Arkos Tracker 2 - Released!

[reidrac]

Yes : just wait a little bit more, copy/paste in the pattern is due to the next release .

\o/

[tastefulmrship]

Targhan,

I prefer to use my (dying) 6128 to convert Amiga mods to CPC (to make sure volumes sound "about right" in the internal speaker), then check volumes/slides on my PC in Arkos 1.0 (as STarkos slides can be completely wrong in some circumstances).

I will have to admit that I have not read this entire thread, so apologies if this has already been answered, but are you going to release a CPC native Arkos 2.0 tracker for those of us who still prefer to use an Amstrad to PC/Mac?

Thanks in advance,
- JTMS... (aka SuTeKH/Epyteor)

[Targhan]

Hi,


No, Arkos Tracker will never be "ported" to CPC, and STarKos will not be updated anymore, I'm sorry. However, one feature I could add would be to use, on medium-long term, the Wifi ability of the M4 Board to send the data directly to the CPC (which was doable with AT1 with MiniBooster... But no one used this feature!). Using the Albeiro should also work.

[reidrac]

@Targhan I'm having trouble to add a RST note (* according to the manual online). Basically, it doesn't work

[Targhan]

You mean, the RST has no effect, or the key does not work? If the latter, go to Setup > Keyboard and remap the RST key to something to your liking!

[pelrun]

Yeah, I had that too; the default key-mapping doesn't work. Either it's a locale thing or it's expecting the numberpad '*' rather than shift+8. I don't even *have* a keyboard with a numberpad these days!

[Targhan]

Actually, the key is perfect for french AZERTY keyboard (it is left to the Enter key). For other keyboard, I admit I didn't think it would not work. I'll try to come up with a better key for the next version.

[pelrun]

You guys had to deal with the weirdness of using ú as the bar symbol for RSXes on AZERTY, I think it's only fair those of us on QWERTY have to adapt for a change

[Arnaud]

Hello,
here some ideas following to my use of Arkos2 :

   
• On loading instruments browse by default the arkos2/instruments directory
• On loading songs browse by default the arkos2/songs directory
• Add a contextual menu on instrument (faster than going to main menu to load another instrument)
• When loading a instrument i always have the Overwrite confirmation popup even it's a new instrument (i don't think this popup is really useful and it's annoying when testing instruments)

Arnaud

[Targhan]

Hi,

On loading instruments browse by default the arkos2/instruments directory
On loading songs browse by default the arkos2/songs directory

Not fond of these, because, in my experience, the arkos2/xxx directories are used only for testing, not for real composition. The last used folder is the last one that will be shown. Maybe have different "last" folders according to the type of what is loaded (song, instrument ?)

Add a contextual menu on instrument (faster than going to main menu to load another instrument)

Yes, I thought about it. Dully noted!

When loading a instrument i always have the Overwrite confirmation popup even it's a new instrument (i don't think this popup is really useful and it's annoying when testing instruments)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the pop-up should only show if the target instrument is empty.


I don't know exactly when the next version will be released, but I can tell you it will have many new features. I can't keep myself from adding new stuff... !


Thanks for your feedback!

[Arnaud]

The last used folder is the last one that will be shown. Maybe have different "last" folders according to the type of what is loaded (song, instrument ?)

Yes, it will be ok in this way.

Yes, I thought about it. Dully noted!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the pop-up should only show if the target instrument is empty.

I  Understand, when i add a new instrument by default it is "Single Beep". I should select "Empty".

I don't know exactly when the next version will be released, but I can tell you it will have many new features. I can't keep myself from adding new stuff... !

Great !

[Arnaud]

Another need :

   
• increase or decrease the multi-selection notes with a single key

Ex with 3 lines selected :
E3 -> F3
F3 -> G3
G3 -> A3

[Targhan]

Yep, already done for the next release .

