How To Make Your Own 8-bit Music
There is something so whimsical and fun about chiptunes, the 8-bit music often heard in videogames ranging from the classic Mario series to the more recent game Undertale. The range of unique sounds that can be made just from the computer is appealing, but here’s the question you may be wondering: “How in the world can I make an 8-bit piece?” You don’t have to be a music maestro or expert coder to make this kind of music — nor do you have to spend a dime! A free online chiptune creator called BeepBox will help you do just that.
BeepBox, created by John Nesky, lets anyone perfect their pixilated masterpieces and download them right onto their computer. While working with the tool, the site’s URL automatically saves any work, allowing for easy sharing and multiple back-up pieces. There are settings for different sound waves, tones, rhythms, and effects, as well as a multi-layer system and several scale settings.
Have I lost you, yet?
Don’t worry! This article serves as a basic tutorial on how to use the site’s many features. BeepBox can be found here: http://beepbox.co/, so you can play along as we go.
When you first call up BeepBox, a basic starter screen will appear (shown above). As you can see, there’s a lot to take in! But don’t let it scare you. Let’s break it down:
No, I mean let’s consider it more. Stop dancing.
The panel of colored numbers is the layer bar. Each row/color represents a different layer, and each column is played at the same interval. You can use the [ and ] keys to move around the white bar. The numbers in the boxes stand for an eight count that is repeated every time you use that number. For example, if the blue numbers read 1, 2, 1, 2, then eight count 1 and eight count 2 will repeat in a pattern. You are the one who customizes what is on each eight-count. In BeepBox, you can use little arrows in each number box to make them go up to number 8 max. The purple scroll bar at the bottom controls song-length, and can be expanded to make the song longer.
At the top right of the screen is the menu panel. The button that says “Pause” is for—how’d you guess? It pauses/plays a sample of your music. The scroll bar next to that controls the music’s over-all volume. The Edit Menu is your friendly guide to computer shortcuts. It tells you what keys will copy(c), paste(v), undo/redo (z/y), shift up (+), and shift down (-) notes, as well as clear the slate. The preferences menu includes other extras, such as piano keys and a scroll bar. The last button lets you export your song onto your computer. (Make sure the “outro” box is unchecked, or else you’ll have excess music!)
Just below the menu panel is the Song Settings, complete with fun smiley-faces. The scale controls how many notes are visible, and how difficult it may be to make sense of them. Key refers to main piano keys, while tempo lets you control the speed of your music. The Rhythm section has two parts; standard, which sets a standard 8-count rhythm (1, 2, 3, 4; 5, 6, 7, 8), and triples, which sets a waltz, or 3-count rhythm (1, 2, 3; 1, 2, 3).
Here’s where things get interesting! This panel on the lower-right controls the sound of your “instruments”. One of the best things about it is you can make the instrument unique for its respective layer, letting you use multiple instruments at once. The volume can be set so that one layer is quieter than the others. Wave includes your basic soundwaves, or instruments. Envelop controls how sharp or how fluid the transition between notes is. Similarly, the Filter controls how sharp or how smooth each note is when played. Chorus gives the instrument some neat effects (I personally recommend fifths if you want the piece to sound really cool!). Effect gives the wave different vibrations.
This is an example of the scale set at Expert, along with the piano keys and the scroll bar from the preferences menu. While it may seem the most difficult, I actually find this set-up most efficient, as it gives the maximum variety of notes.
Here’s an example of some notes that have been put on the note screen. The top-most notes show how you can make the notes different sizes. A note is automatically sized like the note at the top. However, if you drag the note in the directions that the orange arrows indicate, you can change the note’s duration. Additionally, dragging diagonally can cause a sliding pitch [which sounds really funny =)]
And there you go! This information will help you make spectacular 8-bit songs! Remember, though: practice really does make perfect. The more you play around and explore, the more comfortable you will be with the site.
By the way, here’s an example of a completed BeepBox song that I made:
https://youtu.be/didzsEq2T5k
Good luck, and have fun!
