Secret Service 38

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Text File | 1996-05-05 | 56KB | 1,134 lines

History. (The names after some of the changes indicate the person who FIRST suggested the change - those that don't have names are my own changes!) 7/12/95 Initial beta release! 11/12/95 Secondary beta release. - Fixed ping pong loop bug - Added PC Speaker support <Edward Ananian-Cooper> - Added timing routines (for Info Page) <Chris Jarvis> - Removed in-program sound card configuration (confuses command line options) - Added the save-check routine :) (ie. if disk is full, etc.) <Edward Ananian-Cooper> - Redid a lot of the pre-mixing routines. As a result, it *should* be quite a bit faster, but now, changing the separation will only affect new notes played. - slight timing discrepancies fixed <The WALKER> - sample save errors fixed (in ST3 and raw data formats) <12th Knight> - shoved in a VERY limited WAV file loader.... (It's a very poorly done hack job - 'cos I didn't have the specs, and couldn't be bothered to find 'em - so it's quite possible that it doesn't load WAVs correctly - it should load all single-sample WAV files OK tho :) ) 25/12/95 Final Release for version 1. - made SB playback routines smoother (ie. on Info Page) - made the sample loop changes affect currently playing loops (you can use Grey '+' and Grey '-' to alter the loops by one byte while it's playing) - made some functions accessable from the help screen. (Includes: Ctrl-F5, F6, F7, F8, Alt-F1->F8, {, }, [, ], / and *) <12th Knight> - fixed up the out of memory error in the sample loader (which caused the previous sample loaded to be screwed up in memory) - fixed old Amiga-Format MOD sample loop error. <Red Haze> - added the dark grey ':' on the info page to mean note off. the red version still means that the channel volume is 0. (this means that if the vol0optimization is on, the red channels will not be mixed.) <12th Knight> - Added /S0 option on the command line. - Fixed slight PC speaker bug (still doesn't sound the best!) - Added the sample & instrument hilights on playback. - Fixed volume envelope sustain&normal loop bug (logic problem). - Moving forwards/backwards through a song no longer resets the channel panning and volume. - Fixed bug where menus were sliced down the centre by the routine which updated the pattern numbers (when in pattern edit) - Added command S5x (set 'panbrello' waveform) and Yxy ('panbrello') <12th Knight> - The limits for channels has been changed to 4->256 (previously 16->256) - this is for the demo musicians, if they decide they like this program :) - Starting a new song removes the file name. <12th Knight (?)> - Added Gravis UltraSound support!!!!! YAY!!!! - Playing instruments in the instrument list is no longer dependent upon the mute setting for the first channel. (All notes played act through channel 1 - for sample list, sample loader and instrument list). - The MOD loader filters out D00 commands. (how it should) - Fixed a 'minor' .MTM loader bug, which caused samples to loop after 2 bytes :) - changing an instrument with the portamento to command now adopts the new instrument's volume envelope. 8/1/96 Version 1.01 - note that this is the inevitable uninteded release, mostly containing bug fixes. It's much earlier than I inteded to release another version, but due to the amount of EMail that I was beginning to receive, I decided that an update was timely. - Bug fix: The portamento to command can now change samples with a GUS. (previously did with SB, but not with GUS) - Bug fix: Fixed a simple little problem in the MOD loader which incorrectly determined the number of patterns, which hence also stuffed up the sample data. :) - Bug fix (major!): If the sample/instrument is zero (ie. ".." in the pattern editor), then the program will NOT hang when you go to the instrument screen. This was a very stupid oversight when I rewrote that section of code :) - Bug Fix: Fixed a linear fine slide down bug. This affected all "small" slides down including (when in linear mode) vibrato, pitch slide down, portamento to (downwards) and also sample vibrato (in either linear/amiga modes - sample vibrato always uses linear pitch slides). The effect with the vibrato was that it was quite lopsided, and sounded quite horrible. It should be better now (well, try to keep the vibrato depth towards the lower side, if possible!) Also, *sample* vibrato is 4 times finer (slower) - so you can select a greater range of speeds. - Bug Fix: In the pattern editor, when you play a note with an effect, the effect is now interpreted for the correct number of frames. (depends on the current speed - it used to interpret the effect for one more frame than it should have) - Bug fix: Swapping samples with the GUS when in instrument mode works OK. (ie. it reloads the samples) - Bug Fix: Fixed a problem with the retrig command. - Bug Fix: Internal bug fixed concerning a problem with muting channels, which COULD produce disastrous results. - Bug Fix: Bug within the GUS playback routines which could cause wierd behaviour in the program. Also fixed the sample loop bug which was another source of clicks. - Bug fix: You can now store patterns of length > 32k (did ANYONE get a pattern this big?!? It gave a pattern length > 64k error!). The 64k pattern length limit is still there, though (but should cause absolutely no problems for any