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Large Pack of OldSkool DOS MOD Trackers
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1995-01-09
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────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
WELCOME TO TRACKJOY
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
version 0.94ß
Trackjoy is Copyright (c) 1995 by Tomi Joy
See documentation for more information on
copying, distributing and your license
January 1995
───────────
Welcome to the Trackjoy music composition program. Trackjoy is a
simple sample & module type tracker.
Here are some of its main features:
■ Varying pattern length, width and channel formats
(length: 1 ─ 255, width: 1 ─ 17, channel types:
full, stripped and global)
■ Up to 64 samples can be used
■ Supports 8- or 16-bit-samples, uni- and bidirectional looping
■ In addition to ordinary special commands, supports
special commands entered in the instrument field of a note.
■ Supports the GUS only
■ Loads raw 8-bit, raw 16-bit, Digiplayer and Trackjoy's
own samples
■ Fully controllable stereo panning
■ Continuous effects (scheme differs from the .mod system)
■ Easy global song control (with the "global" channel type)
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
GETTING STARTED
When you have started Trackjoy, you are presented with a very
dull-looking screen with lots of lines on it. On the left are the line
numbers in decimal and at the top and bottom of the screen are two
status lines. This is the pattern editing window, in which you enter
notes.
Pressing Esc (as you will probably have done, since you are reading
this) gives you the menu bar.
You might like to start by loading one of the demo modules. If you
haven't configured Trackjoy so that it knows where to look for songs,
you will have to give it the directory from the file selector box
presented to you when you select "Load module".
Play the module with F5 or Shift-F5 when in the pattern editing screen,
or choose Play from the menu. The Stop key is the same as the play key,
although you can use Shift-Enter as well. Shift-Enter always stops all
sound. Note that the keys only work when you are in the pattern editing
window.
To view the samples in a module (or song), press F1 or choose Sample
Manager from the menu. To test a sample in the Sample Manager, move the
cursor bar on it and press F2. Then use the keyboard to play (details
can be found in the documentation).
The rest should be simple. Finding all the keys might be a little
difficult at first, and a large portion of Trackjoy's functions can't
be located on the main menu at all, so you will just have to learn
the keys. Sorry about this.
───────────────
I hope you enjoy Trackjoy. When you need more information on Trackjoy
functions (key definitions, for instance), see the other part of this
help system, and for details, please see the documentation
(TRACKJOY.DOC).
TRACKJOY COMMANDS, KEYBOARD & MAIN MENU
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Command Key Menu
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─── PATTERN EDITING SCREEN ─────────────────────────────────────────────
Allocate new pattern F2 *
Clear pattern Ctrl-X *
Delete pattern Ctrl-E *
Duplicate pattern Ctrl-D *
Go to pattern Alt-G *
Insert pattern Ctrl-I *
Next pattern + (E) *
Previous pattern - (E) *
Resize pattern Ctrl-R *
Delete note Del, Alt-D
Insert note Ins, Alt-I
Set cell field to empty ' (configurable)
Toggle multichannel mode < (configurable)
Channel on/off ⌡ (configurable)
Select octave / & *
Go to previous pos. & damp Backspace
Block on/off Alt-F4
Copy block to buffer Alt-C
Cut block to buffer (zap) Ctrl-Z
Copy channel to buffer Alt-L
Copy pattern to buffer Alt-T
Free block (buffer) Alt-F
Paste block from buffer Alt-P
Transparent paste Alt-N
Write block (buffer) Alt-W *
Read block (buffer) Alt-R *
Increase advance Alt-S
Decrease advance Alt-A
Define horiz-o-helpers Ctrl-F
Select bottom statusline Ctrl-A
Enter a FREQ. CTRL MXX F7
Enter a STOP MXX F8
Field Editing Tools F3 *
Scale channel volumes Alt-V
Interpolate Ctrl-V
Chord mode setup F4 *
Add semitone Alt-K
Subtract semitone Alt-J
Mark a line Alt-E
Remove mark Alt-H
Toggle status line mode Ctrl-A
Toggle multichannel modes Alt-B
Use defined chord Alt-1...Alt-0
*** Debug screen *** F9
(ß-versions only)
Monitor playback F10
Toggle line-in Alt-m
New song *
Load song Ctrl-L *
Load module *
Quit Alt-x *
Save as module *
Save as song Ctrl-S *
Shell Alt-Z *
Stop playing Esc *
Play song F5 *
Play song (no trace) Shift-F5
Play pattern F6 *
Play pattern (no trace) Shift-F6
Play from order Alt-F6 *
Play from marker Ctrl-F6 *
Pause Alt-F5 *
Mute all voices Ctrl-M *
Mute all voices & stop play Shift-Enter
Monitor playback F10 *
General setup Ctrl-G *
Edit order Ctrl-O *
Edit song information Ctrl-W *
Help Ctrl-H *
─── SAMPLE MANAGER ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Load sample F1
Tune sample F2
Enter name F3
Enter description F4
Clear sample F5
Set frequency F6
Set volume F7
Test beats F8
Write sample F9
Reload all samples Shift-F1
Write all samples Shift-F9
─── SAMPLE MANAGER / TUNING WINDOW ─────────────────────────────────────
Multichannel mode F1
Set loop locations F2
Fine-tune "qwerty" octave F3/F4
Fine-tune "zxcvbn" octave F7/F8
Divide keyboard F5
Set volume F6
# of multichannels F9/F10
Temporary transpose up *
Temporary transpose down /
Change sample volume Alt-Q / Alt-W
Change global volume Alt-A / Alt-S
Add/subtract semitone Arrows left & right
Add/subtract octave Arrows up & down
Change sample Ctrl- arrows left & right
Damp all voices Del, Space
─── TRACE WINDOW ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Decrease tempo - (P)
Increase tempo + (P)
Stop polling Space
Adjust damper time / & *
Select viewable channels Arrows left & right
Force to play from order PgUp & PgDn
Exit / stop playing Esc
Exit / continue playing x
─── GRAPHICAL PLAYING MONITOR (F10) ────────────────────────────────────
Select channel Left & right arrow keys
Channel on/off Space
Increase/decrease step size +/-
Pitch bend using step F1/F2
Global volume change w/step F3/F4
Exit Esc
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
A blank in either column means the command can't be invoked in that way
An asterisk (*) means the command is available through the main menu.
