Large Pack of OldSkool DOS MOD Trackers/unis110.zip/UNIS669.DOC

Text File | 1994-02-17 | 25KB | 610 lines

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
     FREEWARE!, FREEWARE!, FREEWARE!, FREEWARE!, FREEWARE!, FREEWARE!
                            UNIS669 Composer 1.10
                                (16/02/1994)
                 Latin: "All at Once! and at the same time"

                "A 669 Composer for the Gravis UltraSound Card"
                     With a Borland TurboVision FrontEnd
               Composes Original 669 and my "669 Extended" Format
(c) 1994 By Jason Nunn [BBBUS Computing/NTU] (aka JsNO BAR----NUNN)
    TC669 Trekker 1.32b - (c) 1993, 1994 By Jason Nunn (JsNO BAR----NUNN)

      FREEWARE!, FREEWARE!, FREEWARE!, FREEWARE!, FREEWARE!, FREEWARE!
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
TurboVision (aka TV) is a registered trademark of Borland International.
Windows[tm] is a registered trademark of Microsoft.
MSDOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft.
Gravis UltraSound Card is a registered trade mark of Gravis Advanced and
Fort Technologies.
Tomasz Pytel (aka "Tran") of RENAISSANCE is the Inventor of the Original 669
format.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Contacts- Email: [e-mail] (after Feb, 1994) or
                 [e-mail] (ditto)

                 [e-mail]  (before feb, 1994).

          Snail: 32 Rothdale Road,
                 Moil, Darwin,
                 Northern Territory,
                 0810,
                 AUSTRALIA.

          Voice: <been withheld>

          BBS: Sentinel BBS N.T.  (61)[phone] - Username: "jason nunn".


                                   UNIS669
──────────────────────────────────────────

Beta Users:

  -Dick Verweij                      [DickyDick]          (Programmer/Graphics)
   [e-mail]       [Holland/Leusden]

  -Jason Chong                       [tR/\Sh]             (Composer/Prog)
  [e-mail]        [Australia/Western Australia]

  -Thomas Wong                                            (User)
   [e-mail]                [Canada]

  - The Digital Infinity Guys
     - Christopter G. Mann           [Snowman]            (Composer/Prog)
      [e-mail]        [USA/Ohio]

     - Daniel Potter                                      (Programmer)
      [e-mail]    [USA/Texas]



                            About the beta users
────────────────────────────────────────────────
They helped me test out UNIS. Thanks to them, more hours have gone into
testing UNIS than actually coding it, ensuring that UNIS is a quality program.
Snowman helped me tune in the tempos and effects to make is sound exactly like
COMPOSD1. They have also given me suggestions as to improve UNIS.
Dick Verweij (like me) is a PD software author, his most popular work is
"MIDIBAND". Look out for Dicks future demos!!!!!!!!!! I might be joining up
with him in a couple of them :). Jason Chong (tR/\Sh) of Enigma is an
excellent composer of MOD files. He is *the* best Australian composer. Some of
his works are "Freeze.mod" and "3Edges". Thomas Wong is the administrator of
the famous EPAS site which holds all good software for the Gravis Ultrasound
Card. Christopher George Mann (better known as Snowman) is legendary for his
669 compositions. Some of his famous works are the SIMON series, C.C.CING,
Humanity and SnowFist (he gave me a sneak preview of it!). Daniel Potter, the
author of the "Farandole Composer" (an excellent 16 channel composer) is also
famous for his demos like: DIFTRO 1 & 2. So check out his Farondole tracker!!.

Snowman and tR/\Sh have provided me with some "emergency catering". This
distribution contains a 669 from each of them composed in UNIS669. They
whipped up there works over night...amazing!.

                                Requirements
────────────────────────────────────────────
-MSDOS 2.X
-MSDOS Only Application
-Mouse
-A Gravis UltraSound Card.
-An AT Class Machine with an AT class 101 keyboard.
-400K of free conventional memory.

    ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
    ║     Warning: Do not run UNIS669 in MSWindows, MS OS/2 or MS NT    ║
    ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝


                          Installation and Startup
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
I have designed UNIS so that it is very easy the setup. Before you run it,
make sure that you have your "ULTRASND" environment set. If you have installed
your Gravis software disks correctly, then this will be set already. For
further help, read the online help.

