8Bit Music.

Hello, I’m ezify. New to the whole Renoise thing, I’m really keen to 8-bit music and I’m anxious to know how to create simple 8-bit beats, songs, etc.
I’d like to start my noobishness by asking, how can I install VST plugins?
I saw post’s where people asked how to make 8-bit music, and the responses we’re some VST thingys what I had no clue about.

Please help me out, a Renoise 8-bit how-to tutorial would be amazing.

Check this thread if you haven’t already.

As to installing VSTs. I’m guessing you’re on Windows, yeah? Many freeware VSTs will come as a .dll file (normally packed in a rar or zip) and all you need to do in uncompress these and move into the folder you are telling Renoise to look at work VSTs. Something like “C:\Program Files\VST Plugins” for example. Or the may be executable files that install themselves, in which case they will try and do pretty much that but it is worth trying to make sure you are always using the same folder as some .exes have slightly different folders set as standard/

Where do I know where to look at work VSTs?
I’ve got no folder in Program Files saying “VST Plugins” etc. I only have Renoise 2.0.0 and inside that there are Songs, Schemes, etc.
Could I just create a new folder in Program Files (x86) and name it as VST Plugins, then place the .dll files there and try to look inside Renoise and locate the VSTs?
If it’s not a problem, could you create bunch of pictures showing how to locate them in Renoise?

Open the Preferences and click on the Plug/Misc tab. At the top are spaces to add any paths to where your VSTs are. You can put them anywhere you like, I just suggested Program Files as this is where many packaged installers will try and install them.

http://tutorials.renoise.com/wiki/Preferences#Plugins.2FMisc

(Related note. Searching for VST in the manual brings up 0 results. Would it not be worth adding a meta tag so people can search and find things more easily in the Tutorial/Manual section of the site?)

So, I just created a folder called ‘VST Plugins’ into C:\Program Files\ ( now there’s C:\Program Files\VST Plugins ).
What VSTs do you recommend for 8-bit music? I mean, how does the VSTs work? I just make a new song, add kicks, snare’s, hi-hats etc and then how do I create it 8-bit?
I’m 110% new to Renoise, lol.

Afraid I don’t do any myself.

Although you’re saying 8bit you might find chiptune is a more common term (somebody will come up now and explain how they’re not the same thing.)

If you were to go the whole hog then a kick drum can be created by using a sine or saw wave and using 02xx (usually 02FF and sometimes that’s not enough depending on tempo/LPB) which is pitch sample down.

I think you might be better just playing around for now. Some simple beats and then check the Renoise Instruments folder for the Chipsounds section. There is some basic waveforms in there, which is where chip music gets its sound from. Some would suggest then going through LoFiMat to give it a bit more 8bit edge.

Can’t help you with specific VSTs personally was just trying to help you at least get them loaded and working.

Sure there must be a few .rns/.xrns people can recommend so you can have a look at how others have done chiptunes with Renoise. Again I don’t know what off-hand though.

Alright, thanks for the amazing help. I appreciate it.

Check out “Nintendo.mod” by Heatbeat.

Soooo cute! :ph34r:

Some VSTs that would be good for chiptune style music would be “Unknown 64” and some of the VSTs available on tweakbench.com. I can’t remember the site that unknown 64 is on but you should be able to just google it. It’s an emulation of the commodore 64’s SID chip. Anywho, other than that I would suggest that you simply google chiptune for more synths and info. Chiptune, or 8-bit, music, as you know, is music that is made using the sound chips from old video game consoles or made to sound like it was made on old video game consoles. The best way to do this is to actually use old video game consoles to do so. The easiest and cheapest way to do this is by using an old gameboy/gameboy pocket/gameboy color with a blank gameboy cartridge running a music software like “LSDJ” (my personal favorite) or “Nanoloop”. The cartridges are available on various sites and at various qualities. I would suggest the USB carts sold by nonfinite on nonelectronics.com. You could use a “MIDINES cart” to sequence a NES’ sound chip, “Synthcart” to play an Atari 2600, or use a SIDstation which is a piece of hardware that uses a SID chip from a Commodore 64 computer.

Or rather than jumping straight to VST instruments you could use any sound or sample and mangle it with the LoFi Mat effect in Renoise…

Here’s a resource site for ‘chip music:’ http://woolyss.com/chipmusic.php

I suggest you to use magical8bitPlug (google it) as a vst: very good to make Nintendo NES emulation.
You can also use samples: This is an exemple made on renoise. As a fanatic purist, I made this one with the NES capacity: only 3 monophonic voices at the same time (1 sine and 2 pulses or 1 sine and 1 pulses and 1 square) and a monophonic noise part (for drums). :)

Hey there, i make alot of chip music under the name ‘shirobon’ if your not into purchasing the hardware check out YMvst for some nice sid emulation! or draw you own wave forms and stick some nice chords/ pitch commands in there! to start of with dont go beyond sines/squares/saws ;)