Preview
Contributors Additions
- IT215 file format saving. Note that this is an alternative compression
format and is often better, but not always. Public releases of IT214
Patch 1 and later can read IT215 compressed files. There is also a
version of MikIT that can read IT215 compression.
- Sample sorting enabled. On the sample/instrument list screens, files will
be priority sorted alphabetically if you don't move the cursor. If you
do move the cursor, then you can force a resort once all the files have
been loaded by pressing Alt-S.
- Reordering of order list with Alt-R while on the order list screen
(easier to try it out, than to try to explain it)
- Row lock in pattern editor if holding shift - very useful for chords
(ie. use Shift+note)
- 10 configurable 'preset' envelopes slots
- Extra instrument filter controls (under pitch menu).
- Alt-W on the sample list saves as .WAV format, not .RAW
- Individual Sample/Instrument solo.
- Personalised Network username
Contributions of US$30 or more
- Stereo Diskwriter
- MIDI .IT -> .MID converter
IT214 Network
- This includes the first version of Networked Impulse Tracker. Check
NETWORK.TXT for more information.
- Rewrite of all MMX routines for stability when networked. Non MMX drivers
have not been changed.
- ITSB16B.MMX for SBLive! users which shouldn't require reinitialisation.
IT214 Patch 4 - This release has been made entirely for the VSOUND drivers,
which will allow you to setup IT to run under Windows '95/'98
with *ANY* soundcard. Check ITVSOUND.TXT for more information.
- Addition: Included command line option /V3 to wait for vertical retrace.
- Addition: Included command line option /X4 to disable cache file creation.
- Bug fix: Several fixes to the MIDI Out implementation
- Bug fix: S3M saver sometimes caused crash problems and pattern errors
- Bug fix: SCx and Qxx commands and will work with MIDI Out instruments
- Bug fix: 64 channel view doesn't skip channels with only volume-effects
- Driver news: 4-band EQ in diskwriter
Minor miscellaneous upgrades
Fixes to MMX drivers that clicked on 0 volume (oops)
Clarification (only because I saw some arguments on usenet)
- the MMX drivers use 32-bit precision mixing, not 16-bit.
IT214 Patch 3 - Merry XMas guys!
- If anyone who has contributed has NOT received an EMail from me, please
write to me! I've sent out EMails to every one of you.. but a few
addresses have changed.. or I could have accidentally missed you (huge
apologies if so)
- Bug fix: IFF loader <incorrect info given to me before>
- Bug fix: XM modules with no patterns won't crash IT. (Apologies to the
GroovyCompo Organisers - for those interested in online music
tracking competitions, check http://www.groove.org)
- Bug fix: CACHE files stored on CDROMs will now work, irrespective of
their datestamp. Thanks to Humanoid/Prophecy for the Morbid Minds
CD on which I could finally test these routines!
- Bug fix: Obscure bug on instrument list under rare circumstances causing
playing notes to do weird things.
- Driver news: Updated driver format (incompatible with previous ITs)
Resonant filters - check FILTERS.TXT for information.
This stuff has been released basically so that contributors
can distribute their songs that use filters..
- MMX drivers implemented.
- WAV driver - time accuracy improved
- can specify destination directory (on shift-F5)
- handles resonant filters
IT214 Patch 2
- Bug Fix: 16-bit samples of an exact multiple of 32768 bytes in size were
getting corrupted on saving.
- Bug fix: MIDI Macros (unparameterised) were somehow disabled somewhere
after IT212.. now reenabled
IT214 Patch 1
- Bug fix: EMM4.0 mode reenabled
- Bug fix: Volume envelopes were skipping some ticks (sounded too fast)
- Bug fix: Slight problems with the wav writer fixed
- Bug fix: S3M saving bug fixed (was introduced in IT214 due to a 'bug
report')
- Other miscellaneous fixups
IT214 - Version jump to make sure samples don't get screwed up by the
prerelease (IT213) loader. This is the FINAL public release. Apart
from bugfixes/new soundcard drivers, don't expect to see anything in
the future...
- Samples are now compressed on the fly when saved and loaded from disk.
Note that this is NOT the same as using MMCMP.
- Several unimportant (debug) procedures removed to make slightly more
memory available.
- Driver news: Diskwriter interpolation changed from quadratic spline
to cubic spline. (Requires a FPU)
IT213 Update
- Modification: Sample panning reset to override instrument panning due to
demand.
- Update: .IFF loader updated. Should deal with almost any .IFF file now.
