8-bit studio — chiptune loop maker_
Make 8-bit music loops in your browser — 6 chip channels · tracker FX · loop generator · live pattern jamming · seamless WAV export · share loops as links. Free, no signup.
BPM120
PATTERN1
POS1.1
MODELOOP
BPM
SWING 0%
STEPS
autosaved
Genre
Root
Scale
Energy
Pattern
Chain
click a slot to cycle patterns · right-click clears
Channels click = note · wheel = transpose · Shift+click = FX · right-click = velocity
Drums KCK / SNR / HAT (vel 3 = open) / CLP
FX glyphs: M arp major · m arp minor · / slide · ~ vibrato · ↓ zap down · ↑ zap up
Piano roll
Mixer & instruments
Keyboard shortcuts
Spaceplay / stop
1–8select pattern (queues at bar end while playing)
Z–M / Q–Uplay notes on the piano-roll channel (2 octaves)
Rrecord keyboard notes into the grid while playing
Gopen the loop generator
Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Yundo / redo
wheel · Shift+click · right-clickon grid cells: transpose · cycle FX · cycle velocity
Make 8-bit music loops in your browser
8-Bit Studio is a free online chiptune maker built for one thing: cool loops, fast. Six chip channels — two pulse waves, an NES-style triangle bass, a 32-sample wavetable, a noise channel and a four-lane 8-bit drum kit — run through a tempo-synced echo, per-channel filters and a master limiter, all synthesized live with the Web Audio API. No samples, no plugins, no account: open the page and you're producing.
From blank page to loop in a minute
Hit GEN and the genre generator writes a credible starting loop — arcade, house, drum & bass, trap or chill — complete with drums, bassline, chords and a lead in your chosen scale. Then shape it: the step grid supports velocity, per-note tracker effects (arpeggio, slide, vibrato, pitch zap) and a piano roll for melodies. While it plays, queue the next pattern like a live set — it switches exactly on the bar. When the loop is right, SHARE puts the entire project into a link, and EXPORT renders a seamless WAV whose echo tail wraps around the loop point — drop it straight into your game, video or DAW.
More audio toys on this site: the retro Winamp player, 90s MP3 player, audio editor, music visualizer, chord chart generator and the pixel art editor for matching cover art.
FAQ — chiptune loops, channels & export
How do I make an 8-bit loop with this studio?
The fastest route: press GEN, choose a genre, scale and energy, and hit GENERATE — you get a complete two-pattern loop with drums, bass, chords and a lead. Then make it yours: click cells to add or remove notes, scroll on a cell to transpose, Shift-click for tracker effects, and open the piano roll for melodies. Press SHARE to copy a link to your loop or EXPORT for a seamless WAV.
What are the six channels?
PU1 and PU2 are pulse-wave channels (the classic Game Boy lead and harmony sound, with selectable duty cycle). TRI is an NES-style stepped-triangle channel — the deep, round chiptune bass. WAV is a 32-sample wavetable channel for pads, organs and softer tones. NOI is the noise channel for hits, sweeps and texture. DRM is a four-lane drum kit (kick, snare, hat, clap) synthesized in 8-bit style — no samples.
What is a pulse wave and what does duty cycle mean?
A pulse wave is a square-like wave that jumps between two levels. The duty cycle is the percentage of time it spends "up": 50% sounds full and hollow, 25% thinner and brighter, 12.5% sharp and nasal. Switching duty cycle is one of the simplest ways to change the character of a chiptune lead — try it in the mixer's channel strip.
What is the arpeggio effect and why does chiptune use it?
Chip sound channels are monophonic — one note at a time. To fake a chord, trackers rapidly cycle a note through the chord's tones (root, third, fifth) many times per second. That shimmer is the signature chiptune sound. Shift-click any cell to cycle effects; M and m give you instant major and minor chord arpeggios.
How does the seamless loop export work?
The studio renders your loop offline, including the tempo-synced echo. The echo tail that rings past the end is then wrapped around and mixed into the start of the file, so when the WAV repeats there is no gap and no cut-off echo — it loops perfectly in game engines, video editors and DAWs. Export 1–16 repeats of the pattern or the whole chain.
How does sharing a loop as a link work?
SHARE compresses your entire project — every note, instrument setting and mixer value — into the link itself (the part after
#). Nothing is uploaded and there is no account: anyone who opens the link gets your loop loaded instantly, ready to play and remix. Bookmark links as versions of your own work, or send them to friends.Can I use my loops in games, videos or commercially?
Yes. What you compose here is your own work — export the WAV and use it in your games, videos, streams or music, commercial or not, royalty-free. The studio itself is free with no strings attached; a credit or a coffee is appreciated but never required.
What keyboard shortcuts are there?
Space play/stop · 1–8 select or queue a pattern · Z–M and Q–U rows play notes on the selected channel (two octaves) · R record · G generator · Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y undo & redo. On the grid: click toggles a note, mouse wheel transposes, Shift-click cycles effects, right-click cycles velocity.
Does it work on my phone or tablet?
Yes — the grid is touch-friendly: tap to toggle steps, and all transport controls work. A desktop browser is more comfortable for detailed editing (wheel transpose, Shift-click effects and the keyboard piano need a mouse and keyboard), but jamming patterns and the generator work great on mobile.
How is the sound generated — are these samples?
No samples. Every sound is synthesized live in your browser with the Web Audio API: pulse waves are built from Fourier series, the triangle is bit-quantized like the NES channel, the wavetable channel plays 32-sample single-cycle waves, and the drums are synthesized from oscillators and shaped noise. That's why the whole studio, projects included, weighs almost nothing and works offline once loaded.
Where are my projects saved?
Three ways: the studio autosaves to your browser's local storage as you work, so your loop survives a refresh; SAVE downloads the project as a small JSON file you can back up and LOAD later; and SHARE puts the entire project in a link — a bookmarked share link is a permanent copy. Nothing ever leaves your device unless you send the link.
Is this Game Boy or NES sound?
A friendly mix of both eras. The two pulse channels and noise follow the Game Boy DMG personality, the stepped-triangle bass is pure NES 2A03, and the wavetable channel is inspired by the Game Boy's WAV channel. The drum kit is a modern 8-bit-style addition so your loops groove without sacrificing a melodic channel for percussion.