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I hereby award you +1 from my phantom mod points! You may be interested in the WSP Module Player Plugin for Winamp 5 which improves the accuracy of music module playback.

To play tracker modules I'd still opt for Modplug Player over a mysterious Winamp plugin, because from the composer's perspective, the crucial thing is that the listener hears their tune as it was intended to be heard. It's one of the problems inherent in module formats that although the size of the files are relatively small (which allowed the scene to take off in a big way over BBS's), the output depends so much on the player you use (unlike MP3 for example which uses standard decoding algorithms across players).

In fact, if I'm gonna play the role of a total purist, the only real way to listen to a module is either:

1) To play it in the tracker in which it was originally composed (Fast Tracker 2 for XM's, Impulse Tracker for .IT's, etc.)

2) To play an MP3 version of the tune, which was created from a WAV file that was output in said tracker

Many composers (well before the scene kinda died :) release their stuff in both MP3 and the original tracker format. PLUG ALERT: As do I (MP3's / modules.

--screamager [previously of the KFMF, now just reminiscing]

I used to compose MODs in the old Amiga demoscene days; sure it was fun at the time, when we had too much time in our hands, but somehow I can't picture today's kids typing endless commands just to get the exact degree of volume, or browsing their CD collection for useful samples...

Anyway if you're looking for a good tracker proggie check out Impulse Tracker, the most popular nowadays.

...it's not that hard if you really want to.

While programs out there like Acid, Rebirth (ugh), Fruityloops etc. aren't that bad, they are usually too "make 31337 music really easily even if you have no musical talent whatsoever". Even worse, they don't give you as much control over your music.

So, if you want to make music on your computer without spending any money on big commercial software packages or sound hardware, I suggest you look into tracking. Tracking is basically a way to arrange sound samples (wav, raw, etc) into channels which are played simulataneously. These arrangements form patterns, which you can sequence together to make songs (of course, it can get more complex than this if you want it to). If you've ever listened to a MOD, S3M, XM, or IT file, you've listened to the work of a tracker.

I've been tracking for about three years now on and off and it's really quite enjoyable. Definately a nice (creative) break whenever I need one. There are quite a few free trackers out there, though unfortunately some of the best ones are for DOS -- Impulse tracker, Fast Tracker, etc. The Windows ones are alright but for people like me who are used to Impulse Tracker it's a pain in the ass to get used to. If you really need a windows tracker, I suggest checking out Modplug Tracker. For those of you in Linux, there's a great new tracker under development called SoundTracker. Besides being free, programs like these give you quite a bit of flexibility as far as the style of your music goes. You can make techno, trance, ambient, rock, whatever -- you're only limited by the samples you download (which you can find anywhere on the internet).

Y'know, It'd be kinda tough to capitalize on it, since Some people have been working on similar software types For a good long time now, and if the name "Amiga" means anything to you, you should know it.

That being said, attempting to get certain organizations to mass-produce said file type and push to get it to a more universal and high-quality source (Not like it's not already there) would seem to be a bit futile... Radio DJs give enough exposure to commercial music than to want to bend to the will of Production-oriented DJs like Hawtin. There's enough tracklisters who promote the music to the lowest common denominator to distribute the music appropriately.

Kay. I gotta stop posting drunk. Did that just make any sense?

You may not know that there is a big number of online labels existing, and distributing free mp3s (legal mp3s) on the net.

The existence of those labels makes it easier to find music of your taste:

• monotonik -- Highly acclaimed internet label releasing IDM/experimental materials from all around the world. They were showcasing at the recent Ars Electronica.
• noise -- Noise is releasing all kinds of fine ambient, techno, drum'n'bass, with always a focus on experimentation and quality. (Some jewels were released there by Stereoman (now esem), Saag...)
• theralite -- Since theralite started releasing mp3s their focus got more and more on diversity and quality. Releases are ranging between trip-hop, drum'n'bass and house. (check THERA001 and THERA012 for some very nice trip hop tunes)
• tokyodawn -- a label focusing on triphop and drum'n'bass.
• tokyo2051 -- sub label of tokyodawn, releasing mainly techno materials.
• you also have kahvi collective releasing idm, techno, ambient, milk releasing experimental finnish techno, reaktio...

