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https://github.com/Artefact2/libxm

A small XM (FastTracker II Extended Module) player library.
https://github.com/Artefact2/libxm

demoscene fasttracker mod module tracker xm

Last synced: about 2 months ago
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A small XM (FastTracker II Extended Module) player library.

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README

        

libxm
=====

A small XM (FastTracker II Extended Module) player library. Main
features:

* Small size in mind; many features can be disabled at compile-time,
or are optimized out by the compiler if not used.

* Timing functions for synchronising against specific instruments,
samples or channels.

* Samples can be loaded and altered at run-time, making it possible to
use libxm with softsynths or other real-time signal processors.

Written in C11 and released under the WTFPL license, version 2.

Size
====

The playback routine (assuming the non-portable `.libxm` format is
loaded, see `libxmize` below) fits in under 7KiB of compressed
machine code.

~~~
xzcrush libxmtoau
for x in *.xm; do libxmize $x $x.libxm; done
rename .xm.libxm .libxm *.xm.libxm
ls *.{xm,libxm} | xargs -n 1 -P 16 xz -9ekf
wc -c *.*xm *.*xm.xz libxmtoau.crushed

6810919 an-dream.libxm
5585551 an-dream.xm
109423 cerror-expatarimental.libxm
49240 cerror-expatarimental.xm
282590 drozerix_-_crush.libxm
121346 drozerix_-_crush.xm
581955 heritage.libxm
438340 heritage.xm

2855496 an-dream.libxm.xz
2876184 an-dream.xm.xz
4180 cerror-expatarimental.libxm.xz
4820 cerror-expatarimental.xm.xz
36060 drozerix_-_crush.libxm.xz
37276 drozerix_-_crush.xm.xz
201348 heritage.libxm.xz
201200 heritage.xm.xz

6833 libxmtoau.crushed
~~~

Binaries crushed with [`xzcrush`](https://gitlab.com/artefact2/xzcrush).

`libxmize` and the non-portable format
======================================

The `libxmize` binary can convert a standard `.xm` file to a
non-standard, non-portable representation of that module. The file
generated by `libxmize` is usually a lot larger than the original
module, but has better compressibility.

In addition, the non-portable format:

* requires less code to load (`xm_create_context_from_libxmize()`
instead of `xm_create_context()`) and thus can be used to produce
smaller binaries. (See the size section above.)

* requires significantly less memory to play back modules (only
kilobytes thanks to `mmap()`, see `libxmtoau` for an example).

The data generated by `libxmize` will not be readable:

* On a different CPU architecture
* On a different libxm commit
* On a libxm compiled with another compiler
* On a libxm compiled with a different compiler version
* On a libxm compiled with different options or CFLAGS

Examples
========

Some example programs are provided.

* [libxm.js](https://artefact2.github.io/libxm.js/) is a very simple
XM player/visualiser that runs in a browser (emscripten port).

* `xmgl` is a simple music visualiser that uses OpenGL and JACK for
very precise audio synchronisation. See a demo here:

* `xmprocdemo`: see [README](./examples/xmprocdemo/README.md)

* `xmtoalsa` is a simple player that uses the ALSA library. It
produces `xmp`-like output while playing. Use `xmtoalsa --help` (or
check the source) to see the full usage.

~~~
./xmtoalsa --random **/*.xm
~~~

* `xmtowav` will play a module and output a `.wav` file.

~~~
./xmtowav my_module.xm my_module.wav
~~~

* `xmtoau` will play a module and output a `.au` file to standard
output.

~~~
mpv <(./xmtoau my_module.xm)
~~~

* `libxmtoau` is similar to `xmtoau`, except that it loads
non-portable files generated by `libxmize`.

* `xmbench` is a benchmark program.

Here are some interesting modules, most showcase unusual or advanced
tracking techniques (and thus are a good indicator of a player's
accuracy):

* [Cerror - Expatarimental](http://modarchive.org/module.php?136603)
* [Lamb - Among the stars](http://modarchive.org/module.php?165819)
* [Raina - Cyberculosis](http://modarchive.org/module.php?165308)
* [Raina - Slumberjack](http://modarchive.org/module.php?148721)
* [Strobe - One for all](http://modarchive.org/module.php?161246)
* [Strobe - Paralysicical death](http://modarchive.org/module.php?65817)

