Reflection - Software.

Why am I using the software i am?
The main pieces of software i intend on using on the gameboy are as follows, LittleSoundDJ, Nanoloop 1.3 and the “Trippy H” sequencer found on the gameboy camera peripheral.

The first, LSDJ is usually considered the more advanced of the three, allowing more control over sounds produced and sequences, the ability to string sequences together, and use of the wave channel as either a synth or sample player. LSDJ also allows the use of a modified PS2 computer keyboard as a keyboard controller for the software, meaning users can step outside the general gameboy interface. The song arrangement screen makes LSDJ one of the more “musical” of the three, because users can write out an entire song and let it play back, or use “live” mode where chains of phrases can be selected. I have been using LSDJ primarily, due to the complexity of patterns it allows. I can write longer songs, with a stronger structure than i would in the other software mentioned here. I am also quite drawn towards using the sampled drumkits within the software, there is a challenge of writing original sounding beats, while utilising a maximum of 2 samples at a time, with samples having any kind of decay cut off when the next sample begins, it creates a simplicity in what can often be complex patterns.

Nanoloop is a much more simplified sequencer. It really lends itself to creating music from short loops, and live performance. Unlike the LSDJ pattern selector that only allows a user to choose phrases within the one song, or save file, Nanoloop allows a user to access all saved phrases and swap between them, either one at a time, or a whole “column”. Unlike LSDJ which makes use of the wave channel as a sample player, Nanoloop contains a “special”wave channel, where a custom waveform can be played back. This does though, force users to create all drum sounds with either the noise channel, or a combination of a pulsewave kick and noise high hats/snares. I feel like this leaves Nanoloop creating more “authentic” game sounds, leaving behind the sampled kits used by LSDJ.(However Gameboy games did occasionally make use of the sample playback ability of the wave channel) I enjoy using nanoloop, because it allows a certain level of improvisation, which i feel is important in the way i create music. It is this same feature though, that sometimes limits me from “finishing” songs, most of my music written in nanoloop never really reaching a finishing point, patterns and parts are continually reused and reintroduced for different songs.

The final piece of software “trippy H” is a simple 16 step, 3 channel(pulse, pulse, noise) sequencer with user controlled sample playback(an assortment of blips and other videogame type sounds). It was included as an unlockable extra in the gameboy camera software. Users had to complete a top scrolling shooter, upon which a third ship labelled “dj” apeared at the beginning. The difficult to navigate nature of the software(designed as a toy rather than a tool for musical tool) on top of the limit of three save files, makes music from trippy H difficult to compose and perform. This is usually overcome by users recording song data and rearranging in a computer based DAW. The limitations of trippy H are what cause it to thrive in a sense, on live performance, with its minimalistic approach to music, changes must be made slowly, often only at a rate of one note per cycle. I feel if trippy H were able to sync with external sources such as drum machines or software like LSDJ, it would be a much more valuable tool in the creation of minimalistic micromusic.