ModPlug Central

OHM .1 BETA (http://download.modplug.com/uploads/files/1252690736MPT%20OHM%20v%200.1%20BETA.pdf) SITE DOWN -- don't use!!
OHM .2 BETA (http://download.modplug.com/uploads/files/1253647894MPT%20OHM%20v%200.2%20BETA.pdf) SITE DOWN -- don't use!!
OHM .4 BETA (http://download.modplug.com/uploads/files/1254757023MPT%20OHM%20v%200.4%20BETA.pdf) SITE DOWN -- don't use!!
OHM .6 BETA (http://download.modplug.com/uploads/files/1255444909MPT%20OHM%200.6%20BETA.pdf) SITE DOWN -- don't use!!
OHM .85 BETA final (http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/modplug-manual/MPT-OHM-.85.pdf) - outdated, don't use this!

Get the OHM 1.0 release (http://forum.openmpt.org/index.php?topic=4067.0) instead!

The beta version is now available! Download the latest PDF draft of the ModPlug Tracker Offline Help Manual (OHM) from the links above.
.85 includes the much-anticipated Reference section.

I'm requesting the help of both new and veteran users alike, but for different reasons.

MPT rookies: What questions arise (and are not answered) as you read each section? (The Reference section comes later, so put those questions aside.) Does the layout and walk-thru help or hinder your learning of MPT? Is there any text which you just can't figure out, even after trying it out in ModPlug itself?

MPT veterans: The reason this is beta is because i need the data vetted for errors or confusing syntax. If you KNOW a statement in this draft is incorrect (or badly worded enough to be misleading), i need to know. If you BELIEVE it's incorrect, tell me that a statement should be verified, so i can test it (if i can).

Syntax for this thread

When bringing certain statements to my attention, create an independent post. That is, don't worry if it's already been brought up by someone else. If you noticed it when you read the PDF, then raise the issue in your own post.

You don't need to quote the text (although you may). What will really help is the version of the manual (found in the file name), and the chapter and subsection you find the error/problem. Then follow it directly with one of the following headings:
"KNOWN:" and your correction to the statement that i wrote up, or
"VERIFY:" and what you thought was true that runs counter to the Manual statement, or
"CONFUSING:" and the question which arises when you read the text, or
"REQUEST:" and what changes you'd like to see to make the section/paragraph better.

So as an example, your post should look something like this:

QuoteOHM .2

CH 4 "New Note Actions"
VERIFY: I learned somewhere that Duplicate Check does not work correctly.

CH 14 "Creating Tunings"
CONFUSING: I couldn't understand if the new tunings should be moved to the Local category or to the Tune-specific category.

plus whatever other issues were raised in your mind as you read thru the manual.
I want to hear from all ModPlug users (and former users psishock!:wink:). The only way we'll have a truly complete manual is for anyone who reads it to tell me where it fails its purpose. 8)

Get out your reading glasses, boys!!

Nice effort. I just had a quick glance, so here are some small mistakes I've found:

CH 1 "histroy"
KNOWN: modplugcentral.com does not exist.

CH 6 "Player tab"
KNOWN: I'd appreciate it if you would mention that enabling all those options in the upper frame is not recommended, as it will not be saved in the modules and it will also be applied to *all* songs.

CH 8 "Filters"
KNOWN: ModPlug doesn't have a bandpass filter. "Channel default" simply means that the last setting (highpass or lowpass filter) of this channel will be used. The default filter type is lowpass.

CH 20 Appendix A - MOD Effects
CONFUSING: it would be better to write that 500 is the same as 300, and 600 is the same as 400.

CH 20 Appendix A - XM / S3M Effects
KNOWN: Rxy / Qxy (Retrigger) in XM / S3M works just like in IT, so your description is incomplete.


Since I love nutpicking and hate wrong apostrophes, I want to tell you that there is nothing like a plural apostrophe. "VSTi's" is simply wrong. You also don't write "midi keyboard's", do you? It's a bit of a riddle to me why people use it only in *some* cases, maybe it has something to do with abbreverations or short words, I don't know.


BTW: I find it funny that you actually got the 8xx command in MOD files (set panning) correct, although the current version of OpenMPT still gets it wrong... :) (OpenMPT currently only uses the values from 800 to 880, even though it should use 800 to 8FF). Don't fix this, though, as you would have to fix it again soon then. :)

Thanks Harbinger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:D

Quote from: "Jojo"Since I love nutpicking and hate wrong apostrophes, I want to tell you that there is nothing like a plural apostrophe. "VSTi's" is simply wrong. You also don't write "midi keyboard's", do you? It's a bit of a riddle to me why people use it only in *some* cases, maybe it has something to do with abbreverations or short words, I don't know.

I learned at school that you use apostrophes when the last letter is a vowel. VSTi ends with an i, and by that rule, it would have VSTi's.

Which is wrong (you can tell that your teacher :nuts:)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostrophe#Use_in_forming_certain_plurals
The only rule that *could* apply here is the first, however I don't see that the "i" in VSTi is a single letter.

Anyway, this is kinda OT.

this topic is monitored by:
(http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/1/18415/817585-grammar_nazi_logo_large.jpg)

The Satanic Speller will keep an eye too..

A few little things from a quick scan through: (mostly find-and-replace stuff)

Maybe increase the line-height (line-spacing in Word?) to 1.5 to improve legibility -- when reading from a screen, dense text is hard to parse, generally speaking. :)

You should maybe have "field" as a labelled part of your terms, rather than as an afterthought on "column".

"Hexidecimal" should be "Hexadecimal"

Maybe state that you're using the $-convention for Hex. There are other conventions (like 0x), so this might confuse people.

"Thru" isn't a word. "Through" is. :)

In a few places, there's a lower-case "i" for the word "I".

As mentioned, "VSTi" has the plural form "VSTis" or, if you prefer, "VSTIs".

Perhaps use the same font as the body text in your tables, rather than two completely different fonts. :) (My typesetter side is showing...)

Numbers below or equal to ten should be written out in full. (Some style guides suggest numbers below 100, but it's up to you.)

