Jun Ishikawa playing a KORG X3 keyboard.

While electronic instruments have been a large component of popular music since the late 1960s, musicians began more heavily relying on the technology in the late 1970s. The emergence of thesynth-pop genre in 1977 established the mainstream credibility of synthesizer-driven music, while the introduction of theFairlight CMI, the first polyphonic digital sampler, in 1979 presented an economical alternative to hiring live musicians that gave composers greater autonomy over the final product. Both of these developments would have profound effects on the emerging field of video game music: early systems used downscaled digital synthesizers, and hardware advancements in the mid-late 1980s allowed video games to incorporate sample playback as well.

HAL Laboratory's composers have used many pieces of gear for their music since the late 80s, including samplers, sound modules, synthesizers, or real instruments. This page documents all of the knownmusic equipment that composers at HAL Laboratory (such asJun Ishikawa andHirokazu Ando) have used specifically throughout theKirby series' music. Official sources for these are referenced if available.

List[edit]

"Since" is based on first recorded usage (independent of it being in aKirby game or not).

Noteworthy sound samples[edit]

The most well-known sound samples in theKirby series come from Roland keyboards. These samples were first utilized inKirby's Dream Course, but entered their most iconic form inKirby Super Star. Many of these instruments were used through the '90s and beyond into the 2000s in games likeKirby 64: The Crystal Shards,Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, andKirby: Squeak Squad. The last game to use these instruments extensively wasKirby's Return to Dream Land, but they still occasionally appear in newer games, especially in songs by Jun Ishikawa and Yuki Shimooka. The "retro" samples used inKirby's Return to Dream Land and subsequent games are directly taken from the SNES, N64, GBA, and DS games; they weren't re-recorded from their original hardware.

Not all sounds are directly recorded from factory sound module presets though; Jun Ishikawa is known to heavily edit presets and program his own synths occasionally (an example of this would be the analog "quack" and bass synths used sinceKirby's Dream Land 3 up until theDS games), and many composers play live instruments on their tracks. Hirokazu Ando plays ukulele, bass, and melodica; Shogo Sakai plays guitar, and even sampled his own playing for sequence-based games likeMother 3 andKirby Mass Attack; Megumi Ohara plays flute; Yuuta Ogasawara plays drums and guitar. Jun Ishikawa also sampled guitar feedback for "Studying the Power Plant" using an electric guitar and his own reading glasses.

Sound samples recorded from HAL's sound equipment have been utilized by other composers, as well. In the early 90s, HAL and Dice co-developed the gamesVegas Stakes andOthello World, thus several classic HAL Laboratory sound samples that ended up being used in theKirby franchise were used in them; as another example, due to HAL co-developingKirby & The Amazing Mirror alongsideDimps andFlagship, numerous samples from that game ended up in games developed by Dimps that had no involvement with HAL — such asDragon Ball: Advanced Adventure, which usesmanyKirby samples (even ones that were originally lifted fromKirby 64: The Crystal Shards). The opposite has happened too, as HAL Laboratory didn't rely completely on their own samples either; when the SNES was released, Nintendo provided asoftware development kit (SDK) to developers. In this kit there was a collection of sound samples recorded by in-house Nintendo composers for other composers and sound programmers to use, thus many SNES games (especially early ones) from different companies used them.Hal's Hole in One Golf relied completely on these samples.Alcahest andKirby Super Star's string hit sample (used inArena Showdown in the latter) comes from this SDK, and it can also be heard in the SNES port ofSimCity, inMario Paint and in the SNES port ofGradius III. As another example, the bongo used inKirby's Dream Land 3'sbad ending music also comes from it and is also heard inEarthBound andTerranigma.

Classic Era[edit]

"Classic Era" refers to games that used sound samples and sequenced music stored in their files, a few of these samples have become famous in popular media and among the video game music scene for providing the characteristic "Kirby sound palette":

"Two Piles" bass waveform.

