VOGONS


Fasttracker 2.12 for MS-DOS

Topic actions

Reply 60 of 141, by 8bitbubsy

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
SaxxonPike wrote on 2020-05-27, 14:08:

Thank you so much for updating FastTracker II! This was a very unexpected project. I recall learning how to use trackers in the late 90s with version 2.04. It was my introduction to music altogether. To see any updates since 2.09 is like a dream come true. I can't wait to return home and try this out.

You might want to check out my accurate FT2 clone for modern OSes too: https://16-bits.org/ft2.php

386:
- CPU: 386DX-40 (128kB external L1 cache)
- RAM: 8MB (0 waitstates at 40MHz)
- VGA: Diamond SpeedSTAR VGA (ET4000AX 1MB ISA)
- Audio: SB Pro 2.0 + GUS 1MB
- ISA PS/2 mouse card + ISA USB card
- MS-DOS 6.22 + Win 3.1
- MR BIOS

Reply 61 of 141, by digger

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
8bitbubsy wrote on 2018-11-07, 16:16:

Because it's not trivial to implement. We're talking low-level hardware interraction through x86 assembler here. I'm not the correct dude for implementing new big things like that.

Perhaps this could help: I've dusted off the source code of a simple WAV player for AC'97 sound devices as found in motherboards and laptops with Intel ICH, ICH0 and ICH2 southbridges. It was initially written and released by Jeff Leyda. I'm currently trying to improve it to support later ICHx revisions up to ICH7 as well.

It's DOS assembly code that's fairly easy to follow. It also helps that it's well documented.

Perhaps you could use it as a basis to add ICHx AC'97 support to Fast Tracker II for DOS as well?

See topic Re: Can anybody with AC'97 audio please help me test a DOS player? 😊

Or would adding support for new sound devices really be too herculean?

How about doing so through a more high-level API, such as VBE/AI, which works with int 10h calls and abstracts away all the tedious DMA stuff?

At any rate, thanks for continuing to support Fast Tracker II. Even though I'm not much of a composer, I remember playing with it back in the day and marvelling at the (for the time) fancy UI and smooth performance. It's one of the sleekest non-game DOS applications I've ever experienced.

Reply 62 of 141, by 8bitbubsy

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

That's way too much code to go through for supporting just some AC'97 devices, and FT2 is running in 16-bit protected mode. Implementing this wouldn't be trivial for someone like me, and unfortunately I'm not allowed to share the FT2 source code with other people.

386:
- CPU: 386DX-40 (128kB external L1 cache)
- RAM: 8MB (0 waitstates at 40MHz)
- VGA: Diamond SpeedSTAR VGA (ET4000AX 1MB ISA)
- Audio: SB Pro 2.0 + GUS 1MB
- ISA PS/2 mouse card + ISA USB card
- MS-DOS 6.22 + Win 3.1
- MR BIOS

Reply 63 of 141, by traffkin

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
8bitbubsy wrote on 2020-05-27, 18:47:

unfortunately I'm not allowed to share the FT2 source code with other people.

that's real pity, as i've found a guy who knows the subject very well and he could fix all the stuff and add a lot, for example acceptable midi implementation...

Reply 65 of 141, by 8bitbubsy

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
traffkin wrote on 2020-06-18, 16:02:

is there any chance to have a midi clock in/out on the FT2?.. would be just awesome...

Again, I don't really know MIDI nor the low-level MIDI stuff in FT2. I am not the right person to add these new low-level things. Sorry...

386:
- CPU: 386DX-40 (128kB external L1 cache)
- RAM: 8MB (0 waitstates at 40MHz)
- VGA: Diamond SpeedSTAR VGA (ET4000AX 1MB ISA)
- Audio: SB Pro 2.0 + GUS 1MB
- ISA PS/2 mouse card + ISA USB card
- MS-DOS 6.22 + Win 3.1
- MR BIOS

Reply 67 of 141, by 8bitbubsy

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

I'd like to try and fix it instead of removing the feature. Does anyone know in what FT2 version it stopped working when you select LPT1+LPT2 @ stereo? I can't test it myself because I have no PC with a second parallel port, thus selecting LPT2 or LPT1+LPT2 will just revert to LPT1.

If someone would like to find out for me, I'd be happy. Here's a collection of all the FT2 releases I have found so far: https://16-bits.org/ft2
(the only version I'm missing is FT2.02 (and possibly FT2.00) . If someone has it, let me know!)