Maybe include page numbers in the footer, and chapter numbers and names in the header of your pages. (Except, of course, where you're starting a chapter -- then it should only be the page number.)

Chapters should always start on a new page. (There's an option in the stylist to insert page breaks before the heading.)

You need to enable widow and orphan control, and set headings to always stay with the following paragraph.

All in all, though, it looks good! :) I might do a full proof-read when the revision number ticks over to 0.2. It'd actually be good for the 12-hour plane trip I'm taking in two weeks. :)

Sensible suggestions by Barry.

QuoteNumbers below or equal to ten should be written out in full. (Some style guides suggest numbers below 100, but it's up to you.)

I'm not sure if this is completely true in English, but in German it's up to 12, not 10 - as "eleven and twelve" are still very short words, the "long ones" start with thirteen.

Some comments based on a quick look:

Multiple CHs:
CONFUSING: Manual uses "Modplug tracker" while the application refers itself as OpenMPT.

CH1:
CONFUSING:

Quote8. Good MIDI implementation through channel effects, including
input and playback with external MIDI devices.
9. Full use of VST technology

I wonder how many understand what these are supposed to mean.


CH6:
KNOWN:

QuoteCombine MIDI volume to Note Velocity: When inputting a note
from the MIDI keyboard, the key velocity will be entered as a volume
effect (vxx) instead of the velocity (:xx).

Wrong. Whether enabled or not, vxx is the command used. What this option means is that if enabled, MIDI keyboards volume settings has an effect on the effective volume that MPT uses. So for example if you're entering notes from MIDI keyboard and volume v64 gets written each time and the option is disabled, the volume doesn't change even if you modify the volume setting in your MIDI keyboard. If the option is enabled, the volume can be lower than 64 if the volume setting in MIDI keyboard is lowered.

CH6:
KNOWN:

QuotePass MIDI to Active Instrument: When macros use MIDI CC
messages, playback will send these messages to the keyboard controller. Note that this is still in the testing phase.

Wrong. If enabled, MIDI data that MPT receives from external device will be passed to active instrument plugin.

CH14:
KNOWN:

QuoteIt was thought that MPT actually has this feature using the "Finetune" box in the Tunings dialog, but, as of this edition, the author was unable to verify its function.

Finetune defines how portamento effects behave - the more finetune steps, the "more portamento" is needed to change the note.


On the whole, looks a real effort has been taken to write the manual - perhaps MPT is finally getting a decent manual.

Great job Harbinger!

One suggestion I have is have a more visual profile, now its plain text and some images. Is is possible to make it more visual attractive?

Thanks for your encouragement and critiques.

Some quick notes:

1. English was a cinch for me in school. I'm very aware of my grammar and spelling quirks (except of course for obvious typos), in relation to what's proper.
-- When i write, i never capitalize the pronoun I, except in VERY formal writing. (I know a couple of other people who do this but we all have different reasons.) That won't change. However, i want to depersonalize this manual as much as possible, so that should be corrected.
-- I learned a long time ago, in junior high actually, that uncapitalized, "acronymed" nouns (such as abc's and rpm's) -- especially those that end in a vowel -- are pluralized with an apostrophe - s. I will continue to use "VSTi's".
-- This is not a formal document. When i release the .doc format, you may freely edit it so sentences don't end in a preposition, punctuation marks fall within quotes that end a clause or sentence, numbers are written out, informal words like "altho" and "thru" are spelled correctly, etc. Then you can release it as the "Grammar Nazi" version or the "Professional Typesetting" version! :lol:
2. The goal here is to ease new users of MPT into using this application. The Reference section will be detailed and heavily directed by HOW ModPlug gets things done. Since there is little criticism on this aspect of the beta version of this part of the manual, i will view this goal as a success. 8)
3. Visual appeal is highly subjective and VERY dependent on the reader. Many readers LOVE lots of pictures especially in a technical document so it walks them through without having to be there. Others like as few graphic distractions as possible, as long as the text is clear and descriptive. I will try to include more images, but remember i will never get it perfect for everyone.
4. The Effect Commands have been poorly assembled, so i admit to rushing that. There are some subtle differences in how MPT applies Channel FX in the various track formats. The next version hopefully will see that section thoroughly repaired.

I was already working on the .2 beta version, but i will copy this page and take it home with me to incorporate your ideas. Thanks especially to Jojo and Relabsoluness, as my biggest concern is the FACTUAL data of what i'm writing. Keep those corrections coming! 8)

On a side note, didn't M$ Word automatically capitalize "I"? I haven't used it for ages (I use OpenOffice myself), but I'm very sure it did.

Quote from: "Harbinger"...Then you can release it as the "Grammar Nazi" version or the "Professional Typesetting" version!

Well, as I said, I had planned to do a full proof in the near future. :) I'm not a Grammar Nazi, but I did work as a proof-reader and typesetter for a while. As it's your document, you are, of course, entitled to do what you want with it in terms of grammar etc., but personally, I think that it's good enough to be considered for inclusion as an official OpenMPT doc. As such, I think that it's worthwhile ensuring that it adheres to English which is best-understood internationally -- that means no Americans, no Britishisms, and no Australianisms. :)

Great work overall, though, Harbinger -- when I do my full proof, I'll hopefully (or perhaps not 'hopefully') catch some factual errors. :D

@Jojo: Yes, Word should do this automatically; so does OpenOffice.org. In both, though, you can turn it off fairly easily, which I'm guessing is what Harbinger's done.

I think this is a great initiative and I applaud it! Didn't really find any errors that haven't already been pointed out.

Download the .2 beta version of the OHM here (http://download.modplug.com/uploads/files/1253647894MPT%20OHM%20v%200.2%20BETA.pdf). Fact-checkers needed; MPT rookies and veterans please post here any help in making this version better.

