MD tracker 0.3 ALPHA

TmEE co.(TM) · Post by **TmEE co.(TM)** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:17 am

http://www.hot.ee/tmeeco/DWNLOADS/MDTRK.RAR

MD tracker is updated to 0.3a...

You 3 PSG tone channels along with 2 PCM and 5 FM channels, so 10 channels total !!!

Z80 driver is work in progress, and progresses nicely...

This tracker can do (and more if you want) :

5 channels of FM, in STEREO
3 channels of PSG, tones only
2 channels of PCM, no effects, on one track
256 patterns on each track
256 orders (separate on each track)
255 effects (few used at the moment)
5 effects per row

There's very few effects used... to get more, just ask, there's plenty of room !!!

However, MD tracker is a real-mode MS-DOS program, which is developed under Win98SE. It does work with XP, but MIDI is not always in sync.

THIS WILL BE THE LAST ALPHA !!!

TulioAdriano · Post by **TulioAdriano** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 5:02 pm

Do you think it would work on Dosbox? It has decent OPL emulation, I used it for playing games like Kirandia and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis.

Tulio

TmEE co.(TM) · Post by **TmEE co.(TM)** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:33 am

I ran it through DOSbox... everything was pretty nice... but my 1.1GHz Celeron is not worth even a 286 !!! And it uses real MPU-401 General MIDI to make sound... no FM synthesis at all

There would be, but I'm not going to write a YM2612 emulator in QB... one idea would be to use YM2612 from a dead MD, but it'll work only on Win9x and DOS...

XP is on a thin red line... while this works near flawlessly on some machines, it won't on others...

Zable Fahr · Post by **Zable Fahr** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 4:40 pm

I'm running it in XP, and while it isn't the most responsive, it does work.
Other than that, I just have one question regarding that whole midi thing:

Would it be possible to have some sort of bank switching function, to gain access to more instruments, or instrument variations?
While I would be perfectly content with a more standard GM setup, it would be nice if it was possible to expand it, just in case it is needed one day.

Anyway, nice job! I'm looking forward to the next release!

TmEE co.(TM) · Post by **TmEE co.(TM)** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:55 pm

Next version is not far, it'll feature... drumroll... tadaaa : 3 PSG tone channels !!! And MUCH more improved keyboard input, no more bad responsivness... but SPACE won't make the module play, only click on [>]...

Regards MIDI bank switching, it can be added, but there's no way for me to test as my Yamaha YMF719 softsynth doesn't have more banks than 1, and you can't add any too... least its default bank sounds fantastic (mixture of samples and envelope synthesis). Oh, and my card is XG, and 2 percussions (<> key and S key) sound different from non XG cards... these should be acoustic bass drum and techno snare, but on non XG cards these are drum stick clicks... I guess non XG cards have these percussions somewhere, but I don't know about it.
I'll add bank switching to my TO DO list aswell...

One thing that I can say is that MIDI seems to play correctly on AMD based XP machines... Intel machines might work but not guaranteed...

Zable Fahr · Post by **Zable Fahr** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 3:00 am

PSG!!! Dude, you just made my day! I can't wait to try it!

TulioAdriano · Post by **TulioAdriano** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:31 pm

TmEE co.(TM) wrote:Next version is not far, it'll feature... drumroll... tadaaa : 3 PSG tone channels !!! And MUCH more improved keyboard input, no more bad responsivness... but SPACE won't make the module play, only click on [>]...

Yeah, Zable is right. PSG has been part of my dreams latelly! These are exciting news!

Regards MIDI bank switching, it can be added, but there's no way for me to test as my Yamaha YMF719 softsynth doesn't have more banks than 1, and you can't add any too... least its default bank sounds fantastic (mixture of samples and envelope synthesis). Oh, and my card is XG, and 2 percussions (<> key and S key) sound different from non XG cards... these should be acoustic bass drum and techno snare, but on non XG cards these are drum stick clicks... I guess non XG cards have these percussions somewhere, but I don't know about it.
I'll add bank switching to my TO DO list aswell...

Keep in mind that most cards everywhere are General MIDI compatible, so if XG has a different mapping on percussion you should either add a checkbox for GM keyboard mapping or change the sound mapping for GM in case the person using the tracker doesn't have XG.

One thing that I can say is that MIDI seems to play correctly on AMD based XP machines... Intel machines might work but not guaranteed...

I hope it does because at home there are only Intel pcs and Mac G4.

Thanks for all! Waiting for news!
Tulio

TmEE co.(TM) · Post by **TmEE co.(TM)** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:07 pm

I thought I should add PSG as EVERYONE seem to want it so badly...

My tracker is not XG specific at all, just GM level 1... it is just that my card has some percussions in other place... I have a GM card too, and I'll try to find these 2 instruments... I'll add a check box into options, and a way to enter other percussions into PCM tracks than default...

Bank Switching has been added, achieved through effects, will probably be ignored in Z80 driver... one effect for LSB, one other for MSB.

I guess I'll release next version before the end of this month, but surprises may happen and it may happen next month.

There is ALWAYS a possibility to install Win9x to some harddrive... I have such setup : XP on one drive, 98SE on other, flip a switch and master/slave of drives get swapped and my PC boots to XP or 98... or you can use XPs multiboot feature... I don't know anything about Macs... never had any, none available in Estonia...

TulioAdriano · Post by **TulioAdriano** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 2:20 pm

Thing is that I don't have a desktop PC.

I used to do all the sort of tricks and mods when I lived in Brazil, but here in USA I only have a notebook PC, which makes a littke tricky for such mods.

I'll probably have to relly on emulators such as DosBox, Bochs or Ms Virtual PC.

I have Windows 3.11 installed on the Virtual PC and it works well with SoundBlaster 16 emulation. That has OPL based MIDI audio so I might be able to listen my tunes somehow close to how they will sound on Genny.

Tulio

TmEE co.(TM) · Post by **TmEE co.(TM)** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 9:16 am

Coolest thing is, that my Yamaha has Win3.11 drivers, with that fantastic softsynth, and it works flawlessly there, but that damn 486DX2 gets too toasty, and the last miniature fan I had went to cool my overclocked Dreamcast...

DOSbox seemed to have absolutely no problems (well, only slowness), and I don't know any other DOS emulator that works on PC, or DC

FrozenDelight · Post by **FrozenDelight** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 11:19 pm

What is... PSG?

Shiru · Post by **Shiru** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 11:26 pm

FrozenDelight wrote:What is... PSG?

SMD has two sound synth chips. First, YM2612 (FM synth) is a general one, which plays most of sound in SMD'st games. Second, SN76489 aka PSG, is a much simpler synth (just 3 square-wave channels and one noise channel), included in SMD hardware for backward compatibility with Sega Master System 8-bit games (SMS had only SN76489 for all sound). This chip also can be used in SMD games for additional voices. Most notable usage of PSG in SMD music is Streets Of Rage title music (main melody voice plays on PSG).

Chilly Willy · Post by **Chilly Willy** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 3:01 am

Shiru wrote:
FrozenDelight wrote:What is... PSG?
SMD has two sound synth chips. First, YM2612 (FM synth) is a general one, which plays most of sound in SMD'st games. Second, SN76489 aka PSG, is a much simpler synth (just 3 square-wave channels and one noise channel), included in SMD hardware for backward compatibility with Sega Master System 8-bit games (SMS had only SN76489 for all sound). This chip also can be used in SMD games for additional voices. Most notable usage of PSG in SMD music is Streets Of Rage title music (main melody voice plays on PSG).

The SMS DID have an FM chip in the Japanese version - the YM2413. This was made an accessory in the US model to cut the price of the unit. Because it was optional, it was rarely ever used in games.

Eke · Post by **Eke** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 8:05 am

Chilly Willy wrote: The SMS DID have an FM chip in the Japanese version - the YM2413. This was made an accessory in the US model to cut the price of the unit. Because it was optional, it was rarely ever used in games.

you mean you could buy a FM unit for your Master System in the US ? That's really nice !

FrozenDelight · Post by **FrozenDelight** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 3:41 pm

Thanks goes to Shiru for answering my question concerning what PSG means.

Cheers