Problems with FastTracker retrigger command

[LPChip]

I use retrigger a lot too, and the golden rule with retrigger normally is: if you want no volume change, use R8x (or rather Q8x with IT and MPTM) Its how it is described in the manual, at least for IT modules.

[ToaTheBoa]

Reading the FT2 manual, the R command is described in a whole different way then I have understood it. Im used to that the R03 gives me double notes and R02 gives me triple, and R01 gives 4 or 6 or whatever. It should sound the same no matter what speed you use (just found a speed 6 module where I've used both R03 and R02 commands). Never used any other R-commands, so different rules may apply there...

[Saga Musix]

Are you sure the "don't use volume on R"-rule also is valid for speed=4?

Yes, it is true at any speed. It effectively delays the first retriggered note by one tick, which is why the hi-hats still sound a bit weird in that example file you provided. There is no hardcoded exception for R03, and certainly no hardcoded exception for speed 4 either. R03 at speed 4 with a volume command means that the note is effectively retriggered after 4 ticks instead of 3, which in return means that there is no retriggered note at all. You probably just never noticed this because it doesn't sound "wrong".

I use retrigger a lot too, and the golden rule with retrigger normally is: if you want no volume change, use R8x (or rather Q8x with IT and MPTM) Its how it is described in the manual, at least for IT modules.

That is completely unrelated to the problem, and besides, Q0x and Q8x do the same in IT / MPTM - there is no volume slide memory for this. On the other hand, R0x repeats the last retrigger fade and R8x disables the retrigger fade in XM. If you quote the manual, at least quote it correctly.

Reading the FT2 manual, the R command is described in a whole different way then I have understood it. Im used to that the R03 gives me double notes and R02 gives me triple, and R01 gives 4 or 6 or whatever. It should sound the same no matter what speed you use (just found a speed 6 module where I've used both R03 and R02 commands). Never used any other R-commands, so different rules may apply there...

The FT2 manual does not describe any of FT2's bugs and thus does not describe the command correctly. In theory R02 should just retrigger the note after two ticks, but as I have now said multiple times, there are several factors which influence this in FT2 - one being instrument numbers (which reset the tick count to 1) and volume commands (which prevent the tick count from increasing on the first tick).

[ToaTheBoa]

Taking a look at a module where I used the R03 effect quite heavy, and that module sounds correct. The interesting thing is that I then used R02 when also setting volume on note, and I used R03 when not having volume on note. Both gives nice double effect. Damn, I kinda knew about it in 1997! (guess I experimented until it sounded right...). I will check more modules....

[Saga Musix]

If everything sounds as intended, you're just lucky that it worked in your module, but the difference with and without volume effects next to Rxy should be really obvious. I really cannot say much more about this except from reiterating that Rxy parameters seldomly ever do what you expect them to do by just looking at the plain parameter numbers. Is really much more to argue about this? Just set the tempo of your example module to 32 to make it really obvious, and then remove all volume effects. Quite a drastic change in the rhythm, eh?

[ToaTheBoa]

I'm starting to remember I always struggled with this command in FT2, and usually just tested out what sounded best. Thats always the right answer.

Strangely enough, in another module here I see I used R03 on a note with volume command, where R02 sounds more right. (tempo=130, speed=4) Oh well. Maby it sounded weird back then too.

Seems to me most modules are ok now, so thanks a bunch for your help.