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Noise Tracker GS v1.40 - (NTGS) - (FREEWARE) ABOUT THIS NTGS V1.40 FILE: THIS SHRINKIT FILE CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING FILES AND PROGRAMS; NOISE TRACKER GS V1.40 - (WITH MANY MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS AND UPDATES) WITH DOCUMENTATION/UPDATE (A TEXT FILE) FROM: 1WSW (ONE WORLD SOFTWARE WIZARDS) NTMOD PLAYER V1.0 ( A GS/OS APPLICATION PROGRAM TO PLAY NT MODS VIA GS/OS) WITH DOCUMENTATION AND UPDATE INFORMATION: (A TEXT FILE) FROM: 1WSW (ONE WORLD SOFTWARE WIZARDS) SSS SOUND EDITOR V 1.0 (REV.2.4) FROM: 1WSW (ONE WORLD SOFTWARE WIZARDS) A NEW INTROMUSIC/WAVEFILE SET - (LUNARNET) : FOR THE NOISE TRACKER PROGRAM A NEW NT MODULE MUSIC FILE - (BIG MOUNTAIN AVM) PRESS RELEASE # 10 (A TEXT FILE) FROM: 1WSW (ONE WORLD SOFTWARE WIZARDS) HARDWARE UPDATE NEWS (A TEXT FILE) FROM: 1WSW (ONE WORLD SOFTWARE WIZARDS) NOISE TRACKER GS MUSIC CONTEST UPDATE INFO (A TEXT FILE) FROM: 1WSW (ONE WORLD SOFTWARE WIZARDS) AN INVISIBLE IIGS WORD PROCESSOR FILE (EE), WITH PROGRAM EASTER EGG INFORMATION ! RELEASED FROM: ONE WORLD SOFTWARE WIZARDS (1WSW) - 1/28/94 Noise Tracker GS v1.40 - NTGS is copyrighted by One World Software Wizards (1WSW) and OmniSoft Sound Research LAB (OSRL). All rights are reserved and no portion or part of Noise Tracker GS may be used for the commercial development of any other programs, without the written consent of 1WSW and OSRL. INTROMUSIC and INTROPIC are copyrighted and were designed by Dr. Tom and CARIB from OSRL. The INTROMUSIC is a 9 track (dual RAMbank sample) composition titled: ' LUNARNET ' (a.k.a.) - A.C.T. The definition of A.C.T., reveals what the music can do for you and is available by written request only ! The INTROMUSIC has two EASTER EGGS. (THERE ARE A TOTAL OF THREE EASTER EGGS) See if you can find them. Hint, ' EASTER EGGS ' are usually invisible ! You may use the music you've created with NTGS, the original NTGS linkable player and Tool 220 for the music in any programs, FREELY and without any restrictions! The user tool 220 and the original linkable player, presented with NTGS v1.0, won't be supported or updated by 1WSW or OSRL. If any individual programmers or developers wish to do so, that is entirely up to you. As far as our 1WSW team is concerned the only function for either, is for the inclusion of NTGS music modules in your own program or demo. You may use tool 220 and the original linkable player with their codes and associate files, FREELY and upgrade/improve them as you desire, for your own needs. The recent release of the GS/OS application program ' NTMOD Player ' included with this release of NTGS, has the function of tool 220 included in it. The NTMOD player program will be updated and improved as much as possible. With it's release, we see no reason to continue with the development or any updates for tool 220. The new release and enhanced update of NTGS, is presented for you to use and enjoy FREELY, for your own personal or commercial music needs. It's much more reliable and compatible for loading and playing more Imported MOD music formats, IF PROGRAM PARAMETERS (APPLE-U) ARE PROPERLY USED, than any previous version. You'll find many IMPORTED MOD files and formats that may not play properly, when imported into NTGS. The same thing is true with all of the IIgs MOD players, (i.e.); MODZap and SoniqTracker and ShellPlay. Some of the imported module files, contain samples and effects within the music score of a rather complex nature, that depend on each other for special effects such as; bend, pitch, special tempos, slide, loop, etc. There are rare instances, when imported module files, with their so-called (wavebank/score/sample) complexities or older unusual formats, might go completely hay-wire, play with bazar and unpredictable results or simply fail to load on either; MODZap, soniqTracker or Shellplay. The same is true for NTGS and you'll find it occurs with NTGS just as it does with the GS/OS MOD players. You've got to realize, these imported module files are just that. They are imports, made on other computers and intended for use on other computers. they weren't made on this computer or intended for IIgs use. I've tried to make the users of NTGS aware that it's not intended as just an Import a MOD file music player. NTGS takes these imported module files and attempts to translate them for its own use, converting them internally to it own module file type ($FA). NTGS was originally designed as an ' Expressive Sequencer ' for the development, intergration and composition of music scores and samples, using the formats