Quartet Player

Tricky Tracker

Quartet Player is a free program by Dan Panke for playing ".4Q" files (I know how that sounds - stop laughing!) which are MOD-like, 4-channel digital music files. Quartet was originally released by Microdeal in 1989, with an improved version around 1991 that added stereo playback for the Atari STe using its DMA audio hardware. Now, I am more of a chiptune kind of person, but I have loved the smooth sounds this program produces. I have always seen it as our version of a Tracker - which, let’s be honest, it absolutely is!

Quartet was used by musicians to create some fantastic tunes for loads of games and demos, and I’ll try to link some below. With so many tracks, it’s great having a program like Quartet Player to play them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to support DMA hardware, so while playback might sound good, it’s only in mono.

If you want to hear them in stereo, you must use the official Quartet program. That is most disappointing but not a big deal these days, thanks to websites like Atarimania, but I still find it odd that a (STe) standalone player was never released. You’d think one would have appeared at some point - but apparently not.

To make things even trickier, .4Q files are compiled, bundling both the song and its voices together. That means they need to be deconstructed before Quartet can recognise them. Weird, right? But don’t worry - it’s an easy fix, thanks to a handy little program called Separate, also by Dan Panke.

Personally, I love having a quick and easy program like Quartet Player and I'm surprised there aren't others out there. However, if I come across a tune I really like, I’ll run it through Separate so I can hear it in stereo. So much better! (I do wonder if someone out there will ever make a standalone stereo player)

Anyhow, give Quartet Player a playtest and enjoy some wonderful tunes...

• Quartet Player 3 https://demozoo.org/productions/132345/
• Microdeal Quartet v1.5 https://www.atarimania.com/utility-atari-st-quartet_38583.html
• Demozoo has loads of music https://demozoo.org/productions/tagged/4q/
• I've bundled together a slightly newer version of Quartet Player and also the Separate utility https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5qv3y4i4vtk2t8n90r9z1/Quartet.zip?rlkey=jmq622h6qj7t6nvpa7n70spir&dl=1
• There are more players listed here for other types of music https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/MusicPlayers

Of course, much of the scene used Quartet; here are some I love with screenshots...

• Quartet Compilation - Tunes 1 by The Bootlegger https://demozoo.org/productions/126415/ (stereo)
• PD Menu 50 by The Golden Dawn https://demozoo.org/productions/70188/ (stereo)
• Quartet Demo Creator V1.0 by Andy Dunn https://demozoo.org/productions/153344/
• Ripped Quartet Music Volume 1 by Mug UK https://demozoo.org/productions/72468/
• Ripped Quartet Music Volume 2 by Mug UK https://demozoo.org/productions/72469/
• The Quartet Sound Demo by MOB https://demozoo.org/productions/110447/ (YouTube)
• Chainsaw Massacre aka Go Ahead Make My Bed by The Lost Boys https://demozoo.org/productions/155945/ (YouTube)

Quartet v1.5 (hit that F5 key ASAP!!)

Dan's Quartet Player. A superb program but F5 does nothing, sigh...

The Bootlegger released a fantastic compilation which supports stereo playback!!

Not their best effort but it features stereo playback of a great tune by David Moss (Spaz!)

Quartet Demo is simple but could prove nice with your own image. Sadly, not in stereo.

Ignore the previous text it displays; this is a great disk of tunes - in my opinion!

I never realised the audio was made using Quartet! Brilliant demo this!!

MOD Players

Tricky Trackers!

I remember when I first heard tracker music, it was around 1989 and a pretty cool experience albeit not on the ST. To be honest, it was something that I never expected to hear from such a small file - I am comparing it to a sound sample that eats the entire space on any floppy disk (and then the Ram).

When I upgraded to an Atari STe, finding a MOD player was one of the first things I attempted. I wanted to ditch chip music for this tantalising new style of computer music. It's weird but, back then, I felt disappointed in my Atari ST and its chip music but I don't feel that way now. In fact, I find many of those MODs I find poor and often quite irritating, excluding classics like R-Type, Menace, and a few others.

Today, I'm a chip guy. That doesn't mean I'm completely against MODs. I just prefer chip. I see videos on YouTube and read people's comments of how they wished a particular ST game sounded more like the Amiga. I get that but, imagine IF our computer did sound the same. Would that be a good thing? I don't think so. The ST is its own entity with the ability to sound its own way using gorgeous chip music. If the ST had the same music capabilities as the Amiga (in games) then why not just buy the Amiga and have done with it?

No other computer out there has to justify itself like the Atari ST and that ... annoys me! Think about that, and it's why I started AtariCrypt. I want the ST to be an ST and not pretend to be something else. The YM is part of what makes the ST an ST, and that's a good thing and shouldn't be thought of negatively.

With that off my chest, here is a selection of excellent MOD players for the Atari STe...

Atari STe MOD / Tracker Players

BackTrack - I wasn't too sure about this at first but I cannot deny its quality and the selectable frequencies is a brilliant idea that will be useful on every model of Atari. The audio playback sounds great, especially at 50KHz - but you might need a Mega STe for that!! (v4.04 - released 1993 - by Wizzcat)

CD Player STE - This is like a CD player from the 90s. Just copy the MOD files into the same folder as the program and boot it up. Obviously not a GEM program but something that works well, is very effective, and a fantastic interface. Cracking program - leave it running while you work! (released 1990 - by Light)

DBE Player - Another GEM program to punch out your favourite MODS. The quality is excellent and has a decent playlist feature. However, I thought that it's pretty demanding of the basic model STe compared to the others (v2.0 - released 1999 - by Sector One)

The MusicPlayer - Ignoring its quirky GEM interface (which is odd) I thought this program produced good sound quality and even supports 50KHz / 8 channels! (v1.0 - released 1994 - by Christian Dahl)

