---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - NoiseTracker V1.2 - An improved version of Mahoney & Kaktus' V1.1 - - Made by RIFF RAFF of UNITED FORCES and ANTICHRIST - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's a short list of what I've done ... (V1.2) * Nearly all numerical outputs changed to decimal. * Great Preferences menu where you can set/load/save your favorite paths and settings like keymap, numeric pad, dirbuffer-size etc. Now fully useable with harddisks (no ST-xx disks needed anymore). * NOW, after years of Soundtracking this nice proggy handles samples up to 128k correctly (read the Hardware Manual: Paula can handle samples up to a length of 128k). FreeMem/FileRequester and other stuff works now fine with such lengths. * Improved IFF Handler for loading AND saving samples (like Audiomaster does). Loop points will get loaded and saved correctly (I think it's easier to create a good loop point with Audiomaster than with clicking around on some arrow gadgets). * Help menu, with all keyboard shortcuts and edit functions. * A bunch of edit commands like block moving/cutting/transposing/poly- phonizing. * Back-to-CLI gadget for executing dos-commands etc. (Multitasking). * Pattern Editor, where you can easily arrange your song. * Timer * Kill Sample function. Removes a sample from your song. * Spectrum Analyzer removed, great Scope inserted. * Full working status line, displays all disk activity and other messages. * Auto-correcting wrong Repeat-values in old Soundtracker modules. * Load Sample function now with optional .fastdir-like .noisedir for ultra-fast directory loading. * No Seka-shitcode anymore: Fully sectioned into 3 hunks, so code will be in Fastmem (where it has to be). So you have about 45 KB more chipmem free than before (when using a RAM-Expansion). * Lotsa bugs detected and removed (I hope I didn't build in too many new ones...). If you have any ideas to improve this Tracker or if you've found any bugs, feel free to contact: RIFF RAFF of UNITED FORCES PLK 038 336 B 3320 Salzgitter 31 West Germany Credits... CODERS - SOUND TRACKER - v1.0-2.5 Karsten Obarski Exterminator of TJC TIP of TNM Unknown of DOC Mnemotron of Spreadpoint ... - NOISE TRACKER - v1.0-1.1 Mahoney & Kaktus of Northstar & Silents v1.2 Main coding: Riff Raff of UFO ReAssembling, Scope & Beta testing: Antichrist UPDATES: ------- Release B: Sorry, now you can click on the FREE gadget in the Disk Menu. Release C: UPDATE function corrected. Inputhandler improved. Now you can enter longer preferences paths. Shift Cursor left/right moves the cursor at start/end of line. (read more information below) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - NoiseTracker V1.1 - An improved version of MnemoTroN's Soundtracker V2.3 - - Made by Mahoney & Kaktus - Northstar & Silents in July - August 1989 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - This tracker is non-polluting - Text by Mahoney ... Since I'm so tired of the old ST-instructions, I'll just short take my part of the improvements here. If you're not into how to use the Soundtracker, read the old V2.3 instructions, or call your nearest friend. (that's what friends are for!) This tracker was made to fit our purposes, if you don't like it, that's not our problem. Here's a short list of what I've done ... (V1.0) * Removed the Format Disk-option (It wasn't reliable) * Inserted Load Sample-function (good if haven't done a PLST!) V1.2: Improved (see Preferences menu) * Corrected the replayroutine (now works with all instruments) * An IFF-handler routine (should take damaged IFFs, too) V1.2: Improved (now handles loop points and saves, too) * Improved inputhandler. V1.2: Debugged (press DEL at end of line in V1.0/1.1!) Improved (handles longer inputs) * Reinserted song-pack on/off (I used it in the Sounds of Gnome) * Possibility to change the Module-directory. * Change instrument with the numeric-pad. V1.2: Improved (for A1000 and A500/2000) * Play/Patt/Stop/Edit/Rec from the keyboard. V1.2: Removed, only Space for Edit/Stop left in. * Simple transpose-function. V1.2: Improved (see Edit Commands) * Two new song-commands (tone-portamento & vibrato) * Great PLST-screen with simple searchroutine. V1.2: Debugged (MOUNTLIST debugged, ST-xx stuff partly debugged) * Now you can change PLST in the tracker. V1.2: Improved (see Preferences menu) * Change Pattern & Position from the keyboard. V1.2: Removed. * Sounds looped just