Seeking to hire 6502 programmer

thefox · Post by **thefox** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 12:17 am

I don't think having two separate interfaces is a good idea, it will make the tracker a lot harder to code. LSDJ style interface probably makes it easier to pack the music data efficiently.

Post by **Memblers** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 2:10 pm

I've never used LSDJ, but from look at some youtube vids of it, I don't see what makes it different from a tracker. Except that the pattern length on a tracker is traditionally 64 lines, and seems to be 16 on LSDJ. Am I missing something? Guess I could try it out for myself, but not if I don't have to.

Personally I think 64-line patterns are a bit silly on NES, especially since most parts of songs don't have a unique series of 64 lines, they almost always repeat much sooner. What also annoys me to no end, since I'd gotten better at composing stuff sometimes, is how it's stupidly hard to do triplets in a traditional kind of tracker setting. And it also seems like there's no space-saving way to transpose short phrases, at least not on any NES trackers or even MCK that I can recall (would be a huge memory-saver for composers who care).

mic_ · Post by **mic_** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 10:55 pm

And it also seems like there's no space-saving way to transpose short phrases, at least not on any NES trackers or even MCK that I can recall (would be a huge memory-saver for composers who care).

In my MML compiler (which doesn't support the NES) I have support for patterns (which are kind of like subroutines). So you could write stuff like:

\1 { t125 l4 cdefga }

A \1() D6 \1() D0 > \1()

thefox · Post by **thefox** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:32 am

Memblers wrote:What also annoys me to no end, since I'd gotten better at composing stuff sometimes, is how it's stupidly hard to do triplets in a traditional kind of tracker setting.

Yeah, that's true. The only somewhat reasonable way to do this in a tracker is to use "note delay" effect, which delays the note by specified number of ticks. Unfortunately neither NerdTracker nor FamiTracker seem to support this feature (Pornotracker does though

).

This effect originates from Amiga .MOD format. So you can do this (with speed 6) to have three equally spaced notes in four rows:

Code: Select all

C-4 1 000
D#4 1 ED2
G-4 1 ED4
--- - ---

Of course it's still pretty cumbersome if you change speed etc. And also it reserves the effect column.

EDIT: like Banshaku said, FamiTracker does support note delay (effect Gxx).

Banshaku · Post by **Banshaku** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 3:01 am

thefox wrote:Yeah, that's true. The only somewhat reasonable way to do this in a tracker is to use "note delay" effect, which delays the note by specified number of ticks. Unfortunately neither NerdTracker or FamiTracker seem to support this feature (Pornotracker does though ).

Isn't the GXX effect in famitracker the same note delay you're talking about? I think it is.

Post by **tepples** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 3:57 am

thefox wrote:The only somewhat reasonable way to do [triplets] in a tracker is to use "note delay" effect, which delays the note by specified number of ticks.

I'm too slow; I was about to suggest that.

And also it reserves the effect column.

Famitracker has four effect columns IIRC.

Post by **Memblers** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 9:19 pm

This reply is a little late, but..

Yep now that you mention it, I remember using the EDx effect in FT2 (rarely). And also I've used the Gxx effect in Famitracker. But yeah you must be right about it being cumbersome with a different tempo, because I was doing some Iron Maiden covers and had a heck of a time. It definitely didn't help that Famitracker at the time didn't use the Gxx until you made an NSF, but happily that's all fixed now. One of the covers I didn't finish was "Phantom of the Opera", where nearly every note in every channel has a Gxx effect on it. G01,G03,G05,G08?? That's a little bit tedious! Sounded almost right, but almost doesn't quite cut it for an epic tune like that one.

I can't think of any solution for a tracker where triplets wouldn't look strange in the editor, but I'd think it better to have something look stupid if it sounds right and is easier to edit.

BTW if anyone happens to be curious about the Iron Maiden covers I did finish, they're here: http://2a03.free.fr/?p=pub&dir=Memblers (Afraid to Shoot Strangers, and The Ides of March).

atron · Post by **atron** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:18 am

Well, were I forced to push the project in one direction or another, I'd lean towards an LSDJ arrangement. It's what I'm most comfortable with, personally, there is a large population out there that has gotten accustomed to it as well, and it's something that hasn't been brought over to the NES yet.

I will add, though... to my non-coder mind, it seems it would be relatively easy to take a single chain, with, say, 8 phrases, all sixteen steps long, and display those note and effect values as a 128-step scrolling "classic" tracker view.