Gameboy - Palm - GP32 - PSP

Mobile
Music
Machines
Gameboy - Palm - GP32 - PSP - DS - etc.
(David Steinberg / Dorkbot NY / september 3rd 2008)
Mobile : works on batteries, headphone output
Can be used alone to make music
Not too expensive
Platforms
(non-exhaustive and vaguely chronologic list)
Yamaha QY series
Roland PMA5
Nintendo Gameboy
Palm OS PDA
GamePark GP32 and GP2X
Sony PSP
Nintendo DS
Apple iPhone
Yamaha QY series
Portable ‘music workstations’
(arrangers/sequencers)
1990 : QY-10
1992 : QY-20/22
1994 : QY-8
1997 : QY-70
2001 : QY-100
Yamaha QY series
Good news everyone :
QY10 and QY20 (at least) can be circuit bent...
(mod by Thom Uliasz / Burnkit 2600)
Roland PMA-5
Released in 1996
“Personal Music Assistant”
Portable General Midi
synth/arranger/sequencer
MIDI input/ouput
Boring ?
Nintendo Gameboy
Released in 1989
118 millions Gameboy/GBC sold
Cheap, available everywhere,
everyone loves it...
Excellent gameboy musical scene
here in NY : Bit Shifter, Glomag,
Bubblyfish, Nullsleep, etc.
Gameboy Camera
Released in 1998
Official Nintendo Product
Music “game” included, a bit
limited but fun...
Nanovoice/Nanosynth
Simple “visual” additive
synthesizers based on a Java
application (Javoice)
Written by Oliver Wittchow and
Julian Rohrhuber in 1998
Nanoloop 1.x
Visual synth/sequencer
developed by Oliver Wittchow
Uses the Gameboy hardware
Intuitive visual interface, lots
of possibilities...
Developed in 1998
Sold since 1999 (beta) / 2000
Little Sound Dj (LSDj)
Tracker for the Gameboy, inspired
by the Atari/Amiga/etc. trackers
developed by Johan Kotlinski
(Role Model)
Very powerful, continuous
development since june 2000
Sold as a ROM ($2 + donation)
8Cylinder
Gameboy music apps developed
by Pittsburgh musician 8Cylinder
Sludgeon/Sludgeon2
Pounder
Shittracker
User Constrained Brownian
Noise Generator (UCBNG)
Nerdrix/MuddyGB/Stepgirl
Real-time performance applications
Nerdrix : inspired by Ikinari Musician
for the NES.
MuddyGB / Stepgirl : developed by
“S.Ｏ” (from Japan)
Onputor / Electric Drum
Onputor : simple sequencer/synth
Electric drum : play drum sounds
with the GB buttons
Bhajis Loops
Multitrack sequencer/sampler for
Palm OS5 PDAs, released in 2004
Parameter automation, effects, etc.
LittleGPTracker (“Piggy”)
8 channels sample-based tracker
similar to LSDj that works on the
Linux-based Gamepark consoles
(GP32, GP2X)
Free/donation, developed by the
belgian musician M-.-n
Also runs on OSX/Linux/Windows
Nanoloop 2.x
Advanced version of Nanoloop
for GBA, by Oliver Wittchow
8 channels, more memory and
parameters
Released in 2004
Sony PSP
Portable console by Sony
Released in 2004
Homebrew-capable with
custom firmware
PSPSeq
16 tracks synthesizer/
step sequencer for the
Sony PSP
Lots of features, currently
in development (v 3.00)
PSPRythm
Sample-based audio
sequencer for the PSP
Developed since 2005
Traxxpad
Commercial application
released in 2007
“Portable music studio”
(or advanced toy ?)
Internal samples library
+ microphone
RIN
Gameboy/GBC emulator
for the PSP
Released in 2005
Works very well, sound
included
Nintendo DS/DS Lite
Latest portable console by
Nintendo
Released in 2004/2006 (lite)
Dual screen (1 touch screen),
microphone/mic input, lots of
buttons
Lameboy
Gameboy/GBC emulator for the DS
Sometimes in development :)
A few glitches, but works well for most music apps
Electroplankton
Mix between a game, a musical
instrument and a numeric art
installation by (the very talented)
Toshio Iwai
Officially released by Nintendo
Really in a class of its own...
Nitrotracker
Tracker for the DS developed
by Tobias Weyand
Touch screen interface,
sample editor, plays .xm, etc.
Sends MIDI over WiFi
(DSMI library made available
by the author)
ProteinDS
Live audio manipulation
software for the DS
Touch screen scratch,
effects, etc.
Sends MIDI over Wifi
GlitchDS
Cellular automata samplebased sequencer for the DS
(using Conway’s Game of life)
Unique interface, lots of
possibilities, frequent updates
MIDI output (DSMI)
RepeaterDS
Another application by
GlitchDS’s developer
“Play” a sample by drawing
on the screen, record
movements, etc.
Great for live use
Jam Sessions
Guitar simulation game,
developed by Plato (Japan),
released in Europe/US in 2007
Can be used in “free mode”,
scale selection, effects, etc.
Limited but fun
GrooveStep
Sample-based multi-tracks step sequencer
Not released yet, but will be free
Work in progress...
Right now, people are working on other music
applications for the DS : enhanced sound
engine, etc.
Possible futures : multi-tracks sequencers,
audio loopers, etc.
Apple iPhone (& iPod Touch)
Multitouch screen
Powerful processor
Wifi
Tilt sensor
Memory
...but development is limited by
Apple’s directives/restrictions
mrmr
Open-source project for live
control of installations and
multimedia performances via
mobile devices, developed
by Eric Redlinger at Brooklyn
Polytechnic University.
Requires a jailbroken iPhone
i3L Midi Bridge
Desktop app developed by VJing collective
ArtificialEyes, used with Masayuki Akamatsu’s
akaRemote : receives data and converts them to MIDI
Requires a jailbroken iPhone or iPod Touch
OSCemote
“Official” Open Sound
Control remote for the
iPhone
$0/$5
BtBx
Drum step sequencer +
acid-type bassline by the
creators of PSPRythm
iDrum
Drum step sequencer with a
nice touch screen interface
Can exchange data with a
desktop application
Only drums, though...
Noise.IO
Synthesizer with multitouch
control for iPhone
Available on AppleStore
Sruti Box
Just released...
Simulation of an indian drone
instrument.
12 reeds, can be tuned/etc.
Controls including accelerometer
Also...
Windows Mobile applications (Griff, etc.)
Symbian OS phone apps
Many things I’ve certainly forgotten...