There are also tons of stuff on mp3.com or vitaminic.

Even laurent garnier's website has some mp3s which were selectionned after a remix competition...

You can get also some infos and more links on the scene news website noerror

The conclusion is that you can find tons of legal mp3s on the net, (I hardly listen to anything but what I get on the net) It's just a bit harder to find and know about the artists and labels around.. but if you're interested, you will find.

The CNN article missed the point. If people go to mp3.com to sell CD's, they're stupid in the first place. It's never going to happen. What's the point of (traditional) record companies? Making the CD's? Organising the live shows? Rubbish. anyone with a $900 PC and a $300 CD-R can burn their own CDs. There are plenty of gigs to be had just by asking - I should know. My old band got booked by the US Air Force for £350, and we were just a bunch of 17 year old kids at the time. Selling CD's to your friends is easy. The hard part is selling them to strangers. And this requires PROMOTION... RADIO PLAY... POSTERS... MTV... MAGAZINE ARTICLES... which is where the big money comes in.

Let me offer an analogy. If I burn my own CD's and make my own inlay, go down to my local Tower Records, and set up a small stall filled with my CD's, how many people who come to Tower Records are going to buy it? Answer: none, because no one has heard my stuff, or even heard of my stuff. What I'm saying, you're in a 'traditional' music vending environment, but you're stil not selling you're stuff, because the problem is the same. That fact it is online has essentially nothing to do with it. If people havent heard of you, they arent going to pay money for your tunes, online or offline.

mp3.com and similar sites are great for several things:

- going global, and
- hopefully getting a bit of a following to your free tunes
- getting somewhere to host all those big mp3s for free (isntead of setting up your own site) :)

They're no good for selling CDs. Sorry, they're just not. I love discovering music from 'unknown' online artists, I download stacks of the stuff from places like mono211, noisemusic, theralite, tokyo dawn and many more (all of those links are highly recommended, incidentally), but I only went there because they're free. No matter how much the text at mp3.com says "this band is cool", I'm not going to shell out money for it, just as I dont buy 'real' artists' CDs just because the newspaper says "this band is cool".

the music scene rules:

there's no greetings order

• ageema blues & blacksista http http2
• blacktron http
• brothomStates http
• five musicians http
• kosmic http
• level-d http
• maniacs of noise http
• milk http
• mono211/monotonik. http
• mo'playaz http
• n.o.i.s.e http
• Tokyo Dawn Records http
• sunlikamelo-d http
• theralite http
• vibrants http
• ...

don't forget the very good individuals, they are too many too list... check ftp.scene.org/pub/music/artists/

get active...

I deffinately enjoy a lot of their stuff. Why not make your own music too? A great place to get a lot of samples (and windoze resources too) is Maz-sound.

If you've been sentient for any amount of time, you'd realise what a silly statement "if it's newer, its better -- always, automatically, instantaneously." is. Most MP3's I've heard sound significantly worse than CD-quality audio, and often lag behind mods played back on a decent player as well.

Besides, considering part of the imperative for getting a faster computer was so I could get the oodles of channels and rezzo filters in IT, and mess around with Buzz as well, your point about "it was great in the days when computers had neither the hardware nor the horsepower to do proper music" seems rather moronic. The tools evolve to fit the capabilities of the platform.

Who cares about your 31337 warez "kiddies", anyway? They're too thick to produce thier own music, they can only squeak like newly hatched starlings "gimme mp3z! gimme mp3z!". Gotta love scene bitchiness.

Getting back to the KFMF, yes, Maelcum is an annoying bugger, but from what I can tell he isn't making an awful lot of money out of it. Probably making a loss. To insist that he is somehow profiteering, to place him in the same category as the Big Six^H^H^HFive, to play the worn-out punk reactionary "SELL OUT" card is inappropriate in this case.

