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Updated to 0.8
author Matti Hamalainen <ccr@tnsp.org>
date Tue, 03 Jun 2003 11:25:05 +0000
parents 183e7cbc1036
children 469efc05e01e
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6:ff6b3a556a15 7:e5c49367b899
1 xmms-sid - SIDPlay input plugin for X MultiMedia System (XMMS) 1 XMMS-SID - SIDPlay input plugin for X MultiMedia System (XMMS)
2 ============================================================== 2 ==============================================================
3 (C) Copyright 2002-2003 Matti 'ccr/TNSP' Hämäläinen
4 (versions from v0.5 up to current)
3 5
4 XMMS-SID is originally by Willem Monsuwe. 6 (C) Copyright 1999 Willem Monsuwe
5 Additional fixes, features added were added by 7 (versions up to v0.4)
6 Matti "ccr" Hamalainen of Tecnic Software productions (TNSP),
7 who also nowadays maintains this package.
8 8
9 !! NOTICE: Please do not contact Willem about this version, 9 "XMMS-SID Theme"-song (SIDtune)
10 since the bugs and quirks are probably made by me (ccr) now. !! 10 by Peter 'Brite-Lite' Halin of Dekadence
11 (C) Copyright 2002 Dekadence
12 <http://www.dekadence64.org/>
11 13
12 General Introduction 14 MD5 Algorithm code for song-length database handling
13 ==================== 15 by L. Peter Deutsch <ghost@aladdin.com>
14 XMMS-SID is a plugin for XMMS (X MultiMedia System) which provides 16 (C) Copyright 1999 Aladdin Enterprises. All rights reserved.
15 support for playing the so-called "SID tunes". For the actual playing,
16 XMMS-SID uses the excellent libsidplay SID-chip/6502 emulator engine.
17 (See "INSTALL" where to get libsidplay)
18
19 If you are not familiar with the term "SID tune" or "SID" concept at
20 all, a short (yes it is! ;-) explanation follows:
21
22 SID is the sound chip that was used in many of the old 8-bit home
23 computers manufactured by Commodore Inc. in 1980's. Best known of
24 those was the Commodore 64 home computer (aka C64 or CBM64, also
25 known as VIC-64 in some countries).
26 17
27 18
28 The Sound Interface Device (SID) was one of the most advanced sound 19 Short Introduction
29 chips at the time. It's capabilities surpassed all of the other chips 20 ==================
30 on the 8-bit home computer market and even most of the ones used in 21 XMMS-SID is a plugin for XMMS (X MultiMedia System) which provides
31 arcade game systems. Thousands of games were produced for C=64 in 22 support for playing the so-called "SID tunes", which are music
32 1980's and beginning of 1990's, many of them having excellent musical 23 from old Commodore computer programs like games, demos, etc.
33 score. Best of those tunes are still regarded at least legendary,
34 such as songs by Martin Galway (for games Arkanoid, Green Beret,
35 Yie Ar Kung Fu 1 & 2, Parallax...), Rob Hubbard (Commando, Auf
36 Wiedersehen Monty, Monty on the Run, Warhawk, Sanxion, Delta...),
37 Ben Daglish (Jack the Nipper 1&2, Way of the Tiger, Cobra, Avenger...)
38 and numerous other legendary composers. Some of them quit their
39 composing quickly after the 8-bit period, but some are still working
40 in the computer music business. (Like Maniacs of Noise, Chris
41 Huelsbeck, Richard Joseph and ex. MON member Charles Deenen who
42 worked with Fallout 1's musical score)
43 24
25 For the actual playing, XMMS-SID uses the excellent libsidplay (1|2)
26 SID-chip/6502 emulator engine that emulates 6510 CPU and 6581/8580
27 Sound Interface Device (SID) chip.
44 28
45 Today, years after the decline of 8-bit computers, many composers 29 If you are not familiar with the term "SID tune" or "SID" concept
46 (mainly from C64 demoscene) continue to compose tunes for SID and 30 at all, please read the longer introduction in the FAQ!
47 get most amazing things out of it -- things that the designers of
48 the SID would have never believed.
49
50 For example: SID has only three sound channels, but there are tunes
51 that use special techniques to "multiplex" them to sound like four
52 or even six channels. Also these three channels are "limited" to
53 synthesized sounds, kind like the FM sounds produced by old Sound Blaster
54 cards on PC. But again, using a certain 'bug' in SID chip, composers
55 were able to push the limits farther ... Martin Galway's very famous
56 piece on Arkanoid game was the "first" (later it has been proven that
57 Chris Huelsbeck's Bad Cat was the first but was released later) to
58 feature DIGITIZED SAMPLES like speech, etc.
59
60 ...
61
62 So this is the story in short. The "SID tunes" are usually understood
63 to be the files that contain the C64 machine code and data that plays
64 the music. SID players (or emulators) are programs that emulate the
65 SID chip capabilities and other parts of C64 hardware to produce
66 almost authentic re-creation of the original music. SID-files (aka
67 SID tunes) can be created by ripping the music routines and data from
68 some game or just composing the music with some editor.
69
70 XMMS-SID is interface for one of those emulators, probably the best
71 one: (lib)SIDPlay by Michael Schwendt.