and content of; Imported modules, SoundSmith GS, Noise Tracker GS music and wavebank files or NTGS Modules. It can combine these files, using them both together or individually, to the customized needs and dictates of the programs user. Around 2450 total hours of programming time for the upgrade development efforts have gone into NTGS, from the early version of 0.50 up to this release. I've recently spent around 70 hours total; loading, playing and testing my entire collection of imported module files with NTGS v1.40, setting the program to every possible parameter variation it has to offer, to study its varied play effects, abilities and any interpretive problems. Each imported module has its own special information, play parameters and format. There's no current program, that I'm aware of for the IIgs, that will play them all properly, as they were designed and constructed on their native computers, with default parameter settings used. I encourage you to explore all the varied NTGS parameter settings (APPLE-U), until you find the one that suit you best, with each Imported MOD file you decide to work with. This release of NTGS, considering its intended purpose and the fact that it's a ProDOS 8 based program, comes about as close to logical interpretive abilities for imported music modules, as any program for this computer can. If you're a serious NTGS ' Expressive Sequencer ' music composer, you'll realize that to obtain a close rendering of the original imported music module, you must use other programs such as; MOD Convert, MODZap, Modifier and SoundSmith GS, etc., in conjunction with sound editors like; AudioZAP, DigitalSessions, SoundShop, Sound Edit, etc., to give you the ability to accomplish what you want, with your final NTGS composition. You'll need a lot of creative patients and you'll have to deal with many steps to obtain the best composition and personal musical expressive results. For the best results, you should listen to the imported music module file via your favorite MOD PLAYER, study the scores play effects and the manner it plays the samples first. Then you can import a MOD into NTGS to work with it, with a much better understanding of how it sould actually sound ! I'm sure the authors of the MOD players would agree: ' YOU CAN PLEASE SOME OF THE GS USERS, ALL OF THE TIME. YOU CAN PLEASE ALL OF THE GS USERS SOME OF THE TIME. BUT, YOU CAN NEVER PLEASE ALL OF THE GS USERS ALL OF THE TIME '. One thing that I'm going to insist, is that you carefully and throughly read the information concerning the new inclusion, ' TAI ' and parameters preset use for this release of Noise Tracker GS. If you take the time to read this information, you should gain a much better understanding of what to expect and how to use NTGS, to its fullest abilities. I've used many other music programs on IBM's and MAC's. But, I really like what this program and this computer can deliver to your listening senses better, overall than any of them. That's why I'm going to continue coordinating the development and upgrade of Noise Tracker GS, until it obtains its maximum capabilities and pushes this computer to its musical limits. I'll redundantly say it over and over again, until you get the message clearly. NTGS isn't just an Import MOD player. It was designed and developed for use as a user friendly ' EXPRESSIVE SEQUENCER ', to allow you to import and use MOD files, for your own personal and customized music composition needs. NTGS is intended for the exclusive use as an ' EXPRESSIVE SEQUENCER ' and as an intergrated composition music program, using; (A) its powerful Edit; Cut, Copy and Paste options to combine both tracks and blocks of scores from; SoundSmith GS or SuperSoundPRO, Noise Tracker GS music files with their wavebanks or NTGS music modules and Imported MOD music files, (B) sample/sound swaps from RAM bank to Ensoniq RAM and (C) its unique ability to add and/or replace samples in RAM-based tracks as either; RAW binary samples or IFF sounds and also adding and/or replacing IFF sounds/samples in the Ensoniq-based RAM bank, for customized sound designs and music compositions. NTGS isn't the best MOD player by far. It was never intended or designed for the exclusive use as an imported MOD player. The most current released version of; MODZap, ShellPlay and soniqTracker are recommend for those who wish to simply play imported MOD music files with high quality results, on their Apple IIgs. I feel, that the most current release of MODZap from Ian Schmidt, is the best MOD player available. Tim Meekins recently informed me, he's working on an enhanced update of soniq Tracker, that