I have some other songs in mind that might be releasable, though perhaps more difficult to get recorded.

For pimping tracker songs from the 90's:

• No new material.
• Reuse and transform existing musical information.
• Use former sample library.

This respects what it was,
limits how far to go,
and pragmatically finishes things up.

Basics:

• Originality is overrated
• Repetition is OK
• The perfect pattern doesn't exist

Progression / variation:

• Use variations
• Don't be lazy; copy, paste, edit
• Simplify things:
• Build up calmly:
• The instruments
• And tonal/harmonic progression
• Avoid too many things going on at the same time

Feeling:

• Be satisfied
• Don't lead with pride
• Don't fear being mocked
• Abandon a bad idea
• Avoid finetuning till it falls apart

Technique:

• Better samples
• Use (all) expression capabilities
• Be tidy / well organized

Analysis:

• Analyze musical / harmonic content for opportunities to vary
• One complicated loop may contain so much musical information that you might build a whole track around it.
• Remember there are only so many audible frequencies you can saturate.

TODO:

• .. Look at envelope properties.
• ~ Go by all effects ?
• ~ Read all the Impulse Tracker docs ?
• ~ Learn filter mechanisms from other mods ?
• ~ Separately list each effect or technique ?
• Watch the line where pitch expression crosses over to composition.

• Volume
• Pitch
• Panning
• Filter
• Timing
• Echo

• Volume of a note
• Volume attack
• Volume decay
• Volume fade (with fade out)
• Volume fade (with envelope)
• Volume slide up (crescendo)
• Volume slide down (decrescendo)
• Volume tremolo depth
• Volume tremolo speed
• Volume tremolo rate
• Volume tremolo wave form
• Volume tremolo regular
• Volume tremolo irregular
• Volume tremolo with envelope (with loop)
• Volume tremolo with envelope (no loop)
• Volume tremolo with envelope (with loop/carry)
• Volume tremolo with envelope (no loop, with carry)
• Volume swing
• Volume overall
• Volume relative between instruments/voices
• Volume relative in melody
• Volume relative in chord
• Volume changes flat
• Volume changes fluent
• Volume changes abrupt
• Volume emphasis raise one volume lower others
• .. Add volume column options.
• .. Add effects column options.

• Pitch attack upward
• Pitch attack downward
• Pitch decay upward
• Pitch decay downward
• Pitch release upward
• Pitch release downward
• Pitch bend upward
• Pitch bend downward
• Pitch glissando (slide from note to note)
• Pitch vibrato depth
• Pitch vibrato speed
• Pitch vibrato rate
• Pitch vibrato wave form
• Pitch vibrato regular
• Pitch vibrato irregular
• Pitch vibrato with envelope (with loop)
• Pitch vibrato with envelope (no loop)
• Pitch vibrato with envelope (with loop/carry)
• Pitch vibrato with envelope (no loop with carry)
• Pitch intentionally out of tune
• .. See other envelope properties.
• .. Add volume column options.
• .. Add effects column options.

• Panning position
• Panning attack
• Panning decay
• Panning slide
• Panning release
• Panbrello depth
• Panbrello speed
• Panbrello rate
• Panbrello wave form
• Panbrello regular
• Panbrello irregular
• Panbrello with loop
• Panbrello with loop (with carry)
• Panning swing
• Panning relative between instruments/voices
• Panning relative in melody
• Panning relative in chord
• Panning changes flat
• Panning changes fluent
• Panning changes abrupt
• Panning emphasis with sudden change
• Panning phase shift
• Panning with surround
• .. See other envelope properties.
• .. Add effects column options.

