Hi, I'm a newbie to music composing, recently I'm enjoying the great tunes of MODs, but I was told that MOD is getting phased out in the game developing environment, now they have MP3/OGG. Is that any potential disadvantages exists in MOD music that make it unpopular, or simply because it's too old? My server got sudden broken, you can still get them from www.scene.org or www.back2roots.org. They're small, they're fantastic, why MOD is not widely spread? [edited by - MicroJackson on February 14, 2003 12:09:35 PM]

Well, the format itself isn''t in widespread use for games much, probably because there is a small space tradeoff for potentially immense quality difference once you hit mp3-land. The audio filespace budget is looking pretty good these days, what with entire CDroms making multiple-disc games.
I still track XM''s, even for my professional projects. But, in the end, an average length song will have a XM size of about 80 megs, considering all the high quality samples I have in it, and at that point it is crucial to mix down to .wav and .mp3. Another side of it is postproduction. Once it''s out of the tracker, I can push and pull the individual channels any way I want, further perfecting the music.

So what''s "wrong" with MODs? Nothing. It just they aren''t necessitated, and without them, you can achieve higher quality with a great size tradeoff.

Thanks, I still has an Amiga Computer alive,, before the PCs'' power go crazy, the main disadvantage of MOD is the CPU consuming, but now it doesn''t affect a fast PC with normal equipments.

In most case I track in 16bit, 22Khz, mono sample, you know the size of MOD is based on it''s sample, not tracking events, it''s amazing sometimes I can track a 10min song with only 300K, that''s big saving.....

Due to the MP3 licensing, developers are start using OGG instead, maybe I should start distributing the encoded OGG than XM.

With the power of modern CPU''s, I see no reason to track with anyhting less than full on 44kHz samples. The demo scene is fine for what it is, but for really getting music done, I see it as an evolution of tracking, up to the next level, let''s push it farther. It isn''t so bad, in my eyes, that the final product no longer goes out as a mod file, it''s still magic to get it done that way.

Cheers for the Advice, yes, I didn''t tried 44Khz sample yet, now I understand the size difference.

I absolutely love mod/xm songs. Many songs i have heard are true genius. I would think as someone already stated, that making the songs in whatever tracker is a great thing as long as you do postprocessing and generally touch the song up and then release it in mp3, ogg or whatever. Not only the size is smaller but you also have some protection against sample rippers because the sound cannot just be lifted out any more. Another great tool for creating songs is reason 2. Check it out at www.propellerheads.se
they have a demo there you can try out. Sounds really great.

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Feel free to comment, object, laugh at or agree to this. I won''t engage in flaming because of what I have said.
I could be wrong or right but the ideas are mine.

I remember REASON is to make loop/drum based music, it generates continous sound instead of track events... but the song it created is brilliant tho.

If I have $$$ I''ll consider to buy a SC-88 or something, now I''ve done everything in "software", it''s actually very tiresome.

quote: Original post by MicroJackson
I remember REASON is to make loop/drum based music, it generates continous sound instead of track events... but the song it created is brilliant tho.

If I have $$$ I''ll consider to buy a SC-88 or something, now I''ve done everything in "software", it''s actually very tiresome.

Nope. It is very much like a tracker in many
in many respects. I normaly compose my music as MIDI and either import it into Reason or MOD Plug. Reason can have events and you can even place them in that funny note-bar view style (mind blank). So, Reason is supposed to take note events, but it can do loops eaisly as well.

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Well.. I think they are still alive..
if you will work for a fun/old style game it is perfect...
any way.. I think the IT format (impulse tracker) is better... its more advanced...

but... like... yaa.. if want reaaaaly a advanced ..
well.. I say.. the future of traking music
you should check:

http://www.buzzmachines.com

its freeware... it reeeaaly make music (dont mix samples)
but.. it still crash a lot.. well

check and see..
(its not easy as traditional trackers...)
(traditional trackers are easy? lol)

bye,
KammutierSpule

MODs live on in GBA games.

I''m sure other mobile devices will do the same (if they aren''t already).

MODs, and the skills needed to create them, will be required for a few years yet...