Converting FastTracker 2 .xm files to Reason?

[Rashnak]

Hello, I'm new to this forum.

I found a few posts asking about getting a tracker-like UI within Reason, but no mention about possibilities to convert tracker modules to Reason. I have a bunch of music created back in the day, and now having worked with Reason for a good while, I re-discovered some of those and would like to contineu working with them on Reason, but without having to rewrite everything.

Does anyone know any conversion application that could handle this? Specifically I'd like to convert files from FastTracker 2 .xm format to Reason.

[jam-s]

You could use Open Modplug Tracker to open the modules and use it to save the note data into a midi file that could be imported into reason. Then you could try to use new instruments for your midi tracks or you could save the samples from the module files into wav and get those into nn-19.

Of course all tracker fx (like filter, sample offset, arpeggio, note slide, volume slide, etc.) will be lost in this process, so you will have to rework your tracks quite a bit.

[HepCat]

jam-s you beat me to it.

When l tried it a few weeks ago, l almost went crazy. I had something in 8 Channel Soundtracker format, which l transcribed by hand into OctaMED SoundStudio on my Amiga Forever emulator. I then output a fairly "modern" file format from OctaMED SoundStudio, and OpenMPT was able to read that. The problem was that OctaMED SoundStudio would output a file with only 4 tracks instead of the requisite 8. I've no idea why. It's a p.o.s. but a necessary evil.

Why didn't l transcribe directly into OpenMPT? Because l cannot for the life of me set the computer keyboard so that it's the right way up, with ZXC = notes CDE, and QWE = notes C' D' E'. OpenMPT is a p.o.s. but a necessary evil.

So anyway, l then output to MIDI format via OpenMPT.

The result was a blank file.

Then after many attempts, it wasn't a blank file. I've no idea how.

Eventually l managed to import something into Reason via the Import MIDI option. That was good.

Unfortunately, l could not import further patterns because of the difficulty in rendering a MIDI file via OpenMPT from the impoted OctaMED SoundStudio format. Also, l was unable to check the accuracy of each note and the relative spacing, in Reason, because l had lost the familiar 64-step pattern format.

Plus the horrendous eye strain when trying to cross reference a MIDI note with the piano keys to check which note it is. Also when you're working with a drum pattern where every hit is the same note, it's easy to lose your position within the pattern. Arrrrgh.


So, long story short, l just ended up transcribing by hand, directly into Reason.



HOWEVER, l think you might have an easier journey because you are using .xm format which is pretty modern actually. So, as jam-s said, load into OpenMPT, export as MIDI, import into Reason. And yeah, there will likely be things lost in translation into MIDI.

You will notice as well, when you try a variety of programs that output to MIDI and load MIDI, that there are actually different "versions" of MIDI, depending in the program you use (e.g. MIDI Tracker, OpenMPT, Reason). So, MIDI aint as universal as we may wish.

[Marc64]

Yeah modplug tracker is the choice. I use it when I remix amiga mods like this one...

[Gorgon]

8 track modules suck. 4 track is the real thing.

[Rashnak]

Thanks all, I will try the export as MIDI approach!

[Bonkhead]

I would export the audio channels, and use that as building blocks.
That's also how I used to transfer FT2 files to my akai S6000.

[balloonhead]

I know this post is a bit older but as I converted several Modules from Protracker to Reason through OpenMPT i know its very unfullfilling. The only way to convert them with Original sound is to just export all Samples as Wave seperated by instrument.

Going thru MIDI is only advisable when you really want to have a complete new mix of it. I'm still stuttering over this method because there seems to be no way to get the original samples into the modern daw without the filter on it.