- Update: EMS Stability improved
- Update: Several miscellaneous changes
- Update: If old effects is *ON*, then a looped volume envelope will NOT
include the last node (for XM compat)
- Update: More memory available (Help text was manually compressed)
- Row hilight information is now stored within the .IT module..
- Automatic MIDI Pitch wheel handling. Vibrato, pitch slides, portamentos
all handled.
<Note: REQUIRES a FPU.. the program will hang if you enable this on
Shift-F1 and you don't have a FPU (486DX+ chips have FPUs)>
- MIDI Configuration can be embedded into .IT files.
(Option is on Shift-F1)
- Driver news: Terratec EWS64 XL Codec software mixing driver
Terratec Maestro 32/96 Codec software mixing driver
Terratec Maestro 16/96 Codec software mixing driver
Ensoniq SoundscapeVIVO Codec software mixing driver
Sound Track PCI Codec software mixing driver
ES1688 Audiodrive Codec software mixing driver (for ViperMAX)
MPU401 generic driver.
Direct to Disk writer now uses logarithmic volume ramping
and quadratic spline interpolation
Read DRIVERS.TXT for information on all of these.
IT212 Update - Special thanks go out to all those that did stability testing
of the beta versions of IT212.
- Bug fix: "Available Samples" in the instrument loading screen will be
correct if you're loading an instrument from within a module.
- Bug fix: Sample files will store default pan values.
- Bug fix: Trying to show pattern data past the end of a pattern will
not crash IT anymore. This could have occurred before if the
number of rows in a pattern were reduced during playback, then
switching to the info page.
- Bug fix: Deleting samples/instruments "within" a module has been disabled
(as it should be), so that the module itself cannot be deleted.
- Bug fix: Default sample pan will override instrument pan whether "Old
Effects" is on or off.
- .669 Loader, since Snowman is collecting 'em :)
This loader hasn't been extensively tested, maily because Composd.Exe
will not run on my machine (64MB is "Not enough extended memory" ?!?! ).
Most songs should play though.. Please don't bug me to update the loader
any further - you won't get a reply.
- *Much* better memory handling for patterns. EMM386 parameter H=255
should not be required in MOST cases now (you will only need it if
you use a large number of samples (ie. > 50) ). You should also have
more FreeMem to work with. Beta testers have noted that QEMM shows even
more stability problems in this version than previous versions - please
avoid QEMM as it DOES cause crashing for as yet unknown reasons. The old
memory allocation routines can still be found if you have EMS problems by
using /P2 on the command line.
- Keyboard handling on instrument lists has been improved to handle
multiple keypresses/releases. (but not on sample list due to usability)
- Default volume display in *NORMAL* (5 channel) pattern editor if you press
Ctrl-V. If you use a custom font, you will need to upgrade your font set
with FONTUPGR to see this properly.
Example:
C-4 01 .. ... <-- what volume is this??
Press Ctrl-V:
C-4 01 [32] ... <-- it'll show that the default volume of
sample/instrument 1 is 32.
Alt-K has been upgraded to 'pick up' these default values. (So that you
can also slide from volume 0 to the sample's default without having to
explicitly key in the value).
- Automatic filename extension replacement on Ctrl-S, so that if you press
Ctrl-S after loading a .MOD, .669, .MTM or .XM, the filename will be
automatically modified to have a .IT extension.
- CDRom check for CACHE.IT? files. If you burn a CDRom of samples or
instruments, include the CACHE.ITI and CACHE.ITS files from IT211+ and
they should accelerate loading of sample and instrument names on all
future versions of IT.
< Not tested, since I can't :( >
- 64 channel miniview on the info page. (note: doesn't show all fields)
- Note dots added on the info page.
(You may have to update your info page settings by re-saving all prefs)
- Changed the old Alt-C on the instrument list to Alt-W (wipe data)
New Alt-C removes the instrument name and filename, but does NOT
remove the instrument parameters (like the Alt-C on the sample list)
- MIDI OUTPUT!
Fully configurable output
16 parameterised macros
128 constant macros
Check MIDI.TXT for details. (Big thanks to Ozone for writing this)
- Soundcard Driver news
þ Inserted a new algorithm into the direct-to-disk writer to remove
clicks at the end of samples in cases of Note Cut commands, Note Cut NNA
and instantaneous sample changes in sample mode. For those who have
sent me money and would like to receive the upgrade, EMail me.
þ ESS ES1868 AudioDrive driver. This will NOT support any other ESS
chipsets than the ES1868. Do not write to me asking for support for
other ESS chips unless you are willing to buy me a card (or send me
the money to do so). This driver supports mixing rates up to 56.8kHz
(16 bit, stereo) and it also supports MIDI In.
