Hi there just some random question I am wondering about right now: I bought 3 Soundblaster 16 (CT1740) and a PC with enough ISA ports a year ago. The stuff is laying around as I didn't have the time. Now I was just brainstorming about the hardware and what I can do with it. I was wondered if it is possible to add all the cards into one PC and control them with a tracker? Or do I have to make 3 PC builds and sync them? Can adlib tracker be controled by MIDI over gameport? Probably all n00b questions, but as long I dont have the space to get this stuff started, brainstorming and asking the Pros some questions is all I can do... greets, dave

@subz3ro: Hey! I'm having so much fun with this tracker that it's almost overwhelming, a stellar find for me. Having said that, I've been using the Adlib Tracker II SDL (Windows) ver. 2.4.20, and for some reason when I try to input the "0" effect (arpeggio) it doesn't type anything and goes down a line. BUT, if I just input a number on the 2nd or 3rd row of the effect column, the "default" effect is 0 and it's the only way I found to gain access to it. Not sure if it's a bug or working as intended, but anyway :) Cheers!

@cyandyedcyanide: Please send me your contact (mail, Facebook, ICQ) to my email address. I'd like to discuss more things with you, which is out of the scope for this message board :) Thanks.

Awesome, thanks! That was incredibly fast.
For the high-res screen modes, how about 100x37, 132x28 or 132x30? Those are fairly "standard" text modes with all 8x16 characters. I think there's a 160-column mode with 8x16 font too.

I also have some ideas for new features, if you don't mind. In fact, every time I use adtrack2 I always get all sorts of ideas for cool features, more so than musical ideas... But I always keep forgetting to write them down and ask you about it. Oh well, here are a few, let me know what you think of it :)
- For the new track reorder function, I think cut/copy/paste would be useful, like in the pattern reorder window.
- In the instrument remap and transpose windows you can select which parts to change (block/track/pattern/song). Would it be possible to add an option to apply it to one track in all patterns?
- In the instrument editor, I think a diagram of the current 4op mode in the screen corner would be useful, so you can quickly tell which operator you're editing. And maybe a shortcut key to go to the other "half" of the selected 4op instrument?

@cyandyedcyanide: Ok, got all your issues fixed. Please update with latest build of the program from Downloads section. Thanks for your valuable bugreport.
P.S. Changing text-mode screen font to anything lower than current 8x16 would completely cripple the look of the tracker, so unfortunately not.

or 132x60, even better, but I think you already said you didn't want to use an 8x8 font...

(and please excuse me misspelling your name...)

@subzer0: Whoa, you replied already! Didn't see that...

With 4op tracks I just select two 2op instruments, as usual, and playing some notes in the instrument editor works normally. But entering notes in a pattern seems broken, the right track works correctly but the left track always picks instrument 01.
This used to work like a year or so ago, I think it broke in an update somewhere around the summer.

The VESA modes seem useless to me.. Even with 1000mhz and a seriously fast graphics card and write-combining cache it's really slow. Can't you make it use 132x30 text mode instead?

Just noticed something else.. Better post it before I forget! If you jump back/forward with +/- keys while playing, the next pattern doesn't start on row 0 but somewhere between 3-8 instead.

@cyandyedcyanide: Thanks for feedback. Indeed there is UI problem with ~xy command in 2nd effect column. Must fix that. As for the 4op issue - I didn't notice anything like that... can you be more specific what you are doing and how is the behavior changed compared to previous version??? For 4op tracks you have to select 2 instruments (with Space) in Instrument Control panel, I hope you know that.
As for the high-res screen modes, this is supposed to work exactly as it is (screen port within 90x30). If you want higher screen resolution, you have to use VESA and text-mode emualtion instead (screen_mode being 4 or 5), but be aware this requires pretty much CPU power.

Hey :)

Latest updates add some amazing features, especially alt-shift to toggle upper tracks is extremely useful (I've been meaning to ask you about this but never did so...). Great work, thanks!
The track rearranging seems useful too but I think it does exactly the opposite of what I'd expect it to.

I did notice some bugs too:
- 4op note entry seems broken, left track always picks instrument 01 now.
- fine vibrato effect (~xy) breaks the UI. Not since the latest version, it's been like that for as long as I can remember.
- the new high-res screen modes don't seem to work, it's still the same 90x30 resolution but half the program is off-screen now?
And for some reason, adtrack2 crashes on startup now when I boot with UMBPCI+XMGR. Doesn't happen with HIMEMX+JEMM386... But then that might just be my PC since I upgraded adtrack2 right after installing a new mainboard and some other stuff.

