Contents
- Introduction
- What you will need
- Step 1: Prepare the floppy disk
- Step 2: Connect the floppy disk to your computer
- Step 3: Convert the audio files to WAV format
- Step 4: Copy the WAV files to the floppy disk
- Step 5: Play the floppy disk on your computer
- Step 6: Play the floppy disk on a standalone player
- Tips and Tricks
- Conclusion
Floppy Disk Music was a thing in the 80s and early 90s. It’s making a comeback! Here’s how to make your own.
Checkout this video:
Introduction
This guide will teach you how to make music using a floppy disk drive and a computer. You will need a 3.5″ floppy disk drive, a computer with a sound card, and some software to create the music files.
The first step is to create a file on your computer that will hold the music. This file can be in any format, but it must be a Mono or Stereo WAV file. Next, you will need to record your music into this file using the floppy disk drive and the sound card.
To do this, you will need to connect the floppy disk drive to the sound card using a cable. The best way to do this is to use an adapter that connects the two devices together. Once you have connected the devices, you can open the recording software and begin recording your music.
When you are finished recording, you can save the file and then play it back on your computer to listen to your creation!
What you will need
To create music using a floppy disk drive, you will need the following items:
-A Windows-based computer with a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive
-A blank, formatted 3.5-inch floppy disk
-An audio cable with a 3.5mm miniplug on each end
-A sound card with line in and line out ports (most computers have this)
-A pair of speakers or headphones
Step 1: Prepare the floppy disk
To prepare the floppy disk, you will need the following items:
-one 3.5″ floppy disk
-onePC with a 3.5″ floppy drive
-a music editing program (optional)
Step 1: Prepare the floppy disk
Format the floppy disk as anaudio file (WAV or AIFF). If you do not have a music editing program, you can use Windows Media Player to do this. Right-click on the floppy disk icon in My Computer and select “Format.” In the Format window that appears, select “Create an audio file.” Choose a name and location for your file and click “Start.” Once the file has been created, drag it into your music editing program.
Step 2: Connect the floppy disk to your computer
Now that you have your floppy disk, you need to connect it to your computer. To do this, you will need a floppy disk drive and a USB cable. The USB cable will connect the floppy disk drive to your computer. Once you have the drive and the cable, follow these instructions:
1. Connect the USB cable to the floppy disk drive.
2. Connect the other end of the USB cable to your computer.
3. Insert a blank floppy disk into the floppy disk drive.
4. Open your music software.
5. In your music software, create a new project or open an existing project.
6. In the project, create a new track or open an existing track.
7. Select the track that you want to record onto the floppy disk.
8..In the track, select the input that you want to use for recording. This will be either an external input or your computer’s built-in microphone input..9..For most people, it will be easiest to use their computer’s built-in microphone input..10..If you are using an external input, such as a microphone, make sure that it is plugged into your computer and turned on..11..Click the record button in your music software and start playing your instrument or singing into your microphone..12..When you are finished recording, click the stop button in your music software..13..Disconnect the USB cable from your computer and then from the floppy disk drive..14..Remove the floppy disk from the drive and label it with the name of your song or project..15..You can now give thisdisk to a friend or keep it as a backup of your project!
Step 3: Convert the audio files to WAV format
Now that you have your audio files in the right format, you need to convert them to WAV files. This can be done with a number of different programs, but for this tutorial we will be using the free program Audacity.
Once you have downloaded and installed Audacity, open the program and click on “File” > “Open”. In the window that opens, navigate to the location of your audio files and select the ones you want to convert. Once you have selected all of the files you want to convert, click on “Open”.
All of your selected files should now appear as separate tracks in Audacity. To convert them to WAV format, simply click on “File” > “Export” > “Export as WAV”. In the window that opens, choose a location to save your WAV files and click on “Save”.
Step 4: Copy the WAV files to the floppy disk
Now that you have your WAV files, you need to copy them to the floppy disk. To do this, you will need a program that can read and write WAV files. We recommend Audacity, which is a free and open source audio editor.
Once you have Audacity installed, open the program and click “File” > “Open”. Navigate to the folder where your WAV files are stored and select the ones you want to copy to the floppy disk.
With your WAV files loaded into Audacity, click “File” > “Export” > “Export as WAV”. In the window that pops up, make sure that the “Format” is set to “Microsoft Wave”. Then, click “Browse” and navigate to your floppy disk. Enter a name for the file and click “Save”.
Audacity will now start exporting the WAV file to your floppy disk. When it’s done, you can eject the disk and listen to your music on any computer with a floppy drive!
Step 5: Play the floppy disk on your computer
Now that you have your floppy disk ready, it’s time to play it on your computer. In order to do this, you’ll need a computer with a floppy disk drive and a sound card. Most computers made in the last 15 years have both of these things.
First, insert the floppy disk into the floppy disk drive. If you’re not sure how to do this, consult your computer’s manual. Once the floppy disk is inserted, open up your media player of choice (iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc.).
Click on “File,” then “Open.” A dialog box will appear. In the dialog box, change the “Files of Type” drop-down menu to “All Files.” This will allow you to see all of the files on the floppy disk. Select the file that ends in “.wav” and click “Open.” The file will begin playing automatically.
Step 6: Play the floppy disk on a standalone player
Now that you have your floppy disk music file, you’ll need to play it on a standalone player. To do this, first insert the floppy disk into the player. Then, press the “play” button on the player. The music should start playing immediately.
Tips and Tricks
If you want to make music using floppy disks, there are a few things you need to know. First, you need to find a way to play the audio files on the disks. You can do this by using an external floppy drive, or by mounting the floppy disk on your computer and playing the files through your media player.
Once you have a way to play the audio files, you need to figure out how to create the music. There are a few different ways you can do this:
– Use a MIDI keyboard or other MIDI controller to play the notes directly into your computer. This is the easiest way to create floppy disk music, but it does require a bit of setup.
– Use a sequencer program to input the notes into your computer. This is a more complicated method, but it allows you to create more complex arrangements.
– Use an audio editor to manipulate the audio files themselves. This is the most difficult method, but it gives you the most control over your sound.
Once you have created your music, you can then export it as an MP3 or WAV file and save it onto a floppy disk. You can also burn it onto a CD or DVD if you prefer.
Conclusion
After all this talk of retro gaming and chiptunes, you may be wondering how to make your own floppy disk music. The good news is that it’s not as difficult as you might think. All you need is a computer with a floppy disk drive, a music program like Famitracker or Nanoloop, and a little bit of creativity.
If you’re not familiar with chiptune music, it’s basically music made using the sound chips found in old video game consoles and computers. These days, chiptune music has become its own genre, with artists creating complex and catchy tunes using nothing but the sound chips found in their retro gaming devices.
Making floppy disk music is a lot like making any other kind of chiptune music; the only difference is that you’re using floppy disks as your sound source instead of video game consoles or computers. To get started, all you need to do is load up a music program like Famitracker or Nanoloop and start experimenting with the different sounds that your floppy disk drive can create.
Who knows, maybe someday you’ll be making chart-topping hits using nothing but the sounds of an old floppy disk drive!