jturcotte/chiptrack

A programmable cross-platform sequencer for the Game Boy Advance sound chip

Rust

188

437 commits

updated Feb 9, 2026

jturcotte.github.io/chiptrack

See the code

README

Chiptrack

A programmable cross-platform sequencer for the Game Boy Advance sound chip.

Try the Web Player

Install

See the latest release page

Features

Instruments are programmable

Each song carries a little WebAssembly program that converts sequenced notes to Game Boy Advance sound commands.
This gives almost complete control over the sound chip to each song.
Songs can be distributed and played from GitHub gists
Basic MIDI support in the desktop version
Runs natively on the Game Boy Advance

It can also be run on the 3DS through open_agb_firm
Master Sync Mode to send clock signals to a Pocket Operator or Volca

On the GBA the output volume is too low and it won't trigger unless amplified.

On the 3DS this can be worked around with open_agb_firm by setting audioOut=2 and volume=36 to override the physical volume slider.

Key / Button Mapping

Function	Desktop	Game Boy Advance
Move cursor	`←`\|`↑`\|`→`\|`↓`	`←`\|`↑`\|`→`\|`↓`
Switch panel (Patterns, Steps, Instruments)	`Shift` + (`←`\|`→`)	(`L`\|`R`) + (`←`\|`→`)
Select previous/next song pattern	`B` + (`↑`/`↓`)	`B` + (`↑`/`↓`)
Select previous/next pattern non-empty instruments	`Z` + (`←`/`→`)	`B` + (`←`/`→`)
Cycle the selected pattern/note/param value	`X` + (`←`\|`→`)	`A` + (`←`\|`→`)
Copy	`X`	`A`
Cut	`Z` + `X`	`B` + `A`
Paste (on empty slot)	`X`	`A`
Play song	`Enter`	`Start`
Play pattern	`Ctrl` + `Enter`	`Select` + `Start`
Reset sound channels	`Esc`	`Select`
Save	`Ctrl` + `S`	N/A
Export song to GBA save file	`Ctrl` + `G`	N/A
Toggle recording mode	`.`	N/A
Black notes	`W`\|`E`\|`T`\|`YU`	N/A
White notes	`A`\|`S`\|`D`\|`F`\|`G`\|`H`\|`J`\|`K`	N/A
Erase step (or hold during playback)	`Backspace`	N/A

Song Patterns Panel

Function	Desktop	Game Boy Advance
Cycle pattern	`X` + (`←`\|`→`)	`A` + (`←`\|`→`)
Duplicate pattern	`Shift` + (`Z`, `X`)	(`L`\|`R`) + (`B`, `A`)
Copy	`X`	`A`
Cut (only on the last non-empty slot )	`Z` + `X`	`B` + `A`
Paste (only on the placeholder slot)	`X`	`A`
Insert an empty pattern instead of pasting	`X`, `X`	`A`, `A`

Pattern Steps Panel

Function	Desktop	Game Boy Advance
Cycle note/param	`X` + (`←`\|`→`)	`A` + (`←`\|`→`)
Cycle note/param (large amount)	`X` + (`↓`\|`↑`)	`A` + (`↓`\|`↑`)
Enter selection mode	`Shift` + `Z`	(`L`\|`R`) + `B`
Select all rows (in selection)	`Shift` + `Z`	(`L`\|`R`) + `B`
Copy (in selection)	`Z`	`B`
Cut (in or not in selection)	`Z` + `X`	`B` + `A`
Cancel selection	`Shift`	`L`\|`R`
Paste selection clipboard	`Shift` + `X`	(`L`\|`R`) + `A`
Paste edit clipboard (on empty slot)	`X`	`A`

Notes:

B + A means that B must be held first*
The selection clipboard is set when copy/cutting in selection mode
The edit clipboard is set after a note/param cycle (also if unchanged)
Cutting when not in selection mode sets both the selection and edit clipboards

Based on the awesome work of

License

The source code is available under the terms of the MIT license (See LICENSE-MIT for details).

However, because of the use of GPL dependencies, Chiptrack compiled binaries are licensed under the terms of the GPLv3 (See LICENSE-GPL).

chiptune

gameboy

gba

music

rust

sequencer

slint

tracker-music

webassembly

Contributors

jturcotte

433 commits

ogoffart

4 commits

Similar repos

mmitch/gbsplay

gameboy sound player

124

minimaxir/miditui

An interactive terminal app/UI for MIDI composing, mixing, and playback—written in Rust

250

agbrs/agb

Library for writing Game Boy Advance games in Rust

488

protodomemusic/mmml

Micro Music Macro Language - An MML Implementation for 1-Bit Music on AVR Microcontrollers

118

emprcl/signls

a non-linear, generative midi sequencer in the terminal :infinity:

264

ad-si/awesome-music-production

A curated list of software, services, and resources to create and distribute music

1,500

mywave82/opencubicplayer

Open Cubic Player (unix fork). Music visualizer for various tracked music formats (amiga modules,…

440

mgba-emu/mgba

mGBA Game Boy Advance Emulator

7,423

Languages

Rust

53.7%

WebAssembly

20.4%

Slint

13.7%

Zig

11.4%

jturcotte/chiptrack

A programmable cross-platform sequencer for the Game Boy Advance sound chip

Rust

188

437 commits

updated Feb 9, 2026

jturcotte.github.io/chiptrack

See the code

README

Chiptrack

A programmable cross-platform sequencer for the Game Boy Advance sound chip.