of you!) - Modification: Playback of samples and instruments is ALWAYS with central panning. - Modification: When you have a stereo output device and the playback is in stereo, the mixing volume is doubled internally. This means that songs should sound at about the same volume when stereo is turned on/off. Also, this means that if you are working in stereo, all mixing volumes above 64 are effectively reduced to 64 (because 64 doubled is 128 - the maximum mixing volume). So try to keep your mixing volumes less than or equal to 64. <Ng Pei Sin> - Modification: Shift-Tab in the pattern editor will take you backwards one channel IF you are on the note column, otherwise it will bring you to the note column. <Ara> - Modification: The default pattern edit mask includes the volume. - Modification: Removed the volume msg in the header, and replaced it with the current speed/current tempo. <Ara> - Modification: Changing the current speed with { and } also changes the initial tempo. <Ara> - Modification: Changed PgUp in the pattern editor so that if it is in the last (few) rows, it will move to the next hilight major row from the bottom when pressed <Ara> - Modification: GUS Initialisation routine changed slightly. Hopefully this should correct the problems that some people have been experiencing. (I still don't know what was wrong in most cases!). Make sure that the synth output is enabled with ULTRAMIX. - Modification: Setting the panbrello waveform now resets the panbrello 'position'. Also, panbrello is now 4 times finer (ie. slower) Sorry to those who have already used this command. Hopefully this release is soon enough, that most of you wouldn't have delved into this function (Apologies especially to Mysterio - I found an .IT on ftp.cdrom.com which used panbrello. D'oh) - Modification: Alt-A on the note translation table in the instrument screen will now reset all of the note values also (ie. enters C-0 to B-9 for you). - Modification: F7 has moved to Shift-F6, similar to Scream Tracker 3 It has been replaced with the "Play from Mark/Cursor" command (also similar to Scream Tracker 3). But to set the marks in the pattern editor, you have to use Ctrl-F7. <Ara, sorta> - Modification: The GUS will release the sample memory used under a few special circumstances. - Modification: Changed the "Maximum Row in Pattern" to "Number of Rows in Pattern" - Modification: When you load a song, instead of always going to pattern 0, the tracker will go to the first order's pattern. - Modification: Using Ctrl-Grey Plus/Minus in the pattern editor when you're on the last/first order will go to the last/first pattern. Version 1.0 ignored this press if the order was already at the last/first position. - Update: Rewrote GUS output routines. Hopefully they'll be less 'clicky' But this also means that if you *EXTEND* a sample loop, you'll have to reload the Gravis samples (Ctrl-G or menu:Samples, Reload Gravis). If you want to find a nice loop, set the loop end to the sample end, reload the sample, then use the grey minus key until a nice smooth loop is found. - Update: PC Speaker routines have been rewritten and should be slightly faster. - Update: All the mixing routines have been rewritten and should be slightly faster again. (Big thanks to Zilym Limms for his help) - Minor Addition: Alt-S from the Info Page toggles the stereo on/off. <Ara> - Minor Addition: Ctrl-R will go to the Load Module screen <Zilym Limms> - Minor Addition: Alt-B on the sample list will cut out the part of a sample before it's loop. Useful when you want to use envelopes. <Benjamin Bruheim> - Minor Addition: If you press Ctrl-S and no filename currently exists, you are taken to the save module page. <Benjamin Bruheim> - Addition: Palette configuration on Ctrl-F12. To save the current palette to disk, use the "Save all Preferences" at the bottom of the song variables and configuration screen (F12). Be careful - this will also save the directories listed to disk. This addition was basically a hack job wasting a lot of memory, because I couldn't be bothered writing special routines for it, so I created 110 'objects' (which were already defined) which do everything that you see on that screen. :) - Addition: Added S3M save support. Woo hoo! On the save module page, there are format buttons. You can choose either between .IT or .S3M modules by selecting the appropriate one. I don't plan to support any other save formats for now. If you want to write S3M files, check out the IT.DOC file, section 2.7 part 4 (conditions for 100% ST3 compatibility) Although there were many people who suggested this feature (and I even hinted to it in the v1.00 DOCs), you all have Beren to thank for this feature in this version. (I was going to put it off until v1.1). He sounded like a most unhappy little tracker, and pleaded with me to get this in :) 20/1/96 Version 1.02 - Many many little things for ST3 users, a few fixups and a couple of very nice new features :) - Bug fix: The Pattern Delay command (SEX!) should work for the correct number of frames now! How come none of you found this before?! (Including the beta testers!) - Bug fix: A logic error caused the GUS routines to 'clip' the first part of a sample when played through the sample & instrument lists, and when entering notes in the pattern editor. (But it used to play samples correctly in a song) <Benjamin Bruheim> - Bug fix: Again. The