music games

Littlescale demos syncing Nanoloop, a real-time Gameboy sequencer/synth, to Ableton Live:

Part 1

Nanoloop on a Gameboy (whose audio is coming in on track 2) is synchronised to the drums playing in Ableton (track 1). This is to test out a new interface I have been working on that syncs Nanoloop to a MIDI clock.

Part 2

Mario Paint Composer is a remake of the music system from the original Mario Paint for the Super NES. It is a free music application made by unFun Games. It’s available for both Windows and Mac.

It’s a pretty limited app – but that’s part of the fun. Here’s the Mario Paint version of Bohemian Rhapsody, as an example:

via CDM

Here’s something out of left field:

Shredz64 is a modern day game for the Commodore 64 that makes use of the Playstation guitar controller hooked through the PSX64 interface.

Its design is modeled after the popular “Guitar Hero” series, geared toward the ability to play along to your favorite C64 music on the guitar. Correctly played notes increase your score and applause meter, while incorrectly played notes decrease your applause meter. If the crowd stops applauding, you’re out!

Additionally, Shredz64 features the “shredocity” meter that allows for extra points when you’re doing an awesome job shredding to your favorite chiptune.

With Shredz64, the fun doesn’t stop when you’ve mastered all the included songs. You can add your favorite SID files to the game and record your own custom notes, or download songs other people have created – Shredz64 keeps rocking nonstop.

Download Shredz64 from the Synthetic Dreams site. Read more…

DJ Tech Tools’ Ean Golden posted this fun video of himself DJing with a Guitar Hero Controller:

Arcade buttons are cool but taking a plastic guitar into the crowd and taping away a solo is some next level fun. In the past 5 years I have experimented with just about every piece of midi gear out there so now its time to raid the game controller closet and continue to find new ways of mixing 2 songs together. The crazy thing is how well cue point juggling techniques translated to the Rock Star guitar. It may seem like a limited controller but with 5 buttons, a 2 way strum bar and some whammy action you can do a lot with a little. I tried every guitar made for guitar hero and in the end this Rock Band edition for the PS3 works the best and offered the most flexibility.

Part of a larger controllerism movement that’s starting to shape up…..

Audiosurf is a music-adapting puzzle racing game where the shape, speed and mood of the game adapts to the music that you choose.

You earn points for clustering blocks of color on the highway. You can also compete with others on the Internet for the high score on favorite songs.

It requires Steam on PC – which cuts me out – but I like the Tron/Kraftwerk vibe.