libxm

A small XM (FastTracker II Extended Module) player library. Main features:

• Small size in mind; many features can be disabled at compile-time, or are optimized out by the compiler if not used.

• Timing functions for synchronising against specific instruments, samples or channels.

• Samples can be loaded and altered at run-time, making it possible to use libxm with softsynths or other real-time signal processors.

Written in C11 and released under the WTFPL license, version 2.

Size

The playback routine (assuming the non-portable .libxm format is loaded, see libxmize below) fits in under 7KiB of compressed machine code.

xzcrush libxmtoau
for x in *.xm; do libxmize $x $x.libxm; done
rename .xm.libxm .libxm *.xm.libxm
ls *.{xm,libxm} | xargs -n 1 -P 16 xz -9ekf
wc -c *.*xm *.*xm.xz libxmtoau.crushed

 6810919 an-dream.libxm
 5585551 an-dream.xm
  109423 cerror-expatarimental.libxm
   49240 cerror-expatarimental.xm
  282590 drozerix_-_crush.libxm
  121346 drozerix_-_crush.xm
  581955 heritage.libxm
  438340 heritage.xm

 2855496 an-dream.libxm.xz
 2876184 an-dream.xm.xz
    4180 cerror-expatarimental.libxm.xz
    4820 cerror-expatarimental.xm.xz
   36060 drozerix_-_crush.libxm.xz
   37276 drozerix_-_crush.xm.xz
  201348 heritage.libxm.xz
  201200 heritage.xm.xz

    6833 libxmtoau.crushed

Binaries crushed with xzcrush.

libxmize and the non-portable format

The libxmize binary can convert a standard .xm file to a non-standard, non-portable representation of that module. The file generated by libxmize is usually a lot larger than the original module, but has better compressibility.

In addition, the non-portable format:

• requires less code to load (xm_create_context_from_libxmize() instead of xm_create_context()) and thus can be used to produce smaller binaries. (See the size section above.)

• requires significantly less memory to play back modules (only kilobytes thanks to mmap(), see libxmtoau for an example).

The data generated by libxmize will not be readable:

• On a different CPU architecture
• On a different libxm commit
• On a libxm compiled with another compiler
• On a libxm compiled with a different compiler version
• On a libxm compiled with different options or CFLAGS

Examples

Some example programs are provided.

• libxm.js is a very simple XM player/visualiser that runs in a browser (emscripten port).

• xmgl is a simple music visualiser that uses OpenGL and JACK for very precise audio synchronisation. See a demo here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR-fSa7J698

• xmprocdemo: see README

• xmtoalsa is a simple player that uses the ALSA library. It produces xmp-like output while playing. Use xmtoalsa --help (or check the source) to see the full usage.

  ./xmtoalsa --random **/*.xm
  

• xmtowav will play a module and output a .wav file.

  ./xmtowav my_module.xm my_module.wav
  

• xmtoau will play a module and output a .au file to standard output.

  mpv <(./xmtoau my_module.xm)
  

• libxmtoau is similar to xmtoau, except that it loads non-portable files generated by libxmize.

• xmbench is a benchmark program.

Here are some interesting modules, most showcase unusual or advanced tracking techniques (and thus are a good indicator of a player's accuracy):

• Cerror - Expatarimental
• Lamb - Among the stars
• Raina - Cyberculosis
• Raina - Slumberjack
• Strobe - One for all
• Strobe - Paralysicical death

Status

Effects

 Status |##| Eff | Info | Description
--------+--+-----+------+------------------------------
DONE    |00|  0  |      | Arpeggio
DONE    |01|  1  |  (*) | Porta up
DONE    |02|  2  |  (*) | Porta down
DONE    |03|  3  |  (*) | Tone porta
DONE    |04|  4  |  (*) | Vibrato
DONE    |05|  5  |  (*) | Tone porta+Volume slide
DONE    |06|  6  |  (*) | Vibrato+Volume slide
DONE    |07|  7  |  (*) | Tremolo
DONE    |08|  8  |      | Set panning
DONE    |09|  9  |      | Sample offset
DONE    |10|  A  |  (*) | Volume slide
DONE    |11|  B  |      | Position jump
DONE    |12|  C  |      | Set volume
DONE    |13|  D  |      | Pattern break
DONE    |14|  E1 |  (*) | Fine porta up
DONE    |--|  E2 |  (*) | Fine porta down
        |--|  E3 |      | Set gliss control
DONE    |--|  E4 |      | Set vibrato control
DONE    |--|  E5 |      | Set finetune
DONE    |--|  E6 |      | Set loop begin/loop
UNTESTED|--|  E7 |      | Set tremolo control
DONE    |--|  E9 |      | Retrig note
DONE    |--|  EA |  (*) | Fine volume slide up
DONE    |--|  EB |  (*) | Fine volume slide down
DONE    |--|  EC |      | Note cut
DONE    |--|  ED |      | Note delay
DONE    |--|  EE |      | Pattern delay
DONE    |15|  F  |      | Set tempo/BPM
DONE    |16|  G  |      | Set global volume
DONE    |17|  H  |  (*) | Global volume slide
DONE    |20|  K  |      | Key off              (Also note number 97)
DONE    |21|  L  |      | Set envelope position
DONE    |25|  P  |  (*) | Panning slide
DONE    |27|  R  |  (*) | Multi retrig note
DONE    |29|  T  |  (*) | Tremor
DONE    |33|  X1 |  (*) | Extra fine porta up
DONE    |--|  X2 |  (*) | Extra fine porta down

