Preview
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Hints for Composers
-- Pulse
Well, I'm not the best person to ask for hints, but here are a few anyway.
1) Never release your first song. There are very few people who are gifted
enough to really make a quality song the first time - it's all practice
and experience! Once you *HAVE* finished a song, listen to it a couple
of days after... see whether you can view it from another point of view.
2) For channel echoes, use the Mxx command in a second column - this will
save you from adjusting volume related effects (ie. you can leave all the
Dxx commands alone, and it'll sound right)
3) Don't be afraid to create multiple instruments from the same sample! The
reason for why I created instruments the way I did was so that you could
have different *articulations* of the same sample. You can achieve this
by playing around with the envelopes, fadeout, NNA - whatever.
4) Listen to other tracked music. Try and learn how other composers have
achieved the sound they did. Experiment yourself.
5) Start by writing music that *YOU* really like listening to - don't try and
write am orchestral piece if you don't listen to it - it'll show.
6) Take the time to tune all your samples as accurately as possible! To do
this, play a long, clear, looped sample, then move to another channel
(using '.') and tune ALL your other samples to this one sample (so they
all have the same reference). Many potentially excellent modules have
been spoilt because they were poorly tuned. Of course, this doesn't
count the cases where samples are intentionally slightly sharp or flat
for effect (which should be the rarity instead of a rule).
7) Try to avoid having too many samples at central panning - if you modify
the initial panning - you should be able to 'fill' out the sound with
very little extra effort. Or perhaps if you use instruments, you may
want to play around with instrument's default panning...
Pitch pan separation also provides a very convenient way to achieve a
nice pan.
8) To find the 'perfect' loop:
a) If you have a GUS/IW, first turn the loop off, then reload all GUS
samples (so that their entire waveform is loaded).
b) Now, select either a forwards or ping pong loop. Only select forwards
if you have a sample which has the same amplitude at both ends. If
you have a sample which has vibrato incorporated into the sample, then
you'll probably find ping pong loops inappropriate. If the sample has
an obvious reoccuring shape to it's waveform, try to account for that
when you select your initial guess at a loop.
c) Play a note at a MUCH higher pitch than you'd normally play it at.
Then, hold down '+' (or '-') on on of the loop boundaries to find a
region of lowest clicking. Then adjust it carefully (one byte at a
time) until you find the best loop location. You will normally need
to change both beginning and end points of a ping pong loop to find
a nice loop, whereas forwards loops usually only require either loop
end or beginning to be modified.
d) Now that you have a decent loop at this pitch, decrease the pitch
(typically by an octave)
e) Repeat steps (c) and (d) until you have a nice loop at the pitch that
that sample is played at.
f) Once you've finished and if you're using a GUS, press Ctrl-G (to
reload the Gravis' samples) and do a final check that you have an
appropriate loop.
This method works very well MOST of the time - don't forget that the '+'
and '-' keys can be used to easily modify the loop - and the changed loop
is taken into account when you change it (ie. you don't need to replay the
sample).
9) If you want to make a song realistic, try to imagine how the instrument
would be played. Pretend you are a musician when you write a part..
Also, if you use an instrument such as a piano, try to use more than a
single piano note - a real piano will ALWAYS have more than one note
playing at a time - use some chords, etc.
10) For a nice fill to the sound, try to balance the usage of low and high
frequencies. Songs with too much bass and too little treble sound rough,
songs with too much treble and too little bass sound insubstantial.
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Hints for New Composers
-- John Hawksley (a.k.a. Greebo)
1) Listen!
2) Spend a day figuring out every feature of the tracker.
Yes, I'm talking about all the effects and all the keys.
ST3 is widely acknowledged to be a bitch to learn, but is (sorry,
*was*) the most powerful tracker out. Once you have all the
keys and functions sorted, you'll be ripping around IT's in
no time. You can leave the advanced instrument stuff for now.
3) Listen to other tracks, find out how the nice-sounding bits are
done. (ie look at the effects and volume/pan column).
4) Be different. A lot of .MODs are in the same style. Sure, if you
like this and feel comfortable with it, then go for it! But if you
want to create a new feel -- do that too. People are always ready
to try new styles. I personaly enjoy arranging (that covers
a lot of styles) but you might like composing rock tracks, for
instance. So do it!