Try the Web Player

Install

See the latest release page

Features

Instruments are programmable

Each song carries a little WebAssembly program that converts sequenced notes to Game Boy Advance sound commands.
This gives almost complete control over the sound chip to each song.
Songs can be distributed and played from GitHub gists
Basic MIDI support in the desktop version
Runs natively on the Game Boy Advance

It can also be run on the 3DS through open_agb_firm
Master Sync Mode to send clock signals to a Pocket Operator or Volca

On the GBA the output volume is too low and it won't trigger unless amplified.

On the 3DS this can be worked around with open_agb_firm by setting audioOut=2 and volume=36 to override the physical volume slider.

Key / Button Mapping

Function	Desktop	Game Boy Advance
Move cursor	`←`\|`↑`\|`→`\|`↓`	`←`\|`↑`\|`→`\|`↓`
Switch panel (Patterns, Steps, Instruments)	`Shift` + (`←`\|`→`)	(`L`\|`R`) + (`←`\|`→`)
Select previous/next song pattern	`B` + (`↑`/`↓`)	`B` + (`↑`/`↓`)
Select previous/next pattern non-empty instruments	`Z` + (`←`/`→`)	`B` + (`←`/`→`)
Cycle the selected pattern/note/param value	`X` + (`←`\|`→`)	`A` + (`←`\|`→`)
Copy	`X`	`A`
Cut	`Z` + `X`	`B` + `A`
Paste (on empty slot)	`X`	`A`
Play song	`Enter`	`Start`
Play pattern	`Ctrl` + `Enter`	`Select` + `Start`
Reset sound channels	`Esc`	`Select`
Save	`Ctrl` + `S`	N/A
Export song to GBA save file	`Ctrl` + `G`	N/A
Toggle recording mode	`.`	N/A
Black notes	`W`\|`E`\|`T`\|`YU`	N/A
White notes	`A`\|`S`\|`D`\|`F`\|`G`\|`H`\|`J`\|`K`	N/A
Erase step (or hold during playback)	`Backspace`	N/A

Song Patterns Panel

Function	Desktop	Game Boy Advance
Cycle pattern	`X` + (`←`\|`→`)	`A` + (`←`\|`→`)
Duplicate pattern	`Shift` + (`Z`, `X`)	(`L`\|`R`) + (`B`, `A`)
Copy	`X`	`A`
Cut (only on the last non-empty slot )	`Z` + `X`	`B` + `A`
Paste (only on the placeholder slot)	`X`	`A`
Insert an empty pattern instead of pasting	`X`, `X`	`A`, `A`

Pattern Steps Panel

Function	Desktop	Game Boy Advance
Cycle note/param	`X` + (`←`\|`→`)	`A` + (`←`\|`→`)
Cycle note/param (large amount)	`X` + (`↓`\|`↑`)	`A` + (`↓`\|`↑`)
Enter selection mode	`Shift` + `Z`	(`L`\|`R`) + `B`
Select all rows (in selection)	`Shift` + `Z`	(`L`\|`R`) + `B`
Copy (in selection)	`Z`	`B`
Cut (in or not in selection)	`Z` + `X`	`B` + `A`
Cancel selection	`Shift`	`L`\|`R`
Paste selection clipboard	`Shift` + `X`	(`L`\|`R`) + `A`
Paste edit clipboard (on empty slot)	`X`	`A`

Notes:

B + A means that B must be held first*
The selection clipboard is set when copy/cutting in selection mode
The edit clipboard is set after a note/param cycle (also if unchanged)
Cutting when not in selection mode sets both the selection and edit clipboards

Based on the awesome work of

License

The source code is available under the terms of the MIT license (See LICENSE-MIT for details).

However, because of the use of GPL dependencies, Chiptrack compiled binaries are licensed under the terms of the GPLv3 (See LICENSE-GPL).

chiptune

gameboy

gba

music

rust

sequencer

slint

tracker-music

webassembly

Similar repos

mmitch/gbsplay

gameboy sound player

124

minimaxir/miditui

An interactive terminal app/UI for MIDI composing, mixing, and playback—written in Rust

250

agbrs/agb

Library for writing Game Boy Advance games in Rust

488

protodomemusic/mmml

Micro Music Macro Language - An MML Implementation for 1-Bit Music on AVR Microcontrollers

118

emprcl/signls

a non-linear, generative midi sequencer in the terminal :infinity:

264

ad-si/awesome-music-production

A curated list of software, services, and resources to create and distribute music

1,500

mywave82/opencubicplayer

Open Cubic Player (unix fork). Music visualizer for various tracked music formats (amiga modules,…

440

mgba-emu/mgba

mGBA Game Boy Advance Emulator

7,423

Contributors

jturcotte

433 commits

ogoffart

4 commits

Languages

Rust

53.7%

WebAssembly

20.4%

Slint

13.7%

Zig

11.4%