furnace (format) :: Battle of the Bits Lyceum

Furnace is a robust, modern multi-chip tracker with support for like a billion soundchips, including the ability to combine multiple chips at once. It is free, multi-platform and open source! Download it here: https://github.com/tildearrow/furnace

Though it started out as a free alternative to Deflemask with compatibility for that program's .dmf module files, backwards compatibility with .dmf is no longer a priority of the software. Older versions may be more useful for specifically tracking .dmf for its format... if that format ever comes back.

Besides its module format .fur, Furnace's only exportable filetype is .vgm (and for some chips this means no export at all, such as SNES and C64); however at some point in the future, other exports may be implemented.

The BotB Furnace format focuses on the .fur module files. However, the software itself may be useful to write for several other formats on the site, such as .VGM File Format, Sega Genesis, Sega Master System, AYM, YM2151 and PC-Engine.

Note that while Furnace lets you track music for many soundchips, not all have export file types supported on BotB - a notable example is the 2A03/NES formats (nsf, nsf_classic, nsfplus), which require .nsf file submissions. Similarly, the PC-X801 format does not allow .vgm, so Furnace will not be useful there.

Getting started

Furnace itself comes with a manual and some documentation about every implemented chip, so be sure to check /papers/doc for more detailed instructions. More information on the tracker can also be found on the Furnace Tracker lyceum page.

The rather robust effects list can be accessed from the "help" menu up top. Some effects are tied to specific chips, while others are fairly universal. Many of these effect values will be familiar if you have used FamiTracker or other software that uses the .MOD/.XM effects layout (e.g. 1xx/2xx for pitch bends, 4xy for vibrato, etc).

Furnace has a modular interface, meaning you can drag around parts of the window to organize them however you see fit, or turn them into tabs. Check out all the options in the "window" menu up top.

One of the main appeals of this program is the ability to track multiple chips at the same time. You can create all sorts of combinations this way, though if exporting to .vgm you can only have two of the same exact chip utilized in your module. Otherwise there is just a 128-channel limit. Add new chips using the "chip manager" pane. Control their volumes individually in the "mixer" pane.

Tools

Download the latest Furnace here: https://github.com/tildearrow/furnace

Be sure to grab the latest stable release, at least version 0.6 - there may be dev builds or other branches, but to ensure consistent playback of your own & others' entries, the official stable release is recommended. Why 0.6? The developer's goal with this version was for the software to be as close to "feature complete" as possible.

A handful of other tools with far more limited use cases can be used to approach this format, although Furnace will still be needed to save a .fur file, the only valid file type for the Furnace format. Furnace can open .mod, .dmf, and a handful of less common Amiga formats for "FutureComposer" (.smod, .fc13, .fc14, .fc). Keep in mind it cannot save/export as any of those formats except DefleMask's .dmf, which is also restricted to Defle's array of chips and features.

Accepted file format

Your submission must be a .fur module file of size 12.5MB or less. Not .vgm - we have another format for that!

Playback (for voting)

The current stable release of Furnace (as of writing, 0.6) is recommended for playback, since other branches or cutting-edge builds may have some differences in playback or features.

Rendering

Furnace can natively export to .WAV; convert this to .MP3 using your favorite tool (such as Audacity).

See also

- Furnace Tracker
- Deflemask Tracker
- deflemask (format)
- vgm (format)

C A T E G O R I E S

Battle Formats