5) Samples. Be selective. Sort all your samples into directories.
If you have an editor, the trim thein sample; try to remove the
noise or click at the start. Remember -- samples are the building
blocks from which we craft music. If the samples are bad,
the music will be too.
6) Tune the samples! When you rip a sample or create one yourself
try to do it at the same pitch, or tune it (using the speed value)
so that everything is uniform. This will save much hair-pulling
later as you try to figure out why half the piece seems to be
in G# major and half is in Dflat minor.
6) Chords. Originaly, people used to sample whole chords to save
sample space. Now we've got this wonderful IT with it's gazillions
of channels. From ST3 onwards, I have been contructing chords
from notes because I had the space to do so. The sound is better
and is more of a professional approach.
However (there's always a 'but'): be very careful! If you decide
to construct a chord rather than use a single sample, some
musicianship is required. Simple major chords are easy, but
inversions really add to a piece. If you are able to do it this
way (look at some piano parts to any of my stuff, for instance),
you'll get s professional, crafted sound. But it does take
a long time before you'll get a smooth flowing part.
7) Saving. Okay, so IT hasn't crashed on me yet, but when (if) it
does, I'm not going to loose an hours work. Save regularly.
Never use IT or ST3 under the GUI in 95 and under Windows 3.1;
I found that occaisionaly, windows would do some swapping while
ST3 was saving and the module would be corrupt; but ST3 said
it was saved ok. Lesson learnt.
8) Releasing. FTP sites are hard to come by these days. Probably
the best method of release is to uuencode your work and
post it to alt.binaries.sounds.mods newsgroup.
Hope these are of some help. Remember to visit the Mod Resource Web
at http://www.armory.com/~greebo/mod.html
I can be contacted at greebo@armory.com.
Good luck!
John H.
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Hints for Composers
-- ToalNkor / Realtech
TIP FOR LOADING EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT CHANNEL OF A STEREO SAMPLE :
Load the sample as usual and then follow these steps :
If you want the LEFT channel : Just divide the length by 2
by using Ctrl-F. This will delete one byte out of two, and therefore
only the "first" sample (the left one) will remain !
If you want the RIGHT channel : Cut the first and last byte of the
sample (By looping it and using Ctrl-B and Ctrl-L). If the original
sample sise was X, then the actual size should be X-2. From now on,
just follow the same indications as for the left channel and tadaa...
your Right channel sample is ready for use !
After all these operations, dont't forget to multiply the mixfrequency
by two to get the original samplingfrequency back !
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Hints for New Composers
-- StereoMan
1) The easiest way to produce flanging like effect is to play same sample in
two channels (they must have exactly the same pan-position) and lower or
higher the playing frequency of one of the samples - ie:
1 2 2 (1 is same)
³... .. .. Xpp³... .. .. Xpp³ ³... .. .. Xpp³
³xxx ii xx ...³xxx ii xx EE1³ or ³xxx ii xx u11³
³... .. .. ...³... .. .. ...³ ³... .. .. u00³
u00 and so on.
<pp> has the same value in the two channels.
<ii> is your instrument number.
<xxx> is the note you play the sample in.
2) You can use the above mentioned effect, but instead of having the channels
with the same pan position you can put them as Left and Right (full) ie:
³... .. .. X00³... .. .. XFF|
. . .
this will give you a smooth three dimensional sound.
Note: This effect has not been tested on SurrounD equipment - the results
are li'l unpredictable.
3) Quite a good way to make reverb-like-echos is shown below:
Let's say You have some sequence playing in one channel. Put the same into
another channel and insert one or two (or more) rows before the beginning.
Now set all volumes to zero (alt-v) and clear volumes which are not
associated with notes (alt-w). Then apply a Dx0 effect (x=1..4 or more)
for example:
³n1. i. .. ...³... .. .. ...³ The results are very good.
³n2. i. .. ...³n1. i. 00 D20³ Once you get used to this you can
³... .. .. ...³n2. i. 00 D..³ achieve !very! smooth sound.
³n3. i. .. ...³... .. .. D..³
³... .. .. ...³n3. i. 00 D..³ The samples must not be too short
³n4 i. .. ...³... .. .. D..³ so Dx0 can take effect.
