TFM Music Maker

[commodorejohn]

As far as music goes, here is another Beatles cover. I borrowed some instruments from the instrument packs people have uploaded, though.

[KanedaFr]

Yamaha's synths even uses FM chips from same series, for example, DX-100 uses YM2151. They not 100% compatible, but conversion is possible.

I personnaly tried to convert DX100, DX7, FB01 & TX81z instruments to .y12 with partial success...some instruments can be converted some others can't

I got a convertor somewhere if someone want to fix it

[cooper]

Sorry for not posting something constructive, but I just wanted to give shouts out to shiru, because the last two days have been the most fun I've had with a tracker since Famitracker came out. Keep up the awesome work!!

[jobro]

The only thing I really lack is support for PSG.

[Zable Fahr]

For me, it is DAC, PSG and Stereo panning. With that, we'd have enough MD power to go all the way to the moon.

http://rapidshare.com/files/48409670/Ma ... g.vgm.html

[zinger]

For me, it is DAC, PSG and Stereo panning. With that, we'd have enough MD power to go all the way to the moon.

http://rapidshare.com/files/48409670/Ma ... g.vgm.html

+ note cut delay, and note delay, and we're all set!

I wonder if it's possible to modulate a carrier with the samples from the DAC on the YM2612? FM synthesis with some custom waveforms would be pretty cool.

[SH&E]

Man I Love This Program. I've been looking for a way to sequence my own SMD songs for a long long time. I've never used a tracker before but I must say it's very easy to use, only took me about 10 minutes to make my first song!!! http://www.vgobsession.co.uk/Chemical%2 ... 20Zone.wav

The only two things I really want right now are:

Stereo/Panning Support.
PSG Support.

PLEEASE ADD THEM SHIRU!!!

[Shiru]

People, I already got idea that you all need PSG, DAC, stereo, and some other things. There is no need to repeating this so many times. I'll implement that like I promised, but it takes time. Currently I can't say even when new version will be released, so .. 'when it's done', you know.

I wonder if it's possible to modulate a carrier with the samples from the DAC on the YM2612? FM synthesis with some custom waveforms would be pretty cool.

DAC is just a special mode of one of FM channels of YM2612. In this mode FM synth is completely switches off for this channel. So, there is no way to modulate carriers.

[SH&E]

Just one more thing, erm.. I don't know if It's just my computer but the program seems to be very quiet. Well... quiter than the actual exported vgm output. Would it be possible to make it a bit louder in the next version? Thx for all your hard work by the way.

[FrozenDelight]

Hello!

Sorry I wondering if someone could give me a quick hand. I'm loving this TFM Music Maker stuff, but I don't have a clue how it works. I don't understand how these Tracker things are used. Everyone seems to be talking about random numbers and digits here, like it's some kind of coding, I'm confused

If anyone has any links to guides on how to use Trackers, I would be very grateful. I don't even understand how I put sounds on the vertical timeline thing, I'm completely in the dark.

Thank you for your time.

[Shiru]

Very basic information in Wikipedia
Trackers Handbook

[FrozenDelight]

Thank you for the help in this thread and in the other one Shiru.

Thanks for the links, but I have already read both of them, and found them not to be useful. Wikipedia only gives me the history, and the Trackers Handbook doesn't help me at all. Even the beginners page doesn't make any sense to me. It seems to assume the reader knows all the technical words already, and starts off by saying that I should just mess around with a Tracker until I know what everything does.

But I'm a total beginner, for example, with TFM Music Maker*, what does AR DR SR etc mean? How do I actually add sounds to the patterns tab? And what do all the numbers and letters on the patterns tab represent? As you can see, I'm a total newbie. I was supprised when I couldn't find any beginners guides to Trackers on the internet.

*by the way Shiru, you're the author of this aren't you, well done on a good job, I'm actually honored to be speaking with you!

[SH&E]

Hi I'm pretty new to all of this too. A person from VGMusic.com called Kulor gave me a very helpful, well..guide on how to use it.