For inexperenced people new to tracker software, I recommend that you first
load up a 669 using the "Open" function in the "file menu" (or press F3),
then play the 669 using the "Play All (Track)" in the "≡" menu (or just press
Alt+F5). This will give you the basic "feel" of the UNIS environment. You'll
find it exactly like many of the DOS Borland products.


                                 Freeware
─────────────────────────────────────────
Yes sir!, UNIS669 is for free. So please enjoy....However, If you want to show
your appreciation by sending me some money, I won't say no :).

There is no written manual (for you to actively avoid), so I'll be happy to
answer any questions that you may have. Hopefully I'll be available at one of
the above Internet addresses. If you have trouble contacting me, ask one of my
beta users, they should know of my where abouts.

Please take time to read the FAQ down below. It covers mostly everything my
beta users asked over a 3 week period.


                     Where do I upload/download 669's?
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
The following locations are a list of sites dedicated to module music in one
way or another.

InterNET
(i)   klingon.epas.utoronto.ca

    Upload to:     \pub\pc\ultrasound\submit
    Download From: \pub\pc\ultrasound\sound\669\files

(ii)  wasp.eng.ufl.edu

    Upload to:     \pub\msdos\demos\incoming
    Download From: \pub\msods\demos\music\669

(iii) info.brad.ac.uk
        Upload to:     \incoming\mc2


BBS's
 (1) USA                Music Channel BBS   ???????????
 (2) NT/Australia       Sentinel BBS        (61)[phone]
 (3) NT/Australia       Amiga Retreat       (61)[phone]
 (4) VA/USA             Data Connection     [phone]
 (5) Texas/USA          Digital Oxygene     [phone]
                                            [phone]
                                            [phone]
 (6) Texas/USA          Music Connection    [phone]
                                            [phone]
 (7) Finland            Necronomicon        [phone]
 (8) Pommy Land         Sound & Vision BBS  [phone]
 (9) QB, Canada         Wave of Wierdness   [phone]
(10) Frog Side          Zyllius             +33-9332.0505
                                            +33-9332.0720
                                            +33-9332.6875




There are many more, but I've forgotten what they are called.


                         UNIS669-OBJ Availability
─────────────────────────────────────────────────
In the next version of UNIS. I will be releasing a OBJ file of my TC669 1.32b
playback routines, so that you can compose 669's to use in your demos. This
OBJ file of course will be for free.

Note: Due to some past bad experences, it isn't my policy to publicly release
source code, and so I won't.

For demo groups that have all ready made their own 669 code, I will assist
you in every way possible to get your code compliant....if you ask for my
source code, I will give it you to :)....But on the grounds that your tracker,
game etc is FREEWARE and you must be able to prove it to me. (NB/ With the
acception of a few mates of mine). The routines are written for TASM v4.

I would rather you not ask me for it until I have fully developed the
"669 Extended" format. What's there now WILL NOT change, I simply ran out of
time for this session. The extensions are all drawen up, I didn't have time
to implement them all. UNIS669 blew out of proportion time wise. I allocated
myself 2 weeks for development and 1 week for testing- testing took 3 weeks.

Also note that I'm too busy to release the new TC669 1.32b. It won't be
available for least a month (even though I've got the routines). I'm just
tooooooooo flat out haha! ... (seeking contracts/jobs and all).


                                Disclaimer
──────────────────────────────────────────

If you use any version of UNIS669, or any program derived from any version of
the TC669 playback routines, then you agreed to the following terms:

- All versions of UNIS669 and TC669 are Freeware.
- You may freely use UNIS669 to produce music for demos, games with the
  motive of making money, and for your pleasure.
- Hardware Manufactures, or any organisational entity who wish to distribute
  UNIS 669 or TC669 with the intensions of making money shall not do so,
  unless that organisation or entity has my written consent.
- You may not exploit UNIS669 or TC669 by defacing it in anyway, shape or
  form.
- If you choose to redistribute UNIS669, the archive contents must be
  unchanged.
- I will not be liable for any hardships faced by you when owning or using
  UNIS669 or TC669.


                     Pottential Questions you may ask
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

These were generated by my beta users. No doubt you will ask the same
questions (nb/ this list is not an exhaustive list).

