Please help me.

[God]

Hello, Ive been using modplug for guite some time now and didnt notice the big update changes that has been made. I downloaded the new version wich includes the clever funstion of playing instruments in the sample editor without stoping modplug from playing the song. Only thing is that I cant use the A# on the 4th octave like I could before. I dont see an option to edit the keys for the note like in my old version.


I have some questions.

1st. How do I edit the keys for notes?
2nd. Is it ok to take instruments from others and use it in your song or are instruments copyrighted?
3rd. Sometimes when I dont touch modplug for a while it crashes when I try to play my song or a sample\instrument making me loose the changes I made if I havnt saved, is there anyway of fixing this?
4th. Why do people have to overwrite the instuments name with their silly comments etc? Why cant they just make their comments after the insturments name? Why overwrite them? It gets much more fficient if you know what instrument ur using.

[Saga Musix]

Not sure if we are able to help God, but anyway...

1st. How do I edit the keys for notes?

Setup -> Keyboard -> Pattern Editor - Note Column

2nd. Is it ok to take instruments from others and use it in your song or are instruments copyrighted?

There are long debates on this topic and there is no clear answer. Most people are OK with "give credits where credits are due", but if a module explicitely prohibits usage of samples, you should probably not use them.

3rd. Sometimes when I dont touch modplug for a while it crashes when I try to play my song or a sample\instrument making me loose the changes I made if I havnt saved, is there anyway of fixing this?

This is a known bug with DirectSound drivers, which will hopefully be fixed in the next version (to be released later today). A solution would be to switch to a WaveOut driver (yellow speaker icon) in OpenMPT's Sound Card settings instead - or even better, ASIO or WASAPI.

4th. Why do people have to overwrite the instuments name with their silly comments etc?

Because that's the first place you'd look at when loading a module into an oldskool tracker. Also in the MOD format, you only have 31 sample slots, so most of the time you don't have any "free" sample slots to write stuff into anyway.

Why cant they just make their comments after the insturments name? Why overwrite them? It gets much more fficient if you know what instrument ur using.

I would assume that people wrote these texts after finishing their composition, so they don't have to rely on instrument names anymore. Also, don't expect every tracker to work like OpenMPT - in many oldskool trackers, you wouldn't see the instrument name of the currently used instrument anyway, so it doesn't matter if it contains a name or text.

[God]

Thank you for answering these questions.

Just some Quick stuff here.

If a person would send me a module and tell me not to use his samples could i just tell him "Too bad so sad I took ur samples what ya gona do about it huh!?" Or could he\she go to court or something? Anywayz thnx for reply. PErsonally I always name my instruments (when I do know what it called). BTW I do have ASIO driver.

[Saga Musix]

could i just tell him "Too bad so sad I took ur samples what ya gona do about it huh!?" Or could he\she go to court or something?

You can do anything you want in this world, being a dick doesn't always make your life better, though. Use common sense if you don't want to get into any trouble.

[God]

So if I got this right. No1 can litterly copyright samples, they can copyright music but anything you manage to take from that song, no matter how much they beg you to leave their samples, you can use them, but thats being a dick if they really dont want you too use them, but it wont give u any other punishment other then what that person who has the samples would be capable to dish out. Courts wont bother with it. Personaly I havnt seen any1 who wouldnt want their samples to be stolen. Perhaps I would dislike it since I created some of my own instrument wich sounds really good. But im to afraid to upload these songs, not even as wav or mp3 cause im too afraid people will steal my instruments, instruments that I have tried geting over 8 years (they dont exist on the web anymore). They would probably not credit me for it either.

New question btw. If I find an instrument wich name is blanked out is there anyway I could find its name?

[Rakib]

Sometimes the instrument name is the same as  the sample name, I dont know of a another way.

[Saga Musix]

If you are so bothered about stealing samples, consider asking a lawyer - I'm not one. I cannot tell you if you can end up in court for this or not.

If I find an instrument wich name is blanked out is there anyway I could find its name?

Listen very closely to the instrument and think of what kind of instrument it could be? I have no idea what you are talking about.

[LPChip]

In copyright law it basically comes to this: It is not allowed unless you have explicit permission. When you get in court, it will basically become an issue about prove, but I can tell you one thing, even if you have a strong case, going to court never is fun.