Editing Amiga Song Files

Lee C · Joined: 06 Dec 2024 Posts: 2 Location: Leeds, UK

Hi all,

I dont know if anyone can help me, but i'm trying to work out whether there is a pc player that can play and edit the amiga song files that deliplayer reads. i want to be able to edit ie mute certain tracks... is this possible?

thanks,
Lee

Alexander · Joined: 13 Dec 2024 Posts: 100 Location: Germany

I'd say the only convenient method would be to use an Amiga emulator (UAE, WinUAE), and try to run the original editor program. For MOD files, this would be Protracker, for (Octa)MED its MED soundstudio (which is also available commercially for the PC, where it should load at least the original Amiga files and MOD files as well). And there's been a ton of different music editors on the Amiga.

However - as I don't know how much Amiga background you have - to mute a "track" may not be so easily possible. The Amiga had only 4 hardware channels, and these 4 tracks were often crammed full with different instruments, bassdrum + hihats + snare in one single track, and in the gaps maybe even fake "echo" notes of another track (to add richness to a lead melody). To mute a single Amiga could mean that you in essence remove a lot more than just one instrument. To mute (delete) a single instrument wouldn't help either, because an empty instrument slot would be played - which is only silence maybe, but could also cause some odd volume ramps, or other unwanted effects. The only way to really "remove" an instrument from an Amiga mod would be to edit the entire song, go thru each and every track and pattern, and manually remove the "offender".

Waxhead · Joined: 23 Oct 2024 Posts: 29 Location: Norway

May I reccomend ModPlug (aka OpenMPT).

This is the best tracker for windoze IMHO. It's a definitive MUST for every old / new tracker's out there.

It can be found at www.sourceforge.net or from this page:

http://www.modplug.com/index.php

PS! Modplug is superb on modules (ProTracker, NoiseTracker etc...) but it can't handle MED , StarTracker(not sure) etc.. and other exotic formats.

Enjoy hope this helps.

Alexander · Joined: 13 Dec 2024 Posts: 100 Location: Germany

Careful with Modplug Tracker. If I remember correct, there was an issue with MPT tracker modules discussed here (in the old forum, not available anymore). MPT has some "extensions" that are saved in the original MOD format - but no player other than Modplug tracker can handle them (because the modules can't be kept apart). I may be wrong.