þ AWE32 driver update: More accurate tempo control and less clicks under
Win95
þ TB Tropez users: I received an EMail telling me that the GUSMAX drivers
were working fully with the TB Tropez cards! See how
it works...
þ Sound drivers for the ST97 and EWS64 coming... as soon as I get them
working....
Other news: It seems that some people really don't care how much work
I've put into IT - Warez versions of the full ITWAV.DRV
are being sought after. Let me make this clear: Distribution
of the full version of ITWAV.DRV is NOT appreciated and if I
ever find the full version anywhere, IT will no longer be
publically released.
IT211 Update - Not so much this time, as I have been working full time, so
since IT has been sitting on my HDD without changes for a
couple of weeks, I decided to release the update anyway.
- Saving a song with Ctrl-S or from the menu will not prompt about
'overwriting' the file.
- Compatibility Gxx volume fadeout fixed.
- Matrox autodetection fixed to set mouse cursor properly also.
- You can press 'L' or 'R' on the "load stereo sample" prompt to select
left or right channels.
- Increased file-header 'load-buffer' so that more Sound Forge .WAV files
should be recognised.
- Bug fix to: swap samples/instruments, insert/remove sample/instrument
and update instrument *could* have caused the current
editing pattern to skip being modified.
- Bug fix: Pressing delete on a non-note column in template mode should
work as expected.
- Note: If you delete your old IT.CFG files and run IT afresh, you'll
get an extra 'line' on the infopage to work with.
- .KRZ sample-library loader. Note that this does NOT support multiple
.KR* files (ie. .KR1, .KR2, .KR3). To use these files, you will have
to run MERGEKRZ.EXE (supplied) to create a single .KRZ file.
(BIG thanks to Markus Jonnson for the info!)
- .PAT sample-library loader.
- Creating a 'host instrument' after loading a sample will first attempt
to use an instrument of the same number as the sample before finding
the first empty instrument.
- Holding down Caps Lock in the pattern editor will allow you to play
notes without entering them into the patterns.
Driver modifications
- Bug fix for SB16 drivers which caused patterns not to 'play'. For those
that still have troubles with the SB16 driver, read DRIVERS.TXT
- For those of you who couldn't get the GUSMAX driver working, check out
DRIVERS.TXT also :)
- The ITWAV.DRV file now writes proper .WAV files instead of .RAW
- ITAWE32.DRV uses floating point calculations to reduce memory usage.
ITAWE32B.DRV (the old driver) still exists for people who don't have
math coprocessors
IT210 Update - some MAJOR fixes here.
- Approximate song length on Ctrl-P. Note that *some* soundcards will
require reinitialisation after this (almost all won't). The time given
is the 'ideal' time for the playback of the song and should correspond
*exactly* to GUS/AWE non-IRQ playback times.
- A few more player bug fixes for XM compatibility
- IT won't crash if you try to load instruments from an 'empty' drive
(eg. disk not inserted or no files present)
- In the pattern editor, Insert/Delete, Note Cut/Note Off/Note Delete
are all 'template aware' - they will span more than 1 channel if
you are editing in template mode and the template has height 1.
Also, 'picking up' data with Enter will turn off Template mode's except
for "Template-Notes Only"
- Volume column effects Ex/Fx/Gx in combination with effect Jxx should
operate as expected now.
- Deleting a file on the instrument list will update the instrument cache
file appropriately.
- Sample/Instrument cache file time check fixed.
- Slight modification to the handling of SBx commands to prevent
infinite loops.
- Simple crash recovery mechanism should you ever encounter a problem.
(You shouldn't need it!) This is on Ctrl-Alt-Del in DOS or
Ctrl-Alt-Ins in Windows. It is not guaranteed to work, but if it works
once, then I guess that the amount of time I spent on it was worth it
(~10 minutes).
For the technically minded lot, what it does is it tries to 'kick start'
the tracker again directly from the keyboard interrupt handler.
- Loading a stereo WAV file will cause a pop-up menu to appear to select
loading the left or right channels.
- GUSMAX users interested in using software mixing, check out DRIVERS.TXT
- Memory corruption error found and fixed which produced 3-sets of invalid
values in the order list/instruments (main reason for this release!)
IT209 Update
************************* FONT FILES REQUIRE UPDATING *********************
If you have your own custom font file, you will need to change character
number 184 to 190. If you have used one of the 'standard' font sets, you
will need to run ITF and grab an updated file. Failure to do so will just
make the sample page look stuffed - You have been warned :)
***************************************************************************
Many Many MANY miscellaneous fixes to the XM loader and playback routines
-> XM support should be *MUCH* better now.
