How to Use Famitracker (Part 3) - Channel Volume and Effects

[@JadeJohnsonIndustries]

Did you know that when composing music in FamiTracker, it's actually possible to create hyper realistic SNES style reverb on just a single DPCM sample, instead of either lowering the quality setting to fit a clip with embedded reverberation, using the "Sample Retrigger" effect, or importing multiple copies of the same sample at different volumes to give the illusion of SNES Reverb? The trick is to use the "Delta Counter Offset" effect. Here are the steps: 1. Insert a single instance of the main sound as usual. 2. For the desired number of consecutive beat ticks, insert more of the same sample. 3. To create the SNES Reverb effect, making sure not to touch the main sample, proportionally offset the delta counter a little more from the second instance onward, so that each time it plays, there is more of a slightly greater gap of silence between strikes due to the sample ending sooner and even more so still. It takes a bit of trial and error to get just right, especially with longer samples, but when done correctly, playing the sequence back should result in a SNES Reverb like echo effect. 4. Don't forget to reset the Delta Counter back to the first byte on the next relevant beat.

[@JadeJohnsonIndustries]

You can hear where I did it here: www.dropbox.com/s/6v83e2hwjvtgxqm/JadeJohnson%20Records%20FamiTracker%20Data.zip?dl=1

[@ben_burnes]

Thanks for this detailed explanation James! Sorry it took so long to respond. Will definitely check this out in the near future because it seems like a really cool way of handling some effects :D

[@JadeJohnsonIndustries]

Yeah, I discovered this on my own too, and I may even be the first FamiTracker composer who's ever (kind of accidentally through trial and error) stumbled upon this cool effect! Oh, and the ProJect that contains it is the Leann Rimes remix of her song, "I Need You", in the "Songs" directory; just so you know. Please enjoy, and as always, "Happy Jading!™" :D

[@JadeJohnsonIndustries]

So how do you like it? I'm excited to know the opinion of a FamiTracker master like thyself!

[@GrOOvedelta93]

This kind of video series is priceless. Thanks a bunch, man, you're doing the work of a true tutor here!

[@ben_burnes]

+GrOOvedelta93 Thanks for watching! I'm really glad you're finding it useful :)

[@GrOOvedelta93]

Ben Burnes Been wanting to get into a "serious" tracker for quite a while now, not only to "attempt 8 bit composition" rather than using NES-style VST synths on some other DAW, but also to break with FL's workflow a bit, since it sometimes makes me feel stuck within an enclosed environment... so yeah, it's great to see someone's sharing a thoroughly detailed explanation of how things actually work in terms of music theory, the program itself and some shortcuts here and there. Appreciate it and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

[@ben_burnes]

+GrOOvedelta93 You have a great point that the workflow is so different between something like FL and Famitracker. The music I write in Famitracker is vastly different than anything I make in a more modern DAW. You mentioned some shortcuts, I kind of feel like maybe making a short episode on keyboard shortcuts because there are definitely a few that help streamline the process. Hmm, I'll look into that :)

[@shadoninja]

I watched the first one and was like "ok FamiTracker seems pretty ok." I watched the second one and was like "Yeah, I think it is cool." I watched this one and am now like "Daaaaayum, I'ma download this when I get home!"

[@ben_burnes]

Glad to hear that Famitracker piqued your interest! Good luck on your journey of boops :)

[@aaronf1788]

I'm currently experimenting with Famitracker to make a Mega Man soundtrack, and this has been priceless for tutorial's sake.

[@ben_burnes]

I'm super glad I've been able to help you out! Best of luck making some sweet Mega Man music! Remember your parallel 3rds :D

[@gumdropmeadowz]

God. How did I never realize volume is hexadecimal? I spent so much time thinking, "Well yeah, I'll set these volumes at 9, but that means the triangle's gonna blast. Well, no gettin' around that!" It's also been eye-opening the fact that each fx channel has 2 slots and not just two decimal places. I really should read help files instead of just toying around, but that's where you came in today - Thanks a bunch!

[@ben_burnes]

I'm really happy to help! Glad you learned something from these :)

[@edenelegiac]

OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU ARE THE BEST CHIPTUNE INSTRUCTOR I HAVE EVER HAD

[@ben_burnes]

I'm glad the series is helping ya out! Let me know if you have any questions and I'd be happy to try to answer them.

