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Belgian Amiga Club - ADF Collection
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Music Mania v1.0.adf
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SoundTracker2.3.Doc
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1988-01-20
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Note: This Soundtracker is based on the MasterSoundtracker V1.0
by TIP/PROPHETS and mainly on Soundtracker V2.2 by Unknown/D.O.C
Soundtracker V2.3 - A Quick Clarification.
------------------------------------------
Update : April 1989.
Update done by : MnemoTroN.
Instructions : Tracer and Unknown of D.O.C / Based on J.C.-Instructions
MnemoTroN.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Modifications by D.O.C:
-----------------------
A sample sort function
Corrected 'DisplayPattern' routine
Corrected preset-editor
Improved record function
Extended keymap (Sonix style)
Pattern play function
Delete Song function in the dos menu
Improved ANALYZER
Pattern changing during play
Pattern break command
Position jump command
Sample zero function
New playroutine for use in demos/intros/games
Improved graphics (colors,styling,font)
Nice scrolling
Animated mousepointer
Directory Sort function
New Colors for the Analyzer
Extension to 31 Instruments
Modifications by MnemoTroN:
---------------------------
Scroll-Line removed
Animated Mousepointer removed
Extended DOS-Window
Key-Help-Page
Nice 'Sure?'-Requester
Reinsertion of Length-,Repeat- and RepLen-Gadgets
Lowpass-Filter is switched off
Load Module
Save Sample
Format Disk
Clear Song
and some small details that must not be mentioned here
The Song.
---------
Any piece of music written with Soundtracker 2.3 is build up from patterns.
Soundtracker holds a table with information about the sequence in which
these parts must be played. With 'Position' you determine your position in
the table. With 'Pattern' you define what pattern to play at that
position. 'Length' defines the total size of the table. The full sequence
of Patterns is the Song.
The Keys.
---------
The original (V1.8) version of the Soundtracker had a German keymap.
Version 2.3 supports a standard USA keymap and this ensures compatibility
with ALL Amigas. The keyboard has been extended, try typing on the whole
key-rows. The keys on your Amiga have been grouped to represent the layout
of a two- octave piano-keyboard. You can "shift" the keyboard one octave
up or down with the aid of the F1 and F2 keys, thus incrementing the range
of the keyboard to three octaves.
The Functions.
--------------
The Soundtracker V2.3 offers many functions to the user to make the
development of music as easily as possible. The Play, Stop and
Edit-Functions should be self-explaining. Record allows you to record a
pattern in real-time, but it is recommended that you better use the normal
Edit-Mode. 'Clear Song' will erase all song- and sample-data from memory
after a security-check. 'Use PSET' will load the selected sample into the
current slot and 'Disk Op' switches to the DOS-Menu. Here you can
Load/Save/Delete Songs and Modules. If you are into ripping music, you
will find the 'Save Sample' option useful. Just select the sample to be
saved (you may change the disk and name by simply clicking on the
'sample-name'-line) and it is done! 'Format disk' will do just that.
After a security-check you are asked for the volume-number. Only numbers
will be accepted. The formatting will begin just after you entered the
number, so please be careful. If you enter '00', Soundtracker will
automagically create a song- and a module-directory.
While editing:
--------------
Cursor-keys move cursor.
shift + Cursor-keys move cursor fast.
alt + Cursor-keys move cursor fastest.
F6 - Set cursor to first line of pattern.
F7 - Set cursor to 16th line of pattern.
F8 - Set cursor to 32th line of pattern.
F9 - Set cursor to 48th line of pattern.
F10 - Set cursor to last line of pattern.
DEL - Delete note under cursor.
shift + F3 - Cut track of current pattern and copy into a buffer.
shift + F4 - Copy track of current pattern into a buffer.
shift + F5 - Copy buffer to track of current pattern.
alt + F3 - Cut the whole pattern and copy into a buffer.
alt + F4 - Copy pattern into a buffer.
alt + F5 - Copy buffer to current pattern.
As a new feature, these commands can be reviewed at any time (except when
using the DOS-Menu) by pressing the HELP-key!
A small word about the +/- gadgets: pressing the left AND right
mousebutton will in-/decrease the value faster !!
Sample sort function:
---------------------
Unknown inserted a special sort function in the load-song routine, so you
needn't be a D.J. anymore.
Only the D.O.C-Soundtrackers V2.1 to V2.3 will load ALL Samples from the
Disk 'ST-01', then from 'ST-02', then from 'ST-03' and so on.
Sample zero function:
---------------------
While editing you're able to set the sample to the value zero (0!). Press
both mousebuttons at the position of the samplegadgets (plus, minus = +,-).
Now you can edit the pattern with the sample 0 to prevent difficulties
according to the volume (Frog's idea) !!!
Correct 'DisplayPattern' routine:
---------------------------------
The 'MasterSoundtracker V1.0' and the 'D.O.C-Soundtracker V2.0' had an
incorrect 'DisplayPattern' routine !!! The highest bit of the command- and
infobyte had been deleted on screen, but not in the memory !!!!!!!!!!
Unknown discovered this bug and removed it.
Example: Entered - E-2 C2FF <=- Correct !
Printed out later - E-2 427F <=- Wrong instrument and infobyte!
Still in memory - E-2 C2FF <=- Correct !
Instruments.
------------
You can use up to thirtyone different instruments in one music-piece. All
instruments are listed in the preset-list. The volume is always 64, but
you can change it to each value between 0 and 64. To change the other
values of each instrument you have to load the preset-editor or use the
gadgets in the program (this is only for small changes. use the preset-ed
otherwise!). With the PresetEd you can change the whole preset-list. TIP
improved the preset-editor: some values (Length, Repeat and RepLen) have
to be entered in hexadecimal !!! Now you can use samples up to $8000
(=32768) bytes !!!! (Press right mouse-button to quit).
