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ChipMusic.org / Forums / Posts by Corthax
I didn't test yet loading blastem sram. I will test it later or tomorrow and say
Well... at least progress is saved in emulator for now. Can make some chiptunes 
Thats strange. If everything works then all the sram data is present and correct. But maybe everdrive cant detect if it needs to be saved and thinks there is no sram used. But why...
Also, make it clear... Tracker works (more or less) fine on hardware? You can write music, but its not saved after shutdown?
So it's the same problem on new version for save (for the sound bug too), I didn't try blastEm trick, I will test it, I need to find it and install first (it will be the linux version I only have linux for test it)
I found something I didn't saw before in everdrive's menu. If you go in the folder mega directly from megadrive, there is save, snap and txt options available. I selected save and they ask me to copy from sram to sd or sd to sram but even with that, after starting MD tracker it's still says generating module data and it's empty :-(
EDIT : I tried with chmod 777 to save folder and files but the problem is still here. I saw that the save file name.srm have spaces in it. Often programs don't like it, maybe it's something like that? But it should not be that because it's good created...
According to MED OS since MEGAOS-V4.04 08.08.2020
1) Saves management changes.*
*System will move save data from battery ram to SD card every time when cartridge boots to menu (instead of moving when game changed).
It makes save system more clear and prevent lost of data for last played game if battery dry out.
So.. it shoud save every time cart boots to menu.
In terms of writing/reading SRAM nothing has changed in 0.14b compared to 0.13b, just the amount requirement because patterns now bigger.
Yesss!!!
It seems that we can't send files in private message, can you give me your mail in private for I send you? the file is 65.5 ko
Yes it says generating module data at every boot.
I will try the blastEm trick and say.I will also try with your update just in case :-)
I guess this is save state (the RAM snap, so thats the wrong file).
SRAM file should be much larger.
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BlastEm: https://www.retrodev.com/blastem/
0.14b is out, sheck the first post for DL link.
New:
- 512Kb SRAM required. If have only 256Kb then split save.sram file in half and load the first part. Just don't touch patterns that belongs to the rest of save file. Theoretically that should work.
- 6 commands per row.
- Copy FM instrument parameters to another.
- commands description help in pattern editor.
- Fix: copy/paste in pattern.
- Portamento now can be stopped (31--/32--) or reset (31FF/32FF) separately.
- Much faster GUI (a little playback slowdown, mostly while switching screens, as tradeoff).
- Other small bugfixes and changes.
- 0th(--) pattern is uneditable now.
- Now it opens selected instrument in pattern editor for editing.
If the file size is 256Kb then it is SRAM. Can you send me that file?
Also, you can try to put save file created by BlastEm (usually located at \Users\[username]\AppData\Local\blastem\MD TRACKER 0_13b\ save.sram) into MEGA/SAVE. Rename it to "MD TRACKER 0_13b.srm" to match required naming. Then check if it loads, or overwritten.
Also, does tracker saying "GENERATING MODULE DATA" at every boot? Or just starts with empty song.
...
...
The sound bug thing is funny
I couldn't find a standard way on your tracker.
The whole song data sits entirely in SRAM, so you just need to save/load it to/from file on SD card using flashcart functionality when loading rom.
Everdrive has both SRAM and save states. As everyone knows...
SRAM save is standard way used in real games (chip with battery power).
Save state is different, it writes current RAM into file, so yeah - the state of tracker is saved, but not the SRAM data - thats written in different file and maybe shoud be loaded (and saved?) manually depending on how flashcart handle it.
Now on 0.14b amount of SRAM required is 512Kb.
Mega Everdrive Pro support is the main priority, after all tested and working - I'll make stripped down versions with less effects per pattern row available, for MegaSD (384Kb), X7 (256Kb), also maybe for Mega Everdirive X5/X3/V3 (128Kb)
- a square sound is present additionnaly to FM channels, when you create note and play it for the first time. It's on the same note that the note created but it's still played after you stop the tracker. So it become impossible to have a silence :-) I tested to put a note off at first row in every else channels, and the note is still played so it's seems to don't come from the accessible channels.
Everything seems ok in BlastEm.. (Or I've fixed this bug already?... 
)
I dont have any everdrives to test on hardware right now. And the only console I have is Nomad.
- the save state : after saving on everdrive x7 by pressing down+start and select save state, after rebooting if I load the save state, all the values on main screen are here but not the notes inside. It seems to erase it when entering in each note page because I can see notes from 1/2 seconds before it disappear. I don't know if there is an other way to save on the tracker i'm discovering it. According to MD TRACKER.txt it seems not for now.
All the song data is written drectly into SRAM. It should save and load automatically the same way as it works with games that use battery for saves.
Do not use everdrive save states, thats completely different thing.
The only guaranteed way right now is BlastEm emulator. Others simply does not support both even and odd writes into SRAM, and typically restricted to 32kb.
As for YMDJ it's written in assembly, I can't help there
Is this still undergoing development? Thanks.
Busy with other things right now.
I can't test it on hw, so waiting everdrive x7 pro release to grab one.
But you can already try to make some music with it, most important core features are already there
It may be a bit challenging though...
...
No vgm exporting planned currently, hope for BlastEm will implement logging. Or some other emulator.
0.13b released!
Incompatible with previous saves.
Samples now playing with correct speed!
Still not sure if BPM calculation is precise, but anyway.
Need testing!
0.12a released. With some attempts on adding pcm playback The idea is to have a big single sample and then assing start/end regions within it to notes. 4 banks * 96 notes total.
U can replace it with your sample using hex editor for now. I need to make a rom patcher though.
Quality is not good, IDK if and how can I fix that. Need precise sofware timer cuz to poll YM2612 timers I have to halt the Z80, which playing pcm, resulting delayed=pitched down samples =\
Tempo now in BPM (correct with NTSC).
Hanging notes at stop may be fixed in next update, forgot to disable interrupts while running the engine *stupid*
Still may contain bugs, need more testing.
0.11a is here Introducing some basic CSM mode, also few bugfixes.
Thanks for the info Corthax. I'll do some digging and see what I can find.
I may have this wrong, but I'm pretty sure the SRAM and ROM share the same 4Mbits of address space on the Genesis right?
If so.. in theory, would it be possible to make the tracker run on a custom cart with say... 2Mbit sram? Could be worth it for the extra space
I think thats possible but I'm targetting Everdrives in the first place. Not everyone is able to make their own carts, also you need to be able to dump your SRAM from it to save songs.
Yeah, the one that writes both hi and low bytes.
With 8 bit SRAM only half of it will be accessible, that gives 128KB, which is... very limiting the possible song data.
I can make different tracker versions with different SRAM requirements though. 256KB is just to make it at least somewhat usable.
In Deflemask we can have:
128 instruments,
128*10 (or 128*13 if ch3 special mode) unique, but channel dependent, patterns,
4 + vol command columns,
128 matrix rows,
256 rows pattern size.
In my tracker, when full 256KB SRAM is used, the maximum is:
255 instruments,
~896 unique patterns,
3 command columns,
250 matrix rows,
32 rows pattern size.
Almost all available space is taken by pattern data. (32 * 8 * 896 bytes)
ChipMusic.org / Forums / Posts by Corthax