[@prox276]

Thanks for the series! I wouldn't have started using FamiTracker without it! :)

[@ben_burnes]

I'm so happy to hear that! Hope you get a lot out of the series and make some dang cool tracks from it :D

[@prox276]

@@ben_burnes I am already making music for my games! You made me switch from FL Studio! :D

[@kdelvalle4696]

Amazing, detailed video. I was surprised this video doesn't have more likes or views, but then it hit me that our demographic (interested in music trackers) is not all that big.

[@ben_burnes]

Hah, I imagine that most people who use Famitracker have checked out this video at one point or another. Someone even noticed me in person at Magfest 2019 which kinda blew my mind XD Really glad to hear that you are enjoying the tutorials!

[@ThatOneHandsomeGamer]

The pastebin you linked in the description is very helpful, thanks!

[@ben_burnes]

Glad it's helping you out! I definitely use it all the time too heh

[@graycrayon6000]

I've had Famitracker for a couple years now and never did anything decent with it because all of the tutorials I've seen in the past are intimidating in their approach to the software. You make it so much easier, thank you!

[@ben_burnes]

Thanks for saying so! I'm glad I was able to help out. Best of luck making some rad tunes :)

[@decastar2819]

thanks for the tutorials man. been wanting to make my own chiptune without using midi soundfont stuff. this helped so much :)

[@ben_burnes]

I'm so happy these helped you out! Keep on rocking :D

[@s8terseeyal8teryah8t]

Thank you for this series, its very selfless to take the time to do this. I'm having a blast learning all these mechanics, but it can be a bit tricky coming from garageband lol.

[@ben_burnes]

You are so welcome! I'm glad you are getting value out of the series :) definitely a big learning curve moving from a more modern daw!

[@poppicha]

Thank you so much!!!! for every your teaching videos. I can't thank you enough for making this. Now I can finally make some 8-bit music for my dream game.

[@ben_burnes]

You are welcome! I'm glad that you're enjoying them. Best of luck on your Chiptune journey :D

[@Cypekeh]

This is so fun, love this program and tutorial

[@ben_burnes]

I'm glad you're enjoying the software and that the tutorial is useful to ya! :D

[@vincentizghra6144]

YOU'RE SO AWESOME!!!! Also MAAAAAAN the beat on that song! *drools*

[@ben_burnes]

Glad you're getting value out of the tutorial! If you wanted to check out the full Save the City song, it's on Spotify here :) open.spotify.com/track/0Y5UhgjkaPD5w8KfYEp15E

[@vincentizghra6144]

Way cool! It's even on Tidal! It's tough to know which albums on there are yours though, there seems to be some electronic artist that also calls her/himself abstraction.

[@AlanTGP1]

Thanks for the Pastebin, I noticed the famitracker wiki was down and I went there all the time to see which effects were which.

[@ben_burnes]

Hah, yeah, I reference it all the time still. Glad I could help!

[@rullithegulli]

thanks so much for uploading these... your'e a champ

[@ben_burnes]

Thanks for watching them! :)

[@zacharydetrick7428]

Hi, thanks so much for making this, it's good to have on hand as i'm learning the program!

[@ben_burnes]

I'm happy to hear it! Good luck in your chiptune adventure :)

[@DRakeTRofKBam]

You are one of the few people desiring way more Viewers. Your high quality content really deserves it!

[@ben_burnes]

Thanks :) I get a new sub or two every day. It's a slow process, but it's getting there! Glad you enjoy the content.

[@DRakeTRofKBam]

No, thank you for making content. You helped me and also other people to get along with FamiTracker. I couldn't figure out how to work with FamiTracker, untill I saw your tutorials on how to use it. Thanks again.

[@ben_burnes]

+DRakeTR of KBam there is definitely a harsh learning curve when it comes to Famitracker, but it is so powerful once you get the hang of it :D and you are absolutely welcome for the content. i love teaching and it is a lot of fun to make

[@DRakeTRofKBam]

Ben Burnes It is really powerfull. It was only enough for me to hear one of the demo songs included with the download. BTW I am thinking of crediting you in my next song video, if it is okay for you to do so.

[@ben_burnes]

I'd be honored :) When you post the video let me know, I'd love to see it!

[@bobbygood3181]

Just sent you a couple cups of coffee man, thanks for doing such a great job with these tutorials! lol I also didn't realize the message was private until after I sent it, so ignore my blatant shilling on your behalf B-)

[@ben_burnes]

Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so glad that you are finding value from the series. :D

[@konstantinosgrammenos8492]

excellent series thank you!