Here are the changes i made:
> Added a chapter on VSTs and plugins
> Added a chapter on Saving and Exporting files
> Added images for the Tuning chapter
> Minor fact corrections, namely the Channel Default setting, the Combine MIDI volume to Note volume description, etc.
> Re-formatting and corrections in the Effect Commands section.
> Other small corrections and format changes thru-out

Here is my plan for upcoming versions:

OHM .9 beta
By the time we get to this version all of the sections (except the Reference Section) shall have been written up and corrected. I'm sure we'll have several more versions before then.

OHM 1.0 Official
This version will coincide with the next release of ModPlug. Sounds like Jojo and Relab have some great new features/fixes for us then. I'll add to or correct the OHM to stay current with that build, and also release the .doc format to an "open-source" format, as it were, in case someone wants to make edits, transfer to another format (like HTML), or translate to another language. From this version on, i will keep a strict history of changes to the Manual.

OHM 2.0 Complete
This build will include the Reference section, which will have very detailed information designed especially for experienced and long-time users of MPT. This will take quite a bit of research, and i expect it to take me at least 6 months to complete it.

Thank you very much for doing this. I know a bit about the tuning so I'll look at that part.

chris

ok,

Unless something has changed in whatever version oMPT you are working with (I am using .48 and .52 I believe) the following applies:

you can have tunings with more than 12 note per octave - I've done it and its easy to do, though not necessarily easy to use.

as far as I know you can specify the frequency for each note if you want to get crazy so you could have different tunings in different octaves


Since I have some experience with this can I help you out?

I thought I'd comment a bit on the soundcard setup:

- 8 Bit output does not decrease CPU load, so it should be avoided in any case (unless you love fuzzy sound). The days of "8 Bit-only soundcards" are over. The reason why this does not solve any speed problems is that MPT's mixing routines work at internal 32 Bit precision. So in theory, the fastest would actually be 32 Bit output (which may not work with cheap soundcards of course), but even that won't speed up MPT.
- Define "high-end computer". 16 channels are the max you can use on a P1 133 MHz, that's low-end. I think even computers that are considered "low-end" nowadays (f.e. a P3-500) can handle 256 voices.
- On most systems, a delay of 50ms should be OK with DirectX devices.
- 10ms and less (possible in the next version) should always be okay for ASIO devices.

Small note: I guess Olivier would appreciate it if you didn't capitalize the "P" in "Lapicque".

Another small note: I think OpenMPT still works with Win95.

here is a link to a 22 TET piece with necessary .tun I made for Sam.

the piece is more or less a stub - serves as example though.

http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/sam/openmpt.rar

Chapter 12, VSTs:
S3M can't save Plugins (just like MOD).

Appendix A, MOD Commands:
9xx works like XM's 9xx, i.e. the offset is x * 256 (not x * 25600)

Appendix A, S3M/IT Commands:
Oxx works the same way for 8-Bit and 16-Bit Samples. Remember, modplug shows samples everywhere, not bytes. So the offset (this is true for all four commands, of course). Is always (x * 256) in samples. A sample equals one byte for 8-bit samples, and 2 bytes for 16-bit samples. But this is not important anywhere in the tracker.

Appendix A, XM/IT Commands:
The "X-Param" (#xx) is missing. Here's how it works:
http://forum.openmpt.org/index.php?topic=2817.0

Thanks uncloned about tunings. I have it pretty much figured out except for the "GroupGeometric" type. I wonder if this what i can use to create a temperament whose pitch alterations are different with each octave, such as the Well Temperament. But i wasn't able to get it to work.
If you know anything about GroupGeometric or how to apply tunings whose tuning amount changes with each octave, post here.

Thanks, Jojo for your thoughts. I want to account for ALL possible systems that might run MPT, including obsolescent systems or architectures. If you didn't know, until last year, i was running MPT under Windows 98 via emulation on a Mac with System 9 (very classic!). My CPU was less than 100 mHz, i could only use the lowest-CPU VSTs, and i dared not go over 16-note polyphony! :D So i must account for low-end systems (as in, "must deal with speed limits") and soundcards (i'm sure there are folks out there who might still be using what we would consider obsolete setups.
However, i will take your perspective into account as i roll out the details for the Reference section, which i've begun work on again. :wink: I'm doing a LOT of testing of minor things in MPT, and i didn't even know about ASIO's benefit vs. latency. Any of those little things that might further a user's knowledge about MPT's capabilities, that you see i've missed, i desperately want to know. 8)

Thanks joJo! :P

Well sure, caring for older system is definitely ok, but you should notice that the terms "low-end" and "high-end" will get even more fuzzy then. ;) I think the MHz numbers in the soundcard setups are pretty accurate, so you should probably rather rely on those instead of a "hi/lo-end". Hell, some hardcore gamers might even consider my almost brand-new laptop as "low-end". It's all a matter of perspective.

With all due respect you state in the manual that tunings can't be more than 12 notes per octave - that is not correct. When you have a large pitch more notes in the alphabet are used to accommodate the extra notes.

With more respect,  I didn't think the Bach Well Temperaments changed on a per octave basis - do you have a reference? The guys on the tuning list (a lot of professors) still argue about the tuning Bach actually used (I guess he was not specific) and all of the talk I've read has been about a 12 note system and not something that varied per octave.

I'll look at this geometric option and get back to you.

Quote from: "uncloned"With all due respect you state in the manual that tunings can't be more than 12 notes per octave - that is not correct.

I knew that, so if it says that, i made a typing or perhaps stream-of-thought mistake. Will correct in .3.

Quote from: "uncloned"With more respect,  I didn't think the Bach Well Temperaments changed on a per octave basis - do you have a reference?

I could have sworn i read this in the Wiki pages Just Intonation and Well Temperament. I'll check those pages again -- i saved them at home.... :wink:

checking the wiki page for well temperament - and nope I don't see that there and of course just intonation doesn't affect this.

and the tobybear microtuner is no longer available it seems.... I wanted that one.


:(

Okay, you might want to completely rewrite the manual now... lol. You can at least remove the .MOD 800 to 8FF panning thing. It doesn't go from 800 to 880 anymore.

Harbinger - I'm happy to help with the tuning aspect. I've been following the international tuning list on Yahoo that is filled with academics for a year and a half I guess now.

