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README.TXT
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1993-05-23
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14KB
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352 lines
_______________________________________________ .__..
|Program: DeskTracker MultiTask | //_//|
|Type: Accessory | || |||
|Version: s 1.03 | || ||/\_
|Distribution: Shareware | _/ | | \_/|
|System: STe/TT/Falcon*;TOS/MultiTOS | |__/|_|\__|/
| any screen rez* |
|Last update: 18nd May 1993 | /\¯T¯/\ |¯>|
|Written by: David Oakley, original tracker |/¯¯\|/¯¯\| \|
| playing routine by WizCat |
| |
|Copyright ©1991 Wizzcat (Tracker player only), |
| ©1992,1993 ASTRAsoft |
| |
|Purpose: Play NoiseTracker modules in |
| the background with animated |
| graphic display of tune. |
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Based on a NoiseTracker player routine written by Wizzcat in 1991,
DeskTracker and the current version (DeskTracker MT) are designed to play
MOD files on any machine with PCM sound chip.
NOTE: ON SOME MACHINES AND SETUPS THE COMPLICATED NATURE OF DESKTRACKER'S
MODULE PLAYER MAY CAUSE A CRASH IF EXPOSED TO TOO HEAVY WORKLOAD DURING
HIGH-SPEED PLAYBACK. EXPERIMENT FOR A WHILE BEFORE DOING IMPORTANT THINGS
WHILE RUNNING DTMT!!!!!
__________________
/ Compatibility * /
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
DeskTracker will only run on an ST compatible that supports Atari's PCM
sound which was first introduced on the STe. We have tested DtMt on an
1040STe, Mega/STe 4 and a Falcon. On the Falcon we failed to get any
sound out, though DeskTracker reported that it was playing correctly. I
think it's something to do with setting up sound channels and you may be
able to do better(there is a patch available). DeskTracker has been
tested on a Mega/STe 4 running MultiTOS without memory protection, though
I cannot garrantee that it will run on an 030 version of MiNT.
____________
/ The files /
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
In this package (archive or folder) you should find the following files:
DTMT.ACC The GEM interface. Can also be run as a program.
ATRAK.PRG The Tracker module. Put in your AUTO folder or
run before first accessing DTMT.ACC
DTMT.INF File to be put in the same directory as DTMT.ACC.
Gives default path for file selector.
DTMT.TXT This file
RUN_MOD.APP For MultiTOS only! Install this with application
type .MOD and then double-clicking MOD files will
automatically add them to DTMT's memory list and
begin playing.
__________________
/ Getting started /
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Just copy DTMTC.ACC into the root of your boot drive (e.g. A:\ or C:\),
and ATRAK.PRG into your AUTO folder. Just in case you're wondering about
putting a new program in the AUTO folder of your hard drive, don't worry!
On first running, ATrak only sets itself up a Cookie and then stays
resident. It doesn't attempt to play any Tracker tunes!
____________
/ Operation /
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
DeskTracker is designed to work just like a real CD player. Well, it works
like mine does. It has two main modes of operation: normal and memory.
When in Memory mode, several of the buttons have different meanings, usually
when no MOD is being played.
In the list below, shortcut keys are in square brackets (eg. [E] ).
Click on the menu item 'DeskTracker MT' in the File menu. The DeskTracker
window will appear:
________________________________________
|X| DeskTracker MT |O|
|----------------------------------------|
|___________Version_1.00________|iii|~~~~|
| ____ ____ ____ ____ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|
|| /\ | [] | |> || 00 | ASTRAsoft |06|
||====|====|====||----| ____ ____ ____|12|
|| << | || | >> ||<=> ||MEM |ADD |RAND|25|
| ¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯|50|
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
What the buttons do:
Button Display Description
Close If in Accessory mode, closes the window but keep playing.
[Undo] If in Program mode, stops playing and quits the program.
Full Iconises DeskTracker to a very small window. All keyboard
shortcuts still work and operation continues as normal.
Useful for MultiTOS.
______
Eject | /\ | Load and start a new NoiseTracker MODule. If you press
[E] | == | Cancel on the fileselector then the current tune is
¯¯¯¯¯¯ erased from memory and the memory is freed.
