8-Bit Chip User Manual !

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 Getting Started

My virtual instruments are in the SFZ format, and are designed to be used in Plogue's
sforzando (or ARIA Player). sforzando is free to download for Mac or Windows and functions as
both standalone application and a AU/VST plugin, which can be used in most DAWs or
notation software.

- Download sforzando for Mac (10.6.8 & up): https://s3.amazonaws.com/sforzando/

MAC_sforzando_v1.933.pkg

- Download sforzando for Windows: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sforzando/

WIN_sforzando_v1.933.exe

- sforzando User's Guide: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sforzando/sforzando_guide.pdf

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 About 8-Bit

Thank you for downloading “8-Bit Chip”! I hope that you enjoy it and find it useful!

It all began when I was asked, out of the blue, to create a short 8-bit intro theme. Up to
that point, I haven’t really dabbled in vintage video game music, so I started researching how
the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) sound chip worked and sought out tools to replicate
it. My search led me to a couple of free synthesizer plugins, and while they could produce the
sounds I needed, The UI was incredibly overwhelming and confusing to use. Not to mention,
the sounds weren’t perfect matches to those heard coming from an actual NES. So, I was
inspired to create my own 8-bit virtual instrument.

Let me quickly explain how the sound is created in an NES. There are five channels: 2
Pulse Waves, 1 Triangle Wave, one Noise Wave, and one DPCM channel (don’t worry about
this one). The Pulse Wave channels had the ability to change their timbre, by decreasing the
duty cycle (50%, 25%, 12%) of the wave. Each channel was monophonic, meaning that more
than one pitch could not be played at the same time. However, because there were two
separate Pulse Wave channels, you could have the same-sounding voice playing in harmony.

- Pulse Wave: Works well for melody lines or accompaniment.

Duty Cycle 50% (Flute/Clarinet-like sound)
Duty Cycle 25% (String-like sound)
Duty Cycle 12% (Brassy/double reed-like sound)
- Triangle Wave: Round sound, great as bass voice, but can also be use for melody lines.
- Noise Wave: Great for percussive sounds.

Here are a few tips, when writing your first 8-bit tracks. Keep in mind, this is coming
from someone with a classical background. You can think of the channels as a quartet, where
the 2 Pulse Waves are the soprano and alto voices, the Triangle Wave is the bass, and the
Noise Wave is percussion accompaniment. Quantize your MIDI data, both the beginning and
end of the note. You don’t want the notes in a single channel to bleed into one another (unless
you are taking advantage of the legato function, see pg. 6). Keep the velocities of each note in
a phrase uniform, though you can use velocity as a crude form of volume control. The more
robotic it sounds, the better! Finally, try experimenting by mixing and matching the duty cycles
of the two Pulse Wave channels.

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 “8-Bit Chip” includes a “Full Layout” SFZ file, that maps the Pulse, Trangle, and Noise
Wave voices to a single keyboard layout. This is great for sketching or simple pieces. Each
wave is also available on it’s own, in a polyphonic (you can play more than one note at a time)
or monophonic version (you can only play one note at a time). The monophonic versions have
a legato function (again, see pg. 5). The CC controls are the same, across all the SFZ files.
However, the note assignment for the Noise Wave samples is different from the dedicated
Noise Wave file and the “Full Layout” file. Bellow, you can see how the voices are mapped on
an 88-key keyboard.

Four instances of sforzando form the four wave channels.

When using the “Mono” SFZ files, slightly extend the length of the each note past the
succeeding note for a smoother legato sound. Also, notice how the velocity is uniform.