³... .. .. ...³n4. i. 00 D..³
4) If you make the above channels with different pan positions (x22 and xDD)
or (x80, s91) - the results are stunning :)
5) Take your time to read the whole help (yes, the whole of it) - you'll
be surprised to find what hides under your keyboard :)
6) Make your tunes as small as possible. People are not quite happy to find
they have a 3 or 4 Megs of crap on their already full HD drives.
Remember: the smaller = the easiest to spread.
7) NEVER start tracking if you're not into the right mood to track. You'll
only loose time and perhaps make another crappy tune.
8) Funny, but I've found that making your own color scheme truly inspires!
9) Experiment! Play around with the effects, envelopes and NNAs. They all
make music sound more realistic!
George Marinov a.k.a. StereoMan - <georgehm@bse.bg>
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Hints for composers
-- Ilpo Karkkainen
- If you listen only one kind of music, it will shut your mind from others. Be
versatile. When you listen lots of different kinds of music styles, it also
makes your composing a lot more wider and colorful.
- When listening to music generally, try to sometimes consentrate to something
specific, for example backing vocals or drums. It helps you realize the whole.
It's also good to try listen what different notes there are in a chord that
you hear. At least to me, it has been very helful in chord progression.
- Details make the whole. Use them wisely, though. Too much details make the
song sound bad. I've noticed that in some of my songs.
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Onix4MAN's hints
1) CLEANING A WAV FILE UNDER IT.
2) CREATING NEW SAMPLES WITH IT.
3) 3 (4?) METHODS TO MAKE YOUR MODS SOUND MORE SPACIAL..
1) CLEANING A BAD SAMPLE UNDER IT:
-----------------------------------
To clean up samples that click at their start (or end) because the waveform
has an error at its start (still or end), without going under a wav-editor:
-turn on Loop
-start the loop at 100 bytes for samples > 10000 kb
50 bytes for samples < 10000 kb
-then do 'ALT-B': Pre-Loop Cut Sample
-then turn off the loop
-do the same at the end of the sample with 'ALT-L' if the wav clicks
at its end
The numbers of bytes given is OK for often met clicks, if your
sample is really bad, just increase it... ;)
2) CREATING NEW SAMPLES WITH IT:
--------------------------------
-You simply have to edit one pattern composed of several samples.
(eg. Compose a Break-Beat on that pattern)
-Put this pattern at order 000.
-Save this module.
-Restart IT in Disk-Writer mode.
-Load your module.
-Play it: it is now being written as a wav file on your disk.
-Restart IT normally.
-Load that new sample and use hint 1) if it has a blank at its end to
shorten it.
3) 3 (4?) METHODS TO MAKE YOUR MODS SOUND MORE SPACIAL..:
---------------------------------------------------------
-Let's start with the 4th method: it's the Surround.. :)
But if your card can't afford surround.. Use one of the 3 following
methods:
These methods are in fact three times the same but with 3 different way.
I'm sure you knew at least the first (and probably the 2nd too) ;)
These 3 methods require 2 channels.
For the 2 firsts, you have to set the panning of the Sample/Instrument
somewhere (in 'Order list and panning' or on the Sample List [F3], but
you'll have to load twice the sample, or on the Instrument List [F4],
or on the Pattern Editor itself [F2], but you busy the volume column or
the command column..)
In the following examples, I've set the Panning in the Volume column
(press the key below Escape to do this)
a) row CHANNEL 1 CHANNEL 2
000 C-5 01 00 .00 ... .. .. .00
001 ... .. .. .00 C-5 01 64 .00
002 ... .. .. .00 ... .. .. .00
b) row CHANNEL 1 CHANNEL 2
000 C-5 01 00 .00 C-5 01 64 SDx
001 ... .. .. .00 ... .. .. .00
With 'x < Speed Value' This second method is more precise!
You can even write SD0 (ie. 0 as x)
c) The last method is the more interesting if you knew the others,
because it does waste your volume column neither the command
column! So they remain free for other effects! :)
* This time, you have to be controlled by Instruments (F12 to select
this).
* Then you will need exactly the too same instruments:
- On F4 Screen, select a blank lign and type 'Alt-P'
- Type the lign where your instrument is... Validate!..
