M-NES: 8-bit Chiptune Studio
Code and DESIGN inc. Music iPhoneiPadiPod touch
M-NES: 8-bit Chiptune Studio is a paid Music app for iPhone and iPad by Code and DESIGN inc. Requires iOS 17.0. Updated August 24, 2026.
- Price
- 6.99 USD
- on the App Store
- Size
- 5 MB
- Age 4+
- Updated
- Aug 24
- 2026 · v1.1
Screenshots
About M-NES: 8-bit Chiptune Studio
That 8-bit sound — with the real mechanism behind it. M-NES is a chiptune workstation that recreates the RP2A03 APU, the sound chip of the classic 8-bit game console, at the register level. Two pulse channels, a triangle, a noise channel, and 1-bit DPCM samples: the five channels the hardware actually has, laid out on a piano roll. You are not composing with presets that sound "close enough" — you are driving the chip itself. FIVE-CHANNEL APU SOUND ENGINE • Two pulse waves with four duty cycles, hardware sweep, and envelopes • Triangle with the linear counter — that round, fat bass • Noise with 16 periods plus the 93-step short mode; pick the period by note pitch • DMC channel playing 1-bit DPCM samples • Switchable NTSC, PAL, and Dendy clocks and frame rates • 48 kHz mono output, just like the hardware A PIANO ROLL THAT FEELS RIGHT • Tap to write, drag to move, pull the edge to resize • 8th, 16th, and 32nd quantize • Note velocity maps straight to the APU volume registers • Per-track mute and solo, undo and redo, autosave BUILT-IN NSF PLAYER • Open .nsf or .nsfe and the built-in 6502 CPU and APU emulation play the original • Multi-song files show a track list with titles and durations • Single, repeat, and play-all modes TURN A SONG INTO EDITABLE NOTES • Re-emulates the selected song and tracks every APU register write, frame by frame • Recovers pitch, timing, velocity, duty cycles, and noise periods into five editable tracks • Use it to study, remix, or continue a track — transcribed songs play back immediately DPCM SAMPLES • Import raw 1-bit .dmc data • Convert WAV, AIFF, and CAF to hardware-spec 1-bit DPCM automatically • Place drums and voice clips with a waveform preview HARDWARE-ACCURATE EXPORT • NSF and NSFe export with a built-in 6502 driver and APU register stream • 48 kHz mono WAV master • .nesseq project files containing all editing data PRIVACY • No account, no ads, no tracking • Composing, playback, and export all happen on your device, fully offline MADE FOR • Chiptune musicians who want the real sound, not an imitation • Game developers preparing hardware-spec music and sound effects • Anyone who wants to learn how 8-bit sound actually works — duty cycles, DPCM, noise periods — hands on --- M-NES is an independent product. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any video game console manufacturer. NSF and NSFe are community file formats used to preserve 8-bit game music. NSF files may contain third-party copyrighted material; import and export only within the rights you hold.
What’s new
Version 1.1 · Updated August 24, 2026
Minor bug fixes
App privacy
The developer, Code and DESIGN inc., reported these privacy practices to Apple.
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Alternatives to M-NES: 8-bit Chiptune Studio
Looking for apps like M-NES: 8-bit Chiptune Studio? Here are 6 similar apps on the App Store. The highest rated is TimeVerb-X (5.0/5), and 4 of the 6 are free to download.
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| App | Rating | Price | Last updated | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-NES: 8-bit Chiptune Studio | – | 6.99 USD | August 24, 2026 | |
| Starnight Keys | – | Free | Sep 28, 2026 | Compare |
| NibTune | – | Free | Oct 4, 2026 | Compare |
| Good Sound- Sound Assessment | – | 0.49 USD | Jul 19, 2026 | Compare |
| Chiptune Sequencer - C.H.I.P. | 4.0 / 5 (1) | Free | Oct 1, 2026 | Compare |
| Airship Piano | – | Free | Mar 10, 2026 | Compare |
| TimeVerb-X | 5.0 / 5 (4) | 14.99 USD | Feb 16, 2024 | Compare |