Volume effects

 Status |  Value  | Meaning
--------+---------+-----------------------------
DONE    | $10-$50 | Set volume (Value-$10)
DONE    | $60-$6f | Volume slide down
DONE    | $70-$7f | Volume slide up
DONE    | $80-$8f | Fine volume slide down
DONE    | $90-$9f | Fine volume slide up
DONE    | $a0-$af | Set vibrato speed
DONE    | $b0-$bf | Vibrato
DONE    | $c0-$cf | Set panning
DONE    | $d0-$df | Panning slide left
DONE    | $e0-$ef | Panning slide right
DONE    | $f0-$ff | Tone porta

Known issues

• Only loads FastTracker II-compatible XM files.

• Loading a bogus file (that yet has a valid 60-byte header) will probably result in a segmentation fault.

• Big endian architectures are not yet supported.

Tests

Some test XM files are in the tests directory. Their goal is to test a certain feature against regressions. A summary of tests (and what they are supposed to test) is in the table below.

     Test                      |     Status     |     Tested against     | Extras
-------------------------------+----------------+------------------------+------------------------------------------------
amiga.xm                       | FAIL           | MilkyTracker, xmp      | Should sound identical.
arp-slow.xm                    | FAIL           | MilkyTracker, OpenMPT  | Should sound identical.
autovibrato-turnoff.xm         | PASS           | MilkyTracker           | Same pitches should be heard twice in a row.
fadeout-speed.xm               | PASS           | MilkyTracker           | Should sound identical.
finetune.xm                    | PASS           | MilkyTracker           | Left and right channels should sound identical.
ghosts.xm                      | FAIL           | MilkyTracker           | Left and right channels should sound identical.
multiretrig-volume.xm          | PASS           | FT2, OpenMPT           | Should sound identical.
note-delay-ghost.xm            | PASS           | MilkyTracker, FT2      | Should sound identical.
note-delay-retrig.xm           | PASS           | MilkyTracker           | Should sound identical.
panning-law.xm                 | PASS           | MilkyTracker, FT2clone | Should sound identical.
pattern-loop-quirk.xm          | PASS           | MilkyTracker           | Should play the same notes at the same time.
pos_jump.xm                    | PASS           | Milkytracker, OpenMPT  | Only one beep should be heard.
ramping.xm                     | PASS           | MilkyTracker           | If XM_RAMPING is ON, no loud clicks should be heard.
ramping2.xm                    | PASS           | MilkyTracker           | If XM_RAMPING is ON, no loud clicks should be heard.
retrig-vol-fade.xm             | PASS           | MT, FT2clone, OpenMPT  | Should sound identical.
tone-portamento.xm             | PASS           | MilkyTracker           | Should sound identical.
tremolo.xm                     | PASS           | MilkyTracker           | Should sound identical.
tremor.xm                      | PASS           | MilkyTracker           | Should sound identical.
vibrato.xm                     | PASS           | MilkyTracker           | Should sound identical.
vibrato-slow.xm                | PASS           | OpenMPT                | Should sound identical.
vibrato-octave.xm              | PASS           | FT2clone, OpenMPT      | Should sound identical.

Thanks

Thanks to:

• Thunder kurttt@sfu.ca, for writing the modfil10.txt file;

• Matti "ccr" Hamalainen ccr@tnsp.org, for writing the xm-form.txt file;

• Mr.H of Triton and Guru and Alfred of Sahara Surfers, for writing the specification of XM 1.04 files;

• All the MilkyTracker contributors, for the thorough documentation of effects;

• All the people that helped on #milkytracker IRC;

• All the libxm contributors.