Status
======

Effects
-------

~~~
Status |##| Eff | Info | Description
--------+--+-----+------+------------------------------
DONE |00| 0 | | Arpeggio
DONE |01| 1 | (*) | Porta up
DONE |02| 2 | (*) | Porta down
DONE |03| 3 | (*) | Tone porta
DONE |04| 4 | (*) | Vibrato
DONE |05| 5 | (*) | Tone porta+Volume slide
DONE |06| 6 | (*) | Vibrato+Volume slide
DONE |07| 7 | (*) | Tremolo
DONE |08| 8 | | Set panning
DONE |09| 9 | | Sample offset
DONE |10| A | (*) | Volume slide
DONE |11| B | | Position jump
DONE |12| C | | Set volume
DONE |13| D | | Pattern break
DONE |14| E1 | (*) | Fine porta up
DONE |--| E2 | (*) | Fine porta down
|--| E3 | | Set gliss control
DONE |--| E4 | | Set vibrato control
DONE |--| E5 | | Set finetune
DONE |--| E6 | | Set loop begin/loop
UNTESTED|--| E7 | | Set tremolo control
DONE |--| E9 | | Retrig note
DONE |--| EA | (*) | Fine volume slide up
DONE |--| EB | (*) | Fine volume slide down
DONE |--| EC | | Note cut
DONE |--| ED | | Note delay
DONE |--| EE | | Pattern delay
DONE |15| F | | Set tempo/BPM
DONE |16| G | | Set global volume
DONE |17| H | (*) | Global volume slide
DONE |20| K | | Key off (Also note number 97)
DONE |21| L | | Set envelope position
DONE |25| P | (*) | Panning slide
DONE |27| R | (*) | Multi retrig note
DONE |29| T | (*) | Tremor
DONE |33| X1 | (*) | Extra fine porta up
DONE |--| X2 | (*) | Extra fine porta down
~~~

Volume effects
--------------

~~~
Status | Value | Meaning
--------+---------+-----------------------------
DONE | $10-$50 | Set volume (Value-$10)
DONE | $60-$6f | Volume slide down
DONE | $70-$7f | Volume slide up
DONE | $80-$8f | Fine volume slide down
DONE | $90-$9f | Fine volume slide up
DONE | $a0-$af | Set vibrato speed
DONE | $b0-$bf | Vibrato
DONE | $c0-$cf | Set panning
DONE | $d0-$df | Panning slide left
DONE | $e0-$ef | Panning slide right
DONE | $f0-$ff | Tone porta
~~~

Known issues
------------

* Only loads FastTracker II-compatible XM files.

* Loading a bogus file (that yet has a valid 60-byte header) will
probably result in a segmentation fault.

* Big endian architectures are not yet supported.

Tests
=====

Some test XM files are in the `tests` directory. Their goal is to test
a certain feature against regressions. A summary of tests (and what
they are supposed to test) is in the table below.

~~~
Test | Status | Tested against | Extras
-------------------------------+----------------+------------------------+------------------------------------------------
amiga.xm | FAIL | MilkyTracker, xmp | Should sound identical.
arp-slow.xm | FAIL | MilkyTracker, OpenMPT | Should sound identical.
autovibrato-turnoff.xm | PASS | MilkyTracker | Same pitches should be heard twice in a row.
fadeout-speed.xm | PASS | MilkyTracker | Should sound identical.
finetune.xm | PASS | MilkyTracker | Left and right channels should sound identical.
ghosts.xm | FAIL | MilkyTracker | Left and right channels should sound identical.
multiretrig-volume.xm | PASS | FT2, OpenMPT | Should sound identical.
note-delay-ghost.xm | PASS | MilkyTracker, FT2 | Should sound identical.
note-delay-retrig.xm | PASS | MilkyTracker | Should sound identical.
panning-law.xm | PASS | MilkyTracker, FT2clone | Should sound identical.
pattern-loop-quirk.xm | PASS | MilkyTracker | Should play the same notes at the same time.
pos_jump.xm | PASS | Milkytracker, OpenMPT | Only one beep should be heard.
ramping.xm | PASS | MilkyTracker | If XM_RAMPING is ON, no loud clicks should be heard.
ramping2.xm | PASS | MilkyTracker | If XM_RAMPING is ON, no loud clicks should be heard.
retrig-vol-fade.xm | PASS | MT, FT2clone, OpenMPT | Should sound identical.
tone-portamento.xm | PASS | MilkyTracker | Should sound identical.
tremolo.xm | PASS | MilkyTracker | Should sound identical.
tremor.xm | PASS | MilkyTracker | Should sound identical.
vibrato.xm | PASS | MilkyTracker | Should sound identical.
vibrato-slow.xm | PASS | OpenMPT | Should sound identical.
vibrato-octave.xm | PASS | FT2clone, OpenMPT | Should sound identical.
~~~

Thanks
======

Thanks to:

* Thunder , for writing the `modfil10.txt` file;

* Matti "ccr" Hamalainen , for writing the `xm-form.txt`
file;

* Mr.H of Triton and Guru and Alfred of Sahara Surfers, for writing
the specification of XM 1.04 files;

* All the MilkyTracker contributors, for the [thorough
documentation](http://www.milkytracker.org/docs/MilkyTracker.html#effects)
of effects;

* All the people that helped on `#milkytracker` IRC;

* All the
[libxm](https://github.com/Artefact2/libxm/graphs/contributors)
contributors.