Old Trackers Configuration

Hi all!
I have an old laptop with win98SE, no usb but a serial-to-midi interface (midiman portman PC/S). I used to use FASTRACKER and IMPULSE TRACKER and now I would like to use them as MIDI SEQUENCERS. The problem is that apparently they only support MPU-401 midi ports, so my Midiman interface is useless…
Anybody knows a way to solve this problem or it’s impossible to send midi from fastracker with a serial-midi interface?
Thanks!

Step 1:Ditch the laptop
Step 2:Use Milkytracker
Or: use DosBox on your advanced PC

and the midi patch for DosBox (patch is for midi in, midi out is supported somehow):
http://sourceforge.n…551&atid=467234

Hi!
Thanks for the reply!
Milkytracker is very nice but it lacks midi out…
For the advanced Laptop I simply use Renoise…
Mine was just a curiosity/technical question about the capabilities of FT2 or Impulse Tracker to handle midi data trhough serial-midi interfaces…
If anyone has the solution please contact me!
BYE!!!

Assuming under Windows98 the midiman portman has a driver to make it appear as a standard midi port, I think SchismTracker should see it.

SchismTracker is an open-source Impulse Tracker clone which runs on multiple operating systems, including (I think) windows 98.

Midi output settings are in SchismTracker is on the ‘Midi Screen’ (shift-F1). Instruments can be assign to midi outputs on the ‘pitch’ tab of the ‘Instrument List’ (F4).

Esaruoho uses SchismTracker and may be able to give more details.

Hi!
I tried Schism Tracker on Win98SE but apparently it does not work…

Why don’t you use Ztracker?
Is probably as old as your laptop, but back in the day I used this to make songs with to my Roland Sound Canvas 88 Pro.
It’s fully Impulse Tracker GUI, but just for MIDI. :)

ztracker.sourceforge.net

Good luck

@Speedwell:
YOU ARE GREAT!!!
I always underrated ZTRACKER, I never get very deep into it, but now I simply found what I’m looking for: Impulse Tracker with extended midi out options!
Thank you so much!!!

mad props to zTracker. and if you get a guy who knows how to alter sourcecode, you can fix it up so that it’s closer to impulsetracker shortcuts. :)

I remember ztracker! There was a brief period where I was feeling nostalgic for IT (before renoise was mature) and using it to power a softsampler (kindof a dumb way to go about it, I know…)

It had some nice little touches to it. I always thought it was too bad that it didn’t get extended into a full featured tracker like renoise.

there were a few problems with zTracker.

  1. no midi load
  2. no shortcut configurability.
  3. jittery on at least my old laptop
  4. no os x version.

otherwise it was wonderful. loved using my synths with it. just loved it. especially after my mate fixed the shortcuts so that it’s no longer ctrl-b to mark block, instead alt-b to mark block, etc.
he did a rudimentary version that loaded some .mid in, but it was pretty buggy.

there were a few problems with zTracker.

  1. no midi load
  2. no shortcut configurability.
  3. jittery on at least my old laptop
  4. no os x version.

otherwise it was wonderful. loved using my synths with it. just loved it. especially after my mate fixed the shortcuts so that it’s no longer ctrl-b to mark block, instead alt-b to mark block, etc.
he did a rudimentary version that loaded some .mid in, but it was pretty buggy.

You might find this project of interest:
http://wanted.scene.org/post/24/looking-for-a-person-who-can-compile-a-functioning-ztracker-for-osx-ztracker-is-windows-only

You might find this project of interest:
http://wanted.scene.org/post/24/looking-for-a-person-who-can-compile-a-functioning-ztracker-for-osx-ztracker-is-windows-only

I think that in OSX it should be better to just use Schism Tracker…

I think that in OSX it should be better to just use Schism Tracker…

Incorrect. Schism Tracker does not do MIDI properly. zTracker does do MIDI properly. I’ve had numerous fights with Storlek about the shaky MIDI clock of Schism Tracker - and it is not an alternative.

Just because Schism Tracker is a tracker does not mean that it can do what zTracker does. If you think it can, look up their specs and realize that zTracker is a MIDI ONLY tracker and Schism Tracker is a sample + instrument only tracker with Adlib FM synthesis (emulated) and some utterly poxy MIDI which is absolutely ridiculously poor and wack.

Here’s a fork of Ztracker called zTrackerprime:

https://github.com/m6502/ztrackerprime

there are rumours that some of it will be ported to OSX - so let’s hope for the best.