[sonicbhoc]

Alright, so I installed cheesetracker. I want to try doing MOD until I can get my sound card to stop being retarded with realtime drivers (probably not going to happen, so I'm going to have to wait until I get a new sound card).

So, I am totally lost with this thing. I get the concept of MOD tracking and how its done, but I don't quite know how to make anything. I don't know how to make instruments, and I don't know how to map those instruments to pitches and selected frames in the song.

So, does anybody here (I'm sure at least one person can help!) know how to help a newbie get started with this stuff? Google was no help; I'm sure I was just searching the wrong string, but I don't know what I should be searching for...

[OverCoat]

Lol, cheesetracker

I have no idea why there's a sudden tracker revival but it sure is interesting. Maybe DAWs are overpriced?

If you have $70 to spend I recommend getting Renoise, that's what I use and it's bloody amazing. Pretty much has all the features of a major DAW [VSTi support, MIDI input, audio recording, ASIO support, etc] and it's still getting developed heavily. But maybe since you don't want to pay for anything I'll recommend milkytracker which has ASIO support and a cool waveform drawing feature [hint: insta-chiptune!]. A well-refined oldstyle tracker for windows would be ModPlug Tracker 1.16. OpenMPT kind of ruined Modplug, but 1.16 is still a very solid music app, and you'll find a download for it here.

Anyway, to answer your question: trackers are based completely on the manipulation of .wav samples. You'll need to get some instrument samples from samplepacks on the internet or other mod music [try not to rip the obvious samples though. like that one voice from Point of Departure]. If you're having trouble finding samples I have a few usable ones for you. RTFM yet? I'm not sure how to map the different samples to an instrument in CheeseTracker, but Reduz [who made it] is usually on IRC all the time and if you get on #mod_shrine on EsperNet you can ask him. It's also a home to many veteran trackers who can help you out with anything else. I'll be there too.

[sonicbhoc]

I can't run Reniose, it doesn't have a Linux version (but it has a mac version? I hate it when people do that <_<) and ModPlug Tracker is only for Windows.

However, Milky tracker sounds amazing! Since I love chiptunes, I'm definitely downloading it right now.

The main reason I want a tracker right now is because my MIDI keyboard is FUBAR'd at the moment and I'm too lazy to use soundfonts and audio plugins in Rosegarden. ;D

[OverCoat]

Shoulda told me you're on linux :P

Renoise will be on Linux soon. Can't tell you exactly when though.

When it does get ported, it'll probably be the best music app available for linux :E

[sonicbhoc]

Sweet.

I can't wait! Meanwhile, I'll mess with milkytracker (and maybe make an ebuild for it EDIT: someone already did, awesome!). Thanks!