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FamiTracker
Hi there, I am here to defend the MIDI importing.
That function was very unstable in the latest FamiTracker versions, so I see why it got removed, but I, myself, am a MIDI sequencer, and one of the reasons I 1: support MIDI import and 2: would use Little Sound DJ over this is because the way of tracking. I dislike how you have to use your keyboard like if it was an actual [i]musical[/i] keyboard to insert notes, and it is a pain. On Little Sound DJ it is a lot easier because you can just press a button to add a note, then holding that button, use the arrow keys to cycle easily through the notes (and listen to it) [b]UNLESS I'm being stupid and there is a similiar function in FamiTracker/EveryOtherTrackerOutThere that I'm missing.[/b]
If the MIDI importer ever comes back, what would've been useful for it, along with "making it stable" would be:
-Import the MIDI to a [i]new[/i] project, that way you can assign MIDI channels to chosen extensions (VRC6,VRC7,FDS, etc.)
-Consider every blank space after a MIDI note a break (or add that as an optional function the user can choose)
[quote=Xyz_39808]Have you tried using ModPlug pattern edit style or Impulse Tracker of FastTracker2 pattern edit style?[/quote]
these only seem to change the layout of the "musical keyboard" and the way it previews the sound, at least from what I saw.
[quote=Xyz_39808]For note cycling, you can either have a note (or section) highlighted and press CTRL+F1 or F2, or even hold down CTRL and scroll your mouse wheel.[/quote]
I have already tried that, it works, BUT the annoying thing is every time you place a note the marker moves to the next note, so you have to return back to the note to change it, and you can't even hear it changing...
[quote=Xyz_39808]I didn't really see any reasons for defending MIDI import in your post.[/quote]
One of the reasons is that there are MIDI sequencers (like me) who aren't familiarized with trackers, so it would be a better idea or to implement the MIDI import thing or make Trackers easier and more user-friendly.
[quote=Xyz_39808]MIDI2anyother chip format tends to sound lazy and modules are rarely ever as versatile as working natively with the target machine, imo.[/quote]
I know that, and it really does, but my suggestion was basically make a MIDI importer that doesn't actually suck... obviously you'll have to edit the MIDI before using a converter or importer to anything so your MIDI at least has the standards for the format you're looking for conversion (in this case, to NES)
I already used the unstable MIDI importer from older FamiTrackers to make something, and with a lot of editing, it didn't suck after all. (didn't sound that great too, but I can guarantee that with actual non-lazy editing you could make a professional chiptune with the MIDI...)
The problem is because the importer was unstable, sometimes it screws up with the MIDI i.e. making the first note wrong, or completely ignoring the last pattern.
EDIT:
I made a mockup of how would the GUI of the importer look like:
[url=http://i.imgur.com/U7m8S0W.png]screen1
[url=http://i.imgur.com/RvzbpAa.png]screen2
(sorry I forgot to move the channel numbers thing)
Maybe someone could make an unofficial tool to do this?
Because I know that if we managed to import MIDI, even if very unstable, managed to convert NSFs back to FTMs, and even GBS music, I know we can make an even better MIDI import tool.
[quote=lu9]these only seem to change the layout of the "musical keyboard" and the way it previews the sound, at least from what I saw.[/quote]
Okay, it was worth a try. What's so offensive about a musical keyboard again?
[quote=lu9]I have already tried that, it works, BUT the annoying thing is every time you place a note the marker moves to the next note, so you have to return back to the note to change it, and you can't even hear it changing...
[/quote]
The marker moves because you have the step size set to the default 1. Change it to 0 if you don't want it to move.
[edit:]You can also use CTRL+Enter to preview the all notes on the current row
[quote=lu9]One of the reasons is that there are MIDI sequencers (like me) who aren't familiarized with trackers, so it would be a better idea or to implement the MIDI import thing or make Trackers easier and more user-friendly.