(1)
->Just a question: when you select pattern edit a window pops up, right?
->You edit that pattern, lets say it has number 0. Then you push again on
->the pattern edit button.. then ANOTHER window of pattern 0 comes up.. What
->is then the real window? Would it not be economical to use only one window
->PER pattern number, (memory).. I have stated this before, but you thought
->that I was talking about more windows for DIFFERENT pattern numbers.

The opening of patterns is unconditional. I have designed it that way
so that you can edit and compare two or more different patterns. It is
an unfortunate spin-off that you can open the same pattern more than
once. Note that if you do open up two of more pattern editors of the same
pattern- if you edit one, the others WILL get updated, but they won't
display it right way (until you do a scroll or something like that)...It
is advisable to not do this. I did have a mechanism that prevented you from
doing this, but it sort of complicated things a bit. I will address this
problem in another version.

(2)
->What is the amount of memory needed to run unis669? I have had some
->messages about memory..

You need 400K of conventional memory to use UNIS.

(3)
->i tried your polymorphic paste, etc. but i still aren't too sure
->what it does... is it the same as a "mix paste" .. if not you should
->include one :) you know, so the blank spots won't overwrite the notes
->already there when you paste over some stuff :) or also a different sort
->of paste so the notes already there in the place you wanna paste will
->take priority and thus not be "pasted over" by the clipboard :)

Polymorphic paste turns this:

00C-1--
00D-1--
00E-1--
00F#1--
00G-1--
00A-1--
00B-1--

into this:

00C-1--
       00D-1--
              00E-1--
00F#1--
       00G-1--
              00A-1--
00B-1--

The "Component Paste" function allows you to do "priority pasting" as you
described.

(4)
->another small bug.. clicking _in_ the scroll bar of the scrolly
->dudez on the side of the window should do a page up and page down instead
->of line up and line down... like what the arrows at the end of the scroll
->bar do...

It's not me....blame TV :). Nothing I can do about it. The scroll bars are
from the standard TV object classes.

(5)
->I like that you can use >64k samples

TC669 always has done :).

(6)
->timewarp.669 by c.c.catch too slow

That's due to the volume ramping that makes it a bit slow. Unfixable
unfortunity....a real bummer. I'll see what I can do though. I might
have to cut my volume settings right back....like Joshua Jensen
did with his GUSMOD.

(7)
->I've found the files created works well with tc669, p669gu0 and of
->course unis669. But all the same results if I play them on other 669
->compatible players like Inertia Module PLayer, DMP, and PMP. It
->doesn't play correctly and also produces lots of static. And this is
->with loading cryname.669 (that came with unis669) and saving it as
->under a new filename. (update: I tried cryname itself on the other
->players and got the same problems)

Note that many of the multi format trackers do not play 669's correctly.
I'm not trying to bash them, but they either (i) doesn't seem to play samples
that have C-1 as notes, or (ii) doesn't process the Break location properly.
The static is probably due Ultraclicking.

(8)
->what frequency must the .snd file be again? I have some .snd file
->of the wrong speed hence don't sound too good in my .669 :)

Use the standard 8000, 11000, 22000, 44100. Note that the sample file
has to be a RAW UNSIGNED 8 bit file. Note that the "playfile" utility in
your Gravis Ultrasound pack records this type SND file.

(9)
->Is there a way of can close the pattern editors with the keys?

No, you have to use the mouse to click in the little green square thingamy
doo-dar at the top left hand side of the window.

(10)
->There is no way to block using the mouse hence can't use the edit functions
->if I'm a mouse user.

I've already tried mouse manipulation, I do not know enough about TurboVision
to be able to do this. Again, as soon as there is some headway, I'll implement
it. Right now, You're going to have to use the keys to select slots.

(11)
->when loading samples or 669's samples, the mouse acts weird.

Maskable intterupts must be shut off when transfering data to the GUS. If you
don't do this then you get pops and clicks in your samples. That explains why
the mouse freezes when loading is being done.

(12)
->I tried to run UNIS is OS/2. Sometimes it crashes and sometimes it works
->fine.

I put a warning at the start of this document not to use it in OS/2. So please
don't.

(13)
->What's wrong with letting the user load <64 byte samples? Who cares if
->he wants to have a sucky-sounding song? :)


i've put it in there for ultraclick reasons (specific to my code and setup).

