Should 1 Bit Music be kept clean or is post processing acceptable?
Shortlink: noichan.org/3406
December 31, 2011 in News, User Submitted
I am considering releasing a 1 bit E.P for Noisechannel.org but I need your help with it 
. Allow me to explain:
It’s the old question of pure VS post processing. However my intention here is not to start an age old argument. What I want is an honest opinion. You see, even I am torn! I might make a small 1 bit EP for this very site , and so your feedback is vital here in order that I provide the best content for everyone.
Basically, what has happened is the following and I say this with no ill intent because it seems both groups of people like my 1 bit stuff in general which I couldn’t appreciate enough 
. Howver when some of them bring up honest respectful feedback, I would like to adress it and see what can be done about it.
What I will do is provide sound examples of my latest song. One will be clean and pure straight from the tracker with no effects while the other will be EQ’ed with reverb in order to spice it up a tad. This first one is straight from the tracker.
People generally like my music, but some with sensitive ears have said that the higher frequencies in 1 bit music hurt their ears a bit. Yet at the same time, I get lots of people who appreciate the sound pure straight from the tracker.
Here is the same track, but with EQ, Reverb, and a bit of Echo in an attempt to spice it up.
Again, people have no problems with my compositions but the way in which tracks are mastered and EQ’ed leave some happy, and some not. This is perplexing! Some are grateful for the modern effects and slight EQ so that 1 bit music is easier on the ears and more acessable to them. Others like the composition but feel the modern effects ruin part of what makes 1 bit music so appealing to them in the first place.
Yes, it is my music and I could have the final say if I wanted it. That much is obvious. However the trouble is, I see both points as valid and I like both versions of my song equally for different reasons when it’s all said and done.
I have a few different options here:
1. Pure – Leave the tracks unprocessed and clean for the appeal of the original sound.
2. Enhanced – Attempt to enhance the overall sound of it with slight modern effects (EQ, Reverb ect.)
3. Both? – Make a split EP with one side pure and the other enhanced to please both parties.
4. Other – Make versions that combine the 2 perhaps with the first loop clean and the second loop with effects in the same mp3 file blending seamlessly into each other. (Or, insert your own idea for option 4 and I’ll consider it)
I’m calling on the people of Noisechannel.org to help me make my final decision! In your comments, please tell me the number of the option you picked and why . If I am going to release a solo EP for this site, I want to please as many people as possible. Please be respectful of each other’s thoughts and post an honest comment in order to make the highest quality release for our community of excellent chip musicians.
In fact, before I end this article perhaps I’ll include an OPTION 5! – I could even call upon some other 1 bit artists and we’ll put a collaboration album together out for NoiChain! FM-Possible certainly came out great, and I’d be a fool not to at least consider a collaboration with other artists as an option again .
So, now that your brain has exploded with possibilities and you are left a drooling shell of your former self….give me an opinion! Thanks for reading this long ridiculous post! I look forward to reading your comments. Let’s make this EP the best it can be for 2012!
Kind Regards,
-Jredd
Problem with post processing a 1 bit track is that unless you’re rendering out each channel separately and mixing it later with separate FX chain (Reverb, EQ, compression, etc) it will most likely sound bad unless you’re very skilled at mastering. Best you can hope to do is notch out a few of the most annoying high band sounds; you don’t want to dip the entire high end on the overall track because it makes the percussion sound weak, and you don’t want to add the same amount of reverb to the entire track because an acceptable amount of reverb for a ‘snare’ sound is way too much for a lead synth usually.
I’m late to the discussion, but I just wanted to comment that I found the one with extra production to have too much reverb, and maybe too much of a high freq. cut. (Or maybe the reverb cut the highs.)
Reverb is one of those things most people use too much of–a little often goes a long way. Have you tried “light” mastering of a 1-bit track? i.e. light reverb that just gives the sound a hint of dimensional space, and a bit of bass/treble boost (like a “rock” preset on a stereo EQ). Might be worth a shot.