______
Stop | |¯¯| | Stop the currently playing song, but don't erase it
[S] | |__| | from memory. Reset pointers to start of song.
¯¯¯¯¯¯
______
Play | |\ | Play the current song from the current position. If any
[Spc] | |/ | other program has stoped DeskTracker, this will restart
¯¯¯¯¯¯ the tune from where it was stopped.
_______
Pause | |¯|¯| | Stop the currently playing song, but remember where
[P] | |_|_| | we were so play restarts from this point.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
______
Rewind | /|/| | Move the play position back by one section
[->] | \|\| |
¯¯¯¯¯¯
______
Fast | /|/| | Move the play position forward by one section
Forward | \|\| |
[<-] ¯¯¯¯¯¯
______
Add to | ADD | Select a MOD file and add it to the end of the
memory | | playlist
[+] ¯¯¯¯¯¯
______
Memory | MEM | Shown depressed when songs are in memory
On | | Click to deselect and clear the memory
[M] ¯¯¯¯¯¯
______
Repeat | +->+ | Toggles whether the MOD file will repeat once it
[R] | +<-+ | has reached the end. DtMt will even trap those MOD
¯¯¯¯¯¯ files which will normally always loop!
______
Oscillo |\/\/\/| Opens the oscilloscope window.
[O] ¯¯¯¯¯¯
______
Anim |IIIIII| Opens the animation window and then toggles between
[A] ¯¯¯¯¯¯ the three representations.
__
Frequency |06| These buttons select what the output frequency
Selectors |12| of the player is through the STe's PCM sound
[1..4] |25| generator. Higher frequency means better quality
|50| but more processor time. 50 will lock an 8MHz
¯¯ computer!!!
_____________
| Memory Mode |
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Once the ADD function has been used to move into Memory mode, several of
the buttons change:
Button Display Description
______
Eject | /\ | Stops and unloads the current song, and resets to
[E] | == | the start of the playlist.
¯¯¯¯¯¯
______
Stop | |¯¯| | Stops and unloads the currently playing song.
[S] | |__| |
¯¯¯¯¯¯
______
Play | |\ | Plays the current song from the current position.
[Spc] | |/ | Loads the current song if it is not in memory.
¯¯¯¯¯¯
_______
Pause | |¯|¯| | Stop the currently playing song, but remember where
[P] | |_|_| | we were so play restarts from this point.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
______
Rewind | /|/| | Rewind through the current song if PLAYing
[<-] | \|\| | or move to the previous song in the playlist.
¯¯¯¯¯¯
______
Fast | /|/| | Speed forward through the current song if PLAYing
Forward | \|\| | or move to the next song in the playlist.
[<-] ¯¯¯¯¯¯
______
Repeat | +->+ | Toggles whether the playlist will repeat once all
[R] | +<-+ | songs have been played. Songs will never repeat when
¯¯¯¯¯¯ in Memory mode.
______
Random | RAND | Play items in the playlist in a random order. Currently
play | | tracks may repeated before all tracks have played.
¯¯¯¯¯¯ Effectively turns on Repeat mode.
______________________
/ DeskTracker History /
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The core song player in DeskTracker is based on Replay STe, a Tracker
player written by Wizzcat in May 1991. Work on the GEM interface
began in April '92 when I got my Mega/STE... a working version of it
was completed in three weeks!
DeskTracker was written in GFABASIC 3.5 and provided a dialog box interface,
but it did look quite like the version you see here. After a year of work
I've added a lot and refined a lot. Don't be deceived by its relatively
small size - I'd call it finely chizelled artwork!
This version is written in Lattice C 5.52 and DevPac 2. I really do recommend
Lattice to anyone who is serious about Atari software production in the
future... if Atari Corp use it I'd say that's a pretty good guarantee of
its longevity.