Volume effects have been debugged... hopefully :)
Some major errors fixed around (ie. dumping to DOS from the Instrument
screen, Pattern's not updating in memory correctly (which went wrong in
IT208) )
Added default sample pan to the sample list (default instrument pan WILL
override this if present). Note that using default pan is the equivalent
of using a 'set pan' effect on that row - the channel will be set to the
default sample pan.
You can change whether the info page displays sample names or instrument
names by pressing 'i'
IT208 Update
So much so quickly? Well, I had exams. And when I have exams, I code, 'cos
it's better than having to study :)
************************* FONT FILES REQUIRE UPDATING *********************
If you have your own custom font file, you will need to change character
number 184 to. If you have used one of the 'standard' font sets, you will
need to run ITF and grab an updated file. Failure to do so will just make
the info page and 10-channel editor look stuffed - You have been warned :)
***************************************************************************
- Bug fix: Keyboard configuration files could have cause MAJOR problems...
fixed!
- Bug fix: Some files with the .MOD ID "CH" which actually were NOT MODs
were being identified as "Fast Tracker 2" modules.
(You may have to delete your CACHE.ITS files to force IT to
refresh it's data)
- Bug fixes: MIDI input won't corrupt input on the order list
MIDI input won't interfere with button presses
MIDI input won't insert effect SDF into patterns when recording
where inappropriate.
- Old Left Ctrl+Shift-1 'removed', Left-Ctrl+Shift 1->4 still work - and
have been updated.
PROPER 10-channel editing mode available (complete with half sized cursors!)
as well as some minor logic improvements. (Try Left-Ctrl+Shift 2)
- ";" and "'" made to change the samples/instrument in the pattern editor
as '<' and '>' do - just much easier to do so on American keyboards.
- Dragging mouse nodes past boundaries is more accurate.
- "Channel details" display (on the infopage) *can* show the 64th channel
(oops in IT207)
- Matrox bug autodetection (Many thanks to Csaba Pankaczy for working with
me on this!)
- Message system hooked to a timer (ie. all those messages that appear
towards the top of the screen).. so that they will last a consistent
amount of time (independent of machine).
- Player Improvement: NNA mechanism will eliminate channels on two extra
conditions now (no difference to playback, but should
maximise channel usage)
- Improvement: Persistence of cache files through different sessions of IT
- ie. once the sample/instrument cache files are created, they
are NOT recreated unless necessary.
- Root "\" directory has replaced "." directory on all loading screens.
- Several Template input related functions improved. Also, Block-Cut in
template mode won't overwrite your clipboard if you're working with
templates.
- Template: "Notes only" added. This is different from the other templates
in that it will NOT copy the template's instruments, volumes or effects.
Instead, it will change it's instrument/volume/effect according to the
last used instrument/volume/effect, and will insert whatever is speicfied
by the edit mask.
- Addition: Volume Column effects, Ax, Bx, Cx, Dx, Ex, Fx, Gx and Hx!!!!
Ax = Fine volume slide up by x
Bx = Fine volume slide down by x
Cx = Volume slide up by x
Dx = Volume slide down by x
Ex = Pitch slide down by x
Fx = Pitch slide up by x
Gx = Portamento to note with speed x
Hx = Vibrato with depth x
Note that the pitch/portamento scale here is DIFFERENT from the standard
effect slideup/down
* Note that if you use these in your songs, IT < 2.08 will NOT play them
* correctly... (in fact, it'll probably play it extremely painfully)
- Alt Up/Down/Ins/Del added to the note translation table.
- Minor modifications around the tracker
- Windows Sound System Driver! (Operates at mixing rates up to 64kHz!)
Impulse Tracker has the greatest soundcard support of any tracker by far!
- Old Effects will 'unlink' the memory of Gxx from Exx/Fxx
- XM LOADING!!!!!!!!!!
Don't write to me complaining about incompatibilities - I am aware of
lots of them and you probably won't get a reply. :) *MOST* songs should
have a near perfect conversion tho...
- Big safety feature!! Playback dying because of overload? Bad NNA selection?
F8 *should* stop playback immediately now! (in DOS).
In Windows '95, there may be a noticeable stall before playback stops
(ie. several seconds), or it may not function at all...
IT207 update
- Some bug fixes to MIDI input.
