Print

[Hoff123]

Was not sure if this was supposed to be here or in the support section. Move it if you feel like it.

Anyway, so I am kind of new at MilkyTracker, and also trackers in general. I've made a few songs with it(2 of which I have shared here), but for some reason I just can't make to complicated tunes, because the sound just sucks... Just listen to my second song I shared on this website, and youtube. Listen at 1.31 to 1.48. You can hear like a weird, annoying, dark echo, or something. Really weird, and annoying. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQuIbvL-w18

It's the same no matter what I do. I remember even making some similar instruments(yes, I make my own weird kind-of-8-bit instruments in MilkyTracker), but that only helped a little bit, unless I made something completely different(and then ruin the song a little). Yeah... First I can't use Linux to make normal midi music using JACK(XRUNS WOHOOHOOHOOO, SOUND ISSUES WOHOHOHOOOOO), and then I flee to MilkyTracker and I'm not sure that helped much . New computer? Get some real samples, and use them? Though, I haven't really tried doing it with real samples. I'll have to try that.

All I want is a computer that can handle making some music without flipping out, and then get some cheap midi keyboard ...

[Saga Musix]

Posting the actual modul you have problems with would actually help, but my first guess would be that the audio is overdriving and that you should lower the amplification in MilkyTracker's settings.

[Hoff123]

OK, now it seems that normal wav samples that I've downloaded actually works quite well . Is that how people usually do it? I mean, most tracker songs(at least MilkyTracker) I've seen on youtube sounds like 8 bit music(chiptunes). Are there any people who actually make orchestral music with trackers? I would love to see that. Can trackers compete with DAWs?.

[Saga Musix]

OK, now it seems that normal wav samples that I've downloaded actually works quite well

"Normal" samples are usually not quite as "loud" as simple chip samples and thus don't overdrive the output as easily.

Are there any people who actually make orchestral music with trackers?

Yes, there are people who make/made orchestral music.

Can trackers compete with DAWs?

That is a pretty weird question, since a tracker can be a DAW as well. If you mean trackers that are on the same level as MilkyTracker, then probably not, because there are no effect and instrument plugins, thus making it quite limited with regards to sound generation. Of course you can just load big pre-made samples into Milky and play with those - the output quality will be no less than that of a DAW, but that's just because you already created those samples with another DAW or synth or whatever. So, if you want to make the next club hit or orchestral movie soundtrack with MilkyTracker, expect to import hundreds of megabytes of pre-recorded instrument lines and stuff. On the other hand, if you want to make chiptunes, a typical non-tracker DAW would probably much more cumbersome to handle than Milky.

[Hoff123]

OK. Thank you answering(and pretty quickly ).

Also, I tried changing "amp" in the settings(the config button...), and it didn't change anything. Though, I think the test "song" I made sounded just a tiny bit worse on 100% then the default(50%) and no difference on 25%. The volume changed though .

EDIT I just listened to one of his songs, and DAMN . He knows how to make music. It was freaking awesome.

[Hoff123]

OK, so I think I know now, at least a bit, what is causing the most "interference" or "overdrive" or whatever it is. I'm not that knowledgeable about that kind of stuff. Anyway, so it seems to be sine waves that causes it. And waves that are almost sine ways(just a little bit different). But I like that kind of sound...maybe it's better to mix both my samples I've made and samples other people have made? Yeah... .


Also there was something I read here: http://www.milkytracker.org/docs/Vhiiula-TechniquesOfChipping.txt, that made me to call it "interference".

Quoting "You should use as many different chipwaves as possible in your chiptune. This is because the same chipwave, played at different pitches at the same time, will naturally interfere with itself and cause unwanted side effects."

I think it's the same thing, though I haven't really seen it much with the other waves, just sine waves...

[Dranorter]

One thing I do when something similar happens (not totally sure its the same from listening to that video) is to stick an E11 on one of the notes involved. Having then be just slightly out of tune avoids the problem without adding much dissonance.

[Hoff123]

OK, so now I was back trying to use Milkytracker again... and the same problem arises... https://soundcloud.com/alexander-hoff/crappy-milkytracker-test-this


EDIT It seems what you mentioned(months ago lol) about tuning it actually helps. but not completely. And if I tune even more, well... it's way of tune.

But, I don't think I did exactly what you said, I just changed the f tune a little in the instrument editor .

EDI2 Also it seems to have a lot to do with volume. By lowering the volume of different sample waves and stuff I make(or just generate) it seems to help. And I've been using very high volume on my songs before . Why is the default volume 40(max)?!!!

[Saga Musix]

Why is the default volume 40(max)?!!!

Historic reasons. Keep in mind that the default volume is used when no volume command is found next to a note in the pattern.
The question to ask is rather "why is the default global amplfication so high?" and "why does the XM format not actually store a global volume setting right in the file?". In a well-balanced mix, you will always have to carefully tune each instrument's volume anyway, so you don't get around playing around with volumes.