MOD and MIDI Play in 2023?

[Admiral Ackbar]

Looking for a way to play MOD and MIDI music on Mac Plus with 4mb. I found Sound Trecker, but it requires a 68020, which is weird because my Apple IIGS will play both. All pointers/formulas appreciated.

I did see this https://68kmla.org/bb/index.php?threads/sound-files-on-a-68000-compact-macintosh.38237/ but didn't understand the software combination used to make things play.

Thanks!

 

[ymk]

On a 68000, software synthesis isn't practical, but you can probably play MIDI through an external synthesizer.

SoundApp 68K plays MODs and other tracker formats.

An SE/30 can manage real-time playback of many MODs, but on a 68000, you'll likely have to convert to WAV first.

 

[Byrd]

MIDI is fine with ConcertWare:

https://macintoshgarden.org/apps/concertware-midi-player

MOD not so on 68000 noting sound chipset limitations (no wavetable sound RAM like a IIGS and swapping data in and out of sound RAM is slow requiring 68020 at minimum), but you can save the MOD as 11kHz as noted in the prior post using SoundEdit.

 

[Admiral Ackbar]

On a 68000, software synthesis isn't practical, but you can probably play MIDI through an external synthesizer.

SoundApp 68K plays MODs and other tracker formats.

An SE/30 can manage real-time playback of many MODs, but on a 68000, you'll likely have to convert to WAV first.

I wonder why that would be. On paper, the 2.5MHz 65816 in the IIGS, the other 1986 Apple product, it less performant than a Mac+ with a 68000. Just curiosity more than anything I guess at this point.

Is there a good batch MOD converter? I am now imagining using Basilisk II on a modern Windoze machine to convert the hundreds I found and then play them on the Plus.

Thanks!

 

[Admiral Ackbar]

MIDI is fine with ConcertWare:

https://macintoshgarden.org/apps/concertware-midi-player

MOD not so on 68000 noting sound chipset limitations (no wavetable sound RAM like a IIGS and swapping data in and out of sound RAM is slow requiring 68020 at minimum), but you can save the MOD as 11kHz as noted in the prior post using SoundEdit.

Thanks. I was looking at getting a Roland external box to play MIDI. Appreciate the link!

 

[Phipli]

I wonder why that would be. On paper, the 2.5MHz 65816 in the IIGS, the other 1986 Apple product, it less performant than a Mac+ with a 68000. Just curiosity more than anything I guess at this point.

The IIgs has a full blown hardware synth, the Macs were basically bit banging sound, with the CPU.

It's like the IIgs has a built in MIDI sound module with the ability to use custom samples, while the 68000 has to manually create every single individual sample step itself, and mix the 4 voices, in software.

 

[Admiral Ackbar]

The IIgs has a full blown hardware synth, the Macs were basically bit banging sound, with the CPU.

It's like the IIgs has a built in MIDI sound module with the ability to use custom samples, while the 68000 has to manually create every single individual sample step itself, and mix the 4 voices, in software.

(now considering using a IIGS as a Mac MIDI instrument) lol
Thanks!

 

[Snial]

The IIgs has a full blown hardware synth, the Macs were basically bit banging sound, with the CPU.

It's like the IIgs has a built in MIDI sound module with the ability to use custom samples, while the 68000 has to manually create every single individual sample step itself, and mix the 4 voices, in software.

The IIgs has the legendary Ensoniq 5503 DOC which can play up to 32 digital waveforms of varying lengths and sample playback rates at the same time. It also supports volume control. Here's the pdf:

http://archive.6502.org/datasheets/ensoniq_5503_digital_oscillator_chip.pdf

The 5503 was used in the Ensoniq Mirage and ESQ-1 synth bringing affordable sampling and somewhat realistic synthesis to the masses. The only difference with the IIgs is that it doesn't have the filter chips (the Mirage and ESQ-1 both have 8).

 

[Phipli]

The IIgs has the legendary Ensoniq 5503 DOC which can play up to 32 digital waveforms of varying lengths and sample playback rates at the same time. It also supports volume control. Here's the pdf:

http://archive.6502.org/datasheets/ensoniq_5503_digital_oscillator_chip.pdf

The 5503 was used in the Ensoniq Mirage and ESQ-1 synth bringing affordable sampling and somewhat realistic synthesis to the masses. The only difference with the IIgs is that it doesn't have the filter chips (the Mirage and ESQ-1 both have 8).

There is an ESQ-M, the module version, back at my parents' house.

 

[Snial]

There is an ESQ-M, the module version, back at my parents' house.

I guess you know a bit about it then ;-) !

 

[Phipli]

I guess you know a bit about it then ;-) !

It does excellent crystal-bell pads

It's a nice machine. I think my dad bought an extra sequencer expansion for it a little while back. I haven't been home to see. I might be getting muddled, but I'm sure it was the Ensoniq.

 

[ymk]

Is there a good batch MOD converter? I am now imagining using Basilisk II on a modern Windoze machine to convert the hundreds I found and then play them on the Plus.

How about native Windoze? Perhaps WinAmp with the diskwriter plugin.

 

[Byrd]

Thanks. I was looking at getting a Roland external box to play MIDI. Appreciate the link!

Have a look at the Raspberry Pi solutions too (MT32-Pi and other variants).

MOD playback can vary on different players (like opening a document in an alternate word processor - the formatting/playback can be slightly off), the most compatible one for 68K/PPC is PlayerPro which allows you to export the file to AIFF or WAV. SoundEdit 16 might also be handy to reduce the quality/file size and it can also encode to MP3 if of use (make an audio CD mount on SD to SCSI solution for super high quality playback?). I love PlayerPro, it's one of the first things I install on any 68K/PPC Mac.

PS. A member on PC-centric forum VOGONS posted up a big archive of various MODs (inc. S3M, IT, etc), organised into genre. Considering there are thousands of very average MODs out there I found this a very good compilation to save and keep on any Mac.

Best tracker MODS ever [1988-2020] \ VOGONS

www.vogons.org

It's amazing what early tracker musicians achieved with four channels, some of which hold up really well. PlayerPro also has good interpolation to improve quality of some earlier MODs and I recommend a slight stereo delay.