Hall of Music

About the Hall of Music

This tool was spun off from ZZT Ultra's sound system. It acts as a web-based, integrated environment for testing and showcasing #PLAY string tunes as used in ZZT, Super ZZT, and ZZT Ultra.

The site keeps track of a library containing various compositions, covers, #PLAY string rips, etc. that various individuals have produced and submitted. These can originate from ZZT and Super ZZT world files, but it is entirely possible to submit covers from different games or completely original work.

You can use the Song text box to experiment with your own tunes. This box supports copying and pasting, so it is easy to port sequences between the Hall of Music and text files.

• A reference for the #PLAY statement syntax.
• A list of built-in ZZT sound effects.

Controlling and Modifying Playback

The Play, Pause, and Stop buttons control playback of the tune shown in the Song text box. You can also have a song automatically loop with the Looped Play button.

When the song is not playing, you can manipulate the song timeline by adjusting scrollbar below the Song text box.

The Volume is a number between 0 (silence) and 50 (maximum). You can attenuate all sound channels played back if desired.

You can freeform edit any song in the Song text box. However, writing back to the library requires using the upload interface (see Uploading Content).

The Prefix text box serves a special function. ZZT Ultra, by default, plays all sound effects on channel zero (Z00) and all ZZT/Super ZZT #PLAY statements on channel one (Z01). The Prefix text is implicitly prepended to all Song text. The default Prefix plays non-channel-specific content on channel one (Z01), resets the duration and octave (@), and applies a reverb effect (K40:0.3:) as a convenient enhancement.

If you want to play back content without any modifications, remove the text from the Prefix box.

Note that unlike the original #PLAY statements, song text on multiple lines is not subject to an implicit duration and octave reset with each new line. To apply this reset operation, insert a "@" symbol as needed.

Song Link URLs

If you want to send a URL to someone such that a song of your own choice will begin playing immediately, use the following GET variables.

• song: Name of song as listed in library
• time: Starting position of the song, in seconds
• loop: If 1, causes song to play in looped mode

For example, This URL plays the Smash TV Circuit 3 song.

Uploading Content

If you wish to upload a tune to the Hall of Music, you click the Enter Upload Mode button.

When you enter the uploading interface, the song selected by default is a special slot named [New Song Title]. This is kept separate from all the other songs already stored in the library, so that there is always a separate workspace for "new" and "existing" songs.

It is possible to edit content you have already submitted. You can only edit songs in the library for which you were the original contributor.

When you are finished with editing/pasting the song details, click the Upload Song button. Upon successful update, the library will include your submission.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

A compounding factor to identifying authorship of tunes is the tendency of ZZT world designers to poach tunes from a wide variety of sources when making chiptune covers. This is often done without ever giving credit to the original author anywhere within the world file or accompanying documentation. This adds a layer of uncertainty to the origin of many tunes.

In the interest of being fair to all parties, each song has two credit fields: the Covered By field, indicating the composer of the #PLAY statement-syntax tune, and the Original Author field, indicating the original songwriter. It is very possible that the cover artist is known, but the original author is not well-known or cannot be discovered. Uploaders are advised to always fill out the cover artist accurately, but leave the original author blank (or with "?") until this information is known.

Of course, if you are definitely the original author, go ahead and fill out your name in both slots.

Copyright Considerations

As copyright goes, there isn't much to say. The Hall of Music does not try to make any special exceptions to the law itself. All tunes are subject to their original copyright, wherever they had come from originally.

However, the relatively simple nature of ZZT-themed chiptunes makes it unlikely that most people would ever care about tune reproduction in a context like this.

If you believe that a tune should not be reproduced in the Hall of Music, or otherwise has incorrect credit assigned, please contact the webmaster.