Commander X16

This looks sweet as heck!

I'm gonna have to do an LP of it

-Dr.J

Might want to start with a 45, just to see how it goes.

I've been exploring your game a bit more and noticed that your sound effects are zsm files. I'm curious about how you created them. Are they all samples, and if so, which program did you use? I'm asking because sound effects have been a challenge for me. So far I've been experimenting with the PSG registers, which has resulted in poor outcomes.

Johan Kårlin wrote: ↑Wed Feb 21, 2024 7:32 pm I've been exploring your game a bit more and noticed that your sound effects are zsm files. I'm curious about how you created them. Are they all samples, and if so, which program did you use? I'm asking because sound effects have been a challenge for me. So far I've been experimenting with the PSG registers, which has resulted in poor outcomes.

I'm not sure how his ZSM's were created. There are only 3 apps I know that can create ZSM files. Zerobyte's original PHP Script "vgm2zsm" which requires a vgm file first to convert. Then there is the most favored one here which is "furnace" a "tracker" (music composition for sound chips) program. "furnace" runs on Windows, Linux or MacOS. Then there is DreamTracker which is under development here by MooDawg. Its also a Tracker program but it runs natively on the Commander X16. Both "furnace" and "Dreamtracker" require some musical knowledge and a clue about what the sound chips do. I've played a bit with furnace and it's quite a capable program but with a very steep learning curve. I'm pretty musically handicapped myself.

Now since I'm reasonably technically savvy but a musical cripple I created a script here from some programs I found and cobbled together. viewtopic.php?t=6952 It leverages zerobyte's vgm2zsm script along with a program I found that takes a MIDI file and creates a VGM from it. Thus MID2ZSM. There are ton's of MIDI files on the web (do take note of any copyrights though). and my script allows them to be converted.

For playback MooingLemur has created ZSMKIT which is a library of routines to be used by other programming language's (even BASIC). It plays ZSM files and ZCM files. ZCM files are created from raw audio (like a WAV) and are played with seperate routines within the ZSMKIT library. I create ZCM files using a combination of Audacity to export the audio as RAW. and raw2zcm which is another utility from zerobyte.

ZSMKIT can be found here https://github.com/mooinglemur/zsmkit

Zerobyte's archive which contains both the vgm2zsm and raw2zcm utilities is linked off the link to my script
viewtopic.php?t=6952

Yes, ahenry3068 is right and answered for me, I used Furnace to create the music and sfx. It comes with a lot of sample instruments that you can use or start with. You need to change most of the instruments to FM (OPN) to FM (OPM) to use them but anyway, there are some tutorials out there.

Once you have those .zsm files, then MooingLemur's ZSMKIT is the way to go to play them. He made it for assembly but you can use it from C or BASIC as well.

Thanks both of you for your helpful answers. I will have a look at Furnace and see what I can do. However, maybe the easiest way is to use Audacity and raw2scm. There are lots of free sound effects online that I maybe can convert this way and use. Fortunately, I am aware of ZSMKit. This is what I use right now for playing music.

Johan Kårlin wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2024 1:33 pm Thanks both of you for your helpful answers. I will have a look at Furnace and see what I can do. However, maybe the easiest way is to use Audacity and raw2scm. There are lots of free sound effects online that I maybe can convert this way and use. Fortunately, I am aware of ZSMKit. This is what I use right now for playing music.

Just another tip. I found out that if you are playing a ZSM file in the background it's risky to use the BASIC Commands for Audio at the same time. (If your using BASIC) Sometimes it works but it often messes up sound play. If your using ZSMKIT best to do all your sound through that. It works fine to have a Background track playing and then also play a ZCM file. Those only conflict if the ZSM has a PCM track. and then the effect is just to pause the PCM track of the ZSM file. (Any other instruments continue). The ZCM and ZSM sounds can mesh nicely.

ahenry3068 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2024 2:27 pm Just another tip. I found out that if you are playing a ZSM file in the background it's risky to use the BASIC Commands for Audio at the same time. (If your using BASIC) Sometimes it works but it often messes up sound play. If your using ZSMKIT best to do all your sound through that. It works fine to have a Background track playing and then also play a ZCM file.

Thanks for the tip. I use C and assembler and only ZSMKit so I think I will be safe.

I have tried to convert a simple sound effect to zsm but it doesn't work. I get an error from ZSMKit that the file isn't valid. This is what I have done: I exported the sound from Audacity with format "Other uncompressed files", sample rate 11025 Hz, header "RAW (header_less)", encoding "Signed 8-bit PCM". Then I converted the exported file with raw2zsm (rate 11025). The conversion worked without any problems. But the result is, as said, not valid. Do you know what I am doing wrong?

Johan Kårlin wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2024 8:36 pm

ahenry3068 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2024 2:27 pm Just another tip. I found out that if you are playing a ZSM file in the background it's risky to use the BASIC Commands for Audio at the same time. (If your using BASIC) Sometimes it works but it often messes up sound play. If your using ZSMKIT best to do all your sound through that. It works fine to have a Background track playing and then also play a ZCM file.

Thanks for the tip. I use C and assembler and only ZSMKit so I think I will be safe.

I have tried to convert a simple sound effect to zsm but it doesn't work. I get an error from ZSMKit that the file isn't valid. This is what I have done: I exported the sound from Audacity with format "Other uncompressed files", sample rate 11025 Hz, header "RAW (header_less)", encoding "Signed 8-bit PCM". Then I converted the exported file with raw2zsm (rate 11025). The conversion worked without any problems. But the result is, as said, not valid. Do you know what I am doing wrong?

For one it sounds like you are conflating ZCM and ZSM files. ZSMKit supports both. But with different function calls. ZSM's are a stream of register commands to the chips. ZCM's are more like Wave files they contain PCM encoded audio with a Header. You have to use zcm_setmem and zcm_play to play them. There is no loop capability.

Yep, that's it. Now it works. I suck at this, but I am learning : ). I totally missed there were two different formats. I see it now in the documentation too. I really appreciate your help.

At least, I think I get how sample rate works. A lower sample rate means lower quality and less size and vice versa. What rate do you use? Maybe I can go lower than 11025? I just chose it because it was the lowest option Audacity suggested.

Oh, it just struck me, I am hijacking this thread. Sorry! This will be my last question about this.