The Synthesis Update added in a lot of quality of life changes and the recent ByteBeat update adds in a very functional synthesizer and looper. The ByteBeat device contains a surprising level of freedom and flexibility. With a little bit of creativity and ingenuity, you’ll be able to quickly create musical masterpieces in no time. You can also have the ByteBeat device randomly create music. That’s right, even music can be procedurally generated in the game now.
You can unlock the Light Floor, The ByteBeat Device, The ByteBeat Switch, and the ByteBeat Cable at the anomaly at the Construction Module terminal under Technology Modules.
The items cost the following Salvaged Data and Materials to unlock and build:
Light Floor – 1 Salvaged Data – 5 Sodium
ByteBeat Cable – 0 Salvaged Data – 0 Mats
ByteBeat Device – 10 Salvaged Data – 3 Metal Plating, 50 Gold, 1 Antimatter
ByteBeat Switch – 2 Salvaged Data – 25 Ferrite Dust, 15 Ionised Cobalt
These new devices will require an active power source as well as connections via the ByteBeat cable to function properly.
As you can see above the ByteBeat Device is very much like a synth/looping program ala Fruity Loops. You have the Melody Panel on top and the Rhythm Panel on the bottom. You can select notes on the Melody Panel and set the beat on the Rhythm panel and modify the sound in a variety of ways. You are able to select thirteen different sounds for each of the percussive elements (high hat, snare, bass).
You are able to set the Beats Per Minute, the Key, the Time Signature, and the Pitch. Not only that, you can set the arpeggio patterns for each note, edit the waveform, and the envelopes to produce unique sounds.
You can also connect a total of eight ByteBeat devices together and control when they are active via the Synchroniser tab. By utilizing the full amount of BeatByte devices allowed, you have an incredible amount of freedom in creating music.
Along with the ByteBeat Device is the ByteBeat Switch. The ByteBeat switch allows you to control activate devices such as the Light Box, the Noise Box, and the newly added Light Floors in time to the music. You have a variety of conditions to activate the switches, such as the base note, the rhythm, and the beat.
Overall this is quite the charming update. It will allow players to explore their imagination and create endless works to their heart’s content.
Ducky Obrien 