Sirius Player - This is another that refuses to use GEM and replaces that with its own beautiful UI. The sound quality is Grade A with support for 50KHz thus proving GEM can be a beast. Also, 8-channel MODS can be played using features like presets /etc/etc. Don't forget to press the HELP key for all of the options. This is my favourite program; its playback quality is mind-boggling!! (v2.0 - released 2001 - by TSCC 2001)

Paula - A great program that makes you wish you'd have bought a Mega STe for that extra grunt! This is yet another example of the sound quality an Atari STe can produce - and in GEM too. Great programs. My thanks to Pavel Puchala for alerting me to the freeware release! (v2.6 - released 1999 - by Pascal Fellerich)

JAM - A true jack of all trades that works either in GEM or using its own frontend GUI. It features a neat plugin architecture so lots of different file types are supported - not just MODs but various chiptunes. This is absolutely fascinating and JAM always produces excellent sounds! (v1.0 - released 2000 - by Cream)

The CryptO'pinion?

This page proves nothing. Well, except that the Atari STe can easily handle Amiga MODs with quality playback, no matter what program you decide to use. They're all great. It just depends on your own needs: if you need a GEM player then any of the above is a good choice to install onto your hard drive/ultrasatan.

Yes, they are all great in their own way but I loved how CD Player can be stacked and left to play while you're doing something else. JAM is great and can handle a wide variety of different formats too. Ultimately, I think Sirius is best (for me) with its astounding 50Khz playback, so I tend to prefer this above all others.

What says you? Let me know in the comments below...

SNDH Players

Chipmusic

I love listening to SNDH chiptunes on my Atari STe but it recently occurred to me that many didn't understand which player to use. Here are four fantastic Atari ST/e GEM programs to play your toons.

There could be more lurking within the archives but these are the four I enjoy using for different reasons. The last one I usually use when I'm writing on my Mac! My greetings and all credit to the people who made these superb programs. Okay, all links are included and I hope you find something here you enjoy...

~~ JAM ~~

Quite possibly the most well-known of all the players and deservedly so because it's brilliant with a modular design to handle a wide variety of file formats. It sounds great but looks rather plain jane. Thankfully, there is also a version which doesn't use GEM and is far prettier. (download)

JAM never ceases to impress with massive versitility and capability.

~~ SND Player ~~

It might look ugly in the 4-colour medium resolution but I like this program and it sounds just dandy. I found this to be a reliable player and it looks best in Low/High resolutions. (download)

I love using SND_Play and it's such a sexy looker in ST High. 

~~ GEMPlay ~~

is a "Lite" version of YesCREW's Falcon player. Some features are removed because the ST/e has no DSP Processor but it plays SNDH tunes perfectly fine. It's another program that proves how ugly ST Medium is so I recommend Low/High resolution! (download)

Once again, another beauty that plays your tunes perfectly. 

~~ KrapSNDH ~~

Such simplicity. Set it up as an Application for the .snd file format within GEM. Now double-click any sound file for instant play. No fancy interface but it's fast and a great player! (download)

Ignore the look. This is simple and works like a dream. So fast, I use it all the time.

YMT Play

Let's bleep and bloop the night away!

What better way to end a great Christmas than listening to cool chiptunes using YMT Play by Peter Jørgensen (aka Bionic Nerd). This program features YM music data streaming, like the typical ST-sound playback using a sound range from 50hz -> 300hz and with very little CPU usage. The quality is outstanding and I'm sure you will find its potential interesting and an exciting concept? Go and download YMT from Demozoo.

What is YMT?

"YMT files are like the YM/AY files. Music files where you sampled data from the sound chip register (YM2149/AY8910) in a certain interval, instead of having a dedicate player.

To my knowledge, there has only been YM/AY player that could play tune/score files, that was sampled at 50HZ, but the YMT player can play files up to 300hz (there are some 50hz+ tunes/scores include in the examples)

The advantaged of AY/YM/YMT format, is that to replay these tunes/scores cost very little CPU power. So, if you need a lot power for a eg. a 3D demo, then it could be a wise choice to use it, because it leaves most of the CPU power for 3D calculations and the graphic etc.

The disadvantaged is that it uses a lot of memory, and it is nearly impossible to make a routine that can capture and use the SID sound and Samples etc. It is also why those files need to be hand made, that is the reason why YMT-Player only support pure YM2149 sound."

MaxYMiser

An Atari ST YM2149 chip tracker

MaxYMiser is the premier tracker on the Atari for chipmusic. I cannot pretend I know anything about being a musician but, I have it running on my Atari STe right at this moment! Once loaded, even I realised how superbly well-designed it is and it's obvious why our community loves it so. Fantastic software!!

Give it a playtest - MaxYMiser is a babe and here is a series of tutorial videos!! Check out the blurb...

"

maxYMiser is the best and most up to date chip tracker for the Atari ST, and is still under constant development. To hear the sounds this tracker is capable of visit The Phatt Demo and the maxYMiser online compo. maxYMiser is free, features a full MIDI implementation, and easy to use FastTracker II style editing. maxYMiser is a gwEm production.

Subscribe for the latest maxYMiser information. You're really encouraged to join this list. I won't spread your e-mail adress to anyone and the list is inactive. You can expect me to send an e-mail every few months or so, to let you know about the latest improvements.

Most importantly, you register an interest in the program, which strongly encourages future developments - if you don't subscribe to the list, don't wonder why new versions take a long time to arrive.

"

Credits

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• maxYMiser was created by Atari chip music freak Gareth Morris aka gwEm.
• Co-designed by Dma-Sc.
• The beautiful logos were by ST Survivor.