand it --- #23 | Jotie | Nov 5, 2012 1:14 am I got a .sav file from superfriendly pandastar which explained a lot about adding random effects to me. Whole sequences of crazy Pitch-shifts, and V-commands that worked great. Studying other people's SAVs is great. Don't know where to get some though, I heard you could buy some somewhere --- #24 | Zef | Nov 5, 2012 3:44 pm Check out my save files for a few cool tricks, I tend to be fairly economical with my channels. You'll want to start doubling up your channel use, don't earmark each channel for a specific thing. I.E. don't have a channel set aside specifically for a kick drum, use one for both kick drum and bass (I recommend the WAV channel, but to each his own). Just keep writing, it'll come in time. Saves available my free album here: http://zef-music.bandcamp.com/album/blackout --- #25 | Sycamore Drive | Nov 5, 2012 7:05 pm [quote Jotie wrote:] I got a .sav file from superfriendly pandastar which explained a lot about adding random effects to me. Whole sequences of crazy Pitch-shifts, and V-commands that worked great. Studying other people's SAVs is great. Don't know where to get some though, I heard you could buy some somewhere You can get loads from here. http://lsdsng.com/songs --- #26 | Roochie | Nov 5, 2012 9:49 pm This was an awesome thread to read. I just joined this site, and now im pretty dang excited about it [img: big_smile] --- #27 | Edward Shallow | Nov 5, 2012 10:03 pm [quote Roochie wrote:] This was an awesome thread to read. I just joined this site, and now im pretty dang excited about it [img: big_smile] That feeling will fade. Nah, I jest. It's a good place. Welcome. If you've any questions, make them smart and come back and add to this thread when you have good LSDJ tips of yer own. --- #28 | Zef | Jan 12, 2013 7:50 pm Command tips: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL … re=mh_lolz