Project reveal : tracking software for RC2014

[S P Dixon]

Hello everyone. 

I've just uploaded a video in which I reveal something I've been working on for a long time now. It has reached a point where it's useful.

It's a terminal-based music tracker with MIDI output. One of the reasons I've been working on it is to have some useful software to provide with my MIDI module, but I also just like making music this way and I'm keen on non-game-related things that you can do on your RC2014.

Obviously once it reaches a certain point, which I don't feel is far off, it's only a small step to build another version which sends its output to a sound chip, such as the AY which is very commonly used on the RC. I'm thinking that an 'export to pt3' from that would be fun but I don't yet know what that would involve. 

If you're interested in making music (and why would anyone not be??) then please take a look. 

https://youtu.be/kKTy2W6Xdyg

Shiela

[Robb Bates]

Amazing!

Nice work!  I love the menu-like framework too.

Robb

[Justin Skists]

Oh yes!! Nice work!

Justin

[Peter Onion]

On Wednesday, 7 May 2025 at 19:06:58 UTC+1 S P Dixon wrote:

Obviously once it reaches a certain point, which I don't feel is far off, it's only a small step to build another version which sends its output to a sound chip, such as the AY which is very commonly used on the RC. 

Shiela,  did you ever get this to work ?  If you did I would like to extend it for my dual AT-3-8912 board.

PeterO

 

[S P Dixon]

Hi Peter 

Yes - sort of. I had this running at the Assembly last year - you would have heard this tune:

https://youtu.be/FD9HDzbQ91s?si=42wfgnzEshiurTx5&t=14

(Keeping 2 YT channels is confusing but I tend to put finished music on MIDI_IN and more projecty stuff on the second one.)

I haven't done anything with it since then. It's a bit flaky.

[Peter Onion]

Yes Shiela, I thought that was what you were showing but I couldn't remember if it was generating MIDI output or if it was driving a PSG (or both).

Flaky or not I would like to have a play with it and to try getting working with my dual AY-3-8912 board.  Is the source code available any where please ?

PeterO

[S P Dixon]

I've been very shy about having anyone else see even my code (and when I have tried open-source it hasn't been a good experience). And this was written with no expectation of anyone else seeing it. 

I'm unlikely to return to those projects now, the magic really went out of programming for me over the last year or two with all of the vibe coding going on. I made a fairly conscious decision to stop trying to make my own tools and become more of an end user of existing ones. My more recent experience of just loading up Furnace Tracker and just getting on with writing the music was very good. 

Are you looking to compose, or play back existing tunes? Because my AY tracker has its own file format and a total of one tune exists to date. I'd be very surprised if there isn't an existing infrastructure for dual AYs (music creation software, file format and player). A very quick google (don't trust me on this) says that the pt3 format allows for dual chips. You may need to adapt Player or Tune but that would seem like a good way to go.

[Peter Onion]

Shiela, 

I understand your position, and I'm somewhat the same about the code that I write, but I have recently acquired a few "users", all be it they are people I know personally, but it's been a rewarding experience so far :-)

If you've lost interest in developing it further I promise not to bug you about bugs :-)

As to what I want to do.... Well that will only become clear once I find out what can be done :-)  I really want to do this as a 100% RC2014 project, I could easily install some packages on my Linux machines and get much better sounds much more easily, but where's the fun in that ? ;-)

PeterO

[Phil G]

Hi Sheila, flexing the topic slightly, for my Birthday (71 - how did that happen? !) the family bought me a toy which would be ideal for midi experimentation, perhaps a more versatile option than the AY3-8910?

Its a JT4000 analogue synth which is tiny (pocket sized) and costs under £50, I have zero midi (or even music) knowledge but wrote this crude MML to midi thing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovygUVdmLEM
Cheers

Phil_G

[S P Dixon]

Hi Phil

Happy birthday!!

That looks very nice. I haven't had a play on this particular one but I did see similar devices at a show. 

I think if you've written an MML to MIDI converter then you have  > zero MIDI knowledge!

I had to check but yours (the 'M' model) does have real or DIN MIDI in, right? (albeit via the smaller TRS socket - that just needs a simple converter for 5-pin DIN and since the MIDI standard requires an optocoupler on MIDI IN, there are no risks there).

That means it could absolutely work with the MIDI version of my sequencer on the RC2014, either via my MIDI module or via some re-clocking shenanigens (MIDI is just serial at a specific baud rate, unfortunately not easily divided from the standard clock rates).

If you'd like to talk about that or my MIDI adaptor, email me directly. 

Shiela

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[Phil G]

>> that just needs a simple converter for 5-pin DIN and since the MIDI standard requires an optocoupler on MIDI IN

it comes with the 3.5mm to 5DIN adapter lead Shiela, and it has the internal opto coupler, the tip/ring/sleeve of the 3.5mm is midi, 5v via 330Ω and ground.
Not much more to add really just thought it was a cheap alternative :-) 
Cheers
Phil