: traxweekly issue #111 \|/ _ _ _ _ --+-- ______//\|\_____ ___//\ _ //\ -- - /|\ \\ _/| _ \// \ //\// \ -- - : \\/ | || |/ // || \/ \ / || | || X\\ /\ \ / -- - the music scene newsletter || _| ||__|__ \\\ ||_/ //\ \ -- - est. 12 march 1995 ||/ \\/ \\/ \\ \ \ -- - :' -sHD- \\/\_/ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - -- //\_||\ _____//\_____//\|\__ _ _//| ___ //\ - -- // /|| \|| ___/| ___/| |/ \|| | // \/ \ - -- // //\| \| _/_|| _/_|| | /|| |//\\____ \ \\ \ /| /| /| \|| // / - -- \\____ /|| ____/|| ____/||__\\ \| ___/\\ ____/ \\/ ||/ ||/ \\_/|/ \\/ `: `: : \\ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | TraxWeekly Issue #111 | Release date: 25 Sep 1997 | Subscribers: 973 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ]--[Introduction]------------------------------------------------------------[ Welcome to issue 111! I'm back after a month-long hiatus (not much of a vacation really; I ended up working with a high school marching band), and starting up at university again. This issue features TraxWeekly's second interview with Khyron, this time conducted by new staff writer Jeremy Rice; the second installment of Coplan's "In Tune" series, another article of broadcasting of module music by Mark Bradley, and a few music reviews. A few changes to the staff: Jeremy Rice and Nightshade have joined up with us, putting in some considerable time to put out some articles. We finally have to say goodbye to our friend Justin Ray, aka Zinc, who has given us the Demotape Directory, the amusing Blacklists, and other enjoyable articles over the last year. Best wishes to you in your future endeavours. At this point in time, I'm getting caught up with our subscribers list again (can we say, lots of email "bounce?"), so if you happen to be part of that group of people desperately trying to get off the trax-weekly list, be sure to send me another message screaming at me to remove you from the list manually (if you can't get yourself to read the "closing" section of the newsletter and find out how to do it yourself). Thanks! And of course, a heartfelt pat on the back for our friends at DemoNews, who are finally releasing regularly again, and provided me with the motivation to sit down and get this issue out. Until next week! Gene Wie (Psibelius) TraxWeekly Publishing gwie@csusm.edu ]--[Contents]----------------------------------------------------------------[ ________ _________________________________________________________________ / ____/_/ __/ \ __/ / _____/ \ __/ __/ ___/_ < \____\ \ \\ \ \\____ __/ __/_\ \ \\____ \_____ \__ \ \ \ \\ \ \ww\ \\ \\ \ \ \ \ \_ _\________\________\\___\____\ \_____\\_______\\___\____\ \_____\_______\ Letters and Feedback 1. Letter from Lachlan Barclay 2. Letter from Ranger Rick 3. Letter from driscoll General Articles 4. Interview with Khyron (again =)...............Jeremy Rice 5. In Tune.......................................Coplan 6. Broadcast Trax................................Mark Bradley 7. Tune Shopping Network.........................Nightshade 8. Disk Review: Tinitus..........................Jeremy Rice Advertisements ACiD caps! ViperMAX (aka GUSextreme) Closing Distribution Subscription/Contribution Information TraxWeekly Staff Sheet ]--[Letters and Feedback]----------------------------------------------------[ --[1. Letter from Lachlan Barclay]-------------------------------------------- From s943011@mhs.schnet.edu.au Date: Mon, 1 Sep 1997 09:09:35 +1000 From: Lachlan Barclay To: gwie@mailhost1.csusm.edu Subject: It -> Cp player Dear Gene + Traxweekly, Thanks for the article "in tune". Nice to know that I actually had a good idea for once! Anyway, the point of this letter is to ask a little question about Cubic Player. Recently, I wrote a music file in Impulse Tracker (thanks Lim) containing the following pattern data: C-5 01 SC3 G-4 02 A06 C-5 01 S00 ... .. ... C-5 01 ... ... .. ... (something like that) C-5 01 S00 ... .. ... (Rep) SC3 being a command which will (at speed 6), will cut off the instrument half way. (At frame 3). Instrument one was an open hihat, and so eventually it sounded like two closed hihats, and one open hihat, then one closed one. Obviously it was less repetitive than this, but you get the general idea. Anyway to get to the point, I saved this as an S3M (usable for a demo) and then bunged it into Cubic Player to have a listen. However it sounded totally different. At closer inspection, Cubic Player had changed it to this: C-5 01 ... G-4 02 A06 C-5 01 ... ... .. ... C-5 01 ... ... .. ... C-5 01 ... ... .. ... Where have my SC3 commands gone? Am I demented or suffering too much caffeine overdose? I then loaded the same mod into trusty ST3, and lo and behold, my cut-offs were still there. Any ideas anyone? Thanks man, Cherio from another Tracker Lachlan Barclay ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --[2. Letter from Ranger Rick]------------------------------------------------ From ranger@ironweb.com Date: Sun, 31 Aug 1997 05:31:57 GMT To: gwie@mailhost2.csusm.edu Cc: grav@juno.com Subject: Re: [TRAX-WEEKLY:138] TraxWeekly ISsue #110 > >follow this rule. And why is it wrong to use other people's sample? > >I mean why create another high quality sample, if what I need already > >exists? No reason! But if the only reason one is using somebody else's > >sample is because there's nothing else, not because it's a good sample, > > >THAN they should be penalized. I dunno, I just wish somebody would tell > >me what's wrong with using other