8 Bit effect

[hagel]

Hey people
Is there any schematics for a guitar effect which sounds like 8 bit music.
You know like the old nintendo or gameboy.
I've been searching for a  while now and haven't found anything.


Thanks.

[nordine]

nyquist aliaser

[ugly_guitar_guy]

Colin's Bitcrusher at experimentalistsanonymous.com

[mr.adambeck]

The Squarewave Parade has a layout for a very basic version of their Downgrade Pedal in their schematics section.  I'm actually waiting for my Tax rebate  so that I can buy that pedal.

[hagel]

After linking around on the links you guys gave me, I got the feeling that I'm looking for a Sample Rate Reducer.
Is that right?

[ugly_guitar_guy]

Correctamundo. The Bitcrusher is on my list of "to do's" 

[MusicAudio]

After linking around on the links you guys gave me, I got the feeling that I'm looking for a Sample Rate Reducer.
Is that right?

Exactly right! Lowering the bit rate will give you kind of a nasty distortion sound if you take it too low, but lowering the sample rate will get you more of an odd metallic tone as you lower it (maybe metallic isn't the right word). The point is, take the bit rate too low and it sounds like a crappy distortion pedal; take the sample rate lower and you start to get into more of a subtle droning of the sound.

For a suggestion, you could check out some various sample and hold circuits using mosfets.

-mike

[oldrocker]

Yes the Nyquist and the Bitcrusher are great.  I've built both and they're nice noise makers for sure.  Another suggestion would be the Hysteresis Oscillator.  It's simple to build and in some settings sounds very much like the foremetion-ed projects.  The Hysteresis also has a cool choppy tremolo setting that sounds different from other trems.  It clicks but it sounds cool.  I added a Vox 847 wah knob on the Hyster for filter that can cut down the clicking in tremolo mode.
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc93/ftrock/defef1.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc93/ftrock/Nyquist1.jpg

You can find all the info at the link below.
http://www.geocities.com/worthekik/hysteresis.html
Here's a photo of my Hysteresis


Here you can see the Vox 847 and the Hysteresis circuits being put together.   I used half of a Radio Shack audio transformer for the inductor on the Vox wah filter.

[hagel]

That is rad, oldrocker.
I listened to the soundclips and it sounds awesome. When you were recording the soundclips did you have the "Vox 847 wah knob" modification on the Hysteresis?
Too bad the wah mod isnt on the schematic.

Anyways, thanks all of you for the response.

[oldrocker]

Thanks, the sound clip wasn't me though, it was Mathew Helms who also modified the Hysteresis circuit design.
I built the wah circuit separate and connected them together after I realized it sounded good.

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/diagrams/wah_847_sc.gif

Go to Geofex site and do a search for wah inductor and scroll down and it will show you how to use a RS audio transformer as an inductor.

[The Tone God]

I have a few noise makers out. Crazy Larry which is an aliaser / under sampler / sample & hold using a PWM clock to allow alot of adjustment. Forsaken which is an oscillator that is triggered by your guitar signal that will completely mash your signal. Even the Christine distortion can give some crazy stuff.

Andrew

[Processaurus]

I like nintendo sounds.  Aliaser sounds are great and clunky sounding too, but for a more literal nintendo sound, you'd want a crude synthesizer effect, as the NES made all of its music with only 4 synth channels (two square/pulse wave channels (usually the lead sounds), a triangle wave channel (bass type sounds), and a noise channel (drums usually).  For emulating the Pulse wave, Tim Escobedo's PWM will do a nice job.  Here's a thread with some ideas (haven't ried them yet) about using the spare inverters to create a 2nd, pseudo unsynced pulse wave, like the NES would do sometimes for a thicker/chorus'd sound.  They'd put a delay on one of the waves sometimes as well to to make a slapback, spatial sound that is pretty classic too.  Vibrato on the end of notes as well if you don't mind having a wammy bar stuck to your guitar.

[oldrocker]

Really nice stuff there Andrew.  I've been thinking about building your projects for a while now.  I guess I'll have to give them a shot.  Thanks.

[Seljer]

my bluebox sounds like an old atari if you set it to only the octave down signal without the fuzz

[oldrocker]

I second the Blue Box comment.  I still have a Blue Box on a breadbaord.   Also you may try a Random Number Generator (RNG).  Crazy wierd sounds can be had with it.  I added the diode and there are other mods too.  And it fits in an Altiods tin.
http://www.midfielectronics.com/

[hagel]

Thanks man,
The dude at http://www.midfielectronics.com doesn't have schematics, how did you get that one you posted.
I guess you made it yourself.
Because, the Glitch Computer sounds like something I'd want to make.

The RNG is a little too random for me.