In most dialog boxes at least some of the most important keys are listed
seperately, and if not, then they are listed directly in front or after
the item they are assigned to.
TRACKJOY'S SPECIAL COMMANDS
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Full channel type:
Command Field Purpose Parameters P1, P2
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
A CMD Volume ramp up Speed = P1*(P2+1)
B CMD Volume ramp down Speed = P1*(P2+1)
C CMD Set balance to centre -
S CMD Set balance Bal = P1 (0-100)
D CMD Frequency adjust up Speed = P1*(P2+1)
U CMD Frequency adjust down Speed = P1*(P2+1)
G CMD Portamento to note Speed = P1, Note = P2
L CMD Pan channel to left Speed = P1
R CMD Pan channel to right Speed = P1
T CMD Set tempo New tempo = P1
P CMD Poll -
V CMD Vibrato Speed = P1, Depth=P2
X CMD Cancel all commands -
Y CMD Vibrato smooth-out Speed = 1/P1
Z CMD Set linear tempo Resulting T = 3600/Z
99=FC INS Don't restart voice -
98=ST INS Stop voice -
97=ÖR INS (Something fishy here) -
96=DD INS Detune down 0.5 semit. -
95=DU INS Detune up 0.5 semitones -
94=RL INS Release loop -
*** NOTE: Volume changes in cells with no note information do affect
the volume. Continuous volume changes are the main way of
achieving some kind of articulation in melody channels.
More commands are on the way, and will probably be available
in version 0.95ß. These commands include relative tempo
changes, limited (easy-to-use) volume and frequency changes,
tremolo, "stereo rotation", note delay, retrig and trill
commands. Some of these may be implemented as MXX commands or
normal commands ─ or both ─ because it would be well worth
having as many powerful MXX commands as possible.
ADSR support ─ when it *is* supported ─ will be controlled
mainly through more MXX commands. We have got down to 94 now
by using a slightly suspicious MXX command number 97, the
Örörör! command (you might like to refer to the discussion
about the .BLK file format in TECH.DOC). As yet, nobody has
found out what this command was actually supposed to dp.
ADSR support? Who said anything about that? ADSR will
probably appear somewhere around version 1.2 or 1.3 (or
1.never), ie. certainly not in any crappy ß-versions.
However, supporting instruments with ADSR seems like a
very important feature, and so you do have hope of
getting such things in the future.
Global channel type ─ these *don't work* in version 0.94ß (not even a bit).
Command Field Purpose Parameters P1, P2
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
A CMD Volume ramp up Speed = P1*(P2+1)
B CMD Volume ramp down Speed = P1*(P2+1)
C CMD Set balance to centre -
D CMD Frequency adjust up Speed = P1*(P2+1)
H CMD Stop all voices -
U CMD Frequency adjust down Speed = P1*(P2+1)
T CMD Set tempo New tempo = P1
P CMD Poll -
Z CMD Set linear tempor T = 3600/Z
USING THE BLOCK
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
The block is operated with the following keys:
Alt-C ················ Make copy of marked area to memory
Alt-F ················ Free memory used by allocated block
Alt-F4 ··············· Block mode on/off (for selecting a block)
Alt-L ················ Make copy of current channel
Alt-P ················ Paste block to current pattern
Alt-R ················ Read block from disk
Alt-T ················ Make copy of current pattern
Alt-W ················ Write block to disk
The following commands can be used with the block as well as with
a single channel or pattern.
Alt-J ················ Transpose down (one semitone)
Alt-K ················ Transpose up (one semitone)
Ctrl-T ··············· Tranpose by value
F3 ··················· Field editing tools
*** NOTE: If you want to use the block instead of a channel or
pattern with Field Editing Tools, select "Block" in the
"Object" selector.
Alt-C will now ─ thanks to some pesky beta-testers
(H. Joy) ─ unmark the block.