people's samples. I do create my own > >samples, but only if I want something in particular or if a specific > >"instrument" I have in mind doesn't exist. What am I supposed to do? > >Make my own samples that sound the same as the ones I'm using now just > >so I'm not penalized?????? (-: > > It is not wrong to use another's sample, it's just not as good for > you. Sampling yourself will reduce the need to use others' samples > because many of the samples you produce will be able to replace > their's in your song. The main reason I do most of my own sampling > is that (1) many of my own samples serve as inspiration for a new > song, (2) it makes you feel better about the song at the end.. you > really did do ALL of the work. > > the radial thoughts of: > ---grav/krac5 > grav@juno.com I respect your cynical viewpoint of tracking (grin), but here is where I disagree. Samples are tools, just like anything else. Why do you use a tracker, instead of getting a mixer, a multitrack DAT, a drum machine and keyboards (or other instruments, depending on your style)? Because for some people, it's just plain easier, and for some it's what they know, and it's a framework they use to produce their MUSIC. The music is in your head, the tracker is just the way you express it. That's like saying, "Why do you use samples that are in your synthesizer? You should be building your own synthesizers!" Because the sounds you need to express a song are already there at your disposal. I would love to be able to build my own synths, but I don't have the time and the knowledge. I *do* have access to other people's samples, and they fit my framework. I see no need in sampling all of my own sounds when someone else with access to better equipment than I have has already done it for me. For some people, maybe, ripping is just a crutch, but for me, it's just another tool. Ranger Rick ranger@ironweb.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --[3. Letter from driscoll]--------------------------------------------------- From driscoll@kersur.net Date: Mon, 1 Sep 1997 00:25:55 -0400 From: driscoll@kersur.net To: gwie@mailhost2.csusm.edu Subject: Re: Drums, newbies, TW I have to say I am impressed by the sudden influx of participation in TW this week. As far as drums go, I am a fan of the drumloop when used to create interesting loops not just the same old same old. Check out the win95 program "HammerHead" by Bram Bos. Its a cool drum machine deal that lets you write to .raw. The program is similar to the TR-909 (i am told) and the "groovebox" being sold today. Its very simple to use and has some cool samples built in. You can add your own too. The program is available on the Hornet archive. I am pretty sure that this is the URL: ftp://ftp.hornet.org/music/programs/samplers/hhbeta96.zip I definitely fall into the beginning trackers category. I've been tracking <1 year and for all intensive purposes - suck. :) But I keep experimenting with new stuff. I don't exclusively listen to one type of music on my stereo at home so I try to track lots of different styles. (With varying degrees of success) I dissagree with those who say releasing decent or crummy tunes is bad. I think you have to get slammed a bunch of times to learn how to do things right. Plus, you aren't out to write music that other people want to hear; you're in the scene to track the music that is part of you. I think it is the responsibility of the more experienced trackers to help out the new guys(gals) and teach them how to improve. That is how the scene will develop. .X.iago.X. aka- xRudex driscoll@kersur.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ]--[General Articles]--------------------------------------------------------[ --[4. Interview with Khyron]-----------------------------------[Jeremy Rice]-- Khyron has long been a respected name in the Demoscene... He was even there at that historic moment when "the #coders people wanted all the musicians to stop flooding the channel with music talk and [they] created #trax." I had the good fortune of catching him on #trax, where we had this excellent conversation: Where did you ever end up with a handle like Khyron, anyway? Khyron was my favorite character from the old anime series Robotech.. he was the evil badass that eventually ended up dying, but he had personality Fair enough. :) What's your real name? Paul Schultz is what they call me And you live where? unfortunately I live in Cincinnati Ohio, which without my job being here I'd leave it in a minute Where would you live, if you had the choice? as far as US cities go, San Fransisco or Seattle would be pretty nice.. New York possibly for a short period Definately not anywhere in the mid west US :) All good choices... What's the job that keeps you in Ohio? I work for the resurrected Moog Music, Inc. build synthesizers and do a bit of sales every now and then Wow... Real Moogs... I assume you own one, do you use the Moog in you music much? only Moog synth I actually own is a Liberation (i have a Mini with me now, just took it home from work to play around with for the night) i've used a few samples from em.. Never in my MIDI stuff since these old beasts don't have MIDI in em :) Although any analog synth with a guitar strap is a hell of a lot of fun :) -laugh- So you've been composing for how long? tracked music about 3 1/2 years.. Lately I've been doing more stuff with my loan payment synths and MIDI sequencing.. Havn't actually tracked anything new for a few months. So