like in Audiomaster & Sound FX. * Modulelength & free chipmem displayed. V1.2: Debugged, now works with longer samples. * All known bugs corrected. V1.2: Really????? I found some... NoiseTrackerV1.1 improvements: * Safer loadingroutines. V1.2: Even safer loading- & savingroutines... * Restart pointer for your song. * Removed Use Pset. (use the PLST-screen instead) * Debugged IFF-handler. * Safer memoryhandler. ----------------------------------------- - The keyboard. - ----------------------------------------- Esc - Exits every menu F1 - Chooses low octaves F2 - Chooses high octave shift + F3 - Cut voice to buffer shift + F4 - Copy voice to buffer shift + F5 - Paste voice from buffer alt + F3 - Cut whole pattern to buffer alt + F4 - Copy whole pattern to buffer alt + F5 - Paste pattern from buffer F6 - Go to patternposition 0 F7 - Go to patternposition 16 F8 - Go to patternposition 32 F9 - Go to patternposition 48 F10 - Go to patternposition 63 Help - PLST Window Space - Toggle between Stop/Edit-mode alt + cursor right - increase pattern-number alt + cursor left - decrease pattern-number shift + cursor right - go to next track (easier editing) shift + cursor left - go to previous track alt + cursor up/down - fast scrolling up/down shift + Tab - Transpose selected instrument in voice one halfnote up. shift + Ctrl - Transpose selected instrument in voice one halfnote down. alt + Tab - Transpose selected instrument in pattern one halfnote up. alt + Ctrl - Transpose selected instrument in pattern one halfnote down. Caps Lock - Toggle between display for monochrome/color monitors. * Numeric pad: A500/2000 mode: 0 : Select instrument $0 upper row : Select instrument $1-$4 2nd row : Select instrument $5-$8 3rd row : Select instrument $9-$c 4th row : Select instrument $d-$10 Enter (still on the numeric) + the other keys selects instruments $10-$1f A1000 mode: 0-9 : Select instruments 0-9 Enter : (+ 0-9) instruments 10-19 . : (+ 0-9) instruments 20-29 Here comes the V1.2 stuff... ----------------------------------------- - Preferences - ----------------------------------------- Note: The NOISEPREFS are not compatible to those of other versions of Noisetracker. Delete them when you copy a new Noisetracker version to your workdisk! It could cause severe problems if you don't! PATHS: Here you can enter your songs/modules/samples and PLST paths. Forget using ST-xx disks, you don't need any ST-00 anymore. You can simply switch between different PLSTs by typing another PLST's name in the PLST stringgadget and click LOAD PLST in the PLST menu to load a different one. All paths can be up to 64 characters long. KEYMAP: Click here to toggle between US and GERMAN keymap. NUMPAD: Click here to toggle between A1000 and A500/2000 numeric keypad. SPCNOTE: Here you can change the "zero-note". Enter 3 spaces or whatever you like. DIRSIZE: All previous versions of Noisetracker had a directory buffer for up to 350 entries. That might be enough for disk-users but imagine a sampledirectory on an hard disk with about 10000 samples. How to load 'em ? Now you can specify the maximum number of directory entries that can handled by the filerequester. A change of the dirsize does only affect the real size of the dirbuffer next time you run Noisetracker! Be careful with the amount of entries you enter here. You can calculate the memory consumption by multiplying dirsize by 28. e.g 350*28=9800 bytes of memory (public-ram of course). If you did specify more memory than it is available it will be set to the default value of 350 entries. LOAD: Loads the last saved prefs from S:NOISEPREFS. SAVE: Saves your prefs to S:NOISEPREFS and exits the PREFERENCES menu. EXIT: Eeeh? Exit! ----------------------------------------- - Pattern Editor - ----------------------------------------- Use your cursorkeys to move around in the window and enter your pattern numbers in decimal. INSERT: Gives you space to enter a new pattern number at the current cursor- position. Moves all following numbers one position up. DELETE: Deletes the current pattern number and moves all following numbers one position down. CLEAR: Clears your whole arrangement. (Displays "Are You Sure?" before) ARROW UP: Move Page Up (both mousebuttons: move to position 0) ARROW DOWN: Move Page Down (both mousebuttons: move to position 127) ----------------------------------------- - Edit Commands - ----------------------------------------- You can access all of these