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DS Misc > DS Music Tracker?

#67835 - tssf - Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:45 pm

It probably isn't, but is it possible to port this program to the DS:

http://rigelseven.com/schism/

? I was just wondering. Obviously there'd have to be modifications to the sound output.. but the bottom screen could contain a keyboard, and perhaps a little map of the upper screen for easy scrolling.. the disk functions could use the CF driver and such..It could use that linux sub-pixel font that allows for a lot of text on screen (since, obviously, it's originally based around a dos tracker that used a modified ansi character set for it's graphics and such)

I would actually pay money for an app like this on my DS :)
_________________
Mathew Valente [TSSF]
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Chrono Resurrection Musician

#67845 - ghazi - Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:38 pm

That would be totally awesome. Daigassou has some basic (MIDI-style) music editing stuff, but it can't touch anything like this.

#67848 - tssf - Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:41 pm

Right! :) And it could have it's own sound driver, which of course has a maximum of 16 channels, will play back any mod file thrown at it up to 16-channels (of course) and such.. Oh man this would be my dream tool..tracking on the go.. lol.

EDIT: The question is, though..is it possible?
_________________
Mathew Valente [TSSF]
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Chrono Resurrection Musician

#67857 - DekuTree64 - Fri Jan 20, 2006 10:34 pm

I've been working on just such an app for about a week now :)
I don't have a lot of free time to spend on it, but progress is going ok.

I'm planning to stick with the impulse tracker format, so you can use GBAMP to transfer files to/from PC for more editing options. I also want to do a real-time recording mode, where you can jam with the DS buttons a'la Band Bros.

I'll probably go with software mixing to get around the 16 channel limit. The app itself shouldn't take more than a few percent of the ARM9's time, so it will probably be able to handle 64 channels at 32KHz no problem.

One of the trickiest parts will be designing the pattern editor to be as user-friendly as possible. Maybe I can use you as a guinea pig once I get that far, tssf :)
Probably not for a month or two though. Gotta finish writing my sprite system, and then the whole sound driver/music player, and other editor screens...
_________________
___________
The best optimization is to do nothing at all.
Therefore a fully optimized program doesn't exist.
-Deku

#67881 - 0xtob - Sat Jan 21, 2006 1:28 am

Well, I've been kind of busy too ...

Some sketches:
http://tobw.net/ultra-secret-folder/interface.png
http://tobw.net/ultra-secret-folder/patternview.png

Some screenshots:
http://tobw.net/ultra-secret-folder/upper.png
http://tobw.net/ultra-secret-folder/lower.png

Just be patient!

#67931 - tssf - Sat Jan 21, 2006 9:55 am

DekuTree64 wrote:
I've been working on just such an app for about a week now :)
I don't have a lot of free time to spend on it, but progress is going ok.

I'm planning to stick with the impulse tracker format, so you can use GBAMP to transfer files to/from PC for more editing options. I also want to do a real-time recording mode, where you can jam with the DS buttons a'la Band Bros.

I'll probably go with software mixing to get around the 16 channel limit. The app itself shouldn't take more than a few percent of the ARM9's time, so it will probably be able to handle 64 channels at 32KHz no problem.

One of the trickiest parts will be designing the pattern editor to be as user-friendly as possible. Maybe I can use you as a guinea pig once I get that far, tssf :)
Probably not for a month or two though. Gotta finish writing my sprite system, and then the whole sound driver/music player, and other editor screens...


Sure, I wouldn't mind it. I think your idea of software mixing 64 channels on the DS is highly unrealistic though. I think the most you'll be able to get out of it is 32, really..especially if most of those channels have special effects running.

Have you ever thought about software mixing a bunch of channels and relaying them through DS hardware channels? would that cut down on CPU usage? For instance, mod channels 1 and 2 would output on DS hardware channel 1.. Would that even be possible I wonder o.o;

But yeah, both your tracker ideas are great, I am and always will be an Impulse Tracker nut though. So, if you guys want input from me, it will probably be suggestions to make your interface run like "IT" did.. :)

However, I would love to sit down and draw on paper an interesting interface for a tracker..where the pattern would be on the upper screen, and on the bottom screen would say, have a piano, and such.

I like your tracking software the way it looks, 0xtob.. I'm just not too fond of the interface. Nibbles? lol It reminds me of Fast Tracker. maybe that's why, Fast Tracker wasn't my favourite tracker..though there are some people who LOVED it. So don't stop on my account. :)

Damn though, I should learn how to program so I can port Schism Tracker to DS lol
_________________
Mathew Valente [TSSF]
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Chrono Resurrection Musician

#67938 - DekuTree64 - Sat Jan 21, 2006 10:36 am

Looking good, 0xtob. Nice to see another take on the interface design.

Here are some mockups of mine
http://deku.gbadev.org/program/tracker/PatternScreenMockup.gif
http://deku.gbadev.org/program/tracker/SampleScreenMockup.gif

Keyboard gfx are by Headspin

tssf, I'll have to see how my mixer turns out to be sure I can manage 64 channels, but I've done some software mixing on the ARM9 before, and it has a nifty single-cycle 16bitx16bit multiply-accumulate that comes in very handy, and the cache helps with memory access. Probably would have to cut it back to 32 if they're all using per-channel resonance filtering though.

If you do any interface sketches, feel free to send them my way. Mainly I'm interested in useful shortcut buttons, and mappings for the actual DS buttons that work together with the touch screen controls. Needs to have a nice natural feel for moving around the pattern and placing notes.
_________________
___________
The best optimization is to do nothing at all.
Therefore a fully optimized program doesn't exist.
-Deku

#67942 - 0xtob - Sat Jan 21, 2006 12:11 pm

Quote:
I like your tracking software the way it looks, 0xtob.. I'm just not too fond of the interface. Nibbles? lol It reminds me of Fast Tracker. maybe that's why, Fast Tracker wasn't my favourite tracker..though there are some people who LOVED it. So don't stop on my account. :)

Hehe, the good old tracker war :-) Yes, I'm going for a Fasttracker-like look and feel, and consequently I use the XM format. The Nibbles button is not yet in the actual program though :-)

Dekutree: Nice looking interface, too! Although, I think a keyboard with two octaves is better. Anyway, nice to have some competition :-)

Bye,
Tob