MAKING MUSIC ON THE SUPER NINTENDO - Super Midi Pak

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

did you have a games console? What one did you have when you was a kiddo? Get the full song from the end watch music livestreams and loads more over here www.patreon.com/lookmumnocomputer

[@SpectrumDIY]

First one was a Super Nintendo, second was a commodore 64, then N64... Weird order, but hey 😅

[@Astropup5000]

Nintendo ds

[@HOERS00N]

SNES was my first one ❤️

[@arenotdiy]

First and only, Super Nintendo

[@hiroprotagonist1587]

The only console I had when I was younger was the Atari 2600 which had been preceded by a ZX Spectrum and followed by an Atari ST.

[@seoverus7805]

Wife asked "why are you listening to musical farts & laughing so loud?" She has no idea of this pleasure....Thank you for making music so fun for me today...

[@danielt.8573]

Wives always pretend they don't know what that is.

[@exodustx0]

Fun-fact: SNES samples are actually (technically) 4-bit! The on-board DSP chip converts them to 16-bit before sending them off to the DAC. The sample format's called BRR (Bit Rate Reduction).

[@inthefade]

Is it just an anti-aliasing process, or something more clever?

[@apollolux]

@@inthefade It's a compression-decompression scheme.

[@exodustx0]

@@inthefade Definitely something clever! Every group of 16 sample points (and the total count of sample points _has_ to be a multiple of 16) has a 4-bit shift value and a 2-bit filter value, which are used to describe the way the sample point is decompressed. The SFC development wiki has a small document that details the math involved, in case you're interested!

[@mdjey2]

On original NES samples were 1-bit. 8-bit and 16-bit refers to video signal.

[@inthefade]

@@mdjey2 that is true of the audio samples, but the 3 waveforms and noise channel use a 8-bit audio. iirc one bit of the 8 isn't used for the bit depth for some reason, though I can't remember exactly why. It is functionally a 7-bit audio signal from those channels.

[@jonpatchmodular]

Now I want to see you pitch bend normal SNES games with the knob! Even if it's just in a silly short

[@nathanielpayne2681]

I immediately thought the same thing!

[@mrburns366]

oh man.. somebody send this guy an Everdrive! I need to hear circuit bent Castlevania. lol

[@Dthebeatsmith]

That would be great!

[@JessicaFEREM]

I give that keyboard stand props for holding all that weight. that must be one really industrial nylon strap.

[@scaryrich]

I think we need an Aphex Twin collaboration.

[@j0hn_t1tor45]

and a Atari Teenage Riot collab too

[@mrshaneyt43]

How I remember living in a squat at 17 yo playing the SNES to the wee hours. Great stuff Sam 👍

[@huntabadday2663]

3:13 I love how you just kicked in the synth

[@Lunaula]

To be honest, I've waited YEARS for something like this to happen, the SNES audio is so distinct and unique that it's extremely hard (as far as I know) to replicate that certain characteristic it has through other means and programming sounds onto the sound chip is way more effort than what it's truly worth so I'm very happy someone managed to figure out a way to make this happen with a easy user interface I'd be interested to see if it might be possible to give each voice the sound chip has its own signal output to have them run through different effects, kinda doubt it but maybe...?

[@eyeball226]

I'm pretty sure they're mixed digitally and come out of one DAC so that'd be difficult.

[@tssf]

Plogue's bit-perfect chipsynth SFC can do it easily by making 8 instances of the VST.

[@eyeball226]

@@tssf Yup, I have it! I do wish they'd fix the fixed pitch issue for drum sounds though. EDIT: It has now been fixed!

[@tssf]

@@eyeball226 could you describe that issue a bit more? I've never had any pitch issues for drums and I practically helped design the thing lol

[@eyeball226]

@@tssf There's a thread on the Plogue forums which you have actually posted in. ;)

[@maboleth]

Man, SNES by itself was SO ahead of its time and its design is just as modern in 2021 as was in 1991. Unbelievable.

[@peppermintpig974]

I saw the videos for the Super Midi Pak. I'm not a musician but even I wanted one. Great to see you covering this!!

