94 replies to this topic

[Ryugecin]

In Bassmod, there is no direct command available to change the tempo. If there was I would have wrapped it.

What may work is putting tempo commands on the rows of an empty track. Then when the tempo must be changed, you first back up the current position and row in variables,
then set the playback position to the appropriate track and its row, then play a single row and then change back to the song position you were in.

Alternatively, you set the tempo to immeasurably long let your game decide which position and row must be played at what time, so you can let the game decide when to play something. However, since your game will be in charge of timing, this requires your game to keep up perfectly well with the screen sync.

Wouldn't the first method cause weird bumps in playback? It might cause interruptions in the current track, and besides, I'm under the impression that it automatically sets the initial tempo defined in the IT file when you start a new sequence.

And as for the second method... Since the game I'm using it in has a strange propensity to lag, that's not very... practical to say the least.

FMOD doesn't seem to be able to change the position of IT files very well (changing sequence position doesn't seem to work at all), and DLLs in general are liabilities.

Don't know how FMOD handles it, but since it's a very mature library I assume it should work just as well as the Bassmod library I am using. As for DLLs being liabilities... your computer has dozens of them loaded and running at any time.

No, FMOD doesn't seem to be able to recognize sequences in IT files. And I meant GM DLLs, not WIndows DLLs.

[Smarty]

Wouldn't the first method cause weird bumps in playback? It might cause interruptions in the current track,

Most likely. I don't expect a perfect solution either, but I can't think of any other options. Maybe there are MIDI extensions that give you more flexibility.

and besides, I'm under the impression that it automatically sets the initial tempo defined in the IT file when you start a new sequence.

From what I remember from testing it previously, it keeps the last defined tempo. That's the problem with skipping rows and patterns - you may miss tempo changes.

No, FMOD doesn't seem to be able to recognize sequences in IT files. And I meant GM DLLs, not WIndows DLLs.

Oi. I put a lot of effort in making reliable libraries.

[Ryugecin]

Wouldn't the first method cause weird bumps in playback? It might cause interruptions in the current track,

Most likely. I don't expect a perfect solution either, but I can't think of any other options. Maybe there are MIDI extensions that give you more flexibility.

and besides, I'm under the impression that it automatically sets the initial tempo defined in the IT file when you start a new sequence.

From what I remember from testing it previously, it keeps the last defined tempo. That's the problem with skipping rows and patterns - you may miss tempo changes.

MIDI extensions on IT files? I'm sorry, but I don't understand.
Either no music (easy but unsatisfactory), no tempo changes (bad immersive experience but probably the easiest), or bye-bye Game Maker and a spin test of Unity (probably annoying at best).

Oi. I put a lot of effort in making reliable libraries.

Sorry!

[Smarty]

MIDI extensions on IT files? I'm sorry, but I don't understand.

I meant, use MIDI extensions on MIDI files that support the functionality you need and forget about IT all together. Probably not an option.

Either no music (easy but unsatisfactory), no tempo changes (bad immersive experience but probably the easiest), or bye-bye Game Maker and a spin test of Unity (probably annoying at best).

It depends on when you need tempo changes. Tempo changes usually require slightly different music as well. You could simply wait for the end of a pattern to play and then switch to a pattern with more up-beat music. Changing tempo at any time isn't always the best solution.

[Ryugecin]

MIDI extensions on IT files? I'm sorry, but I don't understand.

I meant, use MIDI extensions on MIDI files that support the functionality you need and forget about IT all together. Probably not an option.  

Nope, not an option. The samples are absolutely necessary.

Either no music (easy but unsatisfactory), no tempo changes (bad immersive experience but probably the easiest), or bye-bye Game Maker and a spin test of Unity (probably annoying at best).

It depends on when you need tempo changes. Tempo changes usually require slightly different music as well. You could simply wait for the end of a pattern to play and then switch to a pattern with more up-beat music. Changing tempo at any time isn't always the best solution.

