TRACKER(1) UNIX System V (15 March 94) TRACKER(1)
NAME
tracker - play soundtracker modules on a Unix machine.
SYNOPSIS
tracker [-help] [-new|old|both] [-speedmode [old | normal |
finefirst | normalfirst]] [-verbose] [-quiet|scroll] [-sync]
[-picky|tolerant] [-mono|stereo] [-mix percent] [-frequency
hertz] [-oversample n] [-speed hertz] [-transpose halftones]
[-repeats number] [-loop] [-start pattern]
filename ...
DESCRIPTION
tracker plays soundtracker music modules on a Unix machine.
Soundtracker modules originated on the amiga, where several
composing playing programs are available, that give results
mostly compatible with each other. tracker just plays the
specified files in sequence according with the current
options.
OPTIONS
Options can usually be abreviated, and are case-insensitive,
so that -Over will stand for -oversample, for instance.
-help
Displays a small useful help message.
-new|-old|-both
Selects which soundtracker format to read. Old trackers
had only room for 15 samples, instead of the more
modern ones with 31 samples. -both is the default
behaviour, which tries to choose automatically between
the old and the new format.
-speedmode [old|normal|finefirst|normalfirst]
Selects the way speed commands are observed. old means
that all speed commands change the tempo, finefirst and
speedfirst mean that the finespeed (resp. normal speed)
command takes precedence when two change speed commands
occur on the same pattern position, normal gives you
the default behaviour, where both are obeyed. You
don't have to understand how this option works to use
it. If a module gives you some trouble, fiddling with
this option may just work.
-verbose
Shows a dump of the module samples section on loading.
-quiet|-scroll
Selects whether a scrolling event table is displayed
while the module is played. Default is to stay quiet.
-sync
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TRACKER(1) UNIX System V (15 March 94) TRACKER(1)
Tries to keep the audio output in sync with the
scrolling display at the expense of more processor
power.
-picky|-tolerant
Selects tracker's behaviour with regard to erratic
problems in some modules. If you select -picky, only
really clean modules will be played. If you select
-tolerant, almost anything will get through tracker,
including pure binary files not related with modules
which will sound as so much white noise. Default
behaviour lies somewhat in between.
-mono|-stereo
Selects monaural or stereo output (provided your system
has stereo capability). Keeping in mind that some
amiga composers don't have stereo output, some modules
will seem to float between the speakers when played in
stereo. Also, stereo needs twice the output bandwidth
and can consume much more cpu power.
-mix percent
Sets amount of mixing between the left and right
channels in stereo mode to percent. Varies between 0
percent (spatial stereo) to 100 percent (monaural).
-frequency hertz
Sets output resampling frequency to hertz, in hertz.
That frequency can be clipped according to your audio
equipment ability. The useful range lies between 8000
and 48000 hertz. It's useless to go any higher since
the amiga is limited at about 33000 hertz, and the
human ear doesn't know the difference anyway. Default
depends upon your equipment.
-oversample n
Sets oversampling to n. Resampling is used to pitch the
sampled sounds at the right frequency. Oversampling can
be used to smooth out aliasing problems, at the cost of
more cpu power. Useful values lie between 2 and 4.
Defaults to no oversampling.
-speed hertz
Sets playing speed to hertz ticks per second. The
default value is 50, but 60 may be appropriate for
pieces composed in the united states. Note that
changing the playing speed does not change the pitch.
-transpose halftones
Transposes each note of the module by halftones
halftones up. This migh not work with some modules, or
give out strange results since some effects will be
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approximate.
-repeats n
Repeats each module n times before playing the next.
Default is to play each module once. 0 makes the next
module play indefinitely.
-loop
Repeats the whole module list. Together with repeats,
this is a dumb jukebox. Each module is played n times.
Then it starts again.
-start pattern
Starts playing module at pattern number pattern instead
of the default 0.
RUNTIME COMMANDS
At play time, some keystrokes effect a limited control on
tracker.
n Skip to next module.
p Skip to previous module / restart current module.
x, e, q
Exits.
s Set speed to 50.
S Set speed to 60.
> Skip to next pattern in current module.
< Restart current pattern / Skip to previous pattern.
? Toggle event scroller on.
! Toggle event scroller off.
SEE ALSO
An Amiga. You just have to see one.
BUGS AND FEATURES
Since the soundtracker format is not a real format at all,
some music modules may not sound as originally intended.
tracker only supports soundtracker modules for the time
being, not soundtracker songs with external samples, nor MED
or TFMX or StarTrekker8 nor any other amiga-originated
format.
Send all complaints/praise/real bug reports to
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TRACKER(1) UNIX System V (15 March 94) TRACKER(1)
Marc.Espie@ens.fr
AUTHOR
Marc Espie
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