[@_eisenbrecher_]

you've got to make a whole song with this machine! it's amazing

[@melancholas]

So I randomly stumbled into this vid because of the KZbin algorithm SUGGESTIONS, and I am glad I did. So much interesting stuff in here. Can't wait to dive into your other stuff, since I am a big fan of music in general (preferably Metal, Rock, Sinthwave, and good old 8 bit 16 bit tunes). I hope I can get some background information on how to get all that stuff going to work, since I don't have a clue on technology stuff, but can at least play some instruments. To the question of consoles, yeah maybe too many, Retro consoles (back from my childhood), C64 and the newer ones. Honestly, video games and scores (like the Conan The Barbarian soundtrack) brought me into playing music myself. You have a new fan from this day on, and I am surely going to check out your patreon in the next weeks. Thumbs up and greetings from Germany! 🤘

[@LtdResources]

I felt like I was watching Bad Influence or Games Master, absolutely love this vid. Liked and subbed mate

[@verumsky]

I've learned a lot by watching this mad man! Lol he's a genius I swear. I lost my mind when he had all the synthesizers plugged up together in that one video he did

[@KmF0X]

I wonder how games would sound with that pitch bending SNES

[@TheLifeofaTallKid]

Loved this and your channel you are one musical genius.

[@anjinbeats]

I've been waiting my whole life for something like this on snes ❤️

[@matthewlister3755]

I ordered this the second it came out. I have been using SNES GSS, which will still have an application after this comes out since it outputs 65c816 assembly. You can't really jam out with it, though, as is the case with most trackers. Can't wait for this to arrive at my doorstep. Thanks for the demo! I'm even more psyched to get this now.

[@renan.art.oliveira]

I've never seen something THIS SICK! I loved!

[@KevinJones-bt7ib]

I was playing Mario world on a emulator yesterday, and loving the music more than the game ha ha

[@nobel11]

I love how many variations that game has on the same theme, and how they all sound good.

[@thefumigator]

Super Mario world, Super Mario all Stars, super tennis, fzero, gradius 3, robocop 3, etc all got amazing sound tracks. I used to play a lot of games due to its good sound track. I remember a simple (really simple game) named volley fire on the Gameboy and I loved every theme it got. Amazing

[@supermidipak]

😂Love that sample!!!!

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

hahahaha yes im afraid it had to be done!!!!c :D

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

but its a proper cool cartridge! ill be making a tune on it soon but if anyone wants to see more songs and stuff. check out super midi pak youtube channel!

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

another question for peeps .. who has got one of these SUPER MIDI PAK's on the way?

[@analogdarling3678]

Can’t wait for mine to arrive! What’s that snazzy keyboard you were working with?

[@Jimmyknapp2]

Thank you for reminding us to keep music fun!

[@Dthebeatsmith]

Those aliasing artifacts when pitching down with that knob sounds sublime!

[@bitoxic]

Man... I really like how quickly you spin up some cool SNES beats! 😁👍

[@raphaelfuchs8222]

finally a useful midi pack that isn’t some overpriced shortcut catered to people intimidated by music theory 🔥🔥🔥

[@stinkymart3173]

Facts, those file packs aren't a scam if only because they at least deliver what they promise, and that's the most positive thing I can say about them.

[@raphaelfuchs8222]

@@stinkymart3173 well, some of them promise “professional sound“. it’s just midi though 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@graxjpg]

@@stinkymart3173 do they show you about voice leading, or anything about harmony? The ones I’ve seen just promise jazzy sounding hip hop

[@midierror]

Your output is phenominal man!!! Love this stuff!!!!!

[@GadgetUK164]

Awesome! Has to be another world first - I don't think I've ever heard of anything fitting a pitch adjustment to a SNES!!! =D

[@aggieami13]

Thankful to have heard this...you Rock!

[@zetaconvex1987]

Sam is so talented, he can make something good out of the most outdated equipment.

[@inthefade]

Music equipment is never outdated, just recontextualized.

[@ChaseBethea]

You’re absolutely brilliant! You would have been an awesome video game composer in the 80s/90s. I put your talents up there with the awesome Tim Follin. Thank you for the video!

[@Theknifejug]

Very cool Slowing the crystal down made the fart sample sound like the bowser laugh on the N64

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

haha

[@Captain__Obvious]

makes sense cause bowsers laugh and the boo ghost noise are literally the same sample played at different speeds to save memory. and fun fact in one of these weird coincidences the original library laugh sample (Sound Ideas 6000) is actually Charles Martinet, the guy who'd go on to be the voice of Mario years later

[@jonpatchmodular]

@@Captain__Obvious Wait that can't be true, it's an amazing coincidence!