[@ben_burnes]

You are welcome, Glad you are enjoying it!

[@RockyIDK]

Thanks so much this is like, very helpful 🙃

[@ben_burnes]

Absolutely! I am so glad that you are getting some value out of the series :D

[@ahivan]

I still wonder why so little likes, subs & views... This tutorials are awesome! Keep up the good work man, thumbs up & subd

[@ben_burnes]

+Ahivan64 This is still a pretty new channel so subs are hard to come by. I'm really glad you're enjoying the tutorials! Hope you make some rad stuff soon :)

[@ahivan]

oh, one thing... umm, I cant seem to put an effect, do you know why? I try to type the letter, but it doesnt seem to respond /._./

[@ben_burnes]

Ahivan64 are you in edit mode or play mode (red or blue bar)? Also you have to have your cursor on the leftmost character of the effect to add it there.

[@ahivan]

ohhhhhhhhh....... sorry, thnx

[@ben_burnes]

hah, no worries, happy to help!

[@PedroTrindade]

Very helpful, thak you!

[@ben_burnes]

Happy to hear it! You're welcome :)

[@kwamethver2.033]

I think you meant C-Eflat-G for the minor arpeggio, and thanks for the videos!

[@ben_burnes]

Yea you're right, I think someone else corrected me on that too, but you can no longer add annotations to KZbin videos so I guess my mistake will live forever :(

[@kwamethver2.033]

Ben Burnes sorry, and thanks so much for the videos! working on it right now.

[@ben_burnes]

No need to apologize! I'd rather have two people correct my mistake than nobody at all. Best of luck learning the software, let me know if you run into any problems; I'd be happy to help :)

[@kwamethver2.033]

Ben Burnes. Alright I'll remember that when I do 👍

[@PetikG]

This video really helped me, but I've wanted to know, if it is possible, to rise a note by half/quarter a semitone. I tried using the Pitch effect on the instrument, but the Pitch effect is broken and ended up rising a low note by a half semitone, yet a high note by two semitones.

[@ben_burnes]

Heya! I don't think microtonal stuff is super easy in Famitracker. The best thing I know of is using the 1xx and 2xx effects to move things a little bit and then using 100 or 200 to stop the movement. Like you said that has wildly different results depending on the starting pitch though, so it's hard to say. You might want to ask on the Famitracker forums and see if anyone there knows. Best of luck!

[@XaneMyers]

I didn't know about Qxy and Rxy! All this time I've been using 1xx and 2xx to do portamentos and it was hard to make them go to the exact pitch I wanted, and it varied from channel to channel!

[@ben_burnes]

Oh boy, I can imagine that would be VERY annoying! I'm glad I could make your workflow a bit faster :)

[@XaneMyers]

Ben Burnes Yeah...I sometimes watch tutorials even though I already know the program, but I actually learned new commands! I'm not sure how easy it will be to make them last the same length as my existing commands but it would make me more willing to put pitch bends in my FamiTracker VRC6 versions of my songs instead of fearing how complex the 1xx/2xx commands will be since they seemingly vary depending on the note's pitch. -(Also, in case you want to check those out, most of the FamiTracker versions for now are not on my KZbin as there isn't an easy way to replace video audio with non-standard KZbin song replacements so they're on my Soundcloud instead)-

[@ben_burnes]

I like watching tutorials sometimes just for that reason. You tend to always pick up new things you didn't know before :) I'll check out your Soundcloud!

[@XaneMyers]

Ben Burnes Tutorials almost test how much you already know if as the person brings something up you're already knowing what they may teach...unless something like the Qxy/Rxy happens. Also, thanks. not to really sound like I'm advertising but the songs on there will appear in the game I'm making, which has a normal soundtrack and a chiptune soundtrack that plays FamiTracker versions with the VRC6 adding channels, which usually get used by the time the intro finishes. (Compare "The Skies"' Deflemask and FamiTracker versions to see how much I'd rely on arpeggios if I didn't have those three extra channels.)

[@ben_burnes]

Making two versions of the same song for a game can be very fun at times! I like the idea of using Famitracker as one of the layers. Will have to check out more of your songs when I have the time.

[@dorbacal]

I really struggle to understand R and Q, I tried to mess with R but it seems so random and the speeds are determined by the note's pitch which is really weird, for my tune it just immediately plays a different note instead of sliding. What might I be doing wrong?

