Support for FamiTracker modules (.ftm)

Kyleroo · December 14, 2019, 08:46:52

Is there any plans to support FamiTracker modules (and other modules that FamiTracker supports) in the future? It's commonly used by some artists today. I wanted to remix a song written on a certain FTM file but FamiTracker looks foreign to me and I have no experiences of using it. Similar to an XM artist trying to create an IT module on Impulse Tracker. Although I already know how to make an IT module using Schism Tracker. It just to took me a long time.

I'm just asking because OpenMPT is easy to understand and user-friendly. Even if you didn't read the manual, you would understand some basics after a few days/weeks and make a song out of it. I'm not saying I have no intentions to learn how to use FamiTracker.

Saga Musix · December 14, 2019, 10:41:28

No. This would require an entirely different playback engine to be written that has nothing to do with anything that OpenMPT currently does playback-wise. It's kinda like asking if you could use a train to drive on a highway. Sure it works if you do a ton of modifications to that train, but then it would no longer be a train really.

Kyleroo · December 15, 2019, 11:38:10

So, FamiTracker's like, had its own instruments/samples built-in at the software itself?

Saga Musix · December 15, 2019, 13:08:24

OpenMPT's focus is music that is based on instrument plugins (VSTs) or samples. FamiTracker uses neither neither samples nor VST plugins, but instead emulates the NES sound chip (and probably related NES chips). OpenMPT does not emulate any of that, so basically the entire sound engine would have to be modified to be able to emulate the NES. Emulating any further computer systems (like the NES or C64) is explicitly outside of the scope of OpenMPT. If you need to import something that has been composed in Famitracker, maybe you can export it to a MIDI file and then export that MIDI file in OpenMPT?

Gerirish · December 15, 2019, 14:51:14

Quote from: Saga Musix on December 15, 2019, 13:08:24Emulating any further computer systems (like the NES or C64) is explicitly outside of the scope of OpenMPT.

Even in the very far future when OpenMPT 2.0 as per current roadmap is released?

Saga Musix · December 15, 2019, 16:11:11

Yes, because, once again, it would not be an improvement of existing features, it would require an entirely different audio engine to be written. Such an undertaking would is guaranteed to introduce lots of bugs, inconsistencies, and also a lot of work that noone is really willing to do. The only way I can see this happening is by using plugins that emulate the respective systems - but not by cannibalizing the existing audio engine. Is it really that hard to accept that merging two entirely different and unrelated things into one common thing is a bad idea?

LPChip · December 15, 2019, 20:17:59

I would not want to ask support for playing FamiTracker tunes, but would it be possible somewhere in the future to import the notes only? I don't think the sounds can be replicated using the OPL engine though if that was possible to get an approximation, that would be cool I guess... But I have no idea how hard it is to export .ftm to .mid though. If that is easy, then this request should be completely ignored at your disgression.

Saga Musix · December 15, 2019, 21:16:08

OpenMPT (or rather ModPlug) did get a lot of bad reputation in the past for partially supporting and butchering other file formats, so I'd rather have no support than incomplete support built into the program. If you want an incomplete FTM -> IT conversion, it could always be done with an external tool instead.

Kyleroo · December 16, 2019, 06:29:39

Well, then I have no other option but to learn FamiTracker, which will take me a long time, as well.
Thanks for the answers!

Last question:

Quote from: Saga Musix on December 15, 2019, 21:16:08
OpenMPT (or rather ModPlug) did get a lot of bad reputation in the past for partially supporting and butchering other file formats, so I'd rather have no support than incomplete support built into the program.

Did OpenMPT had an incomplete support for .ftm in the past?

Saga Musix · December 16, 2019, 10:41:23

No, but many formats that are supported very well these days were only poorly supported in older versions (10 years ago, before I rewrote most format loaders). Just to be clear: No format support was ever removed, but existing loaders were improved. And new format loaders added to OpenMPT have to live up to the same standards as the existing loaders.

LPChip · December 17, 2019, 09:47:52

Fair enough.

Saga Musix · December 17, 2019, 11:21:08

For what it's worth, there is an FTM to MIDI converter that could be used to import FTM musical data into OpenMPT (possibly more up-to-date version on GitHub).
This could then be combined with a NES VST to get somewhat accurate reproduction of the NES sound.