Mercurial > hg > xmms-sid
annotate FAQ @ 957:0e60e5d56fdd
Change how the backend emulator library is initialized for libSIDPlay2 and
FP, as it seems the engine configuration has some persistence despite
reconfiguration between loaded files if same engine object is retained. This
caused, for example, 2SID stereo tunes being played "mono" if played after a
normal 1-SID tune. Duh.
| author | Matti Hamalainen <ccr@tnsp.org> |
|---|---|
| date | Tue, 20 Nov 2012 22:13:48 +0200 |
| parents | 55e992b016a1 |
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| rev | line source |
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| 9 | 1 XMMS-SID - Frequently Asked (and other) Questions |
| 2 ================================================= | |
| 3 | |
| 174 | 4 --- |
| 5 | |
| 6 Q: How do I change the sub-tune? | |
| 7 | |
| 8 A: Starting from XMMS-SID 0.8.0, there are several methods for | |
| 9 changing the subtune. The default is a pop-up selector which | |
| 10 can be summoned by clicking XMMS's song-position slider | |
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11 while a SID-tune is playing. |
| 325 | 12 |
| 13 Other methods are available, including support for the XMMS | |
| 14 patch used by old versions of XMMS-SID (0.7.x and earlier), | |
| 15 refer to XMMS-SID configuration for more information: | |
| 174 | 16 |
| 17 -> Press <ctrl+p> | |
| 199 | 18 -> Select "Audio I/O Plugins"-tab |
| 19 -> Choose "XMMS-SID x.y.z [libxmmssid.so]" from the list | |
| 20 -> Click "Configure" | |
| 21 -> Select "Misc"-tab, Sub-song control | |
| 174 | 22 |
| 23 There is also a selector in song-information window of XMMS | |
| 24 (Press <ctrl+3>) | |
| 25 | |
| 26 --- | |
| 27 | |
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28 Q: So what IS the "SID"? |
| 9 | 29 |
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30 A: "SID" is abbreviation for the sound chip that was used in many |
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31 of the old 8-bit home computers manufactured by Commodore Business |
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32 Machines Inc. in 1980's. Best known of those was the Commodore |
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33 64 home computer (aka C64 or CBM64, also known as VIC-64 in |
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34 some countries). |
| 9 | 35 |
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36 The Sound Interface Device (SID) was designed by Bob Yannes and |
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37 is considered one of the most advanced sound chips of the time. |
| 185 | 38 Its capabilities surpassed all of the other chips on the 8-bit |
| 9 | 39 home computer market and even most of the ones used in arcade |
| 40 game systems. Thousands of games were produced for C=64 in | |
| 41 1980's and beginning of 1990's, many of them having excellent | |
| 42 musical score. | |
| 43 | |
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44 Best of those tunes are still regarded as legendary - such as songs |
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45 by Martin Galway (for games Arkanoid, Green Beret, Yie Ar Kung Fu 1 |
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46 and 2, Parallax), Rob Hubbard (Commando, Auf Wiedersehen Monty, |
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47 Monty on the Run, Warhawk, Sanxion, Delta), Ben Daglish (Jack |
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48 the Nipper 1&2, Way of the Tiger, Cobra, Avenger) and numerous |
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49 other famous composers. Some of them quit their composing quickly |
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50 after the 8-bit period, but some are still working in the computer |
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51 music business. (Including Maniacs of Noise, Chris Huelsbeck; |
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52 and Charles Deenen who worked with PC RPG game Fallout 1 & 2's |
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53 musical score.) |
| 9 | 54 |
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55 Today, years after the decline of 8-bit computers, many composers |
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56 mainly from C64 demoscene continue to compose tunes for SID and |
| 9 | 57 get most amazing things out of it -- things that the designers of |
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58 the SID didn't even imagine to be possible. |
| 9 | 59 |
| 60 | |
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61 The SID-chip is based on waveform modulation and synthesis and has |