[@ben_burnes]

Yeah you are right that the speed is determined by the pitch. I try not to be too exacting when I use those effects, but sometimes it is really frustrating. As far as playing the wrong note, I'm not sure on that one. Maybe if you have instrument effects like arp or pitch it might cancel out the effect?

[@mp3.machine_gal175]

I am so very sorry for asking this, but I keep going back into the tutorials and I can't find how to add more note columns, as in more notes. Can you tell me?

[@ben_burnes]

Heya! So Famitracker is limited to these 5 core columns. If you wanted to add expansion chips with more specialized columns, check out the Expansion Chip video :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZ6wfoucZ72opbM&ab_channel=BenBurnes

[@mp3.machine_gal175]

@@ben_burnes Oh, I meant making the columns longer, thank you for responding, you're a legend!

[@JadeJohnsonIndustries]

So a few weeks ago, I wondered if the sequence field in the Instrument editor accepted hex values, but to my dismay, it only takes spaced out numbers. Could you maybe explain to me why such is true? Is that possibly the developers's way of introducing newcomers to the hexadecimal range?

[@ben_burnes]

> Is that possibly the developers's way of introducing newcomers to the hexadecimal range? I can't speak for the developers, but this is my guess. Since the instrument editor window isn't part of the tracker grid interface, they have more flexibility with displaying data. Since when you're locked to the tracker grid interface you have one space to display a 16 number range, hex is pretty much mandatory. In the instrument editor there is more room for data. However it would be nice if you could input hex and it'd understand what you mean.

[@JadeJohnsonIndustries]

Thanks! The grid was my second guess. You know, you are a huge help! Whenever I don't know how to, or if I can, do something in FamiTracker, I Turn to You with no second thoughts. :-) thank you for all the hard work that you do! :-)

[@ben_burnes]

That's really great to hear! I'm glad that you've found the series valuable. Thanks for watching and supporting the channel! :)

[@JadeJohnsonIndustries]

You're very welcome! :-)

[@santon6801]

Hi Ben, my name is Santon. I am totally blind from birth. I have just a few questions: 1. What is the keyboard shortcut for inputting notes? 2. What is the shortcut key for channel volume and all of the effects when I am in the duty noise cycle?

[@ben_burnes]

Hello Santon! I'm happy to try to help answer your questions. Please let me know if I am explaining the wrong thing and I would be happy to try again. 1. Inputting notes is done using most of the keyboard. Imagine that your computer keyboard starting at Z and Q are a mirror of the keys on a piano starting at the note C. To play the black keys, you go up a row on the keyboard. So, you can go up the chromatic scale by pressing Z S X D C V G B H N J M and comma for C an octave up. Comma and Q are the same note, both an octave up from where Z is. You can continue on this chromatic scale with Q 2 W 3 E R 5 T 6 Y 7 U I. 2 A. The channel's volume is controlled in the third column of each layer (Square, triangle, noise, DPCM). The first column contains the note triggered, the second is the instrument assigned to it, the third column is a single character that is hexadecimal. This means that you are entering a value between 0 and 15 with a single character. A being 10, B being 11, and so forth. It can trip people up because they are used to 9 being the loudest, but really F, or 15, is the loudest you can go on the instrument. It should be noted that the Triangle layer and DPCM layer do not have volume control. 2 B. The fourth column of each layer contains instrument effects. Affecting the duty noise cycle is done via the Vxx effect. I'm not sure if your screen reader can expand on the video description, so I have included a link to a Pastebin text file containing all the effects. pastebin.com/zsnpzVMC I hope this helps, but if I am misunderstanding your second point, please feel free to clarify! All the best! Edit: KZbin comments are awful for having a conversation. If it's easier for you, you can email me at [e-mail]

[@santon6801]

@@ben_burnes Thank you very much for the reply. One more thing to ask you. Do I press tab or shift tab to go to every column that you have described to me?

[@ben_burnes]

@@santon6801 So tab and shift-tab move between each instrument (Pulse, pulse, triangle, noise, DPCM). To navigate inside the instrument's columns you use the arrow keys. Hope that helps!

[@honk243]

I'm not sure if you still reply to comments, but I'm a little unsure of how you find out what number the notes are for the arpeggio effect. If you still reply, can you help me with that a little?

[@ben_burnes]

Hi! I'll always reply :) The numbers are the number of semitones from the triggered root note. So 047 would be a major chord, 037 would be minor, 03A would be a minor 7th (minus dominant), etc.

