The Pixelh8 Music Tech Master Stroke DS is a real time synthesizer for the Nintendo DS system it allows for extensive sound design and is the natural evolution of the Music Tech Series allowing for the classic chip tune sound on a modern device.

The new system allows for keyboard style play by pressing “X” to bring up the 2 Ocatve Xylophone or classic Music Tech mode by using the directional pad to control the sounds in the same way as the Music Tech Game Boy and Pro Performer Game Boy Advance.

Loads of new combinations are possible as you can now combine interval settings with time based effects as well as using the noise channel instead of tone and the easy change between menus allow for quick change during performance.

All sounds are produced via the on board sound chip and no samples or sample manipulation is used, this is a real time chip tune synth for the DS.

Top Screen shows options selected at any given time.

Menu 1 controls the Wave Duty, Pan and Volume.

Menu 2 controls Keys and Intervals.

Menu 3 controls time based effects set 1.

Menu 4 controls time based effects set 2.

Menu 5 are some of my favourite sounds, Attack and Release and Credits Screen.

Menu 6 Controls Octave, Whammy Bar, Tone/Noise and 3 sound patches so you can recall them quickly during performance.

The “X” button brings up a simple 2 octave Xylophone to perform the designed sound on. Whats more is that options can be changed during play, in Classic play mode, in Xylophone mode it’s only one menu away.

I have had an amazing response to the release of my previous free software and have heard loads of songs created using it and loads of emails of thank yous which is fantastic. I am not going to charge for this software either, but if you would like to help support my research simply buy an album or donate old computer equipment to me, that would be great.

The software is 95% done and will be released for free download to allow for more users to take part and create music. It will be completed after I have finished my third album “And The Revolution” but hopefully that won’t be too long, as I am working on it now. :) There will also be an iPhone and Android version soon too.

Please do not email me with questions about when it will be released, join the mailing list on the sidebar of this site and you will be told as soon as it’s ready for download. Youtube video here.

I just thought you should know what I was up to.

Make Music, Make Friends, Have Fun

Pixelh8

Tune in to hear me interviewed by Digital Planet in a special looking at Obsolete?, The National Museum of Computing and the rise of the personal computer. You can download the new version of the theme tune for free here and you can  listen again here. There is also a downloadable podcast here.

The Open University and Digital Planet, BBC World Service’s Weekly Technology programme, have joined forces to produce six special co-produced editions of the programme. Hosted by Gareth Mitchell, Digital Planet brings the clearest, sharpest guide to developments in our connected world to a worldwide audience via radio, digital and online.

For more information, listen online and listen again visit the Digital Planet BBC site here. Image reproduced with permission see footer.

Pixelh8’s most recent work “Obsolete?” is a audio and visual study of the people, machines, history of The National Museum of Computing, Bletchley Park and looks closely at the themes of mathematics, logic, code-breaking and enciphering. The project was funded by the PRS Foundations new music award and commissioned by The National Museum of Computing.

Available on iTunes UK here and iTunes USA here!

The music itself is composed using some of the oldest and rarest computers in the world such as the WWII code-breaking machine Colossus Mark 2 Rebuild, and the 1960’s Elliott 803 largely used for mathematics and some of the more commonplace machines such as the BBC Micro. With over thirty machines studied and utilised within the music, it is a combination of both sounds from the internal sound chips and the external electro-mechanical sounds. In addition to this, the piece also utilises such items as the early non-electrical mechanical adding machines.

The project was comprised of twelves pieces of music and accompanying visuals and culminated in two performances at the prestigious Bletchley Park Mansion on March 20th and 21st, 2009.