How to Make 8-Bit Music
Back in the days of microcomputers and arcade machines, most digital music was recorded in an 8-bit format. This made the files much smaller than modern audio, but also much more limited in what they could play. The vast majority of 8-bit game scores consisted of simple square and triangle waveforms, resulting in the famous blips and beeps that we all remember. By using special plugins, modern music-making software can be made to generate similar sounds, allowing you to create your own Commodore64 or classic Nintendo Entertainment System-style music.
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Instructions
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Download and install a digital audio workstation, such as Renoise, Cubase or MODPlug Tracker, that supports Virtual Studio Technology (VST) plugins. Most programs that support it will mention the capability on their features page. Some such programs are commercial, while others are free: choose whichever suits your budget and needs.
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Download a VST plugin that simulates 8-bit music styles. Some popular choices are Magical 8bit Plug, Peach, Toad, Triforce, and Basic64. Each of them handles it in a slightly different way, and the musical output may sound very different depending on which plugin you use. Since all of them can be downloaded for free (see References for links), you might want to try a few, or even all, of them.
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Copy the plugin DLL to the appropriate folder on your hard drive. This will be found inside your program's main directory, in a folder entitled "VST," "Plugins" or something similar. Consult your program's documentation if you're not sure. The DLL must be in the right location for the program to detect it.
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Start your program and create some music. The steps necessary to do this will vary widely: again, read the documentation if you've never done something like this before. You will also need to find out how to enable plugins. Often, this will be located under a "Plugins" or "Effects" menu, but every program will handle it differently.
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Turn on the 8-bit plugin of your choice, and apply it to the track of music you just created. Turn the knobs and drag the sliders on the plugin's settings, to tweak it just the way you want, and click the "Apply" or "OK" button. The computer will process your effect, and you will be able to play your new 8-bit music track as if it were fresh out of the 1980s.
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