Core Terminology
- A song (also called module) is a file for a tracker that contains at least one subsong.
- Each Furnace song involves at least one chip, an emulation of a specific audio processor.
Tracking
The pattern view is similar to a spreadsheet that displays the following:Channels
Channels
Each labeled column represents a channel of sound provided by the chips in use. Within a channel, only one note can play at a time.
Notes
Notes
Each note starts a sound playing. Notes are the fundamental building blocks of your music.
Instruments
Instruments
Each note is assigned an instrument which describes what it will sound like. Instruments define the timbral characteristics of sounds.
Effects
Effects
An effect is a command that changes some aspect of playback. It can alter note pitch, volume, timing, and more.
Macros
Macros
An instrument macro is an automated sequence of effects that applies to every note of that instrument. Macros are incredibly powerful for creating dynamic sounds.
Playhead
Playhead
During playback, the playhead moves down, scrolling through the pattern view, triggering the notes that it encounters.
Structure
The order list is a smaller spreadsheet showing the overall song structure:Understanding Orders and Patterns
Channel Patterns
Each channel has its own unique list of patterns. Each pattern contains note and effect data for that channel only.
Pattern Reuse
Patterns may be used multiple times in the order list. Changing a pattern’s data in one order will affect the same pattern used in other orders.
Think of orders as a playlist and patterns as the actual musical segments. You can rearrange and reuse patterns without duplicating data.
Time
Understanding how time works in Furnace is crucial for effective tracking:Ticks
A tick is the smallest measure of time to which all note, effect, and macro times are quantized. Ticks are the atomic unit of musical time in Furnace.Rows and Speed
During playback, each row lasts a number of ticks determined by the song’s speed value(s).Example: Speed and Timing
Example: Speed and Timing
If your speed is set to 6:
- Each row takes 6 ticks to complete
- At 60Hz tick rate, this means 10 rows per second
- This translates to 150 BPM
- Each row takes 3 ticks to complete
- At 60Hz tick rate, this means 20 rows per second
- This translates to 300 BPM
Sound
Sound chips have different capabilities. Even within the same chip, each channel may have its own ways of making sound.Sound Generation Methods
Waveform Generators
Some channels use one or more waveform generators (sine, square, noise…) to build up a sound.
FM Synthesis
FM (frequency modulation) channels use a number of generators called operators that can interact to make very complex sounds.
Samples
Some channels use samples which are (usually) recordings of sounds, often with defined loop points to allow a note to sustain.
Wavetables
Some channels use wavetables, which are very short samples of fixed length that automatically loop.
Quick Reference
Here’s a quick cheat sheet of the most important terms:| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Module/Song | The complete Furnace file (.fur) |
| Channel | A single column of musical data |
| Pattern | Note and effect data for one channel |
| Order | A row in the order list specifying which patterns to play |
| Note | A musical pitch to play |
| Instrument | Defines how a note sounds |
| Effect | A command that modifies playback |
| Macro | Automated effects within an instrument |
| Tick | Smallest unit of time |
| Row | A horizontal line in the pattern view |
| Playhead | The current playback position |