The major changes to the original program were:
o conversion of DeskTracker into a window
(when it became DeskTracker MT),
o moving the animation bars into a separate window,
o adding memory functions,
o allowing the user to change play frequency at any time
o DtMt can read in ICE packed MOD files as created by using the DATA
pack in JAM Packer 4.0
o Load and decompress a new song while the previous one is playing
o Realtime oscilloscope in a GEM window
o Information bar
o Iconise DtMt by clicking on the Full-box
o Load old 15-sample type MOD files
___________________
/ Revision History /
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Date Version Comments
26/04/93 1.00 First released version
28/04/93 1.01 ACC now installs correctly;
animation bars didn't run(fixed);
alert informing user that Trak wasn't
running
05/05/93 1.02 Now runs under MultiTOS and is compatible with
RUN_MOD.APP (see separate file)
18/05/93 1.03 If DT finds a DTMT.INF file (usually in the root
of A:\ or C:\ then the contents provides the
default directory. Lower memory usage
_____________________________________
/ And the thanks and hellos go to... /
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
People who helped in the development of the DeskTracker project
(whether they knew it or not...!)
Fozz, R.T.D., Had, Ian R., Wizzcat, 4-mat, U4ia
And the hello list in alphabetical order...
Ant, Andy-O., Eric Smith, Fez(and his amazing technicolour hair), Fozz,
Had(we didn't start the Fire!), Ictari, Ian Rae, Jase, Kev, Mike Goodman,
Ian Skidmore, Paul Steptoe, RTD, Shaunie(someone's got to support Derby
County), Stephe, Stevie, U4ia, 4-mat(I'm an all-time fan of that song!)
several of whom own Amigas, though it's not really their fault.
______________________
/ Contact the author! /
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
I'd like to hear from you whether you've found a bug, can suggest any
improvements or just plain like the program. I'd especially apreciate
it even if you just send me a postcard! I'll try to reply to any mail I
get.
By email...
Send mail to me at D.Oakley-SE1@cs.bham.ac.uk
or after July 93 try D.Oakley%uk.ac.icl.wins.kid0112@pipex.co.uk
or send your mail to Graham Harrision at:
u2e32@uk.ac.kl.seq1
if you're sending mail from abroad you may need to go via a gateway.
Ask your system administrator for info.
By post... or
David Oakley Graham Harrison
6 Watlands Road 353 Heathcote Road
Bignall End Halmerend
Stoke On Trent ST7 8QQ Stoke On Trent ST7 8BH
England England
___________________
/ This program is /
/ SHAREWARE! /
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
DeskTracker has taken a lot of work by an overstressed university student!
If you like this program, please do send a donation. If it is £5 UK sterling
or more, I will send you the latest version of DeskTracker, plus some other
ASTRAsoft things. Please don't expect an immediate reply though!
The registered version of DeskTracker will soon include support for Amiga
MED files and possibly soon OctaMED (8-channels!) files. Hopefully coming
in the summer will be a full GEM based MOD/MED editor - this will
probably offered to the public at £10 (sterling) but will be reduced for
existing DeskTracker registered users.
Also if you register, I'll send details of how to use the Trak player in
your own C (or possibly GFA if I get round to it) programs!
Please make all cheques payable to David Oakley and in sterling only.
For international registrations, travellers cheques are preferable. When
registering please state which model of Atari you have and which monitor
you use. ASTRAsoft do quite a few mono only things, so do mention it.
________________
/ Warranty Free /
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Sorry, but this software comes with absolutely no warranty, other than
that enforced by law in your country. ASTRAsoft takes no responsability
as to the suitability of use of this software on your system or in your
particular circumstances.
The author is not responsible for any damages that may occur as a result
of use or missuse of this software, or inaccuracies in this manual.
_________________________
/ A Note to Distributors /
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Please do not include this disk on any Public Domain/Shareware library
disk without the explicit permission of ASTRAsoft. We like to ensure that
libraries have the most up-to-date versions of our products and so if you
let one of us know we'll send you the latest versions as they come out.
Send a letter by post or email explaining who you are, what your address
is and which products you have got at the moment. We will then send you a
reply by either of these means... once that has happened you can put it
on a disk!
Formally, DeskTracker or any other ASTRAsoft SHAREWARE product may not be
included on any PD/shareware library disk or magazine cover disk without
the permission of the ASTRAsoft partnership.
See ya!
David.