YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

Hi,

IrrlichtProject asked several questions about the SampleTracker.

DOWNLOAD: http://vtrdos.ru/system/SAMPLET.ZIP

Q: what kind of samples work correctly on ZX-Sampletracker?

A: It loads even regular PC WAVs, hehe. But it adds a click on beginnings of instruments (which is a header that's audible here) that means SampleTracker probably prefers rather un-signed samples. If not - let me know, will check dis out.
I'd say SampleTracker will work the best with unsigned RAW files. 8bit quality and 16000hz should be OK for it.
However You should remember that the program is designed for ZX Spectrums with 48Kb only, so Your instruments _must_ be small. Normally, for ZX48K I make samples 1-3Kb big. The program plays on ZX the 8bit samples with quality required for hardware You have.
Which in ZX case means:
- when You switch into Covox, then You hear 8bit quality of Your music.
- If You have only the standard config - Spectrum48 with AY-interface, then You will hear 4bit quality of the samples.
- And also - on the basic config - alone ZX48 - You will have Your song in 1-bit quality (beeper). Of course still 3 channels.


Q: Been trying to wrap my head around it for some time now, but I just can't figure it out. How do I change the octave, for example?

A: Yupp, it can be kinda tricky sometimes. To change octave press EDIT and only then press 1-6 (in 2.1 version, and 1-3 in 2.0 version).
Change tempo: "5" and "8" (but NOT in the EDIT mode, btw wink ).


Q: And more importantly, how do I prepare a .tap with samples that will actually work?

A: Well, as for me, actually I don't. I use a disk version of SampleTracker - v. 2.1 (it's for Spectrum 128K only). Its final song (MOD, we could say) is still fully compatible with Spectrum48, so finally You can record Your song from real hardware after all.
I prepare a regular 8bit mono sample on CoolEdit or anything (samples should be small, let's say 1-3Kb) and then I simply copy them into *.trd diskette image with single F5 key, under AMD program.
SampleTracker is old (early 90s) and has no VOLUME command. Therefore, when I want to have 'delay' on my leading traxx, I make two versions of the same sample - louder and more silent. Et voila. wink


More questions?
Shoot.

Last edited by YERZMYEY (Mar 12, 2013 7:08 pm)

irrlichtproject
Offline
Nomad's Land

Hehe thanks man... saw this post earlier but couldn't log into cm.org again, thanks to Vodafone and their crappy IP pool.

So, finally I found the .scl version on some Russian website. Got AMD, too. Created a blank .trd, and copied an unsigned 8bit 16kHz drum sample to it. Loaded the tracker in FUSE, attached .trd image with the sample, click LOAD SAMPLE and... NO SAMPLES FOUND. Arrghhh! Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? I'm complete clueless.

One more question, does ST support looping of samples?

Last edited by irrlichtproject (Feb 17, 2013 3:21 pm)

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

IrrlichtProject:


> So, finally I found the .scl version on some Russian website. Got AMD, too. Created a blank .trd, and copied an unsigned 8bit 16kHz drum sample to it. Loaded the tracker in FUSE, attached .trd image with the sample, click LOAD SAMPLE and... NO SAMPLES FOUND. Arrghhh! Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? I'm complete clueless.
------------------------------
To make the SampleTracker see the samples, You have to change their extension into *.I (not 'small L" but "big i").
It will see them then. I use Real Commander 2.6 for it.
http://vtrdos.ru/system/RC_26FR.ZIP
Press "LOAD SAMPLE" (on the left-hand side of the screen - not "LOAD SAMPLES" on the right).
Now You can move/navigate with QAOP. SPACE is fire of course.
However to leave the 'samples window', You have to press CTRL+SHIFT (SymbolShift+CapsShift).
You can test the samples only in EDIT mode.
In 3rd octave more/less.


