GP32 Simple Gp32 Tracker Project?

[peshay]

I read a lot about trackers in emulators and stuff butt i think it just wont work without the keyboard. The gameboy trackers are fun but they dont support samples. I know some people have tried to make a tracker but i havent come across a decent one yet. So here is what im proposing,
lets make tracker especially for the GP32.
I know there are lots of guys waiting for this. And to me its the ultimate gp32 app. I havent got experience in c or c++, though i can program in java/as2. And i have a lot of tracker experience. Mayb we can use the basics of the drum machine someone in this forum made? Here is what im aiming at:

- sample import (shitty quality will do)
- 4 tracks (multiple samples in one track mayb)
- ability to play different notes with the samples (the most important feature)
- decent timing
- saving/loading

Ok it looks like a big job but if we stick together, it will still look like a big job.
:lol: So who wants to help?? we could develop it STEP BY STEP (what a horrible sitcom)..

 

[papapopalung]

THE WUB!

 

[WhiteFalcon]

Have to admit I have been thinking about a tracker for a long time, it would be great to be able to compose modules anywhere. Unfortunatelly I have no experience with trackers creation or even module players creation, thus I had to read some doc on that. The most difficult part seems (to me) to be the mixing engine, I am not quite sure how to implement it, thats is to change the sample rate to get the desired note and mix it with other samples at the same time. Even it I got it to work, it would probably be slow.
I hope someone will look into that and if not, I may give it a try after all the exams (end of june). No promises though.

 

[peshay]

if its possible to have a mod player, a tracker has to be possible too. A mod player transposes samples contained in the mod according to the arrangement doesnt it? A tracker is the same thing, only in edit mode you can change the arrangement (while its on pause). I cant imagine that it would be too slow, i used a tracker when i was a kid on a 12mhz pc...(it had one of those turbo buttons to kick it to 33mhz) :blink:

 

[Miner49er]

I agree this would be a fantastic app - the best yet i reckon on gp32.
Imagine being able to knock up a quick tune whilst on the train!

I have recently started coding on the GP32 so would help wherever possible - might even start something myself...

miner49er

 

[peshay]

I just read that the mod format itself is very basic, and is like a sort of spreadsheet so mayb mod compatibility shouldnt be that hard at all. but mayb im going to far now :lol: a simple gp32 only tracker would kick ass too.

 

[AlexW]

This would be great!
Mixing routines can be found in modplayers for the GP32...

Found some old sources but might be helpful in your projects...
http://www.dcee.net/Files/Programm/Sound/

 

[synkro]

yes! this could be THE killer app for the chatboard! But I am no real help for you. sorry.

 

[Miner49er]

i don't think it has to just be a tracker. perhaps something similer to rebirth.
several rows of 8 or 16 "LEDs" that can be switched on/off, where each row is a seperate sample. I reckon this would be fairly easy.
You could use the joystick to navigate around this 'grid', A to toggle LED on/off, L and R to flip to next 'page' of LED's

It may not be a full on tracker but it would be a nice start.

Any more ideas?

If a few of us worked together on this we could have something real nice eventually.

I guess we'd need very accurate timing, the slightest ms out and it would sound crap.

I don't know how good GP32 is at at mixing samples togther, any ideas?

Does it slow down?

I'm no low-level programmer, but willing to give it a shot.

Ideas first, find out what the obstacles are, basic plan and let's go!!!

..hey, synched networked support for mini GP32 'bands'!!!!!

 

[peshay]

Yes the rebirth idea is actually what i had in mind first (16 step format). The only thing is i want to play melodys too. Another thing to consider is the channel/polyphonic limits. I thought there are 4 audio channels on the gp32. u could use them like rebirth: bassdrum channel 1, snare channel 2.etc . But its much better to have it tracker style; channel1 bd---sn---bd-bd-sn--- multiple samples in a channel where the new sounds cuts the old one off. But your right we should think of what it should be, or what we want it to be. Write it down and plan it.

ALEXW the link is great! I was searching for this mod info all day hahah
The mixing routines should be the same like modplayers indeed.

 

[polywaffle]

if u look at mikplay it can play modules with something like 32 channels

 

[Oankali]

What you need it's just to program a MOD editor. You don't need to program all that mixing routines your are talking about.

Here is how I see things:
- An editor to edit your tracks, load samples, setup properties (timings...), save MOD files, etc...
- Once you press PLAY in your editor, it would be as easy as generating a MOD file in memory and send it to CHN modplay library o miplay.

I don't think it should be to difficult to do.

PS: I must admit I have already been thinking about doing a program like this some time ago

 

[peshay]

Yes Oankali thats what i was trying to explain erlier, a simple editor which shows the modfile and when you press play it makes a mod and uses a player. I just thought it would be too hard to do as i didnt have any knowledge of the way mods work. Im just afraid this would be a little harder than a rebirth thingy.
Like Miner49er said,

Ideas first, find out what the obstacles are, basic plan and let's go!!!

 

[Miner49er]

re: a tracker that loads a mod into memory:
I think it would be more fun to play with if you can edit in realtime.


Staying on the 'rebirth-style' idea, but with more than one sample per track:

I think we could have it working quite nicely like this:

1) A grid of 16*n LED's, navigateable with joystick then:

2) Toggle firing of sample with A button
3) Change pitch of sample with B+Up/Down
4) Change sample used with B+Left/Right


That's an idea for an interface for one 'main screen' then perhaps L+R to goto next/previous page and Start button could toggle a page-sequencer screen.

 

[Steve-O]

WTF is a Tracker?? Something to make music or something with ?? :huh:

 

[peshay]

"the original" tracker is basicly a program to make music with, whereby the used samples are stored in the same file as the song.

Miner49er: i think thats a good idea to start with, mayb we could expand it from there with: 3 additional tracks, and more steps.. and so working to a real GP32 tracker. The idea of editing while playing (rebirth style) is a cool feature, that way u could let it loop a pattern and edit it the same time.

Still the mod info alexw found and the open source gp32 mod players, give me the impression that its not that hard to do it that way.

Im gonna write down some ideas, pro's n con's etc.
A projectroom would be handy for these kind of things.