Here, we'll be covering effects you will commonly use. I'll leave out some effects which are useful for very specific use-cases.

Keep in mind that the way effects play out depends on the way MT is set up!

We'll set the playback mode to Fasttracker 2.x and the resampling mode to a non-Amiga option (ex. Linear interpolation).

All effects that we leave out, and specifics relating to the settings mentioned above, can be found in the ./docs/MilkyTracker.html section of the original MT repo. You can find that doc in dark mode in my fork here.

The "(Memory)" added to certain effect syntax sections means that MT "remembers" the last used parameter for that note.

"(Memory - ...)" means that only the parameter "..." is remembered.

Any bracket that looks like "(ex. ...)" shows how the current description relates to the example above.

Effect column effects

0xy Arpeggio

Syntax:

0 OFFSET X OFFSET Y

Example:

| C-4 | .1 | .. | 037 |
| ... | .. | .. | 037 |

Description:

Arpeggio quickly alters the note pitch between the base note (ex. C-4) and the semitone offsets OFFSET X (ex. 3 = D#4) and OFFSET Y (ex. 7 = G-4).

Each pitch is played for the duration of 1 tick. If SPD is higher than 3 (meaning there are more than 3 ticks per row), the sequence is looped.

1xx Portamento up

Syntax:

1 PORTAMENTO SPEED or

1 00 (Memory)

Example:

| TRACK               | PORTAMENTO (effect equivalent)
| ------------------- |
| C-4 | .1 | .. | 103 | 103
| ... | .. | .. | 100 | 103
| ... | .. | .. | ... | None
| ... | .. | .. | 107 | 107
| ... | .. | .. | 100 | 107

Description:

Bends the note pitch up by PORTAMENTO SPEED frequency units every tick.

The greater the speed, the greater the bend.

The bending depends on the frequency table, BPM, SPD, the current note, and some other instrument-related settings, so it's pretty difficult to calculate which note it will "climb" to when you use this effect. So, go by trial and error! :)

2xx Portamento down

Syntax:

2 PORTAMENTO SPEED or

2 00 (Memory)

Example:

| TRACK               | PORTAMENTO (effect equivalent)
| ------------------- |
| C-4 | .1 | .. | 203 | 203
| ... | .. | .. | 200 | 203
| ... | .. | .. | ... | None
| ... | .. | .. | 207 | 207
| ... | .. | .. | 200 | 207

Description:

Bends the note pitch down by PORTAMENTO SPEED frequency units every tick.

The greater the speed, the greater the bend.

The bending depends on the frequency table, BPM, SPD, the current note, and some other instrument-related settings, so it's pretty difficult to calculate which note it will "climb" to when you use this effect. So, go by trial and error! :)

3xx Portamento to note

Syntax:

3 PORTAMENTO SPEED or

3 00 (Memory)

Example:

| TRACK               | PORTAMENTO (effect equivalent)
| ------------------- |
| C-4 | .1 | .. | ... | None
| ... | .. | .. | ... | None
| D-4 | .. | .. | 301 | 301
| ... | .. | .. | 300 | 301
| ... | .. | .. | ... | None
| ... | .. | .. | 300 | 301

Description:

Slides from the original note (ex. C-4) to the target note (ex. D-4) by PORTAMENTO SPEED frequency units every tick.

If the volume envelope on the instrument is on, the new note (ex. D-4) will apply it on the sound again, in addition to sliding.

4xy Vibrato

Syntax:

4 SPEED DEPTH or

4 0 DEPTH (Memory - SPEED) or

4 SPEED 0 (Memory - DEPTH) or

4 00 (Memory)

Example:

| TRACK               | VIBRATO (effect equivalent)
| ------------------- |
| C-4 | .1 | .. | ... | None
| ... | .. | .. | 41F | 41F
| ... | .. | .. | 400 | 41F
| ... | .. | .. | ... | None
| ... | .. | .. | 400 | 41F
| ... | .. | .. | ... | None
| ... | .. | .. | 42F | 42F
| ... | .. | .. | 400 | 42F
| ... | .. | .. | ... | None

Description:

Alters note pitch up and down in the range of a full tone. Starts by going down.

7xy Tremolo

Syntax:

7 SPEED DEPTH or

7 0 DEPTH (Memory - SPEED) or

7 SPEED 0 (Memory - DEPTH) or

7 00 (Memory)

Example:

| TRACK               | TREMOLO (effect equivalent)
| ------------------- |
| C-4 | .1 | .. | 72F | 72F
| ... | .. | .. | 700 | 72F
| ... | .. | .. | ... | None
| ... | .. | .. | 700 | 72F
| ... | .. | .. | 7F0 | 7FF
| ... | .. | .. | 701 | 7F1
| ... | .. | 30 | ... | None, volume reset

Description:

Alters note volume up and down at a given speed and depth.

The volume is not reset after the effect.

8xx Set note panning position

Syntax:

8 POSITION

Example:

| C-4 | .1 | .. | 800 |
| ... | .. | .. | ... |
| ... | .. | .. | 880 |

Description:

Pans the currently playing tone. 00 is far left, 80 is center and FF is far-right.

This effect overrides the panning value defined by the instrument sample settings.

The effect is not reset if there is no argument on the next pattern line (ex. in the second pattern line, the tone is still panned far-left, and is reset back to the center on the third pattern line).

9xx Sample offset

Syntax:

9 OFFSET MULTIPLIER

Example:

| C-4 | .1 | .. | 907 |
| ... | .. | .. | ... |

Description:

Offsets the sample playback start position by OFFSET MULTIPLER*256 bytes. Keep in mind that OFFSET MULTIPLER is read in hex. So, with 901, you are offsetting the sample playback start position by 256 (0x100) bytes, with 902 by 512 bytes, and so on.

