chiptune

English

Etymology

chip +‎ tune, referring to a computer's sound chip; see chip (“electronic circuit”). Initially in the meaning of modules, as an antonym to 'real' chip music, then generalized/recontextualized.

Noun

chiptune (plural chiptunes)

1. (music) A piece of computer music in which the sounds are generated and mixed in realtime, common before the advent of mass storage for prerecorded sound.
   • 2007, Mark J. P. Wolf, The Video Game Explosion:

     Composers of chiptune and demoscene music practice the art of game music in vitro, with no particular commercial endeavor.

   • 2008, Karen Collins, Game Sound:

     […] it has been so popular with chiptune musicians […]

2. (music) A style of music that samples or emulates the audio capabilities of older sound chips, but ignores certain hardware or software limitations inherent to them.
3. (music, demoscene) Tracker modules simulating the sound of early 8-bit computers, like Commodore 64, usually small in size and often used in cracktros.

Related terms

• chipmusic