Yo folks! I would like to ask YOU - who have already encountered crashes with DOS version 2.3.53 - please re-download build from 01-07-2015 (already updated in Downloads section), try continue your work with this one and leave some feedback about it (if crashes appear no more, or they still do, ... etc.). For me it looks like I've finally found the root cause of these crashes so I made a fix (I was not able to reproduce past crashes anymore), but this can be only me. Thanks in advance ;)

@naku: Already fixed with today's builds of DOS/SDL version. Please re-download the program package. Thanks.

please help, in the instrument editor i can't make the ADSR PREViEW window go off to edit the parameters behind that window as panning, feedback, fine tune, etc. I have the version 2.3.53 and running on a libretto 50ct

@Ivan: Ok. Updated official version too. Please send me some contact (mail, ICQ, facebook) to you on my email address. I would be grateful to have you as beta-tester for following releases of DOS version - you have some really specific equipment out there :)

beta works great ;) thanks and merry christmas

@Ivan: Didn't notice it on my P233.... Please try with this beta if it still suffers from slowdowns.... and let me know asap. Thanks.
http://adlibtracker.net/files/adt2beta.zip

Hooray for the new version ;) but in all seriousness I found that if you load one of the new diode ma modules (for example samsara), press f5 to play it and after a moment press esc, it starts to play a little bit slower. Is that normal?

As I don't know what is the correct "timing" there in your country for presents under Christmas tree, I released Xmas versions today. Have fun guys, and see you in year 2015 - hopefully with some more releases of AT2 :)

@pulselooper: Well then, maybe 16MB is really way too less for new versions of AT2. In any case, please run it with "/debug" parameter and say me what is written in the debug log.

I only use 32mb model libretto 70t. TOSHIBA LIBRETTOS SUCK! 120mhz is not enough and the bass is weak. plus, using an adapter all the time destroy the output jack.

@Pulselooper: It's strange, there are quite many Libretto 70CT users, so I don't suppose all of them are having only the 32MB model. I can't help you more over this message board, as I don't have this notebook so can't remotely analyze your setup. If you have Facebook account, I would recommend you to join the AT2 User Group (web-link is in the Contact & Links section) and raise a question there. I'm quite sure somebody there will be able to help you.

still gives me insufficient memory :/

@Pulselooper: Hit F5 upon displaying "Starting MS-DOS..."

Any idea how to get back to ms-dos? Is there a "safe mode"? The thing's freezing on "starting ms-dos" :/

@Pulselooper: Ok, try with just changing "RAM" option to "NOEMS" for EMM386 and putting "DOS=HIGH,UMB" in your former config.sys file then.

Oh shit. Now the Libretto freezes on "starting ms-dos". :(

@Pulselooper: Conventional memory is absolutely fine (620k is perfect), but as supposed, you have some problem with upper memory. Please try to modify your CONFIG.SYS like described below and let me know:
[Replace first 2 lines with following]
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /testmem:off
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE noems d=64 x=a000-c7ff i=c800-f7ff x=f800-ffff
DOS=HIGH,UMB
[Delete "DOS=HIGH" and "DOS=UMB" in all subsequent lines of your CONFIG.SYS file]

Hi subz3ro, thanks for the reply.

Well, hit mem /f and here we go (my ms-dos is in portuguese, I´ll do my best to translate the log into english -- please don´t laugh):

Conventional Memory Avaliable:

Segment Total
0050A 0K
00520 0K
00526 87K
01AE0 532K

Total avaliable: 620K

Avaliable upper memory:

Region Biggest avaliable Total avaliable Total size
1 28K 28K 75K

autoexec.bat: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7825XgyjI9BNmtWX191SzY5em8/view?usp=sharing

config.sys: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7825XgyjI9BMVZCZS01TTduYm8/view?usp=sharing

Hope that helps!

@Pulselooper: 16MB RAM should be enough, however, it depends how much you have conventional memory (available for DOS) and how much of upper memory (available for AT2's DOS extender). Best would be if you check this info with "mem /f" command, because comparing the requirements of new versions with the very old one version 2.0.27 is not even possible (as it was yet 16bit application with much less functionality). I presume, that you just don't have the correct memory configuration set in config.sys/autoexec.bat.

Hi, I always used an old version of AT2 (2.27 I guess) without a problem on my Libretto (except for the keyboard-freezing issue, which a friend of mine said was fixed on this new version).

So, I just installed the new version (2.3.52) but it won't even run. DOS gives me the following message:

ERROR(1) - Insufficient memory!

Any help on this? I'm using a Toshiba Libretto 70 w/ 16mb RAM and MS-DOS 6.22

Thanks!

Officially added IN_ADT2 plugin to Downloads section. Thanks for your contribution, insane/Altair! :)

@subz3ro Toshiba Portege 300ct

@Ivan: You're welcome. Just out of curiosity, what kind of computer do you run AT2 on?

@subz3ro Thanks this one works great!

I updated to 2.3.52 from an older version. I don't remember which one exactly.

