KEEP ON TRACKIN'


A Module Tracker is a file.
Such a file contains all data it needs to reproduce an audio composition.
The score in time, the sounds of the instruments, settings, names, comments.
So a Module Tracker is system-independent. Thus sounding ('dry') anywhere the same.
A very underestimated form of composition with electronic sound.
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Check also Wikipedia about module trackers
The necessary software can be downloaded from the Links-page
This treatise is based on working with ModPLug Tracker in XM- or MOD-format

The score is MIDI-like, just a table with codes. But it is read and written mostly in a vertical manner, which is much more suitable for a computer with its screen. So not the classical horizontal reading, but scrolling down in time. The score consists of a composed order of 'patterns'. These can be used more than once in that order, like : 1 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 3 - 1 - 3 - , etc. A pattern has a default 64 steps, but can be any number under the maximum (-256). A pattern consists horizontally of 4 or more 'channels', each filled with instrument-codes, so in the playback more samples can be heard at the same time.
The instrument-sounds (sample-files) are loaded into memory and played on the fly, according to the codes for frequency (7 octaves), the volume, panning and other effects. If a sample-file only can be a mono one, then stereo-samples have to be split first in a left sample and a right sample to enable loading in the Tracker. The stereo-effect can be reproduced by playing the two samples simultaneously from two different channels.
The settings contain global and local variables. The speed as well as other modulations. The editing of the instrument-codes is done with the keyboard mostly There are two octaves available via the lower and upper rows of keys. Which two of the seven octaves those are, depends of the 'range'-setting. Many codes are written in a hexadecimal format to keep the number of digits small ('127' becomes '7F'). Often player-editors have extra 'overall' effects like reverb, equalizer or repeat.
The file of a tracker-module does not contain the sound of the piece, but only the material to be able to reproduce the piece. The instruments and the score. It is a very efficient concept, because the filesize is independent of duration. Unlike the wav- or the mp3-files : the longer the track, the bigger the file. A wav-file with a 16-bits stereo-sample of 44 kHz of 8 seconds is 1.4 Mbytes. If this sample is repeated 8 times, the file becomes 11.2 Mbytes. With a tracker-module it only takes that 1.4 Mb plus some Kbytes of the score containing the code : 'repeat sample nr x eight times'. Non-destructive compression .. ModPlug also can handle modules in zip-format directly, so the file even gets smaller. An example of the efficiency : A simple MOD-file with 4 channels and 20 samples (lo-res 8 Khz). Length : 2 min 54. This is the song 'Ecolove', by Stephane Picq, with a theme of DUNE 1.
This file is 150 Kb .... Even if converted into a lo-res Mp3-format (96Kbps-44kHz), the size will be more than 2 Mb. A wav-file of this, needed for an audio-Cd, seen its length, would be around 25 MB. Of the same serie : 'Fremens', length 5 min 36 sec, filesize 147 Kb ..
Also : 'Wormsign', by 'A.C.E.' - 4 channels, 11 samples - length 3:20, filesize 146 Kb
'Dune Remix', by 'The Mixer' - 4 channels, 5 samples - length 1:01,filesize 36 Kb
And : 'Klass', by myself - 4 channels, 16 samples - length 7:02, filesize 225 Kb
Plus : 'Jumper Decision' - 8 channels, 10 samples - length 3:31, filesize 163 Kb
Pre above MIDI : independent of system concerning the used sounds. The standard MIDI-set has a 'bank' of 128 sounds, with an arrangement closely related to a classical symphony-orchestra, completed with some effects and exotic instruments. The weakness of MIDI is very clear in the percussion-group, where the whole group is put in 1 'channel' (10), causing every key on the keyboard producing another percussion-instrument. Playing with the pitch, like with the other instruments, is not possible. This has led to all kinds of 'custom banks' and the 'soundfonts' to have another set of sounds. But of course this has led to a state of local system-dependence concerning the correct reproduction of the composition.
Drawback of samples : The compo's will often be instrumental, because a sung text with different couplets and refrain soon deliver a voice-sample of song-length. This has led to the use of short text-lines in modern genres with sample-techniques, often to be heard in a repeated way.
Besides editing and saving of different tracker-formats, ModPlug also can export the songs to WAV, MP3 (or MID). With very detailed settings-options. An excellent high-quality re-sampling makes that even 8 bits - 8 kHz samples like those of 'Ecolove' still sound very good.