For the IT file I'm using it still sounds fine when you arbitrarily change the tempo to reasonable values (no 32 bpm and 128 ticks per row, obviously). I figured that that would be the easiest method, but it appears I was wrong. And making 12 copies of the song all with different tempos seems like a waste of space.

So then how do people manage to change the tempo with BASS (not necessarily GM)?

[Smarty]

For the IT file I'm using it still sounds fine when you arbitrarily change the tempo to reasonable values (no 32 bpm and 128 ticks per row, obviously). I figured that that would be the easiest method, but it appears I was wrong. And making 12 copies of the song all with different tempos seems like a waste of space.

Yes, that's a waste. I'm sorry, but using Bassmod I can't make this any easier. The library is rather black-box, it doesn't allow me to vary the tempo.

So then how do people manage to change the tempo with BASS (not necessarily GM)?

Let me first point out that there are two libraries, BASS and Bassmod. The latter is a smaller library with MOD/S3M/XM/IT functionality only, and this is the one I used for my extension GMBassmod. BASS itself has a larger function set and it's still in active development, but it's a little more complex to use, it's larger and it has a more expensive license if you want to use it commercially.

Bassmod doesn't support tempo changes, but maybe BASS does. There is another extension on these forums that supports BASS, maybe you can use that one.

[Ryugecin]

Let me first point out that there are two libraries, BASS and Bassmod. The latter is a smaller library with MOD/S3M/XM/IT functionality only, and this is the one I used for my extension GMBassmod. BASS itself has a larger function set and it's still in active development, but it's a little more complex to use, it's larger and it has a more expensive license if you want to use it commercially.

Bassmod doesn't support tempo changes, but maybe BASS does. There is another extension on these forums that supports BASS, maybe you can use that one.

Okay, that would probably explain my complete confusion. Time to look at that I suppose...

Thanks for your help.

[blackhawkrobbo]

Hey smarty,

It would be awesome if you could make this into a Java app, so we can play .xm files and such with GM:HTML5

Cheers

[Smarty]

It would be awesome if you could make this into a Java app, so we can play .xm files and such with GM:HTML5

Java is not a good option - it's a plugin that often isn't running on the local browser. But there is no way I can get this specific library to work in HTML5. You're better off converting your music to MP3 and use that.

Alternatively, I do believe someone made a Flash player for S3M files. This could be used as a hidden plugin to play S3M music, but it will not have the same kind of functionality GM Bassmod has.

[blackhawkrobbo]

Okay thats too bad since the .xm files are 50 kb and the same in MP3 would be 4 MB.
Well, dont think there's another option unless someone makes an FMOD player in JS

[Smarty]

Okay thats too bad since the .xm files are 50 kb and the same in MP3 would be 4 MB.
Well, dont think there's another option unless someone makes an FMOD player in JS

FMOD? Unlikely. But someone at least made a 4-channel MOD player:

http://possan.se/2011/02/07/jsmod/

I don't know if it works well or if they'll ever be able to support other formats such as XM and S3M, though. But you can count on it that these solutions will take a considerable amount of processing power from the browser.

[blackhawkrobbo]

Wow, that is pretty cool!
Would be awesome if there would be ways of using the soundcard / directsound with JS / HTML5. Would solve a lot of problems.

Well there's not much to do except for waiting or experimenting i guess. Or just use .mp3

[Liorana]

is there a way to fix the small scratchy sound after some of the notes that i get on almost every music that normaly dont have that if i play them in winamp or any module program?
its the kind of thing alot of people dont notice.... but i do

Edited by Liorana, 28 November 2011 - 03:21 AM.

[Bisse]

I've been trying to get this thing to work in GM:Studio, has anyone had any luck with this? Right now bmod_add returns -2 every time, it seems like it can't load any music files for some reason.

[_162820]

Is it possible to get this extension to wotk in GameMaker Studio?

The application window crashes each time I try to load and play a module.

Edited by _162820, 26 February 2013 - 11:44 PM.