From: Glen Warner (gdwarner_at_mindspring.com)
Date: Sun Sep 05 2004 - 20:57:37 PDT
On Sun, 5 Sep 2004, 14:13:52 Jim Witte <jswitte_at_bloomington.in.us> wrote:
>> example) IT files to Mod files is that Impulse Tracker supports audio
>> envelopes, a much greater array of effects such as retriggers, more
>> <snip>
> Why do all of these different formats exist? It seems like all of
> them cold be rather easily converted into MIDI files (for the note
> data, and some of the other stuff like pan data and "standardized" midi
> effect commands), and then system-exclusive messages for all the other
> effect types.
:o)
That wouldn't exactly be cross-platform, would it?
As for why all the different formats, the original format (.mod) supported only four tracks (or channels) and 16 samples. The S3M format format supported 16 tracks and 99 samples. The IT format supported 16 tracks and 255 samples, and introduced a sample compression scheme (which is why some IT files sound like static on the Mac).
There are other formats, of course; check the Mod FAQ: http://www.modplug.com/modfaq/index.html
As for playing these files, on OS-X, the Coco Mod Player seems to be pretty good. Get it here: http://cocomod.stalkingwolf.net. OS-X and OS9 users both can use the now no longer supported PlayerPRO ... but the author followed in the steps of the fellow who wrote "Talking Moose" (remember that?) and became a doctor, and PlayerPRO is all but gone. You might try feeding this URL into the Way Back Machine (http://www.webarchive.org): http://www.quadmation.com/pphome.htm ....
OS9-folk can use SoundApp: http://www.spies.com/~franke/SoundApp, and PC-folk can use either the Mod Plug Player or the Mod Plug Tracker, both available here: http://www.modplug.com
> Of course, the files would probably be a little (or maybe a lot)
> bigger, and somewhere would have to keep track of all the different
> effect SYSEX codes.. Or is this just another example of "format
> inertia"?
Um, no. Check out the FAQ. It's old, but I think there's a page there that compares MIDI with one of the .mod formats.
If you wish to hear the difference between MIDI and one of the more complex mod formats, do a search (while listening to any MIDI file you have handy, if possible) for the following trackers (or authors) and the associated titles:
U4IA: "This Heart (Beats for You)," F8 (same guy, by the way): "Teleportation," Necros: "The Grey Note" (jazz fans, see if you can identify the sax player in this song!), basehead: "Smooth Operator" (no, not the Sade tune), and finaly, Darkhalo: "Eastern Shore."
After listening to any of these tunes, I'm sure you'll understand why mods are not MIDI.
At least, I hope so.
> Jim
--gdw
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