Hello Games surprised No Man's Sky fans with an unexpected new feature added in the latest patch (2.24). Dubbed 'ByteBeat', it's essentially a full audio creation app now available inside the game itself.
For the full patch notes, scroll down the blog post on the official website. Below you'll find a detailed breakdown of ByteBeat, alongside the reveal trailer.
Base building is a big part of what people spend their time doing in our game, and a frequent request is for the ability to add sounds and music to their construction. Our team always likes a creative challenge, and audio is one of our big passions. Over the last few weeks one of our coders got obsessed with making an audio creation tool for the community, we were so excited about it we thought it’d be a nice surprise to release it.
We love playing around with music toys like Teenage Engineering Synths or FruityLoops, and we like the idea of creating something that can encourage anyone to make cool audio.
Once placed in your base and powered, the ByteBeat will immediately begin to produce sound. ByteBeat formulas are made out of simple waveforms that are manipulated through maths – but by default, the device handles all of the mathematical heavy lifting, procedurally generating random presets for you to play with. Dedicated audiophiles have the option to explore deeper, manually sketching out note sequences, rhythms, and even manipulating the raw sounds.
The ByteBeat Device
Learn the module blueprints from the Space Anomaly, then construct and power your ByteBeat Device within your base. It will immediately begin to play a unique pattern of procedurally-generated music.
The Sequencer UI lets you customise your track, allowing you to modify the melody and drums. If enabled, the arpeggiator will fill in notes automatically, and other panels allow you to adjust the octave, key and tempo.
Players who want to dive deep into the maths behind the waveform can use the Advanced Waveform UI to fine tune the mathematical operators at the heart of their sound. Or simply randomise the function and generate an entirely new sound!
The ByteBeat Device can be synchronised by snapping it to other ByteBeats, or connecting the devices with a new type of cable. This allows you to layer multiple tracks and create more complex arrangements.
Finally, a new ByteBeat Switch allows players to power other devices, such as lights, with bursts of power that sync up to the rhythm of your track.
