How to Make Music in Track Lab, Out Today for PS VR

Today, we’re thrilled to announce the release of Track Lab for PlayStation VR* and show you how its intuitive systems can unlock your musical super-talents, helping you create performances to share with the world. Even for you experienced musicians out there, we know you’ll love the new perspective on creating music Track Lab provides.

Basics

Track Lab essentially deconstructs musical beats so they become something you can create out of simple building blocks. It isn’t meant to act as an instrument for which you use sheet music, though you can do that. It’s intended to be an improvisational tool, a fun way for you to fool around and play with musical building blocks. You create by trying things out and simply having fun. You build physical and visual structures that represent a beat, and Track Lab makes sure that what you do sounds as good as possible. Once you’ve built your beat, you get to mix it, apply effects and summon your inner DJ.

Core building blocks

Let’s break down how you build beats. It’s incredibly simple and intuitive once you see it in action, and only requires three elements to understand.

1. Pulses: Every beat in Track Lab is essentially created by pulses of light traveling through a grid and hitting musical samples. Every time a pulse hits the sample, the sound gets played. Shaping the path of these pulses and the placement of the samples is what creates the beat.
2. Samples are the notes and beats you’ll use to create musical compositions, as simple building blocks to be stacked, lined up or placed in patterns. The interaction between the samples and the pulses is literally your music. There are almost 2,500 samples in 16 different styles to play around with.
3. Optics aren’t about making sounds, but are building blocks that allow you to manipulate the pulse itself by splitting, diverting or blocking it. With the optics you can go from a simple loop to a complex multi-layered composition. There are optics for blocking or alternating pulses and even logic gates that lead to intricate arrangements.

Game mode: Evolver

Evolver mode is where we mix gaming and music creation using the core concepts of Track Lab. Evolver is intended to be fun but also teach you to think in musical structures. Filling in and completing beats through the use of Track Lab’s core building blocks helps you understand optics, pulses and samples.

These are combined into puzzles for you to solve. Each time you solve a puzzle, you unlock the track that you were working on. You can then use the track to play around at the mixing station which allows you to mix, crossfade and apply sizzling sound effects to Track Lab tracks.

Game mode: Creation

Creation mode is the heart of Track Lab. This is where the training wheels come off and you go from player to musician. Discover 16 different styles ranging from Hip Hop to Dubstep, Hardstyle to Chiptune and even Metal and Rock – with each style offering multiple instruments.

In Creation Mode you will use all the mechanics learned in Evolver Mode to create your own awesome songs, and you’ll have the full range of Optics available to create music in the grid. You can use different types of pulse spawners that emit faster or slower pulses, you can split and divert those pulses to form more loops that get triggered at the right time, and you can use the gate and toggle optics to bring logic elements to your track.

Once you’re happy with your composition, add it to the mixing station and start mixing it with other creations. You will also have access to FX-Orbs to add professional effects to help you create the perfect live set.

Effects

Experiment in creation mode and you’ll be building beats in no time at all. Start off with a simple loop and keep building and adding until it sounds right to you. Track Lab is about experimentation and improvisation that results in you creating incredible, show-stopping tunes.

So, what are you waiting for? Try it yourself, start building beats and share your musical masterpieces with the world! Track Lab is available now for PS VR at PlayStation Store.

*PlayStation VR is not for use by children under age 12. PS4 system, PlayStation VR and PlayStation Camera are required to experience VR functionality. PlayStation Move motion controllers are required.