72
73 ...
74
75 Hopefully I didn't make you bored with my chit-chat :)
76
77 -ccr/TNSP
78
79
80 Where to get SID tunes?
81 =======================
82 There are many collections of SID tunes on the Internet, but
83 probably the best one and best known one is the High Voltage
84 SID Collection aka HVSC.
85
86 It is available at: http://hvsc.c64.org/
87
88 HVSC contains the tunes ripped from all legendary C64 games,
89 loaders, etc. And more. There are over 15,000 tunes in the
90 HVSC version 4.0 and more are coming. HVSC also contains the
91 STIL database (SID Tune Information List) that contains lots
92 of information about many of the tunes included in HVSC.
93 XMMS-SID supports the STIL database and info about the playing
94 tune can be viewed with the "XMMS fileinfo" window (CTRL+3).
95 STIL information can contain comments from composers, information
96 about if the tune is a cover and historically interesting facts
97 about games, etc...
98 31
99 32
100 Usage 33 Usage
101 ===== 34 =====
102 Using the plugin is quite simple, if you are familiar with XMMS, 35 Using the plugin is quite simple: if you are familiar with XMMS and
103 then you already know how to use XMMS-SID. The configuration of 36 SIDPlay, then you already know how to use XMMS-SID. Configuration
104 the plugin should be quite self-explanatory and the default settings 37 should be self-explanatory, here are few tips:
105 are usually satisfactory. The only thing that you probably
106 need to touch in the config dialog is the "STIL-database path"-setting,
107 if you have the HVSC-collection and want to use STIL-database.
108 38
109 Simply point the STIL-db path to "STIL.txt"-file that resides 39 * SIDPlay2-emulation is harder, but more accurate. So you need to have
110 under "DOCUMENTS"-subdirectory of HVSC-rootdir. For example, 40 more CPU-power for it.
111 I use the following path: "/usr/src/C64Music/DOCUMENTS/STIL.txt".
112 (My HVSC resides under "/usr/src/C64Music")
113 41
42 * Oversampling is available with SIDPlay2-emulation, it can further
43 enchange the audio quality, but requires even more power.
114 44
115 Notes 45 * Filter-settings can be usually left as they are, unless you know
116 ===== 46 what you're doing.
117 * If the plugin doesn't recognize your sidtunes, try checking the 47
118 'Determine filetype by contents' option in the xmms-sid config window. 48 * If the plugin doesn't recognize your SID-tunes, try checking the
49 'Determine filetype by contents' option in the XMMS-SID config window.
119 This is horrendously slow if you're reading a 10000-tune playlist, 50 This is horrendously slow if you're reading a 10000-tune playlist,
120 though. 51 though.
121 52
122 * For those who don't know it: Autopanning and stereo are not native to 53 * For those who don't know it: Autopanning and stereo are not native to
123 the original SID chip on C64&all, but are extra options implemented in 54 the original SID chip on C64&all, but are extra options implemented in
124 libsidplay. So if you think that the tune does not sound as it sounds 55 libsidplay. So if you think that the tune does not sound as it sounds
125 on the real C64 (or other SID using machine), use the Mono setting. 56 on the real C64 (or other SID using machine), use the Mono setting.
126 57
127 * xmms-sid's configuration panel has been enchanged (from v0.6)
128 to have the libsidplay's SID filter configuration parameters. You
129 can tune them if you know what you're doing and maybe want to make
130 xmms-sid sound more like your own C64's SID (as some of you may
131 remember, the original SID 6580 had the infamous filter bug that
132 made every chip sound somewhat different!). If you don't know what
133 to do with these settings, just press the Reset Values button to
134 get the working defaults of libsidplay.
135
136 * The "kb/s rate" box is actually the play rate in Hz, so you can 58 * The "kb/s rate" box is actually the play rate in Hz, so you can
137 see if it's an NTSC or PAL song (if you haven't set the Force Speed 59 see if it's an NTSC or PAL song (if you haven't set the Force Speed
138 option). 60 option).
139 61
140 * Read file "README.songpos" for additional fun. 62 Also see FAQ for more tips, notes and such.
63
141 64
142 65
143 Contacting and where to get new versions 66 Contacting and where to get new versions
144 ======================================== 67 ========================================
145 New releases of this plugin should be available at TNSP's WWW 68 New releases of this plugin should be available at TNSP's WWW-
146 homepages, see below for address. Bug reports, suggestions, 69 homepages, see below for address. Bug-reports, suggestions,
147 patches, etc. should be sent to ccr. 70 patches, etc. should be sent to ccr.
148 71
149 ccr's e-mail: mhamalai@ratol.fi 72 ccr's e-mail: ccr@tnsp.org
150 73
151 OR : ccr@iobox.com (if the one above does not work) 74 XMMS-SID's homepage: http://www.tnsp.org/xmms-sid.php
152 75
153 TNSP's WWW : http://www.tnsp.org/ 76 TNSP's WWW : http://www.tnsp.org/
77 TNSP e-mail : tnsp@tnsp.org
154 78
155 TNSP e-mail : tnsp@iobox.com
156