OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Module Info Viewer
Which Tracker Made This MOD? Read Its Channels, Samples and Hidden Message
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How the Module Info Viewer works
Drop a tracker module here and the module info viewer lists what is inside it: the song title, artist, format and the tracker that saved it, its length, channel, order, pattern, sample and instrument counts, and the message text, which in most MODs is hidden in the sample names. Preview plays the module, and Export saves the full report with every sample and instrument name as text or JSON. libopenmpt reads the file inside this tab, so it is never uploaded.
What the module info viewer shows
- Title and artist come from the module header. Many formats have no artist field, so composers signed their name in the sample list instead.
- Format is the file type libopenmpt detected from its contents, not from the extension, so a renamed file still shows what it really is.
- Saved with names the tracker and often its version, such as FastTracker v2.00, Impulse Tracker 2.14 or OpenMPT 1.31, worked out from fingerprints each program leaves in the header.
- Duration is one pass through the song, as the player would play it.
- Channels, orders and patterns describe the song's structure: how many voices play at once, how long the order list is, and how many distinct patterns it is built from.
- Samples and instruments count the sounds. MOD and S3M files have samples only; XM and IT files can wrap samples in instruments with envelopes.
- Message is the song message for formats that have one, or the list of sample and instrument names for those that do not.
The message hidden in sample names
ProTracker MODs have no comment field, so composers used the 22-character name of each of the 31 sample slots to write greetings, credits, contact addresses and the occasional complaint. An empty slot still had a name, which meant a module with eight instruments could carry twenty-three lines of text. Reading the sample list in order is the module info viewer's main use for old Amiga and demoscene files, and the text export keeps it laid out line by line.
Formats and trackers
Common module formats and the trackers that wrote them
| Format | Tracker | Song message field |
|---|---|---|
| MOD | ProTracker, NoiseTracker, Soundtracker | No, sample names only |
| S3M | Scream Tracker 3 | No, sample names only |
| XM | FastTracker 2, MilkyTracker | No, instrument and sample names |
| IT | Impulse Tracker, Schism Tracker | Yes |
| MPTM | OpenMPT | Yes |
Exporting the report
Plain text is easy to read and paste into a forum post or archive note. JSON keeps every field separate, with the sample, instrument and channel names as arrays, for cataloguing a collection with a script. To hear the module or save it as audio, use the MOD player or the MOD to WAV converter.
FAQ
How do I find out which tracker made a MOD file?
Drop it here and read the Saved with line. libopenmpt recognises the small differences each tracker leaves in a file, so it can usually tell ProTracker from NoiseTracker, FastTracker 2 from MilkyTracker, or Impulse Tracker from Schism Tracker. When a file holds no clues, the line reads Generic ProTracker or compatible.
Why is the artist empty?
MOD, S3M and XM files have no artist field. The composer's name, if it is there at all, is usually in the sample names, which show under Message and in the exported report.
Can it show the notes and patterns?
Not this page, which reads the header and lists. The MOD pattern viewer shows the notes, instruments and effects of each pattern scrolling in time with the music.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The module is read by libopenmpt compiled to WebAssembly and running in this tab, and nothing is sent to a server. Closing the tab clears the file and the report.
See also: all Tracker Music tools, Images, Audio, Video & Screen, PDF, SVG, Simulations & Screensavers, Generative Art, Chart Makers, 3D Model Viewers, Drawing Pads, Mockups & 3D Making, Diagram Makers, 3D Science.
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MOD Channel Muter
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