Arctracker, the Archimedes modfile player
-----------------------------------------

This program is designed to play modfiles that have been created using the
Tracker and Desktop Tracker programs that run on the Acorn Archimedes and
compatible range of microcomputers.

Both Tracker and Desktop Tracker are programs that work in the same manner as
the old Ultimate Soundtracker program by Karsten Obarski and all its myriad
clones that run on the Commodore Amiga.  However, both Tracker and Desktop
Tracker have their own file formats and so none of the existing modfile players
available for Linux (or Windows, to the best of my knowledge) will play them.

This program exists for two reasons:

(1) I wanted to be able to play all my old Tracker and Desktop Tracker modfiles
on my Linux machine, and

(2) I want to write an advanced tracker editor of my own for Linux and this
seemed like a useful exercise to try my hand at first.

Currently, the program runs from the command line only.  It is invoked like
this:

	arctracker [options] <modfile>

where <modfile> is the filename of the Tracker or Desktop Tracker modfile to
be played, and [options] can be any or none of the following:

	--loop		Continually repeat the modfile until the program is
			interrupted by ctrl-c.  The default is not to repeat.

	--pianola	Print the pattern information to stdout as the modfile
			is playing in the manner of an old pianola roll.

	--volume=<n>	Software-scale the volume where n is between 1 and 255.
			The default is 64.  When playing modfiles with more than
			4 channels (Desktop Tracker modfiles can have up to 16)
			a volume greater than 64 can cause saturation, which
			will sound like an amplifier being overdriven.  If this
			happens a lower volume should be used.

	--oss		Use the OSS sound output API.  This is the default.  If
			this option is chosen neither --alsa nor --arts may be
			specified.

	--alsa		Use the ALSA sound output API.  If this option is
			chosen neither --oss nor --arts may be specified.

	--arts		Use the aRts soundserver output API.  This enables many
			sources of sound output to use the sound device at the
			same time.  If this option is chosen neither --oss nor
			--alsa may be specified.

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Arctracker is copyright (c) Richard Wild 2003, 2004 & 2005.

richardwild@users.sourceforge.net
