{"id":956,"date":"2024-09-20T22:29:51","date_gmt":"2024-09-20T22:29:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.julien-nevo.com\/arkostracker\/?page_id=956"},"modified":"2025-08-22T11:43:43","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T09:43:43","slug":"create-our-first-instrument","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.julien-nevo.com\/arkostracker\/index.php\/create-our-first-instrument\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating our first instrument"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is the second part of the tutorial.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a melody, now we’ll add a bass. First, we’ll create another sound for this. On the left of the screen is the Instrument List. There is already the default sound, called Beep, which we used for our melody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To create a new instrument, you can either click on the “plus” icon at the bottom of the list \"\", or right-click on the list and select “Create at the bottom”. Once clicked, a dialog opens:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It allows you to name the new instrument (change it to “Bass”), and select a template for it: this can save you some time to have an already formed instrument which you can shape into another one. In order to learn how the thing works, select “PSG” as the instrument type, and “Decreasing volume” as the template: this will create a very short and simple sound, which we will improve. You can also select a nice color, which will show in the Pattern Viewer later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Press OK. On the left, you can now see the bass instrument on slot 2:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Double-click on it to open it in the instrument editor (IE). It looks like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Don’t be afraid about all these bars. Press the usual qwerty<\/span><\/a> keys to listen to the new sound. It is not a very exciting one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several ways to edit the instrument, which are thoroughly explained in this page<\/a>. We will take the less scary one: with the mouse. Let’s draw an original curve. Point your mouse on the envelope curve, press ctrl<\/span><\/a> and draw a nice curve. Try to make it look like mine:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Note:<\/em> like in the PV, you can Undo anything, and press del<\/span><\/a> to suppress the bar where the cursor is (left-click to move it, or use the cursor).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note also two things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n