The maximum offset amount is 65280 (0x10000) bytes. So, any sample block over 9FF cannot be started from.

900, of course, makes no change to the sample playback.

If you're dealing with a large sample, and intend to chop it using 9xx, consider resampling the sample.

Axy Volume slide

Syntax:

A VOLUME SLIDE UP VALUE VOLUME SLIDE DOWN VALUE

Example

| TRACK               | VOLUME (hex)
| ------------------- |
| ... | .. | .. | F03 |
| C-4 | .1 | 30 | A04 | 30 - (3-1)*4 = 28
| ... | .. | .. | ... | 28
| ... | .. | .. | A40 | 28 + (3-1)*4 = 30

Description:

After the first tick, the command does one of the two:

Increases the volume by VOLUME SLIDE UP VALUE each tick of the row
Decreases the volume by VOLUME SLIDE DOWN VALUE each tick of the row

If both are used at the same time, the volume is only increased by VOLUME SLIDE UP VALUE.
I highly advise against using both at the same time, since playback is unpredictable on different players.

Cxx Set note volume

Syntax:

C VOLUME

Example:

| C-4 | .1 | .. | C40 |
| ... | .. | .. | C20 |
| ... | .. | .. | C10 |
| ... | .. | .. | C08 |
| ... | .. | .. | C04 |
| ... | .. | .. | C02 |
| ... | .. | .. | C01 |

Description:

Sets the sample playback volume, overriding both the instrument sample volume setting and the volume in the volume column.

Just like the other two volume settings, the value is a hex number between 00 and 40.

Fxx Set song speed

Syntax:

F VALUE

Example:

| TRACK 1 (BPM)        | TRACK 2 (SPD)        |
| -------------------- | -------------------- |
| ... | .. | ... | F90 | ... | .. | ... | F06 |

Description:

When VALUE is between 01 (1) and 1F (31), VALUE will be the new SPD.
When VALUE is between 20 (32) and FF (255), VALUE will be the new BPM.

Gxx Set global volume

Syntax:

G VALUE

Example:

| ... | .. | ... | G40 |

Description:

Sets the global song volume.

By default, the global song volume will be 40.

This setting cannot be set graphically, and can only be altered using the Gxx command.

Kxx Key-off

Syntax:

K VALUE

Example:

| C-4 | .. | ... | K00 |

Description:

Sends a Note-off after VALUE ticks.

K00 stops the playback immediately.

Any VALUE equal to or greater than SPD is disregarded.

EDx Note delay

Syntax:

ED VALUE

Example:

| C-4 | .. | ... | ED2 |

Description:

Delays the note in the cell by VALUE ticks.

If VALUE is greater than SPD, the note won't play!

Volume column effects

xx Set note volume

Syntax:

VALUE

Example:

| C-4 | .1 | 3F | ... |

Description:

Sets the sample playback volume.

Overrides the instrument sample volume setting.

+x Volume slide up

Syntax:

+ VALUE

Example:

| C-4 | .1 | +2 | ... |

Description:

Increases the note volume by VALUE each tick.
SPD acts as a multilpier (ex. if SPD is 3, for +2, the note volume will be increased by 3x2 = 6).

Same as using A VALUE 0 in the effect column.

-x Volume slide down

Syntax:

- VALUE

Example:

| C-4 | .1 | -2 | ... |

Description:

Decreases the note volume by VALUE each tick.
SPD acts as a multilpier (ex. if SPD is 3, for +2, the note volume will be decreased by 3x2 = 6).

Same as using A 0 VALUE in the effect column.

Ux Fine volume slide up

Syntax:

U VALUE

Example:

| C-4 | .1 | ^2 | ... |

Description:

Displayed as ^x.

Similar to +X VOLUME SLIDE UP, except that it changes the volume per row (ex. the volume will increase by 2).

Dx Fine volume slide down

Syntax:

D VALUE

Example:

| C-4 | .1 | v2 | ... |

Description:

Displayed as vx.

Similar to -X VOLUME SLIDE DOWN, except that it changes the volume per row (ex. the volume will decrease by 2).

Lx Panning slide left

Syntax:

L VALUE

Example:

| TRACK               | PAN
| ------------------- |
| C-4 | .1 | .. | F03 | 80 (Center)
| ... | .. | <2 | ... | 80 - 2*3 = 7A
| ... | .. | .. | 300 | 7A
| ... | .. | .. | ... | 7A
| ... | .. | .. | 880 | 80

Description:

Displayed as <x.

Slides the pan, once per tick, over to the left. SPD acts like a multiplier.

3xx and <x share memory (ex. in the second row we slide the pan over to 7A, and in the third row the 300 keeps the pan at 7A).

Rx Panning slide right

Syntax:

R VALUE

Example:

| TRACK               | PAN (hex)
| ------------------- |
| C-4 | .1 | .. | F03 | 80 (center)
| ... | .. | >1 | ... | 80 + 1*3 = 83
| ... | .. | .. | 300 | 83
| ... | .. | .. | ... | 83
| ... | .. | .. | 880 | 80

Description:

Displayed as >x.

Slides the pan, once per tick, over to the left. SPD acts like a multiplier.

3xx and >x share memory (ex. in the second row we slide the pan over to 83, and in the third row the 300 keeps the pan at 83).

Px Set note panning position

Syntax:

P VALUE

Example:

| TRACK               | PAN (hex)
| ------------------- |
| C-4 | .1 | P0 | ... | 00
| ... | .. | P3 | ... | 33
| ... | .. | .. | ... | 33
| ... | .. | .. | 880 | 80