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62 only three separate sound channels, but there are tunes that use |
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63 special techniques to "multiplex" them to sound like four or even |
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64 six channels. Even with limited number of channels and barely four |
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65 different basic waveforms (saw, triangle, pulse and noise), SID is |
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66 able to create most wonderful sounds. Modulation of channels via |
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67 another, special analog filter (low-, high- and band-pass) add |
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68 to the capabilities of SID. |
| 9 | 69 |
| 199 | 70 What is even more amazing, using a certain 'bug' in SID chip's |
| 71 volume control, composers were able to push the limits farther | |
| 72 ... Martin Galway's very famous piece on Arkanoid game was one of | |
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73 the first to feature digitized samples of real instruments. Later |
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74 on speech and more advanced sampling techniques were developed. |
| 9 | 75 |
| 171 | 76 --- |
| 9 | 77 |
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78 Q: What are "SID-tunes"? |
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79 |
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80 A: The "SID-tunes" are files that contain C64 machine code and data |
| 199 | 81 that plays the music. These files usually have names ending in |
| 82 .sid, .psid, .dat or .inf. | |
| 83 | |
| 84 SID-tune players are programs that emulate the SID's capabilities | |
| 85 and other parts of C64 hardware to produce almost authentic re- | |
| 86 creation of the original music. SID-tune files can be created by | |
| 87 ripping the music routines and data from a program (game/demo) or | |
| 88 just composing the music with some editor. | |
| 9 | 89 |
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90 XMMS-SID is interface and piece of "software glue", that knits |
| 171 | 91 together several emulator libraries and XMMS, allowing it to |
| 92 play SID-tunes. | |
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93 |
| 171 | 94 --- |
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95 |
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96 Q: Where to get SID-tunes? |
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97 |
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98 A: There are many collections of SID-tunes on the Internet, but |
| 199 | 99 probably the best and best known one is the High Voltage |
| 9 | 100 SID Collection aka HVSC. |
| 101 | |
| 325 | 102 It is available at: http://www.hvsc.c64.org/ |
| 9 | 103 |
| 104 HVSC contains the tunes ripped from all legendary C64 games, | |
| 199 | 105 loaders, etc. And more. There are over 20,000 tunes in the |
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106 HVSC version 5.3 and more are coming. HVSC also contains the |
| 9 | 107 STIL database (SID Tune Information List) that contains lots |
| 108 of information about many of the tunes included in HVSC. | |
| 23 | 109 XMMS-SID supports the STIL database and info about the selected |
| 9 | 110 tune can be viewed with the "XMMS fileinfo" window (CTRL+3). |
| 111 STIL information can contain comments from composers, notice | |
| 112 if the tune is a cover and historically interesting facts | |
| 113 about games, etc... | |
| 114 | |
| 171 | 115 --- |
| 116 | |
| 199 | 117 Q: Why the SID-tunes just loop on forever and XMMS does not |
| 118 advance in playlist?! | |
| 119 Q: Why there is no length shown for SID-tunes? | |
| 120 Q: Why are all tunes same length? | |
| 121 | |
| 122 A: Above problems come from the fact that SID-tunes are not | |
| 123 really files containing music comparable to MP3/Ogg/MOD/etc. | |
| 124 A SID-file/tune is actually a piece of program and data, | |
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125 which are executed in emulated system to produce sound. |
| 199 | 126 |
| 127 These programs (often called "drivers" or "players") come | |
| 128 in various shapes and forms, there are usually not many | |
| 129 common factors. While not delving deeply into technology | |
| 130 of Commodore 64 computer and it's brethen, there are | |
| 131 various ways how such "driver"/"player" can work. The | |
| 132 only access points are provided by some extra information | |
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133 in SID-tune file's header, including information how to |
| 199 | 134 execute the player inside the emulator, etc. |
