Mod Archive

The Mod Archive is a music community around a genre of music usually called by the name of one of the early file extensions called a Mod. According to Everything2, it was started by Robert Watson in 1996, and has grown to include social web features including a forum.

MODs

Unlike the more well known music format called MP3, a Tracked tune consists of fragments organized into a computer readable list and assembled in realtime during playback following a stored pattern map included as part of the file. The inspiration for this started with the space limitations of earlier computers such as the Amiga from Commodore International. Instead of recording a drum sound across an entire song, a Tracked tune contains a sample of only a few measures ofthe beat which is then replayed as necessary over the course of the musical piece.

This structural format allowed significant advances in musical quality compared to earlier formats of the era. There are some difficulties incorporating long unbroken sounds, but these are usually bypassed at the musical creation level with series of smaller samples joined together. More information can be found in the related page for Module file

Notice that another usage of the term Mod is noted on the PlanetDiablo site as "A gameplay modification, or mod, is a set of changes to a software game that provides a different experience to players.". This is a different meaning entirely. (http://www.planetdiablo.com/modding/basics/)

The Mod Archive

The Mod Archive is one of the longest running resources of Tracked music. IT has been referenced by older websites which themselves may no longer be as current as the Mod Archive itself.

Rich Labonte's mod links page remarks that the wealth of material sometimes has overshadowed ease of use, but the efforts of the site administration team has done quality work keeping the site current. (http://richlabonte.net/modspeak/links.html)

A brief entry at allegro.cc game network recognizes the efforts made towards searchability. (http://www.allegro.cc/resource/Media/Music/ModArchive)

This is the Linux-Sound entry. (http://linux-sound.org/mod.html)

Patrick Groove did an interview with Network 19 here. (http://linux-sound.org/mod.html)

This is LemonAmiga's entry. (http://www.lemonamiga.com/?mainurl=http%3A//www.lemonamiga.com/links/index.php%3Fgenre%3D9)

This blog post at Gism commends the upsure of activity after a quieter period. (http://blog.gism.net/?p=90).

Mention of U4ia's efforts over at zayda.net. (http://mod.zayda.net/).

Arabland's entry: (http://www.arabland.com/webdir/index.php/Arts/Music/Sound_Files/MOD/) Allsites's entry borrowed the promotional text above. (http://www.allsites.com/Top.Arts.Music.Sound_Files.MOD.html)

This is Mod Archive user icerain's page mention on esnips. (http://www.esnips.com/web/MODmusicTrAx)

This entry in Linux Journal that mentions the Mod Archive further expands the strengths and weaknesses of the structural format of Tracked music. (http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/4349)

The Novus entry again notes the strong reviews feature. (http://www.novusmusic.org/links.html)

Prolet software's red-themed page shares his experiences with the Mod Archive. (http://proletsoft.freeservers.com/prolet/biography.html)

Simpy user Smilinggoat has a mention here. (http://www.simpy.com/user/smilinggoat/tag/%22archive%22)

Mod Archive user Snu's page with a link. (http://www.snuq.com/music/)

Modplug Central's entry. (http://www.modplug.com/directory/index.php/Arts/Music/Sound_Files/MOD/)

Tripod user SpringTree wrote an entry about a utility from the Mod Archive that apparently let users incorporate randomized songs on demand into their own pages. (http://members.tripod.com/~Springtree/mod.html)