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FamiTracker
I've noticed that all the youngens on this forum are pushing out contests with some pretty neat restrictions. So I thought I'd try one myself.
But in this case, I'm going to try & hand out software-based prizes.
[u]Here are the rules:[/u]
1. No speed limits; go as fast or as slow as you want.
2. All effects & the use of the volume column are allowed.
3. All expansion chips except for VRC7 are allowed.
4. Instrument limitations:
[ol]A. Only one single blank instrument is allowed with respect to the 2A03 & each expansion chip used (i.e.: 1 2A03 instrument, 1 VRC6 instrument, one FDS instrument). In the case of MMC5, only one instrument's enough.
B. You cannot use any settings within the instrument; all effects & volume control must be done with the effects & volume commands themselves, directly from the tracker's effects/volume columns. No MML code can be used to control an instrument's effects settings.
C. In spite of the one-instrument limit with no MML, you're free to use any type of DPCM sample you wish. There's no limit to the amount of samples you use, as long as all other instrument restrictions are respected.[/ol]
In plain English, [u]do your best to make a song (most preferably a multi-channel song) that consists of only one blank instrument per expansion chip, using nothing but the effects column to achieve your goal.[/u]
In spite of the preference for a multi-channel song, anything goes.
[u]Here are the prizes:[/u]
First place gets a shrine on my website with as many of his/her compositions as desired, displayed with the FlashNSF embedded NSF(e) file player (this includes links to the winner's own sites, forums or YouTube channels, if any, as well as the prizes for both second & third place contestants).
Second place gets a floppy image of X-Windows On A Floppy (it's a rare find; this is the last version of this boot disk ever made before the project died out. It's Linux on a boot disk, with a very minimalistic GUI & the ability to do hard drive/floppy/optical drive imaging/restoration).
Third place gets a couple of lousy animated ASCII batch files (done by me, with the use of the Windows 2003 resource kit's SLEEP utility). It may be a good chance you learn batch programming, animated ASCII & even a good chance to make an NES music video with it for your own YouTube channel.
What do you expect; if I'm going to start a contest, I might as well try to give a reason for you guys to play. Best of luck to those who submit their stuff.
[u]This contest will last until September 30, 2010, when a poll will take place to determine the winners.[/u]
I'll make all submissions due by the end of September, where I'll start a poll to see who's first, second & third. I'm putting this on the first post of this thread as well.
As for your submission, I don't really think it's enough to be considered a submission. However, it's a novel use of effects. All you need now is some percussion (which is something else I should have added within the rules).
No limits to DPCM usage within the blank instrument, as long as the one-instrument/no-effects rule is respected (i.e.: in your one single 2A03 instrument, you can load any sample sound, as many as you'd like). I also added this on the first post.
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Technology: the one thing that's hated & cursed at by all engineers, technologists, scientists & technicians!
Ok, if I make another, though, it wouldn't be for a while. Waiting for a reply on youtube to help me tracker, probably better advice than you guys can give me. You tell me stuff I already know I just need the solid thought to compose, and my thoughts are usually all kinda liquid.
Well, all that anyone can tell you is how to use a tracker & complain about your technique (no matter what skill level you may have). That's how the internet community is, sadly.
Here, I can only tell you how to use the tracker & suggest ways of improving your songs. But, to be a good musician, you need to know something about music. The basics; harmony, the complete Do-Re-Mi (or chromatic) musical scale & complementary notes (for harmony). You can learn this through a music teacher, from a book or even from the internet, but I guarantee that it won't be easy unless you concentrate on it.
It also looks like you're the only contestant up here. Seeing how slow this forum usually is, I think I'll start making that shrine for you.
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Technology: the one thing that's hated & cursed at by all engineers, technologists, scientists & technicians!
Usually, if you make of a tune that you really, really think is awesome, I'd expect it to get stuck in your head. Otherwise, just improvise; pull out a bunch of random notes, arrange them in a way you can tolerate & find some complementary notes to match them up with for a bass.
Anyways, back to the competition; who's ready to submit a tune?
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Technology: the one thing that's hated & cursed at by all engineers, technologists, scientists & technicians!
I already do that. But I seriously forget the whole tune ever time. I've composed some great songs, but I lose them when I get to my computer. I might remember part of the intro, and a couple of notes, but that's seriously it.
So, you're seriously telling me that you can't come up with something like my attached track?
Now I'm starting to understand the problem you're having... My answer would be for you to look & learn from my test track here & see how I created it; listen to each sound channel individually. When you do, you should notice several patterns (especially in my first & second songs of the track).
I'm replaying the same pattern in one square wave channel & in the triangle channel, while I'm playing a different series of patterns in another square wave channel (one which I randomly improvised on the spot). So, look at it this way; each channel plays its own one-channel song, all of which complement each other.
Note: song 3 is my crappy transcription of a song from the 60's (called Dominique, sung by The Singing Nun). :P
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Technology: the one thing that's hated & cursed at by all engineers, technologists, scientists & technicians!
....... I mean, like, I go to bed, trying to sleep, and I randomly compose a song, then I rush to track it, and by the time I'm in FamiTracker, I've forgotten the whole thing. I both need a faster computer and some way to remember music more easily.
Whistling the tune to yourself, perhaps? or just pulling out a guitar? Or even record yourself whistling/busking a tune on one of those MP3 recorders? Or how about a memory exercise involving sound? Simon's a great memory game for this.
If you want better music memory, you may want to play it:
