Note: This Soundtracker is based on the MasterSoundtracker V1.0
by TIP/PROPHETS and mainly on Soundtracker V2.2 by Unknown/D.O.C
Soundtracker V2.5 - A Quick Clarification.
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Last changes done on: 08-27-89.
Update done by : MnemoTroN.
New playroutine and some explanations from : MAHONEY & KAKTUS
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Some words:
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The last version of Soundtracker (V2.4) had a big bug in it. Every time a
'Sure?'-Requester appears, the display will be damaged badly. The
'Load'-Gadget at the right was also infiltrated by bugs. This had to be
fixed soon and here is the solution: SOUNDTRACKER V2.5. Some guys at the
VF-Party on 07-29-89 asked me to put in some edit-options and I think the
result will satisfy them.
If you've seen the 'Noisetracker' by Mahoney & Kaktus of NorthStar you will
find some of it's features built in here. I thought these things are so good
- they have to be included in this program. The most important change is the
new playroutine, which is optimized and features two new commands.
IMPORTANT:
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Please note that all repeats of old Soundtracker-songs have to be divided by
two in order to sound right. The new playroutine will play the sample with
the full length the first time and then the loop-part. With this method it
is possible to have an attack-phase in the sample. The old Soundtracker did
play the loop only.
Ok, but now....
New features:
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- New edit options:
- Track one half-step up/down
- Track one octave up/down
- One instrument up/down
- Kill instrument
- New disk-menu:
- Load Sample (with directory)
- All directories (song/module/sample) can be changed
- New playroutine (2 new commands)
by MAHONEY & KAKTUS
The Song.
---------
Any piece of music written with Soundtracker 2.5 is build up from patterns.
Soundtracker holds a table with information about the sequence in which
these parts must be played. With 'Position' you determine your position in
the table. With 'Pattern' you define what pattern to play at that
position. 'Length' defines the total size of the table. The full sequence
of Patterns is the Song.
The Keys.
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The original (V1.8) version of the Soundtracker had a German keymap.
Version 2.5 supports a standard USA keymap and this ensures compatibility
with ALL Amigas. The keyboard has been extended, try typing on the whole
key-rows. The keys on your Amiga have been grouped to represent the layout
of a two- octave piano-keyboard. You can "shift" the keyboard one octave
up or down with the aid of the F1 and F2 keys, thus incrementing the range
of the keyboard to three octaves.
Explanation of the options:
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MAIN MENU:
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Play - will play the song
Pattern - play the current pattern
Stop - stops the song
Edit - edit a pattern
Record - edit pattern in real-time
Clear - will kill the song in memory
Use Pset - will load a sample, which can be chosen by using the Preset-
gadget
Filter - will switch the Power-LED (and lowpassfilter on A500 and A2000) on
and off
Disk Op - switches to the Disk-Menu (see below)
Print - will print the Song to PRT: (right button to abort)
Pset-Ed - switches to the PresetList-Editor (see below)
The small gadgets titled from 1 to 4 represent the four audio channels of
your Amiga computer. When lit, the audio channel is enabled.
DISK MENU:
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Load Song - loads a song
Save Song - crunches and saves a song
Delete Song - deletes a song from the disk
Load Module - loads a module
Save Module - saves a module
Delete Modules - deletes a modules from the disk
Load Sample - read a sample from any disk
Save Sample - save the selected sample to disk
Format Disk - formats a disk
PRESETLIST-EDITOR:
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Edit - to edit an entry
Insert - inserts a sample into the PresetList
Delete - deletes a sample
Read path - reads the specified path and inserts the samples into the list
Print Plst - lists the PresetList to PRT: (right button to abort)
Save Plst - saves the PresetList to disk
Use Pset - loads a selected sample into the memory
Press the right mousebutton to move up and down faster!
The 'Edit'-option is not included in the menu. Just click on one of the
entries and you can change the name or the other values. To read a
sampledisk using 'Read path' you have to enter the path you want to read (in
most cases 'df0:' to 'df3:'). Harddisk users may enter a volume-number which
will be inserted before the samplename. Click on 'Volume' to change it.
Disks with a name like 'ST-xx' will be automatically identified!
To change a directory without reading it, move the cursor to the uppermost
line of the screen over one of the options (song/module/sample). The
directory will change to this option.
All time key-commands:
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Tab - Play
Left Amiga - Play Pattern
Right Amiga - Edit Pattern
Space - Stop
While editing:
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Cursor-keys move cursor.
shift + Cursor-keys move cursor fast.
alt + Cursor-keys move cursor fastest.
F6 - Set cursor to first line of pattern.
F7 - Set cursor to 16th line of pattern.
F8 - Set cursor to 32th line of pattern.
F9 - Set cursor to 48th line of pattern.
F10 - Set cursor to last line of pattern.
DEL - Delete note under cursor.
shift + F3 - Cut track of current pattern and copy into a buffer.
shift + F4 - Copy track of current pattern into a buffer.
shift + F5 - Copy buffer to track of current pattern.
alt + F3 - Cut the whole pattern and copy into a buffer.
alt + F4 - Copy pattern into a buffer.
alt + F5 - Copy buffer to current pattern.
While using Soundtracker V2.5, HELP will show you these commands (and more).
A small word about the +/- gadgets: pressing the left AND right
mousebutton will in-/decrease the value faster !!
Sample zero function:
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While editing you're able to set the sample to the value zero (0!). Press
both mousebuttons at the position of the samplegadgets (plus, minus = +,-).
Now you can edit the pattern with the sample 0 to prevent difficulties
according to the volume.
Instruments.
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You can use up to thirtyone different instruments in one music-piece. All
instruments are listed in the preset-list. The volume is always 64, but you
can change it to each value between 0 and 64. To change the other values of
each instrument you have to enter the preset-editor or use the gadgets in the
program (this is only for small changes. use the preset-ed otherwise!).
With the PresetEd you can change the whole preset-list. An instrument may
have a maximal length of 64K !!
Notes:
------
C#1 0 3 C 2 3
/ |/ | \|
/ / | Info
/ / Command
/ Inst#
Note to
be played.
Note: This is simply the note that is played with that particular
----- instrument.
Inst#: This is the number of the instrument that is used to play that
------ note. When the instrument number is zero, the last selected
instrument will be used.
Command: This number tells Soundtracker what special functions shall be
-------- performed while playing the note.
Info: This byte contains the additional information for the commands.
-----
These functions are as follows:
0 - Normal play or arpeggio.
1 - Portamento up.
2 - Portamento down.
3 - Tone-portamento
4 - Vibrato
A - Volume slide.
B - Position jump.
C - Set volume.
D - Pattern break.
E - Set filter on/off.
F - Set speed.
$0 Arpeggio - $0 + second halfnote-add + third halfnote-add
This command will produce a one-channel chord. No comments.
C-3 00037 produces a minor-chord
C-3 00047 produces a major-chord
$1 Portamento up - $1 + portamentospeed
This commans slides the pitch up.
C-3 00103 1 is the command, 3 is the speed.
$2 Portamento down - $2 + portamentospeed
This command slides the pitch down.
C-3 00203 2 is the command, 3 is the speed.
$3 Tone-portamento - destination-note + $3 + speed
This will automatically slide from the old note to the new. To keep on
sliding, just select the command 3. Try it out yourself, and I'm
sure you'll understand a little bit better.
C-3 00305 C-3 is the note to slide to, 3 the command and 5 the speed.
$4 Vibrato - $4 + vibratospeed + vibratosize
C-3 00481 4 is the command, 8 is the speed of the vibrato and 1 is the
size of the vibrato.
To keep on vibratoing (?) just select the command 4.
$A Volume-slide - $A + upslidespeed + downslidespeed
C-3 00A05 5 is the speed to turn down the volume
C-3 00A40 4 is the speed to slide it up.
$B Position-jump - $B + song-position to continue at
C-3 00B01 1 is the place to restart the song at.
This command will also perform a pattern-break.
$C Set volume - $C + new volume
Well, this old familiar command will set the current volume to your
own selected. The highest volume is $40. All volumes are represented
in hex. (Programmers do it in hex, you know!)
C-3 00C10 C is the command, 10 is the volume.
$D Pattern-break - $D + nothing
Sure simple, this magic thing will end your pattern and go on with the
next one.
C-3 00D00 D in the command, all others are a waste of memory.
$E Set filter - $E + filter-status
This command jerks around with the sound-filter on some A500 + A2000.
All other Amiga-users should keep out of playing around with it.
C-3 00E01 disconnects filter (turns LED off)
C-3 00E00 connects filter (turns LED on) * please keep LED off!
$F Set speed - $F + speed
This will change the speed of your tune. (how fast your patterns will
roll ...) Speeds from $01 - $1f are allowed.
C-3 00F07 sets speed to 7
For your convenience the speed will now be set to 6 everytime you load a
song/module or clear the song.
The Playroutine.
----------------
The Playroutine on the Soundtracker disk is for using your music in demos,
intros, games etc. It was written using the Seka-assembler and the source of
the routine can directly be incorporated in your demo/intro source. When you
are finished writing your music using Soundtracker V2.5, save it to disk.
Use the function 'SAVE MODULE'. You will find a file in the selected
directory, which contains all songdata and samples. Load with SEKA the
source of the playroutine and enter the size of the saved module at the label
'mt_data'. Assemble. Now load the saved module to 'mt_data'.
How to play a song:
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At the beginning of your program, call the 'mt_init' routine.
Jump to the 'mt_music' routine each vertical blank.
To stop the song, jump to the 'mt_end' routine.
P.S. : All you Workbench-fanatics can start the Soundtracker from the
Workbench without using utilities like XIcon. Simply use the provided icon
(or draw your own), but remember: don't forget to assign the ST-xx: disks!
Be sure to close most windows on the Workbench because while Soundtracker is
running, the Workbench is still active (invisibly!). Opened windows can
cause some unexpected effects (although I fixed this partly).....
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