Mobile Music Machines
Gameboy - Palm - GP32 - PSP - DS - etc.
(David Steinberg / Dorkbot NY / september 3rd 2008) Mobile : works on batteries, headphone output
Can be used alone to make music
Not too expensive Platforms (non-exhaustive and vaguely chronologic list)
Yamaha QY series Roland PMA5 Nintendo Gameboy Palm OS PDA GamePark GP32 and GP2X Sony PSP Nintendo DS Apple iPhone Yamaha QY series Portable ‘music workstations’ (arrangers/sequencers)
1990 : QY-10 1992 : QY-20/22 1994 : QY-8 1997 : QY-70 2001 : QY-100 Yamaha QY series
Good news everyone : QY10 and QY20 (at least) can be circuit bent...
(mod by Thom Uliasz / Burnkit 2600) Roland PMA-5
Released in 1996 “Personal Music Assistant” Portable General Midi synth/arranger/sequencer MIDI input/ouput
Boring ? Nintendo Gameboy
Released in 1989 118 millions Gameboy/GBC sold
Cheap, available everywhere, everyone loves it...
Excellent gameboy musical scene here in NY : Bit Shifter, Glomag, Bubblyfish, Nullsleep, etc. Gameboy Camera
Released in 1998 Official Nintendo Product
Music “game” included, a bit limited but fun... Nanovoice/Nanosynth
Simple “visual” additive synthesizers based on a Java application (Javoice)
Written by Oliver Wittchow and Julian Rohrhuber in 1998 Nanoloop 1.x Visual synth/sequencer developed by Oliver Wittchow
Uses the Gameboy hardware Intuitive visual interface, lots of possibilities...
Developed in 1998 Sold since 1999 (beta) / 2000 Little Sound Dj (LSDj)
Tracker for the Gameboy, inspired by the Atari/Amiga/etc. trackers developed by Johan Kotlinski (Role Model)
Very powerful, continuous development since june 2000 Sold as a ROM ($2 + donation) 8Cylinder
Gameboy music apps developed by Pittsburgh musician 8Cylinder
Sludgeon/Sludgeon2 Pounder Shittracker User Constrained Brownian Noise Generator (UCBNG) Nerdrix/MuddyGB/Stepgirl
Real-time performance applications
Nerdrix : inspired by Ikinari Musician for the NES.
MuddyGB / Stepgirl : developed by “S.Ｏ” (from Japan) Onputor / Electric Drum
Onputor : simple sequencer/synth
Electric drum : play drum sounds with the GB buttons Bhajis Loops
Multitrack sequencer/sampler for Palm OS5 PDAs, released in 2004
Parameter automation, effects, etc. LittleGPTracker (“Piggy”) 8 channels sample-based tracker similar to LSDj that works on the Linux-based Gamepark consoles (GP32, GP2X)
Free/donation, developed by the belgian musician M-.-n
Also runs on OSX/Linux/Windows Nanoloop 2.x
Advanced version of Nanoloop for GBA, by Oliver Wittchow
8 channels, more memory and parameters
Released in 2004 Sony PSP
Portable console by Sony Released in 2004
Homebrew-capable with custom firmware PSPSeq
16 tracks synthesizer/ step sequencer for the Sony PSP
Lots of features, currently in development (v 3.00) PSPRythm
Sample-based audio sequencer for the PSP
Developed since 2005 Traxxpad
Commercial application released in 2007
“Portable music studio” (or advanced toy ?)
Internal samples library + microphone RIN
Gameboy/GBC emulator for the PSP Released in 2005
Works very well, sound included Nintendo DS/DS Lite
Latest portable console by Nintendo
Released in 2004/2006 (lite)
Dual screen (1 touch screen), microphone/mic input, lots of buttons Lameboy
Gameboy/GBC emulator for the DS
Sometimes in development :)
A few glitches, but works well for most music apps Electroplankton
Mix between a game, a musical instrument and a numeric art installation by (the very talented) Toshio Iwai
Officially released by Nintendo
Really in a class of its own... Nitrotracker Tracker for the DS developed by Tobias Weyand
Touch screen interface, sample editor, plays .xm, etc.
Sends MIDI over WiFi (DSMI library made available by the author) ProteinDS
Live audio manipulation software for the DS
Touch screen scratch, effects, etc.
Sends MIDI over Wifi GlitchDS
Cellular automata sample- based sequencer for the DS (using Conway’s Game of life)
Unique interface, lots of possibilities, frequent updates
MIDI output (DSMI) RepeaterDS
Another application by GlitchDS’s developer
“Play” a sample by drawing on the screen, record movements, etc.
Great for live use Jam Sessions
Guitar simulation game, developed by Plato (Japan), released in Europe/US in 2007
Can be used in “free mode”, scale selection, effects, etc.
Limited but fun GrooveStep
Sample-based multi-tracks step sequencer
Not released yet, but will be free Work in progress...
Right now, people are working on other music applications for the DS : enhanced sound engine, etc.
Possible futures : multi-tracks sequencers, audio loopers, etc. Apple iPhone (& iPod Touch)
Multitouch screen Powerful processor Wifi Tilt sensor Memory
...but development is limited by Apple’s directives/restrictions mrmr
Open-source project for live control of installations and multimedia performances via mobile devices, developed by Eric Redlinger at Brooklyn Polytechnic University.
Requires a jailbroken iPhone i3L Midi Bridge Desktop app developed by VJing collective ArtificialEyes, used with Masayuki Akamatsu’s akaRemote : receives data and converts them to MIDI
Requires a jailbroken iPhone or iPod Touch OSCemote
“Official” Open Sound Control remote for the iPhone
$0/$5 BtBx
Drum step sequencer + acid-type bassline by the creators of PSPRythm iDrum
Drum step sequencer with a nice touch screen interface
Can exchange data with a desktop application
Only drums, though... Noise.IO
Synthesizer with multitouch control for iPhone
Available on AppleStore Sruti Box
Just released...
Simulation of an indian drone instrument.
12 reeds, can be tuned/etc. Controls including accelerometer Also...
Windows Mobile applications (Griff, etc.)
Symbian OS phone apps
Many things I’ve certainly forgotten...