Unknown corrected the preset-editor: It got a nice bug ! (Not TIP's fault)
Example: You've an instrument called 'HeavySynth' in your preset-list, now
you want to INSERT an instrument with the name 'Heavy' in it.
The preset-editor searches for the word 'HEAVY' in the list, find
the name 'HEAVYsynth' and DELETES it to insert the name 'Heavy' !
Of course Unknown discoverd and removed this bug, too.
Notes:
------
C#1 0 3 C 2 3
/ / | \|
/ / | Info
/ / Command
/ Inst#
Note to
be played.
Note: This is simply the note that is played with that particular
----- instrument.
Inst#: This is the number of the instrument that is used to play that
------ note. When the instrument number is zero, the last selected
instrument will be used.
Command: This number tells Soundtracker what special functions shall be
-------- performed while playing the note.
These functions are as follows:
0 - Normal play or arpeggio.
1 - Portamento up.
2 - Portamento down.
A - Volume slide.
B - Position jump.
C - Set volume.
D - Pattern break.
E - Set filter on/off.
F - Set speed.
Info: This byte contains the additional information for the commands.
-----
Arpeggio: Arpeggio is used for simulating accords. This is done by rapidly
--------- changing the notes while playing an instrument. Arepggios are
selected whenever the info byte has a non-zero value and no
other command is selected.
When arpeggios are used, Soundtracker looks five times during
the play of one note, at the information contained in the info
byte. Each nibble (4 bits) in this byte defines how many notes
Soundtracker must add to the the note currently played. In each
of the five passes Soundtracker does the following with the
information in the info byte:
0 - Play the current note (immediately).
1 - Add the first nibble to the current note.
2 - Add the second nibble to the current note.
3 - Play the current note.
4 - Add the first nibble to the current note.
5 - Add the second nibble to the current note.
Portamento: Portamento is used for 'sliding' the frequency of the sample.
----------- If portamento is in use, the information contained in the
the info byte will be added to (or subtracted from) the period
of the note playing in each of the five passes.
Example: D#2 3208 Slides down $08
--- 0208 Slides down $08
--- 0108 Slides up $08
--- 0210 Slides down $10 (=16)
etc.
Volume slide: This function uses the same parameters as Portamento except
------------- for that it changes the volume.
Position jump:
--------------
The position jump command will do the same like the pattern break
command, but the info byte gives the playroutine the no. of the
position.
Example: E-2 3B04 - Break the pattern and jump to position 4
--- 0000
--- 0B06 - Break the pattern and jump to position 6
Volume: One of the enhancements that the V2.3 version provides is the
------- ability to change the volume at any time during play.
When command $0C (=12) is selected, the volume is set to the value
contained in the info byte. The volume will remain at this level
until the next SAMPLE is played. At this time, the volume is reset
to the default volume level of that sample.
Example: C#1 1C22 - Set volume to $22 (=34) and use instrument # 1 to
play the C#1 note.
D-2 0000 - Use instrument # 1 to play the D-2 note.
(Volume level remains at $22 (=34))
B-1 1000 - Use instrument # 1 to play the B-1 note and
set volume to default value for that
instrument.
Pattern break:
--------------
Pattern break is used to create shorter patterns than 64 notes.
The note with the $0D command will be played and after that the
next pattern in the position-table will be played.
Example: A#3 1D00 - At this point the pattern interrupts.
--- 0D00 - same.
C-1 0D30 - same.
Filter: This Soundtracker version allows you to turn the lo-pass filter
------- on/off.
Example: G#2 1E01 - Turns the filter and the power-led off.
--- 0000
E-1 1E00 - Turns the filter and the power-led on.
Warning to all Amiga 1000 owners (like Unknown and Esteban): Don't play
with the power-led because some A500 and A2000 owners will not be happy
when they hear your song.
Speed: This function allows changing the speed during play.
------ You can only enter a speed from $01 to $0F.
Setting the info byte to zero doesn't effect anything.
The normal speed is 6.
Example: D-2 4F04 - Set speed to 4
--- 0000
E-1 0F00 - Nothing happens to speed.
--- 0FC3 - Set speed to 3
G-2 2F06 - Set normal speed
For your convenience the speed will now be set to 6 everytime you
load a song/module or clear the song.
The Playroutine.
----------------
The Playroutine on the Soundtracker disk is for using your music in demos,
intros, games etc. It was written using the Seka-assembler and the source
of the routine can directly be incorporated in your demo/intro source.
When you are finished writing your music using D.O.C-Soundtracker, save it
to Disk. Use the function 'SAVE MODULE'. You will find in the
'MODULES'-DIR a file, which contains all songdata and samples. Load with
SEKA the source of the playroutine and enter the size of saved module at
the label 'mt_data'. Assemble. Now load the saved module to 'mt_data'.
How to play a song:
-------------------
At the beginning of your program, call the 'mt_init' routine.
Each vertical blank jump to the 'mt_music' routine.
To stop the song jump to the 'mt_end' routine.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
- This Soundtracker-Version consists of ONE disk which should include the
following files:
- Soundtracker (V2.3)
- Songplayer (V1.4)
- SongPrinter (V1.1d)
- PresetEd,PED!,PED!! (V1.1 by The BallCrackers)
- PresetEd +
- PLST (this is my (MnemoTroN) PLST and please do not ask for the
samples because that are 13 disks!
- MuzakRipper (by NorthStar)
- Soundtracker Instruments Ripper (by Beastie Boys)
- 'mod.echoing' and 'mod.my way to the stars' in the module-directory
(my favourites!)
- all DOC files in the 'Text'-Directory
- the 31 Instruments Replay-Routine (also in 'Text')
----------------------------------------------------------------------------