> One more question, does ST support looping of samples?
--------------------
Nope. Sadly it doesn't. When I need some longer samples (mostly to make some bass-brass or bass-string, I simply play it many times with a short samples, but rhythmically. Every 4 lines, or 8 lines, whatever You need.
Then people cannot usually hear it's not one long note, mostly due to low 4bit quality. Especially when it plays along with other channels.


_______EDIT_________
Aha, while saving Your work, You have to do it twice:
with button SAVE SONG and SAVE SAMPLES (the same goes for loading).

Last edited by YERZMYEY (Feb 17, 2013 4:16 pm)

irrlichtproject
Offline
Nomad's Land

Oh boy, what an act just to get this working. As a friend of mine often says: The worst work is the work you have to do in order to actually do the work you want to do. Trying to figure out RC now. Already found out that Escape toggles keyboard language (I wonder what button it is on a real machine.) But how do you rename something? Keep in mind I don't speak Russian yikes

edit: nevermind, figured out how to rename files. (If anybody is interested, it's key 6.) ST doesn't seem to be too keen on actually playing back the sample though. Well, maybe it's too short or something. Will check that out tomorrow, I've had enough for today wink

Last edited by irrlichtproject (Feb 17, 2013 9:38 pm)

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

OK, tomorrow I will check out the format, just in case.
The truth is, I don't remember it for 100% at the moment.

PS: Escape usually is Shift+1.

PS.2: The commander works like a regular NortonCommander from PC, but without "F" keys:
F5=5, F6(rename)=6 and so on.
OK, I'm going back to finish my cover of DRACONUS music. wink

Last edited by YERZMYEY (Feb 17, 2013 11:09 pm)

martin_demsky
Offline
Bratislava, Slovakia

SQ Tracker and Sample Tracker was my main tools in the days of ZX Spectrum (for those who don't know, it was created by people from Czech republic, SQ is shortcut of Scalex and Qjeta (very very good musicians)). I think it was MQM2 demo from MQM team where was for first time showcased capabilities of Sample tracker.

I purchased version 3D, which was for D40 disk drive from Didaktik Skalica (5,25 DD), this disk drive features also parallel 8255 port, which can be used for many tasks, but for us musicians it is more important that you can implement 8-bit D/A converter into that port and experience quality of sample playback almost as on Amiga, instead of 4-bit playback on AY chip. Only thing that was bad, was crashes on 48k Spectrum (clone Didaktik M from Didaktik Skalica which "features" very bad russian ULA etc. (megademos like Shock was performed for example very badly)) with AY interface Melodik and D40 and D/A converter so i later purchased spanish ZX Spectrum 128k+ with Datel +D disk interface with 3,5" drive and some additional hw, which was zillion times more stable.

Last edited by martin_demsky (Feb 18, 2013 9:38 am)

irrlichtproject
Offline
Nomad's Land

hehe, I have version 3D, too. However I don't actually care about sound quality, I'm planning to use it for beeper smile Btw http://z80.i-demo.pl has some Qjeta tracks in beeper glory, if you're interested.

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

Martin_demsky:

> SQ Tracker and Sample Tracker was my main tools in the days of ZX Spectrum (for those who don't know, it was created by people from Czech republic, SQ is shortcut of Scalex and Qjeta (very very good musicians)). I think it was MQM2 demo from MQM team where was for first time showcased capabilities of Sample tracker.
--------------------
Yupp - old and classic stuff. smile


> but for us musicians it is more important that you can implement 8-bit D/A converter into that port and experience quality of sample playback almost as on Amiga, instead of 4-bit playback on AY chip.
-------------------
yes, that's what I meant by "covox" because that's how Russians called it in their 2.1 version (for TR-DOS) although it still uses only 3 channels instead of typical 4ch.


