Implement import of E-Tracker format

mborik / SAA1099Tracker

SAA1099Tracker is chiptune music tracker for Philips SAA 1099 soundchip

https://saa1099tracker.borik.net

MIT License

34 stars 3 forks source link

Implement import of E-Tracker format #17

Closed mborik closed 1 year ago

mborik commented 2 years ago

📝 Feature description

E-Tracker is well known music tracker on Sam Coupé and there are still active composers.

💡 Expectations

To support a migration of composers to our SAA1099Tracker we should implement import of their modules.

⚒️ Solution

E-Tracker module import was already implemented in early iteration of this project (then called MIF85Tracker) here.
We should just rewrite it into TypeScript and enable the menu item.
Refactor all imports into src/tracker/file.import.ts

🔦 Additional context

stefandrissen commented 2 years ago

As a feature creep, perhaps also support importing compiled e-tracker tunes? Zxart.ee has hundreds, they can be manually decompiled with a tool I wrote back in the day (see https://www.worldofsam.org/products/fred-best-fred )

mborik commented 2 years ago

@stefandrissen Thank you for your suggestion. 🙏 It's great but I'll need some cooperation to make it happen.

support importing compiled e-tracker tunes

Is there any description of E-Tracker compilation format? It's backward compatible to module format?

they can be manually decompiled with a tool I wrote back in the day

Are there any sources of your decompiler in readable form that could act as blueprint? As a bonus, would you be able to suggest an algorithm or JS/TS/anything code draft for this import? 😉

stefandrissen commented 2 years ago

No, unfortunately there's no description that I know of.

I do have a documented (disassembled) player.

I have also just found the source code to my d-compiler and added it to that repo.

mborik commented 2 years ago

Thank you for your repo and info, it will help a lot. 👍

mborik commented 1 year ago

@stefandrissen Well, importing of E-Tracker compilation was a bit tough... ufff! 🥴 ... but positions, patterns and ornaments are imported well and it seems OK. 🤞 I have a problem with samples. I don't get a point how to handle sample format; It's pretty confusing for me that searching in 5th pointer from header and how it affecting a volume or repeating...? 🤔 https://github.com/mborik/SAA1099Tracker/blob/55b31a56aea6d5b41bd52b67ddaca63fd2596928/src/tracker/file.import.ts#L521

stefandrissen commented 1 year ago

:-) from a quick scan of the D-Compiler at line 426 - I /think/ I understand your confusion.

The volume / noise mask are all stored as RLE deltas (deviation).