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This may take a few minutes for all the sounds to completely load.
Take that time to read this, and you will be a skilled Virtual GameChimes player almost immediately.

I recommend earphones for the faux stereo sound, but watch the volume.
It can get loud.


Forget that just let me play it, already!

It's easy to Play the Virtual GameChimes.

Translucent colored buttons will appear over the instrument when you pass your mouse over it, to guide you.

On mouse-over the blue buttons on the left side of the
tubes play a short bursts of their sampled note. That is when you pass your mouse over them, they will produce a cascade of notes. But skilled mousing can produce individual notes. It also has the potential to make the most noise. Try using the left array sparingly.

The red buttons on the middle of the tubes produces a more sustained note when clicked. This arrangement lets you reach individual notes easily, and produce whatever strange melodies you may find. This instrument is not intentionally in any standard tuning. It is designed so you can hit any note you want and still be "in tune." Whatever that means in this context.

Clicking the blue buttons on the right side of the tubes triggers a loop sampled from that particular tube. They continues for about a minute, and then fade out. Use them as a background bed. You can click them as many times as you like and produce up to eight layers of sound. The loops will phase over each other in interesting ways.

The two large red buttons on the far right of the screen trigger loops of me playing with mallets on the whole GameChimes. These loops continue for several minutes and then fade out.

The Silence Button stops all sounds. There is no feature at present to stop the individual loops. If you get in too deep, your only hope is to go back to the silence you started with.


OK I've read enough of this, let me go at it!

Playing Tips

Flash can't handle playing more than eight sounds at once, so this instrument is pretty easy to overwhelm. That is you may find, that if you click too many notes at once, nothing will happen when you click the note. But playing this instrument with care you can create all sorts of amazing music, music that no one has ever heard before.

The temptation may be to quickly click from button to button, making a great noise, and then think that is all it is capable of.

Try playing with just one or two of the loop buttons, letting them phase over each other until you get a "bed" you like. Then run your mouse over the left side buttons to get a glissando or two, or slowly click on the more resonant middle section of the tubes to play single notes. Concentrate on two or three notes at once, explore all the variations that that will bring. Now you have some idea what can be done with this virtual instrument.

Have fun.

Mike Natale
NYC

*Leave a Comment   *Read the comments   *How to Play   *Playing Tips  *Top of Page

Press the two buttons above to trigger loops. Use them as a rhythm tracks to back you up while you play the chimes.

Press the Silence Button if things get out of control.

More Tips

   Play the Virtual Drone Gambira
Play the Virtual GameGongs
More about the GameChimes
The Gametone Homemade Instruments
The Gametones
COMMENTS:



really cool sounds man! :-)

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:0)


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sweet dude!********************** oh, man! where did you get this idea?!

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i think that these are some of the most interesting inventions i've seen. And to be able to play them? dude, you're more than generous! thanx!

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This one is very cool, Michael.

Amy

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When you play, "Think of One" - T. Monk

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hello

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i cant play shit


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Wow! Loved it. What's the tuning?

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It's tuning is purely internal, that is to itself. It was determined by how one note sounded when played against all the others. It's what my ears, brain and hacksaw agreed on at that particular juncture in time. If a studious soul wants to sit down at a piano or tuner and figure out what scale, or lack of scale it is, I'd love to hear about it.
Mike Natale
gametone@wrybread.com

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this was fun i loved it :)


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WOW I want one

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i love the sound but can't play.

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you truly are musicians.....and what better way to help change how music will sound, but by actually inventing, and crafting beautifully sounding new ambiances...keep riding the crest of the wave...stephen.

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Thanks Stephen,
I appreciate the kind thoughts. Glad you enjoyed it.
Mike

Okinawa! This is very genius!

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So what is the sound box made out of? I love the sound, it's beautiful!

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The body of the chimes is made of Styrofoam found on the street, left over from packing some unknown product. Read more
here.
Mike

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Totally awsome!

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Very very creative. Love it!!!

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This a nice instument

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This is the weirdest instument ever


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what do you mean?


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great site

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I found your site while looking for Gamelan Chimes...now I don't need the chimes! This site is among the coolest I've ever found.

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Virtual GameChimes reviewed in Neural, an Italian blog.
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