Peter Langston - "Ballblazer (Atari 8-bit)" [Oscilloscope View]

[@zkdr6278]

From Wikipedia: Ballblazer's theme music, called "Song of the Grid" and heard between matches, was algorithmically generated, a technique designed by Lucasfilm Games team leader Peter Langston and called "riffology". The lead melody is assembled from a predefined set of 32 eight-note melody fragments, or riffs, which are put together randomly by an algorithm that also makes choices on several parameters including "how fast to play the riff, how loud to play it, when to omit or elide notes, when to insert a rhythmic break". The melody is accompanied by bassline, drums and chords, which are also assembled on the fly by a simplified version of the above approach. In effect the music plays forever, without repeating itself but without straying too far from the original theme. Langston, an experienced jazz, rock, and folk musician, said of Ballblazer's music: "One reviewer, an eminent jazz player [Pat Metheny], said it sounded like John Coltrane did it. I think that's my best compliment so far."  The Atari 7800 version was one of the rare releases for the system to use the POKEY additional sound chip.

[@pauljs75]

I'm still kind of surprised Rocket League never paid any homage to that game. (Ball-blazer had the idea of car-soccer before it was cool.) Would have made for a nice easter egg or something.

[@credit0880]

Rotofoil models when?

[@tombell7455]

Just seeing this now and OMG!!! This is fricking magnificent! Your oscilloscope version is awesome to watch. This brings back so many good memories. I had an Atari 800 and the biggest reason why I love Ballblazer was for the music. Sometimes I would just turn the game on and let the music play for hours. Thank you for sharing this.

[@theallknowingsause8940]

I'd love to go to a website that was made to play this song forever

[@SD40Fan_Jason]

40 years before the website: Just plug the cartridge into the console, turn it on and let it run in idle.

[@SuperJet_Spade]

For the longest time, this tune really tricked my ears into thinking that there were more than 4 channels. This visualization makes it clear about what's going on in those 4 channels!

[@HuntersMoon78]

Same as Turrican II on the Amiga or Turbocharge on the Commodore 64, they sound like they have more channels but don't.

[@HuntersMoon78]

I never knew you could do Atari SAP files, awesome stuff.

[@VJFranzK]

Never thought about this, but there is no Kick Drum, though the prominent bassline fills that duty somewhat. Interesting that the Snare Drum / Clap keeps jumping between channels!

[@mothcompute]

i thought the channel thing might be stereo related but i looked it up and no, the pokey only has one audio output pin. odd

[@SimmeringPotpourri]

Amazing! Thank you for this!

[@Null42x86]

The squares on the atari sound chips sounds like a atari trademark that only the atari chips can sound like that LOL

[@sam_64]

I’ve heard pulse waves like this on gameboy games, pc engine games, virtual boy games and many more. Atari chips are not the only sound chips capable of pulse waves like this ffs 🤦‍♀️

[@somedudenamedanthony]

@@sam_64 Why do you have to be so toxic? For one they're talking about the TIA's very unique off-pitch notes, this effect can also be heard on other Atari sound synthesizers.

[@Flo_Resolution]

@@sam_64 cry moar!

[@datacipher]

@@sam_64first, your literalism betrays a dullard mind. Second, that everything you mentioned came over a decade later not only supports the OP’s premise, it also reveals your ignorance of the era.

[@datacipher]

@@somedudenamedanthonyI think it’s just a simpleton kid who’s illiterate and doesn’t realize that the statement was not literal. He doesn’t understand the point….

[@IMDRanged]

Nice. I remembered it from the actual Atari 800 that the rapid solo part had a distinctive echo reverb effect as it starts strong and does a slow fade out at 3:45 also.

[@LightIsAWaveNotAParticle]

What a banger

[@RideXcellsiorEbikes]

This just made my day!

[@dava_arvarabi]

Wow never expected Ballblazer, it's a nice jazzy music btw. Atari 800 version da best!

[@VSS-Vintorez]

Fun fact: the melody is algorithmically generated

[@bitchlasagna4720]

ho ho ho ha ha ha ho ho ho he he ha hello me old chum im gnot a gnelf im gnot a gnobblin im a gnome and you've been gnomed!

[@camulodunon]

Who even are you? Some magic ghost that lurks in the comment section of literally every chiptune visualisation on youtube?

[@credit0880]

There needs to be a remix of this using the samples from F-Zero's Big Blue.

[@midlowreborn]

i forgot to comment something so uh yoote

[@truxton701]

Do you take requests? If so, could you do some more Mega Drive games? I don't mind what ones, but it would be cool if you did both Battle Mania and Battle Mania Daiginjou

[@acrouzet]

I can't seem to find a .vgm file of Battle Mania's soundtrack, so I can only do Battle Mania Daiginjou's soundtrack for now. Sorry about that.

[@truxton701]

@@acrouzet No worries

[@VSS-Vintorez]

Interesting how this is algorithmically generated instead of just a traditional soundtrack

[@JankPods0201]

When someone says "Atari 7800 music" I immediatley think of this.

[@Nikku4211]

And 7800.

[@Dankyman100]

I always loved this soundtrack xD Can you do something by 'Dizzy'? (maybe Tuulenvire?)

[@acrouzet]

What platform does Dizzy create music for?

[@Dankyman100]

acrouzet AAAAMMMIIIIIGGGAAAAAHHHH xD (sorry)

[@acrouzet]

It’s fine

[@dava_arvarabi]

So... I have a question to ask. Did you record the audio files manually with Audacity, etc or using wav exporting feature on .sap players like ASAP or Foobar2000 GEP?

[@acrouzet]

I use wav exporting options on emulators

[@mypkamax]

Why does sound like something out of a Game Boy Color game (such as Pokémon Crystal Version)?

[@Nikku4211]

It's probably the square waves.

[@mypkamax]

@@Nikku4211 That's what I sort of think too.

[@rubygloomzombie]

I hear here in my cars

[@go_bg3705]

Channal 4 is a like guitar

[@VSS-Vintorez]

Fun fact, that channel is algorithmically generated!

[@shadowman_44]

Someone needs to mash this up with "Bad Apple!!" from Touhou.

[@DylanheBuilder]

anyone else hear feel good inc?