[@honk243]

@@ben_burnes Thank you! It's amazing that after so long, you still reply.

[@ben_burnes]

As long as KZbin keeps sending me alerts for when people leave a comment, I'll keep responding :)

[@xenaretos]

That's an unusual approach to effects.

[@ben_burnes]

Oh? Are you talking about how Famitracker uses effects or how I teach them :P

[@xenaretos]

It's about famitracker. In the traditional sampled trackers effects usually last for a single row (and thus need to be repeated for as long as they are needed) and a new note clears them.

[@ben_burnes]

+xenthalelaeos interesting! i haven't worked with other trackers before ( traditionally used Ableton) I didn't know that.:)

[@manu892009]

Hi Ben! I have a doubt about the delay effect. I understood that if you want to delay a note, I should use the number that I have as a speed, but in the video you use 8 even when you set the speed at 6. How does it work?

[@ben_burnes]

Hey Manuel, you have it correct. My example wasn't exactly a great one when it comes to getting the math right. If the speed is set to 6, then G06 will delay the note by exactly one row. Similarly, if the speed is 8, then G08 will delay by one row.

[@manu892009]

@@ben_burnes Oh, its okay then. Thank you!

[@joaovictornunessaraiva1525]

Hey, I think the psatebin link is down, I can't access it.

[@ben_burnes]

Heya! Weird, it seems to be loading for me now. Maybe they had a hiccup in their systems. Here's the whole paste in the reply, though it's gonna be formatted poorly, I'm sure... Effect number Description 0xy Arpeggio, x = second note, y = third note 1xx Pitch slide up, xx = speed (00 to disable) 2xx Pitch slide down, xx = speed (00 to disable) 3xx Automatic portamento, slides to new notes xx = speed (00 to disable) 4xy Vibrato effect, x = speed (0 to disable), y = depth 7xy Tremolo effect, x = speed (0 to disable), y = depth Axy Volume slide, A0x = slide down, Ax0 = slide up Bxx Jump to pattern xx Cxx Halt, stopping the song (xx doesn't do anything) Dxx Skip to next frame and start at row xx Exx Volume setting. Obsolete, use the volume column instead Fxx Speed/tempo, sets the speed when xx is between 00 - 1F, and tempo when xx is between 20 - FF Gxx Note delay, delay before the current row is triggered, xx = frames to wait Hxy Hardware sweep up, triggers a hardware sweep up (only available for square) x = period (0 - 7), y = shift (1 - 7) Ixy Hardware sweep down, triggers a hardware sweep down (only avaliable for square), x = period (0 - 7), y = shift (1 - 7) Hxx FDS modulation depth Ixx/Jxx FDS modulation speed (high part & low part) Pxx Fine pitch, xx = offset (80 is default) Qxy Note slide up, x = speed, y = number of semitones Rxy Note slide down, x = speed, y = number of semitones Sxx Mute delay, xx = frames before mute Vxx Square duty/noise mode/N163 wave, xx = 00 - 03 for square, 00 - 01 for noise and 00 - 0F for N163. Wxx DPCM sample speed override, xx = sample playback speed Xxx DPCM sample retrigger, xx = delay in frames Yxx DPCM sample offset, each step adds 64 bytes Zxx DPCM delta counter, changes the delta counter directly, affects volume of noise and triangle. xx is between 00 - 7F

[@joaovictornunessaraiva1525]

@@ben_burnes Thanks for the help, I apreciate it!

[@mothra4478]

I have one question, when I tried to fade in, it is not working, how do you fix this?

[@ben_burnes]

What do you mean it's not working? Does the volume start at full? Does the volume start at 0 and not fade in? Need a bit more info if I'm gonna help.

[@mothra4478]

@@ben_burnes At the second character, when I type 1, it doesn't fade in, it just stays in the same volume.

[@HrafnNordhri]

Greetings.. I'm enjoying this series so far, however my FamiTracker looks different from yours. I have a gap of space at the top of the track where as yours is at the top of the window. How do I set mine to be more like yours as this space bothers me.

[@ben_burnes]

Heya! I'm glad you're enjoying the series. I'm not sure if I can help with the gap though, I haven't really changed around anything in my settings to affect how Famitracker looks. Maybe you have a more recent version? I doubt it, but I made these using version 0.4.4

[@flaronix1660]

I had this issue as well. Go to File > Configuration then check the box next to "Free cursor edit" :)

[@ben_burnes]

+Flaronix thanks for the info!