should be released shortly. Tim might again out perform the abilities of the current release of MODZap. Time will tell with Tim. I'm still waiting for it, to see what the update and improvements are ! The major improvements to Noise Tracker GS v1.40 are the internal play, sound quality updated enhancements and filtering for the sample/instrument/sound swapper, as well as much faster, smoother and cleaner swaps from Dave Swanson. His efforts and updates for the internal program player, now allow RAM-based tracks to sound almost identical in quality to the Ensoniq-based ones. This makes all your NTGS music sound much better, cleaner and clearer, than ever before possible. Keep in mind, that while NTGS v1.40, has no internal program graphic changes, new additions of functions or options, this release isn't just a patch to the previous release. The program has been rewritten, enhanced, TAI coded, compiled, assembled, sparced, optimized and compressed ! The NOISE.DATA file has nearly 49,000 differences compared to v1.30. The sound enhancement codes from Ian Schmidt and algorythm enhancements from James Brookes, as well as the enhancements found in v1.30, have been enhanced and updated even more by Dave Swanson, to allow faster and smoother sample swap routines, both externally with INTROMUSIC and internally with the NTGS player. Concerning the use of a stereo card for your IIgs, to allow you to listen to the music that NTGS plays with the best possible sound resolution, I advise the use of a SoundMeister Stereo Card. The music is more impressive and certainly much cleaner and clear, than I've ever experienced sound with the Apple IIgs and any stereo cards before and I've used them all ! My special thanks to; D. Proni and ECON for furnishing our team members SOUNDMEISTER CARDS. If you find any bugs you'd like corrected with this version for improvements in future Noise Tracker GS upgrades and releases, please let me know promptly. INTROMUSIC Enhancements: INTROMUSIC limitations, that were present with all past versions of NTGS are gone ! INTROMUSIC, size and complexity are no longer of any concern. INTROMUSIC can consist of as many samples (limited to 64 total for both sound RAMbanks), swaps, special encoded effects, as you care to include. Now, your NTGS INTROMUSIC can be whatever you want it to be. The only limits are governed by the amount of RAM you have available for NTGS use. The new inclusion of 'TAI' (Theorem Algoryhtm Intellection) coding lets NTGS determine if the CPU can deal with the INTROMUSIC and INTRO-ANIMATION together. If NTGS detects a conflict, it will bypass the INTRO-ANIMATION and play the INTROMUSIC without animation. If it determines the IIgs' CPU can deal with both music and animation correctly, then it allows the animation with the INTROMUSIC . This 'TAI' coding process is also applicable to the parameter pre-sets for imported MODS, giving NTGS enhanced abilities for more accurate rendering of the play functions and Imported MOD file types, formats with special effects, such as loop, pitch bend, slide tempo variations, multi-sync., etc. Parameter presets (APPLE-U) govern these effects and the programs interpretation of them. Because imported music modules have so many variations in their native computer construction and design, you'll have to work with the NTGS preset parameter variations, using a trial and error approach until you obtain the nearest approximation, to your satisfaction. About Sound/Sample/Instrument Save Options: (1) You can correctly save Ensoniq RAM-based sounds/samples/instruments as IFF files, or as RAW binary files, from either RAM-bank. You can load them into either (respectively compatible) RAM-bank of any version of Noise Tracker GS. (2) You can save them as; IFF or RAW binary sound files from either; the RAM-based sample/sound bank or the Ensoniq RAM-based sample/sound bank. (3) You can use the enhanced/updated: SSS Sound Editor 1.0 - (Rev. 2.4) program :Sound Edit (Rev. 2.4), included on this disk, with any version of Noise Tracker GS or any other GS music program that uses the music files it can create and convert to; load, edit, enhance or convert and save. When you load an imported music module file and have a sample/sound/instrument that loops in either; RAM based or Ensoniq RAM banks, it most like won't retain the loop effect when saved. You can use the SSS Sound Editor 1.0 - (Rev. 2.4) program to recreate the loop effect, then save the sample/sound/instrument for use again in your composition efforts with NTGS. You can load and use these sound files in this NTGS release or any past version of Noise Tracker GS. IFF