• Filter (with sample offset)
• Filter (sample variations)
• Filter (adding overtones octave/fifth/etc.)
• Filter (negate/cancel overtones)
• Filter (add up shifted versions)
• Filter (stacking partials)
• Filter (detune)
• Filter timbre change by shifting further into a sample
• Filter on a single note
• Filter attack (soft to bright)
• Filter attack (bright to soft)
• Filter decay (soft to bright)
• Filter decay (bright to soft)
• Filter slide (brighten)
• Filter slide (soften)
• Filter release (soften)
• Filter release (brighten)
• Filter modulation speed
• Filter modulation depth
• Filter modulation rate
• Filter modulation wave form
• Filter modulation regular
• Filter modulation irregular
• Filter with volume envelopes on partials
• Filter with volume envelopes on partials (with carry)
• Filter swing
• Filter relative between instruments/voices
• Filter relative in melody
• Filter relative in chord
• Filter changes flat
• Filter changes fluent
• Filter changes abrupt
• Filter emphasis by sudden change

• Timing overall tempo
• Timing speed up
• Timing slow down
• Timing speed up, then slow down
• Timing measure speeds up
• Timing measure slows down
• Timing measure speeds up then slows down
• Timing measure slows down then speeds up
• Timing measure slows down and speads up repeatedly
• Timing phrase speeds up
• Timing phrase slows down
• Timing phrase speeds up then slows down
• Timing phrase slows down then speeds up
• Timing phrase slows down and speads up repeatedly
• Timing slow down at the end of a phrase
• Timing fragment speed up
• Timing fragment slow down
• Timing fragment speed up then slow down
• Timing fragment slow down then speed up
• Timing slow down at the end of a fragment
• Timing overall speed up
• Timing overall speed slow down
• Timing overall speed then slow down
• Timing slow down at the end
• Timing skewed variations thereof
• Timing combinatory variations thereof
• Timing note start earlier
• Timing note start later
• Timing note end (staccato / legato)
• Timing note start relative between melody notes
• Timing note end relative between melody notes
• Timing note start relative between chord notes
• Timing note end relative between chord notes
• Timing independent flow of instruments/voices
• Timing relative between fragments
• Timing regular tempo
• Timing fluent tempo changes
• Timing abrupt tempo changes (rubato)
• Timing emphasis by abrupt deviation
• .. Add effects column options.

• Echo volume
• Echo speed
• Echo varying short/long
• Echo by repetition
• Echo by volume curves
• Echo by note fade
• Echo stereo effects

• VLC Media Player
• FastTracker 2 (.XM files)
• Impulse Tracker
• Schism Tracker
• Logic Audio
• Cubase
• MiniDisk
• Casette tape?
• Sound Blaster 64
• Windows 98?
• Pentium 90 PC?
• DosBox

• Full text of "Impulse Tracker II User Manual":
  • https://archive.org/stream/ImpulseTrackerIIUserManual/Impulse%20Tracker%20II%20User%20Manual_djvu.txt

• Song listening/selection
  • XM tracker songs inspected
  • Wav folder
  • S3M song re-inspection
  • Impulse Tracker (IT) song re-inspection
  • MiniDisk-recorded songs inspection
  • CD recordings inspection
  • Logic Audio song inspection: problematic
  • Cubase song inspection: not easy
  • Tape cassette inspection?
• Analyzing requirements
• Research
  • Finding out how to record XM songs.
  • Finding a way to record MiniDisk content to PC.
  • Try finding tape cassettes in storage.
  • .. Expression techniques
• .. Organizing samples
• Volume maximization
• Song changes

• Not My Favorite Wave Table Song
  • But some one else might like it.
  • MiniDisk song 6
  • 'Blue' CD song 2
  • Wave table song.
• Oboes
  • Classic-ish
  • MiniDisk song 7
  • Add some some repetition?
• Blues Piano 1
  • Me on piano + wave table
  • MiniDisk song 14
  • Not my favorite. May include anyway.
  • High amplification factor. Might re-record.
• Short But Sweet
  • MiniDisk song 15
  • Make 2x longer?
• Blues Piano 2
  • Me on piano + wave table
  • MiniDisk song 16
  • High amplification factor. Might re-record.
• 'Ashtray Song'
  • Sound scape
  • MiniDisk song 19
  • Has sharp tones. Remedied perhaps if mixed with effect-free version.
• Sad Organ
  • Counterpoint composition
  • Made using Logic Audio sequencer and Sound Blaster 64 wave table
  • MiniDisk song 20 = shorter
  • MiniDisk song 22 + 23 + 24 = longer version, in parts for some reason, ends with theme. A bit long.
  • Perhaps publish both.
  • High amplification factor. Might re-record.
  • Tones seem harsh. Perhaps effect for creating more harmonics. Exciter effect?
  • Longer notes a volume envelope for subtlety vs harshness?
• Funky Counterpoint
  • MiniDisk song 21
  • Nicer sort of funky counterpoint.
  • Make 2x longer?