I don't now about you - I get bummed when I do something and get criticism but no help - so if you'll accept it I'd like to help.

If you can email me the microtuning section I can mock up my changes for you to look over.

More design vise input, a table of content would be nice.
The terms/or a index at the last pages, sorted alphabetically. Some might print out this piece of text and use it as a quick reference guide.

And a another help topic: How to compile the source

and if you are not interested in my help here are some references that will serve you well

about well temperament from the microtonal encyclopedia

http://www.tonalsoft.com/enc/w/well.aspx

Wiki about microtonalism in general

http://xenharmonic.wikispaces.com/MicrotonalTheory

and if you need to ask questions about microtonal practice here would be a good place to do so

http://xenharmonic.ning.com/

I can't download OHM .2 the website is down  :shock:

WTF, who let the domain expire?! Did Studiocraft drop the domain? It doesn't say that it awaits renewal at least.

My fault...  the domain lapsed, but it is back.

Quote from: "uncloned"Harbinger - I'm happy to help with the tuning aspect.

I'm sure i will need your help in the Audio Reference section, which i will be doing last. My knowledge of the science of audio thru electronics is very basic, and understanding the mechanics of pitch is still shaky for me. I will basically be taking a self-inflicted course on audio, acoustics, and the digital representation thereof, so i can saturate my brain with too much knowledge. Then i can write confidantly about the application of effects, pitch, oscillation, and waveforms for non-beginners who want to push MPT to its limits.
I'm certain i will be asking for help later on all this science and math, so i will be asking later for help from you and Sam_Zen and some of our other audio scientists. 8)

For now i'm still trying to figure out MPT's features! :P

Quote from: "MisterX"My fault...  the domain lapsed, but it is back.

Kim,

You must have the world's coolest forum icon.

Download the MPT OHM .4 beta here (http://download.modplug.com/uploads/files/1254757023MPT%20OHM%20v%200.4%20BETA.pdf).

Changes to this edition:
1. Updated to MPT build 1.17.3.2. Some of the new features/fixes are not completely understood, but i did my best. The build that runs concurrent with the OHM will now be mentioned in every release.
2. Resizing Toolbar mentioned.
3. Soundfont import mentioned (written up later).
4. WAV Export reworked with new GUI.
5. Saving Audio Clips section (which never made it to release) excised, now that we have rendering directly from the Order List.
6. Tunings section altered slightly with GUI change to the Tuning Properties dialog.
7. Forgot to include the Appendices for now, i'll have those next session.
8. Various format changes for better readibility and "interestingness."

that link is 404 (it least to the .2 version)

Thanks. Fixed.

- What I find is a bit strange that you don't go through the options windows tab by tab (i.e. the autosave feature is not mentioned until the chapter about saving). I think a newbie would rather want to go through all tabs first and know what can be set up in which tab. It's simply more natural.

- Color tab: Saying that the small font is "less readable" is not a good thing. It sounds rather deprecating to me - Especially since I can read that font without any problems, even on a display with extremely high DPI count.

- 11. Track formats, IT format: NNAs don't really lower CPU usage (they rather increase it).

- 9. Patterns -> Note events -> Note Fade (~~):

QuoteOtherwise, it acts  the same as a Note-Off message.

Wrong. Apart from applying a fade-out, note fade commands do nothing. The big difference between Note Fade and Note Off is that Note Off also exits sustain loops.

Download the MPT OHM .6 beta here (http://download.modplug.com/uploads/files/1255444909MPT%20OHM%200.6%20BETA.pdf). This one brings back the Appendices (sorry about .4), plus adds a lot more....

Still more fact-checking needed, especially in the Channel FX commands. Suggestions welcome. If you see things that are not complete in this version, it's because i need more info on the subject. Feel free to tell me what you know or provide links to pages you think will help me. (I still need info on Resampling, the new Sequence Patterns, and MIDI Mapping.) I'm doing a LOT of testing with MPT, trying to understand what is happening in each feature, so alot of what you're reading is educated guesses based on what i've learned from this kind of trial-and-error research. Since i don't know what's truly happening from the program code, i'm quick to make corrections from those who understand the inner workings of ModPlug.

The next release will be the .8 beta, which will preview the Reference section, with write-ups for all the tab elements, dialog windows, menus, and contextual menus. I'm about 85% done with that.

We're getting closer to the Official 1.0 release, which will be the real manual with all corrections and updates. I would also like to include the write-ups for working with MPT and a couple of the more complicated VSTs (like Chainer, Kontakt, and others). I will also release (into the public domain) the .doc and .odt files i use to write this up, and the original images -- all of which others can use to make improvements on or translate to different languages or formats. (I'll need to put these somewhere that everyone can access, so let me know by Private Mail if anyone of you want to store it on your site.)

When we get to the 2.0 release of the OHM, i will have a FULLY linked index (no flipping thru PDF pages!), a Reference section on how digital Audio works and how MPT manipulates it, and perhaps a glossary.

Here are the changes i made in the .6 version:

> Added sections on Envelope Loops and the Release Node, complete with graphics.
> Added section on Record-Select.
> Added MPTM Parameter Control Event to FX commands.
> Table-ized the Channel FX Appendix for better readability and cursory searching. Also provided (most) links between the FX t.o.c.'s and their descriptions.
> Added a few graphics/tables/examples throughout for better comprehension.
> Made corrections mentioned by Jojo and others. (The ones he made for .4 will be in the next beta release....)

And thanks again for all you guys's support! Your encouragement motivates me....(http://download.modplug.com/uploads/files/1254416878wink.gif)

I've already supplied you with more information on loops, but here's one more thing:

Funny that you actually didn't mention that "invert sample" (EFx in .MOD files) does not work in OpenMPT. It will work in the next release, but it didn't until yesterday. Your description is not quite correct, but then again, the effect is pretty complicated to explain. In a nutshell:

- Every frame, a counter is increased, depending on the EFx parameter.
- If the counter reaches a certain point, it is reset and the actual effect will be executed:
- Increase another counter which will reset to zero if it matches the sample loop length
- At the current position (loop_start + counter), invert the sample data (only one byte!!!)