[@lysime]

Wtf, only 360p and 1080p60!?

[@ben_burnes]

KZbin is crazy. I legit have no idea why those are the only two options XD

[@exceedxatu]

@@ben_burnes go broke or go home

[@laze_amvs424]

@@exceedxatu XD

[@IceCreamKimi]

At around 4:24 dealing with arpeggios you said that the effect 037 would create the note sequence C, Db and G. Should the Db actually be a D# if numbers in the effect are semitones or am I missing something? BTW, thanks for putting this all together. I've wanted to do something like this for a long time. Was debating whether I should try SID tunes or NES (I love them both) but this video series decided it for me.

[@ben_burnes]

No you are absolutely right. It should be D# or Eb. I will annotate that. Thank you for catching this!

[@IceCreamKimi]

Wow, that was a quick response :) I made an edit to my original post about a minute after posting it to thank you for the video series but you beat me to it!

[@ben_burnes]

The curse of always being connected to the Internet :P Plus I hate having mistakes in my videos. I've annotated the video, I really appreciate you pointing that out.

[@ben_burnes]

Also, I'm glad you're enjoying the series! When you make some rad tunes, don't hesitate to pass them over to me, I'd love to hear 'em :)

[@JustTooManyPuppies]

How can I change the volume of a single channal, I can't here the triangle over the pulse

[@ben_burnes]

Heya! I talk about setting the volume of a channel first thing in this episode at 0:30, hope that helps! :)

[@ダイナミック-b1i]

Hi Ben, thanks for the video. My question is are all effects apply to the channel? Or there are some effects that just affect the individual note, thanks:)

[@ben_burnes]

Heya! Each effect gets applied to the column it is placed in. They are turned on and off through the effects. So if you set a 464 effect, all the notes will have vibrato until you "turn off" the effect with 400 :)

[@ダイナミック-b1i]

@@ben_burnes Got it, thanks bro!

[@cotten822]

You make such good music and tutorials Why don't you have more subs x-x

[@ben_burnes]

+Katt Thank you for the kind words! I really appreciate hearing that :) Subs are hard to come by, especially for a new channel, but I'm getting there! :D

[@cotten822]

Keep up on the good work! (you also really helped me with Famitracker)

[@fendas123]

Hello, how do I loop a pattern? I can't have more than 256 rows, and everyone on the internet is saying I need to loop stuff.

[@ben_burnes]

I talk about that in Part 9 :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJC9m5Whfbt6edU

[@fendas123]

Ben Burnes Thank you so much.

[@ben_burnes]

You're welcome! Best of luck :)

[@greatgardna2589]

Hello, I know I'm a bit late in learning Famitracker but can you make also an effects description on every Hexadecimal from the Pattern Editor. I don't really have a decent knowledge about music and stuffs. And also thanks for your tutorial this is really great I truly appreciate it.

[@ben_burnes]

Hey thanks for checking out this series! I have a pastebin link that lists all the effects and their descriptions. You can check it out right here: pastebin.com/zsnpzVMC

[@greatgardna2589]

Just what I need thank you so much for this! Might take me some time for this, truly grateful bro :)

[@ben_burnes]

You're welcome! I only have a few of the effects memorized, honestly, just because I use a handful of them so often. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. I'd be happy to help.

[@Kyubi095]

Thank you so much for this tutorial!! I´d love to just watch everything in a row but i think i´ll take it slowly and first get used to the pulse channels and its various effects xD One question tho: Is there a way to add new pulse channels? I can´t seem to find the option but i´ve seen people use more than 2 in cover videos...

[@ben_burnes]

Heya! Glad you're enjoying the series. :) It's good to get used to the fundamentals before diving into the more advanced stuff. I talk about adding more pulse channels in a later part of the tutorial (if you wanted to skip ahead, it's talking about expansion chips.)

[@Kyubi095]

+Ben Burnes Oh! i'll check that out then, thanks! :D

[@LimeGreenTeknii]

I feel like the Q and R effects slide my notes a lot faster than yours. If my slide is Q12 or R12, is it normal for it to seem fast since it's only a whole tone slide?

[@ben_burnes]

I think there is a lot of variation in the pitch slides that I don't know off hand. I've noticed that lower pitched slides take a bit longer than high pitched ones.

[@8bitheroes86]

Hey nice series, i have a question though, when i play a note on the keyboard and hold it down it pops/clicks . Do you know whats causing this?

