Furnace

The times when 8-bit or 16-bit audio content or “chiptunes” dominated the scene have surely had their impact on the musical realm, and although much has changed since there still are those times when such sounding tunes might be required. Regardless if it's for nostalgic or more pragmatic reasons, emulating such audio sounds is still within reach, thanks to specialized apps, such as Furnace. Designed specifically in order to provide users with the means to create music by relying on 8/16-bit sound chip emulated sounds.

Furnace comes equipped with a modern and functional design, which we appreciated right from the start. We enjoyed the little details, such as the volume dB preview bars that allow for real-time preview of channel levels.

An oscilloscope is provided, and all the playback controls you’d expect to find on software with this scope and intended purpose. Detailed, modular sections address aspects pertaining to instruments, wavetables, metadata, and more.

As stated above, the application comes packed with its own instrument library, and we were impressed both by its abundant nature, as well as variety. These two attributes, in conjunction with a clear composition plan, can make for a really versatile tool.

One other aspect that could be considered a highlight of Furnace is its settings section, which provides ample options for performing deep customization of some of the more general but also specific elements.

This application can prove to be the right tool if you require means to compose music using an audio engine that can emulate 8 and 16-bit sound chips, as well as provide an impressive library of instruments.