# HG changeset patch # User Matti Hamalainen # Date 1054734245 0 # Node ID 50556bffe2edc0c734018a10411d69f6c9dd6a40 # Parent 74dcddaf1e83955cb30872840385745ab0732a3b Working towards CVS 0.8 diff -r 74dcddaf1e83 -r 50556bffe2ed FAQ --- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/FAQ Wed Jun 04 13:44:05 2003 +0000 @@ -0,0 +1,203 @@ +XMMS-SID - Frequently Asked (and other) Questions +================================================= + +- So what IS the SID and/or what are SID-tunes? +- Where to get SID tunes? +- Why isn't the sub-song control window skinnable? +- When using XMMS-SID with the OpenGL Spectrum Analyzer, +- Can I make my own SIDs??? How?? +- XMMS-SID plays some tune badly! +- Do I really need to use the song-position patch? +- How do I use the song-position patch? + + +>--- + +Q: So what IS the SID and/or what are SID-tunes? + +A: SID is abbreviation for the sound chip that was used in many + of the old 8-bit home computers manufactured by Commodore Inc. + in 1980's. Best known of those was the Commodore 64 home computer + (aka C64 or CBM64, also known as VIC-64 in some countries). + + The Sound Interface Device (SID), designed by Bob Yannes, was + one of the most advanced sound chips at the time. + It's capabilities surpassed all of the other chips on the 8-bit + home computer market and even most of the ones used in arcade + game systems. Thousands of games were produced for C=64 in + 1980's and beginning of 1990's, many of them having excellent + musical score. + + Best of those tunes are still regarded to be legendary, + such as songs by Martin Galway (for games Arkanoid, Green Beret, + Yie Ar Kung Fu 1 & 2, Parallax...), Rob Hubbard (Commando, Auf + Wiedersehen Monty, Monty on the Run, Warhawk, Sanxion, Delta...), + Ben Daglish (Jack the Nipper 1&2, Way of the Tiger, Cobra, Avenger) + and numerous other famous composers. Some of them quit their + composing quickly after the 8-bit period, but some are still + working in the computer music business. (Including Maniacs of + Noise, Chris Huelsbeck, Richard Joseph and ex. MON member + Charles Deenen who worked with Fallout 1 & 2's musical score) + + Today, years after the 'decline' of 8-bit computers, many composers + (mainly from C64 demoscene) continue to compose tunes for SID and + get most amazing things out of it -- things that the designers of + the SID would have never believed. + + For example: SID has only three sound channels, but there are tunes + that use special techniques to "multiplex" them to sound like four + or even six channels. Also these three channels are "limited" to + synthesized sounds, kind like the FM sounds produced by old Sound + Blaster cards on PC. But again, using a certain 'bug' in SID chip, + composers were able to push the limits farther ... Martin Galway's + very famous piece on Arkanoid game was the "first" (later it has + been proven that Chris Huelsbeck's Bad Cat was the first but was + released later) to feature DIGITIZED SAMPLES like speech, etc. + + ... + + So this is the story in short. The "SID tunes" are usually understood + to be the files that contain the C64 machine code and data that plays + the music. SID players (or emulators) are programs that emulate the + SID chip capabilities and other parts of C64 hardware to produce + almost authentic re-creation of the original music. SID-files (aka + SID tunes) can be created by ripping the music routines and data from + some game or just composing the music with some editor. + + XMMS-SID is interface for one of those emulators, libSIDPlay by + Michael Schwendt. + + +>--- + +Q: Where to get SID tunes? + +A: There are many collections of SID tunes on the Internet, but + probably the best one and best known one is the High Voltage + SID Collection aka HVSC. + + It is available at: http://hvsc.c64.org/ + + HVSC contains the tunes ripped from all legendary C64 games, + loaders, etc. And more. There are over 15,000 tunes in the + HVSC version 4.0 and more are coming. HVSC also contains the + STIL database (SID Tune Information List) that contains lots + of information about many of the tunes included in HVSC. + XMMS-SID supports the STIL database and info about the playing + tune can be viewed with the "XMMS fileinfo" window (CTRL+3). + STIL information can contain comments from composers, notice + if the tune is a cover and historically interesting facts + about games, etc... + +>--- + +Q: Why isn't the sub-song control window skinnable? + +A: Because the XMMS's code for skins is not exported to + plugins. And besides, you would need new skin(s) anyway. + + Things would be overly complicated if I added a skin support + and I'm not interested, at