retrig command. D'oh! Sorry about this - there were actually two bugs in the original retrig command. When I found one, I thought that I'd fixed it (well it fixed it for mixed devices, anyway). Ah well. Should work perfectly fine now. (for both SBs and GUSs) <Benjamin Bruheim> - Bug fix (major!): If you didn't have anything in the order list, the first pattern (Pattern 0) was not decompressed into the pattern editor, which could cause a loss of data! - Bug fix: I misunderstood the 256k GUS barrier - it's for DMA transfers, not samples - so now the GUS Free is accurate, and you can load up songs which push the limits of the memory of your GUS without having to worry about sample ordering, etc. <Jon Merkel> - Minor corrections in the online help <The WALKER> - Modification: When you change the (C5) speed of a sample, the sample will be replayed at the last pitch used to play a sample. - Modification: Changed PgUp in the pattern editor again so that it will *always* end up on a major hilight even if the pattern is an 'uneven' number of rows. (eg if the hilight major is 16 and the pattern length is 40 instead of 32 or 48) - Modification: With the OK/Cancel buttons, pressing 'Y' or 'O' will be effectively the same as selecting OK, and pressing 'N' or 'C' is the same as selecting Cancel. <Benjamin Bruheim> - Modification: On the info-line, the play messages have been changed to: Order xxx/xxx, Pattern xxx, Row xxx/xxx and Pattern xxx, Row xxx/xxx <Benjamin Bruheim> - Modification: When you save a song, the Song filename is updated. <Ara asked for it - it's something that should have been done ages ago, but omitted due to laziness :) > - Update: Channel allocation procedures *slightly* more efficient. - Update: Better GUS pitch determination routine. (Noticable for low frequency samples.) Why didn't Advanced Gravis just let me have a 32 bit register for frequency??? - Update: S3M saving routines updated. 1) If in instrument mode, the note translation tables are taken into account when saving. Note that this translation only occurs when there are BOTH note and sample in the same row and column. 2) Command Xxx gets converted to an appropriate value in S3M format 3) Notes without a sample value are saved properly. 4) Panning positions are stored correctly - even though the channels are still labeled L1, L2, L3, .... R1, R2, etc. <Zoner for pointing out (4)> 5) No-order bug fixed. - Update: Starting a New Song also removes the song name (how it should) <The WALKER> - Update: All samples/instruments that are played are left with a dot next to them in the sample/instrument lists in a darker colour. <Benjamin Bruheim> - Update: "Saving all preferences" now saves the following information: 1) Directory preferences. 2) Keyboard style (still has little significance until I get the keyboard data from someone!) 3) Palette information 4) Info page setup <Benjamin Bruheim> 5) Pattern edit variables, including a) Row Hilights b) Edit Mask c) View division on/off d) View channel setup e) View-channel cursor tracking on/off f) Command and commandvalue Link/Split option. (Note that when the columns are linked, and no command is given, then the commandvalue column is skipped over) - Update: Improved stereo, panned mixing routines. Should be up to 20% faster now. The other mixing routines haven't been touched, tho. <Jon Merkel> - Update (Bug fix?): After you save a song in S3M format, the subsequent "Save Song" requests (either by the main menu or by Ctrl-S) will save in S3M also. This will continue until the Save Module screen is invoked (which resets the Save Module format to .IT) <Zoner> - Update: Menu updated to incorporate "Instrument Library" - Minor Addition: Added a Reverse Sample function on Alt-G on the Sample List <Benjamin Bruheim> - Minor Addition: Pressing Ctrl-Left Arrow/Right Arrow operates in the same manner as pressing '+' and '-' on the info page. This is available anywhere where Ctrl-Left/Right arrows are not already defined. (eg. you can't use it in the pattern ed.) <Torje Lunderung, Arne-Morten Kvarving> - Minor Addition: Pressing Ctrl-Grey +/Grey - on the sample list screen will raise/lower the current sample's C5Speed by one semitone. <Benjamin Bruheim> - Minor Addition: Ctrl-W does exactly the same thing as F10. Just for ST3 diehards. (I always used to use the menus!) <Benjamin Bruheim> - Minor Addition: Next to the Allocated Channels mesage on the infopage, there's the maximum number of allocated channels in brackets. <Benjamin Bruheim> - Minor Addition: Pressing Ctrl-PgUp/PgDn on the sample/instrument lists will take you directly to the top/bottom of the lists. <Benjamin Bruheim> - Minor Addition: Pressing 'G' on the info page will take you to the currently playing pattern. <Benjamin Bruheim> - Minor Addition: When you have the volume amplification prompt in the pattern editor, pressing Alt-J is equivalent to pressing the OK button. What this means is that the first time you want to modify the volumes of a block, you have to select the amplification, but thereafter, if you want to use the same amplification, you just have to press Alt-J twice. <Ara, sorta.