chiptune

English

Etymology

From 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; especially (demoscene) a tracker module simulating the sound of early 8-bit computers.

Translations

style of music

• Arabic: چيپ تيون
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 芯片音樂／芯片音乐 (xīnpiànyīnyuè)

• Japanese: チップチューン
• Korean: 칩튠 (chiptyun)
• Russian: чиптюн (čiptjun)

Related terms

• chipmusic