Jun Ishikawa - Bass Waveform

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:Game_Boy_Bass_Waveform.mp3

This waveform was made by Jun Ishikawa himself, which he referred to as "two piles" since that's what it looks like.^[2] It was used in most Game BoyKirby games. While not a sample by itself, the waveform was sampled and used inKirby Super Star andKirby's Dream Land 3. The sampled SNES version of the waveform was later used inKirby's Return to Dream Land and inKirby: Planet Robobot.

Roland U-220 - P-21: Syn.Vox 1 [021]

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:Syn_Vox_1.mp3

This sample, a recording of a woman singing a sustained note, is commonly calledSARARR orARR1. The audio dates back to 1980, originating from the Fairlight CMI factory library before being borrowed by Roland.^[18] It is notable for being heavily used by Jun Ishikawa in almost every Kirby game he has composed for (with its first usage actually being inAlcahest, albeit with a much shorter loop point). This sample was common in music released during the 80s; a few examples of well-known tracks that use it includeJean-Michel Jarre's "Zoolook",Tears For Fears's "Shout", andArt of Noise's "Moments in Love".
An example of theKirby sample being used in popular media would be inKero Kero Bonito's "Flamingo".

Roland D-20 - I-A53: Pan Pipes

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:Pan_Pipes.mp3

This pan flute preset was edited by Jun Ishikawa to remove the pitch envelope at the beginning, and he commonly used it in the 90s, starting withArcana and lastly inKirby's Dream Land 3. This one is also famous (more specifically, the PCM sample at the beginning is, as the rest is synthesized) in pop culture, as it was also part of the Fairlight CMI factory library, with its original name being "SWANEE" (although Roland calls it "Steamer"). A common and noticeable example of it in pop culture would be its usage in theRugrats theme song.

Roland D-20 - P-51: UserPattern

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:D20_UserPattern.mp3

This percussion kit was prominently used by HAL in the NES games they developed in the 90s, noticeablyAdventures of Lolo III,Uchuu Keibitai SDF,New Ghostbusters II, and most importantly,Kirby's Adventure. It was used one last time inArcana.

Roland SN-U110-10 Rock Drums - 10-002 ELEC DRUMS

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:SN110_ELECDRUMS.mp3

Another percussion kit. This is probably the most well known one, as it is the source of many percussion sounds used in Kirby games since the 90s. The TR-like electric snare sample was used for the first time inVegas Stakes, but the whole percussion kit was used heavily on the SNES version ofWario's Woods's soundtrack, due toTadashi Ikegami andHiroaki Suga composing and arranging it.

Roland U-220 - P-41: Fantasia [041]

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:U220_Fantasia.mp3

Another very famous sound. Originating in Roland's D-50 synthesizer, this sound became another staple of 80s and early 90s music, and numerous other sound companies tried to imitate it. Jun Ishikawa used this sound for the first time in "Milky Way Wishes", and is the only usage it was given inKirby Super Star. Nonetheless, it was heavily used throughoutKirby's Dream Land 3's soundtrack. It was re-recorded and used again in the series' GBA and DS games. The SNES version of the sample made one last appearance in theKirby's Return to Dream Land soundtrack.

Ueberschall Drum 'n' Bass Resonance - 4indoorfloor

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:Drum_n_Bass_Resonance_1.mp3

Ueberschall Drum 'n' Bass Resonance - Speedomat

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:Drum_n_Bass_Resonance_2.mp3

Drum loops used inKirby 64: The Crystal Shards, coming from a drum 'n' bass sample CD calledDrum 'n' Bass Resonance by Ueberschall. While not used often, they are notable for providing the game's songs with a very distinctive sound palette compared to the rest of the series. The first is a 180 BPM loop that comes from track 30, "4indoorfloor"; this is used in "Boss" and "Miracle Matter", with the latter also using it at half speed. The second is a 165 BPM loop that comes from track 64, "Speedomat"; this is used in "Heading for 0²" and in "Forgo's Treasures."