> - Minor Addition: Added command line switch '/F' to remove file colour distinctions. <Torje Lunderung, Arne-Morten Kvarving> - Minor Addition: Added command line switch, '/K' to swap the interpretation of keys F1 and F11 - this is for ALL the Scream Tracker 3 users out there who can't break a habit... but the display will NOT change - ie. it displays that help is still on F1, but pressing F11 will invoke help. <Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of ST3 users :)> - Minor Addition: Added "Delete Instrument" command on the instrument list which clears an instrument AND deletes all the samples that are associated with it. - Minor Addition: Added sample amplify command on Sample List (as Alt-M) The default sample amplification is the maximum amount that the sample can be amplified WITHOUT causing any real quality loss (or 200%, depending on which is less) - Addition: Pressing '<' or '>' (or even ',' or '.') on the sample or instrument list screens will allow you to choose which channel the samples/instruments should operate through. Pressing Alt-N on the sample or instrument lists will enable Multi-Channel playback (like Scream Tracker 3's 'TM' column.) Note: It's better to setup an instrument, though, and play around with that (if it's not on note cut, you should be able to play around with chords without having to change the channel). If you want to tune a sample, then you can play a reference sample in one channel, and work with the sample to be tuned in another channel. (Don't use multi-channel mode! Just change the channels manually) - Addition: Added "View-Channel cursor tracking" in pattern editor. Toggle this on and off by using Ctrl-T. What this does when toggled on, is it tries modify the view-channel numbers such that the cursor is kept on the screen. Don't try to use cursor tracking with non-consecutive channels selected, though - the results can vary quite interestingly! Suggested uses: Editing modes! 7 Track mode: Press Alt-H to remove view-divisions, then goto 7 consecutive tracks and press Ctrl-2 on each one. Then Press Ctrl-T to enable cursor tracking. This is the most usable of the "extended" track views. 9 Track mode: Goto 9 consecutive tracks, and press Ctrl-3 Then press Ctrl-T to enable. Personally, I find this mode difficult to use - it's easier to put up with a more limited view (ie. 7 Track) but have certainty of control. (The reason is because I *can't* give you a half-cursor!) You can fit in an extra 10th track if you turn off the view-divisions. 36 Track mode: For psychos only. Turn off View-divisions with Alt-H, then goto 36 consecutive channels and press Ctrl-5. Press Ctrl-T to enable. Mostly for novelty :) Note that you can now save all pattern-editor configuration by pressing "Save All Preferences" on the screen on F12. <For Psibelius, who still loves the MMEdit editor :) > - Addition: You can now specify a panning value (between 0 and 64) in the volume column by pressing '`' on the volume column to toggle entry of volumes/panning. (The key below escape on the United States keyboard). You'll still have to use command S91 to get surround sound, tho. The Alt-K (slide volume column) will work ONLY if the two ends are BOTH pan sets or BOTH volume sets. Note that older versions of Impulse Tracker WILL NOT play these correctly (and I really don't know what it'll play!) - this is because I'm a lazy scum - I can't be bothered to do the necessary changes to have it recognised as a true 'update' of the format.... These panning commands ARE NOT translated when saved as a S3M. Hint: If you want to enter a volume, pan position AND effect, the channel volume command in a prior row may come in handy to scale the sample's default volume.. - Addition: Simple instrument disk i/o now available. Use Alt-O on the instrument list to save an instrument, and press enter to load in an instrument. You may want to set up an 'instrument' directory on your HDD first! Unfortunately, you CANNOT try out the instruments in the list - You'll have to load them in first :( You can save an instrument which doesn't point to any samples - the volume envelope information will be stored. Only IT's instrument format is supported at the moment - once again, this may change depending on motivation :) 25/1/96 - Version 1.03 - Bug fix: F7 thing fixed, (when the current row is greater than the last row in the last played pattern) <As mentioned in the BUGS.DOC with v1.02> - Bug fix: G00 commands in the MOD/MTM loader are no longer removed. - Bug fix: "Block Halve" command bug fixed (sometimes didn't copy 'enough' or brought 'false' data from beyond 200 rows) - Major Bug fix: Last order bug in v1.02 fixed. Damn, damn, damn. I often rewrite little bits of code.. and this one screwed up. Sorry. This bug fix is the sole reason for the release of this version. - (Minor) bug fix: Deleting a file in the module/sample/instrument lists will not cause a module/sample/instrument name to be skipped (from loading). - Modification: The file-format is no longer updated when you go to the save-module screen. It *IS* updated when you LOAD a module tho (so S3M files will try to save as S3M) Version 1.04 - Finished for MODs Anthology CD... make sure you grab it when (23/2/96) it is available and you will have a brilliant collection of computer module music to play with! NOTE!!! Impulse Tracker now REQUIRES a 386+ to run. This is due to the fact that I required 32 bit registers to support 16 bit samples and to remove the 64k barrier. If you don't have a 386+, then you'll need to grab v1.03... You can load and play IT modules saved with v1.04+ on earlier versions AS LONG as they don't have samples >64k or 16-bit samples. IF they do, the results could be interesting :) - Removed C5Spd Calculations in the sample list (as they were slow and inaccurate) - Bug fix: SB IRQs >= 8 now work! Note that only IRQs 10, 7, 5, 3 and 2 are checked for by the Autodetection routine. - Bug fix: Swapping control of F1 and F11 will now ONLY affect the help/order list keys (ie. Alt-F1 WILL mute channel 1) <Ara> - Bug fix: Commands such as KFx, KxF, LFx and LxF *should* now be interpreted correctly. <The WALKER> - Bug fix: The pattern delay command has finally been fixed to work like ST3 (and MOD AND MTM :) ). - Bug fix: In the MOD/MTM loader, fine volume/pitch slides with a zero parameter are removed. <Ara> - Bug fix: Should save S3M sample names OK. Hasn't been really thoroughly tested, tho.. <Beren first?