[@ben_burnes]

That's weird. Is there a vibrato on it (the 4xx effect)? Sometimes low notes with vibrato click and pop. Otherwise you can check your sound driver settings and see what you're running the audio through. It's possible that you're using the wrong audio driver?

[@comedyclownsstudios]

I have a question, what effect or volume increases the speed of the song/module?

[@ben_burnes]

Heya, in the video description there is a pastebin link for all the effects in Famitracker. This is the one you're looking for: Fxx: Speed/tempo, sets the speed when xx is between 00 - 1F, and tempo when xx is between 20 - FF

[@comedyclownsstudios]

@@ben_burnes Okay, thank you!

[@leifm.schaffland1403]

I don´t know why, but whenever I use the Q effect it just transposes the Note instead of doing a slide. Any idea what i might be doing wrong...? Thanks in advance.

[@ben_burnes]

Huh, that's odd. Sometimes if you have a 4xx effect active, it causes some weird stuff with pitch bends. Try something VERY slow like Q13 or even Q03 (it'll still change pitch even if the speed is zero). Otherwise, check to see if you have any other active effects on the channel at the time. Hopefully that'll help.

[@leifm.schaffland1403]

Thanks a lot, I tried bit, still just transposing the note. Also, there is no effect active. Very odd indead. I´ll try removing it, then restarting the problem. Sometimes that helps. Thanks nonetheless.

[@leifm.schaffland1403]

Thanks for the reply btw. Love your tutorials.

[@ben_burnes]

Weird, I wouldn't expect the program to behave differently after a restart but maybe? OH! Do you have any pitch modulation or arpeggiation on the INSTRUMENT that you're using? I think that creates some weird, unpredictable interactions sometimes. And you're absolutely welcome for the tutorials. I'm glad I can help :)

[@leifm.schaffland1403]

Yeah, it´s arpeggiated! Just root and octave, but still.

[@bocc7517]

Hey thanks for the tutorials! Just one question: can you add more channels? And if you can how do you do it? (I want 3 pulses)

[@ben_burnes]

Heya! You most certainly can. Check out part 8 where I talk about expansion chips :)

[@bocc7517]

Thanks so much for fast reply. +1 sub to you sir!

[@ben_burnes]

Thanks very much! I went to sleep literally minutes after I posted that so this reply is WAY late :P

[@derpster213]

How do you add b flat major in famitracker? Trying to make a cover of a song and i need to know how to add a b flat major.

[@ben_burnes]

well B flat is the same as A sharp. Famitracker doesn't display flat notes so you will just have to transcribe the flattened notes to sharp :)

[@scourgi5274]

what tracker should I use first? for complete beginner

[@ben_burnes]

Honestly I'm not sure, I've only really used Famitracker. Trackers all have a similar workflow, so you could try a few of 'em and see which one gels with you :)

[@scourgi5274]

this video was posted 2 years ago and you still reply to comments. wow. thanks for the advice. fast tracker 2 looks fun

[@ben_burnes]

TurtleFrogHybrid heck yeah, baking sure people get answers, especially in tutorial videos, is super important to me :) hey let me know what you think of fast tracker too, it seems cool!

[@TophanatorLOLZ]

Is there any way to add a channel? I SERIOUSLY need more triangles.

[@ben_burnes]

adding extra channels (expansion chips) is a later lesson :)

[@TophanatorLOLZ]

+Ben Burnes Thanks!

[@ben_burnes]

TophanatorLOLZ Any time, let me know if you have any other questions :)

[@blanketpineapple]

how do you add more channels again

[@ben_burnes]

Heya, there is a later lesson in the series talking about how to add expansion chips :)

[@blanketpineapple]

@@ben_burnes awesome! thank you so much! this has been incredibly helpful!

[@ben_burnes]

@@blanketpineapple Happy to hear it :D

[@JadeJohnsonIndustries]

About a couple weeks ago, I figured out how to stop your computer from audio glitching in FamiTracker. If you have a bunch of loose files in your FamiTracker folder, the program will acknowledge that they're there, even if it can't open them or hasn't been told to attempt thus. The perfect fix for this, somehow, is to place all your loose files into subfolders of the main FamiTracker one. Exports Instruments Samples Songs Texts FamiTracker.chm FamiTracker.exe You can actually name the folders whatever you wish, and it should even work better for you with all your extra data in just a single folder. It works because FamiTracker only acknowledges loose files, not folders. I hope I was able to help at least someone.