For those of you that used COMPOSD1, you may remember that in order to
comment a sample entry, you had to load a 4 byte sample for COMPOSD1 to
remember the sample entry. In UNIS is don't have to do this, you can simply
rename an entry without adding a sample to that entry....UNIS will remember
it. (NB/ Snowman does this a lot, and I have catered for his needs).

(14)
->You have to stop playing the song to do almost anything.. might want
->to look into a way around that.

ya....this is because is stuffs things up with my play back routines and
TV. I't's very hard to explain....trust me on this one - you can't do both.

(15)
->I found everything a little too mouse dependant (maybe I'm justa
->little to used to my composer, with NO mouse:).

Well, there's nothing I can really do about that, but I'm trying my best to
cater for everybody :).

(16)
-> Load either signed or unsigned data (does it do this yet?)

naaah, it doesn't do this yet. I'll put it in next version.

(17)
->No recording option, (it is hard to make a decent song)
->recording= playing pattern & storing pressed keys in pattern on right time
->Ultra 1.50 has this option.

Do you mean real time editting?. Sure that can be put in for you :)...but
next version.

(18)
->-/+ only .snd format (.wav??)

Well, UNIS will only ever have Gravis support. What does the GUS bible
say composers should record in? ...the SND format :).

But, I'll "WAVer" that (get it, get it :)). I'll put it in as soon as I can.

(19)
->> Well, UNIS will only ever have Gravis support. What does the GUS bible
->> say composers should record in? ...the SND format :).
->
->Why, no, they should record in .FSM format (hahaha joke :)

no, no...give me your format Daniel and I will put it in :).

(20)
->well, not a bug, but i realise that you've got sort of "windows"
->that you have to click on to activate first b4 you can select anything
->inside that window.. the Sequence list and the Pattern list also seem to
->window areas you have defined... so after clicking onthe sequence list,
->to select a pattern you have to "double-click" on that particular pattern
->to activate it (once to activate the pattern window and second to
->activate the pattern) .. well, of course after activating the pattern
->window you can click once in that pattern list to select any pattern... i
->was wondering if you could change that to one click only ?? since it is
->in the main control window :)

This is a little confusing I know. It's because the sample lister, sequence
select, pattern selecter etc are all seperate objects within the control
window. Hence you have to activate them first (sort of like mini windows in
the control window).
What I will be doing (when I work out how), is have the titles for each object
change colour when you active them. That way the people will see what's active
and what's not.

(21)
->i like your window system, but it is easy to lose a window :)
->perhaps include a window menu (like Windoze :) to activate that
->particular window

do I detect a pun there Trash -> Microsofts exciting new opening systems OS:
"MicroSoft Looser-Windows" hahaha :) ....hhmmm...I bet nobody got that :(
...but anyway

Yep, next version I'll be sticking in a window history (You'll see it in a
menubox...somewhere).

(22)
->the system you use of going down to the next line automatically
->when you enter a note is good.. but it can be cumbersome when entering
->chords across the tracks coz you have to move up and across... perhaps
->you could have a system setting that the user can choose the default
->movement of the cursor when editing ?

Ok I can do that :).....next version.

(23)
->people like otto chrons (The DMP dude), and i don't want to trash the
->poor guy coz the mod side of his player is good, but it's gunna take him
->5000000000 million mutations of DMP just to get the your extended format
->right :). Shouldn't you be releasing source?

It's not my policy to, but if otto wants to use my TC669-OBJ library, he's
quite welcome to and I'll certainly me happy to help him.

(24)
->I've got one of those samsang computers...Unfortunitely I don't have a
->standard AT keyboard....I can't use your composer.

Sorry, I can't. Snowman is one of many composers that won't touch my
composer unless the keyboard configuration as exactly like COMPOSD1 and I
want him and many others to be happy. Suffice to say - I don't have a say
in the matter!. If you want to keys changed....fight it out with snowman.

Next version i'll be making it so that you can have UNIS keys or COMPOSD1
keys (user definable).

(25)
->I have trubble setting the octave higher than 4...I sampled a nice peace but
->i cannot get in the right tune...

when you reach the highest octave using the "/ and *" keys (which is 4), use
the "qwerty" keys to access the fifth octave.

(26)
->oh, could u incorporate user-definable macros in either this or an
->upcoming version ?? there's a few strange things that we may do often
->that macros might come in handy..

yep, next version.

