xgmod - play music modules

xgmod [-chrR] [-P pan-factor] [-v volume] [module...]

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.

-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 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 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 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 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)

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

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.

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.