8Bit.js Audio Library

Write music using 8bit oscillation sounds. Supports rhythms, multiple instruments, repeating sections, and complex time signatures.

Get Started

1. Include 8bit.min.js in the head of your document.

2. Create an new instance: var music = new EightBit();

3. Give it a Time Signature: music.setTimeSignature(4,4);

4. Set the tempo: music.setTempo(120);

5. Create an instrument: var piano = music.createInstrument();

6. Start adding notes:

   piano.note('C4', 'quarter');
   piano.note('D4', 'quarter');
   piano.note('E4', 'quarter');
   piano.note('F4', 'quarter');

7. Mark the piano instrument as finished: piano.finish();

8. Tell the music everything is done: music.end();

9. Start playing the music: music.play()

Examples

• Super Mario Bros Theme - Created by me
• Tetris Theme - Created by rooktakesqueen
• Zelda Main Theme - Created by legosjedi
• Cities - Original Composition by GFM (If you want to use this in a project, please contact le9ato@yahoo.com)

API

EightBit Class

Method	Params	Description
setTimeSignature(top, bottom)	top: 4 bottom: 4	This will set the Time Signature for the music. Any number of top numbers (how many beats per bar) can be set, but the bottom number (which note gets the beat) can only be 2, 4, or 8.
setTempo(tempo)	tempo: 120	Set the tempo (BPM) of the music
setMasterVolume(volume)	volume: 100	Set the master volume of the music. From 0 to 100
pause()	n/a	Pause the music.
stop(fadeOut)	fadeOut: true	Stop the music with a slight fade out. If you don't want the fade, pass in false.
play()	n/a	Play the music.
end()	n/a	Collects all of the notes of each finished instrument and creates the oscillators in preperation to play.
mute(callback)	n/a	Mutes the music. You can pass in a function as a callback when the music completely faded.
unmute(callback)	n/a	Unmute the music. You can pass in a function as a callback when the music is completely faded up.
onFinished(callback)	n/a	Pass in a function that will be called when the music has completed
loop(loop)	loop: false	Pass in true if you want the music to keep looping forever.
createInstrument(waveForm)	waveForm: sine	Creates an instrument that you can add notes/rests with. The possible instrument types are: sine, square, sawtooth, and triangle
load(json)	json: JSON	Load a song into 8bit.js using JSON. Format is: { timeSignature: [4, 4], tempo: 100, instruments: { rightHand: 'square', leftHand: 'sawtooth' }, notes: { // Shorthand notation rightHand: [ 'E5, F#4|quarter|tie', 'rest|quarter', 'E5, F#4|quarter', 'rest|quarter' ], // More verbose notation leftHand: [ { type: 'note', pitch: 'D3', rhythm: 'quarter' } ] } }

Instrument Class - Created by using the EightBit:createInstrument() method.

Method	Params	Description
note(pitch, note, tie)	pitch Must be set note Must be set tie: false	Adds a note to the stack of notes for the particular instrument. pitch can be any note between C0 and C8 (e.x. Bb3 or G#7) note can be any from the list below whole dottedHalf half dottedQuarter tripletHalf quarter dottedEighth tripletQuarter eighth dottedSixteenth tripletEighth sixteenth tripletSixteenth thirtySecond tie can tie two notes together without any gap. By default the library puts in an articulation gap of about a tenth of the length of the note.
rest(note)	note Must be set	Adds a rest to the list of notes. Use the note list above for the type of rest you can use.
setVolume(volume)	volume: 25	Sets the volume for this particular instrument. From 0 to 100. You can call this multiple times before notes to change their volume at that point of the music.
repeatStart()	n/a	Puts in a marker where a section of music should be repeated from.
repeat(times)	times: 1	Used in conjunction with repeatStart(). Pass in how many times the section should be repeated. If no repeatStart() is set, it goes from the beginning.
finish()	n/a	This will mark the instrument as complete and add it's notes to the master list. If this is missing, the instrument will not be played.

Copyright and License

Copyright 2013 Cody Lundquist under the MIT License (MIT).