sound files are used within the Ensoniq RAM-based bank, as well as; SoundSmith GS or SuperSoundPRO. You can also save the sound/sample files with Sound Edit RAW binary sound files for use in the RAM-based sample/sound bank with this release Noise Tracker GS or any older versions, as well as, any other GS music program that accepts RAW binary sound files. RAW binary sound files can't be looped and then saved with the loop coding, via the SSS Sound Editor program. IFF files can be. Only IFF files can be used in the Ensoniq RAM-based bank. You can use both; IFF or RAW files in the RAM sound bank of NTGS. SSS Sound Editor 1.0 - Sound Edit (Rev.2.4) a FREEWARE, with updated sound filtering enhancements, is a powerful, high quality, stereo sound editor, ' The Ultimate ' and only P8 (ProDOS 8) sound editor, for the Apple IIgs. Many other exceptional shareware, freeware and commercial sound editors that are GS/OS application programs, compatible with the SSS Sound Editor saved files such as; DigitalSession, AudioZAP, Sound Shop, EditSound and many others, all have unique special effects and abilities to enhance your samples/sounds even more and save them to load and use with Noise Tracker GS, as both Ensoniq Ram-based sounds (i.e., SoundSmith) or RAM-based sounds (i.e., RAW binary). Using the SSS Sound Editor, you can also load original Amiga native imported sample/sound/instrument files and convert them to IIgs form, as well as Mac or the opposite, provided they don't have any resource forks ! When you're creating an INTROMUSIC and INTROMUSIC wave (file set) for use with Noise Tracker GS v1.40, you no longer need to limit the size or complexity your INTROMUSIC and INTROMUSIC wavebank (file set). You no longer need to restrict your samples to the Ensoniq RAM-based bank only. You can use a combination of samples in the RAM-based bank with the Ensoniq RAM-based bank of any combined size, then use the finished composition as your own custom INTROMUSIC with NTGS v1.40. No more problems with the INTROMUSIC will result. Thanks to Dave Swanson and his 'TAI" coding to this NTGS update, enhancements for the internal player, sound and filter-swap enhancements, as well as interpeters that were written into the original Noise Tracker GS v1.0 and continued to cause these problems and limitations with the INTROMUSIC and its memory conflicts with the INTRO animation are gone for good ! You should be warned, Noise Tracker GS is a real ' RAM HOG ' and will allocate all available free RAM memory for its sound/sample use. Thus, it is advisable to hold down the Apple key when launching NTGS from the GS/OS or from your hard-drive, to bypass the INTROMUSIC and go directly into the program, to gain additional memory to work with in your composition efforts. Pressing and holding down the Apple key & Shift key together, during the launch of your GS/OS, will give you extra free memory to use with NTGS, when launching it from either your GS/OS system disk or your hard-drive, etc. (5) The new updated GS/OS program from our 1WSW Executive Coordinator, team member and programmer, Tony Morales: NoiseTracker GS Module Player v1.0 is included with this release. Please be sure to read the documentation text file for this new update. This GS/OS program has tool 220 built into it. Thus you don't need the user tool 220 in your system tools folder or on the disk any longer, to allow you to play the NTGS music modules, (file type $FA only) ! This updated version: (Noise Tracker GS Module Player v1.0), has been throughly tested with both ROM 01 and 03, and has shown no known problems. The music plays and sounds nearly identical in quality and effects, to any other method used to play the NTGS music modules ! Now you can play any of your NTGS music modules (file type FA, aux. $0220), from your hard-drive or any GS/OS system disk/device, using this new update. No more need to use the Noise Tracker GS programs or any of the other P8 jukebox programs to play them. The Noise Tracker GS Module Player is the only GS/OS program that will allow you to play NTGS music modules ! New updates are in progress. I urge all of you to send Tony an EMAIL message on GEnie (T.MORALES) or send him a postcard/letter, thanking him for this program and all the efforts he's involved in for the future upgrades of Noise Tracker GS and the IIgs computer. He's got some amazing programs under development and needs your encouragement. Please be kind enough to show him you care that he cares about this computer and the needs of its users ! About Noise Tracker GS Music Save formats: The NTGS (music and wave file set), is the best format to