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TRAKBLASTER 1.2 :     Volker Zinke 2:241/1.1101     7/90    : 1.2 TRAKBLASTER
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Volker Zinke
Weuenstr. 36
4300 Essen 1
2:241/1.1101
West Germany

                               Trakblaster 1.2

        Trakblaster is a program which plays Amiga-Soundtraker files
        on IBM computers with a Soundblaster-card installed.
        Soundtraker-files stores music with digitized instruments. So
        it is possible to make music with interest effects, e.g.
        speech, singing and so on. Since not the whole song is
        digitized the files are relativ small. But this has a few
        disadvantages. Since every instrument is digitized only once
        but you want to play different notes, the computer has
        to calculate the data for every note during the output of the
        music. But that's not all. The Soundtraker has up to four
        channels which must be calculated independently. Besides that
        the computer needs time to calculate one channel for the
        Soundblaster from four channels of the soundtraker without a
        great loss of quality. There are special effects such as
        sliding, independent volume control for all channels and
        instruments, loop-function for instruments, changing in speed
        during output, jumping around the patterns and so on. All this
        must be calculated by the computer. Last but not least there
        must be a perfect timing to avoid distortion in music output.
        The "Paula"-Chip in the Amiga do many of the work described
        above. Since on IBM PCs there doesn't exist such a chip all
        the work has to be done by the CPU. The Soundblaster card only
        manage the moving of the calculated data from memory to the
        card. So it is clear that this problem can only be solved in
        pure assembler. The development of this program takes many
        weeks with testing, comparing and experimenting. Many days are
        lost with optimizing the program and speed it up to manage the
        needed timing. The result of many crashes, whole nights
        programmed through and hours of telefoning through the land is
        trakblaster. A program which can play soundtraker-files
        directly from the Amiga without the need to convert it. All
        functions of the Soundtraker are implemented.

        Unfortunately I couldn't prevent the use of some special
        commands which some CPUs can't handle. So the program does not
        run on 8086/88 CPUs. With V20/V30 or 80186/286 and higher CPUs
        there should be no problems. But I think that XTs with 8086/88
        CPUs are to slow to run the program anyway. Also the program
        requires about 450k Ram and more.

        The program is public domain and you can copy it to your
        friends as long as the whole package is in his original form
        and the program leaves unchanged. Also the program does not be
        used for commercial use without my permission.

        Lest the program does not mould on my computer, I decide to
        give it as public domain to the rest of the world. So there is
        no need to register it. Nevertheless I'll be happy about any
        appreciation. Everyone who like the program and want to reward
        the work and time to develop it can do this by sending a
        little fee. Those of you sending a check about 20,- DM (about
        15$) and give his mail- address together with his type of
        disk, I'll be sending the newest Version together with about
        15 other Soundtraker-Musikfiles.

         Of course, there are no limits of appreciation :-) But I'll
        be happy also about any smaller appreciation and I think that
        this could spur on the development of this software (such as
        playing in the background, use it in own programms or just a
        composer to make songs by own).


        After you install the driver "CT-VOICE.DRV" with the
        installation Program "TRAKINST" the handling of Trakblast ist
        very easy. Just type it together with the name of the file you
        want to play.

                        TRAK SONG1.MOD          or
                        TRAK F:\SONGS\SONG2.MOD

        It is important to type the complete name of the music-file
        including the extension. Also the driver "CT-VOICE.DRV" which
        can be found by the Soundblaster card must be in the same
        directory in which you are. The driver found in this package
        is configured to port 220hex and IRQ 7. If your card is
        configured in that way you do not need to run TRAKINST.

        During the output of the music you can break it with the
        ESC-Key.

        If there are any problems or questions you can write it to me
        using Fido/Opus Netmail to 2:241/1.1101 Volker Zinke.

        I hope you enjoy the program and the whole work and time to
        develop it was not for nothing :-)


                        Volker Zinke  2:241/1.1101