> - Bug fix: Pattern loop now is controlled by EACH channel (apparently how MODs did it, but *NOT* how ST3 did it....). (Wave to Firelight for creating his really wierd backwards/ topsy-turvied modules!) - Bug fix: The Instrument Mode handler caused all effects *following* notes with invalid sample translations to be ignored. Effects *ON* the same row as invalid sample translations will still be ignored. The fix also should speed up the processing of instrument controlled songs slightly. - Bug fix: On a GUS, if you had a notecut command and you muted another channel which had notes playing in instrument mode, the note-cut was ignored. - Bug fix: I really stuffed up the vibrato command, because I didn't realise how it properly operated. In fact, all the vibratos were half of what they should have been. (Perhaps a good thing? As vibratos greater than 8 or so previously were unusable?). So instead of modifying the vibrato routines, and screwing up everyone that has already used the program, I've modified the loading routines for MOD/MTM and S3M - these loaders will automatically double the depth of the vibrato. The vibrato is halved when it is resaved in S3M format. So without even wanting to, I've made all vibratos two times finer than all other programs.... Note that there will still be a slight difference in vibrato between Impulse Tracker and other programs - the vibrato in Impulse Tracker is song-speed independant, whereas the vibrato in MODs and S3Ms *ARE* song-speed dependant (the faster the song is, the slower the vibrato will be with the same command!) <Clef for pointing out the first part> - Update: The Vol0Opt has become redundant, due to routines which update the sample position whenever the volume is 0 - Update: Complete rewrite of mixing routines to support 16 bit samples and samples > 64k, although you WILL NOT hear true 16-bit samples with a mixed device (but you will with a GUS!). The mixing routines themselves are now 12 bit, but unfortunately slightly slower than they used to be (they could have been quicker if I had the time to move to protected mode (ie. rewrite the whole program)) :( Don't bug me for true 16-bit mixing, 'cos I can't do it :) (Not with the memory restrictions I have) - Update: Note offsets in muted channels are still processed. What this means is that: 1) When you unmute a channel, that channel will play whatever it would normally be playing at that row. 2) The total active channel counter takes into account muted channels. 3) Soloed channels will sound EXACTLY the same compared to how they will sound when all the other channels are enabled. (Since 'background' notes may be cut short or notes not even played if the total number of active channels exceeds the limiting value. In previous versions of IT, muting a channel prevented it from allocating channels that it would normally occupy) - Update: The MTM loader has been updated to load the song message. - Modification: Pressing ESC on the opening screen will enter into the tracker, instead of exiting to DOS. - Modification: S3M channels are saved as L1, R1, L2, R2, L3, R3, etc.. (Although any decent player will understand the panning overrides) <Zoner first> - Modification: For GUS users, turning on/off stereo will now kick in the change straight away. <Ara for pointing it out> - Modification: Starting a new song will now 1) Put you at pattern 0 2) Reset initial pannings and volumes for the channels. <The WALKER> - Modification: With the panbrello command, the panning position is maintained, rather than being reset every internal update cycle. This really only has significance when used in combination with NNAs or if you stop a panbrello (previously, the panning would immediately return to the default panning position) - Modification: The dots by sample/instrument names are not removed UNTIL the next play pattern/song is requested. <Ara> - Modification: Pressing Alt-A on the note translation table also copies the sample name into the current instrument name. - Modification: The program will change automatically to the directory it is stored in when you start it. (ie. the .CFG files should be read no matter where you run the program from). I'm not 100% sure whether the method I used is sound, but it should work fine :) - Modification: D0F and DF0 are updated EVERY frame for greater S3M compatibility. (Don't ask me why it's done this way!) - Modification: Windows '95 will no longer trigger the 'Windows Warning' message, as it seems that the program works fine in both GUS and SB16 modes under Win '95. Problems have been encountered with