Re: Give Noisetracker credit to the FTA (DAMN STRAIGHT!)

["Charles T. Turley" <cturley@wco.com>]

in the post: news:56fr1h$15be@uni.library.ucla.edu
From: pubpc1@library.ucla.ed
(Appearently the wise and wity author of 'The CSA2 Chronicles, et.al) -
stated:

"...Breaking off from the flames here, I have to point out that you CAN 
save MODs.  I routinely do it myself.  Just set the save format to 
"ProTracker MOD," allocate 4 tracks to RAM based sounds, copy any four 
Ensoniq based tracks to the RAM based tracks, load the instrument files 
into the RAM based sound bank, and save!

The only problem is a bug in the program that clips the sounds to 64K 
max. A little editing on an Amiga fixes the problem.  This is a great 
way to convert SoundSmith or NTGS sequences to MODs for other computers.

An alternate fix could be a program that changes the waves in a MOD.  I
believe you wrote one?  I still haven't found it yet.  I was thinking
of saving the MOD, then using your program to change the samples back to
their original, long (>64K) format."

cturley@wco.com replies:

That's the best way to handle such a fix/modification in my personal 
experience with it anyway. The program you mention does exist, (I have 
it and use it often) as a basic program from and authored by Tony 
Morales. It's ashamed Tony's web site was closed down, as a result of 
senseless and ignorant complaints to his server - best.com. Otherwise 
the program might be available to the public - for everybody to have now  
-for use with NTGS v2.0 - when saving Protracker 4 track MODfile 
formats.

If you want to you can also simply compose a Protracker MODfile - from 
scratch - using the NTGS v2.0 spreedsheet styled format with your own 
creations, compositions, score/sequence or whatever you want to call it, 
then add the proper size of samples to assign it, via the ram wave bank 
of NTGS v2.0 (not to exceed 64k in total size of all samples used). You 
can then save it as a standard Protracker 4 track MODfile for use with 
the IIGS and/or export/import to any other computer platform that can 
play a Protracker 4 track MODfile, be it; Be, Amiga, Atari ST, Mac, 
IBM/PC clone or whatever! 

Did you ever stop to think that you can also change a standard text file 
to a binary file, load it into the ram based sample wave bank - as a 
sample - and send a clean secret text message within a MODfile 
(undetectable and not encrypted either). Just another interesting and 
diverse use for NTGS v2.0. I've even got an unreleased early beta of 
NTGS v2.0 that can actually extract and save useful sound samples from 
the S3M MODfile format.

I've managed to get a few skilled IIGS programmers to show some interest 
in adding such a feature to an update of NTGS v2.0 - with import/export 
of the Synthlab format. With that implemented into the NTGS v2.0.x 
updates - virtually every music format used with the IIGS (with the 
exception of MCS) could be used with conversions to and from NTGS v2.0.x 
- if and when it's ever done and released. And just imagine what you 
could do with the current NTGS v2.0, simply applying a patch or two to 
it and then using it with IIGS emulators on the Mac such as; Fast Eddie 
on a PPC or even Gus for that matter - the speed and enhanced ram usage 
available, etc. - as I understand it - both now support the IIGS Ensoniq 
DOC emulation rather well, allowing up to 16 MB of ram usage, with IIGS 
emulation and CPU speeds limited to only that of the actual PPC it's 
used with, etc... 

Cheers,
Tom