OMF file format?

[Asle]

weird, can't access the link either.
Mail ? (asle at free.fr)

[deus-ex]

@swirlythingy

Thank s for the upload, excellent job converting the OMF files to StarTrekker modules. However I can tell that all converted 8 channel modules (FLT8) do not play as intended, hence there is some flaw in the conversion process. I hope you can solve that. Maybe Asle can assist you here?

For testing purposes I converted a StarTrekker module each to Protracker and Fasttracker II format using MilkyTracker. While the StarTrekker and Protracker modules are identical except for the header I found that the converted Protracker and Fasttracker II modules both have the same yet slightly longer duration compared to the Startrekker module. Question is which timing is closer to the OMF versions?


@Asle

I uploaded the converted modules once more, hopefully the download works this time.

[swirlythingy]

OK, sent.

[Asle]

ok, the .rar in the forum works. Let me check this out.
Thanks for sharing !

[swirlythingy]

Thank s for the upload, excellent job converting the OMF files to StarTrekker modules. However I can tell that all converted 8 channel modules (FLT8) do not play as intended, hence there is some flaw in the conversion process. I hope you can solve that. Maybe Asle can assist you here?

When you say it 'does not play as intended', do you mean it sounds normal, just the wrong speed, or that it's really messed up?

Can you please try playing this file and tell me if it works?

[deus-ex]

When you say it 'does not play as intended', do you mean it sounds normal, just the wrong speed, or that it's really messed up?

They sound messed up.

Can you please try playing this file and tell me if it works?

That one appears to play correct. Well done! Let's do that same treatment to the other 8 channels modules and we should be set. Does the format description need to be updated as well?

[swirlythingy]

When you say it 'does not play as intended', do you mean it sounds normal, just the wrong speed, or that it's really messed up?

The sound messed up.

Can you please try playing this file and tell me if it works?

That one appears to play correct. Well done! Let's do that same treatment to the other 8 channels modules and we should be set. Does the format description need to be updated as well?

Hmm.  Yes.  I do not like that at all.

There's nothing wrong with the format specification - there appears to be a bug in Milkytracker (or whatever you're using).  It's obviously a very common mistake - I ran into the exact same problem when testing at this end, until I found an older and less generic player which handled them correctly.

The difference between the two is in the patterns.  StarTrekker (as detailed in the text from Exolon here) uses an unusual layout, in that the patterns are 'doubled up' - that is, each number in the sequence is multiplied by two, and the odd-numbered patterns contain the data for channels 5 to 8, which is the format I converted them to.

The test file I just posted here does not adhere to this format - rather, all eight notes are kept together in the same pattern, with one pattern being twice as long as usual.

So I could convert them to this specification, but it would be wrong to do so.

[swirlythingy]

OK.  I have now uploaded (in the '8ChanExp' directory) the defective modules in 'incorrect' format to MODLAND, just to make sure.

Sorry, next reply will be a while - my parents are insisting that I eat something!

[Asle]

Hi,

 Ok, I've written my own converter. So, thanks for the format description. I really couldn't understand the pattern storing method. Anyway, It's done now.
 I've opted for Taketracker format, myself. It's fairly safe to say those musics were composed on PC, and it's Fastracker 1 or Taketracker. So, IDs are M.K., 6CHN and 8CHN, for me.
 I noticed that you've lost the last char of the sample names, and it seems there's almost always a loop start in your conversion, which is wrong and would hang Protracker, I think (well, for the 4 channel ones . So, if no loop, then loop start is 0x0000 and loop size is 0x0001.

 I'll upload this result on AMP shorly.

 Thanks to all for having raised the topic and having brought clues

 C Source attached, for the curious ones.

Sylvain


EDIT : ok, all online now. Hydra ziks were already there. Tonza is known as Zygote.

[swirlythingy]

Great job - thanks!  (I knew my conversion wasn't quite accurate, but it sounded like it should have done on anything I played it with... Bearing in mind the problems with more than 4 channels, TakeTracker is probably the best option.)

(EDIT: Has anyone tried to contact @larryhagman?  He was the one who wanted this in the first place, after all...)

[deus-ex]

Well done, Asle.

Except for your conversion of shiva_furnace.mod which sounds badly wrong (ouch, my ears ), and the rhythm of the beat that starts at order 01 is off. You certainly intent to punish us, do you?
I loaded shiva_furnace.stk into MilkyTracker and saved it to Protracker format, the result sounds quite nicely. Check attached file for comparison.

Another old case finally closed. Thanks to all involved.

[swirlythingy]

Except for your conversion of shiva_furnace.mod which sounds badly wrong (ouch, my ears ), and the rhythm of the beat that starts at order 01 is off. You certainly intent to punish us, do you?

Yep - I recognise that problem.  All the finetunes have been blanked.  'Battle squadron' has a similar problem.  Taking another look at the C code, I can't see anything to write the finetune values anywhere.  It's a signed 16-bit little endian value at offset 22 in the sample info block, and it's the MOD range (-8 to 7) multiplied by minus 487.  Took me some time to work it out!

@deus-ex: Incidentally, how did loading the file into Milkytracker and saving it to ProTracker set all the finetunes?  That must be one powerful program!

EDIT: Dammit!  Little endian, sorry.  I'm just not used to it being the exception, rather than the rule...

[Asle]

hum .. no finetune, right. I'll see to update the source and the files.
I'm sorry about that, but I simply overlooked the matter.

Most probably tomorrow, though, as a great Lakers/Suns is waiting for me (I know, it was staged last night but I wanted to see it).

Sylvain

[deus-ex]

@deus-ex: Incidentally, how did loading the file into Milkytracker and saving it to ProTracker set all the finetunes?  That must be one powerful program!

Heh, If I could explain the "how" I would code a tracker or player myself.
Yep, MilkyTracker is quite a powerfull masterpiece of its own class.

[Asle]

ok, fixed the src and reran the converter on all cases. The following musics had finetunes set :
Battle Squadron (Tirana)
Extreme close-up (Tirana)
Frozen fields (Tirana)
Humbug-tra (Tirana)
jangle intro (Tirana)
Lottovoitto (Tirana)
Shiva furnace (Tirana)
Sonaric waves (Tirana)
Sukkarokki (Tirana)
Uubi duubi (Tirana)
Shadows love     tnz (Tonza a.k.a. Zygote)
zolo (Viba)

Quite a few actually. Updated src is attached. And all ziks were updated on AMP.
Sylvain

PS: Who is Viba anyway ? Any clue, anyone ?