SBPro tho.. and you definitely don't want to try using PC Speaker under Windows '95 :) <Clef> - Modification: When you move from the Sample list directly to either the Pattern Editor or the Instrument list when you're in INSTRUMENT mode, then the program will search for the first instrument which contains the sample you were on. I *SHOULD* have had two separate variables for the sample/instrument number... sorry.... maybe I'll redo that when I find more time... - Modification: On a GUS, 64 bytes of memory are now reserved (and not available for use), to prevent the ping pong loop bug in the GF1 from occuring. - Modification: Detection order is now SB16, GUS, SBPro, SB, PC Speaker. - Minor Addition: Pressing Alt-P on the note-translation table will enter the previous note. (opposite to "Next note" function!) <Andy Chen> - Minor Addition: Added Ctrl-PgUp/PgDn in pattern editor to move to top/bottom of the pattern. <Laser Harp> - Minor Addition: Alt-F9 on infopage operates the same as 'q'. <Laser Harp> - Minor Addition: Added Home/End keys on the order list, but End now places the cursor on the order AFTER the last one. <Mute> - Minor Addition: Grey enter has been mapped onto normal enter. <Several - 12th Knight first (about a month ago)> - Minor Addition: Support for ITF's FONT.CFG files. See later.. - Minor Addition: Shift-Up/Down in the pattern editor will decrease/increase the current sample/instrument. - Minor Addition: Added a 'channel details' view on the info page. I don't know what sort of use this is to anyone... but for a complete explanation of the variables, check out IT.DOC under the "Playing Songs" section. <several asked for it.. can't remember who> - Minor Addition: Direct support for MMCMP files in the song-name loader. (Note that although IT does understand MMCMP file headers, you *HAVE* to have MMTSR loaded - the reason for this is that it would cause major errors if IT identified a file type, and MMTSR wasn't resident (ie. unable to decompress the file) - it'd be the same result as having a badly corrupted file!) - Addition: Multiple (10) stage undo buffer (on Ctrl-Backspace) in the pattern editor. This undo function can only undo pattern-related changes - it does NOT keep track of block marks or clipboard. <Ara> - Addition: Message editor on Shift-F9.... now you have NO excuse for corrupting your sample lists :) - Addition: Effect S78 turns *ON* the volume envelope. <Chris Jarvis> - Addition: Fast Tracker 2 .IFF sample loader. Note that there ISN'T a Ping Pong loop field within the .IFF header or a sample frequency (as far as I can tell!) What this means is that if the original sample had a ping pong loop, then you'll have to toggle the loop mode yourself! - this was a hack job, as I didn't have 'official' info on the format.... - Addition: Samples > 64k and 16 bit samples!!! All sample, disk and playback functions have been rewritten to incorporate this.. so let me know if you find any bugs! (The new sample limit is just under 4MB - I could have made it 16MB (The limit of expanded memory), but it wasn't really 'worth' the extra effort... if you need more than 1MB for *ALL* your samples, you've missed the point of trackers! ) Under the new limit: An 8 bit sample at 8363 Hz can last for 8 min 19 sec An 8 bit sample at 44100 Hz can last for 1 min 35 sec A 16 bit sample at 8363 Hz can last for 4 min 9 sec A 16 bit sample at 44100 Hz can last for 0 min 47 sec. Note that although you can save samples >64k and 16 bit samples in S3M format, *MOST* S3M players do *NOT* support these fields! (Even Cubic Player!) - Addition: Two utility programs are now included with Impulse Tracker: 1) MMCMP/MMUNCMP/MMTSR This collection of utilities was programmed by Emmanuel Giasson <giassone@ift.ulaval.ca>. They allow you to compress MOD/S3M/IT files (with MMCMP) and MMTSR will decompress them on the fly in the background! If you want to ZIP up a song that has been compressed with MMCMP, remember to use "MMTSR off" before you do it! 2) ITF - Impulse Tracker Font customiser This program is used to create/modify the FONT.CFG file which contains *YOUR* own custom font. The FONT.CFG must be in the same directory as IT.EXE from (same as IT.CFG) Written by ZaStaR. (Script font by me - cosmetic, but not usable :) ) <zastar@uclink4.berkeley.edu>. Thanks go to both Emmanuel and ZaStar for their efforts (especially Emmanuel, with whom I spent many hours, trying to work out a very minor bug which caused some major problems!) Big thanks go to all the beta testers of v1.04 (GD, Andy Chen, ZaStaR, Delta X, KXMode, ShawnM, Ara.. hope I haven't missed anyone!) - there were a LOT of changes that were made, and quite a bit went astray in the update... and you have to thank these people for their help to set it all back into working order! Version 1.05 - Bug fix: Changing a sample's loop while it's playing can no longer cause the program to produce a divide error (mixed devices) (only reason for the release.. found on the same day I sent out v1.04! Doh) Version 1.06 - This release was made, without a lot of the improvements that (8/4/96) I intended, just because it's been sitting on my computer for quite a while without any significant changes! I just haven't had as much time as I would have liked to work on it. Also, Chris Jarvis now has an EMail addy... it's at: cjtrack@smug.student.adelaide.edu Note: Our mail server has been having