• LUISTER.XM
  • Partially replaced sax
  • Effect chords at announcing moments
  • Mixing
  • Cleaner envelopes
  • Fixing 'errors' / details
  • End-fade
  • Vertical build-up
  • Some horizontal build-up
  • Synth melody more expression
  • Violin chords more dynamics > After lead synth expression
  • Tame the crash
• EXAM2.IT: "Rock"
  • It seems there are 2 variations.
  • May use EXAM2.IT but slower
  • Take some inspiration from ROKZAWEL.IT ?
  • Echo at the end ?
• BUSSEL2.IT / "I Like This" (re-edit)
  • Different tempo
• NOSTGOO2.IT / "Nostalgia" (re-edit)
  • Different tempo
  • Stereo opportunities
  • Drums more volume changes
  • Lead instruments volume sliding
  • Better instrument names
• O08V2.IT (re-edit)
  • Different tempo
  • Drums more volume changes
  • Oboe panning envelope
  • Middle piece violins more stereo
• Oldm001.IT / "Words Unspoken"
  • .. Change lead instrument
  • More stereo
  • Sample names
  • Borrow sounds with more depth from other songs
  • Oboe 3rd part more volume expression
  • Some basses missing in 3rd part
• Oldm007r.IT
  • "The CD 2005" track 22?
  • Composition-wise not special, sounds might make up for it?
• Zielig.IT
  • Make longer?
• Realgene.s3m
  • With some changes?
• Tryout7.IT
  • "The CD 2005" track 27
  • Not superb, but good enough?

3 songs difficult to salvage for now.

• Semi-classical piece
  • Logic Audio sequencer piano + Sound Blaster 64 wave table semi-classical piece
  • Problem: Logic Audio seems not runnable unless on a Windows 98 machine for instance.
  • No recording found yet.
• Children song-based counter point composition
  • Logic Audio sequencer Sound Blaster 64 wave table
  • Problem: Logic Audio seems not runnable unless on a Windows 98 machine for instance.
  • No recording found yet.
  • Might make longer.
• MiniDisk-recorded songs
  • MiniDisk song 10: Assignment from that school, but mashed together 2 pieces from me and class mate.
    • Might extract my own portion and mix and record that instead.

Collections yet to inspect (but difficult to salvage for now).

• Other Logic Audio songs:
  • That I may find when inspecting them.
• Other Cubase songs:
  • That I may find when inspecting them.

Some songs I like less, and might be more laborious to make better.

• Roseanna.s3m:
  • Might be nice composition-wise, but perhaps might do better with better sounds.
  • Note 'la' sound might need to be replaced due to 'copyright' concerns.
• Steam.s3m:
  • Might be nice composition-wise, but perhaps might do better with better sounds.

• .. Drums pitches consistent
• Missing announcing chord before whistle soft part
• Start final pattern with a cymbal or something?
• Metal stereo error sounds good at the beginning of patterns. Use it more?
• Metal high chords a whole note off?
• Final part B before sax outtro seems to have violins more quiet. Might want louder.
• Before whistle intro, ealier note offs, in the pattern before.
• Counts for end of string intro too.
• After whistle intro, synth part starts with some unexpected chords. Maybe change a major to a minor at the beginning.
• Fade-out is a bit dull now
• First modulation less distance?
• Tempo slow according to a friend

• .. Listing expression possibilities
• Softer violins at the beginning
• Echo violin (slow tremolo) accidentally all same volume?
• More dynamics in the violin chords in the mid-low frequencies?
• Some volume envelopes use both "Envelope Loop" and "Sustain Loop", which seems strange to me.

• Deduplicating samples?
• Sharing sample library on GitHub?
• See that Git repo for more details.
• Systematic check of sub-categories' contents?

• Volume maximization. Factor = 3.79
• Experimenting with pitch shift and mix to see if harsher tones might be relieved.
• It is my opinion that it might not be due to the lack of harmonics, but perhaps some volume curves might be more effective.

(Blue MiniDisk)

Salvage them all either way?