Now, for starters, your song's data is laid out like this:
C-1 1F 01 465
The C-1 is the note data.
The 1F is a hexadecimal value for volume, which in this can range from 0-31 (hex numbers count like 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F before incrementing the tens, just in case you didn't know).
The 01 is the instrument.
The 4 in 465 is what type of effect, in this case vibrato. The 65 is the amount of vibrato.
But rather than typing out all the note data, you're expected to play in on your keyboard, with the bottom white row of keys starting at Z, the bottom black row of keys at S, the top white row of keys at Q and the top black row of keys at 2.
Now, the instrument editor...
The easiest way to get sound out of it right away is to load an instrument preset. The load button is right under that strange number chainy thing, your copy should have some instruments lying around somewhere. As far as playing around with your own, AR DR SR and RR are attack, delay, sustain and release (same ADSR standard as a ton of other stuff out there). The only other important ones are TL, which is sorta like an overall volume, and MULT, which multiplies the value. I'd seriously try loading presets before trying to make your own though, it's pretty difficult to even get the thing to make sound.
So yeah, see if this helps!

I found it very helpful, have fun!

[Shiru]

You must read any tracking tutorials, even if you has no sense. You read first time, and get very small sense, you read second time, and understand some more. Then you must try things by yourself, practice is only real way to learn tracking.

TFM MM is not best tracker to start from, because it's specific. 'AR DR SR' stuffs not related to tracking, it's related only to YM2612 (sound chip synthezer which used in SMD). It's parameters of syntesis, very programmer- or hardware designer- stuff. You can try to read YM2612 documentation or some articles about FM synth basics (like this one, first which I found now), to make sense.

I think, in your case better to start with pre-made instruments (which comes with tracker), you can learn about FM synthesis after you learn tracker basics.

Go to into 'Instruments' tab, click 'Open instrument' button (in right part of window, with open folder icon). Select file from 'instruments' folder. Try this instrument in action by screen keyboard. Learn about 'note' keys - it's letter keys which mapped to notes. Z=C, S=C#, X=D, etc. It's like piano keys on your computer keyboard. Next, go to 'Patterns' tab, it's where you write composition itself. Pattern window consist six channels (vertical columns divided by vertical line), each channel contatin 64 note fields by default (it's pattern length, which can be changed). Each note field in pattern contains 4 values:

--- -- -- ---

First value is note. You can enter note here (by note keys) which current octave; you can change current octave by Numpad number keys.

Second value is volume of note, in hex. 1F means maximum, 01 means minimum, no value means that prev. value will be used (1F by default).

Third value is instrument number. If you loaded instrument in slot 1 (in 'Instruments' tab, list at right of the window), enter 01. Or enter nothing, and last assigned instrument will be used (01 by default).

Last value is effect field. Here you can assign some effects for current note, like vibrato, slide up or down, etc. Learn about this value later, it's not very basic stuff.

Now try this. Load instrument 'kick' (any of). It will sounds like bass drum if used in low octaves. Go to pattern window, and enter note C-2 on each fourth line (press 2 on Numpad to select octave 2, then enter notes by Z key). You get something like this, in first channel:

C-2 -- -- ---
--- -- -- ---
--- -- -- ---
--- -- -- ---
C-2 -- -- ---
--- -- -- ---
--- -- -- ---
--- -- -- ---

... repeating to the end of pattern - note line, then three empty lines, and again, and again. Now change speed of playing, because it's too fast by default - enter 6 in both 'Speed' fields. Press 'Play' button (F5), and you hear simple straight beat.

Now you can experiment with this straight beat by adding notes between entered ones, making simple drum bridges. Then you can load second instrument, snare drum for example, and enter it on second channel (don't forget about instrument number in note field), etc. You get how all this works if you will practice and experiment.


Sorry for short and unclear explaination, it's difficult for me to speak about so complex things in english.

[FrozenDelight]

SH&E and Shiru, you are being very helpful! Thanks.

I shall experiment some more and try to get my head around all of this, it doesn't help that I have no experience with music composing whats so ever

ADDED: What do the EditSong and Poly mode buttons do?