troubles lately... it seems that I haven't been receiving all the mail that's sent my way! So, if you *DID* send anything and I didn't reply within 48 hrs, then send it again (and again) - I check my mail VERY frequently (as many of you have found out!) :) - Internal modifications in some of the effects processing for size and speed... I hope I rewrote them all correctly (fingers crossed) :) - Update to internal routines, for greater stability with Win'95 (hopefully) - Bug fix: Global volume slides UP are restricted properly (ie. to 128) Previously, it reset to 0 when it exceeded 128. (Obviously no one has used this, because it has been wrong since v1.00!) - Bug fix: Random panbrello has been set back to how it used to work! (The delay was interpreted incorrectly.. this was mucked up in v1.04) - Bug fix: A disk-write error (eg. out of disk space) will *NOT* cause the program to hang now when saving samples. Ooops. Also, the resulting file will be deleted, so that your disk doesn't become cluttered with partial (useless) files. <Pfister for alerting me, albeit indirectly> - Bug fix: Fixed up replace instrument function. - Bug fix: With Alt-Insert in pattern editor (Row Insert), there was a problem with the last line.... no longer. - Bug fix: "Set sample" command in the pattern editor will change samples which don't have notes attached to them. <TiB> - Minor modification: Changed colouring of play-back information line. <ZaStaR> - Modification: The program will remember the starting directory, and return to it when exited. This directory is also used in a DOS shell, and updated when you EXIT from a DOS shell. <Golden Spud> - Modification: Using the Help screen will remember the previous 'position'. <KaSHopAN> - Modification: OK. So I have decided to change it after all - the cut sample commands do NOT require the sample to be looped. <GD> - Modification: MOD/MTM/S3M loader converts XA4 to S91, and the S3M saver converts S91 back to XA4 <Liam the Lemming> - Modification: The Shift-Movement keys can now be used to mark a block. Note that the old Shift-Up/Down to change the sample has moved to Ctrl-Up/Down. If you get used to these, then multi-channel blocks become a lot quicker to select. Don't forget the old commands, though! (such as Alt-L, Alt-D) - Update: Yet another update to the GUS routines to (hopefully) remove MOST of the clicking (clicks that occur due to quick sample value changes that occur on other sound cards will still occur). - Update: Yet another change to the 8-bit panned mixing routines for speed - Update: Sample/Instrument header loaders will recognise MMCMPed files. Note that sample may be compressed with MMCMP versions 1.3+ Instrument compression will come soon. - Minor Addition: Included reference file SUMMARY.DOC - I strongly suggest that you print this out! To print this out: COPY SUMMARY.DOC PRN or of course, you could use an editor of some sort.. - Minor Addition: Added Ctrl-Home/End in the pattern editor to work as in ST3. (ie. move up/down 1 row regardless of skip-value) <Yamaha> - Minor Addition: Added Copy-Instrument function on Alt-P in the instrument list. - Minor Addition: Directory name searching on the file lists (like the file name searching) <Lots and lots of people..> - Minor Addition: Added spacebar on the info-page which toggles a channel AND moves to the next channel. - Minor Addition: Left-Ctrl+Left-Shift 1-5 will setup ALL view channels in scheme 1-5 an enable cursor tracking. This will take into account whether channel divisions are present or not. <ZaStaR> - Minor Addition: Added drive selection window on instrument list <NF> - Addition: Incorporated MMTSR into the tracker, but this version will ONLY use EMS, and will uninstall itself on exiting. This only operates on loading - files are still not compressed on saving. Big thanks go to Emmanuel Giassone for the code! Note: This decoder will NOT be loaded if the EMS required by the decoding routines cannot be allocated, but the tracker will still operate. Also note that MMCMP works fine under Windows '95 now! You can disable the internal MMTSR by using IT /X - Addition: Ctrl-C in the pattern editor will enable/disable pattern centralisation. This option is saved in IT.CFG (by 'saving all preferences') - Addition: Command S6x is a delay on the ROW for x frames. This is a convenient way to control timing more accurately... example: ......... A06 ......... A06 ......... .00 ......... .00 ......... A08 can be written ......... S62 ......... A06 ......... .00 ......... A07 ......... S61 ......... A06 ......... .00 This is useful for cases where you want to just have a *certain* row last that little bit longer (ie. use it as a fine row-delay) Note that a Axx command in a later channel will override this, and that another S6x command in another channel is cumulative. Axx should still be used for any long-term speed change. - Addition: Added "Old Effects" option to replace Vol0Opt (was redundant) (from IT.DOC) Old Effects - When Impulse Tracker was first written, some effects were interpreted differently from other formats, most notably vibrato. When you turn this ON, then it effects will be interpreted how the used to be in ST3/MMEdit/... but when it's off, it'll operate how it use to in previous versions. (from IT.DOC) Differences (so far): The Vibrato (and Tremelo) used in IT is smoother than how it was implemented in MOD/S3M/etc. It