Roland D-20 - I-A23: Celesta 1

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:D20Celesta.mp3

This preset was used heavily in all SNESKirby games composed by Jun Ishikawa. A remarkable use of it would be the background chords ofRipple Field: Ocean Waves.
An example of theKirby sample being used in popular media would be inSnail's House's "My Valentine".

Roland SN-U110-02 Latin and F.X. Percussions - 02-034 ORCH HIT

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:SN110Orch.mp3

This orchestra hit was used inBoarding the Halberd,Havoc Aboard the Halberd, throughout theKirby 64: The Crystal Shards soundtrack and, most famously, inMasked Dedede's Theme, including itsKirby: Triple Deluxe,Kirby and the Forgotten Land andKirby 30th Anniversary Music Festival renditions. The sound is based on a similar preset from the Fairlight CMI, which sampled the opening note of "Infernal Dance of all Kashchei's Subjects", a movement from Russian composerIgor Stravinsky's 1910 balletThe Firebird, as performed by thePhilharmonia Orchestra circa 1965.^[19] The Fairlight sample and its soundalikes on other systems became ubiquitous in music throughout the 1980s, appearing in songs such asNew Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle",Kate Bush's "The Dreaming", andDuran Duran's "A View to a Kill", among others. This specific sound sample has also been used as a sound effect in some anime since the 90s.

Modern Era[edit]

"Modern Era" refers to games that use streamed music instead of sequence files:

AudioNerdz - Delay Lama

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:Delay_Lama.mp3

This is a VST that has gained popularity on the internet due to its old CGI aesthetics and because of its simplistic nature in regards to voice synthesis, with people often joking about it. This VST was actually used by Jun Ishikawa in "Air Ride: Machine Passage", with the head size setting set to 7.95cm.

Whole Lotta Country - MANDOLIN TREMOLOS

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:MANDO_TREM_1.mp3

This preset comes from theWhole Lotta Country sample library bySampleheads and has been used sinceSuper Smash Bros. Melee, with its first usage in theKirby series being inKirby Air Ride. Only three presets have been used from this library, and this is by far the most used one, appearing in almost everyKirby game sinceKirby Air Ride.

Synthogy - Ivory

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:KSA_Kind_Streets.mp3

Ivory is a highly advanced and realistic grand piano sound library. It was first used in theKirby series in 2010'sKirby's Epic Yarn, where bothTomoya Tomita and Hirokazu Ando used it.^[12] Ivory has since become a signature part of Ando's composition style in modernKirby games, thanks to his focus on acoustic, piano-driven pieces. Ando himself does not play piano, and instead programs the piano pieces heard in his music.^[20]

Suzuki - Andes 25F

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:KUSD_Stage_Medley_(Green_Greens).oga

Suzuki - Melodion

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:KatFL_Waddle_Dee_Town_theme.mp3

The Suzuki Andes 25F and Suzuki Melodion are both melodicas, a type of aerophone. A melodica resembles a small keyboard, but is played by blowing into an air pipe attached to it while pressing the keys. The Andes 25F is smaller and has a sound resembling a recorder, while the Melodion is slightly bigger and has a sound resembling a harmonica. Melodicas became popular in Japanese indie music in the 90s and 2000s due to their quirky acoustic sound. They were first used by Hirokazu Ando on the "Stage Medley" track on theKirby Ultra Super Deluxe Original Soundtrack in 2009, and have appeared in most of his work for theKirby series since then.

Ricoh - 2A03

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:KSA_Puzzle-Solving_Galaxy.mp3
The Ricoh 2A03 is the microprocessor and sound chip used for theNintendo Entertainment System (a.k.a. Famicom) game console. Many songs in modernKirby games reproduce the 2A03's sound. What makes this remarkable is that the 8-bit waveforms (pulse, triangle, noise) used inKirby's Return to Dream Land,Kirby: Triple Deluxe,Kirby: Planet Robobot, andKirby Star Allies were individually sampled from a real Twin Famicom.^[21] In contrast, later games use theMagical 8bit Plug VST.