least for now. + +>--- + +Q: When using XMMS-SID with the OpenGL Spectrum Analyzer, + the sound becomes distorted! + +A: This is a known problem and occurs usually with NVidia + cards and drivers. It is not directly related to XMMS-SID. + + With certain combinations of hardware, this problem presents + itself with all input-plugins (mp3, mod, ogg..) of XMMS. + + Workaround: Upgrade or downgrade your NVidia drivers. + Try lowering your systemload. Close some unnecessary + CPU-consuming applications. Buy faster hardware. + +>--- + +Q: Can I make my own SIDs??? How?? + +A: Yes you can. You need a real C64 or emulator like VICE and + a composing program. There are many available, I know only + few of them: + + - JCH's editor + - Cybertracker (http://noname.c64.org/) + - GoatTracker (http://www.covertbitops.cjb.net/) + + Some of the mentioned tools can be found from Lemon's + collection which is an excellent place to look for info + on games and other Commodore-related software. + The URL is: http://www.lemon64.com/ + You should also check http://www.c64.com/ + + Besides the above, you'll need some skill in using the + programs and hardware, understanding of music in some + level and good ideas for tunes. :) + + Rest of that is out of the scope of this document, + please don't ask me about this. + +>--- + +Q: XMMS-SID plays some tune badly! + +A: Please read file "README.bugreport". In general this + might be a bug in SIDPlay-library or some other component. + Or it might be in XMMS-SID. Report and I'll see what + can be done. + +>--- + +Q: Do I really need to use the song-position patch? + I would like to have my XMMS as it is. + +A: No, you don't need to use it or patch XMMS. There is + now an alternative available, although it only covers + XMMS-SID (no other plugins, like the patch). + + This new sub-song control window is imitated from SIDAmp. + + The new sub-song-selector is used automagically if + you have NOT patched the XMMS. If you have patched it, + then the patch will be used instead. + +>--- + +Q: How do I use the song-position patch? + +A: Apply the patch to XMMS, configure and (re)compile, + install. Configure and compile XMMS-SID, install. + +XMMS-SID automagically detects a patched XMMS and uses the +extended features. (See also the previous questions) + +Patching +======== +Short instructions of patching XMMS for the uninitiated ;-) +(Substitute the XMMS version 1.2.5 with the appropriate version) + +1) Unpack the XMMS source distribution: + + tar -xzvf xmms-1.2.5.tar.gz + +2) cd xmms-1.2.5 + +3) Patch the XMMS (with the selected patch file) + + patch -p1 < /some/where/xmms-songpos.patch + +4) If the patch succeeded (no failures, no .rej files), you + can now compile and install the XMMS. (Read through XMMS + documentation how to do it if you don't know) + + If some part of the patch does not succeed, you may need + to fix it by hand. Or you could just not use the patch :) + + +If you patched and recompiled XMMS _after_ you had already used +XMMS-SID, you need to re-compile XMMS-SID too to make it use the +patch features! + +>--- diff -r 74dcddaf1e83 -r 50556bffe2ed README.songpos --- a/README.songpos Tue Jun 03 11:30:01 2003 +0000 +++ /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 @@ -1,46 +0,0 @@ -Introduction -============ -The XMMS-SID plugin will work much better if you install the song -position patch ("xmms-songpos.patch*") which makes it possible for -the plugin to use the position slider to choose subtunes. - -It also patches some other plugins (like MikMod plugin) for -improved features. Additionally, the patch for XMMS 1.2.5 -has a dirty hack fix - -Patching -======== -Short instructions of patching XMMS for the uninitiated ;-) - -(Substitute the 1.2.5 version number with the appropriate version) - -1) Unpack the XMMS source distribution: - - tar -xzvf xmms-1.2.5.tar.gz - -2) cd xmms-1.2.5 - -3) Choose appropriate patch: - If you have XMMS version 1.2.0-1.2.3, choose patch version 1.2.2 - With 1.2.4 and later, choose patch version 1.2.5! - -4) Patch the XMMS (with the selected patch file) - - patch -p1 < /some/where/xmms-songpos.patch.1.2.5 - -5) If the patch succeeded (no failures, no .rej files), you - can now compile and install the XMMS. (Read through XMMS - documentation how to do it if you don't already know) - - If some part of the patch does not succeed, you may need - to fix it by hand. Or you could just not use the patch :) - - (See the TODO-file for what I have planned to remedy this patch with!) - - -NOTICE -====== -If you patched and recompiled XMMS _after_ you had already used -XMMS-SID, you need to re-compile XMMS-SID too to make it use the -patch features! -