Subject: MID vs MOD - WAS : Re: [linux-audio-dev] ".mid" files playing in Linux games
From: Dominic Genest (Dominic.Genest.1_AT_ulaval.ca)
Date: Mon Feb 02 2004 - 16:33:22 EET
Hello,
Samples used in techno music are most of the time repetitions of very simple
patterns. Here, "simple" means "easy to modelise using computer
representations such as WAV files". Try square or triangle waves with an ADSL
envelope, moog synths, etc., and you'll recognize sounds you often hear in
techno music.
I completely agree instruments like a piano can be played in a "MOD" file,
using wav files. But to achieve just what a old card such as the "AWE32"
would do to play piano for a midi file, you'll have to use much space and a
damn good MOD player.
On the other hand, if we try to compose techno music with Midi, we also can.
But then you'll have to do "special", less portable things such as using
different patches, since you usually don't want to use the standard and most
popular instrument set that works on every platform.
Everything is possible with everything ; some things are just less easy or
portable with one manner than another.
I compare MIDI to the WYMIWYG (what you MEAN is what you get), and MOD or
other formats alike to WYSIWYG (what you SEE is what you get). It's a bit
like the difference between LaTeX and Word. Midi files describe the intention
of the composer, not the extension. The one who listens to the music will
choose to pay or not for a quality playback. And he might even be able to
make it sound better than the composer has ever heard it.
I also think MOD files would be better if they were MIDI standards plus
patches or something, but I think that MIDI is too much associated, in the
minds of people, to cheap FM chips like Yamaha OPL3.
Dom
On Saturday January 31 2004 19:03, Ryan Underwood wrote:
> On Sat, Jan 31, 2004 at 12:05:24PM -0600, RTaylor wrote:
> > >I was just attempting to point out that the formats themselves do not
> > >constrain the ability of the composer to write music in one style or
> > >another. You could write a piece with an acceptable piano simulation
> >
> > .mod seems a bit limiting to me... If your samples are too large they
> > drag a bit, files get huge, etc. I don't think I've actually played one
> > since about 1994 or so though and that was on my 486/25. :} I could very
> > well be mistaken.
>
> Module files are usually a reasonable compromise between quality and
> size for soundtracks. The disadvantage of tracker files compared to
> MIDI is that they are larger since they contain the samples. The
> advantage is that you know they will sound identical no matter where
> they are played and whether or not the end user has MIDI hardware or not
> (if not, then you are also saving them CPU time on the soft MIDI
> synthesis, and perhaps sounding better if they have only a crappy
> wavetable GM).
>
> They are advantageous compared to raw PCM streams also due to the small
> size (like dictionary compression almost if you consider the repeatedly
> used samples to be the "words" of the dictionary). That advantage is
> mitigated somewhat due to high quality PCM compression such as vorbis.
> Certain styles of music such as techno and instrumental music lend
> themselves exceedingly well to module formats, where music with voice
> tracks and lots of embellishments and such would probably be better off
> composed solely in digital audio.
>
> Recent games such as Unreal and Age of Wonders (among others I'm sure)
> still employ module formats for their soundtracks. (.IT, .XM)
>
> > You're pretty much stuck with a tracker to play or compose in as well,
> > no?
>
> No. Open module formats can be played in any program. MikMod (used by
> SDL_mixer) supports a lot of them out of the box. You are correct
> though that a tracker software (such as classic DOS trackers, or open
> source SoundTracker) is usually required to compose most efficiently.
>
> You can usually use a tracker or module player to easily export module
> files to digital audio.
-- Dominic Genest Étudiant 3e cycle Département d'Informatique et de Génie Logiciel Université Laval 97010111
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