Question about XM4SMPS

Discussion in 'Discussion & Q&A' started by hebereke, Oct 14, 2017.

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  1. hebereke

    hebereke opa opa! Member

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    Did Puto (or anybody else) ever release any versions after v4.1? I was wondering about this, since the save state function just seems to crash the program.

    The previous version of the program's save state function seemed convenient, although it was a bit buggy. However, XM3SMPS is just too clunky to use and it's also a bit inconsistent with its output.
     
  2. kenny0989

    kenny0989 Well-known idiot Member

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    No, Puto is the last one who released last version of XM to SMPS converter, it's also pretty much outdated, people use mid2SMPS nowdays
     
  3. nineko

    nineko I am the Holy Cat Member

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    Maybe I shouldn't say this because I'm obviously biased, but I think it's wrong to say that xm4smps is "outdated" just because midi2smps exists. Both MIDI files and XM files have their share of advantages, and I, for one, will always prefer to work with XM files because of all their similarities with SMPS, seeing the number of rows in a tracker will always give you a 1:1 idea of the smps time units. So, no, I don't think that xm4smps is "outdated", it's one of the alternatives that can coexist at any given time.

    As for xm3smps's output being garbage, well, I am guilty. I wrote that converter too soon and too quickly, I was too excited and too eager to hear the first conversions and so its source code is the epitome of bad programming, not to mention that I didn't fully understand SMPS back then (in fact, it's a miracle I could get it to work at all). In the following years I learnt many useful things and a few programming tricks, xm3smps would be much better if I decided to rewrite it from scratch today. Unfortunately, I completely lost interest so I don't think it's going to ever happen.
     
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  4. AkumaYin

    AkumaYin Well-Known Member Exiled

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    xm4smps does have merit if what you're doing is a direct SMPS conversion of a module file from the internet. It's the method of "MIDI -> XM -> SMPS" that's considered outdated by most due to mid2smps existing as an alternative (not to mention having the playback driver gives it a huge edge). The reason XM to SMPS ports were incredibly common about a decade ago was due to the fact that nineko was the first person to write a tool to import an external format (if we're not counting Sonic QX's primitive MIDI import feature that not many people used anyway), which happened to be XM modules due to the preference he's already stated (which I totally respect). Suffice to say that converting MIDI to XM and then SMPS was the generally accepted method for a while, until mid2smps rolled in and got many users to move.

    While I prefer using a DAW (or midi sequencer) over a tracker, I believe that at least knowing the basics of using the latter along with xm4smps (or xm3smps, if that's your cup of tea) is useful in the odd case in which you find yourself wanting to port a module you happened to stumble upon.
     
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  5. nineko

    nineko I am the Holy Cat Member

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    Since this isn't that off-topic, I might also go full circle and mention that MOD/XM to MIDI converters exist as well, ModPlugTracker even has some built-in functionality for that, though its results are way more than questionable. It's ok if most people prefer MIDIs these days, if anything because there are huge libraries of them around the internet (vgmusic just to name one), but I never hid the fact that I've always been a module fanboy, and when I noticed how "1 module row = 1 smps time unit" and "both XM and SMPS channels are monophonic" are both statements that make sense, I went with that route. I'm glad I've been a pioneer of sort and I'm even more glad to see that one decade later there is still some use for the XM to SMPS converters, even if it's for a niche audience. As I said, more alternatives = good. ValleyBell's efforts are way beyond awesome if you ask me. He's doing unprecedented work with both the SMPS and the VGM formats.
     
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  6. hebereke

    hebereke opa opa! Member

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    So I guess the lack of support/interest for this is because of how much more of a convenience MIDI conversions are? It's kind of a shame to see that modules have sort of been abandoned in favor of the MIDI format, although I guess it makes sense; since converting directly from MIDI has less steps through mid2smps. Evidently, I sort of still prefer to go with XM myself, since I'm able to sample the instruments for a better preview of what the final song will turn out like.
     
  7. Spanner

    Spanner The Tool Member

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    You can sample instruments with MIDI if you use VOPM.
     
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