- Ctrl-PgUp/PgDn on the sample list will redraw the waveforms
- Jxx memory should work fine (The memory didn't operate if the channel
wasn't active before)
- Template limits should be correctly applied. (ie. clipped within
C-0 and B-9)
- Going to a pattern from the Info Page ('G') will also go to the
current order playing.
- MIDI input can be enabled/disabled in the pattern editor with
Alt-Scroll Lock
- MOD in-module sample library loop points fixed.
- Envelope drawing algorithm slightly more tolerant of corrupt information
- Mouse envelope routines slightly improved for more accurate handling of
nodes.
- Added Message editor to main menu.
- Added 10 channel view to the info page (you may need to reset your info-
page settings and "save your preferences")
- Squished up the info page view to get a couple of extra lines! :)
- Ctrl-F7 on the order list will set the next pattern to play (at request
of ChuckB) - for DJ use
- Due to Win95's unstable disk-EMS routines, if you load a MMTSRed sample,
instrument or module (sample library), playback *will* stop to prevent
corruption of samples currently in memory.
- Notes in templates of height 1 will be played back in the pattern editor
(very useful for "multi sample" note entry)
- Added effects T0x and T1x for Tempo slide down and tempo slide up.
- Added .IT and .XM *INSTRUMENT* library support. Note that .ITs that
aren't in instrument mode or have no instruments will NOT be shown on
the instrument loader list.
- Added Alt-Ins and Alt-Del on the sample and instrument lists to add
in samples/instruments
**** NOTE: /Sx command line parameters have been changed around just for
neatness. CHECK SUMMARY.TXT FOR NEW /Sx VALUES OR RUN "IT /?" ***
IT 2.06
- Update: Yet another update to the EMS routines.. for those of you who
couldn't be bothered to read the FAQ.
Also new command line switch:
/Px - Set pattern memory allocation strategy.
Check SUMMARY.TXT for info on this.
- Minor update: The 10-stage undo buffer will now use EMS memory under most
circumstances.
- Minor update: S3M and IT loader routines slightly modified for more
efficient memory usage.
- Minor update: "Song modified" flag logic slightly modified.
- Minor update: .WAV loader slightly improved. (should read any 8 or 16-bit
format.)
- Minor Addition: IT will now release time slices to multitasking OS/s
if you specify /T2 on the command line.
If you are using the MIDI input capabilities of IT, you
SHOULD NOT enable this (timing gets effected badly)
- Minor Addition: Set pattern length command on Ctrl-F2 (can set multiple
patterns)
- Minor Addition: Command line switch /T1 to disable "usage time" indication
- Addition: TX Wave loader for .W?? samples (eg. from Kosmic's sample dirs)
Note: These are actually 12-bit samples, which are converted to
16-bit at load time.
- Addition: .MOD sample library loader.
This "only" recognises the following MOD Identifications -
"M.K.", "M!K!", "FLT4", "FLT8", "4CHN", "6CHN", "8CHN"
And FT2's extended MOD identification, "xxCH"
If you have an "Old Amiga-MOD format" MOD (which doesn't have an
ID), then you'll have to save it as another format if you want
to rip directly from it.
So sample library support in total:
.MOD, .669, .FAR, .MTM, .S3M, .PTM, .XM, .IT
- Addition: Intelligent MIDI Input for SB16 and Interwave cards!
MIDI options screen is on Shift-F1 (those of you who have IT.CFG
from older versions of IT *WILL* need to visit this screen at
least once if you want to use MIDI - "Save All Preferences" will
save these settings)
In the pattern editor, Ctrl-Z is "Change MIDI playback trigger."
Normally, it is quite difficult to start at a row/pattern with
MIDI - this options allow you to control whether a pattern or
song should START playing when you play the first note.
(IT will play either from the start of the current pattern or
the song starting from the current row depending on your choice)
Once this is done, the trigger is immediately unset, so you will
have to setup this trigger again if you want to use it.
Note that this *will* turn on pattern tracing. To disable it,
use Scroll-Lock.
****** NOTE ******
SB16's MIDI input is somewhat 'iffy'. If you stop receiving
MIDI input, you need to reinit the soundcard (Ctrl-I) (possibly
several times). I don't know why it does this. Dont' write
to me about it, 'cos I have spent MANY MANY hours on this little
problem and I don't want to know about it. Also, in Win95, I
found it necessary to change my SB16's configuration to EXCLUDE
the MIDI port (and I used a Microsoft MPU401 driver instead),
otherwise MIDI input was ignored.
Sorry, no GUS MIDI at the moment, as I couldn't get it working.
Please do NOT write to me about this, you will not get a reply.
An updated GUS driver will be released if/when I get it working.