Sampletank 2.5 XL - Soprano Ahs lite

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:Sampletank_Soprano_Ahs_KTD.mp3

Sampletank 2.5 XL - Soprano Ahs lite - Legato Ahs

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:Sampletank_Soprano_Ahs_KFL.mp3

A female soprano sample used by Hirokazu Ando starting inKirby's Return to Dream Land (such as in "The Birthplace of Steel"). This preset is notable, as it had an important role in both "Fatal Blooms in Moonlight" fromKirby: Triple Deluxe and "Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit" fromKirby and the Forgotten Land, especially in the former, as it gave the song the sense of "bewitching feminine beauty" thatShinya Kumazaki was looking for^[22]. The preset uses a technology called "Formant Shifting" which changes the harmonic frequencies in the sound to simulate a real human voice without changing pitch or using too many different sound samples.

Native Instruments - Discovery Series / Spotlight Collection: Balinese Gamelan

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:Puppet_Offering_Sample.mp3

A sample library which emulates the essential instruments forgamelan, a type of traditional Indonesian ensemble music. Specifically, it consists of three core pieces: the roots (large gongs) that make up the main melody, the gangsa (metallophones) that create fast-paced and interconnected patterns, and the kettle gongs that add texture and variance. Because Shinya Kumazaki wished forHyness's primary motif to be gamelan-style music, this sample library provides the core to all of Hyness's themes inKirby Star Allies, though it is used in very non-traditional ways (such as in "La follia d'amore"). Other notable instances of this library being used in video game soundtracks include the songs "Master Koco Trial" inSonic Frontiers - The Final Horizon and "Alpine Skyline - Twilight Bell Path" inA Hat in Time.

Sound Effects[edit]

While most sound effects used in theKirby series are engineered using small waveforms by the series' composers, some of them are taken from actual SFX libraries or have some interesting stories behind them.

Hissatsu! Series Sound Collection

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:HissatsuPunch.mp3
https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:HissatsuYoyo.mp3
https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:HissatsuCannon.mp3
https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:HissatsuSlash.mp3

These sound effects come from the Hissatsu! Series Sound Collection library, some of these are recognizable for being used in many anime and Japanese TV shows in general. InKirby Super Star these are used for the Fighter, Yo-Yo, cannon, and slash sound effects respectively. Some of these are still used in modernKirby games. Other Japanese video games likePhoenix Wright: Ace Attorney andPersona 5 also make use of some of these sound effects.

The Premiere Edition 1 - PunchFaceHit4Sharp PE100401

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:PunchFaceHit4Sharp_PE100401.mp3

This is a sound effect that was used a lot in media from the 90s and 2000s, be it TV shows, video games or internet animations and videos. In theKirby series it has been used mostly for theFighter ability, but it's also used for explosions, high-impact sound effects and for theHammer ability. The audio showcases most of the different sound pitches the sound has been used at. While the series have used many sound effects from this library, this is the most notable one.

Sound Ideas - The General Series 6000 - CONSTRUCTION, BACKHOE - CASE 680: START, IDLE, SHUT OFF, TRACTOR,CONSTRUCTION

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:K64Backhoe.mp3

The Premiere Edition 1 - CrashMetalShatter PE110201

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:K64_Metal_Crunch_1.mp3

The Premiere Edition 1 - CrashMetalShatter PE110401

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:K64_Metal_Crunch_2.mp3

Various sound effects fromKirby 64: The Crystal Shards. The first sound effect, a backhoe engine, comes from theGeneral Series 6000 sound library; theKirby series has used this sound library for many sound effects. This one is notable because it's used in "Studying the Factory" (as well as "Miracle Matter"), and it's commonly joked about around the community because "it sounds like a car that won't start".

