This was one of my first "projects" just as a proof of concept. It was created on a Yamaha PSS470  I don't think I like it well enough to turn it into a full blown song and youtube video.  But somebody might like it, so I left it here. 

Project01-PSS470

This is the theme song used for the first episode of 8-bit keys. It was created entirely on a Yamaha PSS470 (YM3812) using Audacity to record.  It has 7 tracks.

Project04-PSS470 (8-bit Keys theme music)

Formerly known as Project02, this song is one of my personal compositions.  "Frozen Lightyears" makes me think of a spacecraft traveling for hundreds of years while the crew are frozen in time.

This was created entirely on a Yamaha PSS-470, which is a kid's keyboard from the 1980's based on the YM3812 (adlib/soundblaster) chip.  There is absolutely no post-processing involved, this is what the keyboard actually sounds like (or would sound like if you had 5 of them playing at once)

Frozen Lightyears performed on PSS-470

This is my own rendition of Lemmings Song #1 performed entirely on a Casio SA-76.    I took some artistic freedom with my choices of instruments in order to play to the strengths of the SA-76, rather than attempt to mimic the original song.   Also, the official name of this song is "Pachelbel's Canon" even though it has little to no resemblance to the classical piece by Pachelbel.  

The Casio SA-76 is a kid's keyboard that retails for around $49.  It has some pretty decent sampled sounds on it, but is still a huge challenge because it has no sustain, no velocity, and only 44 keys.   Nevertheless, this song is 7 distinct tracks, each recorded live from the SA-76 with absolutely no post processing.

Watch my YouTube video to see how I created this piece:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE3UBNhrgF8 

Lemmings #1 played on Casio SA-76

This is Lemmings tune #1 performed entirely on the Casio SK-1, a kid's keyboard from 1985.  Even though the SK-1 can take custom samples, I thought that would be cheating, so this is made entirely from the onboard sounds with no post processing.  The song is 6 separate tracks recorded live.  I have also performed this same song on the Casio SK-76 if you check my other recordings.  

Watch me perform this song on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KZix7HGTHQ

Lemmings #1 performed on Casio SK-1

This is my re-creation of the Commando high-score screen using only the Yamaha PSR-32, a kid's keyboard from the 1980's.  No post-processing has been used.   It was recorded live using 5 overlaid tracks.

Watch how I create this song on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-ww9G9u4pY

Commando High Score Music Performed on Yamaha PSR-32

This is the high-score music from the C64 version of Commando.  It has been recreated entirely on the Casio VL-TONE VL-1.   All of the sounds are from the VL-1.  The only "cheating" that was done is I removed the "beep" sounds from the drum track in post-processing so that you only hear the snare.  

Audacity was used to record and mix 4 separate tracks.  I also used the VL-TONE's built-in synth to create a custom bass instrument and background music.  The standard flute is used for the main melody.

Commando Performed on Casio VL-TONE Keyboard

This is a performance of the Commando HighScore music originally composed my Rob Hubbard for the Commodore 64.  It is performed entirely on the Casio SA-76, a toy keyboard sold for $49.  It was recorded in 5 separate tracks into Audacity and mixed.  No other post processing was done.

Commando High Score performed on Casio SA-76

I made this in the course of a couple of hours one evening. This was done entirely on the PSS-470.  It was private for a long time, but I decided to make it public.  Maybe someday I'll expand on the song.

Project05 - Performed on PSS-470

Just a little something I put together at the spur of the moment on the Yamaha PSS-270.   The instrumentation and arrangement is similar to the incidental music used in Doctor Who during the late Tom Baker and Early Peter Davison era, which I always liked.  I plan to develop this song further and I'll try to come up with a name that reflects that.

Project06 - on Yamaha PSS-270

This is my performance of an old Amiga MOD file called Luna-Waves on a Yamaha PSS-270.  

Watch the performance on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzElFWbjwUE

 All of the sounds come from the PSS-270, although I did add some reverb on the drums and the metallic synth sound.  I did not perform the entire song.  This song was very difficult to learn and perform, so I only managed to do about 1/3 of the song before giving up... Mainly because Christmas is approaching and I wanted to work on a Christmas song.

Luna Waves performed on Yamaha PSS-270

This is my own custom version of Carol of the Bells, done with 4 vintage and toy keyboards:
Yamaha PSR-300 (1990)
Yamaha PSS-270 (1986)
Yamaha PSS-470 (1987)
Casio SA-76 (2015)

Watch the performance on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdAeiAIygNY

  Live Long, Toy Keyboards, and Merry Christmas!

Carol Of The Toy Keyboards

This is another piece of background music I wrote using my PSR-36.  Nothing fancy, but it wasn't meant to be.  I thought I would share it here.

Project07 - Incidental Music

I created this on my PSR-36 for some background music in one of my upcoming 8Bit Guy episodes.  I thought I'd share it here too. It isn't anything fancy.

Project08 - Incidental Music

I've re-created the famous Rob Hubbard tune from the game WarHawk.  This tune was far more difficult than I thought it would be and took me probably 4 times as long as I thought it would. I really wanted to concentrate on showing off the keyboard, but instead I spent much more time trying to figure out the right notes to this song. I still think I have a few notes here and there that aren't right, but I just can't figure them out.  

Warhawk Performed on Yamaha PSR-36

This is a little 4-track recording I did from a very primitive toy keyboard from the 80's, the Yamaha PSS-130.  It really only produces different square waves and has 2-note polyphony. Also I had to do a hardware modification so that I could even record from it since it had no line or headphone output.  So I drilled a hole and added an RCA output. Still, it was a fun little song to create.  

Watch the video of this song on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfE7FQaaJa4

Square Waves Delight!

This track is me playing the tune to Spelunker live on my MK-100, without any editing.  I have used the synthesizer part of the keyboard to configure it to imitate the sound of the SID chip in the C64.  So it sounds very similar to the SID version, only slightly better since it has more voices and a cleaner sound to it. 

Spelunker - Live Play on Yamaha MK-100

I used my Yamaha PS-55 from 1983 to cover the introduction music of Ultima VI - The False Prophet. Since this keyboard has no manual or programmable percussion, I used the built-in rhumba rhythm instead.  On the second half of the song I did a little improvisation.  

Ultima VI introduction music played on Yamaha PS-55

This was made 100% on my Casio MT-500.  It's very short, but it was made as a demonstration of the keyboard's abilities on my youtube review about the superdrums keyboards.  I did add reverb to the drum track during post, other than that, everything else is exactly how it sounds coming out of the keyboard.

The Casio March

This is a track I made entirely from my Yamaha PSS-125.  It's a very primitive toy synthesizer from 1989.  But it's fun to play with.  This song was inspired by Ultima, although the song is created entirely by me.  

See the video on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdZZCQEA99Y

Oh No! More Square-Waves! Yamaha PSS-125

This music was made 100% on a Casio HT-700 with no effects.  You can see the performance and review on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx2xBKwZX5w

Casio HT-700 - Groove

Little song I wrote to demonstrate the Yamaha PSR-6 on my youtube channel.

PSR - 6 Complete Song

Collection of custom songs used in the iBookGuy and 8-bit Keys

8-bit Keys

Popular tracks