* Then push the panning button:
-set the pan to 00 for your first instrument
-set the pan to 64 for your second instrument
* Then FOR ONLY ONE of those 2 instruments:
Press the Pitch Button and go to edit the envelop:
-First node: tick 00 ;)
value 00
-Second node: tick 01
value 'Whatever_you_want', (-)1 or (-)2 suggested
-Last (3rd) node: tick 02
value 00
Doing this, you've created a delay between your 2 instruments.
To end, place them on the same row on the pattern editor (F2):
row CHANNEL 1 CHANNEL 2
000 C-5 01 .. .00 C-5 02 .. .00
001 ... .. .. .00 ... .. .. .00
Notes:
======
*) You don't have to set the pan to its maximum (00 and 64/FF).
You had better do it for one of your smp/inst. And then, for another
choose 16 and 48 (decimal), or...
*) The third method works because we do not hear the pitch change
in most cases since it is quite quick, but I suggest you do not
use this method for a piano because it's an example where you'll
hear the pitch change and it will sound very ugly: BAAaah! ;)
But it work with Violin and many others.
It may also depend on the speed of your song (time between ticks)..
- Nicolas ARROUET (Onix4MAN) o4m@mail.cpod.fr
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Hints for new composers.
- Nacho Segura
About quality of sound, cognitive science, a more convenient composing, sound
experiments and degrees of freedom.
1) Some composers (trackers) recommend to work with 128 rows and half the
speed (the less the faster). It's supposed that this gives you more control over
the tracks, but that's not totally true.
- The track doubles its length, so you see the half. You have to move
more times and jump more lines every time. Is it important? Register in a
sheet (or two) how many times do you jump through the pattern.
- I've examined several songs that use this technique, and this is my
conclusion: THEY DON'T NEED IT!!! Even lines are empty or have
effects.
The small amount of control gained doesn't compensate the ergonomical
problems. The easiest the best, less interferences between you and the music.
Rookies could think that it only makes you be slower. This is a problem, but
it's not THE PROBLEM. When you forget twelve times what the hell did you write
in top of the pattern and in which track you'll understand...
2) Work. Lots of trackers are proud to say that they are very fast. That's not a
virtue, it means less work, less variety, a shorter melody, much less chords, no
harmony, sounds not perfectly adjusted, and the most important thing:
Repetitions until the Eternity. You haved lasted two months writing this four
minutes long song? Show me what you did, I'm really interested!
3) Discover Scroll-Lock. Load a song, press play, see what happens with the
cursor... and press some notes.
Cool!!! Isn't it?
4) Never use 8-bits or low-quality samples if you can avoid it. The quality of a
song depends on the quality of sounds. "More memory than expected" is better
than "crappier than expected".
5) Analogic synthetised instruments can produce strange interactions. An
example: WARMPAD.PAT (a Gravis Patch) sounds really nice, but this chord
produces a strange noise that doesn't exists when we play the same notes
separately: C-3, D#-3 and F-3. Upper octaves don t provocate this phenomenon.
NOTE: There are several versions of Gravis patches.
6) Use a global volume as high as possible. It not only gives you a better
signal-to-noise relation. It also gives to IT more degrees of freedom for
volume fades.
Make an experiment: Plug the headphones directly to your soundcard, set the
global volume to 5-8 and make a fade out from 64 to 0 (don't use envelopes,
make it in the volume comlumn of the pattern). You should listen the volume
JUMPING (not sliding, jumping!). In Scream Tracker is even worse.
7) Don't be messy allocating tracks (channels, columns... you know). All the
percussion grouped in adjacent tracks, the chord grouped, an empty column (or
more) separating every group of instruments, so you can write fastly this new
idea appeared two seconds ago, without having to go to "Track 21". It also
allows you to write and remix fastly. Everything has its own place and you can
disorder and reallocate patterns without knowing if that loop has been cut, or
where do I have to put a NoteCut command (^^^) to shutdown the analogic
looped bass. It seems more complex when you begin (pattern is wider), but it's
much better, easier to use.
8) Print the manual and bind it. And when you have done this, RTFM (you
know, READ THE #%&@$# MANUAL!!). You'll be surprised.
9) Make an economic contribution. I think he has worked hardly and Impulse
Tracker is the only tracker that gives tracker songs a proffesional sound and
accoustic. Don't be apologized for sending eight dollars. Is better than zero.
Even if you don't want the ITWAV.DRV you should contribute, at least with a
simbolic quantity. He has won it.