ChipTuesday: Master Stroke DS Freeware

Written by Marc DeAngelis

Tuesday, 20 October 2009 12:36

Chiptuner and programmer, Pixelh8 has recently released Master Stroke, a real-time chiptune application for the Nintendo DS. While most chiptune programs are sequencer-based, Master Stroke lets the user play musical notes immediately, like a "real" instrument. On top of that, the software demands only a limited knowledge of music theory and synthesizer know-how. (Whether that's a good or bad thing I'm not sure.) Hit the link for the full description and a video of Master Stroke.

Like I said, the Master Stroke software more closely resembles a traditional instrument than something like a Game Boy loaded with LSDJ. So how does it control? Easy - just hit up, down, left, right, left shoulder, right shoulder, A, or B to sound a note. But that's only eight notes. How are you supposed to play sharps or flats? Also easy - the user can select the musical key to play in from one of the option screens. The key can be further tweaked by selecting a minor or major option.

They don't vary much in tone, but several different wave types can be selected, which help shape the notes you play. Attack, release, volume, and pan parameters can also be modified by the use of the DS' touchscreen. There are many different arpeggios, effects, and harmonizers as well.

One of the less useful, but still interesting, is the xylophone mode, which was inspired by the software creator's daughter. Like the keyboard mode in Korg's DS-10, the user can tap the virtual keys with a stylus. This isn't the most useful mode since it's difficult to play accurately or quickly by stabbing the DS screen.

Master Touch is available for free, so it's definitely worth a try. In presentation, the GUI is as dry as it gets, but I suppose visuals aren't the most important part of a music creation app. For a something made by a single person, it's a pretty impressive program. Be sure to check out pixelh8's music, too.

[Pixelh8]

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