222 replies to this topic

[Creature XL]

sack-c0s, on Wed May 23, 2012 4:41 AM, said:

If everything you described there was good enough then you could just compose in an assembler and RMT would be overkill. But you say it isn't.

What i will do at some point in time is an instrument editor. Where you should be able to import RMT files and build your "new style" instruments.
I had an email conversation with Emkay and he told me what he wanted. However, it deviated too much from my "needs", which would only be an instrument editor on the Atari and not a full blown PC-tracker.

[emkay]

And one more for today's roundup

[MrFish]

Some pretty nice RastaConverter shots in there...

[emkay]

Game preview ... (or not )

Altirra gives it some "Vinyl" style side FX

[emkay]

And some test slide show...

[emkay]

[emkay]

Singing POKEY...

[analmux]

About different kinds of opinions:

I personally like the "zamzara" tune a lot, but it's really a pity that this version has slightly wrong pitches, i.e. not perfectly pitched.

However, "rotz", the previous one, sounds really awesome. I would say that it's not only my personal preference, but it is really general sounding perfectly: one of the best synth tunes of pokey I've ever heard.

[emkay]

analmux, on Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:45 AM, said:

About different kinds of opinions:

I personally like the "zamzara" tune a lot, but it's really a pity that this version has slightly wrong pitches, i.e. not perfectly pitched.

That's because it's from an AMIGA MOD file. I didn't know that "level" tune of the game, before. It was relativley easy to make a 3 channel tune out of it. Even the picture was a quick search and converting with Rastaconverter ... cough.... today )  But , I don't think the notes were wrong there... just different, while the sounding is nicely arranged (compared to some toenail turning filter usage in some "simple filter" tunes).

The title of the game could be more interesting to convert, as a direct SID conversion at 3 channels with a direct comparision of the original sounding, could result in something interesting...

Quote

However, "rotz", the previous one, sounds really awesome. I would say that it's not only my personal preference, but it is really general sounding perfectly: one of the best synth tunes of pokey I've ever heard.

When playing with the sounds, I was surprised myself, how the tune and the sound works together.

Edited by emkay, Thu Jun 14, 2012 11:28 AM.

[simonl]

emkay, on Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:20 AM, said:

Singing POKEY...

Hey, what settings did you use to make the filtered lead voices in the last two tunes? That's a great sound.

Cheers,

Simon

[macgoo]

Rotz whatever tune that is from is quite nice, suits the Pokey soundchip, Lightforce (slidetest) is just nothing like the original, without the Terminator drum effects and the powerful basey lead instrument it will never work. Thing on a Spring (diashow) doesn't really have the funkyness of the SID instruments (weird harpsichordy thing and mainshum from baseline of the single"Choose Life") is missing but it is a good melody in its own right so it's kind of OK but different really.

[emkay]

simonl, on Thu Jun 14, 2012 2:00 PM, said:

emkay, on Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:20 AM, said:

Singing POKEY...

Hey, what settings did you use to make the filtered lead voices in the last two tunes? That's a great sound.

Cheers,

Simon

It's always the same offset programming. Those two use the additional "bass correction" ... this warbling bass. It's sometimes a bit disturbing, but it keeps the bass sound stable, so the played bass notes were more stable than in "every other" tune.
To make it short: Without the stability of the bass sound, the lead voice isn't that nice.

The "Zamzara" tune uses standard filter at the 1st part of the melody. The 2nd part of the melody uses 2 operator modulations, to get the sound there ... but it's still "timed offset programming".

[sack-c0s]

analmux, on Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:45 AM, said:

About different kinds of opinions:

I personally like the "zamzara" tune a lot, but it's really a pity that this version has slightly wrong pitches, i.e. not perfectly pitched.

Agreed - there's a lot of potential there though. You need to be careful converting Amiga music because often the samples are detuned (either by accident or to account for the limitations of the tracker) and the notation is then 'off' to compensate. The result is it sounds okay, but the notation isn't an accurate representation of what you are hearing.

as for 'Rotz'... well.. at least it's a new take on the Rickroll pretty well done, although I don't really like the song so even if it was 110% perfect it still wouldn't grab me - not a criticism of the cover though.



Have you tried robocop 3 yet?



I thought it might be a bit on the challenging side, but then I heard the NES version.



The C64 version is a better (just for the ringmod sounds at the beginning and the arpeggios are smoother), but suprisingly the NES soundchip pulls the lead off really nicely considering it only has 4 pulsewidths and no filters.
Maybe the pokey can pull it off after all with some of the instruments kicking around in these experimental threads?

[andym00]

Here's the NES source code.. Someone should give it a go then

Attached Files

•  jt_robocop3.asm   43.35K   53 downloads
•  jt_robocop3.txt   3.49K   57 downloads

[R4ngerM4n]

How about a conversion of The Flash intro tune from Sega Master System?

