Yesterday, Spinal asked me if I could recreate an old ALChoon so that it works better on his 8-bit game.

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The original choon is Liquid Vidalia.

The specifics are to render a new version with new instruments, such that it fits into an 8-bit, 22050hz audio file without getting all weird and smushy.

I've tried a couple of versions, and am starting to find a nice workflow whilst doing it.
If I use a Bitcrusher to pre-smush the audio, I can use that to render it in realtime, switch out instruments and whatnot, and find the right set of instruments that will no longer clash horribly together when mixed.

I tried a "just chip instruments" version, and .. as well as that worked, it didn't have any proper bass to it, and ended up sounded very "tinny", especially when played on the target device.

The main issue being that, without a nice harsh rasp of a synth bass, and those crackin' Korg drums that I totally overused for years, the bottom of that particular ALChoon is rather lacking.

Instead, then, I tried reusing more "real" synthy instruments. Less basic waveform, and more "feel" to the sounds.
This was incredibly tough to get sounding right, since every other instrument I tried seemed to bring back the crunchy artefacts of the 8-bit/22050 reduction.
But in the end, I got a nice enough result.
The problem now is that, because I'd been hunting for instruments that aren't as harsh when crushed down, I've ended up with something that Spinal suggests is more akin to a credit screen than an ingame one.

It's incredibly tricky to find the right balance, here, but I'll give it another go today, and see if I can find "just" the right sort of sound.

To the VST Instrument Pile!!!


"Cartoon Derek changes instruments, music room, guitar, piano, bass, drums, violin, flute, microphone, studio," by #DrawThings