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FamiTracker
In NES music (Specifically by Jeroen Tel and Neil Baldwin) kicks were very often used to make a note sound more interesting, or to add a kick for a triangle wave for percussion. It's also used for melodies, with either a 2 1 duty kick, or a 12 0 octave kick. However, it's aggravating to try and do this, because you have to always make different instruments for different kicks. I've been using Famitracker for music for say, a year now, and it's gotten no less tedious. Which brings me to the point - why not make an effect for kicks? Maybe have X be for the note (A C kick would equal "12 0" in the Arpeggio section in the instrument editor.) and Y could be the duty of the kick (2 would be "2 0" in the Duty section in the instrument editor.)
In the attachment, I've displayed a sense of what I'm taking about. I had to make 3 separate instruments for kicks. (Although two of them I don't see very possible in Famitracker - one is a 12 12 5 5 0 kick and another is a 24 0 kick. Maybe another effect for kicks with two notes?)
Just an idea.
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There are enough ways to achieve this already that we don't need to add more. Fixed arps are probably your best bet for efficient, consistent kicks.
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One method I've used sometimes is note delay. This only works if you have a sequence that doesn't involve a note every row, but basically you put the kick as a note with something like a GFF to delay it until the next row, and on that row (which plays the usual note) you delay that by G01 or G02 or whatever kick length you need. Of course, this gets a bit tricky if you need one at the start of a measure....
But if we want a new effect, here's an idea:
- [b]Kxy:[/b] Kick effect. X = kick type, Y = kick value. Modifies the played note by the kick type for 1 engine cycle. See below:
K0y = Positive arpeggio-based kick (y = semitones above pitch)
K1y = Negative arpeggio-based kick (semitones below pitch)
K2y = Duty cycle based kick (y = duty cycle played)
K4y = Tom style (pitch bend) kick. (y = semitones above pitch), bends down to base pitch over the next few engine cycles (instead of immediately)
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A duty kick is when you have a note start out with one duty, but then immediately switch to another duty. Konami used this trick alot. Jeroen Tel also used this trick.
[quote=rainwarrior]What would be different between K0y/K1y and existing arpeggio macro functionality?[/quote]
Not having to define it as part of the instrument grants more flexibility.
[quote=]What would be different between Qxx/Rxx and K4y?[/quote]
I was debating whether to include that at all since it would process slightly different than the others... One thing I sort of hate about the Q/R effects (even though I fully understand why it happens) is how, if I'm issuing it at the start of a note I have to compensate the played note by whatever the slide offset is. I wouldn't mind some kind of variation where the Q/R effect sort of works 'backwards' in this situation -- e.g. it [i]ends[/i] with the tracked note rather than playing the tracked note and then sliding up/down. (E.g. so if you specify a A-3 + Q31 in the same row, you get a bend from G#-3 to A instead of A-3 to C-4).
[quote=Xiphos2000]And the Q/R effect idea is perfect for the Triangle wave thingie I was talking about! Good thinking.[/quote]
Triangle is already commonly used to create tom drums. Pitch bend / note slide / descending arpeggio all work well here.
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Meh... I feel like this is something way too specific. There are million different ways to create kicks (or percussion in general). I honestly don't see the point of dedicating an effect specifically for something that can look and sound different in so many ways. And even if you did add an effect for kicks, what if you don't want to use it simply because it doesn't behave the way you personally wanted? You're still gonna end up creating your own instruments anyway, because we all have different opinions on how to create percussion.
However, an effect for grace notes would be nice, especially if you're using lower speeds.
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I feel that an effect for grace notes would be a better idea too. Because you can have an octave grace note that can substitute for a kick, AND be used for grace notes and such. Good idea, Warheart.
[edit: closing thoughts]
My sentiments in the previous post and this one is that I think ya'll are asking for extraneous effects to compensate for your lack of understanding the program. Goodness knows we're quickly approaching a shortage of effect commands in the alphabet and NO ONE wants a situation using two character effects or to pull out the EAx/EBx/ECx/EDx solution. I don't think any of these effects are a good replacement for good tracker flow.
[quote=Xyz_39808]Grace notes = use Gxx properly?[/quote]
[quote=Warheart]especially if you're using lower speeds[/quote]
Gxx effect works well if you're using a much higher speed, but with lower speed... no...
And if you're using a much lower speed, you probably also want to use more Gxx effects on something else like volume changes (a number or a volume slide). Imagine if I first added a Gxx effect just for volume change (it could be a note cut as well), then right after it another Gxx effect for the grace note, then another one for the note after the grace note. What if I wanted more grace notes? A giant wall of Gxx effects...
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[quote=Warheart] Gxx effect works well if you're using a much higher speed, but with lower speed... no...[/quote]
[url=https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/34026765/gracenotes.ftm]I don't really see what the problem is..?
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My example is pretty bad, but it should still prove that using Gxx effects too many times would look ugly.
What if I wanted to use more faster/shorter notes? Would Gxx effects look good? What if I wanted to use volume slides right before the next note triggers? A solution could be that I create two different instruments, but that's something I would prefer to avoid.
What if I don't want to use the same instrument to retrigger the current instrument's behaviour (if it has something like a volume envelope or a pitch macro, not a simple blank instrument)? Do I have to create another instrument simply for that?
Do I really have to use an extra pattern for the first grace note? I could allways use a faster speed, is it allways a good solution?
I think the question is about convenience. I mean, why does the Sxx effect exist when you can just use a note cut with a Gxx effect (or even an instrument)? I don't really mind using Gxx effects but now I feel like there should be an effect for something as simple as this.
EDIT: Never mind, I didn't think of HertzDevil's arpeggio Scheme when I wrote this.
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