[@ben_burnes]

Heya James! Thanks so much for the info, I certainly didn't know that. I hope it helps some people out too :)

[@JadeJohnsonIndustries]

Thanks Ben, and I hope we shall forever share a future of glitch free FamiTracking!

[@waynetastic1746]

It goes up to F??? No wonder my songs have been so low in volume >:(

[@ben_burnes]

hah! Yeah, hexadecimal is kinda tough to wrap your head around initially.

[@hstsvstyve]

HELPPPPPP DOES THE A EFFECT NOT WORK IF YOU HAVE EDITED THE VOLUME OF AN INSTRUMENT??!!

[@ben_burnes]

You are correct. The Axx effect directly modifies the volume of an instrument so if you are editing the volume with an active Axx effect, it won't fade out. Using the instrument volume column doesn't cancel the Axx effect. Also, I like your avatar Amethyst :)

[@hstsvstyve]

Tnx! but what do you mean by "using the instrument volume column doesn't cancel the Axx effect" Do you mean that if I just uncheck the volume editor, but keep all the data I edited in the column editor, the Axx effect would still work?

[@ben_burnes]

Ohhh, I see what you mean. Sorry, I was thinking you were changing the volume COLUMN on the pattern editor, not changing the volume inside the instrument. I did a little bit of tinkering and it seems that having the instrument volume mixed with the Axx effect creates a little bit of weirdness. My best explanation is that the instrument volume works by subtracting from the channel volume. So if your instrument volume is something like 15 10 7 5 2 0 and your channel volume is F, the note will take the channel volume and subtract from that the instrument volume. Bringing the Axx effect into this, that modifies the CHANNEL volume, so your instrument volume should work, but it will take into account the channel volume, so even if your instrument is playing at max volume, if the channel volume is at 7, then it'll only be playing half as loud. Does that help? I learned something today :)

[@hstsvstyve]

Actually my channel volume is set to 0, I only find that whatever number I set on the Axx effect with the volume editor checked on the instrument editor, it has very little to no effect.

[@ben_burnes]

SparksieNet Interesting. It's possible they just don't play nice together, I guess I don't know the answer here. I don't often mix the two and stick with either using the Axx effect or the instrument volume. Sorry I couldn't be more help in this case.

[@TornaitSuperBird]

I’m rather sad, because it seems that FamiTracker is Windows only, and I own a Mac. Yes, I have two other chiptune trackers, but unfortunately none of them have such in-depth tutorials as the one you’ve made here for FamiTracker.

[@ben_burnes]

I believe that windows emulation software does work for Famitracker if you wanted to go that route, it's not ideal but it should at least get you access to the software :)

[@luccavico]

How do I pick lower notes?

[@ben_burnes]

There is an "Octave" drop-down menu at the top of the application. The keyboard shortcut is the numpad / to lower the octave and numpad * to raise it.

[@luccavico]

Hey dude thank you very much, I´m new and I think I need to see all fo your videos

[@ben_burnes]

You're very welcome! I hope you find the videos useful and let me know if you run into any more questions! :)

[@enavoid]

I need timestamps

[@alaxosrs240]

This is a great guide flawless even but i realize im wasting my time i love playing music /jam improvise and making sounds i dont know notes and i certainly dont like writing music i just play and figure out cool tunes on the piano and make a song using this program is the difference between feeling your music on a actual piano oppose to writing notes on a piece of paper i though i could make great music because i do have a lot a creativity but not in the boring pen and paper way im disappointed.

[@ben_burnes]

Heya Alaz. You are pretty correct that Famitracker can be a bit of a specialized tool when it comes to creating chiptune music. However, keep in mind there are plenty of cheap or free DAWs out there that will allow you to mess with simple pulse waves and create a very similar effect to what Famitracker can produce with a more modern interface. Most of my Chiptune album Three Red Hearts was made initially in Ableton and then transcribed into Famitracker later :)

[@alaxosrs240]

@@ben_burnes Ableton eh can play with a piano keyboard if so that might be good for me and also thank you for reply you are amazing keep it up.

[@ItsScapeGoated]

Fuck this, can I just get you to make me a 5-6 second song for an intro? I'll pay you if need be.

[@ben_burnes]

Hey man, get in touch with me at [e-mail] and let me know what you're looking for, I'd be happy to whip something up for ya fast :)