use (in any combined size - music and wave files) for music inclusion, - (music file format intergration) - cut & paste compositions, within the NTGS program and for arranging, adding or replacing both; Ensoniq RAM-based bank samples and RAM-based bank samples. With careful multiple step sample and music score design intergration (load and save) of; SoundSmith GS, SuperSoundPRO, Imported MUSIC MODULES or other Noise Tracker GS (music and wave file sets and/or NTGS music modules), it's possible to exchange or inter-mix all of the samples and/or track, block or individual position assignments, combine all or any portion of the music scores together, and save them in either the Noise Tracker GS (music and wave file sets) or the NTGS music module (single file type FA) format. The Noise Tracker GS (single-file) (file-type FA), is a single file format, containing both; the samples/sound wave banks and music score. It's compact in size and efficient for both; the NTGS program to load and play and for the NTV/VAMPS JukeBox program to load, interpet and play. This is the NTGS file format used with the original NTGS (v1.0 release) linkable player and NTGS user tool 220 for inclusion in your own programs. If you can't locate these files, the original NTGS linkable player and NTGS user tool 220, included on the original NTGS v1.0 disk release, (not included on this disk), please send a blank DSDD 3.5 disk, with your name/return address and stamped return envelope to 1WSW, requesting them and they will be sent to you promptly, with a multitude of samples and other files you might need, to file up the disk you send ! For more detailed documentation, with text files and a self-booting disk based SHR slideshow - PICTUTOR ' Concise Manual ' for all program options and applications, for both; Noise Tracker GS and SSS Sound Editor, as well as; some very useful bonus goodies, sound editors, MIDI file converter utilities, IMPORTED MODULE music to SoundSmith GS music converter utilities, exceptional CD quality digital sound samples, a detailed review of how to design Virtual (3-D) and (4D) Audio music and some amazing ' RARE ' Imported MOD music files, please send; (THREE) - 3.5 DSDD 800k disks, with your name and return address, along with $5.00 (U.S.) to cover the cost of return postage and handling, within the USA. Outside of the USA, please include $10.00 (U.S.) or International Postal M.O. only, made payable to: C. Turley - (no personal checks please). Allow 2 to 6 weeks for return delivery, after receipt, for all request originating outside of the USA. PLEASE NOTE: There are certain new sound effect enhancements included in this NTGS v1.40 (FREEWARE) release. All of the effects available for playing Imported MODS are not present however, due to limitations still present from the original v1.0 of the Noise Tracker GS. You can expect to see many new sound effect commands and many other major improvements with many added edit functions, MIDI input/output support and multiple music format input/output compatibility, in the Noise Tracker GS v2.0 - GS/OS program release from 1WSW and OSRL. We're doing our best with the time we have available and hope to have it ready for release by mid-summer of 1994. All documentation, NTGS icons, player files, tool 220 and the other files furnished with the original FREEWARE release of Noise Tracker GS v1.0, are still valid and compatible for use with this new NTGS release. Please be sure to read all of the other text files on this disk, for a more precise understanding of; our 1WSW team, our plans, projects, this program and it many abilities. If you really want to use Noise Tracker GS to its fullest abilities, be sure to send for the special conversion, accessory programs and advanced instructions FREEWARE three - disks set, mentioned above, available for use in VAMPS (Vortex) Virtual Audio (3-D) and (4D) sound designs and for advanced NTGS music composition applications. The source codes for Noise Tracker GS are available via written agreement only from; 1WSW, to any Apple IIgs programmers/developers, wishing to work with 1WSW and OSRL, on the joint development efforts of any future releases of Noise Tracker GS. I have a personal desire and a commitment to both; the original programmer of Noise Tracker GS and to the Apple IIgs users to concentrate on continued improvements and upgrades. Your comments and suggestions for improvements in future releases of NTGS are welcomed and encouraged. We look forward to hearing from anybody that cares to write or call. We need your feed-back, comments and suggestions. Enjoy the MUSIC and let the MUSIC enjoy you !