Revision V0.9
  This version looks much the same as  V0.8  apart from the addition of the
NoiseTracker  routine. The main  addition is  that the  executable  modules
created with this version all signal one another on startup. That is to say
that if a module  is playing when you  try to run  another module the first
module is signaled by the second module. When this happens the first module
will shut down  releasing the cia and audio channels. Once it has done this
it will return the message telling the second  module that it is OK to run.

  The program on this disk is my entry for the silliest program name of the
month.It is still in it's  early  stages but is quite usable as is.I have a
few plans for  enhancements  but  more  of that  later.MOD_Professor  is an
Intuition based program that allows  you to  create executable  modules.The
actual  playroutines have all  been reworked and  all are  more stable than
before  however I'me still not 100% happy with the Soundmon and GMC players.
The soundmon  plays OK most of the  time but  sometimes  plays high pitched
squeeks  when using  sampled instruments  (it's  plays  OK with synthetical
instruments).The GMC  player behaves  much the  same - only worse.I'll have
a good  look  at these  sometime.Both these  problems are  somewhere in the
original playroutine code.
 Perhaps  the  most  important  change  to  these  routines  is  the removal
of the verticle blank routine.These playroutines now run from CIA interrupts.
The idea for this comes from the sidmon  routine on a previous Newsflash.The
main  difference  here though  is that the code is legal,that  is it doesn't
hit the  hardware,it goes through  the CIA resource.The code first checks to
see if CIA B timer B is  available,if it isn't it will try CIA B timer A and
if  this also  is in use  the program  will quit  with the returncode set to
warn.If all goes well (it usually does) the  progam will set up an interrupt
server and attach  it to the timer with CIA  resource  function AddICRVector.
The timer  will then be set up  for a 50 Hz interrupt.The  playroutines also
check to see if they  are running on a PAL or NTSC machine and set the timer
up accordingly.I could probably have got away without doing this as there is
only  about  .9% difference  in speed using CIA interrupts as opposed to the
20% difference with VBlank interrupts.Now all machines should play at exactly
the same speed,important if Newsflash is to be distributed in America.Im sure
that they weren't impressed with the songs playing 20% too fast.
  The MOD_Professor (think I'll change the name anyway) uses the ARP library
for it's Filerequester  and a few other routines and so won't run without it
and  will print  an error message  if it isn't  present  (CLI only).When MOD
thingy is run (WBench or CLI)it first loads all the libraries.If the program
is run from a  disk other than the system  disk,and the system disk isn't in
any  drive you  will be asked  to replace  it.What is happening  here is the
program is trying to load the Icon library.If you don't require Icons or you
want  to save memory  click on  cancel.When  the program  runs the icon menu
option will be ghosted and unavailable if the icon library wasn't loaded.
  Now having  run Mod  whatsit  you will be faced with a small window on the
workbench.I  opted  to do this  so as to save memory - some modules are very
long.It  would have  been nice to  have a  pretty  mulicoloured  screen with
impressive graphics but I'me a lousy artist so hard luck!
  You may now load a module,the types supported are Old and New Soundtracker,
Brian Posta's  Soundmonitor,Game  MusicCreator  and  Musical  Enlightenment.
Just  click  on load,press  right Amiga O or select  open from  the menu and
the  load requester  will appear.It  is the  standard Arp  requester so most
people should  quickly feel at home  here.Select the  module  you want  then
click  OK.The module  should load,you  will be informed  if an  error occurs.
When the  module has  loaded the program  will give you a little information
about the  module ie it's size,name  (not nesessarily the  same as  the file
name),the  size  of  the executable  that will be saved  and the module type
selected.Note the Type isn't automatic (not yet anyway) you set it yourself.
You  may now  (if you haven't  already)  set the  module  type.Use  the menu
options or right Amiga 1 to 5 to set the module type.Th e module is now ready
to be saved.If you want an Icon to be saved with the file  press right Amiga
I or select  Icon  from  the menu and a checkmark (tick) will  appear beside
the Icon  menu item (only if the Icon library was loaded).All files will now
save with an icon  until you select icon again (it toggles on and off).Click
the save  gadget,right Amiga S or  Save from the menu and the save requester
will appear.The load  and save requesters are seperate and will remember the
last path used.Earlier  versions of this program  used the  same filerequest
structure for  both requesters so  that changing the path of one changed the
path of the other.This way uses a little more memory but makes life a little
easier,especially  when converting  lots of modules.The  save requester is a
different colour  just so you will  know at a glance which you are using.Use
the requester  to set the path  then click  in the lower file  string gadget
and type  in the filename  you wish to use.You  may,if you wish to overwrite
an existing  file you may of  course click on  the filename then click OK or
double click  the filename.If you elect to overwrite an existing file (or do
it by accident) a requester will appear asking  you to confirm or cancel.The
file should now save,if there are any errors you will be informed what went
wrong  with textual  error messages  in the Status  line.If the error is one
that I hadn't anticipated (though I think I've covered them all) the message
will read

ERROR AmigaDOS Error (Number) where  Number = the error  number (you'll have
                                              to look it up).

If all goes  well you should now  have an executable  file saved to disk.The
best thing to do now is run the executable to see if it works OK and to have
a little dance.If it  doesn't play correctly go  back and check that you had
the   correct  module  type  set.For  soundtracker  modules  try  the  other
soundtracker type ie if you used Old Soundtracker try New Soundtracker.
 Future versions of this program will probably have better graphics and also
include a play module option.Also planned for future versions is support for
other   music  programs   like  MED, Noisetracker   (slightly  different  to
Soundtracker modules and possibly Quartet,but that depends upon distribution
rights for  the playroutine code.If you think of anything else that would be
useful let me know and I'll try to fit it into the next release.

Steve Marshall  Unstone,Sheffield,England  (28-May-90)

PERMISSION  UID  GID    PACKED    SIZE  RATIO METHOD CRC     STAMP     NAME
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[unknown]                11598   26656  43.5% -lh5- 58e0 Jul 28 21:52 MOD_Professor
[unknown]                 3164    7043  44.9% -lh5- 6daf Jul 28 21:52 MOD_Professor.doc
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 Total         2 files   14762   33699  43.8%            Aug  5 18:32