8 bit

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 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

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