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Text File | 1994-07-28 | 18.8 KB | 475 lines

!Help file for !TrackConv by Chris Davis. ========================================= Last updated 28th July 1994. The !TrackConv directory should contain the following. !Boot - Boot file. !Help - This file. !Notice - Legal notice. !Run - Run file. !RunImage - Main program. !Sprites - Standard res. application sprites. !Sprites22 - High res. application sprites. !Sprites23 - High res. mono application sprites. Formats - List of formats known by !TrackConv. History - History of TrackConv PackIt - Directory containing PackIt utils. : Compress - Program to compress coconizer packets. Decompress - Program to decompress coconizer packets. PackIt - PackIt module (must be loaded for the above). Code - ARM Code routines used by the main application Templates - Standard 2D templates Templ3D - Risc OS 3 3D templates (Options) - This file contains the saved options so they are the same when TrackConv is next loaded. It is not neccesary for this file to be included as TrackConv will create a new one if it is not found. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- TrackConv --------- The purpose of TrackConv is to convert Tracker style music files to another similar format. e.g. Amiga Sountracker to Archimedes Tracker, Archimedes Coconizer to Amiga Soundtracker. It will also let you load and save samples into or from the file in memory and it will let you save patterns, as well as giving general information on the file. Method ------ TrackConv works by loading the original file into memory and at the same time converting it to TrackConv's own format. When the file needs to be saved it is converted from this format to the required format. This means that individual routines needed to convert from one specific file format to another are not needed. Two seperate routines, a load and save, are used for each file format so once a routine has been created it can be used in conjuction with all the other routines immediately. The disadvantage of this is that TrackConv's own format has to support everything all the other files support so that an accurate conversion can always take place. The many different Tracker style file formats all use volumes and samples. In some cases the volume values used are in linear format (0-64) and in other cases they are logarithmic format (0-255). A perfect conversion between these formats cannot be done (you don't get the original values if you do a linear to logarithmic conversion, then a logarithmic to linear conversion) so TrackConv keeps the original values in memory and sets a flag to denote their format. It then only converts them, if it needs to, when saving a file, still keeping the original values so that if the original and desiginated files use the same format an accurate conversion is done. The same thing happens for samples. Samples are either Linear Signed, Logarithmic or sometimes Linear Unsigned. TrackConv keeps the orignal samples denoting their format and then converts them when it needs to. However, the original samples are not kept because of the amount of memory needed for a buffer. Formats ------- Amiga SoundTracker: ================== This is probably the most common file format found on Acorn machines, although the facilty to save to this format is not found on very many Archimedes programs. This reason for this is the vast amount of Amiga tunes written that get moved to the Archimedes in comparison to the few tunes that get actually get written on the Archimedes using Archimedes programs. Although this file format only allows for 16 commands it has a very good command set. Archimedes Tracker: ================== This was one of the first Archimedes tracker file formats. It contains more information about the music than Amiga STracker and for that reason are slightly larger. However, it has a limiting command set. This is also a very common file format. Archimedes Coconizer: ==================== Coconizer is a freeware application for the Archimedes. It is very similar to Tracker but slightly more restrictive. Coconizer 'song' files do not contain samples. The samples are stored in directories accessable to the main application. Also coconizer tunes are often in compressed 'packets'. Coconizer 'Trackfiles' are very similar to the song files, expcept that they contain samples. There is also a tool that will allow you to create stand alone self playing relocatable modules from coconizer files. TrackConv will also load these. Teque Music: =========== Teque music are Amiga STracker files set-typed &CC5. Digital Symphony: ================ Digital Symphony is a fairly recent application for the Archimedes and it's files are very sophiscated. It has the widest command set of all the supported formats and is designed to offer the wider command set of Amiga files on the Archimedes. Musix: ===== Musix is a PD program which will enable you to write 4 track tunes. TrackConv will attempt to load and save these but I cannot be sure that they will convert properly. Octalyser: ========= Octalyser is (I think) a program on the Amiga which will allow you to create music containing up to 8 channels. OctaMED: ======= OctaMED is a program on the Amiga which will allow you to create music with up to 8 channels and will also support MIDI. TrackConv cannot support the MIDI aspects of the file but will convert the rest properly. Scream Tracker: ============== Scream Tracker is a four track file format on the PC, similar to Sound Tracker. Arc ProTracker: ============== Arc ProTracker is a PD application for the Archimedes which nearly has the full command set of Sound/Pro Tracker on the Amiga. It's files are very similar to Tracker but have subtle differences that cause some applications to crash. PC 669: ====== PC 669 is an 8 track format for the PC. It has a volume for each event and so TrackConv will always add in volume commands if there is no other effect. 