ModPlayersComparisons / 2023-03-12 16:10:15

This is the second part of a 2-part article on Amiga modules players.

The first part is here, on the history of module formats and players.

Comparisons

This table presents a comparison of some of the most popular players. It includes some criteria useful for my development of AmiModRadio, in particular the ARexx capabilities of the players . The table is colour-coded:

• White/empty cells mean that a player doesn't support that format. (0 point)
  
  • The player shouldn't crash if given a file in that format!
• Green cells mean that a player supports perfectly this format. (3 points)
• Yellow cells show formats supported by players but with some light issues. (2 points)
• Orange cells highlight formats preventing using my Amiga, at least momentarily . (1 point)
• Red cells mean that a player crashes my Amiga when playing at least one song in that format . (Negative score)

Notes

• AModPlay:
  
  1. David Whittake: Crashes my Amiga.
  2. DIGI: Makes my screen "jump".
• AmoralPlay:
  
  1. 8SVX: Recognises but no sound.
• APlayer:
  
  1. ARexx: Should be possible but the ARexx port APLAYER is not opened.
  2. 8SVX: Recognises but no sound.
  3. Impulse: Crashes my Amiga.
• DAPlayer
  
  1. CDA, CDR: Freezes my Amiga for a little while before playing the next modules.
  2. DBM: Corrupted file name (e.g. "DBM0.ÿÿNAME").
  3. FLAC, MOD, OGA, OGG, S3M, XM: Renders "choppy" music and takes all the CPU.
  4. Impulse: DAPlayer freezes and takes all the CPU.
  5. MIDI: Renders no sound.
  6. MP3: Some MP3 are not recognised like Gibs' remix of GoldRunner - From Past to Present
• DeliTracker:
  
  1. AIFF: Makes a MuForce hit but play the songs just fine.
  2. AU: Renders "noise" instead of music.
  3. 8SVX: Makes a MuForce hit but play the songs just fine.
  4. DIGI: Renders "noise" instead of music.
  5. VOC: Makes a MuForce hit and opens a dialog box "Initialization error".
  6. WAV: Makes a MuForce hit but play the songs just fine.
• EdPlayer:
  1. MMD1: Plays the musci partially.
  2. MMD2: Doesn't play anything.
• EaglePlayer:
  
  1. Impulse: Makes a MuForce hit but play the songs just fine.
  2. PSID: Makes MuForce hits, doesn't play the song, crashes my Amiga eventually. Can play PSID when using DeliSID from DeliTracker.
• HippoPlayer:
  
  1. DIGI: Makes my screen "jump".
  2. MMD3: Software Failure 8000 0005.
• PlayOGG:
  
  1. CDR, CUST, DW, OGA: Renders "noise" instead of music.
  2. DBM, FLAC, OGG: Renders "choppy" music and (sometimes) takes all the CPU.
  3. Midi: Plays the songs "slower" than intended.
  4. MOD: Makes a MuForce hit but play the songs just fine.
  5. MP2, MP3: Plays the songs play sometimes a bit choppy, takes most of the CPU.
• PowerPlay:
  
  1. AU, 8SVX, CDA, CDR, FLAC, MP2, MP3, MPG, MMD3, OGA, OGG: Makes a MuForce hit and complains of lack of memory, possibly because it tries to put the whole file in memory.
  2. DW: Makes MuForce hits, trashes the display, but eventually plays the song just fine.
  3. Oktalyzer: Makes MuForce hits and complains of "Error in the module" and doesn't play anything.
• RNOTunes
  
  1. Generally, I cannot move in the song using the slider and the detection of some song format takes up all the processor for some times, e.g., AU, CDDA. Also, it shows "ahx", "med", or "s3m" as (wrong) names of songs, maybe because it uses the first part of file names as song names...
  2. CDDA formats: takes a long time to start playing them, renders just noise, and makes the UI unresponsive, I must reboot to get control back. (8SVX and CDR are recognised as "MPEG audio layer 2/3" and CDDA as "raw ADTS AAC".)
  3. DBM: renders noise.
  4. DIGI: doesn't recognise some DIGI files, like this one, and renders noise.
  5. FLAC: plays but very choppily... and takes all the processor!
  6. MPEG formats: renders just noise and makes the UI unresponsive, I must reboot to get control back.
  7. MED formats: MMD3 makes the UI unresponsive, I must reboot to get control back.
  8. OGG: renders just noise and makes the UI unresponsive, I must reboot to get control back.
  9. PDIS: plays at the wrong speed and pitch.
• SoX
  
  1. CDR: Renders "noise" instead of music.
  2. FLAC, OGG: Renders "choppy" music and takes most of the CPU.
• XMP:
  
  1. All recognised formats: Renders "choppy" music and takes half of the CPU.