Arkos Tracker 2 - Released!

[manossg]

Thanks!

Hardware envelopes are a "special" volume which cannot be modified by any volume commands. This is a limitation of the PSG! By using an hardware envelope, you basically tell the PSG "handle automatically the volume by yourself". So it cannot be used along with any volume variation. Technically speaking, you put "16" (bit 5 to 1) in the volume register. At that moment, the other volume bits (to "build" a volume from 0 to 15) are ignored, so it is not possible to mix "software" and "hardware" volume. However, all the other effects (pitch, etc.) can apply.

I strongly suggest you continue experimenting, because this is how you'll get your own sounds and recognizable style. My advice is actually to NEVER use pre-existing sounds, but only create new from scratch. However, this can prove difficult at first, so:
- You can get inspiration from the many songs in the "arkos tracker" and "starkos" folder in the "songs" folder.
- You can also use the "Tools > YM Analyzer" and import YM songs you like. You can dissect them, extract sounds from them and use them in your own songs, or at least learn from them.

This is a very helpful answer, thanks!

[skylas]

Just another question, mostly due curiosity.

We have this list, as I want to hear a music tone from Arkos and have Greek letters in order to print"hello".

Does anyone know why the result is that?

[Targhan]

I don't understand what all this is... How is the "strange text" written? You listed the code? Could you try to put MEMORY &6fff BEFORE doing your symbol after?
It seems your new font is being corrupted by the music.

[skylas]

I don't understand what all this is... How is the "strange text" written? You listed the code? Could you try to put MEMORY &6fff BEFORE doing your symbol after?
It seems your new font is being corrupted by the music.

If i reverse it, I get <improper argument> in the line that the first command SYMBOL is.
I dont know how this happens, the text is affected by the player, whatever you write (not only displayed) is like this. Only restarting winape can stop this phenomenon.I had also tried other fonts using SYMBOL, same result.

EDIT: DSK ATTACHED

[pelrun]

SYMBOL AFTER and MEMORY fight each other (it's a bug in Basic.) And it's not obvious how to make it work, you just have to know the trick.
You need to disable user-defined symbols before changing HIMEM. After that you can re-enable them as desired. So:

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SYMBOL AFTER 256:MEMORY &xxxx
SYMBOL AFTER n

After that you can load any binaries above HIMEM and change any symbols and they won't corrupt each other, and you won't get "Improper Argument" either.

[skylas]

SYMBOL AFTER and MEMORY fight each other (it's a bug in Basic.) And it's not obvious how to make it work, you just have to know the trick.
You need to disable user-defined symbols before changing HIMEM. After that you can re-enable them as desired. So:

Code Select Expand

SYMBOL AFTER 256:MEMORY &xxxx
SYMBOL AFTER n

After that you can load any binaries above HIMEM and change any symbols and they won't corrupt each other, and you won't get "Improper Argument" either.

Ow, this works!
many thx for your help! You just have to load the SYMBOL subroutine of fonts every time when it is to print the text, correct?

[pelrun]

Once you've defined them they'll stay until either you redefine them or reboot.

[Targhan]

Ahhh, the beauty of Basic. Such thing wouldn't happen in Assembler!!

[eto]

SYMBOL AFTER and MEMORY fight each other (it's a bug in Basic.)

I would say rather than a bug, it's a result of how they work together and how the CPC is initialised after a reset. However it is something that is badly documented and confusing until you understand how Basic organises its memory.

[skylas]

I think that it is good that this problem was solved, as it seems it was not so known to some people. I hope this thread will help other people that may have the same problem.

Thank you all for your help!

[ralferoo]

Is it possible to either have the old style AKG binary as an output option, or some way of exporting the file in the old .aks format so I can load a file with ArkosTracker 1 and export it from there?


I know AT2 is better and supports new things etc, but I spent a LOOOOOOONG time interleaving the player code with my tape loading code, and honestly it was probably one of the most tedious and error prone parts of making that demo and so if I can just re-use that player code it'd be good. But the new Windows program looks really nice, much much nicer than AT1, and so I'd like to start playing around with it...


That said, I do like the new export format in asm definitions... Certainly makes things more explorable and probably easier to debug too.

[Axel]

@ Targhan:

Please think about a VST-Version of Arkos.  

There is only one Plugin called "YM-VST" out there, but it is very old, only 32bit and limited in so many ways.

[Axel]

It is not possible to download the Windows-Version. The "site is not reachable".
Why?

[TotO]

No problem to download it from the links. May be it was a temporary problem.

[Axel]

Okay, I'll give it another try later today. Thank you. 

[TotO]

If it doesn't works, give me your email by PM, I have downloaded it.

[Axel]

Okay, thank you. If I can't download the tracker today, I'll send you a PM.

[ivavilagu]

Hi,

I'm trying to add Arkos Tracker 2 songs to cpctelera. If I use the example song "Targhan - A Hamless Grenade.aks" included with AT2 the process is fine but others songs fail when compile with rasm.

Compile.asm

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include "title.asm"
include "title_playerconfig.asm"
include "empty.asm"
include "empty_playerconfig.asm"

;This is the sfxs, and its config file. 
;include "soundeffects.asm"
;include "soundeffects_playerconfig.asm"  ;Optional.

;What hardware? Uncomment the right one.
PLY_AKG_HARDWARE_CPC = 1       
;PLY_AKG_HARDWARE_MSX = 1       
;PLY_AKG_HARDWARE_SPECTRUM = 1
;PLY_AKG_HARDWARE_PENTAGON = 1

;Comment/delete this line if not using sound effects.
;PLY_AKG_MANAGE_SOUND_EFFECTS = 1

;This is the player.
include "PlayerAkm.asm"
include "PlayerAkm_SoundEffects.asm"

Code Select Expand

Error: [.\PlayerAkm_SoundEffects.asm:355] expression [(PLY_AKM_SETREG13OLD+(1))] keyword [PLY_AKM_SETREG13OLD] not found in variables, labels or aliases
Error: [.\PlayerAkm_SoundEffects.asm:363] expression [(PLY_AKM_SETREG13+(1))] keyword [PLY_AKM_SETREG13] not found in variables, labels or aliases
Error: [.\PlayerAkm_SoundEffects.asm:394] expression [(PLY_AKM_NOISEREGISTER)] keyword [PLY_AKM_NOISEREGISTER] not found in variables, labels or aliases
Error: [.\PlayerAkm_SoundEffects.asm:406] expression [(PLY_AKM_REG11)] keyword [PLY_AKM_REG11] not found in variables, labels or aliases
Error: [.\PlayerAkm_SoundEffects.asm:409] expression [(PLY_AKM_REG12)] keyword [PLY_AKM_REG12] not found in variables, labels or aliases
Error: 5 errors

[retro space]

Is there also a version for the CPC itself?

[pelrun]

Code Select Expand

;include "soundeffects.asm"

Code Select Expand

include "PlayerAkm_SoundEffects.asm"
The problem is these two lines - you're including the sound effect code but not any sound effects!

[ivavilagu]

Code Select Expand

;include "soundeffects.asm"

Code Select Expand

include "PlayerAkm_SoundEffects.asm"
The problem is these two lines - you're including the sound effect code but not any sound effects!

Error solved but I don´t understand why I can´t add the sound effects player without effects and...

why works with the arkos song example and not with others?

[pelrun]

How do you think the player code know where the effects data is? There are explicit labels that the player references which have to be defined by the data, and if you don't bother to define them, the assembler doesn't have enough information to generate correct output and fails.

If there is a song that works with *no other changes*, it's because all the labels are defined in the song without needing a separate included file.