(27)
->i spose, linked in with the above and Snowman's keyboard
->preferences.. you could perhaps have several keycharts or user-definable
->keyboard maps.. like a Windoze one, a COMPOSD1 one, a Wordstar type one
->(^KB, ^KK, ^KC, etc for block begin, end, copy :), and a user-definable
->for all the commands ?? this would end up being like the new MS Word 4
->Windoze or something like that !!

yep.

(28)
->oh.. to be extra spiffy.. you could include display options ?? for
->foreground and background colours of the editing window, etc.. i spose
->this'll come in l8r :) but like if someone had a monochrome.. NAH !!

.....NAH!!...they won't Trash haha :). If these people are too stingy to buy
a bottom-of-the-line $100 colour monitor, then they will be too stingy to get
a $300 Gravis card :). But anyhow, TV automatically sets the colour palletes
for the detected graphics card.

I tried to put in a user definable colour editor, but I had problems with it.
I think there might be a bug in the standard TV colour editor, coz you
couldn't change the colour of an inactive window (made it look really horrid).

(29)
->a DOS shell ?? everyone program has one nowadays :) mebbe a DOS
->window if you wanna be extra tricky *grin*

next version -> DOS window :)

(30)
->hehe.. when renaming samples, the left arrow key doesn't seem to
->work.. i can only go backward with the backspace key.. a bit troulbesome
->when u wanna centre your message :)

yaaar, that's because your talking to a bit of code (or rather a class) that
I quickly slapped up. I didn't have time to make the line editor really good.
as the stardard one sucked for the task at hand. Next version I will improve
it.

(31)
->since u disable everything when you playing a part of the 669,
->perhaps u could make any key or mouse button stop it ??? or perhaps, just
->the [spacebar] and F8.. it's a bit troublesome to keep on reaching over
->to tap the F8 to stop the play routine...

hmmmm....will see (I don't really like doing that coz it's not the WOOPPPPSS
thing).

NB/ WOOPPPPSS stands for "Windows Object Orientated Programming"

(32)
->if you're not using the home and end keys, could u map those to go
->to the top and the bottom of the current pattern respectively ??

your the 100,000,000,000,000,000 person that's pulled me up about this :)
I will find a use for them next version :).

->oh, can you program it so arrow keys are active in the
->sequence/patten window so one can copy and paste a selection of
->sequences? i've noticed that the mouse block functions still don't work ?

that's gtting a little bit toooooooo tricky. good idea though :). Might make
a function that be allow to you edit sets of patterns.

(33)
->could you somehow put in a redo and undo ??

I was going to put it in this version, but I ran out of time.

(34)
->oh.. tnx for making it so different tracks play different notes
->(polyphonically) while editing .. however, i had some looped samples, and
->they kept on playing until i like did a F6 and a F8.. perhaps you could
->stop the playing via F8 or something ?? i'm not sure..

use the F8 key to tell the GUS card to "shut up" :).

(35)
->abt looping samples.. it's hard to put in a loop value, coz i didn't
->know how long the sample was.. you should have some display somewhere abt
->the length of the highlighted sample, or something like that..

yaa well....your going to have to rough to for now.

(36)
->i nearly forgot, you don't have a cut !! it's just copy and clear in
->one command !! but useful for moveing things around !!

You'll be cutting it in next version.

(37)
->how about a MIDI keyboard interface?

ditto.

(38)
->COMPOSD1 and many other tracker have got a "LOOP END" setting that you can
->change to ajust the end of a loop. Could you explain why you haven't put it
->in?.


That's a good question!. The reason why I havn't put it in is to make the
669 format storage is efficent and compact as possible.....how you ask?

ok, if you can imagine a sample in memory. As follows:

┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                 Mr Sample                X                │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
(NB/ X marks the spot)

When you set a "LOOP END" to a value less than the length of the sample (
say for example where the "X" is), you're effectively "cutting" out the end
bit of the sample. So when you distribute your 669, your going to have some
data sitting in your 669 simply taking up space.

What I suggest to you is that you edit your sample in a sample editor, and
cut out any unneeded sample at the end....this will reduce wasteage - hence
"waste not, want not" or "hasty wasty". I am planning to put a sample editor
in UNIS so that you can do all this stuff. But for now, you're just going to
have to rough it with a sample editor.

I'll put it in for you if you like, but it causes wasteage (the whole idea
about 669's is there compactness, I though I would honour the policy).


                                ooo0ooo