669 also has a default tempo (speed?) for each pattern and, at the moment, this is ignored by TrackConv. Zool tunes: ========== These are tunes found in the game 'Zool'. These must be loaded via the GuessType option. Currently TrackConv assumes the ProTracker command set except it subtracts 1 off all speed values. As the default speed is 6 it also sets the speed to 5 near the beginning of the song (at the first empty command). This sounds wierd but it works the best! However, this is not right all the time and some tracks may sound too fast or too slow. It may be more sensible to insert a tempo command near the beggining of the track and keep the speed values the same ... but this is not really fair to users of programs like Tracker or Coconizer which don't have a tempo command. Desktop Tracker: =============== TrackConv will not currently load Desktop Tracker files properly...but it comes close(ish). It will load the samples correctly but mucks up the patterns a little (it ignores the commands and sometimes gets the notes wrong). PPP Track: ========= This is TrackConv's own file format. It has no real advantages over other formats, except that there will be no data loss when using it. (i.e. it contains all the information TrackConv knows about the file at the time of saving). Using !TrackConv ---------------- Loading and saving tunes: ======================== To load a file simply drag it on to the TrackConv icon on the icon bar. If the tune is in a recoginzed format, can be loaded and there is enough application memory reserved for TrackConv it will be loaded. If not all of this is true, either nothing will happen or an error will be generated. Please note that the file must be set-typed correctly and that although it may be recognized it may not be loadable with this version of TrackConv. You can also use the GuessType feature to work out what format the music is in without set-typing it. To save a file go to the 'Save' option on the icon bar menu and go through the various submenus. Then enter your file name and drag the icon to a directory viewer. The save option will not be selectable if there is no music in memory. Loading and saving samples: ========================== Loading samples can be done by one of three ways. Firstly, you can drag the sample to the icon bar icon. TrackConv will try to guess where the sample belongs by using looking for a two digit number at the end of the file name or by using the sample name itself. The second way is to drag a directory of samples on to the icon. The application will load any samples it thinks should be loaded using the same method above. The third way is to drag samples directly onto the sample display window. TrackConv will replace the currently displayed sample with the one you have loaded, regardless of the filename. You may also create or delete samples using the menu options on the sample window. Using the 'Add' option will add samples after all the current ones and 'Insert' will insert samples before the currently displayed sample. To save a sample or samples go through the various submenu's off the save option. To save a single sample use the pointers to select it's number and then enter a file name and drag it to a directory viewer. To save all the samples click on the left pointer until you reach 'All'. Then either enter an eight letter filename to save the samples with their number in two digit form at the end of the filename or enter "/////" to save the samples with their original names. You can also save a sample directly from the sample window, which is much simpler really. If you use ten letter filenames with the first method the program may crash. Also if you put a filename before the "/////" with the second method the program may also crash. In all cases, though, you may use a path name. You may also save single samples using the "/////" method. This method is useful for programs like Musix and Coconizer where the samples are stored in directory's, not in the music files. If a sample has no name then it is saved as 'm' plus the samples' number. This name is also put in Coconizer files so that they will match. Any invalid charecters such as ':' or '.' are missed out. One disadvantage of this method is that if samples have identical names one or more of them will be over-written. Saving patterns: =============== This is done the same way as saving samples except you cannot use the "/////" to keep their names as patterns don't have names. Saving textdumps: ================ To save a textdump select the submenu off the save option and select which areas of information you would like. You can also select what format you would like the patterns displayed in (if you select the 'pattern' option). When you have done this drag the text file to a directory viewer to create the file. Options: ======= Volumes - This allows you to change the format the volumes are displayed in. Verbose - This tells you what is happening as the computer is loading or saving files. Samples - This allows you to set what format the current samples in memory are and what format to load or save raw data samples in. Show - This lets you bring up various windows giving you information about the current file and status of the program. Patterns: Make 64 - This will make sure all pattern lengths are 64 lines/rows or less. Cut - This will search through for pattern breaks and 'cut' the pattern so it is only as long as is needed (Not implemented in this version). Symphonies: Pack - This causes the program to pack Digital Symphony files when saving (Not implemented in this version). Patterns - This lets you choose what way the Digital Symphony sequence is to be created. As you may know Digital Symphony uses 1 pattern for each track, rather than the conventional method of one pattern for all the tracks. The 'normal' setting means that 4 new patterns are created for each conventional pattern. 