[macgoo]

This I gotta see

[macgoo]

sack-c0s, on Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:24 AM, said:

analmux, on Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:45 AM, said:

About different kinds of opinions:

I personally like the "zamzara" tune a lot, but it's really a pity that this version has slightly wrong pitches, i.e. not perfectly pitched.

Agreed - there's a lot of potential there though. You need to be careful converting Amiga music because often the samples are detuned (either by accident or to account for the limitations of the tracker) and the notation is then 'off' to compensate. The result is it sounds okay, but the notation isn't an accurate representation of what you are hearing.

as for 'Rotz'... well.. at least it's a new take on the Rickroll pretty well done, although I don't really like the song so even if it was 110% perfect it still wouldn't grab me - not a criticism of the cover though.



Have you tried robocop 3 yet?



I thought it might be a bit on the challenging side, but then I heard the NES version.



The C64 version is a better (just for the ringmod sounds at the beginning and the arpeggios are smoother), but suprisingly the NES soundchip pulls the lead off really nicely considering it only has 4 pulsewidths and no filters.
Maybe the pokey can pull it off after all with some of the instruments kicking around in these experimental threads?

Better drums on C64 too.

[emkay]

macgoo, on Fri Jun 15, 2012 10:53 PM, said:

Better drums on C64 too.

For my taste, the NES version keeps better to stand in tune.

[emkay]

macgoo, on Thu Jun 14, 2012 2:09 PM, said:

Lightforce (slidetest) is just nothing like the original, without the Terminator drum effects and the powerful basey lead instrument it will never work.

Lightforce was one of my "16 bit" test tunes. You have to know that RMT adresses the 16 bit channel with the 8 bit resolution, so you have to make workarounds there.

I have several more of them, this one uses a "drum" where it belongs to.

Edited by emkay, Sat Jun 16, 2012 2:31 AM.

[emkay]

Virtual game ....

[emkay]

sack-c0s, on Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:24 AM, said:

Have you tried robocop 3 yet?



I thought it might be a bit on the challenging side, but then I heard the NES version.



The C64 version is a better (just for the ringmod sounds at the beginning and the arpeggios are smoother), but suprisingly the NES soundchip pulls the lead off really nicely considering it only has 4 pulsewidths and no filters.
Maybe the pokey can pull it off after all with some of the instruments kicking around in these experimental threads?

Well, to the Robocop tune.
It has been on the agenda. But, particulary this tune needs the possibility to have 16 bit adressing for POKEY's generators... particular at the beginning and for some parts inside the tune, while using the filter(modulations/ 2-operator modulations .... and so on ) for most parts
But the "Music" tracker sometimes parried the "music in the tracker" well.

Edited by emkay, Sun Jun 17, 2012 12:36 AM.

[emkay]

Best Robocop mix .... so far.



Sadly, this style of music isn't part of today's games, while mostly pseudo classic orchestral music is used.

[macgoo]

emkay, on Sat Jun 16, 2012 12:51 AM, said:

macgoo, on Fri Jun 15, 2012 10:53 PM, said:

Better drums on C64 too.

For my taste, the NES version keeps better to stand in tune.

I don't like that guy's SIDs to be honest. Compared to Grey/Hubbard/Tel/Galway/Whittaker he is kind of so-so quality. All his tunes are a bit too much like demo tunes on CASIO cheap synths from mail order catalogues for me. Obviously that's just my opinion but it sometimes goes that way. Some people like Gameboy Robocop1 title soundtrack some like SID.

NES soundchip is pure soulless trash IMO, like cheap general midi songs today or crappy PC Roland music in the time of Amiga. DIRT!

There is just no decent feel to the sounds, unlike with stuff like Pokey or SID or Apple 2GS soundchips.

Edited by macgoo, Sun Jun 17, 2012 6:27 AM.

[macgoo]

emkay, on Sun Jun 17, 2012 1:01 AM, said:

Best Robocop mix .... so far.



Sadly, this style of music isn't part of today's games, while mostly pseudo classic orchestral music is used.

I think soundtracks for games started going down the general midi tune sounding crap from the SNES days. And then we had CDs and so the music was again like rubbish demo tunes built into cheap synths playing in the background.

I think the last game that really did impress me in the soundtrack area was Oblivion, OK it is very traditional BUT it is done just so well it could have been the instrumental soundtrack of 100 million dollar dungeons and dragons movie from hollywood.

There is just no experimentation today generally, most PS3/360 original music tracks make me cringe today, FS David Whittaker should be chained up in a music studio not retired!

[Creature XL]

emkay, on Sun Jun 17, 2012 1:01 AM, said:

Best Robocop mix .... so far.



Sadly, this style of music isn't part of today's games, while mostly pseudo classic orchestral music is used.

Nice find. Can imagine playing a shooter to this music would be awesome.
The orchestral sound started AFAIK on the SNES. Lots of game musics (at least for the RPGs) where composed for a real orchestra and then down graded to fit the SPC7000 capabilities. Which BTW where great