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2001-04-18
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Release notes for QTM v1.40 © Steve Harrison (Quantum), 1993-2001
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>> QTM (Q The Music) v1.40, 18th April 2001 <<<<<<
Welcome! - To the first update of QTM in 2001.
This archive contains the latest, action-packed update of the QTM Protracker
music player, originally released by the Acorn User magazine in June 1994.
Along with the full QTM source code, so the adventurous user can see how it
all works!
This release v1.40, allows the playing of 8-channel music for the first time
through QTM. The 8-channel music format used by QTM is the 'StarTrekker'
8-channel music format, popular on the Amiga in the 90's, and is simply an
8-channel version of the popular ProTracker file format. Full details can be
found in the 'FileFormat' documentation file.
The StarTrekker 8-channel format is currently not widely used on RiscOS
computers - with DesktopTracker, Tracker and Digital Symphony being more
commonplace for 8-channel music. However the excellent !TrackConv by Chris
Davis (StrongARM compatible version available from the QTM web site) is able
to convert almost any 8-channel tracker format into StarTrekker 8-channel,
suitable for QTM!
For instant use, a QTM mini-app is provided in this archive. Run the app
!QTheMusic, to load the QTM v1.40 module, and register the appropriate music
filetypes. Now double-click on any Protracker music file to load it into QTM
and start it playing. Run !QTheMusic again to stop the music playing.
Future...?
----------
Hopefully there will be some future QTM releases, but I have very little time
to program now - as I start the final year of my PhD in organic chemistry
(wow!). If anyone is interested in continuing development of QTM, let me
know, I have an in-progress set of source code for QTMTurbo and QTM v2.00
somewhere, but these need testing on new machines, and there's still a lot of
work to be done!
*** Keep an eye on the QTM web site, www.listen.to/qtm - where any possible
updates and QTM information will be posted. I'm also aiming to release some
of my many previously unreleased apps and RiscOS enhancements (with source
code) over the next year from this site. ***
A brief reminder of where it all came from...
---------------------------------------------
QTM was originally written (in 1993) to faithfully reproduce Protracker 2.0
music (created on the Amiga) - under RiscOS. It succeeded in doing so, its
play routines accurately reproduced even the trickiest of effects
combinations used on the Amiga, which often confused other RiscOS Protracker
players (and even confused later Amiga players).
With this aim completed, QTM was repeatedly optimised - and succeeded in
becoming one of the fastest music play-routines for RiscOS computers. This
furthered its use in graphics demos, such as Quantum's own 'Liquid Dreams',
where it allowed the maximum possible processor time to be used by the demo
code.
But at the heart of QTM lies it's compatibility - it successfully runs on all
RiscOS-based computers ever built(!), from the first 1Mb, 8MHz, RiscOS 2.0
A310, back in 1988, to the latest 256Mb, 233MHz, RiscOS 4 'Kinetic' RiscPC.
How to contact Quantum
----------------------
QTheMusic is a Quantum production. If you wish to contact Quantum for any
reason, see the 'Contact' help file supplied with this release of QTM.
Credits for QTM, Q The Music
----------------------------
Q The Music, was written by Steve Harrison, one-time known as Phoenix.
The QTM module, QTMTracker, is copyright © Steve Harrison, 1993-2001
QTM was written in 218K of solid Arm assembler, which assembles down to 56K!
****************************************************************************
*** Thanks to everyone who has contacted me about QTM over the years, ***
*** thanks especially to everyone who has taken time to test QTM, and to ***
*** everyone who has waited patiently while I have repeatedly missed ***
*** release deadlines and failed to reply to emails! ***
*** ***
*** Special thanks goes to Paul Wheatley for originally forming Quantum ***
*** and encouraging the first release of what then became Q The Music! ***
****************************************************************************
...hope you like it, enjoy! Steve Harrison, 18/4/2001