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 How to Use

1) MIDI CC:

CC20= Pulse Attack

CC21= Pulse Release
CC22= Pulse Vibrato Speed
CC23= Pulse Vibrato Depth
CC24= Pulse Tremolo Speed
CC25= Pulse Tremolo Depth
CC26= Pulse Duty Cycle
CC27= Pulse Slide Speed
CC28= Pulse Octave Shift

CC29= Triangle Attack

CC30= Triangle Release
CC31= Triangle Vibrato Speed
CC32= Triangle Vibrato Depth
CC33= Triangle Tremolo Speed
CC34= Triangle Tremolo Depth
CC35= Triangle Duty Cycle
CC36= Triangle Slide Speed
CC37= Triangle Octave Shift

2) Attack: By default, this control is set at 0%. A higher value will give you a softer beginning to
the sound.

3) Release: By default, this control is set at 0%. A higher value will increase the time it takes for
the note to fade out.

4) Vibrato Speed: By default, this control is set at 0%. A higher value will increase the rate of
the effect. This effect is disabled at 0%.

5) Vibrato Depth: By default, this control is set at 50%. A higher value will increase the distance
between the oscillating pitches.

6) Tremolo Speed: By default, this control is set at 0%. A higher value will increase the rate of
the effect. This effect is disabled at 0%.

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7) Tremolo Depth: By default, this control is set at 50%. A higher value will increase the
distance between the oscillating amplitude (loudness).

8) Duty Cycle: By default, this control is set at 0%. This control allows you to choose between
three Pulse Wave variants.
0-33% (0-41)= 50% (Flute/clarinet-like sound)
34-66% (42-84)= 25% (String-like sound)
67-100% (85-127) 12% (Brassy/double reed-like sound)

9) Slide Speed: This is a portamento effect. By default, this control is set at 0%. A higher value
will decrease the time it takes to glide to the next pitch. This effect is disabled at 0%.

10) Octave Shift: By default, this control is set at 50%.

0-33% (0-41)= -1 Octave
34-66% (42-84)= Orignal Octave
67-100% (85-127) +1 Octave

11) Legato Effect: This is an effect unique to the “Mono” SFZ files. It is designed to soften the
transition between two or more notes, so that there is less of an obvious “click” sound during
note changes. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing. To take advantage of this effect,
slightly extend the MIDI note past the succeeding note in the legato sequence, or hold down
the sustain pedal (CC64).

12) Weird Symbols: In the “Full Layout” SFZ file, the following make-shift symbols, meant to
represent the shape of the waves, are used as a shorthand for the different waves names.

_[¯]_ = Pulse Wave

VVV = Triangle Wave

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 License Agreement

By downloading my virtual instruments, and the audio samples related to them, you
agree and are bound to the terms of this License Agreement.

All audio samples related to these virtual instruments were recorded by and are the sole
property of Michael Picher. Each virtual instrument and the audio samples related to them are
licensed, not sold. Each virtual instrument and the audio samples related to it CAN be use as
part of any commercial or non-commercial work. You are NOT allowed to modify, transfer, rent,
lease, loan, resell, distribute, network, electronically transmit, upload, duplicate, or copy the
virtual instrument files or the audio sample files that may be related to them. Furthermore, you
are NOT allowed to use the audio sample files (or recordings of the audio sample files, with the
intention of using the recordings as sample files), as part of any other sample library, virtual
instrument, game, or software. These virtual instruments and the audio samples related to it are
licensed "as is" without warranties of any kind.

If you have any questions regarding my virtual instruments or this license agreement,
feel free to send me an Email at michaelpicher@gmail.com, or you can visit my website,
http://michaelpichermusic.com, for more contact options.

Other Legal Stuff

Michael Picher is in no way associated with either Nintendo Co., Ltd, Plouge, or

MakeMusic, Inc. Nintendo Entertainment System, sforzando, ARIA Engine are all registered
trademarks and belong to their respective owners. Any other trademarks or logos belong to
their respective owners. Please don’t sue me.

8-Bit Chip © 2018 Michael Picher

Contact Special Thanks

https://www.michaelpichermusic.com Rachel Cohen

michaelpicher@gmail.com William and Maria Picher
Twitter • Facebook

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