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Inside Multimedia 1995 August
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IMM0895.ISO01.iso
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track061
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readme.os2
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1992-12-11
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Tracker/PM version 0.61 alpha
This program requires SBOS2.SYS- a soundblaster/soundblaster pro driver for
OS/2 2.0. It does NOT work with MMPM/2 (yet).
Installation:
all you need to run the program is the executable and the font
(lcd.fon). Just put them in the same directory and you're all set.
Make sure the font file LCD.FON is in the same directory as TRACKER.EXE, or
the program will look crappy!
You may want to associate tracker.exe with file of type *.mod. To do this
you must create a program object for tracker.exe. Then open the settings
menu and go to the association notebook setting and add *.mod as a new name.
Then whenever you double-click on a file in the workplace shell with a
file-name extension of MOD, it will call up tracker.exe and play the song.
This MOD player has a long history, starting on Unix Machines and finally
moving to OS/2. It has been ported to work with Michael Fulbright's SBOS2.SYS,
a soundblaster, soundblaster pro driver for OS/2 2.0. In fact, he was the
one who ported the code from Unix to OS/2. (read the other readme files for
more info on the original authors).
Anyway I have rewritten the player to run under OS/2 2.0 PM. The command-
line options are as follows:
tracker [-switches] [@cdfilename] [filename] [filename] ...
-i: Iconic; start as an icon (currently not implemented)
-m: Mono; select single audio channel output
-s: Stereo; select dual audio channel output
-n: New; select new MOD type for mod playing
-o: Old; select old MOD type for mod playing
-b: Both; select both MOD types to try (default is -both)
-T: Terminate; terminate after playing all mods
-L: Low priority; sets tracker to normal low priority (default)
-M: Middle priority; sets tracker to "foregroundserver" priority
-H: Highest priority; sets tracker to "timecritical" priority
-dnum: DMA buffer size; set DMA buffer size in K.
-fnum: Frequency; sets playback frequency to <num> Hz.
-tnum: Transpose all notes up <num> half-steps
-rnum: Repeat; repeats <num> number of repeats (0 is forever) (default 1)
-Bnum: Blend; sets percent of channel mixing to <num>. (0=spatial, 100=mono)
-Onum: Oversample; set oversampling to <num> times.
-Snum: Speed; set song speed to <speed>. Some songs want 60 (default 50)
Filenames which are preceded by an '@' sign are taken to be text files which
contain a list of files to play. For example you could put your favorite
mods in a list in a text file called "my.cd" and queue them all by typing
"tracker @my.cd". Actually you don't need the "@" sign if your cd file ends
with the extension ".cd". The ".MOD" extension is optional both on the
command-line and in the cd files. (the ".cd" extension is not optional, but
if you want to specify a filename that does not end in ".cd" and contains the
list of mod filenames to play, use the "@" prefix character).
The most important options are the priority options -M and -H. I have a
soundblaster pro and I usually don't use any other option other than -M or
-H. It will autodetect an SBpro and set stereo mode+etc.
You may want to set -T in a WPS program object in the command-line options
so you can doubleclick on a mod file, have it play, and then terminate the
mod player.
The controls are kind-of like a CD player, you can create a "virtual CD" by
queueing a bunch of songs either on the command-line or using the "queue"
button. Then you can use the forward and backward buttons to skip around
between songs.
Sometimes you have to wait for the current song to quit playing (just like a
CD), because the program has to wait for the DMA buffers to be flushed. If
you don't like the delay you can set the DMA buffers to a smaller value, but
then it might not multitask as well (the music might get jumpy).
Also keys:
F1 - About Box (no equivalent button)
F3 - Queue song
F4 - Exit
F5 - Play
F6 - Pause
F7 - Stop
F8 - Restart current song (no equivalent button)
F9 - Next song
F10 - Previous song
This is a very early alpha-test version! Please report all bugs to
David Nichols: you can contact me at the addresses at the bottom of the
screen.
New in 0.61 from 0.6
added icons on command buttons
New in 0.6 from 0.5:
dropped obsolete buttons and waveform windows
enhanced font, added play, pause, stop, etc. graphics
made it look a bit more like an audio component
New in 0.5 from 0.1:
ability to specify file list files (@cdfile, or filename.cd) on the
command-line
program remembers last drive and directory when loading MODs from
another disk
cleaned up some parts of MOD playing code
new windows/dialog boxes
added custom digital font
stuff to look for in next release (to do):
cleaner code
proper refreshing
faster response to certain actions
true asynchronous operation (no hogging input queue)
cool artsyfartsy bitmap for about box (need help on that one)
Known bugs:
some windows do not refresh properly always
program terminates unexpectedly due to unknown bug. This is very
rare (on my machine). I think the GNU libc functions are
giving me problems in the multi-threading enviroment I have
implemented. I have replaced many with OS/2 api calls,
most notably malloc with DosAllocMem, so the program uses a
LOT more memory than it needs right now (DosAllocMem
allocates a page at a time, 4096 bytes).
you can load multiple copies of the about box
time doesn't refresh correctly
time is inaccurate (may not fix this one- it's close enough for me)
can't queue .cd files from queue window
queue position indicator sometimes reports wrong number of files in
the queue
If you have any problems, look in the current directory for a file called
"debug" and report the contents to me. Thanks.
internet: davidn@cs.tamu.edu
FidoNet: David Nichols 1:117/357 Net-One OS/2 BBS
note: my BBS Net One OS/2 BBS will go down Dec 16, 1992 and go back up
in mid Jan, 1993.
The author of the SBOS2.SYS OS/2 sound driver and other sound utilities
(Michael Fulbright) can be reached on the Internet as msf@as.arizona.edu
enjoy!