386:
- CPU: 386DX-40 (128kB external L1 cache)
- RAM: 8MB (0 waitstates at 40MHz)
- VGA: Diamond SpeedSTAR VGA (ET4000AX 1MB ISA)
- Audio: SB Pro 2.0 + GUS 1MB
- ISA PS/2 mouse card + ISA USB card
- MS-DOS 6.22 + Win 3.1
- MR BIOS

Reply 68 of 141, by thierry

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

What if I could try is that it is very slow, it sounds bad and the sound is cut, I use a 386dx40mhz, 8mb ram, GUS Classic, I tried removing the EMM386 but with no luck, today I am going to test with other configurations.

Reply 69 of 141, by 8bitbubsy

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
thierry wrote on 2020-07-10, 15:09:

What if I could try is that it is very slow, it sounds bad and the sound is cut, I use a 386dx40mhz, 8mb ram, GUS Classic, I tried removing the EMM386 but with no luck, today I am going to test with other configurations.

Does FT2.08 work better? https://16-bits.org/ft2/FT208.ZIP

386:
- CPU: 386DX-40 (128kB external L1 cache)
- RAM: 8MB (0 waitstates at 40MHz)
- VGA: Diamond SpeedSTAR VGA (ET4000AX 1MB ISA)
- Audio: SB Pro 2.0 + GUS 1MB
- ISA PS/2 mouse card + ISA USB card
- MS-DOS 6.22 + Win 3.1
- MR BIOS

Reply 70 of 141, by thierry

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
8bitbubsy wrote on 2020-07-10, 15:11:
thierry wrote on 2020-07-10, 15:09:

What if I could try is that it is very slow, it sounds bad and the sound is cut, I use a 386dx40mhz, 8mb ram, GUS Classic, I tried removing the EMM386 but with no luck, today I am going to test with other configurations.

Does FT2.08 work better? https://16-bits.org/ft2/FT208.ZIP

i try it in a few moments

Reply 71 of 141, by thierry

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

I have it ! , it detects the wrong IRQ and DMA of my GUS Classic, my configuration is IRQ 7 DMA 3, for some reason it does not let me change it, in version 2.08 I can change the DMA and IRQ of the Sound Blaster only , in version 2.11 it does not let me change or GUS or SBPro 2.0 , Is there a command line to specify IRQ and DMA?

s5KLb8v.png

Reply 73 of 141, by 8bitbubsy

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

I don't know how to fix that problem. It detects the correct IRQ/DMA settings with DOSBox and GUS, at least. Did you properly install the GUS DOS drivers?

386:
- CPU: 386DX-40 (128kB external L1 cache)
- RAM: 8MB (0 waitstates at 40MHz)
- VGA: Diamond SpeedSTAR VGA (ET4000AX 1MB ISA)
- Audio: SB Pro 2.0 + GUS 1MB
- ISA PS/2 mouse card + ISA USB card
- MS-DOS 6.22 + Win 3.1
- MR BIOS

Reply 74 of 141, by thierry

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
8bitbubsy wrote on 2020-07-11, 08:12:

I don't know how to fix that problem. It detects the correct IRQ/DMA settings with DOSBox and GUS, at least. Did you properly install the GUS DOS drivers?

Yes , Gus drivers and init setup works fine , im use another player to test ( Inertia Player ) and detect the config okk , games works fine too , im try to install another new drivers and new init and try again

Reply 75 of 141, by thierry

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Works ! , I was able to install the GUS 4.11 Drivers and I replaced the Ultrinit 2.28 by 2.28a and of course all the drivers, it is not a good idea to have the GUS drivers without updating, I just saw that I had my old drivers, I'm going to take it as a reference to install my 486 , but everything is perfect now , Thank you!

PlqXLRj.png

WlE36u4.png

Last edited by thierry on 2020-07-11, 23:26. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 76 of 141, by 8bitbubsy

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Nice! 😀

386:
- CPU: 386DX-40 (128kB external L1 cache)
- RAM: 8MB (0 waitstates at 40MHz)
- VGA: Diamond SpeedSTAR VGA (ET4000AX 1MB ISA)
- Audio: SB Pro 2.0 + GUS 1MB
- ISA PS/2 mouse card + ISA USB card
- MS-DOS 6.22 + Win 3.1
- MR BIOS

Reply 79 of 141, by drastikterror

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Hello!
I was thinking about the possibility to implement a generic midi mpu-401 driver to make Ft2 work with external devices, in a way like Impulse tracker did with the command "it /s19 /a330"
Thank you!