> so i later purchased spanish ZX Spectrum 128k+ with Datel +D disk interface with 3,5" drive and some additional hw, which was zillion times more stable.
------------------
Well, the 2.1 is only for 128K machines - BUT - its final file/module must work on 48K (by design), so it is interesting. And thanx to 128K version of the tracker, it can for instance use many more octaves (even played later on 48K).






irrlichtproject:

> However I don't actually care about sound quality, I'm planning to use it for beeper smile
------------------
As for the sound quality beeper/AY/covox, those all versions are not different, I think.
However - of course - on beeper You can't really make the trick with delays (two samples with different volume).
On beeper You'd have to play the same sample in 2 channels, and the delay - in one channel only. Then it should work.

Last edited by YERZMYEY (Feb 25, 2013 1:19 pm)

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

Here are some samples I made especially for SampleTracker:
http://yerzmyey.republika.pl/SAMPLETRAC … sample.zip

When the instrument has two versions: instrument.ins and instrument_a.ins then the "a" means it's the same sample but with lower volume - to make delays/echoes.
Example:
bell2.ins
bell2a.ins

Y

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

........what is more funny, I've just found the 4rd SampleTracker I've never seen before.
SampleTracker 3T. "T", not "D".

Still 3 octaves, still for ZX48. Seems like it has more speeds (which is good). Among traditional 'tracker' speeds (4,5,6,7 and so on) it has more, like 6a, 6b and so on.

The problem is, the program has been written idiotically.
it has NO "Edit/Stop" section.

So it's impossible to make a song on it unless You find the "Edit" key by mistake/accident.
And I only ASSUME there is any keyboard shortcut for "Edit".

It's a remake from 1994. A *REALLY* CRAP WORK somebody made.
But after all, it's here: http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseek … id=0025503
Maybe has some more hidden features You might want to find.
I don't.

The Russian one (2.1) is faaaaaaaaaaaaar better (even if for 128K).

Last edited by YERZMYEY (Mar 1, 2013 11:19 am)

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

PS: I found Edit. Actually Edit/Stop combinations, because they hidden it in one place.
Which is.....
The MODE indicator.
Yes. Congratz.

It can't be even bitten by a hiding-place of Fine-Tune button from Atari ST's ProTracker.
Where You have to press... VOLUME to set up the FINE TUNE.
Wow.

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

OK, now that's a cool curiosity.

I always suspected but I wasn't sure (one never can be sure about ancient classic machines) if SampleTracker (digital music) and SoundTracker (chipmusic) on ZX Spectrum both have the same tempo.

So - seems like they have.
http://yerzmyey.i-demo.pl/SampleTracker … r_Test.mp3
It might give interesting possibilities of mixing two playing machines - one part of the song built of samples and the second one - constructed as a pure chiptune.
6 channels in result. Really interesting...

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

About two trackers (chiptune / digi) playing simultaneously:
A proof of concept - http://chipmusic.org/yerzmyey/music/pro … ptune-digi

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

A techno/rave album made by Slovakian artist 'project.GAMA' entirely on Spectrum48 clone Didaktik, with SampleTracker 3D + 8-bit d/a converter (in simple - a covox).
http://soundcloud.com/granatco/sets/project-gama/

martin_demsky
Offline
Bratislava, Slovakia

I have somewhere early sampletracker recordings at maximum speed, it does pretty hardcore stuff. I dont know slovak musician Granatco (project.Gama), but i am following him on soundcloud from now.

BTW that 3D means disk version, and T tape version.

Last edited by martin_demsky (Mar 14, 2013 1:36 pm)

YERZMYEY
Offline
The Rubber Man

Martin:


> I have somewhere early sampletracker recordings at maximum speed, it does pretty hardcore stuff.
-------------
Fiiiiiiiiind them! wink

> I dont know slovak musician Granatco (project.Gama), but i am following him on soundcloud from now.
---------------
Yupp, he's good.
I still try to force him to release more ZX music. smile

> BTW that 3D means disk version, and T tape version.
--------------
Aaah, I get it now.
Thanx for the info!!



Meanwhile I have almost ready my own album made for Spectrum48 with AY-interface and the SampleTracker.
It is supposed to be released as MP3 recordings from real ZX and also as a program in music-collection style.