This is a quick start guide for the LittleSoundDj (LSDj) tracker software by Johan Kotlinski. In this tutorial I'll introduce you to some basic key presses for issuing commands to LSDj and have you make a beat in LSDj's 16 step sequencer.
To get through this tutorial you'll need LSDj on a gameboy or running in an emulator. Some emulators don't properly represent the sound put out by the WAV channel which we will be using (in which case, you may hear some ugly noise instead of beats =).
If you're not familiar with trackers, reading up on their history may get you into the game a bit quicker. Another concept to understand before going on is the hexadecimal numbering system (which is used by LSDj). Although hexadecimal numbers are made up of both letters and numbers, to avoid confusion I'll refer to them only as numbers.
Because the goal of this quick start is to get you making some musical sound as soon as possible, I'll also be avoiding as many technical details as I can. This guide only briefly touches on what you can do with LSDj so check out the other tutorials if you want to do more!
After starting LSDj you should see a blank screen filled with dashes. This is the SONG screen, as indicated in the upper left hand corner. In LSDJ, all navigation is done using the directional pad. Push RIGHT twice to move your cursor to the 3rd column, as shown in the picture.
A SONG in LSDj is made up of CHAINS, and each set of dashes in the SONG screen represent a place for a CHAIN to reside. To create a new CHAIN where your cursor is, tap A twice. The number which appears identifies the CHAIN you have just created! 01 is the name of the CHAIN in the picture.
LSDj has many screens which are laid out in a map, not unlike zelda. The letters in the lower right hand corner indicate where you are at on that map. currently, S is highlighted for SONG screen.
Now that you've created a CHAIN, you'll want to edit the contents of that CHAIN by moving to the screen for that task. With your cursor still over your newly created CHAIN, hold SELECT and tap RIGHT once (All map navigation is accomplished in a similar manner: by holding SELECT and hitting a direction on the pad).
Notice that the title in the upper left corner of the screen displays CHAIN. Because your cursor was over CHAIN 01 in the song screen, you are now editing CHAIN 01 and the title in the upper left represents that. Also notice your position in the world of LSDj by looking at the map: C for CHAIN screen.
Just as the SONG is made up of CHAINS, a CHAIN is made up of PHRASES. Each set of dashes represents a place for a PHRASE to reside. To create a new PHRASE in the CHAIN you're editing, tap A twice. Switch to the screen for editing your new phrase by holding SELECT and taping RIGHT while your cursor is highlighting it.
Again, the title in the upper left corner of the screen displays PHRASE and the identification number of the PHRASE you are editing. What you see in this screen is very close to a 16 step sequencer on a classic x0x drum machine. Each row across the screen represents a step on the sequencer, starting from 0 and ending at F.
Tap START and watch the arrow scroll to get a better idea of what I mean. Tap START again to stop the arrow. No sound played because there was no notes on the rows the arrow was playing.
Tap A to place a note in the PHRASE. The note value, C 3 in this example, is in the left column. The I in the gray column stands for instrument. The number next to I, 00 in this example, is the number of the instrument that will be played. The rightmost column is for effects, which we will leave alone. Now if you tap START, you should hear some sound. However, the sound isn't like a drum.
Tap RIGHT to move your cursor over the instrument number. Then hold SELECT and tap RIGHT to move to the INSTRUMENT editing screen. Again, note the INSTRUMENT and number of the instrument currently being edited in the upper left hand corner.
To edit the NAME of the INSTRUMENT tap A while the cursor is over the NAME field. Use the directional pad to move around the letters. Tap A to enter a character, or tap A over the back arrow to delete a character. Tap A over the OK when you're done.
Tap DOWN to move your cursor from the NAME to the TYPE. hold A and tap RIGHT 2 times. this will change the INSTRUMENT TYPE to KIT, which contains drum samples.
Hold SELECT and tap LEFT to return to the PHRASE screen. The appearance of the screen has changed slightly. This is because KIT INSTRUMENTS allow you to play two samples on every step. If you tap START, you'll notice that the sound made at step 0 sounds a lot more like a drum.
Navigate the PHRASE with the directional pad and tap A to enter a note over any blank space in the two columns to the left. If you make a mistake, delete a note under your cursor by holding B and taping A. Don't be afraid to add and delete notes while LSDj is playing. That way, you can hear what you're working on while you make it!
To change the sample being played on any step, hold A and tap the directional pad in any direction. By tapping LEFT, RIGHT, UP, and DOWN you'll be able to change the sound being played to any sample in the KIT INSTRUMENT.
That's it! You should be able to have some fun playing around with a 16 step beat.