This effect is executed on the sample that was playing with the EFx effect until EF0 is encountered. This means that other samples that might occur between a EFx and EF0 will not be touched.

As I said, very confusing! :nuts: It took me and bubsy quite some time to decrypt the ProTracker ASM code and I rewrote the code 3 times now :D

EDIT: There's also a small spelling mistake on page 13, "repeat notes on hold": "checbox" instead of "checkbox".

Quote from: "Jojo"It took me and bubsy quite some time to decrypt the ProTracker ASM code and I rewrote the code 3 times now :D

Great job! Soon OpenMPT will be the best module player :)

It is already :D

Thanks for the update, Harbinger!
I hope to contribute when you're releasing the source. I find, chm easier to read.

Quote from: "Rakib"It is already :D

It is far from that. No need to hype something that's not true.

Quote from: "Rakib"
Thanks for the update, Harbinger!
I hope to contribute when you're releasing the source. I find, chm easier to read.

Yes, ultimately i'd rather have a CHM help manual. If i learn how to code it, i will definitely try.

In conversation with Jojo, and after rereading my own work on it, i think i need to rewrite the loop section. To me it's a very confusing subject, but it basically boils down to this:

If you're using just samples, all you need to know is that Sample Loops repeat endlessly between the points. If all you use is Sample Loops, that's all that needs to be known.

When you begin using Envelope Loops is when it gets complicated, which is why i put it in the Instrument Envelope section. But i need to rework the terminology. "Loop" in the Sample page will be renamed to "Sample Loop", which i already have in the OHM. I will go back and rename what i call Envelope Loops to "Sustain Loops". "Envelope Loop" will be renamed to "Instrument Loop" and "Envelope Sustain" i'll rename "Sustain Envelope" to be more parallel with "Release Envelope." All of this of course is only as a teaching method in the manual, and may not be reflected in the application itself. (I'm sure Jojo has got more important things to do than renaming static text! :wink: )

I still need help on other subjects, but i will post those elsewhere in the forum.

Quote from: "Jojo"Funny that you actually didn't mean that "invert sample" (EFx in .MOD files) does not work in OpenMPT.

Actually i didn't know it didn't work, since i've never actually used it. I think i got the info from one of the .txt docs that Sam_Zen linked to. For the .8 update, i will strike out the description (unless your next release comes out before my update.)

As I wrote in my PM, sample loops are completely independent from instruments when it comes to loops. I think you're thinking too complicated here. :)

Quote
Yes, ultimately i'd rather have a CHM help manual. If i learn how to code it, i will definitely try.

Basically, a CHM file is just a collection of HTML files, so someone with very little knowledge of HTML/CSS would already be enough to create a CHM.

Or just use a wysiwyg editor like helpmaker or HelpnDoc.
I can make the transformation if needed.

Well, I personally can't really stand those - they usually generate >10 times as much code as needed and editing the code lateron might be difficult...

I would be happy, when you feel the manual is complete enough, Harbinger, to transform it into a set of HTML documents, with some nice CSS and perhaps a little dab of the ol' JavaScript paintbrush here and there.

Quote from: "Harbinger"

Quote from: "Jojo"Funny that you actually didn't mean that "invert sample" (EFx in .MOD files) does not work in OpenMPT.

Actually i didn't know it didn't work, since i've never actually used it. I think i got the info from one of the .txt docs that Sam_Zen linked to. For the .8 update, i will strike out the description (unless your next release comes out before my update.)

Surprising (and kinda sad) that the new release got out before the new OHM release. Are you still working on this?

Went to upload the last beta version of the OHM to our site, but the link provided to me by Mr X leads me back to the download page. Clicking in the upload link sent me an error page from modplug's site. Anyone know what's going on?

Possibly related to this topic: http://forum.openmpt.org/index.php?topic=3626.0

Why not use a temporary link, like zippyshare or something?

I have more than enough room to host it.

no need for a zillion advertisements.

Yeah, I also beg to not use such a file hoster.
File hosters à la zippyshare et al. are one of the worst things ever invented. while they might seem comfortable at first, they're just horrible - and getting a FTP or web server these days is so cheap, if not free.

First of all, hello everyone.

I'm thinking of learning the basics of OpenMPT. Therefore it would be handy to have the manual as a reference/learning guide.

I want to ask if there is eventually a temporary alternative download available, now that the download server is offline?

Thanks in advance.

Hi & welcome to this forum, Fireblade.

Maybe this one (http://openmpt.xwiki.com/xwiki/bin/view/TutMakeSong/) could help to learn the basics until Harbinger's manual is back online somewhere...

The concept of a manual for Modplug Tracker is great. Perhaps, since the program is changed [relatively] often, the most recent version of the manual can be bundled with the program. Although it is stillr in its beta stage, having the screenshots would render it more helpful than a readme.

Quote from: "rakib"Or just use a wysiwyg editor like helpmaker or HelpnDoc.

Yep, like Notepad, WordPad, or Dreamweaver, depending on how the manual is formatted. Of course, depending on what operating system your computer runs, you may use AppleWorks or some program similar to that other than Notepad or WordPad. Do keep in mind that those would count because WYSIWYG is actually an acronym standing for What You See Is What You Get. Perhaps you would not use Notepad and WordPad simply because they are Microsoft (or, as some people put it, Micro$oft because they figure that they do not do enough accounting and/or that their employees make way (or, as some might write or type it, WAY) too much money, so they make much use of the dollar sign by placing it where the S would be in the word Microsoft) products.

Don't worry. By making it available in various formats, all of your concerns can be addressed. There will be an official version of the OHM, then the "open-release" version which will allow others to translate it, transfer it, or redo for their own selves.

I don't think it's possible or practicable to include the latest updated OHM with the most recent MPT package, for 2 reasons. First, our devs are good at code, but it requires a separate talent to write a technical document, understandable to all, on how you changed the code. Second of all, the devs could notify me of changes before they release their latest build, but the problems with that is that it would delay the release until i wrote up the changes, and would make it seem like the build was ready. They hardly ever are.

