efficient way to produce MOD music

[teomi]

Hi guys.
I am looking into producing some MOD music and I am looking for an efficient way to do this
What I'd like to do is to first compose in MIDI using a regular sequencer with VSTi's, and then somehow import in to a tracker and finalize the work there. Obviousy, I am trying to avoid composing inside the tracker...

I know that most trackers import midi files but then I would have to somehow import samples from the VSTis and try to recreate those instruments inside the tracker...

Anyone knows of a good way of doing these things?

Thanks,

[mahtazz]

hope this link helps http://pweb.jps.net/~olivierl/devs.htm

[esperdiv]

I have to wonder why you'd want to do such a thing, but in any case, this software should fill your need. http://www.aodix.com/pageaodixv4.html

It's a tracker that supports VSTis. You'll find more on google with just the query "Tracker VSTI"

ESPER out...

[braj]

What's MOD music? Like 'ready, steady, go! Ska?' Sorry, I'm getting old.

[ouroboros]

MOD music is music made in a "tracker" - a program that sequences wave files (although now they support vst). the interace looks like a spreadsheet. "MOD" refers to one of the original file types, a *.mod, though the *.xm may be the most famous. The files they created were originally very small and could be found in vidoe games, esp cracked games or demos. The ingenious programming became its own scene, persisting even until now!

[rokkon]

http://www.renoise.com imports midi, and is also a pretty good vst host.

edit: oops, i just realized you obviously want to save your finished songs as .mod or .xm so vsti support won't get you there.

[teomi]

Hi guys, thanks for your replies.
The reason I want to do it is simple.
Some developers can only use MODs for the music in their multimedia projects. they won't use WAVs or any other format. So...since composing in trackers is freaking tedious, uninspiring, unintuitive, and boring (at least to me ) I would much rather compose in the more conventional way and then import them into the tracker.

Am I shooting myself in the leg here?

[braj]

MOD music is music made in a "tracker" - a program that sequences wave files (although now they support vst). the interace looks like a spreadsheet. "MOD" refers to one of the original file types, a *.mod, though the *.xm may be the most famous. The files they created were originally very small and could be found in vidoe games, esp cracked games or demos. The ingenious programming became its own scene, persisting even until now!

Thanks.

[mahtazz]

hope this link helps http://pweb.jps.net/~olivierl/devs.htm

edit:
you can also see at OpenMTP (open source tracker) http://sourceforge.net/projects/modplug/

[Jace-BeOS]

Hi guys, thanks for your replies.
The reason I want to do it is simple.
Some developers can only use MODs for the music in their multimedia projects. they won't use WAVs or any other format.

Reasons for that are they can synchronize the graphics and other events with the music. While you can do that with MIDI, the benefit of MOD over MIDI is custom (and usually better/more unique) instrument sounds.

So...since composing in trackers is freaking tedious, uninspiring, unintuitive, and boring (at least to me ) I would much rather compose in the more conventional way and then import them into the tracker.

Depends on the style of music and your style of music composition. Trackers are great for dance/techno and industrial, or any other rigidly structured music. It's tedious and unintuitive for classical and delicate (but expressive) composition.

I feel your pain. I got my start on music through Tracking. I grew out of it, mostly but it still has my heart and I often wish I could do some procedural things in Sonar like I used to do in FastTracker2 (without writing CAL scripts). I need to learn to be effective with today's pattern and loop tools, I guess.

Am I shooting myself in the leg here?

Well, depends on the musical style. Also, there is a big difference in time measuring between MIDI and tracker modules. Because of this, you might lose (or have screwed up) lots of articulation and expression when you import MID files into a tracker. The opposite is less likely to occur since MIDI is finer grained in its timing capabilities. While you can effectively get finer timing in modules by making their pattern play speed much faster, you then are setting yourself up for complicated pattern division and pushing yourself into a set style that works best with very short-timed patterns.

I think you are going to have better luck if you find out what is the most recent module format the developers will accept (is it XM or IT or something newer like Renoise?). Once you identify the format they want, pick a tracker that's modern and uses MIDI input so that you can attempt to compose in a tracker with more traditional input methods. Still will be tedious if you don't like tracking, but it will be a compromise that might be worth it.

The up-side is this: you can do lots of clever effects, working with notes and volume effects and such in trackers that is impossible or more difficult in MIDI (or which allows more sloppiness untintentionally, unless you work with track or clip length controller envelopes - there are good aspects to having a set quantized pattern structure in trackers, too). In a tracker, you can effect individual notes, which is something you cannot do in MIDI instrumentation.

Best of luck with it!

[esperdiv]

Am I shooting myself in the leg here?

Well, depends. If your sequencer composition is sound-dependant (meaning you produce and mix the music in the sequencer), when you import your finished piece in the tracker, it will have lost most of it's shine.

If however, you just use the sequencer to sequence because you are more comfortable with it and use the tracker to mix, then you will get much better results. The piece in the tracker will resemble your intentions a lot more.

My two cents.

ESPER out...