[@ThaFedejp]

I can't believe you can improvise a banger like that without second thoughts

[@RocketChild]

looking forward to seeing what you do. I love 8-bit music and the potential of making modern music using retro tech.

[@ashleyforsyth727]

Long time viewer, first time commenting but man you are truly giving the sound version of art attack vibes. Love it!

[@MN12BIRD]

We know he'll be back the next day with a song that gives David Wise a run for his money!

[@dave_s_vids]

Interesting stuff - and that Messiah track is epic!!!!

[@soddit112]

Finally, the Mario Paint video I've been waiting for.

[@TheLeon1032]

The close up on the outro of the fart song made my laughter valve explode, your snes of humour is rad))

[@AaronBowersable]

This guys fkn crazy - I love it.

[@thejra-gon6991]

Fantastic.. just turned 25 today, and this is what i call entertainment

[@bitoxic]

2:50 One week later... still got this tune in my head... when ya gonna release the remastered version?! 😁👍

[@jeffwertman184]

Well done, well done. We had many game consoles growing up from Atari to the current. I went Nintendo-only somewhere around after the PS2.

[@drubber007]

You're a genius mate, I wish I had your knowledge to do all this sort of stuff.

[@sophiathekitty]

As a kid when I actually used these consoles I never included entertainment system.... It was the Nintendo and super Nintendo. Until like the internet and like the Wii when I started using NES and SNES.... (Virtual console or probably emulators before that... It's all blurry in my memories)

[@McTroyd]

Computer games (that didn't have some education angle) were generally not allowed in our house early on. My father finally capitulated, and my parents got us an SNES as a first console. (This was around the time the N64 was rumored, and the prices were falling dramatically.) Being in the 'States, we had the boxy design rather than the Famicon chassis. My youngest brother has it now, and AFAIK it still works. Looking forward to more tunes from this 'Pak! 👍

[@mattryan6886]

This man just put a pitch knob on his SNES!!!!!!!! I friggin love it !!!!!! LMNC stay weird

[@Bladavia]

2:40 Imagine a choir of people with such a precise control of their assholes that they could perform this IRL

[@roycopeland9560]

Cool I just ordered yesterday after seeing you in the comments : )

[@sharpeye6366]

You create fantastic things.

[@TotoGuy-Original]

I love how you use keyboard stands to put things on they may be a bit wobbly but they can hold a lot of weight lol! i got hold of one for free a while ago and i use it as a saw horse or a stand for different heavy things. surprising how much weight i can put on it!

[@AntiDeepState]

This is so unbelievably cool

[@cidshroom]

You circuit bent a SNES, you absolute madlad

[@Nox-Eldar]

Thou must make video game beats :D Next jam session will have them bits of 8 with them hits Stoked to hear a track from the super midi track

[@amyshaw893]

love the video as always! In future though, is it possible for you to put a low pass filter on the audio of videos when you have an old CRT? they give off a really high pitched EEEEEEEEEEE noise which can really irritate some people's ears. Google says about 8-9khz is the sweet spot but i haven't tried that myself

[@Gencoil]

I can finally fulfill my lifelong dream of playing back fart samples on the SNES.

[@brujua7]

That song at the end... it KILLED

[@OscarLuisGarridoRojas]

Great, a hug from Chile

[@Syntheticks]

Good video keep up the tinkering inventions you mad lad.

[@GalileoAV]

I have no reason to own this but I really really really want one now. Such a cool project

[@gnarlysoundscapes7210]

6:06 That sounds cool as hell.

[@Elluvis72]

i love your channel!

[@TripTilt]

lol, we called that thing Super Nintendo ALL the time, so each time you say SNES I hear snares... took some time to get used to that :) the sounds you tickle out of the snares, uhm, snes are awesome :)

[@71dembonesTV]

Am I to understand that the SNES has a finite number of pre-loaded samples onboard and every soundtrack/effect was compiled from there? Or?

[@chriscoralAloha]

This should have been a livestream. Loved the drum machine stream. Must do it again.