The download links don't work...

I was waiting for Harbinger to post this link but seeing how he is here once a week at best I will give this out for him.

http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/modplug-manual/MPT-OHM-.85.pdf

That is the latest version.

OHM .85 BETA (http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/modplug-manual/MPT-OHM-.85.pdf) now available!
Thanks uncloned for hosting the upload. For those looking for previous versions, ModPlug Central's DL/UL site is down for some reason, so previous versions won't be available until that comes back online. :cry:

No i didn't forget about finishing this project. But many other things have demanded my time, plus an admitted loss of inspiration stalled the progress...

This version incorporates most changes found in the 1.18 build of MPT. Here is a list of the changes from OHM .6:

>> Reference section added. This more-than-doubled the file size of the PDF from 6 MB to 13 MB, and it's only about 90% complete. The purpose of the Reference section is to provide details of what each element of MPT does, and answer all questions that one may encounter when using MPT. The Reference is divided by chapter for the tabs, dialog boxes, menus, and a special pair of chapters which describe electronic audio production and MIDI usage. Rookies and veterans alike should have no questions left when i'm done (except for HOW MPT's code handles everything!)

>> Chapter sequence re-done. The MIDI Setup chapter was also moved to the Reference for MIDI.

>> Setup: The Player Options and Key Entry Options were summarized; the detailed descriptions of each element were moved to the Reference section for the dialog windows. The Equalizer setup and MIDI Options subchapters were also moved to the Reference. The object of this chapter was to provide new users with a quick overview of setup possibilities, so some setup details were saved for the Reference section.

>> Samples:
   A. Loops were clarified, with many new graphics for explanation. Colored text provided to more quickly distinguish Sample Loops from Sustain Loops (for those of us who read more quickly than we comprehend ;) )
   B. Now that Sample edits can be un-done, i omitted the several warnings to this "non-Undo-ability" throughout the manual.

>> Instruments:
   A. Allusions to Soundfont instruments were omitted since they are not fully compatible with MPT, and since i got no clear insight on how they work or how to use them in MPT.
   B. The Filtering graphic was removed, as it will appear later in the Filter subchapter in the Audio Reference.
   C. The Envelope Loops section was completely revamped and provided with new graphics with a clearer differentation between the sample's loops and the instrument's envelopes. I also provided a table which logically elaborates on what happens during playback of a sample based on their respective settings. Thanks to Jojo for un-muddying the waters on this subject.

>> Patterns:
   A. Added a subsection on C&P, detailing the new paste methods.
   B. Added a table showing the Note Stops for various track formats.
   C. Added examples of how to use the instrument column in each channel.
   D. Wrote up the section on Sequences, which took me forever to understand! Thanks ToB!

>> Macros: Added mention of PCE input when using Record Params.

>> Save/Export: Added subsection on MIDI Import here. Seemed more logical.

>> Appendix A: Did NOT include any Channel FX changes brought into 1.18, because i was uncertain of the nature of the changes. The author of the history.txt for 1.18 did not specify how exactly the commands were improved -- for example, the "Set Waveform" and "Invert Loop" commands. However, i DID update the section on MPTM Parameter Control Events.

>> Appendix D: Added new keyboard shortcut descriptions.

>> Little blue notations throughout, reflecting which parts are not complete.

>> Many clarifications, corrections, and updates to the graphics or text throughout, ranging from a single word to entire paragraphs.

I still have a few more little pieces to finish, namely using the MIDI Map, and a more complete description of the science of electronic audio, and details of Compatibility issues (which only the devs can enlighten me on), plus a few other minor write-ups. Hopefully it should be done within a few months, and the next release will be non-beta. In the OHM 1.0, there will be a full glossary and linked index (the index will be easily adaptible for search feaatures in a .chm Help file).

Any errors you spot, i need to know. Any help in any of the subjects which i haven't finished, i can definitely use help on (even by providing a link on the subject). Any ideas on making the release version more functional and helpful, i'd like to hear....

Quick skimming...
There are still some things there that I would like to be fixed.

- Sequences: You speak of using them for different parts of songs, but I'd rather extended that to different songs alltogether. For example when writing music for a game where you want to use the same instruments in all musics, you can use 10 sequences for 10 game tracks.

- Sample Editor context menu: Undo is missing.

- Sample Editor: The time stretching screenshot is outdated. It still has the "preview" checkbox, which is a bit misleading.

- Sample Editor: Editing capabilities are still not up to date (invert, unsign, dc offset removal...)


- Compat Export:

QuotePast developers of the open source version of ModPlug Tracker altered various functions and format
track formats in an effort to incorporate desired features — the term for these modifications is "hacks."

Well, if you want to be exact, it's not only the devs of OpenMPT, but also Olivier himself.

- Setup: It would be good to have a list of the options on the General tab.

- Channel FX: Invert Loop practically works like it's described everywhere.
Waveform Types: IT format only knows continous waveform type (if in compatibility mode, which is advised - if not, it works like in XM format). S3M format only knows "reset" waveforms.

- XM Effect commands: EFx is "Set Macro", not "Invert Loop".
- S3M Effect commands: SFx is unused, not Invert Loop.
- IT Effect commands: For more details about how effect memory is shared, read up here (http://eval.sovietrussia.org/wiki/Player_abuse_tests#Compatible_Gxx_off) (tests 3 and 4).
- MPTM Commands: "PC 00" does not exist and does not automate plugin 100. In OpenMPT 1.18.00.00,  plugin 100 can't be automated (which is obviously a bug). This will be possible in the next release.

Quote from: "Jojo"- Sequences: You speak of using them for different parts of songs, but I'd rather extended that to different songs alltogether. For example when writing music for a game where you would to use the same instruments in all musics, you can use 10 sequences for 10 game tracks.

I will include that in the description, but they are still only part of one track. They are indeed "sub-songs".

Quote from: "Jojo"- Setup: It would be good to have a list of the options on the General tab.

