easiest to use program for creating mod files?

[runequester]

Interested in creating some mod music but which program is the easiest to start with for a total novice?

[Arkhan]

in all seriousness, you will have an easier time using a tracker on the PC.  It will be easier to manage samples and figure out what you're doing.

and then you can go back and fiddle around on an Amiga.

try out MilkyTracker


You will get an interface that is pretty similar to an Amiga tracker too.

[Buzzfuzz]

Protracker FTW always

[XDelusion]

Amiga: OctaMED Sound Studio

PC: Open MOD Plug Tracker

[runequester]

I want to do it the amiga way
 
Whats the main differences between octamed and protracker?

[Amiga_Nut]

The main difference is & channel mode for OctaMED no? Unless Pro-Tracker was updated for that too after I stopped using it at the time Amiga was alive and well. The rest is really down to personal preference, try out both and see which you like.

There was also Startracker which was Pro/Noise-Tracker with 8 channel sound too I believe.

And yes best to start with an Amiga if you only want to create MODs for other Amiga users, saves a lot of hassle with chipram shuffling for samples later and you can hear the samples on an Amiga which is important.

Do you intend to bash the keys on the computer keyboard or do you want to go all professional and record the tunes played on a MIDI keyboard?

[SamuraiCrow]

OctaMED has its own file format but can import and export Protracker mods from it.  OctaMED 6 and OctaMED SoundStudio 1.03c (the latter of which is the latest OctaMED for the Amiga) run compatibly with graphics cards.  Also, SoundStudio supports up to 64 tracks, sound card support, and MIDI interface support.

Protracker 2.x is the compatible release for most mods but 3.x is around too and has slight incompatibilities making the earlier release more desirable.  It does 4 voice mods and is a bag-standard tracker and bangs the hardware mercilessly.  There is a hacked version that will edit 4-voice mods on AmigaOS 4.x .

As far as OctaMED and the .XM format used by FastTracker 2 for DOS and later on, MilkyTracker, they are both able to import and export .MOD files compatibly, but have a little more difficulty importing each other's files.  There is a converter on the Aminet that will convert mix-mode OctaMED SoundStudio files to .XM format for use on other platforms which makes MilkyTracker more desirable than OctaMED SoundStudio for non-MIDI use.

Both OctaMED SoundStudio can be made to work on AmigaOS 4.x (using the Petunia JIT compiler and the Maestrix commodity) and MilkyTracker is a native compile for 4.x.  Both would require a high-end Classic to run either of them to their fullest capability.

MorphOS can run MilkyTracker for certain.  The others aren't so certain.  Last I knew the Mastrix commodity didn't work on MorphOS but may have been fixed since I last looked into it.

AROS will run MilkyTracker and OctaMED SoundStudio (using JanusUAE and the Maestrix commodity I think).  I don't know if there is a port of Protracker though.  I sincerely doubt it.  (Not that it needs it with the other two available.)

There are others available like Protrekkr on AROS and AmigaOS 4.x but that requires a HUGE amount of processor time to process the softsynth instruments.  It may also be available for MorphOS but I don't have MorphOS yet so I can't verify it.

[Karlos]

I want to do it the amiga way
 
Whats the main differences between octamed and protracker?

Trackers were mostly aimed at people creating music for games/demos. Your typical 4 channel tracker mod uses very little CPU time.

OctaMED, on the other hand, was aimed at people that wanted to create music for it's own sake and thus ultimately developed many more features you won't find in ProTracker/clone thereof.

[runequester]

Usefull information. I think I'll try out protracker first and then go from there.
 
This is mostly for fun, and to create things sounding like the music in amiga games and demos.

[XDelusion]

I want to do it the amiga way

That's the spirit!

I began making musick (if you want to call it that) on my Amiga in the early mid 90's. During the late 90's I eventually broke down and built a PC and began to use Open MOD Plug Tracker, though, regardless of all the freedom the PC and it's overblown resources offered, I felt there was something missing, and now I'm back to OctaMED Sound Studio on my Amiga again.