| 135 | |
| 136 This lengthy explanation is required to understand that | |
| 137 there is simply no _direct_ way to know the duration of | |
| 138 any SID-tune! | |
| 139 | |
| 140 There are, however, few _indirect_ ways: | |
| 141 | |
| 142 - HVSC Song Length Database (SLDB): There exists a database | |
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143 of song-lengths for High Voltage SID Collection. XMMS-SID |
| 199 | 144 supports this database, please refer to README for more |
| 145 information. | |
| 146 | |
| 147 - Maximum and Minimum playtime: These help, when SLDB does | |
| 148 not provide a duration for given song. Maximum playtime | |
| 149 should be self-explanatory. Minimum playtime may be | |
| 150 preferred if the tune's length is very short and there | |
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151 are subtunes. Refer to XMMS-SID's configuration and |
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152 README for more information. |
| 199 | 153 |
| 154 --- | |
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155 |
| 150 | 156 Q: Why isn't the sub-song control window skinned? |
| 9 | 157 |
| 158 A: Because the XMMS's code for skins is not exported to | |
| 167 | 159 plugins. And besides, you would need new reworked |
| 160 skin(s) anyway, piecing a skin together from existing | |
| 161 components would probably be impossible in most cases. | |
| 9 | 162 |
| 171 | 163 --- |
| 9 | 164 |
| 165 Q: When using XMMS-SID with the OpenGL Spectrum Analyzer, | |
| 167 | 166 the sound becomes distorted! |
| 9 | 167 |
| 168 A: This is a known problem and occurs usually with NVidia | |
| 169 cards and drivers. It is not directly related to XMMS-SID. | |
| 170 | |
| 171 With certain combinations of hardware, this problem presents | |
| 172 itself with all input-plugins (mp3, mod, ogg..) of XMMS. | |
| 173 | |
| 174 Workaround: Upgrade or downgrade your NVidia drivers. | |
| 175 Try lowering your systemload. Close some unnecessary | |
| 176 CPU-consuming applications. Buy faster hardware. | |
| 177 | |
| 171 | 178 --- |
| 9 | 179 |
| 166 | 180 Q: Can I make my own SID-tunes? How? |
| 9 | 181 |
| 182 A: Yes you can. You need a real C64 or emulator like VICE and | |
| 183 a composing program. There are many available, I know only | |
| 184 few of them: | |
| 185 | |
| 23 | 186 - JCH's editor (search with google) |
| 9 | 187 - Cybertracker (http://noname.c64.org/) |
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188 - GoatTracker (http://covertbitops.c64.org/) |
| 9 | 189 |
| 190 Some of the mentioned tools can be found from Lemon's | |
| 191 collection which is an excellent place to look for info | |
| 192 on games and other Commodore-related software. | |
| 193 The URL is: http://www.lemon64.com/ | |
| 23 | 194 |
| 9 | 195 You should also check http://www.c64.com/ |
| 196 | |
| 197 Besides the above, you'll need some skill in using the | |
| 198 programs and hardware, understanding of music in some | |
| 199 level and good ideas for tunes. :) | |
| 200 | |
| 201 Rest of that is out of the scope of this document, | |
| 202 please don't ask me about this. | |
| 203 | |
| 171 | 204 --- |
| 9 | 205 |
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206 Q: XMMS-SID plays some tunes too fast / there are severe playback bugs! |
| 9 | 207 |
| 737 | 208 A0: Upgrade to later version of GCC, like GCC 4.6 or 5.7 |
| 408 | 209 |
| 325 | 210 A1: If you are using libSIDPlay2 emulator engine, some SID-tunes in old |
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211 format (PSIDv1) are not compatible with it anymore and may play |
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212 too fast or with some other audible glitches. Get new rips of those |
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213 tunes in PSIDv2NG or RSID format, for example from recent version |
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214 of HVSC. |
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215 |
| 166 | 216 A2: Generally speaking this might be a bug in emulation-library or some |
| 217 other component. Or it might be in XMMS-SID. Report and I'll see | |
| 218 what can be done. | |
| 9 | 219 |
| 171 | 220 --- |
| 167 | 221 |
| 222 Q: Some tunes are so short that I don't have time to change sub-tune | |
| 223 before XMMS moves on to next song in playlist! | |
| 224 | |
| 225 A: Enable "Minimum playtime" option in XMMS-SID configuration | |
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226 (Songlength -tab in configuration dialog), which adds silence to |
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227 end of short tunes and you have more time to change the sub-tune. |
| 167 | 228 |
| 171 | 229 --- |
| 167 | 230 |