I thought about that, but 3 reasons together (not separately) dissuades me from doing that:
1. They are always being added with practically every new build.
2. The Help Tips that describe them suffice rather well.
3. The default setup works well enough for a new user; changes to them i'm sure they'd rather make after they've gotten some experience with MPT.

Quote from: "Jojo"- Channel FX: Invert Loop practically works like it's described everywhere.

Please supply link or make a description here. I still don't know what it does...

Quote from: "Jojo"- XM Effect commands: EFx is "Set Macro", not "Invert Loop".
- S3M Effect commands: SFx is unused, not Invert Loop.
- IT Effect commands: For more details about how effect memory is shared, read up here (http://eval.sovietrussia.org/wiki/Player_abuse_tests#Compatible_Gxx_off) (tests 3 and 4).
- MPTM Commands: "PC 00" does not exist and does not automate plugin 100. In OpenMPT 1.18.00.00,  plugin 100 can't be automated (which is obviously a bug). This will be possible in the next release.

Good to know. Concerning IT's shared memory, i thought i understood it perfectly -- and that wiki page is one of my resources i keep. Is there something i've assumed or overlooked?

QuoteGood to know. Concerning IT's shared memory, i thought i understood it perfectly -- and that wiki page is one of my resources i keep. Is there something i've assumed or overlooked?

As I said, I have just skimmed the page, and I saw an example with Gxx involved, so I just wanted to go sure.

QuotePlease supply link or make a description here. I still don't know what it does...

The effect needs a short looped sample to work / sound good.
EFx with x > 0 will initalize the effect with speed x on the channel. The effect ends when EF0 is reached. Basically, the effect flips (inverts) the bytes of the loop one by one. At the highest speed (EFF), one byte is flippped per tick. The effect does not only effect the sample that was playing when the effect was triggered, but any sample on that channel until EF0 is reached.
Some good examples to listen and comprehend how the effect works:
- urea geller (http://modarchive.org/module.php?59319), urethra franklin (http://modarchive.org/module.php?59323) by reed.
- delicate 0ooz! (http://modarchive.org/module.php?41838), flippy introtune (http://modarchive.org/module.php?67575) by emax.

The orderlist ctx menu on page 106 is incomplete: Sequences are missing.

Oh, and as far as I can see, the tree view is not mentioned anywhere. Which is a shame really, since many improvements have been made in OpenMPT 1.18 to make it even more useful. Some things that should be mentioned:
- Context menus! A lot of functionality has been added to them.
- The "playing"/"muted" indicators (icons) for samples and instruments. If anything, it's at least fun to watch the "playing" icons. :)

Oh and... Why do you write that vibrato sweep is not functional? It actualyl works like this:
- In XM, 0 means no sweep. Apart from that exception, the rule is: The higher the number, the faster the full vibrato rate will be reached.
- In IT, the 0 value just means "no vibrato" (unless compatibility mode is disabled. Then, XM behaviour is used).

- Sample Editing:

QuoteNormalize: This is like a conditional amplification. Normalizing amplifies sample points by the same amount until
the highest value of the sample (or selection) equals the highest possible value (255). This has the effect of
amplifying quiet samples a lot, but amplifying already loud samples a little.

You're trying to give too many technical details here, but nevertheless it's wrong. Neither with 8-bit nor with 16-bit samples, 255 is the highest possible value. 8-Bit sample byte range is [-128, 127], for 16-bit samples it's [-32768, 32767]. But I would actually not mention that here.

- Instrument Editor, Sample Map context menu: This is incomplete. Apart from "Map all notes to sample x", there's also "Map all notes to note y".

- XM Pattern Effects:
Again, you're trying to be too precise, which results in wrong information. :) The XM arpeggio is one of the weirdest effects in FT2. It is actually not possible to describe what XM arpeggio does in one sentence. Just enable compatibility mode, set the song's speed to something > 16 (for example 24), set the song tempo to something like (for example 80) load up a chip sample, and try arpeggio with it. ;)

- S3M/IT Pattern Effects:
The Arpeggio example uses MOD effect notation (037 instead of J37).

- IT Pattern Effects:
High Offset is explained wrong. First of all, if you want to distinguish between 8-bit and 16-bit samples, you also have to distinguish between mono and stereo samples (which would double the numbers). But since you're not addressing programmers which have to know the exact amount of bytes to skip in their mixing routines, I would simply use "samples" to measure the offset effect - because the "sample" unit is always the same (just that a sample can be between 1 and 4 bytes big). The other advantage is that the sample unit is also used in the sample editor.
Anyway, what's really wrong is the effect explanation, because you forgot that Oxx actually set the offset to position xx00, so, O01 effectively jumps to sample 256. Thus, the complete sample offset with SAy and Oxx would be yxx00.

- MPTM Pattern Effects: Instrument control extensions S7D and S7E (MPTM only!) are missing.

The new Note Cut/Fade/Off table explaning all the differences in the supported module formats is a bit misleading. There is no "XM Sample" mode, simply because XMs are always in instrument mode. What you probably mean is an instrument that has no active volume envelope.

Thanks Jojo for your eagle eye! :wink:

Currently preparing the official release, with all sections completely written up, a Glossary, an index (hopefully linked).

Anything anyone else wants to see incorporated, speak now. Everything is on the table. I'll glean thru your ideas for the really good ones and incorporate them if possible... 8)

Thanks for your quality work so far, Harbinger !

I checked the chapter about export to WAV, and I noticed there was no additional info about the several WAV formats.
So also nothing about the Quad mode.
I know it's for most people a minor issue, but I happen to have the equipment for this and use it quite often.

So I'm planning to make a thorough test about this with all the possible options and ways to export the proper file.
I will do this soon and write a report. Maybe it could be added to the final release.

Well, at the same time I wonder: Is there really the need to explain the exact difference between Mono, Stereo, Quad, 8-Bit, 16-Bit, 32-Bit etc. when it's already explained in the Soundcard setup?

for someone starting out a very brief explanation - even just a table - could be very useful as a bootstrap to learn more.

