XM2Live

Convert FastTracker 2 XM and Amiga ProTracker MOD files to Ableton Live projects.

Bring your 1990s tracker music into the modern DAW era while preserving the original compositions.

Try it online - No installation required!

Features

• Supported formats: FastTracker 2 XM (.xm), ProTracker MOD (.mod)
• Accurate conversion:
  • Byte-perfect sample extraction (16-bit WAV)
  • Correct BPM calculation (BPM × 6/speed)
  • Proper MOD pitch mapping (+24 semitones offset)
  • Loop support (forward and ping-pong)
  • Per-sample volume and panning
• Smart track organization:
  • One MIDI track per channel/instrument combination
  • Automatic track grouping by instrument
  • Color-coded tracks
• Optional effects:
  • Panning automation (effect 8xx)
  • Sample offset (effect 9xx) via Simpler
  • Volume envelope conversion (experimental)
  • Merge mode for polyphonic playback

Installation

pip install xm2live

Or install from source:

git clone https://github.com/samkieffer/xm2live.git
cd xm2live
pip install -e .

Quick Start

Single File Conversion

# Basic conversion
xm2live mytrack.xm
xm2live oldschool.mod

# With panning automation (effect 8xx)
xm2live mytrack.xm --pan-automation

# With sample offset support (effect 9xx)
xm2live mytrack.xm --sample-offset

# Merge mode (one track per instrument instead of per channel)
xm2live mytrack.xm --merge-tracks

Batch Conversion

# Convert all files in a directory (recursive)
xm2live-batch /path/to/modules

# Non-recursive (current directory only)
xm2live-batch /path/to/modules --no-recursive

Output

Converted projects are created in:

[source directory]/xm2live_converted_tracks/[name]_Ableton_Project/
├── [name].als          # Ableton Live project
└── Samples/            # Extracted WAV samples (16-bit)

Command Line Options

xm2live

Option	Description
--pan-automation	Enable panning automations (effect 8xx)
--sample-offset	Enable Sample Offset (effect 9xx) via Simpler
--envelope	Enable FT2 envelope → ADSR conversion (experimental)
--merge-tracks	Create one "All notes" track per instrument

xm2live-batch

Option	Description
--template PATH	Use custom Ableton template
--no-recursive	Don't search subdirectories
--pan-automation	Enable panning automations
--sample-offset	Enable Sample Offset via Simpler
--envelope	Enable envelope conversion

Technical Details

BPM Calculation

FastTracker 2 uses a dual tempo system:

• Speed: Ticks per row (default: 6)
• BPM: Base tempo (calibrated for Speed=6)

Real BPM formula: real_bpm = bpm × (6 / speed)

Example: Speed=3, BPM=125 → Real BPM = 250

MOD Pitch Mapping

ProTracker uses different octave conventions than MIDI. The converter applies a +24 semitone offset:

• C-1 (ProTracker) → C-3 (MIDI note 48)
• C-2 (ProTracker) → C-4 (MIDI note 60)
• C-3 (ProTracker) → C-5 (MIDI note 72)

Sample Offset (Effect 9xx)

When enabled with --sample-offset:

• Instruments using effect 9xx are loaded into Simpler (instead of Sampler)
• Sample Start automation is created for each note with 9xx
• Limitation: Ping-pong loops are converted to forward loops (Simpler limitation)

Known Limitations

• Effects: Most tracker effects (vibrato, arpeggio, etc.) are not converted
• Volume envelopes: Approximation only (FT2 multi-point → Ableton ADSR)
• Dynamic BPM: Only initial tempo is used
• Formats: Only XM and MOD supported (no S3M, IT)

Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• Ableton Live 10+ (to open converted projects)

License

MIT License - See LICENSE for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues and pull requests.

Acknowledgments

This project was created to preserve and rework tracker music from the 1990s demoscene era. Special thanks to the FastTracker 2 and ProTracker communities.