• MiniDisk song 1-5: Tracker songs I already released / could record another way.
• MiniDisk song 6? Wave table song. Not my favorite, but some one else might like it.
• MiniDisk song 7: Oboes. Classic-ish. Add some some repetition?
• MiniDisk song 8: Same but flutes. Not better in my opinion.
• MiniDisk song 9: Repetitious. Not my favorite. Bit repetitious and never stopping sound wall.
• MiniDisk song 10: Assignment from that school, but mashed together 2 pieces from me and class mate.
• MiniDisk song 11: Funeral March from Chopin. Not me playing I think.
• MiniDisk song 12: Some Hungarian folk song woman singing.
• MiniDisk song 13: Pitch-followed 'copy' of that Hungarian woman.
• MiniDisk song 14: Blues piano (me) + wave table. Not my favorite. May include?
• MiniDisk song 15: Short, but sweet?
• MiniDisk song 16: Not mine. Some sort of vintage jazz.
• MiniDisk song 18: Nice ethnic song with violin. Not mine.
• MiniDisk song 19 = 'ashtray' song
• MiniDisk song 20 = sad organ counterpoint, shorter
• MiniDisk song 21 = nicer sort of funky counterpoint? Make x2 longer?
• MiniDisk song 22 + 23 + 24 = sad organ counter point, different version, in parts for some reason, ends with theme.

• The 'blue' CD: general impression: 3 songs I already have, 1 song I might not want.
• Still to inspect the other CD, which I think is just the result of the project "The CD 2005".
  • Indeed but:
  • Track 22 might be usable.
  • Track 27 might be usable.

• Downloaded FastTracker
• Configure and orient.
• It does not seem stereo.
• I think I found a disk recording option.
• Using Impulse Tracker / Schism Tracker for .XM files is also an option.

• Perhaps change saxophone to oboe or horn
• Perhaps just in some sections.
• Difficulty navigating/playing samples. > Sample library partly reorganized now.
• Impulse Tracker seems to list max 650 sample files instead of around 2000.
• Google Drive is not happy with my accidental folder move or something.
• Might split up sample files into a folder a letter. (Rigorous categorization might go a tad far for now.)

• Obs: Windows File Explorer shows different sorting as Impulse Tracker.
• Problem: I have difficulty sorting categorizing groups of samples that way.
• Alternative: Finding a rename function in Impulse Tracker?
• Alternative: Making due with rougher categorizations?
• Alternative: Finding a program that might sort the file names the same as in Windows File Explorer?
• Alternative:
  • Improvisingly playing samples in Impulse Tracker for a hint of the type of instrument vs file pattern.
  • Moving files with pattern to a separate folder.
  • Listening the files.
  • Moving files to category folder.

• I accepted that analog audio ports might be the only way I see right now.
• Maybe updating the audio driver of the laptop worked as in maybe now the laptop will recognize audio is input, instead of insisting it is output.
• Alternatively, the old big PC audio card might work if I move cards around in it internally.
• Otherwise I might wait until I may have built a new big PC, which might have audio ports that actually work.

I would like to change the folder structure of the samples, because DosBox/Impulse Tracker does not seem to show folders with more than about 650 files. If categorization would be in the cards, that might be a nice result too.

• I would like to merge copies of copies together to one folder.
• I may want to keep existing categorizations where applicable.
• Or split into a folder per letter
• Changing existing categories?
  • Names in English?
  • Singular mostly?
  • Removing empty folders?
  • Less hierarchy?
• Categorizing more based on name
• Categorizing samples based on sound and then name pattern
• Categorizing samples listening individual sounds (about 100 remain)
• Categorizing remaining samples
  • Most seem hard to play in the software I used, because they seem either 16 bit or Fast Tracker files.
  • Since now most samples have at least a main categorization, it might be worth taking care of that remainder to complete it.
• Sub-categorizing samples
  • EFFECTS
  • ELECTRNC
  • PERCUS
  • STRING
  • WIND
  • Samples that may have remained on the main category level, I might not be sure about what it is.
• Fine-tuning categorization?
  • "ELECTRFX" => "BEEPFX"
  • "INDUSTRY" => "MECHANIC"
  • "PARTY" => "FUNNY"
  • "BEEP" => "SYNBEEP"
  • "LONGBASS" => "SYNBASTR" or "SYNBASLN"?
  • "DIG" => "GENERATD"
  • "GEN" => "GENERATD"
  • Spreading content over SYNBEEP and ELECTRFX
  • Moving some of the CYMBAL content to CRASH or HIHAT

