NAME
xgmod - play music modules
SYNOPSIS
xgmod [-chrR] [-P pan-factor] [-v volume] [module...]
DESCRIPTION
This manual page documents xgmod, a music module file player for Linux
and X, with support for the Gravis Ultrasound card and AWE cards.
Xgmod is capable of playing 669, MOD, Multitracker (MTM), Scream
Tracker III (S3M), Ultratracker (ULT), and FastTracker (XM) files.
If modules are listed on the command line, those modules will be added
to the file queue. Modules compressed with compress, gzip, lharc, or
zip can be played by gmod, if gunzip, lharc, and/or zip are installed.
OPTIONS
-c Disable compression of modules in memory. Normally, modules are
compressed in memory in order to use less space. Specifying
this option will save some CPU time.
-h Display help.
-P pan-factor
Set the panning factor. Valid values are -100 to 100. Higher
absolute values produce more panning. Negative values cause the
left/right channels to be swapped. The default value is 100.
-r Infinitely repeat the current module.
-R Randomize the play order of the modules.
-v volume
Set the volume to volume. Valid values are 0 to 255. The
default value is 255.
THE XGMOD WINDOW
The Xgmod main window contains a number of buttons.
Double Left Arrow
Move to the previous song position (rewind)
Double Right Arrow
Move to the next song position (forward)
Double Left Arrow with bar
Play previous module in queue. If there is no previous module
(the module currently playing is the first module in the queue),
playback will stop.
Double Right Arrow with bar
Play next module in queue. If there is no next module (the
module currently playing is the last module in the queue),
playback will stop.
Single Right Arrow
Begin playback of the current module.
Square Stop playback
Queue Pop up the queue window
Options
Pop up to options window
Track Pop up the tracking window
Samples
Pop up the sample information window
Comment
Pop up the module comment window
Exit Exit Xgmod
THE QUEUE WINDOW
The queue window displays all files currently in the play queue.
Double clicking on a file will start playback of that module. A number
of buttons are provided for manipulating the queue.
Add Pop up the file selector to add files to the queue
Save Save the current file queue
Current
Highlight the module currently playing in the file queue list
Play Start playback with the module currently highlighted in the file
queue list
Remove Remove the highlighted file from the file queue
Clear Remove all files from the file queue
Shuffle
Randomize the order of the files in the file queue.
Close Close the queue window
THE OPTIONS WINDOW
The options window contains four groups of options. The first group,
play options, are effective immediately after they are pressed. The
second group, load options, are checked only when a module is loaded.
The third group contains toggles to control the file queue. The fourth
group controls the selection of octaves when loading a module. By
default, all the options are off.
Break Infinite Loops [play]
If this toggle is enabled, infinite loops in modules will be
broken.
Ignore Speed0 Commands [play]
Speed 0 commands normally cause a module to stop playing.
Enabling this toggle will cause all speed 0 commands to be
ignored.
50 Hz Clock Freq [load]
Enabling this toggle will cause modules to be played using a 50
Hz base clock frequency. This option is effective for MOD files
only.
NTSC Sample Timing [load]
If this toggle is enabled, samples will be playing using NTSC
(as opposed to PAL) sample timing. This option is effective for
MOD files only.
Disable BPM Tempos [load]
Enabling this toggle will cause all speed changes to be
considered "ticks per division" changes. This option is
effective for MOD files only.
Check magic number [load]
Check the magic number in MOD files. If the MOD file does not
have a magic number, then it will not be loaded. Old 15 channel
MODs do not have magic numbers.
Unqueue After Play [queue]
If this toggle is enabled, the module will be removed from the
file queue after it has been played.
Random Order [queue]
Play the modules in the file queue in a random order. Clicking
"previous module" or "next module" in the main window will
select another module randomly.
Highlight Current [queue]
Highlight the current module in the file queue whenever a new
module is loaded.
Limited [octave selection]
Use the standard octave range for MOD files.
Extended [octave selection]
Use an extended octave range for MOD files.
Automatic [octave selection]
Use the standard octave range if all notes in the MOD file fall
within the standard range; otherwise, the extended octave range
will be used.
Save Save the options into the .xgmodrc file.
Close Close the options window.
THE GMODRC FILE
The gmodrc file is used to determine settings to be used for particular
modules. The gmodrc settings will always override the settings in the
options window. GMOD will first look for a file named .gmodrc in the
user’s home directory, and if it is not found, it will look for
/usr/etc/gmodrc. The gmodrc settings are combined with the options
given on the command line. The format of the file is:
filename(without path) option ...
For example, if mymodule.mod uses NTSC sample timing and speed 0
commands should be ignored, the following line could be entered in the
gmodrc file:
mymodule.mod ntsc nospeed0
Spacing is not important, but case is significant. The module name
must start at the leftmost position of the line. The length of the
line is limited to 160 characters.
Valid options are: nobpm (ignore BPM tempos), ntsc (use NTSC sample
timing), nospeed0 (ignore speed 0 commands), extend (extended octaves),
and 50hz (use 50 Hz clock frequency)
NOTES
This applies only if gmod is compiled without linear volume support:
Setting the sequencer volume to anything greater than approximately 60
when gmod’s volume (-v) is set to 255 will cause volume clipping.
Lower gmod volumes will allow higher sequencer volumes before clipping
occurs.
MOD files use various timing methods. Different methods and the
corresponding options are listed below:
NTSC (60 Hz) CIA: NTSC sample timing
PAL (50 Hz) CIA: no options (default)
NTSC (60 Hz) Vblank: NTSC sample timing, Ignore BPM tempos
PAL (50 Hz) Vblank: Ignore BPM tempos, 50 Hz clock frequency
DIAGNOSTICS
The exit codes are:
0 Normal termination.
50 Bad arguments.
51 An error occurred while attempting to access the sequencer.
52 An error occurred while attempting to load a module
53 No GUS card was found.
AUTHORS
Original source by Hannu Savolainen.
MultiTracker/Ultratracker loading by Robert Sanders.
Many other modifications have been performed by Andrew J. Robinson
<arobinso@nyx.net>. Andrew is currently the maintainer of gmod.
Please direct any comments, questions, bug reports, etc. to him. There
is currently a Xgmod WWW page available through
http://www.nyx.net/~arobinso
Xgmod is Copyright (C) 1996 by Andrew J. Robinson.