'Blanks' will add any blanks into the sequence rather than creating a new blank pattern. 'Min-pats' will minimise the total number of patterns needed by adding blanks and ensuring there are no identical patterns. The last two are very slow. Trackers: Commands - This lets you filter out certain Tracker commands, some of which are not used in Tracker but let you produce better reproductions of the original file if needed. This comes into affect when loading and saving Tracker files and also when dumping text files, but only in loading does it have an affect on the data stored in memory. Commands that are allowed on the different levels: Level 1: Level 2: Level 3: Level 1+ Level 2+ 0-Appregio 3-Tone portamento 5-Tone portamento+Vol. slide 1-Slide up 4-Vibrato 6-Vibrato+Vol. slide 2-Slide down 7-Tremelo B-Break pattern 9-Set sample offset E-Set stereo G-Vol. slide up H-Vol. slide down J-Position jump L-Line jump S-Set speed V-Set volume Level 2 is the default setting. Fill voices - In Sound Trackers, when you play a note with specified voice, you can also play a note after it in the same pattern and same track without specifying a voice. If you try this in Tracker it does not have the same effect. Selecting this option fills in any blank voices where there is a note and no voice. It sets the voice to the last played voice. If there has been no voice previously played on that track in that pattern nothing is done. This only comes into effect when saving Trackers and does not produce the same effect that would be achieved in the original piece of music. STrackers: You can specify the number of voices to be put in STracker files. This should be four but a new eight track version has appeared on the PC. Most programs wont load eight track tunes properly but TrackConv will detect automatically whether it is 8 track or not and load it accordingly. The eight track format is denoted by the '8CHN' string in place of the 'M.K.' string. Volumes - This allows you to choose which volume converiosn algorithm is used. Guesstype - See the section on Guesstype below. Save - This will save the current setting of all the options so they will be the same when you next load TrackConv. 'GuessType' ----------- GuessType is a new feature which will guess the format of any music file, from about 20 formats known to TrackConv, without using the Risc OS file type. It is very reliable (in my experience). To use it drag a file into it's window (this will have no effect on the currently loaded tune) and it will look at the file and give it's verdict. A seperate routine for each format will give the marks out of ten for the file 'looking okay'. Whichever format is marked the highest is selected (each format has a radio icon). You can then click on 'Load' to get TrackConv to load the file as that format. If you disagree with it's verdict you can select the format youself. HOWEVER, if you get it wrong TrackConv could hangup your computer! (so be careful). This feature is also used to load tunes in a format which do not have a specific Risc OS type, such as Zool tunes (Data), and therefore cannot not be loaded properly by TrackConv just by dragging them to TrackConv's icon. Problem solving --------------- Won't load: ========== If you find you can't get a tune to load (i.e. TrackConv totally ingnores it if you drag it onto its icon) make sure you have set-typed the file properly (see the formats window). Some of the types I have used may seem a little unorthodox but it is neccesary so that TrackConv can identify the file correctly. A way around this is to use the GuessType feature which should identify the file correctly without using the Risc OS Type. Address exception errors: ======================== There could be a number of reasons for this. Most commonly, the file you have tried to load has been corrupted. Also, it could have been identified wrongly (read above). Another cause is the 'Min-pats' bug (see below). Known problems/bugs ------------------- Poor Conversions: ================ Unforntunately you can very rarely get a 100% conversion from one file to another. This is for many reasons but the most common is where the designated file format has a poorer command set than the original file. The commands that aren't supported in the new file format have to be missed out and this results in very poor conversions. You are likely to get poor conversions when you convert a Symphony file to a Coconizer file because Symphony files have many more commands than Coconizer. Other reasons for poor conversions are just in the way the program plays a pattern as a whole, which is generally quite hard to fix as TrackConv would have to be quite intelligent. Innacurate volumes conversion: ============================= The methods used to convert linear samples to logarithmic samples and vice versa are not correct. However they are pretty close and are better than the methods used in !Tracker which is a commercial program. The program will be very easy to change once I know the correct methods though so if anyone knows them please tell me. 'Min-Pats': ============ The 'Min-pats' option for symphonies has tendancy to cause the program to crash when large numbers of patterns are involved. I have tried to fix this but I am currently baffled by it but will fix it as soon as I figure out what's wrong. Lots of bugs: ============ I have fixed most of the bugs and mentioned those I haven't..... but I'm sure there are loads I haven't found, so please tell me of any you find so I can fix em'. Credits & Hello's ----------------- Thanks to Dave Williams for all the OctaMED format details & also a lot of nice comments about TrackConv :) Thanks to Ingmar Weigal for sending me all the details for 8+ foreign music formats!! Thanks to Gareth Boden & Richard Simmons for the Coconizer TrackFile details. Hello to Ed Ross, 'RAJ', Dave Williams, Robin Abecasis, 'Ampy'. Also hello to everyone in Quantum & everyone on the great Arcade BBS!