Hi there,
Lately I've been looking at many ways of writing chiptune music. I have found a few alternatives as stated in my topic in the off-topic room, but the only one that I managed to get to work was MCK, a way to convert MML (Music Macro Language) into music files for the nintendo entertainment system. The only problem with this method is that it seems to require a 16 bit system, although windows xp doesn't work, so my only other possibility is to have a windows 98 machine running so I can convert the MML files after writing them since editing with supernova under 98 is incredibly obnoxious. This means I have to do loads of transfers between the machines because the nes player that I use doesn't work under 98 either. The compiler is also pretty slow. That, combined with the lag the virtual machine has, makes writing nes music a very hard task, requiring a lot of work which could be saved... with bgt.
Surprisingly enough, the bgt soundtrack object's philosophy is mostly the same as the MML/MCK one. The syntax is almost exactly the same, they both use a channel system, but they have a few differences which really make the change impossible. I will try to detail them here so if Philip happens to read this or someone passese this on to him these features might get added in a future small update.
1. Noise channels: This is perhaps my greatest problem right now. Noise channels are used in lots of chiptune tracks to simulate drums in a very rudimentary fassion. They're also incredibly useful when making 8bit sound effects. This would be a great addition to the tone synth class for people like me who don't mind scripting chiptune.
2. Samples (DPCM): The nes had a channel for DPCM samples, which were basically recorded wave samples or something like that that you could insert into the track. This was another way of making drums, way more realistic than the noise one. With bgt you can't add samples to a song in any way.
3. Macros: MML has a very useful feature called macros. They're basically sequences of different atributes that can either loop or just affect the beginning of a note. You have different macros for arpegiator, volume, vibrato, etc. The attack parameter in the soundtrack object, for example, could be achieved in mml by making a volume macro that would ramp the volume up when a note starts: @EV0={ 0 1 3 5 7 }
4. Square wave duty: As most of you already know, square waves can have different duties (12.5%, 25%, 50% and 75%) which make the soudn of the instrument completely change. It would be extremely useful to have that in square instrument tracks since it would allow for more instrument making, and if we ever have an duty macro, that would help a lot too.
5. Pitchbending in soudntrack objects: One of the many reasons I didn't switch to bgt for chiptune making is this one. You can't do pitchbends in the soudntrack because you have no control on the current note whatsoever.
6. Easier way to make tuplets in soundtracks: Right now you have to actually calculate the length of the note which is kind of hard for me. MML uses a pair of delimiters with the notes inbetween them and then a number after the closing delimiter signifying the length of those notes. SO to do an eighth note tripplet you do {CDE}8 or someothing like that, I honestly can't remember if it was braces or brackets off the top of my head.
Well, I think that's it. If anyone would be so kind as to pass this on to Philip if he doesn't really check this forum, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm sure all of us chiptune lovers out there will love this. Hell, this might even make bgt an interesting tool for sighted people who also love chipmusic.
Thanks in advance!
An enemy we cannot defeat.
A destiny we cannot escape.
Follow me on twitter @guilevi2000