Does anyone have any links (or tips for some nice starting points) for basic, 8 bit type, hollow square wave, c64/SID style patches for the Analog Four?
I’m sure you know the kind of thing but I’m after this type of sound… https://youtu.be/UBVoONryE3s?t=212 - the A4 sounds a bit ‘sophisticated’ so I’m after some patches that strip it down to basics 
Sadly both the patch links are dead (for the chiptune and C64 patches) but that YouTube link looks v.promising. I’ll take a look
If anyone knows how to still get hold of either of those patch packs though that’d be fantastic.
No but I can control your A4 with my c64 defmon midi device 
EDIT: I would help if I owned a A4 , chiptune was my starting point and I can make all those waveforms on my DN! I also have c64 / gameboy trackers - sequencers / sega midi / NES midi so it made it easier for me to hear the chiptune within the DN.
Does this link help?
https://www.newwavepresets.com/presets/
(Not an endorsement - I know nothing about these packs.)
Thanks! I hunted in vain for a while for the c64 sounds earlier so gave up as soon as I saw the dead link on the newwavepresets.
Just bought them. Only a couple of patches on the demo audio but as that tone is pretty damn close to the one I was asking for it’s a bit of a no brainer. I’ll report back after I have a play with them.
I like that sound pack. May be a few too many patches that use that note vibrato/arp effect (where it rapidly goes between notes at the start) but I guess that’s the essence of chiptune to most
Definitely nails that lovely distant retro square wave tone that I was after on a few patches so I’m happy.
There is a shortcut for these kind of sounds on the AR. Hold track and hit the Play(clear button) and you’re there!
Har Har. Some less snarky advice is to try some audiorate lfos on various aspects of the waveshape, hell even the wave selector itself. Pan is also a good candidate 
. I find just a touch of that FM ( even values between 0 and 1 sometimes) can lead to a nice sort of aliasing sound reminiscent of some older hardware chips.
(I don’t want to self promo but I am also the dude with a Super Nintendo A4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhogRMOowkk - this example is admittedly not very bitty at all. Give that FM thing a shot.
Hah, actually that’s not bad advice and sometimes the obvious things need saying I’ve just got to the stage of figuring out the main functions and have been playing with presets but definitely time I started building a few patches from scratch…
And cheers for that advice, I think I can imagine the sound and I reckon it’ll really fit the bill. I’ll give it a try on my new blank patches (which I’m sure you’ll see for sale on Elektronauts for $18 soon!)
ps. Nice Elektrotendo there!
Oh nice bud. Didn’t realize you were new to patching from scratch. I feel like there A4 kind of has that chiptuney sound in spades compared to some of the other synths I’ve had. Going to rapid fire some ideas for you.
Do you have mk1 or 2 btw?
Another very simple idea. Triangle wave pitched high with some vibrato. Sometimes that’s all you need.
Manually changing the pulsewidth (but not modulating it) can change the character slightly for better or worse. Transistor pulse gets kind of gamey.
I’d avoid heavy movement based modulations as most of this style is static apart from vibrato.
Turn on OSC Reset and turn off OSC Drift. In general you want static and non-organic sounds. Both those settings can help.
Also be sure to check out the noise osc. It has its own handy envelope. Dial in a really snappy noise stab and it gives the notes that crunchy percussive attack.
Regarding filtering. While you don’t want that waaouugh filter movement, you can still make great use of it for “spice.” For chippy sounds I like to just add a bit of resonance and keytrack the filters. I’ll do the high pass the same way. Then tune the filters just enough to where they start tickling the sound the range you want to play. I find this simulates that synth chip synth sound pretty well.
Sometimes the most hollow square isn’t a pulse width exactly in the middle! Even with calibration synths differ. Play with the pulse width slowly because sometimes that hollow square you want is only -3 or +1 from center.
Hope these help! If I figure out how to upload I’ll make a little patch pack.
Cheers, some nice tips there and I’ve been getting some good results with them.
I’ve never been too keen on a lot of regular modulation anyway so I’ve been using these to make them sounds aliasy and ‘wonky’. I’m definitely learning a fair bit more about the individual settings of the A4 with starting out on blank patches. Less variables to confuse me!
Hope you figure out how to upload some patches, would love to hear them.
Cheap Chiptune attempt. A4 outputs, no filters, no overdrive. AM1, PWM, fork LFO on PAN.
This is just 4 voices? I thought it was 4 voices until the drums kicked in 
The A4 keeps waving at me. Gigantic range…
brilliant!
Could you detail a bit how you’ve done to make it sound like this ?
love it.
That sounded great. I cant say I’ve ever made my A4 sound like that. But I’m gonna give it a try!
1 month later… 
T1 Bass
T2 Notes with fast arp
T3 Notes + chords
T4 Drums with Noise
I used square oscs only, no filters nor overdrive, but AM1 (osc2, +2 octaves as middle, Fine Tune), PWM (on osc1 and osc2), fast fork Square Lfo on PAN*. Noise plocks for drums (SNH for bit reduction, COL as filter).
10 Perf macros on these parameters.
3 dest for square oscs, 1 for noise drums occasionally on certain Perfs.
*I planned Amp Vol but I used @philroyjenkins PAN advice. I started from scratch and didn’t try other things, but I think his advices worth a try!
A couple of years ago I noticed a random lfo on wave selector in a factory sound. Really interesting too!
Just had to chime in and say; I heard a few of your demos on a few different threads and you’re blowing my mind as to the range this thing has! I just ordered one yesterday and I’ve been scouring the internet for examples of the kind of stuff that I’m in to and you’ve filled me with confidence that I made the right choice!