commands in EDIT mode (cursor in the notes row). BLOCK COMMANDS CTRL + S Block Start. E Block End. Notes: You can only mark blocks within a single track. Select Block Start first, then Block End. C Copy (Paste) Block. Copies marked block to actual cursor position. X Cut Block. Deletes all notes in the marked block. H Transpose Block Up. Transposes notes of the current instrument one halfnote up. L Transpose Block Down. (see CTRL+H). P Polyphonize Block. Spreads the notes of a track over up to 4 tracks to have a stereo effect or just to make it sound better. After launching this great function you'll get asked for the width of this effect. Press 2,3 or 4 for the desired number of tracks your sourcetrack shall be spread. OTHER COMMANDS CTRL + T Swap Tracks. Exchange the actual track with another one you can specify the destination rack in the same way as in CTRL P. K Kill to End of Track. Deletes all notes from cursorposition down to the end of the track. I Kill Instrument. Deletes all notes in the current track that belong to the current instrument. ----------------------------------------- - CLI - ----------------------------------------- If you've started NOISETRACKER with 'Run NOISETRACKER' from CLI or loaded it from Workbench the CLI gadget lets you go back to CLI/Workbench (Multitasking) and format disks etc. A Requester appears from which you can get back into NOISETRACKER. Maybe I add a CLI-autodetach routine in future versions. Than you can start NOISETRACKER without Run and it will automatically run itself as a process (but my attempts to code a CLI-detach routine only caused a guru). Does anyone know how to start a DOS-process with CreateProc() ? ----------------------------------------- - Timer - ----------------------------------------- The timer starts when you press PLAY and stops when your song restarts (to get the real time your song annoys the audience). To reset the timer simply click in it's gadget. ----------------------------------------- - Restart-pointer. - ----------------------------------------- This is the position where the song will restart when the tune is finished. As simple as that ... ----------------------------------------- - New inputroutine. - ----------------------------------------- This routine should work just like any normal text-processor, and not, like before, clear the whole row and let you retype it again to edit. You can use the cursor left/right, backspace and delete. By pressing the right button, you'll clear the row. ----------------------------------------- - Corrected Loop-values. - ----------------------------------------- All since the very first Soundtracker by K.O. there has been a bug in the replay-routine (both in the tracker and the replay). The tracker calculated the loop-start in bytes, and not in words as it's written into the instrument- list. All this means that in the later Soundtrackers, you couldn't loop the whole sample. To use your old loop-values (from ANY other tracker) you should divide your Repeat-value by 2. (fex. $07e0/2 = $03f0) If you want to save memory, decrease the length of your looped sample until it stops. This will save only the used part of the sample in the module. V1.2 : Loading an old Song or Module will auto-correct the Repeat values! ----------------------------------------- - PLST-screen. - ----------------------------------------- You enter this screen either by pressing the PLST-button, or by pressing the Help-key. Here you've got the number of samples currently in the preset-list, a load PLST-button, an exit-button, three search-disks and a mountlist-button. By pressing the mount-button, you'll get a preset-list with only those disk(s) mounted. You can also type the disknumber yourself. Then, simply press your sample to load it into the current instrument. V1.2: All Samplelengths in decimal. Mountlist function debugged. ----------------------------------------- - Disk Operation. - ----------------------------------------- Here you've got the old familiar Load/Save/Del song and module + Save sample. The new is the Load sample-option, the reinserted Pack on/off and the module- directory. To change the moduledir, just press it and type the new dir. Be sure to have either a : after a diskname, or a / after a directory, fex DF0: Only modules with the prefix 'mod.' can be loaded, to prevent you from trying to load something else that isn't a module. Do also note that you can't edit anything