About This Project
▸ Who am I?
I am m4rina .
▸ What is a Tracker?
To simplify it, a music tracker is a type of music sequencing software. The music is represented as discrete musical notes positioned in several channels at chronological positions on a vertical timeline. Sample-based trackers came around in the late 80s and early 90s and were/are strongly affiliated with the Demoscene .
FamiTracker was originally designed for creating NES/Famicom chiptunes, and gives precise control over the console’s five native sound channels, plus optional expansion chips. Development on the original FT has since been discontinued, but there are modern forks being maintained, such as Dn-Famitracker. My work uses only the 2A03 chip for standard hardware compatibility.
Though hardware-compatible, tracker composition is quite different from how NES music was originally made in the 1980s, which involved writing low-level code directly to the APU with proprietary tools. A FamiTracker module can be exported into .nsf data files, readable by compatible players.
Through other tools, these files can be further packaged into .nes files that can run on hardware or emulators, containing both the music data and playback code.
▸ Why do I do this?
Despite being a lifelong VGM and chiptune enjoyer, tracker composing was a creative endeavor from which I shied away for nearly two decades, fearing the process would be too daunting and I wouldn’t have what it took to learn it.
However, on June 2024, I finally decided to try and take my first steps into this world, mostly thanks to a helpful friend who patiently taught me the ropes of it. It was about time I finally made the music I've always wanted to listen but only I could afford to create.
Eventually, I came up with a name, a logo and a brand identity for the project; thus, mariNSF chiptunes was formally structured. Though I have come a long way, I know there’s still a lot more to learn, and I'm happy to keep on making tunes as I improve. I’m glad to share my music with everyone who cares enough to listen.
Thank you for reading.