[Arnaud]

A last one (i'm trying to make music the last days)

   
• Import CHP format 

A lot of famous songs were converted here http://cngsoft.no-ip.org/chipnsfx.htm and it will be great to be able to play it on Arkos2

   
• Definitively remove Instruments

Even empty and not used all instruments are exported (and use some precious bytes)

[Targhan]

Everything done in the next release . (told you it was a big release ).


The CHP import is "best effort" though. The sound structure is very different, so you will have to tweak them. But the notes are OK.

>Even empty and not used all instruments are exported (and use some precious bytes)

Hmmm, shouldn't be, only the used instruments are exported. Do you have proof?


Anyway, the export now optimizes the songs at the fullest.

[Arnaud]

Another idea :
- When exporting in binary file we have to set the starting address, and it could be useful to know the ending address.

[Targhan]

As a general idea, you'd like to know how much the song will take, right? (without having to check the file by yourself)

[Arnaud]

As a general idea, you'd like to know how much the song will take, right? (without having to check the file by yourself)

Yes exactly and also know the memory area used by the song when exported in binary in order to easily found where to store it.

[freemac]

Yes exactly and also know the memory area used by the song when exported in binary in order to easily found where to store it.

So compiling it before compiling it 

[MiGaNuTs]

Another idea :
- When exporting in binary file we have to set the starting address, and it could be useful to know the ending address.

Exporting the binary file with the amsdos header ?

Exporting the compiled and relocated player + the song  + the amsdos header.
it will be very usefull for me

[freemac]

Exporting the binary file with the amsdos header ?

Exporting the compiled and relocated player + the song  + the amsdos header.
it will be very usefull for me

+ mixing song and sfx btw under same song file

[Targhan]

Exporting the binary file with the amsdos header ?

I'm not sure it would be a useful feature, since there are many software that do it for you, as stand alone files or when you insert them into DSK. Can you give me a use-case ?

+ mixing song and sfx btw under same song file

Well you can, but there is no point is doing so. The whole point of separating the music and sound effects is to be able to reuse your sound effects in any production regardless of the music you use. SFX and songs are encoded in totally separate ways, so there is no loss of space in creating one song for the music, and one song for the sound effects.
But if you want to do it, simply create your SFXs in the same song, and when you export your sound effects, simply discards the "music" sounds (only keep the sound effects). But really, this is less flexible.

[MiGaNuTs]

Actualy i try to make a little demo, just for try and learn coding on CPC.
For the moment i use cpc-telera for the music, but i prefer to use my own music, i don't want to "steal" it from anyone.

Arkos tracker 2 is cool for composing mods, but to make usable files i need to use starkos tools + arkos player 1 + cpcdiskxp, and it's hard to find where is the fail when my music crash :/

A file "all in one" will make things easiest for me, especialy with futures features in javaCPC that i don't want to spoil ;-)

[Targhan]

Then I don't understand how adding the Amsdos header is useful. Not that I'm against the idea, but I don't understand the purpose.
The Amsdos header will only be added to the music itself, not the player. So you will have to add it to the player anyway, with another tool. Why don't you use this tool with the music too?


I have no idea why your prod doesn't "like" the AT2 player, but I assure you it is supposed to work fine .
My advice is: download Rasm, use it to compile the music and the player at specific location (for example, player in #3000, music in #4000), as a test. Load the binaries at these locations. Then, in your code, make a:
ld hl,#4000
xor a
call #3000 + 0     ;Initializes the song, subsong 0.


Then make a loop, synchronized with the video sync and at each frame:
call #3000 + 3      ;Plays one frame of the song.


This WILL work (makes sure your code doesn't overlap over the player and the music). If not, maybe you should ask for help on the CPCTelera forum, because the problem must be specific to it.
That's only the beginning. When it works, put the music and players at more handy location and then you can forget about it!

[Targhan]

Addendum: assembling and testing your code is one part. Packaging it into a DSK is another. Makes the first part work first, THEN think about how to generate a DSK. There are many options, which I won't explain here. But this comes second.