Move over, Nintendo DS. You may win on quantity and you certainly have some interesting apps, but when it comes to hardcore, deep apps with rich sounds and capabilities, the PSP has turned into a mobile music creation powerhouse. And if you think mobile music production is a novelty or a toy or only for chipmusic fans, take a good long look at PSPSEQ and Little Piggy. These are serious, grown-up trackers that can put your current computer workstation to shame. (And yes, when it comes to accurate timing, I’m afraid that includes the app-of-the-week Ableton Live.)

Two big developments: a Little Piggy port (video above) and growing PSPSEQ documentation (video playlist below).

This Little Piggy Went to PSP

“Little Piggy”, aka LGPT, aka Little GP Tracker (which awesomely also stands for Laser Gated and Pumped Thyristor) is making its way to the PSP. Originally built for the Linux GamePark platform, creator nostromo got this LSDJ-inspired tracker working in basic form on PSP in just a weekend and an evening.

Grab the beta at:
http://www.littlegptracker.com/lgpt_PSP.rar

LGPT is inspired by LSDJ on the Game Boy, but brings some twists of its own – and is nice and easy to see on a bright PSP screen. Now, LSDJ still has its place, thanks to the unique sound of the chip on the vintage Game Boy and the absurd cheapness of those machines, but it’s still good news.

PSPSEQ Documentation

PSPSEQ is already mature, but it tends to baffle newcomers. And creator Ethan Bordeaux has enough DSP technique in his head that you really want to know every little detail of the software he created. He’s working on copious tutorials. They already cover basic workflow, though the real gems should be once he gets into synth editing – PSPSEQ’s synthesis capabilities can rival a lot of desktop soft synths, and you can get into tweaking sounds instantly – no messy, gimicky UI getting in your way.

I’ve got a playlist below. I’m also working on a more compact guide to getting you up and running quickly – once I digest all the work Ethan has already done.

Updated: Watch on your PSP. Ethan sends along a video with direct-downloadable tutorial videos that should play nicely on a PSP. (Ethan recommends the homebrew video player PSPlayer, or you can try a conversion utility like the free PSP Player. Of course, you can’t watch and use at the same time, so you may wind up loading these elsewhere.)

http://dspmusic.org/psp/pspseq301_videos/ [easy on that link - only download if you really need it; i.e., have a PSP and PSPSEQ running on it!]

Both apps are free, though you will need a hacked PSP as with any PSP homebrew. I’ll keep dreaming of officially-sanctioned online distribution, in the meantime.

Next stop: we need a hardware MIDI hack for the PSP.

• Synthesizer presets
• 7 MB sample memory
• FM feedback with configurable routing (nice)
• Shortcuts and workflow improvements
• Randomization with various controls (range, etc.)
• Looping improvements

PSPSeq

Now, if anyone has smart ideas about how to buy up used PSPs, I’m all ears…

NitroTracker 0.4 (Now)

First up, on the uber-popular Nintendo DS, NitroTracker 0.4 adds some big features. Creator Tobias Weyand writes:

I wanted to tell you that I just released NitroTracker v0.4 with lots of new features and improvements, the coolest ones being sample looping and stylus-drawable volume envelopes. You can basically just record a sound, make it loop, draw an envelope, and there you have your instant instrument.

Sample looping is interesting, too – you can loop forward or, as in many video samplers, ping-pong style (back and forth). The envelopes are a nice fit for the stylus, as well.

Other features: multi-samples for instruments, and channel mute/solo.

Why you want it: Intuitive, tracker-style sequencing with a stylus, live sampling, MIDI integration, now with real sampling and envelope features

Site: NitroTracker

PSPSeq 3 (Soon)

I also got an advance look at the next version of PSPSeq when creator Ethan Bordeaux stopped by the CDM/Make/Etsy Handmade Music night I put together. I’ve got video from that event I’ll be editing and posting soon. But before I get into features, I should say this: Ethan wants PSPSeq to be so good, you’ll buy a PSP to get it. Why a PSP? Because the extra CPU power Sony built into the device makes it a formidable handheld synth. And because it’s different. And because it runs PSPSeq.

Ethan’s in bug-stomping mode, so you can’t have PSPSeq just yet. But the upcoming build includes new randomization and interpolation features, more powerful copy and paste, shortcuts, and workflow improvements. (It’s funny – it sounds like we’re talking about a DAW.) I was particularly impressed by the randomization stuff in person. It really turns PSPSeq into a powerful composition environment. Ethan, whose day job is DSP programming, has also included some unusual features like “rotational synthesis” – I’ll let him explain it in the video, once I get that up.

So, CDM readers, would you be interested enough to get a CDM group buy of PSPs, pre-installed with homebrew-ready firmware?

Come on. Humans have two hands. One hand can be on the DS while the other is on the PSP.

Why you want it: Powerful arrangement features, real synthesis that sounds great, all-in-one power

Site: dspmusic.org/psp

New featured spotted via Palm Sounds. See more PSP coverage on Palm Sounds, too.

PSP Rhythm 8.0 (Now)

From comments, I actually missed another big announcement. (Too much going on! Thanks, Louie!)

The popular PSP drum machine/sequencer PSP Rhythm got a new optimized audio engine, yet another interface upgrade (there seems to be one in each version), and an ADSR synth mode. For some reason, I’m not particularly drawn to PSP Rhythm musically – it lacks some of the exotic charm of PSPSeq – but it’s still very much worthy of your attention if you’ve got a PSP, and proof that the DS doesn’t have a monopoly on mobile music.

It’s even got a pro-style music trailer.

PSP Rhythm Site