Toni Lönnberg (Finnland)
|
|
RockABIT: Why making music on Soundchips?
I fell in love with the simple elegance of the chip tunes on the C64 when I was a kid. I was amazed at how beautiful and vivid a soundchip with only three voices could sound like in the hands of someone who had enough skill.
RockABIT: Describe your way of creating an YM2149 chiptune…
I usually have some simple motif playing in my head and I test it out with one of my hardware synths using a pulse width modulated instrument. If it sounds like something that could be good, I'll take it for a test drive in maxYMiser using an emulator. I usually compose using an emulator, checking how it sounds like on a real Atari now and then, just to see if there's any problems with sync buzzers or the like. And finally I'll check it in the real machine for sound levels.
RockABIT: Your greatest achievement in Sound programming on the ST?
I guess the bass and drum sounds in my tune 'Blink' or the bass sounds in 'Decisive Factor' or 'Bullet Sequence'. 'Blink' uses 200Hz replay rate which made it possible to create some nice drums. The bass sounds in all three involve either sync buzzer and/or wavetable trickery.
RockABIT: Which of your Atari tunes stays special for you and why?
I don't really have a special tune on the Atari but if I had to pick one it would probably be 'Back To Basics' since it was my first tune after my long hiatus. I didn't think I would compose on the Atari again since there wasn't an editor available that would've done everything I wanted.
RockABIT: Where did your musical Influences came from?
I guess for soundchip music mostly from the C64 cracktros and the masters on the Atari: Max Max, Scavenger and Count Zero. For composing in general, from multitude of sources, to name a few, Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, Pink Floyd and Dire Straits. I listen to a lot of different genres and generally listen to whatever is good.
RockABIT: Life with 80s Homecomputer was…
Full of wonder and amazement.
RockABIT: Does your Demoscene experience have an effect on your Life today?
I started programming due to being active in the demoscene in my teenage years and I now work as a software engineer doing computer graphics related stuff, so yes :)
RockABIT: What do you think about the actual retro-phenomenon?
I like the fact that people still appreciate the old platforms but I'd like to see more people trying to do stuff "the oldschool way" using only the soundchip without external effects, extended polyphony etc.
RockABIT: When you listen to Chipmusic nowadays…
It lightens my mood and brings back good childhood memories :)
RockABIT: Are you still composing? Any plans?
Still composing for the Atari and some other platforms, and doing stuff with hardware and software synthesizers. I'm also working on my own music editor for the Gameboy.
RockABIT: Toni, thank you very much for your time and good luck for your upcoming projects!
I fell in love with the simple elegance of the chip tunes on the C64 when I was a kid. I was amazed at how beautiful and vivid a soundchip with only three voices could sound like in the hands of someone who had enough skill.
RockABIT: Describe your way of creating an YM2149 chiptune…
I usually have some simple motif playing in my head and I test it out with one of my hardware synths using a pulse width modulated instrument. If it sounds like something that could be good, I'll take it for a test drive in maxYMiser using an emulator. I usually compose using an emulator, checking how it sounds like on a real Atari now and then, just to see if there's any problems with sync buzzers or the like. And finally I'll check it in the real machine for sound levels.
RockABIT: Your greatest achievement in Sound programming on the ST?
I guess the bass and drum sounds in my tune 'Blink' or the bass sounds in 'Decisive Factor' or 'Bullet Sequence'. 'Blink' uses 200Hz replay rate which made it possible to create some nice drums. The bass sounds in all three involve either sync buzzer and/or wavetable trickery.
RockABIT: Which of your Atari tunes stays special for you and why?
I don't really have a special tune on the Atari but if I had to pick one it would probably be 'Back To Basics' since it was my first tune after my long hiatus. I didn't think I would compose on the Atari again since there wasn't an editor available that would've done everything I wanted.
RockABIT: Where did your musical Influences came from?
I guess for soundchip music mostly from the C64 cracktros and the masters on the Atari: Max Max, Scavenger and Count Zero. For composing in general, from multitude of sources, to name a few, Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, Pink Floyd and Dire Straits. I listen to a lot of different genres and generally listen to whatever is good.
RockABIT: Life with 80s Homecomputer was…
Full of wonder and amazement.
RockABIT: Does your Demoscene experience have an effect on your Life today?
I started programming due to being active in the demoscene in my teenage years and I now work as a software engineer doing computer graphics related stuff, so yes :)
RockABIT: What do you think about the actual retro-phenomenon?
I like the fact that people still appreciate the old platforms but I'd like to see more people trying to do stuff "the oldschool way" using only the soundchip without external effects, extended polyphony etc.
RockABIT: When you listen to Chipmusic nowadays…
It lightens my mood and brings back good childhood memories :)
RockABIT: Are you still composing? Any plans?
Still composing for the Atari and some other platforms, and doing stuff with hardware and software synthesizers. I'm also working on my own music editor for the Gameboy.
RockABIT: Toni, thank you very much for your time and good luck for your upcoming projects!
