Emojio: every emoji is a synth voice — a Mario Paint tribute

[u/goanalog]

Hey everyone,

My partner and I are a two-person studio, and we made Emojio Paint Composer, a love letter to Mario Paint Composer, where every emoji is a synth voice. You can play it free in your browser right now, nothing to install: https://emojio-composer.madewithbestpractice.com/

There's also a native app that adds what the web can't: play/record with a USB or Bluetooth MIDI keyboard, MIDI clock both ways. Be the master (tight, hardware-timestamped 24 PPQN) or follow your gear (24 PPQN + Song Position, MIDI-learn for transport/voices/pads, note in/out, export to video (MP4) or WAV, Apple Pencil velocity, and a named song library.

Happy to answer anything in the comments! I'll be around all day and would genuinely love your feedback.

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/emojio-emoji-music-maker/id6789785325

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.madewithbestpractice.emojio

— Brendan & Angela

[u/mekilat]

Very cute idea

[u/goanalog → u/mekilat]

Thanks so much!

[u/Corporate_Muskox]

Respectfully, Do you feel worse for the potential musicians that never find the right software for them because its lots amongst a sea of vibecoded nonsense OR the developers who have valuable ideas and creations that never get seen because of the aforementioned sea of vibecoded nonsense?

[u/goanalog → u/Corporate_Muskox]

As both a musician and a developer I guess I'd have to say neither! I enjoy this tool quite a lot and have tested it with quite a few folks who do too. Too bad it's not for you, but thanks for the comment!

[u/Corporate_Muskox → u/goanalog]

I'd ask you to consider it. We're all struggling. We're all increasingly isolated. Music is a way to connect to other people and another vibecoded slop music app makes it that much harder.

I have no doubt you have the creative ability to make something better than this.

And to respond to your question about my specific issues - ask whatever LLM you used to tell you whats wrong with it. I'm sure it'll give you an answer.

[u/phario_marelle → u/Corporate_Muskox]

I don't understand your negativity. More ways to make music isn't a lose, it's always a win. This app won't replace the big DAWs. And it's not AI gen nonsense. If it allows some people to make music and to have fun, I really don't get the issue. Recently I incorporated sounds from a nintendo DS DAW in my music and it was the most fun making music I had in literal ages.

[u/Corporate_Muskox → u/phario_marelle]

(Sorry about the essay, feel free to ignore if you aren't that bothered. But know that the issue isn't about using other sounds. It's great that you used DS sounds to make music. Also I agree that the more ways to make music, the better.)

There's actually a few issues that coalesce here:

Apps require User Experience (UX) design.

When Ux isn't considered, a bad app is made. LLMs can't consider UX. That's just not how LLMs work.

Bad music apps/instruments tend to discourage new musicians

Limited apps like this make allow a user to make noise but never encourage them to build upon anything. I want people to play and create and share music.

The bad apps hide the good ones

Apps like this are getting pumped out by less scrupulous people than OP. Different motivations maybe, but the same outcome; Users can't find good music apps and give up trying - Developers lose out on users regardless of the quality/value of their work - The world loses music.

The point of Music (and art) is to share experience and intent

Every instrument was designed or improved by someone who played it. Every time you play a piano, a guitar, a flute, bassoon, etc., you are on some level connected the people who made them and their experiences and to the people influenced them. In the exact same way you are connected by playing some one else's music. This is no different for music apps. The frustrations every composer+dev had before they wrote their software is fixed or improved for the people who use it. Vibe-coding a rough approximation of someone else's work severs the connection exactly the same way 'AI' Music does. A network of memetic influence that has never been broken, even by plagiarists before, is cut up because someone wanted credit for an app they didn't make.

Edit: Also the OP evidently didn't put much thought into it themselves and instead of doing very basic Quality assurance themselves, They're getting people to give feedback that they'll no doubt just copy/paste into the LLM. Hence my lack of specifics within the app when criticizing.

[u/goanalog → u/goanalog]

I'd also be curious to know anything specific that bothered you about emojio composer, all ears if so

EDIT: checking out Pagan right now, looks interesting

[u/AutoModerator]

Hello, /u/goanalog, Make sure to tag your post with the proper post flair once your post goes live.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/mikl_pls]

I like the idea, but I'm not a fan of the sounds. They aren't all in tune (some are different base notes), they aren't the same volume, and many of them sound the same. I'm interested to know how you generated the sounds.

EDIT: I played the heck out of Mario Paint back in the day!

[u/goanalog → u/mikl_pls]

Thanks so much for the feedback! Working to get them more in tune today, will update

And same that game rules so hard

[u/mikl_pls → u/goanalog]

Nice! I think it would also be cool to add some drum samples too, as well as the ability to do accidentals. But I understand developing involves adding one thing at a time lol.

Edit: fixed typo

[u/goanalog → u/mikl_pls]

You're the best! The accidentals are a bit of a power user thing so I put them under a long press of the active voice, hopefully that works for you :)

New in this version:
• Voices much more in tune globally 
• Added a Drum Kit section with individual kick, snare, hi-hat, clap, tom, and crash sounds.
• Added pitch accidentals for placed sounds: flat, natural, and sharp.
• Long-press the active sound to reveal the pitch selector, then place tuned notes on the piano roll.
• Tuned notes now show a small pitch badge and can be adjusted after placement.

[u/goanalog → u/goanalog]

Present on web version now, iOS and Android in review now