That’s a good idea, maybe I’ll just put a hint of something in there where it’s so slight you almost can’t tell but it adds a tiny extra something. I was considering that myself. Also that I like some tracks with a bit of effects and some without. So I might just end up with a mixed bag in the end. Thanks for the feedback, all of it helps
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didnt read the rest of the comments here but this seems to be exactly what i was thinking. too much reverb makes it sound muddled. i would go with a bid of bass/mid boost but try and watch the high end.
It’s settled then. I will include both with an emphasis on the clean ones and the post processed ones being the “Bonus Disk” Thanks for the feedback guys, it was very helpful.
I like it pure much better. That’s part of why I didn’t master any of it on ON/OFF
art’s done!
Cool, I didn’t know you were going to make me art! Thanks! Although I am not even sure what I would call the album. But I am sure I could easily slap a title on both.
i just did jredd – one bit haha
I can change it if you want me to
I would appreciate an EP with both versions. For me, it would be more appealing to have them wrapped together in one package than released separate, but perhaps with two different cover arts like frostbyte suggests. Raw and processed both have their up sides, and some days im in a raw mood and others i want it easy to listen to. Having both options would not only be fun, but i think it might be a unique way to highlight the low tech nature of the music. i dont think ive seen anyone else do something like that, but its a really good idea. looking forward to hearing how it turns out
You can have one release page, and do like, two cover arts: one colored one way, the other colored another way (I offer to do both!) and clicking on one gives you processed, the other gives you pure!
sounds rad frosty
I really like this idea. The production jobs are usually fairly quick, and all the original files are with the tracker. So either one is easy to do. I think releasing both as a 2 disk set with different cover arts is a brilliant idea
. Thanks guys, I think something like this will be a nice release idea for 2012!
give eeeeet NAO pl0x 8D
I’ll work on the art asap jredd!
Personally, id prefer it cleaned up, but to be completely frank, people arent going to listen to 1 bit music for its great production, you know? it could be cool to see how much you can clean it up, but the majority of people are going to want it pure.
who listens to music for the production?
obviously not you.
Pretentious audiophiles.
Or someone who is taking an audio post-production class.
haha @pandasattack, i didn’t mean it as a negative comment
my apologies!
And true dat VCMG
@frostbyte no harm man, youre good.
i was meaning, the audio fidelity is so low that most people who want to listen arent going to care whether its well EQ’d or whatever. theyll be listening for different reasons.
that’s true. either way, it’d be nice to see what he can do with such low audio quality in the first place!
1. Pure, you know my feeling mister ^~
Keep it raw,brutal and beeping …not smooth YUK
Lol, yes I know how you feel. I listened to your cubes album. I think you have an ear rape fetish
. No but seriously, thanks.:). I might take up the idea to release 2 versions to please everyone…buy maybe that’s repetitive? Aw, hell if I know 
. Either way, at least a couple people seem for the idea of a 1 bit album in general which is encouraging 
.
to right im stoked to give that tracker a whirl, as for the dual Album idea I dont think its to out of the question – I guess with the cleaned version your just gunna have to work you fingers into bloody stumps to make it have a little variety ^_^
either way I am looking forward to the release.
If it’s not too much trouble for you to do, I suggest going with option 4, albeit slightly differently: instead of seamlessly blending them together, why not just release two versions of the song/album/EP? That way, people who want post-processing can enjoy the whole thing that way, and people who want it raw can do the same.
I do have to agree that 1-bit music is a bit harsh by itself, but I think that’s part of the charm. Kind of like how tUnE-yArD’s first album is pretty lo-fi, but that’s why people like it.
That sounds closer to option 3 except I’d be spliting it up into 2 albums rather than a packaged deal. What if I made a “pure” disk and then disk 2 has some post processed ones, but yet you get like 2 little albums in one download? Would that be acceptable? Thanks for responding by the way. I know it’s a long read.