Music Making "Games"/Programs?

[Edmond Dantes]

So, for the longest time I've wanted to make music, but I've never been able to wrap my head around learning an instrument or learning to read music sheets.

I'm sure most people's first thought when it comes to "games" that let you create music is Mario Paint, but I've always been unsatisfied with that due to its rather basic limitations, such as the inability to draw out notes.

Recently I discovered an interesting Playstation 2 program called Magix Music Maker, which is apparently common and super cheap. Now at first this seemed like it only allowed you to string samples together, but then I discovered it had a sample *editor*--which allows you to create them from scratch. It's interface is simple (there's keyboard keys lined up in a column along the left and you draw lines next to them to indicate what note you want to play and for how long) and I was actually able to create some bits that sounded convincingly like something I could see being in an SNES game.

But it has shortcomings. First, there are glitches that cause the sample editor and the beatbox to become totally silent. I'm not sure what causes this (it may be due to my having a late-era slim PS2). Second is that the samples can only have two concurrent instruments (up to eight would be ideal) and third is that they can only be like thirty seconds long.

Honestly, I wish there was a program that was like Magix's sample editor, just with that as the whole program, and more fully-featured in the ways I suggested.

.... Well, also I would like for it to be for either DOS or Windows 98.

Anyone know of music making programs for those?

(Should this be in PC Gaming or Other? I mean, I talked about two console releases but..... well, I'll leave that up to the mods).

[jb143]

You could look into music trackers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_tracker).

I was using one for DOS back when I was trying to make a Gameboy game. I don't remember which one I was using but there are a lot of options.

[Aussie2B]

I have no idea about what's specifically available for DOS and Windows 98, but yeah, if you want to make chiptunes, go with a music tracker. If you want to get serious about this stuff and use the most fully-featured programs, learn a DAW (digital audio workstation).

If you like the kinds of music-making "games" on systems, and if you're willing to expand outside of computers, MTV Music Generator on PS1 was pretty popular back in the day. Apparently it got some sequels on PS2 also. And it looks like the PS1 release also came out on PC. I'm guessing that'd run on Windows 98? The KORG releases on DS and 3DS are pretty well-liked too.

[Alianger]

For retro chiptunes, Deflemask is a very good tool. It supports the YM2612/MD, YM2151/Arcade & X68000, PC Engine, NES, SMS and C64 chips. Of course you'll have to get used to the tracker interface and adhere to each chip's limitations.

Otherwise try FL Studio, Reason or Garageband; trying to find a game as a tool is just going about it the wrong way unless you really like a particular set of limitations in one of them.

[bb_hood]

So, for the longest time I've wanted to make music, but I've never been able to wrap my head around learning an instrument or learning to read music sheets.



If you do want to learn an instrument, specifically guitar, you should check out Rocksmith. Its really really good. It does so many things. It teaches beginners how to play, it teaches you how to play songs, there is a mode where the songs play like Guitar Hero(more like a game), there are arcade style guitar games, and there is a sessions mode where you can jam with a band. Its really easy to understand and you dont need to know how to read any sheet music to learn guitar.
Ive spent more time playing Rocksmith than any other game, and its my personal favorite game of all time. Currently learning to play Surfing with the Alien by Joe Satriani.
So I highly reccomend Rocksmith if you are serious about music learning.

[Nebagram]

MTV Music Generator is a rebranding of what in Europe was the very simply-named Music series (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_(software)) by Codemasters, and I know for a fact that Music 2000 was released for PC and should be 100% compatible with Win98, so that's definitely worth checking out.

[Niku-Sama]

Does any one know if there's a music editor in 8bit music power final for famicom?

[RP2A03]

If you don't mind emulating, you should take a look at Ongaku Tsukuru: Kanadeeru (Super Famicom). From what I can gather, it is Mario Paint on steroids. Unfortunately, everything is in Japanese, but you should be able to figure everything out by poking around.

[Koa Zo]

Ongaku Tsukuru: Kanadeeru (Super Famicom). From what I can gather, it is Mario Paint on steroids. Unfortunately, everything is in Japanese, but you should be able to figure everything out by poking around.

That's what I was going to suggest.
There's also Abruptly Musician (Ikinari Musician Synthesizer) on Famicom.