you find MIDI more suitable for your style of music? MIDI can be more suitable for many styles.. Depending on how much money you spend and what gear you own.. that's the beauty of tracked music, you can be completely broke and just steal samples and make some great music with it.. Now I like the control you have with MIDI sequencing (realtime effects on the synthesizers, poweful sound programming capability you can't do with just straight sample playback like tracked music.) I've been experimenting with a lot of brian eno / aphex twinish ambient stuff.. working with real gear is MUCH more suitable than tracking Is ambient your strongest style? probably not.. I've just recently been experimenting with it. I can do cheesy shit demo-techno pretty good, but that's not really the direction I wanna go to :) Trance is what I'd like to get into, but making it sound great takes a lot of work Pardon the slight break in the stream of thought, but have you had any music theory? very little.. I originally started music playing bass (played bass in a punk band for about 2 years.. loads of fun) but as for real book thoery I kind of learned as I went along The reason I ask is that 'Trance' is one of those style that gets trampled on by the theory-heavy types. Do you think there's more to it? eh I'd say so.. the kind of trance I like has a lot of chords to it, which takes some very basic thoery to do.. not nearly as much as doing a jazz piano riff, but that's a completely different genre. much technoish music doesn't rely so much on how much thoery it takes to make the riffs, but more on the arrangement side of it.. like ok drums go out here, slowly lead up a big crescendo into a big booming break with a kicking 909 kick etc.. focuses more on arrangement and production more than anything else Good point... So, what do you think of the quality of the Scene's music right now? eh to be honest I havn't downloaded too much new music lately.. I think there's a LOT more good musicians out there now than there were a few years ago.. but there's also a ton of really bad people too.. I'm glad to see more talented people come out of the cracks, but it's hard to just download some random song and hope for it to be good, because there's so many people tracking now the amount of bad stuff outweighs the good stuff.. even tho there's more good stuff now than ever.. sucks doesn't it? :) Standard question: Who are some of your favorites? (And yes, it sucks.) :) basehead has probably been my favorite for a while.. mellow-d rocks just cuz he has a sound all to his own.. no one else tracks just like him. B00MER and WAVE are among the top of my list, some guy in ultrabeat really kicks ass too and of course there's my oldskool favorite c-quence Do you find them influencing your music? basically anything from the TP3 4-channel compo just rocks to me somewhat.. lately i've found myself more influenced by signed recording artists than tracker musicians.. I try to have a style all my own, but I can't say I've been exactly happy with my more recent tracked stuff. Do you have plans to release a music under a 'real' label? hopefully in the future.. I don't have much time right now to work on music (i think i put in about 80 hours last week at work) but I definately want to at least get a good demo CD pressed to send out to labels.. who knows Do you think that demo CD would include any tracked music? probably not.. I'd want it to sound as clean as humanly possible.. working with a 1 meg GUS doesn't leave much room for all 44.1k samples (i've done MIDI stuff with 18 megs used up on my K2000 before) Understood. So how did you first get introduced to the Scene? first demo I ever saw was amnesia by renaissance.. completely blew me away. I was always interested in making music of some sort, started out with mmedit back in 94. When was that? (Seeing Amnesia) probably sometime in 93.. it wasn't the most recent demo at the time, but it was the first one I saw, next one I saw was of course FC's second reality.. which of course at the time everyone went apeshit over How long did it take you to join a group? aheheh.. with the first mod I ever made I joined a group called RAM (really awful music, they meant it too) .. after tracking for a while I joined the ansi group Acid and late 94 joined the KLF (now know as Kosmic or KFMF or whatever the hell you wanna call it) oh back then (in RAM) i went by the handle Burger Death (don't ask) Are you satisfied as a member of Kosmic? (I'm trying VERY hard to ignore the Burger Death thing.) :) yeah i'd say so.. most of the guys in Kosmic (the ones I know, back when I joined there was only like 13 members and everyone knew each other) are really great and don't show an ego about anything (except Maelcum ofcourse =) .. there's really no other group I'd be in.. if I got kicked out for inactivity i'd probably just go groupless So do you think joining a group is less than it's cracked up to be? yeah.. demo groups are different tho.. with demo groups you have people working together for a big badass final project. for music groups now it's kind of like a little cheesy version of a record label Good point. So do you still follow the Demoscene today? I try to.. I always grab the winning demos from the parties and such.. But as far as "who's in what group" i really don't know as much as I used to.. I used to be able to kick phoenix's ass in scenetriv, now I don't even stand a chance :) :) Sounds like there've been some major changes for you over