ADT2plugin for Winamp v0.97: http://dawork.synchronus.de/
Update includes the newest replay routine as well as ymf262 emulation taken directly from adt2/sdl
Plays a2m,a2t,amd,cff,dfm,fmk,hsc,mtk,rad,s3m,sa2,sat,xms
Please report bugs to my email address (on the webpage)

@Ivan: Ok, so you say with version 2.3.51 you didn't encounter it, and with version 2.3.52 you do - is that correct? Can you be more specific when you do actually get keyboard "stuck"? If it's still in the Pattern Editor, when you are putting down notes in MBoard mode, then this is weird, because there has been no change in version 2.3.52 regarding the keyboard routine which waits for key to be released (this was the problematic part for some notebook models back then). Anyway, this is going to be completely changed again in next version due to enhancement of Note Recorder mode - there won't be any waiting for key release anymore - so just in case this was the root cause of your issues, please try with this beta version 2.3.53 and let me know if it happens there too:
http://adlibtracker.net/files/adt2beta.zip

Sorry ;) There was a bug in the dos version where the keyboard got unresponsive - https://code.google.com/p/at2/issues/detail?id=8 And Im having this issue again in the new version. Im talking about 2.3.52 for dos

@Ivan: Be more specific - what "new" version? DOS 2.3.52, SDL/Win32 resp. SDL/Linux 2.4.19?

Hey, the keyboard gets stuck in the new version again ;/

Really great!
Last played all those fm modules over 10 years ago on my 386 pc.
Now able to listen to them again on my netbook running ubuntu..!

Finally added for download SDL/Linux version 2.4.19 today. Thank you insane/Altair! You can expect also numerous Linux-specific bugfixes this time :)

Today updated SDL 2.4.19 version due to bugfix. Not something critical, though, but if you are using sdl_screen_mode=2 option, I recommend to download it ;)

@mad: Great to see you here! Thanks for your input :)
One (for me especially) annoying thing with DosBox's emulation is that it performs volume shift (SHL bitwise) to be 2 times louder, which sometimes makes crap out of it (e.g. OS_GALAX pattern 08).
@arfy: It's hard for me to evaluate DosBox Team's involvement in modifying the MAME's emulation core - sure they did some good job with improving envelope table stuff - but I rather decided to stick with the "old" core and tried to fix some of the bugs I was able to find on my own. As result, I think the updated YMF262 emulation from Jarek which I'm using in SDL version seems to be overall better than the DBOPL emulation core used in DosBox.
As the Winamp plugin - it's planned to have it updated too, just the time schedule is not known :)

Dosbox indeed has issues in its OPL3 emulation, it's just that the modules I did use pretty much every OPL3 feature except drum mode, so it kindof exposes emulation bugs.

BONUS: Oskari the Heimfanker (was in FM FUNK MADNESS), source file:
http://iiichan.net/boards/music/src/FANK5.A2M

Hi all! Just a quick question, I noticed that dosbox plays some of the modules by madbrain a little incorrectly, drums sound like they get stuck, or something, with snares in particular seeming to stick. The SDL version plays these just fine. Is this just a dosbox emulation issue?

Also, would someone want to update the old in_adt2 winamp plugin with the updated libraries?

@Fede: Nice report. I'm sure it will help somebody :)

Alright, I managed to run at2 on dosemu in linux. All you have to do is tweak your dosemu.conf something like this http://pastebin.ca/2845119 also, add "vm.mmap_min_addr = 0" to your sysctl.conf and run dosemu as root with the -s flag: # dosemu -s

The sound blaster 16 drivers are not installable under dosemu, it won't detect the dmas. I had to copy part of the autoexec.bat from win98 and copy the driver files.

Add this http://pastebin.ca/2845119 to the autoexec.bat (remember it has to be under root's dosemu profile, so this will probably be /root/.dosemu/drive_c/autoexec.bat Also remember to tweak this file to your sb16 settings (I have my card set to address 280, yours will probably be 220).

Afterwards, download this http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=83719480866977298370 and untar it to dosemu's drive C:

This should be about it. Take into account I uploaded the files of my personal setup. They are ment to run on a pentium II 266MHz on debian wheezy. Other setups will require config files customization.

It's worth mentioning I run dosemu from the ttys, not from X. Also, there is no need to load the linux snd_sb16 driver, since dosemu will be handling the hardware directly.

On this setup, adlib tracker II runs like a charm, just like it does on MS-DOS.

I hope this is useful to someone

Nevermind. I have already installed a copy of win98se alongside linux for the time being.
I'll dig into freedos later and report back. If it works it would be great. Having a free modern console in dos sounds good.

Thanks again, you made my piece of junk into an instrument.

@Fede: Sorry, I have no experience with FreeDos... but if it's compatible with MS-DOS 6.xx, it *SHOULD* be possible to run AT2 under it. As for your question of hardware OPL3 support - I assume you are referring to OPL3 passthrough => this is only possible for Windows, at least I don't know if there is something like PortTalk drivers for Linux, though.

Hi, I have a few uninformed questions. I've always been interested in trackers, and last week I picked up a pii 333mhz from the garbage which happened to run and has a sb16 in it. The gods finally sent me my free FM synth. Hail.
It's already running slackware 14.1, and I've been able to play midi files with the opl3.
Does the linux AT2 version work with the hardware opl3?
Does AT2 work on freedos?
Is there any documentation on getting AT2 to run on (free)dos?

I'm not old enough to have tinkered with MS-DOS, and I feel afraid it might be a hassle to deal with drivers. On the other hand, running a single tasking OS sounds more stable to me.

Thanks for both the program and taking the time to read me.