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:K64_KPR_Studying_the_Samples.mp3

The second and third sound effects are similar metal crunching sound effects from the Hollywood EdgePremiere Edition sound library. InKirby 64: The Crystal Shards, the PE110201 sound effect is used when the mine cart driven byWaddle Dee crashes, while the PE110401 is used as a percussive sound in "Studying the Factory". Notably, in theKirby: Planet Robobot rearrangement ("Studying the Power Plant"), the PE110201 sound effect is used instead.

Novation Nova

https://wikirby.com/wiki/File:KNIDLWarpStar.mp3

This sound effect is used up to this day for theWarp Star sinceKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land. This sound was made byJun Ishikawa in search of something that didn't sound dissonant with the music and he specifically mentions using theNovation Nova synthesizer for it^[2].

Trivia[edit]

• There are two sample libraries officially credited for their use inKirby soundtracks, usually appearing within the booklets of soundtrack releases:Vienna Symphonic Library andSynthogy Ivory Grand Pianos II. This is because of the license agreements for these libraries, which make the credits mandatory. Commercial products using VSL had to include a copyright notice indicating "orchestral samples in this recording from the Vienna Symphonic Library". This term was removed in 2022, but as of theForgotten Land soundtrack, it is still credited.Ivory Grand Pianos II is subject to Synthogy's EULA, which still requires credit in the liner notes.^[23][24]
• Jun Ishikawa bought his first synthesizer, a Roland SH-2, with his allowance as a student.^[2]
• Hirokazu Ando uses colored fretboard markers on his bass, with each color representing a note: C = Red, D = Light Grey, E = Yellow, F = Green, G = Blue, A = Dark Grey, B = White.^[1]

Gallery[edit]

• 

  Megumi Ohara's office (2016)

  
  Pictured:
  Roland Fantom-XR
  Yamaha MOTIF-RACK ES
  Yamaha NP-30
  Logic Pro X
  Yamaha NS-10
  Sony MDR-V6
• 

  Hirokazu Ando's office (2017)

  
  Pictured:
  Cubase Pro 8
  Suzuki Andes 25F
  Suzuki Melodion
  Music Man Bongo 4HH
  Yamaha S80
  Fostex NF-01A
• 

  Tadashi Ikegami's office (2001)

  
  Pictured:
  Kurzweil 2000R
  Roland SC-8850
  Yamaha DX100
  Yamaha MU2000EX
  MIDI Express PC and XT
  E-MU Virtuoso 2000
• 

  Jun Ishikawa's office (2017)

  
  Pictured:
  KORG X3
  KORG microKEY
• 

  Shogo Sakai's office (1997)

  
  Pictured:
  Logic Audio 2.6
  Roland JP-8000
• 

  Yuuta Ogasawara's office (2022)

  
  Pictured:
  Roland A-88MKII
  Fostex NF-01A
  Airline Deluxe 3P LTD Indigo
• 

  Yuki Shimooka's office (2019)

  
  Pictured:
  KOMPLETE Kontrol S61
  Focal Shape 40
  Sony MDR-V6
  Cubase Pro 8
• 

  Jun Ishikawa with his KORG X3.
• 

  Jun Ishikawa playing his KORG X3.
• 

  Megumi Ohara writing music on her Yamaha NP-30.
• 

  Megumi Ohara being supervised byShogo Sakai while on Logic Pro X.
• 

  Hirokazu Ando composing in his office.
• 

  Kirby 30th Anniversary Music Festival

  Pictured:
  Music Man Bongo 4HH
  Roland Fantom G6
  Sequential Prophet-6
  Yamaha Montage 7
  Vintera '70s Telecaster Thinline
  POD HD500X
  Roland Aerophone AE-10G
  Pearl Masters Premium
• 

  Picture of the staff who worked onKirby's Dream Course.Hirokazu Ando is seen holding a Yamaha DX100, although this synthesizer wasn't actually used in the soundtrack.

See also[edit]

• NEWER VGM Sound Sources Spreadsheet

References

• Good pages
• Real world
• Music