the past few years... To what do you attribute the change? mainly what goes on in my real life.. before when I was in highschool (well, when I decided to show up that is =) I followed everything a lot more. I've got a real job and real responsibilities now that don't give me the free time I used to. Coming home at 3pm and tracking after getting a snack is something I really miss, guess you gotta grow up sometime :) I know how that goes. :) Hmmmn... A few more questions, and I'll leave you be. What are a few of your best modules? probably 200 miles from earth(k_earth.xm), wormhole(k_worm.xm) and DreamState(my tune from the Restless scene mag) are among my current favorites.. they change all the time tho ...Understandable. ...Have any suggestions for the Scene as a whole? if you're still young with lots of free time, bum around.. do whatever makes you happy. Once you have to go to work every day you'll miss it. buy lots of comic books and get outside more. And which comics do you suggest? :) witchblade, preacher, the darkness, sandman, and this really cool one just came out called Ascension.. has very good potential. Don't buy marvel. [...] Anything written by garth ennis or neil gaimen is cool. Excellent... Well, I thank you for your time, Khyron! no problem.. been a pleasure [Editor's note: Damn! I wish everyone were that easy to interview!] :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --[5. In Tune]------------------------------------------------------[Coplan]-- This week, I am going to review a song that I would have liked to review two weeks ago when I started this column. However, two weeks ago, the MC5 results had not yet been finished. The song I am reviewing this week was entered in the rookie MC5 division. Though it did not place in the top 10, it did place rather well. The song: Music Box She (m5r-mshe.zip) by Hiq (Pekka Ruuskanen). Two weeks ago, I stated on #trax that I wanted to review this song. I asked everyone in the channel at the time what their opinions on the song were. As expected, most people didn't respond. But a few nameless people replied. Most people questioned my interest in the song. However, regardless of their views, I continue to review the song. Why? The song is simple, lacking any complex and unnecessary effects. Simplicity is in my opinion, something that many people can't do. In general, I am useing this song as an example for trackers who forget that the best songs are often the simple ones. The song starts out with a simple tune with chimes. There is no back up, no other instruments involved. Only an echo. Suddenly, a second set of chimes comes in, harmonizing with the first, and a single stringed instrument. As the song continues...it's structure grows more complex. In comes a chorus, some more strings, a bass guitar and the lead instrument: a flute. About half way through the song, the lead fades out, and the song seems to be comeing to an end. But through a smooth transition, the melody once again enters back into the song. The song continues on for another few patterns before it begins to come to an end. When I first heard the song, I didn't feel that the intro was strong enough. However, now that I have looked deeper into the song, I don't beleive that there is a better way to begin the song. I am reminded of a song that a younger child would hum. (Don't ask why, but I had an image of my mother reading the 'Velvatine Rabbit' to me just before bedtime). From this simple little tune comes the multi-faceted song that you hear. Listen carefully to the chimes as you go throughout the song. They continue almost entirely throughout the song. However, it doesn't in any way compete with the lead instrument. In my opinion, the subtraction of the chimes could easily throw off the balance of the peice. The core of the song is well done. All transitions are smooth and precise. However, the ending leaves a little something to be desired. Much care had been put into fadeing all the instruments out one by one, and each was effectivly terminated. But, the last remaining instrument happend to be the lead instrument. If another pattern were added to the end of the song and the strings and bells had been the last to terminate, the ending would have been much stronger. "Music Box She" (m5r-mshe.zip) is, to the best of my knowledge, the only song that Hiq has written. It is available through the official MC5 releases on the hornet archive site (http://www.hornet.org). I have no other information about the author, and appologize for this. However, the song was a good one, and one deserving of the attention that I have given to it. Keep an eye out for Hiq and other new trackers. You never know, some tracker you have never heard of will be the next Necros. --Coplan "In Tune" is a regular column dedicated to the review and public awareness of newly released tracked tunes. If you have heard a song you would like to recommend (either your own or another person's), I can be reached at the following address: coplan@thunder.temple.edu Any format playable in either Cubic Player or Impulse Tracker is acceptable. I review single songs only (no musicdisks). Please do not send files over 1MB without first contacting me. As always, feedback and suggestions are welcome. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --[6. Broadcast Trax]-----------------------------------------[Mark Bradley]-- The Sounds of Trax.... Some time ago there was talk about doing a radio show over the net. Like most people in the scene I can't afford to buy or borrow the equipment to produce such a program. But I do present a weekly radio show on CUe-FM 98.7 fm. It is a narrow-cast student station at the University of Canberra, Australia. I have been toying with the idea of presenting a show featuring songs made by members of the #trax community. I am not specific as to whether the composers are on IRC or not, I am merely interested in showcasing what is out there, and what can be done relatively simply, with affordable equipment. I have not set a date as yet, deciding to wait for any input from people out there. I am also looking for contibutions from trackers like yourselves. For copyright reasons I will not play tracks unless given permission by the composer. I am not particular on style - I think some variety would help show what can be done on a computer. My only crtieria is that the tracks have to be "interesting", "radio-friendly" and of a high quality. I am also unsure whether I should play the "best" - you know, the tracks we all rate as the best - or the most recent. What do you think? I intend to publish the playlist in #TraxWeekly, and make tapes of the show which I will mail to anyone interested, with a small fee to cover costs. If the show proves successful, through local feedback, calls during the show, and feedback through TraxWeekly, IRC or Email then I will consider doing the show once a month, or maybe fortnightly, or even weekly. This depends on the response from you. If the show becomes regular, then I will ope to publish the playlist through TraxWeekly each time, effectively creating a regular list of Worthwhile trax to check out - a "chart", if you will.. If you have any input, either advice, criticism or you would like to contribute a track, please e-mail me at the following address : markyb@rocketmail.com Please include your name, email address, and if offering a track please tell me where I can download it from, and what style it is. Do NOT mail me your tracks, as my ISP is very strict on quotas.... Look forward to hearing from you. Mark Bradley aka Marky! ** DJ ** Producer ** Promoter ** Formerly known as "Iceheart", now on IRC in #trax as Marky or MarkyB Email : MarkyB@rocketmail.com m.bradley@student.canberra.edu.au Phone Vodafone Network 0414 761 231 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --[7. Tune Shopping Network]------------------------------------[Nightshade]-- Welcome to a new column in TraxWeekly. I know many of you may not know me, but I'm here to SELL my thoughts on what's hot and what's not in the ways of the ways people track their modules. So... Instead of sitting here and babbling about myself, let's get going on some "What's Hots".... What's HOT Title: House of Orinocco Composer: Gemini Format: .IT Location: http://www.serv.net/~ns/tunes/enyarave.zip Comments: This tune is a great remix of a classic song. The beat is good, sound quality is great and it doesn't get boring. The only problem I see with this tune is the "Sail away, sail away, sail away" sample maybe should've been in surround mode to give it a little more depth. Ala in all, get this tune. Title: _chre Composer: stereoman Format: .IT Location: ftp://ftp.noisemusic.org/pub/users/wnoise/no-chre.zip Comments: This song isn't too bad. It's got a light upbeat to it and has some feeling... The major downfall of this one is the crackly sounding samples. I hope he releases a better version of this song sometime soon. Title: excrementality Composer: Shawn202 & StOtE Format: .IT Location: ftp://ftp.noisemusic.org/pub/wnoise/no-turd.zip Comments: Trying to be as non-biased as I can... I must say, for a technoish industrial tune, it's not bad. These type of songs just aren't my cup of tea though. If my opinion could be taken, it could definatly use some work. Title: Psychosis Composer: B00MER Format: .XM Location: http://www.kosmic.org/kosmic/songs/97/k_psyhc.zip Comments: I'm not too into techno tunes, but this one isn't bad. I had to listen to it a couple of times to get the taste of it. The samples are clear as a spring day in the meadows. I see only one bad thing about it, it's repetetive. When songs do that, then that shows how much inspiration the composer had to write the tune. Not bad... If you want your tunes reviewed both here in TraxWeekly and on my web page at http://www.serv.net/~ns , please drop me a line at ns@serv.net and tell me the following things: Title of the tune Where to get the tune Group affiliation Composer's name Composer's email address - Nightshade - - ns@serv.net - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --[8. Disk Review: Tunes of Tinitus]---------------------------[Jeremy Rice]-- I decided to review a music disk this week. Simple enough, one might think. It took me three tries to find something I could actually review... What I learned along the way was: "Matte Finish" by dj3, one of three musicdisks that were uploaded in the past week by dj3, causes the 'bit 3' error with MikIT. (Yes, I admit, I usually listen to ITs in MikIT first). Second, "Blackmetal Trilogy" by Samael of 'goose piru': The largest disk of the past week, ended up being heavy metal/punk/deathmetal (call it what you will), which is a style I have no love for, especially in module format. (Guess I should have paid more attention to the disk's name, huh?) :) I will say, however, that the samples went together quite well, and all of the songs seemed to be of excellent composition for the style... Samael seems to be a