Ok, I had a look at this new chart again, and apparently there's still some misunderstandings, mostly because you don't try to understand sample loops and instrument loops as two completely different things.
So here we go...
In IT Sample mode, Note Cut cuts the sample (you got that correct).
In IT Sample mode, Note Off releases the sample's sustain loop, if there is one.
In IT Sample mode, Note Fade does absolutely nothing.
A sample loop cannot be left, and thus, there's no such thing as "Finishes sample based on Sample Loop".

The above rules also apply when in instrument mode of course, but this happens only to the sample loops, and not to the instrument loops! They are treated separately, so the IT Instrument row is also a bit misleading:
In IT Instrument mode, Note Cut cuts the sample and the instrument.
In IT Instrument mode, Note Off releases the sample's sustain loop, if there is one, and releases the instrument's sustain loop.
In IT Instrument mode, Note Fade fades the instrument out, according to the instrument's "Fade Out" value.

Not sure if that's of any interest but I would add (providing this is correct):
* In IT Instrument mode, Note Off releases the sample's sustain loop, if there is one, and releases the instrument's sustain loops and then fades the volume according to the instrument's "Fade Out" value when the end of the envelope (or the end of the loop, if there is one) is reached.
* In IT Instrument mode, Note Fade fades the instrument out, according to the instrument's "Fade Out" value without releasing the sustain loops.

So you can f.e. apply a Note Fade and the volume starts fading while sustain loops are still active and then apply a Note Off to release the sustain loops and play the rest of the envelopes that can have interesting loops (while the volume is still fading). With a low fade out value, this offers interesting variations in how to end a note.

Paul, that is not quite correct.
In XM mode, Note Off releases the sustain point and triggers fadeout. However, in IT mode, fadeout is really only triggered at the end of the envelope, and not when the loop end is reached or something. You can have an infinite sounding instrument that way, it won't fade out if it has a loop.

Here's a little test :
Test_Note_Off.it (http://miroir.perso.neuf.fr/msc/mod/Test_Note_Off.it)
Instrument 1 has no loop : after a Note Off the rest of the envelope is played and then fading occurs at the end : normal.

Instrument 2 has a loop after the sustain loop : after a Note Off the loop is triggered and the volume fades. That's why I thought the end of the loop triggers the fading but...

Instrument 3 has a loop very far from the sustain loop : after a Note Off the volume fades directly and the loop is not even reached before the volume is at 0. Very strange I think.

In short :
* no loop -> fade out at the end of the envelope
* loop -> fade out right after a Note Off.

Ok, that is indeed a different case, but the previous explanation was a bit unclear (I didn't know that you mean sustain + loop).

Quote from: "Jojo"Is there really the need to explain the exact difference between Mono, Stereo, Quad, 8-Bit, 16-Bit, 32-Bit etc.

Wrong conclusion, so wrong question.
I was talking about the proper way to achieve a quad file.

Well, there's just one... or?

That's what investigations are for, to check that. :)

Quote from: "Sam_Zen"I checked the chapter about export to WAV, and I noticed there was no additional info about the several WAV formats.
So also nothing about the Quad mode.
...
So I'm planning to make a thorough test about this with all the possible options and ways to export the proper file.
I will do this soon and write a report. Maybe it could be added to the final release.

Yes, i'd love to be able to include your findings. Heavy, detailed info will probably find its way in the Reference section, rather than the "Beginner's" section. Whatever you have you can e-mail me as a text file, or PM me with the relevant information in the post and i'll wade through it and see what i can copy over.

As a matter of fact, if ANYONE has some info you've learned the hard way that you didn't see already written up in the OHM, please send it to me. All i ask of everybody is that you double-check your statements, not only for veracity, but also for comprehensibility (i have to be able to understand your findings). :wink:

No, i haven't forgotten...

My computer's on the blink right now. Apparently, Windows machines do not come with surge protection like Macs do (must). I walked in from work one day and was notified that my computer was down for the count. I took it in to my local circuit surgeon and he confirmed the motherboard was fried by an electrical surge. It's going to cost me over $200 but the good news is that the hard drive seemed intact. We had a lot of original, un-backed-up music on it, and the day before this happened, we were going to back up everything on 4GB DVD-Rs....

Once i get my computer back, i'll check out the new MPT release and make corrections in the OHM 1.00, which was almost finished.

This has been a long 2 weeks... :cry:

Good to hear that at least the HDD is still working. I hope that this does not just remind you to make backups at regular intervals - I think Purple Motion has still not learnt his lesson. ;)

Old habits hard to break, new habits hard to start. I've had a computer steady for over 12 years and this was my first spike...but all my previous computers were macs. Now i must invest a few bucks in a surge protector, and yes, look into scheduling backups...

Touche.. :wink:

Are surge protectors uncommon in the US? We have them everywhere here, I think they are now also built into fuse boxes by default.

I'm pretty sure Macs don't have surge protectors built in, but any info on that would be welcome...

I hafta believe they do, because all the time i had my Mac, i never had a problem with spikes. And from what my computer repairman told me, they happen all the time in the electrical grid, in various degrees. I can't believe i've been this lucky for over 12 years! In Florida, electrical storms are common, and many times (probably 4 or 5 times a week) the electrical grid shuts down for half a second here...

I don't know if surge protectors are "common" but they are widely available, and not pushed by computer salesman apparently...

Hey, just checking in, is everything still set for olhm 1.0? I have .85 here and even now, it's got to be one of the more helpful manuals out there. Anyway, keep up the good work, :).

1.00 is already there (http://forum.openmpt.org/index.php?topic=4067.0). :)

someone ought to change the link to here from openmpt.com

I got a grand total of 12 downloads of the ver 1.0 offline manual
and 51 for the 0.85 pdf

and that is just on the month of September - yes - not even 9 full days.

0.85 got 248 downloads in August so there is a need...

BUT

change the link to the updated thread from here http://openmpt.com/

Thanks for the hint, I edited Harbinger's post to include a link to the 1.0 topic.