[/quote]
Well FT is a tracker by nature. If you are not interested in making nsf's by using a tracker I suggest you look for alternatives. I think implementing a "feature for people who hate trackers" is serving the wrong audience. It doesn't make the tracker easier, it provides a way for people who don't want to learn to use the tracker to make nsfs without using the tracker.
[quote=Xyz_39808]Okay, it was worth a try. What's so offensive about a musical keyboard again?[/quote]
Nothing, but then again, I don't think you need to learn how to play on a keyboard just to use a tracker, do you?
[quote=Xyz_39808]
The marker moves because you have the step size set to the default 1. Change it to 0 if you don't want it to move.
[edit:]You can also use CTRL+Enter to preview the all notes on the current row[/quote]
That makes things a lot easier, I didn't know that, I'll try it out.
[quote=Xyz_39808]Well FT is a tracker by nature. If you are not interested in making nsf's by using a tracker I suggest you look for alternatives.[/quote]
There is a NES tracker similiar to LSDJ, but will it export NSF? No. What else we have that can do this?
Unless someone makes a VST with native NSF logging (similiar to a new SEGA Genesis VST that was released that can actually export VGMs) we don't have much choice.
[quote=Xyz_39808]I think implementing a "feature for people who hate trackers" is serving the wrong audience. It doesn't make the tracker easier, it provides a way for people who don't want to learn to use the tracker to make nsfs without using the tracker.[/quote]
You know, just finalizing here, I never said I hate trackers, if I did I wouldn't be using LSDJ in first place, I am not familiarized with PC trackers that I [i]thought[/i] you needed to learn to use keyboards to track. What I THINK is, tracking is still difficult, at least for me and other people who are more familiarized with MIDI sequencing, and we think, is it really necessary to be that difficult? I know there is a way to make things simpler, and my "project" isn't to create something like a GXSCC 2 (ew!) because even though if the MIDI importer returns, you'll have to adapt the MIDI to NES standards first anyway.
There is this: [url=http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tom7/midimml/]http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tom7/midimml/
The problem with MIDI import is that to do it well is a very complicated task. It would be a huge amount of time and coding to do right. What was removed was minimal, and not very functional.
I think the better way to approach MIDI to FT conversion at this point would be to write a program that generates FT text files from a MIDI. That way it can be a stand-alone program, you can write it in any convenient language, etc.
[quote=rainwarrior]There is this: [url=http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tom7/midimml/]http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tom7/midimml/
The problem with MIDI import is that to do it well is a very complicated task. It would be a huge amount of time and coding to do right. What was removed was minimal, and not very functional.
I think the better way to approach MIDI to FT conversion at this point would be to write a program that generates FT text files from a MIDI. That way it can be a stand-alone program, you can write it in any convenient language, etc.[/quote]
That sounds good...
what about module formats? (mod,it,xm,etc.)
Hello. The MIDI import probably won't be back, unless someone either writes the code for a functional MIDI importer that I can add to the project, or gives detailed instructions on how to actually make it useful.
The way it was added before was useless and required a lot of editing after a song was imported, perhaps more than writing it from scratch.
I also really don't understand why cycling through notes would be easier than using the keyboard to insert notes directly? Is the layout unclear?
[quote=Warheart]Why would anyone want to cover a song based from a MIDI anyway? There's all ways something fishy about them (unless they're originals)...[/quote]
[quote=Lu9]I, myself, am a MIDI sequencer,[/quote]
[quote=Lu9]You'll have to adapt the MIDI to NES standards first anyway.[/quote]
[quote=jsr]Hello. The MIDI import probably won't be back, unless someone either writes the code for a functional MIDI importer that I can add to the project, or gives detailed instructions on how to actually make it useful.[/quote]
well then, it might be hard to make a proper MIDI importer that doesn't suck, BUT, at least if in the next version there could be a new pattern edit style based on LSDJ, that will also help those who are familiarized with LSDJ, but not FamiTracker.
