@3 Converting MED Modules to Soundtracker Modules @2 Sounds exciting doesn't it?? @1 If you have ever tried to put music into a game, you will know that AMOS doesn't exactly put its neck out to help you. The Soundtracker play routine is primitive and the MED routine is flawed. What you really need is the sound quality of MED music (the MED player supports more commands than the Soundtracker player) but the convenience of Tracker modules. Unfortunately nothing in this world is perfect so any MED music really should be converted to Soundtracker format before it is used. If you have a PD MED module that you want to convert to a Soundtracker module, the following text should help you. @3 What You Need @1 A copy of OctaMED (v5 recommended) A MED module It would help if you know how to use OctaMED. A proficient working knowledge is almost essential. Note: In all cases I am referring to OctaMED V5.01b (The Amiga Format coverdisk version) First, load the module you want to use into OctaMED, and play it. Look out for any player commands above 11. Most of these are NOT supported by AMOS. Ignore command 14 because it is the same as command 4. If there are loads then the song may not work in AMOS. Check all the instruments for finetune values (in the Inst Params window). Reset any tuning to 0. If they are now out of tune you can either a) change the instrument or b) forget it. Next check for instrument transpose (it is the number next to the finetune value). If you find any, note the instrument number and the transpose value before resetting it to 0. You may have to click on the cycle gadget to the left if it says 'finetune'. Now use Right Amiga-T or select transpose form the pull down menu and a large window will open in the middle of the screen. Select the following gadgeyts :- Affect = Song Insrument=Current. Select the first instrument that was transposed and look up the value. If it is negative then use 'Semitone down' the number of times indicated by the value. You will have to wait a couple of seconds after each press. If the value was positive then use 'Semitone Up' that number of times. Repeat for every instrument. Next open the Play Transpose window (Song Menu) and see if it has a value other than zero. Note it down and return to the Transpose window. Change it to :- Instruments=All then do the Semitone up/down trick as before. Open the Song Options window (song menu) and change the volumes from Decimal to Hex then click on Convert Volumes Dec ==> hex and the volumes will work. Then select 'No slide on first pulse' so there is a tick beside it, if there is not one already. Next is the most difficult bit. Search through the entire song gor commands 1 or 2. Play the blocks that contain them and see if the slide sounds as though it ends on the wrong note. if it does, add 1 to the number on the end of the 2 command on one or more line until it sounds right. So ---- 10201 might have to be changed to ---- 10202 to make the slide sound right. Carry on doing this until everything sounds right. Next Take note of the tempo (don't write it down, just remember how fast it was, roughly) then save out the tune as an ST MODULE. Don't overwrite the original in case you make a mistake. Reload the module and play it. If the tempo is wrong, you will have to sort it out. Move to the first line of the first block that is played and find a line with a free effects command space. (It will have 0000 after the note+instrument number, if there is one). Change it so it reads x0906 . The 9 means change tempo, the 6 is the speed. Play the module. If it is too fats, increase the value of the last number. If it is too slow then decrease the number. remember that the number is in Hex. (decimal 10 is A in hex so counting in Hex goes 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F,10,11,12,13,14, 15,16,17,18,19,1A,1B,1C,1D,1E,1F,20 and so on) When it sounds about right (it may not be exactly right because OctaMED has more accurate tempo commands) save the ST module again. Reload it and play it. If it sounds crap then forget about using it. If it sounds OK then load it into AMOS with the Track load instruction then play it. If it still sounds right then well done, you are lucky! Otherwise you can't use it. Incidentally, as often as possible, you should use the music converter because it means nobody can steal your music and you can overlay samples on top of the track while it is playing. But the music converter rarely succeeds in properly converting the music so it can't always be used. I hope that this has been some use to you (if you could follow it - you really do have to be proficient at using MED to get anywhere). I suggest that you try and use Soundtracker modules wherever possible. If you are getting a musician to do your game music, tell him the limitations of AMOS (it only supports Noisetracker modules, not Protracker) and if he uses MED, tell him to save the modules in the Soundtracker format. If you are using PD music, a lot of it is written with Protracker and is incompatible with AMOS, although a lot of it sounds Okay when it is played. @2 Send any ideas/music problems/modules/elastic/lard to... @3 Mike Richmond 86 Station Road, Hessle, North Humberside, HU13 OBG.