MOD trouble

Forestknight-25N · May 19, 2009, 13:40:11

I always use IT and XM formats, because 3 problems arise when using Modplug to create MODs (though one of the problems isn't Modplug-specific.) I really want to be able to create MODs.

First-off, I notice the samples are all distorted and stretched out, playing back veeeeery slowly when previewed and/or played in the channels. Yet when I change the pitch up to a listenable level so I can actually USE the tracker, when I play back the MOD in another player, it sounds all off-key and high-pitched.

The second problem is more straightforward, I think, and arises with S3M files as well. When playing back the song/samples it plays only through one stereo channel, all lopsided and imbalanced. (Note: I think this was mostly remedied in OpenMPT.)

Finally, here's the non-Modplug specific question. When browsing my collection of old MODs using Modplug, I noticed the average size for most of these MODs was VERY small, generally 90 to 98 kilobytes, with the 8-bit WAV samples being anywhere from 3 to 12 kb on average. And yet they sound decent, hardly that fuzzy or distorted. How on earth do I make my samples/modules so small too?

Help is strongly appreciated.

Rxn · May 19, 2009, 15:11:50

They do not sound fuzzy and distorted because they are tuned, it has
nothing to do with the size of the samples.

g · May 19, 2009, 15:54:30

Quote from: "Forestknight-25N"I always use IT and XM formats, because 3 problems arise when using Modplug to create MODs (though one of the problems isn't Modplug-specific.) I really want to be able to create MODs.

First-off, I notice the samples are all distorted and stretched out, playing back veeeeery slowly when previewed and/or played in the channels. Yet when I change the pitch up to a listenable level so I can actually USE the tracker, when I play back the MOD in another player, it sounds all off-key and high-pitched.

The second problem is more straightforward, I think, and arises with S3M files as well. When playing back the song/samples it plays only through one stereo channel, all lopsided and imbalanced. (Note: I think this was mostly remedied in OpenMPT.)

Finally, here's the non-Modplug specific question. When browsing my collection of old MODs using Modplug, I noticed the average size for most of these MODs was VERY small, generally 90 to 98 kilobytes, with the 8-bit WAV samples being anywhere from 3 to 12 kb on average. And yet they sound decent, hardly that fuzzy or distorted. How on earth do I make my samples/modules so small too?

Help is strongly appreciated.

1: Could you post an example of a MOD that sounds strange in other trackers/players but fine in OpenMPT?

2: Please try with the latest version of OpenMPT, and if there's a bug report it in the bug section of the forums.

3: Study the MODs and make more of the same ;-) Or convert samples to 8 bit, downsample, loop them where you can and cut them after the loop.

LPChip · May 19, 2009, 16:44:54

MOD files don't have the option to set the sample playback frequency (aka tuning). They'll always be set to 8363 (if my memory serves me right). So saving the song with different settings will not have any effect.

You'll need to somehow convert the sample to a low pitchsetting so you can use the samples as you want.

Not sure how to do that though. Maybe someone else has an idea?

Sam_Zen · May 19, 2009, 22:34:52

Welcome Forestknight-25N !
Wondered : Why preferring the MOD format ? It's quite restricted in programming, compared to IT or XM.
Although I consider the intention to keep the filesize small a legitimate reason.

It's 8363 indeed.
But, from the beginning, MPT have had an excellent resampling procedure to get a relative high quality out of lofi samples.

I tried some settings in the sample tab, to change the sample pitch.
With a default setting, I tried the section 'Pitch shifting / Time stretching', but it went into a complete mess.
Then I tried at the left the Transpose function, changing C-5 to C-6. Then did a 'Save sample', making a new WAV file.

This works, meaning that you can use the parameters Finetune and Transpose to convert your sample, save it, and import the result again in the same position.

Forestknight-25N · May 20, 2009, 02:25:29

Quote from: "Sam_Zen"Welcome Forestknight-25N !
Wondered : Why preferring the MOD format ? It's quite restricted in programming, compared to IT or XM.
Although I consider the intention to keep the filesize small a legitimate reason.

It's because I'm stuck hopelessly in the 90s...plus I'm an Amiga fan and the game I'm currently working on is supposed to be a throwback to the old Amiga days of the late 80s and early 90s.

Also, the game development tool I'm using (BlitzMax) doesn't natively support module files (it only supports WAV and OGG,) and the third party add-on I use called MaxMod only supports XM and MOD formats. Plus I have a hunch that its attempt to playback the XM's virtual instruments will be very buggy

I guess I like MOD also because I only really work with samples and not instruments, and I don't like making single-sample instruments (I suck at making XM/IT instruments, but that's for later, more 'modern' projects.)

Also, have any of you tried using OpenMPT to make MODs? I just downloaded OpenMPT and the stereo issue was solved (luckily,) but not the slowed-down samples issue.

PS: Any good place to find free samples? I'm a notorious ripper for now, and I wanna find out where the ORIGINAL artists get their samples. Also, perhaps my ripping and re-importing has some part to play in the slowed-down samples (actually sort of disregard that, because I've used normal samples and they're still stretched.)

Sam_Zen · May 20, 2009, 22:27:16

Well, if you complain about the handling of samples, being a notorious ripper, I would say :
It's time to make your own samples, so you have total, detailed control of the properties.

About the stereo-issue of MOD files, the situation is simple :
unless you use a panning-code on a note, the channel division of a MOD file is : L-R-R-L L-R-R-L and so on.

Some free samples can be found on my website here

uncloned · May 21, 2009, 01:13:10

I got a few samples - and FT209

http://clones.soonlabel.com/public

in particular samples of my Korg MS 2000 as wav files.

http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/korg/

but I far more (gigs) soundfonts - but those can be ripped too if there is something you really like.

I recently rearranged all of the soundfonts to be in the same folder for ease of leeching.

Also I have some decent home made guitar samples

http://clones.soonlabel.com/mods.html

You will have to dig them out of the modules - but there are descriptions - I would appreciate a mention somewhere if you use my guitar samples.

uncloned · May 21, 2009, 01:19:05

and as a matter of course I make my samples when ever possible.

Actually I think I should upload all of my old module samples for public consumption - I've had my way with most of them by now.

At one time though - before I got a decent sound card - I ripped samples as well. I think its more fun to make your own - and you can better get what you want but sometimes you just can't do it for whatever reason.