master of his chosen art. Too bad I can't stand the art. :) ...Which leads me to "Tunes Of Tinitus" by icebound of m-headz. A prime choice-- It's one of the largest uploads this week, with lots of songs instead of lots of samples, and, more importantly, it's by an author I'm not familiar with. The songs were all XMs. (So I ended up not using MikIT after all!) "10 tunes of groovy stuff.." icebound calls it. Damn straight! I don't think any two of the songs are in the same style, which, personally, I think is cool-- no getting bored with the same mood, same samples, and same ideas conveyed in ten different ways. The songs themselves are all nice, if not excellent... The samples are all somewhat low in quallity (which keeps the file sizes down, of course), but wide-ranging... Accoustic strings, jaw harps, crystal bells, timpanis, and synth-strings to name a few. Redundancy was not an issue with this disk. [Cheer!] (Due to the ecclectic nature of the songs, I'll have to cover them individually, so pardon the length of this post.) Track 1: Nocturne The opening tries to be dark, but doesn't quite get there. Slow strings, percussion samples played at impossibly low frequencies, and a light cackle attempt to build the mood... There's just something about icebound's style that prohibits him from getting too dark... He's more of an upbeat composer. There's a switch into an upbeat style about half-way through the song, though. The rhythm is simple, with a nice, slow lead, and a few effects showing up here and there in the background... But in generall, it doesn't seem to go anywhere. Still, it's one of the better songs here. Track 2: Neuromancer A bizarre flute lead, some American Indian chanting, and a deep voice (describing a dream) float around over a Sade-ish beat. Nice mood, if a bit drab... The song keeps it short and sweet, however, so it avoids getting redundant. Track 3: Final Showdown Okay, I lied. Icebound can get dark. At least for a while. :) This is probably the coolest song on the disk, although it gets a little weird just after the half-way mark. Fortunately, the weird part doesn't last too long. It's got a funky percussion line behind a well-written square lead, with light bells adding some highs in this otherwise bass-heavy song. Nice track, alltogether, if you're into dark songs. Track 4: Out of Coke The lead to this odd song is VERY cool... Unfortunately, there's this organ sample that shows up for a while that's incredibly dissonant on top of the rest of the song. The rhythm is, again, funky, and this module would really work if he'd taken out that droning organ. Track 5: Perverted Gods Once again, the opening fails at being dark... Playing samples well below their 'natural' frequency just doesn't cut it. The song breaks out into a light techno beat, however, and picks up pace from there. This is definitely nice techno. Some nice minor seconds in the chords, a beat that doesn't get too drab, a brief-but-cool saw-sweep lead, and a funky jaw harp that makes an appearance just before the end: very cool. Unfortunately, the quality of the samples begins to hurt the disk, here. Track 6: Stormfall Classical music follows the last upbeat track. It's not easy to track classical with samples like these, but icebound manages well enough. This song, however, is one of the few redundant tracks in the disk: it's just too long. It could have used a change in key, or some fresh samples, after the halfway mark, at the very least. There are also some synth strings that fail to fit with the accoustic instruments, which is too bad. Track 7: Stressed Sherlock Probably the worst song on the disk. It's kind of a pseudo-swing jazz piece, with a hihat that would not die, lousy samples, and phrases that leap around way too much-- it's impossible to follow. The best aspect of this song is that it's rather short. Track 8: Summoning Sickness This song rivals "Final Showdown" for the coolest on the disk. If you aren't going to bother picking up the whole disk (it's just under two meg), then you might want to snag these two (using Hornet's very cool ZipView). It's electronic in style, and has an incredible beat. This is not a song that'll win contests, nor will it end up your favorite song-- not by a longshot. But it's definiteley worth listening to. Track 9: Taste My Chocolate This track seems to be an appology for "Stressed Sherlock". Another swing jazz piece (with a slower tempo and lighter feel), icebound proves he can track half-way decent jazz. The volume control is poor, however, and there are some spots in the piano that are a bit too fast (he could have opened up a few more channels to help it). Still, compared to track 7, this is quite an improvement. Track 10: Mysterious Tribe Icebound definitely has a grasp of rhythm. This is a funky, light piece that ends off the disk with a rather bizarre picture of grass-skirted, pierced-nosed drummers banging away with a leaping flute lead to keep your attention. The samples are chippy, but that adds to the mood... This song seems to exist to give you a chuckle, rather than entertain. Altogether, it seems icebound is an up-and-coming tracker with a strength in building rhythms, and the potential to write pleasant leads. He's got a good ear for moods, and, once he's got some better samples behind him, will certainly be worth watching. I enjoyed the broad range of styles in this disk, and hope he keeps future disks as ecclectic. And I've really got to congratulate him for keeping the songs fresh and avoiding the redundancy you find in all too many modules today (especially musicdisks)! Thanks, icebound. [_After_ writing this article, I talked to icebound and found out the following facts: his real name is Rasmus Bjoerndal Harr (a Dane). He's in his second year of high school, and has been tracking about as long as he's been there. This was his first musicdisk, and shows his tendency to fool around with different styles, rather than sticking to one. His inspiration comes from Cradle of Filth, Paradise Lost, Mozart, Bach, and Pink Floyd, as well as others. He welcomes comments/questions/general chit-chat at izbound@hotmail.com.] -JRice jrice@notes1.invincible.