Oracle is a tracker styled music program created by Fuzzy Logic.
Hardware support:PSG, MSX-MUSIC, MSX-AUDIO, MoonSound (only FM)
Credits: Shadow (coding, graphics), Wolf (ideas)
First release: 1997
Most recent version: v1.20 (2007)
Introduction
After Fuzzy Logic released the Muzax 3 musicdisk, Wolf saw an area in which improvements could still be made. The problem he described to Shadow by phone was that an MB-stereo tune sounds nice, yet the individual MSX-Audio and MSX-Music versions lacked behind. The 'one tracker fits both'-style of MoonBlaster wasn't enough to provide the best results for MSX-Audio and MSX-Music at the same time, as these FM-chips still had a different architecture.
The solution Wolf requested was to change the replayer in such a way that it could load and play two MB-songs: one dedicated to MSX-Music, one dedicated to MSX-Audio. An easy example would be that the MSX-Audio version would feature a true chord (three notes on e.g. channel 7, 8 and 9) while the MSX-Music version would have a version with a broken chord on e.g. channel 6. In the combined stereo version you'd hear both versions at the same time.
Shadow asked for a week of experimenting and testing, upon which it turned out that he didn't make an updated MB-player, but a completely new tracker instead: Oracle. From that moment on, Wolf supplied suggestions, although the whole layout and functionality of Oracle remains Shadow's brainchild.
Oracle was eventually released by Sunrise, but never managed to become the standard it deserved to be. In part this was due to the lack of a decent replayer. Another reason might have been a scene at the brink of disappearing into the so-called silent years. The main reason, however, is probably Oracle's vast scale. Moonblaster, while somewhat limited in specific areas, was quick and easy to use. Oracle was crammed with new features and a large amount of hotkeys, and for some it would prove to be too technical compared to Moonblaster. Even Wolf never used Oracle. The demonstration songs were imported Moonblaster songs by Wolf, from unfinished Fuzzy Logic projects.
Features
MSX-MUSIC, MSX-AUDIO and PSG support, max 32. channels, max 64. steps, realtime amplifier (volume), FX like arpeggio, tremolo (volume mod), vibration (frq mod), wah-wah (cut-off mod), repetition, volume slides and all FX the other trackers got, pull-down-menu driven with key-shortcuts for every action, clever instrument libraries and block functions etc. etc. Just check and be amazed.
Manual
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
O R A C L E v1.10 (release B, 01/09/97). (c) Fuzzy Logic 1995-1997
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
Rock 'n 'Roll with Fuzzy Logic's magnificent music package ORACLE- a
terrific, not-to-be-missed utility from the Dutch company. It's
great value for money so low you can't even get drunk on!
ORACLE allows you to compose your own little ditties usin' a
variety of sound samples and instruments. To get you started there
are quite a few included on the disk and they can be altered to
your heart's content by including different special effects.
Any melody that you want to create can be done note by note using a
Step-Time-Editor. If you're a lucky, rather rich, MSX owner you can
even tap out your tunes on your OPL4! (18xFM only).
Some Info...
============
This disk contains all the necessary files to run your ORACLE on
your (or other?) MSX computers. It is possible to print songs, but
we've only included minor printing possibilities. If you make your
own work-disk, remember to format that disk to the DOS 2.xx format
to gain more advantages concerning disk-routines! (notice that
ORACLE is fully DOS 2 compatible!)
This version will probably be full of those nasty bugs (still) that
encountered this planet... So, please contact us to correct all the
crummy gurus.
The re-player:
Excuse me for not releasing the re-player YET! It's to complicated
to load a ORC file in memory without a Memory Management Unit. There
for I will code a simple load routine which can be altered to you
own BIOS/OS or whatever.
The best configuration for ORACLE is:
o A turbo R computer using the great R800
The Z80 version is a bit of a bummer coz' the replayer is using
many many effects and can replay atleast 32(!) channels at one
go!
o Atleast 256 kRam of memory.
Each pattern will request a block of bytes anywhere in the RAM.
So, the more memory, the more patterns you can get! (max.256)
o DOS 2.xx
No need telling this gives plenty advantages.
o A Harddisk is very recomendable! (it always is...)
How to get started:
===================
For detailed information about Oracle read the manual!
We've putted all text files at the on-board-help-desk. To reach the
info files just press:
[graph] + [H]
and you'll be at the HELP desk! (tataa!). Here are several files
(including a file for KEYS) which will provide you with necessary
information.
ORACLE is a new kind of music editor and is a little similar to
Moonblaster (the structure of songs I mean) But the editor it self
takes a lot of time and practice to understand. Not that it's a
difficult program but it's just that Oracle is very NEW compared to
other programs I could mention. The main functions are stored at
the Pull-Down-Menus which you can access by pressing [graph] in
combination with the FAT-characters in the Topics at the top of the
screen. (e.d [graph]+[F] for File menu [graph]+[I] for Instruments
etc.)
Disk window:
============
This window deserves special attention. At this window there are a
few keys to access all files:
[F1] Set path (can include: Drive, Path and file/dirmask)
[F2] Set filename (can include: Drive and filename(+ext))
[F3] Select Filetype
[F4] Set Disk options
To select a file you can either use the cursor keys or just type in
the name of the file and ORACLE will automatically search for the
first file that is similar to the "search" string. (this is a very
useful option!!)