Tracking/Music

[kdawg88]

Just wondering if there is anyone here who is familiar with music tracking programs, namely Madtracker 2 (they are all similar AFAIK).

How does one edit the duration of a note? The various tutorials I have read do not give a straight answer to this, at least not in simple english. Thanks in advance.

[Kee715]

I have yet to learn of a "music tracker," what is it? And what does it do?

[ggrotz]

I have yet to learn of a "music tracker," what is it? And what does it do?

A music tracker is a piece of software that makes a digital arrangement of notes using a prespecified set of samples. This is saved in a file that is a tracker format and is playable generally with most players. Mods and S3Ms are two examples of such formats.

The advantage is that one person can come up with an entire orchestra of sounds to play in something - all it takes is having the samples and the know-how to use the software (a lot of crap has been put out there for this fact), but the big disadvantage is that it comes off artificial (no matter how great a job the artist did) and doesn't wholly sound like the real thing.

Most/all of what you hear in DX, and the DX mods (like TNM) are tracker stuff.

[justanotherfan]

I still love mod music, but of course I'm listening to MP3 re-encodings so they work in media players. Damn.

I don't remember much about tracking. There should be a setting for duration when using the sample, certainly for speed anyway.

[Trasher]

I recommend you to listen the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywW1R4mxnnw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNbyQ0tn7G0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ2EkRPeawM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2Jf7QLdks0

[justanotherfan]

Heh, I recognize the names 4Mat and Drax, and of course Alexander Brandon. I probably have songs by the others, but there were so many names. I've 257 mods in iTunes&Songbird now, but I have old FTP archives and such I never converted.

Ever listen to NoiseMusic(.org, gone now)? I still listen to those tracks often.

[kdawg88]

Does anyone know how to edit the duration of a note?

[justanotherfan]

Try a different tracker maybe. It could just be the interface. I had Player Pro on the Mac, but I can't recommend it now Open-sourced but abandoned.

[fender2k1]

Does anyone know how to edit the duration of a note?

the duration of a note lasts as long as the sample does.
for example if you're using a pad that has loop points set, it will infinitely loop until you end the note.
on the other hand, if the sample is a one shot.. like percussion or pluck samples, the duration will be very short and only play once.

you can kinda extend the note a little by playing the note at a lower octave.
if a sample at C5 is played, it will sound normal.
but, a sample played at C4, obviously will take longer to play because it's trying to play it at that pitch.

edit: i recommend modplug tracker. it was made open source and a number of updates were added. its called Open MPT now.

[kdawg88]

Does anyone know how to edit the duration of a note?

the duration of a note lasts as long as the sample does.
for example if you're using a pad that has loop points set, it will infinitely loop until you end the note.
on the other hand, if the sample is a one shot.. like percussion or pluck samples, the duration will be very short and only play once.

you can kinda extend the note a little by playing the note at a lower octave.
if a sample at C5 is played, it will sound normal.
but, a sample played at C4, obviously will take longer to play because it's trying to play it at that pitch.

edit: i recommend modplug tracker. it was made open source and a number of updates were added. its called Open MPT now.

Hmmm, that's really disappointing, as I would have thought it would be the same as a synthesiser. Thanks for the info; much appreciated.