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ]--[Advertisements]----------------------------------------------------------[ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ .g###s, dP^```^╚$b l$ __ `$l ___ Yb,.,$; .$l $$$ `╚╩╝^ .dP .s#S$S#s, $$$ #s,. .s#$$$Ss, _.d$' .d$$╝²"^"²╚$$b. $$$ $$$$$b, .d$P²"```"²Y$b. l$$: ╚²` d$Y' .sS$Sb. `Y$b$$l ---- :$$l`"²$$b. -------- d$P` .sSSSs, `$$b$$$____ .$$P d$$$$$$$b T$$$: -- $$$ l$$: b. `Y$b.`Y$$╝',$$P d$$$$$$$b T$$$l $$$ d$$ :$$$$$$$$$: :$$$ :$ $$l $$$ :$$b. `Y$b_.,s$$$$. l$$$$$$$$$l l$$: l$$::$$l l$$$$$$$$$l $$$ l$ $$: :$$l l$P┘' _.$$$$$P²$$$ :$$$$$$$$$$: $$$ :$$ll$$; I$$$$$$$$$I $$$ $$ $$ l$$:_.,sS$$P╝^Y$$. $$l l$$$$$$$$$$$, ,; $$$$$$: $$$$$$$$$$l $$$ :$$ "`_.$$$$$$P╚²"`_.,, Y$$,$$$ :$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ l$$$$$; I$$$$$$$$$: :$$l l$$ S$$$$$l^`_.s#S$$$$$: Y$$l$$. 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For those of you that like choices, and don't we all, we have two for you: #1 - Option One one is a straight black cap with the ACiD logo in a deep forest green and white trim. #2 - Option Two boasts a two-tone color mix, caramel-brown crown and a black brim. The ACiD logo is white-filled with a phat black outline. Both of these hats flaunt the embroidered ACiD logo designed by RaD Man, are made from a soft, supple wool-blend that just makes your mouth water and lets your head breathe. (And we all know that if your head can't breathe, well then. You have problems.) Size is something that should not concern you here, big head or small, these are one size-fits-all caps. _ ___ _ ______ \------------------------------------ --- -- - \________________\ A C T N O W ! \--------------------------------------- --- -- - As usual, this is a limited time offer, we do not have millions of hats, so you'll want to jump at this chance while supplies last. We suggest you order now so that you don't miss out on this wonderful extension to the line of ACiDgear. Simply print the form below, or place your order on-line via our web site at 'http://www.acid.org/acidgear/'. ------ 8< ----- 8< ----- 8< ----- CUT HERE ----- 8< ----- 8< ----- 8< ------ - -- --- ------------------------------------/ ______ _ O R D E R F O R M /________________/ - -- --- ---------------------------------------/ Name (Please Print) _______________________________________________________ Postal Address ____________________________________________________________ City ________________________ State/Province _____________________________ ZIP/Postal Code __________________ Country _______________________________ Email Address _____________________________________________________________ Phone/Fax (optional) ______________________________________________________ PLEASE RUSH ME: ITEM CODE DESCRIPTION QTY. COST EXT. COST --------- ------------------------------- ---- ------ ------------- ACIDCBLCK ACiD cap (black/black) ____ x $16.00 = $____________ ACIDCCRML ACiD cap (caramel/black) ____ x $16.00 = $____________ ACIDCFRUS Shipping within United States ____ x $ 4.00 = $____________ ACIDCFRCA Shipping within Canada ____ x $ 5.00 = $____________ ACIDCFROS Shipping anywhere else ____ x $ 9.00 = $____________ (CA state residents add sales tax) + $____________ ORDER TOTAL = $____________ MAKE CHECKS/MONEY ORDERS PAYABLE TO "ACiD Productions" All checks/money orders must be drawn in U.S. Dollars. Do not send cash, unless by certified mail. Sorry, no C.O.Ds. Credit cards not accepted. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Address to: ACiD Productions Attn: ACiD Caps! PO Box 24523 San Jose, CA 95154 USA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * The ViperMAX ( aka GUS Extreme) * We have a USA branch now. In USA : End user US$89 mail-order (tax, shipping fee included, UPS Ground). Dealer US$69/ea. (shipping fee excluded), minimum order 10 pcs. Other conutries : FOB US$65/ea. based on minimum order of 96 pcs (4 cartons). ViperMAX = GUS MAX (GF1) + SB Pro (ESS1688) in H/W. Win95 (GUS+SB), Win 3.1(GUS+SB), DOS drivers (GUS+SB), and DirectX (ESS1688) supported. Not Plug & Play, but driver is auto-installed. 1Mbyte RAM on board. It is for gamer, MIDI, MOD music players and Demo groups. Our Win 95 driver came out one and a half years ago, updated twice, it is very stable. ViperMAX & UltraSound Advantages : 1. Native Game Supports : ViperMAX wavetable mode - UltraSound, it has most USA PC games natively supported. Select UltraSound to have the best sound or select SB Pro to have the fair sound. There is no more software emulation program SBOS needed. 2. Better MIDI : 5.6Mbyte General MIDI patches stored in hard disk, plus 3.4Mbyte others, total is 9Mbyte. ViperMAX has 1Mbyte RAM on-board. When playing a MIDI song, patches being played will be downloaded from HD to on-board 1Mbyte RAM thru Windows Patch Cache API. Patch Maker allows user to make or edit patches. Patch Manager allows user to switch patch bank. Three Grand Piano patches (62K, 225K, 449K) provided. 