is updated EVERY frame and hence is independant of song speed, whereas the standard vibrato WAS dependant upon song speed. Vibrato is two times 'deeper' with Old Effects on and the loaders no longer modify the vibrato value. Sample offset commands past the end of a sample in IT were ignored, whereas with Old Effects on, the sample is played from it's end point. Version 2.00 - Big jump in version number, 'cos of the new instrument format - Bug fix: Flow/logic problem in mixing routines for Sustain loops fixed (they weren't getting updated!) - Bug fix: An error could have occurred when exiting the tracker due to bypassing some code if you specified command line params. (eg. modem hanging up) - Bug fix: Bug fix to internal MMTSR to handle extraordinarily large modules <Thanks to Emmanuel for the code> - Modification: Entire instrument format redone for volume/panning/pitch envelopes + the other features on the instrument screen(s). Note: Fadeout volume is now 2 times finer too. - Modification: Video memory access changed from 32-bit (v1.04+) back to 16-bit, due to some compatibility problems. <Zinc> - Modification: You can switch from the Help screen to any of the other screens directly. - Modification: Maximum number of voices is now 128 (not 256) due to memory reasons. - Addition: .XI loader on the instrument list - Addition: SAy command as high order of Oxx command, which goes to yxx00h (SAy is required BEFORE Oxx, Oxx is reqd on the row of the note) - Addition: Added S3M, XM and IT support for the sample loader! This means that *ALL* S3M, XM and IT files act as sample libraries - you *don't* have to save samples to disk first if you want to use them in other modules! (To open a module in the sample library, just press enter on it) <Welti> Version 2.01 - Hmph. Why do I always do this?? Release something, then find a MAJOR bug just around the corner? - Bug fix: Increased stack size of internal MMTSR to avoid mishaps on slower computers. Version 2.02 - Bug fix: Bug fix to pattern halve command - Bug fix: Bug fix to the help screen when used from the menu. - Bug fix: You can no longer insert a node between two points less than 2 ticks apart. Ooops. Blame it on the beta testers of IT 2.00 :) - Bug fix: Fixed problem of renaming samples in sample list. <Emmanuel Giasson> - Update: Changed instrument general screen - Update: S3M 'muted' saving and loading (previously just used 32 channels) <Siren> - Modification: Editing an envelope will automatically turn the envelope on. <12th Knight> - Modification: Some checks against corrupted .XI files, due to the horrible job that Convert 1.4 does to .XI. Hint: Convert to "S3I" instead. - Minor Addition: You can reverse the output channels within the program using Alt-R on the info-page. <Chris Jarvis> - Minor Addition: Shoved the debug info back in on the info-page, although this is not entirely accurate... (eg. it only displays half the fadeout value.. don't ask why). - Minor Addition: Added active channel indicator on the info-line. - Addition: Routines added to handle pattern data stored in EMS. Patterns will only be stored in EMS if there is little conventional memory remaining. If you have and "Out of memory" error when you still have EMS memory free, then the problem is that you don't have enough free "EMS Memory handles" - to solve this problem, in you CONFIG.SYS file, add the parameter H=255 to your EMM386.EXE driver. (Each pattern and each sample stored in EMS uses 1 'handle'. The default number of handles available is 64. Adding the parameter H=255 to EMM386 allows 255 handles.) You can disable allocation of EMS for patterns using IT /P - Addition: Pressing Scroll lock on the pattern editor will cause the cursor to trace the pattern as it's played. - Addition: Added envelope-position indicators on the instrument page. *WARNING* Windows '95 will *sometimes* prevent IT from modifying the video registers in the background. What this means is that if IT tries to update the volume envelope indicator in the background in Win'95, Win'95 will PAUSE the tracker (and all playback) until you switch back to IT. Note: I have restarted Uni and I don't have quite so much time as I used to have, so either updates will be slower, or there won't be as many changes... Note 2: Several people have asked about GUS PnP support. Here's the deal: If enough of you write to Gravis and can convince them to send me a card (with RAM on it), then I'll support it when the SDK comes out. Otherwise, I can't see myself forking out the money to support it (since I don't have one and also because I've already spent a lot of money to make this tracker!) Planned for later versions... (I better not say any version numbers :) ) (Aplogies to all who expected to see certain features and didn't... I ran outta time :) ) - Possible AWE 32, PAS and DAC support depending on how it works out, but no promises - the AWE 32 has some really stupid limitations (ie. you CAN'T play a sample at anything above 176kHz eg. you can't play a 44kHz sample C-7 or above - don't forget that the 'middle C' is C-5 in this program!) - .PAT, .XM loaders... - Update to Dxx, Pxx, Nxx, Kxx, Lxx and Wxx to allow better tick control. - High quality 32-bit mixer Big thanks to all of those who have contributed to make the tracker what it is! Contact me at pulse@smug.student.adelaide.edu.au I *try* to check and reply to all EMail every day.