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

i will be doing livestreams however the reason i didnt do this as a stream is i wasnt confident i was not going to fudge it up haha

[@chriscoralAloha]

@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER Cmon. If I wanted perfection I would not be a fan. JK lol

[@javinshki17000]

3:26 i one time saw a comment on a different video saying "One of the first Modular synth demos I've seen where they are making actual music. More often than not it just sounds like modulated underwater transformer farts." this video is just solidifying the fart thing heh

[@orsettogommoso]

Nice final credit to old school demos :D

[@StezStixFix]

Definitely called SNES. For some strange reason we used to say it with a Sean Connery lisp so it became SHNESH.

[@roycopeland9560]

S-n.e.s.

[@Ralph_Sandwich]

@@roycopeland9560 those who were actually there know that no one said "sness". It was always S-N.E.S you are absolutely correct.

[@breathinginpizza]

the best video on entire internet

[@arrowthruhead8117]

How to make a synthesizer with sound chip Paula from Amiga?

[@RobbekenSynthMusic]

Holy crap. A fart sample took me from laughing to genuinely enjoying the rad dance music. Thanks for that!

[@Koto-Sama]

this sounds interesting. i would like to learn this. how difficult is it to get into this and make same sound that would other call bearable?

[@SpectrumDIY]

That crystal mod sounds like a car engine trying to start almost..

[@dreamsEGA]

Dude holy cow YES

[@Aqua_1014]

Always wanted to do this, very cool!! :)

[@reggiep75]

I have to admit I laughed when that pan pipe sample got bent. It's been a crapper of a day and I'm glad it's over in 2 hrs but at least I heard that bent pan pipe!!

[@trashmonarch4138]

That sample with the farts SLAPS, man. \o/

[@Jademalo]

oohhhh, that bit at 5:44 - That's some of the nicest bitcrush i've ever heard.

[@angeljauregui9076]

Mario paint: I'm the best software for snes music: Super midi pak: HOLD MY KEYBOARD

[@platronic]

fire as usual!

[@lizardkite]

Dude what's the keyboard you are using in the vid? So good!

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

arturia keystep pro :)

[@roycopeland9560]

Would love to see another video about all the connections on the cartridge...using sound outputs (from pak or rca?)also more about finding,loading samples etc...and a more detailed pitch mod video would be great...thanks a lot I already ordered the midi pak.

[@namelesske]

I came for the Retro stuff, stayed for the music.

[@Radek__]

7:37 I was waiting to finally hear this song completed, but why did you cut this video at the end ?!

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

Check the vids from last week

[@brianspenst1374]

Those sounds at the 6:00 mark would be great for a Halloween themed dance track.

[@keithfulkerson]

I'd love to see what kind of cool video synthesis stuff you could come up with.

[@craigjs]

If they ever get around to doing a Neuromancer film you need to be a part of the score!

[@volocat]

Bless you!

[@razerow3391]

what a banger at the end!

[@Swenglish]

On a similar note, I've got an NES MIDI cartridge that doesn't seem to work. It's supposedly a PAL one, but I never got it to work with my (Swedish) PAL NES. I'm not sure what the issue is. My two main guesses are either it's broken or it's only compatible with the "new-style" top-loading model. I seem to recall it was the classic blinking problem.

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

try it in a normal nes i guess?

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

oh i miisread. i doubt it would only be compatible with top loader, dunno. is it the midines??

[@Swenglish]

@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER I just dug it out of a box, and yes, it is the MIDINES. On the back, it's got "PAL 1.1.0 X/K #4" written in marker pen.

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

@@Swenglish dunno shouldworktbh

[@Swenglish]

@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER I guess it must be broken somehow. Perhaps a burnt circuit or bad connector or something. Unless it was an issue with whatever controller I was trying to use... Perhaps I should give it a try with the Deluge or something.

[@conquerantofficiel]

I dream to play music with my Super Famicom since decades, it's a miracle !!! 🎮😁🎶

[@RC_Cola2020]

I just plugged mine in. Wish it had some built-in samples.

[@gonzo3915]

You are insane, i like it.

[@jahmikey_selection]

Fascinating

[@ejonesss]

can you output the computer midi from say logic or garage band if you are on a mac or some other daw software for windows and play the snes midi?

[@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER]

yes. anything with midi capability

[@roycopeland9560]

Think there is a delay built in also...love the pitch mod.

[@SlapDashVideos]

Superb SNES synth business! 🚨💥🚨

[@adamsierraeurobeat4886]

would this work on super famicom?

[@treborlo]

What's that midi keyboard with sequencer?

[@pedjamigrant7189]

2:50 Is there a song from this epic vibeeee ????