3. Superior MOD Performance : MOD = MIDI + WAVE (or instrument patches). MOD is a kind of true digital music. UltraSound is the best sound card which can play MOD. MOD came from Amiga. Sound Blaster sound cards support 2 digital channels, if playing MOD, it usually needs CPU time to software-mix several channels into 2 channels, it sacrifices sound quality. UltraSound supports 32 digital channels, and is hardware-mixing. AWE32 or AWE64 has 30 digital channels. Most USA PC games and European demo groups have been using MOD as soundtrack for a long time. Over 5,000 rated MOD songs can be freely downloaded at the world's largest MOD web site : ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/demos/music/songs ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/demos/music/songs/1995/xm/m/misthart.zip ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/demos/music/songs/1996/xm/j/j-kgdsky.zip Music Contest 5 just finished, 20 ViperMAX's will be given out as prize : ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/demos/music/contests/mc5 ViperMAX is bundling the best MOD files (over 105Mbyte) in its Install CD. All these songs were rated ****+ or ***** on ftp.cdrom.com. Also, many MOD Tracker (Fast Tracker, Impulse Tracker, Scream Tracker...etc.) and Player (Inertia Player, Cubic Player, MOD4WIN...etc.) are also included. Composers names : Ng Pei Sin, Zane - Singapore, Jason Chong (MC3, 1st), Mick Rippon, Cosmic Eclipse - Australia, Necros, Scirocco, Leviathan, basehead - USA, Wave (MC4 & MC5, 1st) - Netherland, Mellow-D - Finland, Zodiak - Sweden, Torture of Music - Norway & Czech. Big Jim - UK, Others...etc. 4. Best Demo Supports : There are many "computer graphics + sound" demo shows held in Europe every year, such as Assembly in Finland, Party in Denmark, X'95 and X'96 in Netherland, and The Scene in Singapore. UltraSound has the first place demo supports from these shows and is a sound card standard in Demos Group. More tyan 2,000 demos can be freely downloaded at the world's largest demo web site : ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/demos/demos/ ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/demos/demos/1997/acme_303.zip (303 by Acme, X97:01) 5. Price/Performance : ViperMAX is the best price/performance sound card for Gamers, MIDI & MOD music players and Demo groups. It is like retailed US$79 with tax and shipping fee excluded, what you are waiting for ? ViperMAX has 1Mbyte RAM on board, while AWE64 Value only has 512K. Ensoniq AudioPCI has 0K. Only money order accepted. E-mail USA address for detailed. USA Branch : Ms. Susan Lai Corp : President 6611 Walton Drive, Huntington Beach, Ca 92647 USA Tel : (714) 848-4692 (* Use E-Mail preferred *) Fax : (714) 847-8828 E-Mail : SLai954028@aol.com Best Regards, James Hsu http://www.computex.com.tw/synergy http://www.synergy.ca/pctoybox http://www.gravis.com/extreme.htm Unofficial site : http://home.dti.net/domingue/extreme.html (primary) http://www.ptf.hro.nl/~s0514277/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ]--[Closing]-----------------------------------------------------------------[ TraxWeekly is available via FTP from: ftp.hornet.org /pub/demos/incoming/info/ (new issues) ftp.hornet.org /pub/demos/info/traxweek/1995/ (back issues) /pub/demos/info/traxweek/1996/ /pub/demos/info/traxweek/1997/ TraxWeekly is available via WWW from: www.hornet.org, under section "Information" and subsection "TraxWeekly." To subscribe, send mail to: listserver@unseen.aztec.co.za and put in the message body: subscribe trax-weekly [your *name*, NOT email] To unsubscribe, mail same and: unsubscribe trax-weekly (in the message body) Contributions for TraxWeekly must be formatted for *78* columns, and must have a space preceding each line. Please try to avoid the use of high ascii characters, profanity, and above all, use your common sense. Contributions should be mailed as plain ascii text or filemailed to: gwie@csusm.edu before 11:00pm PST every Wednesday. TraxWeekly is usually released over the listserver and ftp.hornet.org near the end of every week. TraxWeekly does not discriminate based on age, gender, race, or political and religious views. The staff can be reached at the following: Editor: Psibelius (Gene Wie)..............gwie@csusm.edu Writers: Atlantic (Barry Freeman)..........as566@torfree.net Behemoth (David Menkes)...........behemoth@mscomm.com Bibby (Andrew Bibby)..............bibby@juno.com Coplan (D. Travis North)..........coplan@thunder.ocis.temple.edu Jeremy Rice.......................jrice@notes1.invincible.com Mage (Glen Dwayne Warner).........gdwarner@ricochet.net Nightshade (John Pyper)...........ns@serv.net ascii graphic contributors: Cruel Creator, Stezotehic, Squidgalator2, Thomas Knuppe, White Wizard TraxWeekly is a HORNET affiliation. Copyright (c)1995,1996,1997 - TraxWeekly Publishing, All Rights Reserved. ]--[END]---------------------------------------------------------------------[ :: ::: : . ..... ..............................:::.................:.... ::: : :::: : .::::. .:::::.:::. ..:::: :::: : :: :: ::: .:: :: :: WW:::: : ::. :: ::: .:: :: .:: :::: : :::.::. ::: .:: .:: .:::::... :: :::.. ... ..: ... ..:::::::::::::::: .:: .::::::: :::::::: ::::::.. ::: ::: ::: : until next week! =) .. ... .. ....... ............... .................:..... .. . :