All these commands (except Field Editing Tools) will automatically use
the block if you have one selected. Otherwise they will use the current
channel. There is no need to copy the block (Alt-c) with these commands,
since Trackjoy only uses the coordinates for these functions.
TRACKJOY'S SAMPLE MANAGER
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Invoke Sample Manager either with the F1 key or by selecting it from
the "Editor" menu.
1. Selecting a sample:
After you have selected a sample, and if you have set "Ask for
sample type" to On, Trackjoy will ask for a file type, P for PC8
(most common), A for A8 or S for S16. PC8 and A8 are the 8-bit
sample types, S16 is unsigned low-high byte order 16-bit. The
format of the 16-bit samples is the same as in the GF1 patch file
format, which makes sample ripping from patches pretty easy.
2. Loading a sample
─ If you have just selected a sample file, and if you have
set "Load sample directly" On, Trackjoy will automatically
load your sample.
─ To load a sample for the first time or to reload it, position the
cursor over a line with a valid filename and press F1. If the
file can be loaded, it will be loaded according to the type
displayed in the rightmost filed of a line. If not, Trackjoy will
let you type in a new directory or abort.
3. Playing & tuning a sample
─ If you have "Tune sample directly" On, the tuning window
will appear every time you have selected and loaded a sample.
─ When you have successfully loaded a sample, you can tune it with
F2, after which you can play the sample with the normal
Trackjoy piano keyboard keys, ie. q, 2, w, 3, e...
─ The following editing keys can be used to tune a sample:
F3 & F4 ─ Fine-tune a sample
Arrows Right & Left ─ add/subtract semitone from frequency
Arrows Up & Down ─ raise/lower by octave
─ To play a sample in polychannel mode (ie., from 1 to n,
changing channels on each note played), press F1. To change the
number of polychannels, use F9 & F10.
─ To play two samples at a time, press F5 and enter a sample
number. The sample you entered will be played with the "zxcvbn"
octave, and the original sample with the "qwerty" octave.
─ Changing loop modes is done by pressing F2. You are presented
with the Loop Setup window.
'L' toggles wheter looping is on at all.
'D' toggles looping direction, mono- or bidirectional.
'B' lets you enter the loop beginning
'E' lets you enter the loop end
The arrow keys adjust the beginning and end by one.
4. Entering name & description
─ To enter a new name, press F3 and type in the name.
─ To enter a description, press F4, and type the text.
5. Clearing sample information
─ When you are in the first Sample Manager screen, select the entry
you want to clear. Press F5 and 'y', if you do want to clear that
entry. The memory used by that sample will be freed for use by
other samples.
6. Entering a new frequency
─ If you need to type in a new frequency for a sample, mote the
cursor over it and press F6. Then enter a frequency. The default
is 4000.
WORKING WITH PATTERNS
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
A. What you have to do before Trackjoy will play anything
1. You must have a sample selected and loaded in Sample Manager.
2. There must be a sample number in the second (2-character) field
of a note (full and stripped channels)
3. There must be a volume (third field) for the *first* note with
that volume. You might like to choose a default volume for your
own purposes, and I suggest a round one hundred. This will still
give you the possibility of notes with 2,54 times the default
volume.
4. Enter a note in the first field with the keyboard.
5. There must be an order list.
■ With points 2, 3 and 5, Trackjoy will try to help you, so
you shouldn't need to worry about them.
*** NOTE: Only enter the instrument and volume for the *first* note
that uses those values. Trackjoy will use the first
values until something else comes up. This also applies
to a new pattern, which will use the previous volume if
no new volume is specified at its beginning.
B. The pattern allocation & deletion commands and their definitions:
("Pattern" menu)
─ Previous pattern
If you are in a pattern whose number is 1 or more, you will go to the
previous one. This is the same as the '-' key.
─ Next pattern
If the next pattern exists, you will go to it. This is the same as
the '+' key.
─ Goto pattern
Go to any pattern, if it exists.
─ Duplicate pattern
This command is the same as the Allocate pattern command, only it
copies the default values for the pattern (ie., width, rows and
channel formats) from the current pattern. If you choose to allocate
a new pattern, it will be added to the end of the pattern list.
─ Allocate (next) pattern
This command will let you allocate the next pattern. It will be added
the the end of the pattern list.
─ Insert pattern
This command allocates and inserts a new pattern. This means that if
you select this command and the current pattern is, say, number 2,
then it will change to three (and everything after it will be moved
forward) and the new pattern you are about to allocate will be the
new number 2.
After pattern insertion Trackjoy will ask if you want to change the
order accordingly so that the old numbers in the order list would
still point to the right note information. If you do, press Y.
─ Delete pattern
This removes the pattern you are in from the pattern list and frees
the memory used by it. This command will ─ like the Insert pattern
command ─ ask whether you want to process the order list. (See
previous command). If you do, press Y.
─ Clear pattern
Clears the current pattern completely by setting all the bytes
allocated to it to the value 255 or FFh.
─ Resize pattern
This command is for changing the pattern format. You can change a
pattern to any new size you like. All the data in that pattern that
can be saved will be copied to the new pattern. Be careful when
converting full channels to stripped, because you will lose any
special command information by doing so.
*** End of Help File ***