• Maximizing volume
• Volume factor: 1.2
• Using Audacity Adjustable Fade

• Volume Maximization
• Factor: 2.18

• Maximizing volume. Coefficient = 2.38

• Cymbal volume swing
• 2nd repeat with synth lead, low string hung.
• 1 announcing chord was bairly audible.
• Why are a stretch of violin legato channels all left channel in one case? For echo effect? > Yes
• Pattern 4: Violin Full persistent chord may not match the 2nd chord. Ended other 2 notes there. Only kept base note and even increased volume there.
• Fix Whistle's buggy envelopes
• Finetuning Sax envelopes so it'll cut through the mix.
• Pattern 7: Gem stops whistle > Earlier tweaking fixed it.
• Gave Gem chord some stereo.
• Drums: Disabling envelopes, continue upon new note.
• Revert Whistle envelope back to original minus error.
• Revert some more envelopes back, because it didn't make it sound better.
• Extend final chord (using part B's 'Legato Violin', which is actually a slow tremolo tremolo rhythm: loop and fade it out.)
• Middle violin echo had panning set, that was later overwritten by 0. > Yeah, that actually sounded more spacious.
• End fade:
  • Merge last chord with end fade somehow.
  • Use more channels for that.
  • Fade out quicker
• Middle violins more dynamics > Only slight volume swing.
• Timing of the 1st announcing arpeggio chord.
• Fade out quicker and richer.
• 2nd sax note's volume bothers me. > Omit against perfectionism

• Do a pattern with chords just base notes or fifth interval?
• And less notes? (Horizontal build up / out-of-scope?)

• I think maybe it is a lot of musical information in one blow.
• But how to dose it better?
• Investigate nice combos of instrumentation
  • Strings
  • Strings + bass
  • Strings + bass + metal
  • Strings + bass + whistle
  • Strings + bass + synth
  • Strings + metal + whistle + bass
  • Strings + bass echo + metal
  • Strings + bass echo + metal + hihat
  • Strings + metal + whistle
  • Stringy parts of 3rd out of 4 synth variations > Can't find a place for it.
• Build up:
  • Build up 1st part tonal parts
  • Build up 1st part drums
  • Forget about having the entire synth melody at the beginning.
  • Merge announcing part (pattern 9) with drum build-up (pattern 20) > Would only add announcing chord.
  • Quietly build up 2nd part
  • Transition to original sequence
  • Do original sequence
  • Sax + violins
    • Maybe at the end mixed with pattern 11
  • Break down
  • Experimenting with pattern order
  • Using whistle too soon is weird.
  • Hard synth patterns at the beginning going over into more complex variation sooner?
  • Break down: first louder one, then one of the quieter ones.
  • Proper fading at the end.
  • Last transition from loud synth part to loud whistle part is 'weird' perhaps use original synth pattern's 3rd variation. > Everything changed. Not sure what this applies to anymore.
  • Announcing chords in all the right places.
  • Strange beeps in end fade
  • Latest synth melody alternative: Use different chord notes in end?
  • Restore most of original order in the middle. > Too repetitious.
  • ~ After sax solo there might be room for more?
  • Latest synth melody alternative: Change announcing arpeggio chord a bit?

• Violin intro: shorter
• Violin intro: off-beat 2nd half
• Whistle intro: use higher notes again for better connection violin intro.
• Synth intro: Avoid modulation (by transposing previous patterns)
• Drum build up: Remove metal part
• Synth intro: Less boring melody
• ~ Panning envelopes at a speed on the beat (phone speakers made it sound like tremolos)
• Last pattern twice? Fade out a little quicker.
• Beeps at the end fade are back. Fix channel panning again.
• Synth little more quiet in its 2nd intro pattern?
• Synth channel volumes might mess up in the beginning.
• Drums: Fix hihat where it had much lower pitch.
• Drums: Remove 2nd crash at end of patterns