     Xenon 2      for Atari STE
Music playback from mass storage in intro
and during play -beta test versions


HAGA version - works on  STE, TT
with ACSI attached mass storage.  1MB RAM min .
Or on Falcon, STE with IDE adapter.


By pressing M at HW detect screen may enter
machine setting option - only with Mega STE,
TT.

Exit to Desktop, savestates options.
Unlimited lives and shield opts.

RUNACSI.TOS 
Version with basic ACSI commands,
max 1GB accessible. 
For Mega STE internal adapter for instance.

RUNICD.TOS
ICD command support, so over 1GB.
UltraSatan, ICD ACSI-SCSI adapters.

RUNIDE.TOS
For Falcon or STE with IDE adapter.

RUNME.TOS
Runs game with it's original
soundtracks. Works on STs too.


Recommended is usage with UltraSatan,
or Compact Flash cards.
But should work with classic SCSI hard
disks too, if they are not very old and
slow. 
No direct attachable SCSI disk support
- to TT or Falcon SCSI port.


Most interesting feature is optional
usage of user's audio tracks.
Supported are 2 tracks - one
plays in intro, second during game.
You need to replace files AU1 and AU2
with your custom audio files.

Format must be:  Stereo, 25033 Hz sample
rate, 8-bit signed, RAW (no header).
It's very easy to convert in such format
with freeware Audacity. Length of
files may be between 100KB and
510 MB (max partititon size in TOS).
1 minute music takes about 3MB, so
can play even very long files - over 
2 hours.

Important:  audio files must be
defragmented, otherwise will hear
some nasty noise instead music
for more-less time during play.
If you copy this to partition where did
not delete files, it will be defragmented.

Hard disk drivers:  should work with any 
decent Atari ST hard disk driver, which 
supports PUN info. 


Falcon specific problem:
Following stays likely only for TOS 4.02 .
If you want to play saved gamestate after
reseting Falcon it will not work properly
- there will be no audio track playback, or
even worse - machine may freeze.
The reason is that STE compatible
DMA sound is not initialised - it is done
in game launcher (RUNIDE.TOS) .
So, if want to play some older savestate
need to run normal game before it.
Start, and abort intro music with space,
then press * on NumPad to exit.
After that may run saved state normally.
Someone with Falcon with TOS 4.04
please let me know is above necessary on
such machine (I have only with TOS 4.02).

If getting message "Error in getting file
location" with PP IDE driver may need
to update it - TOS/DOS compatible
V0.99 . Then run TOS file from DIR
IDEDRUPD .

Note:  because byte-swap left and
right channel will be played swapped
from IDE drives. Current IDE version will
not work if perform byte-swap of audio
files before copying to CF card. 
If someone insists (to get proper order)
I will make support for that.

More complications, but worth of
effort, I think:

I discovered HW bug in STE audio
mixer, what resulted in being not
able to set PSG volume 12db lower,
and that's necessary to get balanced
music and effect loudness.  On Falcon
no such problem, btw.  So, there was need
to make PSG silencer in SW, what is really 
not easy, + makes quality lower.
You may find how to perform this
HW fix - really not hard, and costs
only some 15 minutes and 1 resistor.

For such mod new launchers are needed too.

RUNACSIM.TOS 
Version with basic ACSI commands,
max 1GB accessible. 
For Mega STE internal adapter for instance.
For those who made mixer fix.

RUNICDM.TOS
ICD command support, so over 1GB.
UltraSatan, CosmosEx, ICD ACSI-SCSI adapters.
For those who made mixer fix.



  PP,  Jan.  2015.