while in DiskOp. Do NOT have two ST-00 in your drives simultaneous, because that will confuse your computer. V1.2: Modpath moved to Preferences menu. FREE: Free Disk Space function added: Enter the device name left to the FREE gadget. Click FREE to see the disk's free bytes (or KBytes if it's more than 999999 bytes, maybe you have a harddisk) being displayed in the status line. LOAD SAMPLE: A sample will be loaded from the path you've specified in the Prefs menu. I don't add the path to the samplename because you only have 22 characters for it and a longer pathname might cut the samplename and will disable loading it. SAVE SAMPLE: If a samplename has a devicename (like ST-01:) in it's name already, it won't be saved to the samplepath in the prefs menu but to it's own disk (in this case ST-01:). When you work with .NOISEDIRs always UPDATE your sampledirectory after saving a Sample to it! UPDATE: LOAD SAMPLE looks out for a file called .NOISEDIR in the path from where you want to load a sample. If it's there, it will be loaded instead of the whole directory. UPDATE will read the whole directory and creates a file named .NOISEDIR where all files and lengths are stored. ----------------------------------------- - Song-commands. - ----------------------------------------- Here you've got them: 0 - arpeggio 1 - portamento up 2 - portamento down 3 - Tone-portamento 4 - Vibrato A - Slide volume B - Position jump C - Set volume D - Pattern break E - Set filter (keep the led off, please!) F - Set speed (now up to $1F) $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 command 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 is 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. Speed of $01 is fastest... C-3 00F07 sets speed to $07 ----------------------------------------- - Replay-source. - ----------------------------------------- On this disk you should find a file called "NoiseReplay.s". That is just as you suspected, a little neat source to play your home-made tunes. Simply read it into your favorite Seka, read your module to the label "mt_data", call the sub-routine "mt_init" first and then to "mt_music" every Vblank. When you exit your demo, call the routine "mt_end" to stop the sound. This replay-routine is not interrupt-driven. If you want such a replay, you better do it yourself. (if you're not a programmer, bad luck!) Use only the right replay to the right NoiseTracker. ReplayV1.1 will not work properly with tunes saved with V1.0, and ReplayV1.0 won't go with TrackerV1.1. Tunes can only be converted from V1.0 to V1.1 and not back again. This should not cause any bigger problems, I hope. V1.2: On the original UNITED FORCES NOISETRACKER V1.2 disk you'll find replayroutines for V1.1/V1.2 modules as Seka/DevPac and GFA-Assembler sources. ----------------------------------------- - Comments. - ----------------------------------------- This tracker took about four weeks to complete. And the improvements from V1.0 to V1.1 took exactly 4 hours. We really hope you like it. Anyway, the best thank you can give us is by using our tracker. If you have something VERY important to tell us, write to a swapper in NorthStar and beg for our adress. Otherwise, get our musicdisk II, Sounds of Gnome, and you'll find it there. Note that we do not swap anything (not even our own productions). We don't want to spend all our money on stamps. If you want some of our latest things, swap with NorthStar and NOT with us. WE ARE LEGAL!!!! Fuck the police who keeps on checking our mail, just because we were on Fairlights memberlist and they happened to get that when they infiltrated an illegal Visa-card user. Special thanks to Glue Master, Zymox, Foetus, Jazze, Godbrain, Spexhane, Starfire, Exolon, Celebrandbil, Ron & Sal/MegaKlopparna, Jessi, Jenny S. and all those guys who made the Soundtracker before me. Thanks also to all these nice guys ... Panther/Scoopex, DMX/Phoenix, Slimer/Celtic, The Unicorn/Unit one inc., Wizzkid/Electr.Artists, Philip Weyman, Billy Topping, Ray Burt-Frost, Watchman/Deathstar, George "M" Ruivo, Scampy/FAT, Christoph/Flashlight, Anders G.P., Nova/Paragon, Fredox/Overgrowth, Spy 3/DMACON, Sir Gawain & Gaston/Horizon, Scorpion/Phantoms, Vortex 42, @lastor, S.O.S., AlphaFlight, Mute 101, Jimmy, Rawhead and finally to all our friends in NorthStar & Silents. Sorry if we missed you ... Any problems? Call Germany 110. Signed - Mahoney & Kaktus/HallonSoft 1989 Have a nice night!