From some of the music he's done, he's isn't a slouch in the musician department, either, though I don't think Celine Dion's in any danger.

And yes, while there's been a fair amount of dross on KFMF recently, there's been the odd gem worth all the trouble.

There's not just the KFMF, of course, as has been said before, but the point needs to be made, NOISE, Five Musicians and the like also bung out great music.

Do not waste your time or your money with the 'Kosmic Free Music Foundation.' Since the KLF became the KFMF, their goal has been to make money, plain and simple; this is despite their deceptive name. Accordingly, the quality of this organization has dropped steadily, since the people with the talent worth talking about have all quietly left. Kosmic's ranks have grown by leaps and bounds, but with substandard artists producing substandard music. Let me head the flames off at the pass here; I am not saying that these people should not have their music heard. I am saying that there is better stuff out there.

Where out there? Many places. The biggest module collection in the world,the Hornet Archive, is one of them. Where HA now? In the midst of a slow shutdown process that will leave us all lacking. Although much of the music on the Hornet Archive was also substandard, a little involvement and a little support would have engendered a new rating system, in the works at the time of the Archive's demise, into reenergizing the contributors and the staff, thus keeping the Archive alive and healthy.

The Hornet Archive never begged for support of any kind. They never cried for money or for bandwidth or even for kind letters. So they didn't get them.

Maelcum, on the other hand, who has done nothing for anybody except take and take, begs for yet more and more.

Hornet and Kosmic aren't the only places to get music on the web.

Scene.org (which is down at the moment) poses to take the place of the Hornet Archive, and more. Scene.org needs and deserves your support.

Of course, this is the web. Not everybody releases into a conglomerate such as these. Some other groups of interest are Analogue Music, Noise, Process Five, Five Musicians, and many more.

For those who care to contribute, Impulse Tracker is arguably the most popular module creation program in use to date. (Note that it is a DOS program which will -not- work under DOSEmu.)

Kevin Hutter
Team Tropicana

Do not waste your time or your money with the 'Kosmic Free Music Foundation.' Since the KLF became the KFMF, their goal has been to make money, plain and simple; this is despite their deceptive name. Accordingly, the quality of this organization has dropped steadily, since the people with the talent worth talking about have all quietly left. Kosmic's ranks have grown by leaps and bounds, but with substandard artists producing substandard music. Let me head the flames off at the pass here; I am not saying that these people should not have their music heard. I am saying that there is better stuff out there.

Where out there? Many places. The biggest module collection in the world,the Hornet Archive, is one of them. Where HA now? In the midst of a slow shutdown process that will leave us all lacking. Although much of the music on the Hornet Archive was also substandard, a little involvement and a little support would have engendered a new rating system, in the works at the time of the Archive's demise, into reenergizing the contributors and the staff, thus keeping the Archive alive and healthy.

The Hornet Archive never begged for support of any kind. They never cried for money or for bandwidth or even for kind letters. So they didn't get them.

Maelcum, on the other hand, who has done nothing for anybody except take and take, begs for yet more and more.

Hornet and Kosmic aren't the only places to get music on the web.

Scene.org (which is down at the moment) poses to take the place of the Hornet Archive, and more. Scene.org needs and deserves your support.

Of course, this is the web. Not everybody releases into a conglomerate such as these. Some other groups of interest are Analogue Music, Noise, Process Five, Five Musicians, and many more.

For those who care to contribute, Impulse Tracker is arguably the most popular module creation program in use to date. (Note that it is a DOS program which will -not- work under DOSEmu.)

Kevin Hutter
Team Tropicana

It's inside the modules. Download the .IT or .XM files instead of .MP3. It's not 'sheet music' per se, and it takes a little time to understand the format, but 'the source' is right there. Except, of course, for those files which Kosmic releases as MP3 only. To view the notation inside the files, you'll need Impulse Tracker or FastTracker 2.