Sticky vs. One-off tracker commands
Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:38 pm
Some effects in e.g. Matilde tracker are permanent. If you give it a pan-left command "80 40" everything on that track will be played to the left. I've just decided to call this a "sticky" command. If you issue a note-delay command like "ED 03" or a randomize pitch "16 20", it only has effect on the note it's placed on. I'll call this a "one-off" command. There's no real system in which commands are sticky and which are one-off. Matilde is just based on ProTracker, which was written in very different times than these.
Now, here's a little thought experiment I'd like to share as inspiration: What if you were to write a new machine - e.g. something that resembles Matilde - but decided to make two version of all possible commands: A one-off and a sticky one! To turn off the effect of a sticky command, simply issue the command with a value that disables its effect. For random pitch, that would be setting the randomize amount to 0 this way: "16 00".
In that case, I suggest some sort of system, so that it won't be twice as difficult to remember, even though there are now twice as many commands: One-off commands could be even numbers, and sticky commands could be odd. Example, slightly based on Matilde:
08 30 = sample offset (current sample)
09 30 = sample offset on any sample being played on this track and forward
10 80 = probability 50% (this note only)
11 80 = probability 50% (for anything on this track)
EC 03 = note delay on current note
ED 03 = note delay on current and all following notes
I realize this would require the machine to be able to handle a lot of commands being active at once.
So what do you think? Crazy? Cool? Useless? If you like this idea, please steal it! I insist.

In that case, I suggest some sort of system, so that it won't be twice as difficult to remember, even though there are now twice as many commands: One-off commands could be even numbers, and sticky commands could be odd. Example, slightly based on Matilde:
08 30 = sample offset (current sample)
09 30 = sample offset on any sample being played on this track and forward
10 80 = probability 50% (this note only)
11 80 = probability 50% (for anything on this track)
EC 03 = note delay on current note
ED 03 = note delay on current and all following notes
I realize this would require the machine to be able to handle a lot of commands being active at once.
So what do you think? Crazy? Cool? Useless? If you like this idea, please steal it! I insist.