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Here is the documentation of the MML syntax:
Special definitions start with a @. Everything else belongs in a channel and every channel needs a name from A to Z which should be the first thing on the line unless it's @ or a blank line.
Note: envelopes split the note into segments depending on the number of elements in the envelope. If you have 2 elements in the envelope, each value applies to half the note, for 3 it's a third and so on.
The definitions and effects you can use are:
Define a sample
@S0 = { example.flac }
@S1 = { another.flac }
Volume envelope (single note). The volumes are between 0 and 255.
The difference between this and @VAM is with @VAS, the volume shift is applied to each note
@VAS0 = { 32 0 } ; this will play notes at channel volume fading to 32 then to 0
Volume envelope (multi-note) Similar to @VAS except the volume applies across the span of the @VAM elements instead of applying for each note within the statements
Volume offset envelope. Volumes in the envelope are offsets from current volume instead of absolute volumes.
Dutycycle envelope. A duty cycle of 128 is a square wave and it can slide either way.
@D0 = { 128 32 } ; slides the duty cycle from channel to 128 to 32
Pitch offset envelope. Slides the pitch by the specified number of Hz.
@PO0 = { 0 -256 0 } ; the first number is used to start the effect at an offset. Here it starts at note frequency
plus 0 Hz and slides down 256 Hz then to 0 again
Pitch to note envelope. Slides to pitch to the note. The number is an octave
@PN0 = { c4 c5 c4 c6 } ; Slides the pitch to C at different octaves
Absolute pitch shift. The values are in Hz.
Reverb
@R0 = { 5 0 1000 255 32 }
5 reverberations, 0 is the falloff interpolator explained with interpolators
falloff time in MS, start volume of reverb, end volume of reverb
Within a channel, there are many symbols you can use. This is an attempt to document all of them, hopefully I don't forget any this time...
is a comment, everything after one is ignored on that line.
Notes
Rest (silence)
wait (continues the same note)
After one of the above, a dot adds half the length of the note to the total length. Two dots adds half plus quarter and so on. All of these can be proceeded by a number that is the length of the note. E.g. a1 is a whole note.
a tie. This continues an identical note, like a wait.
is a sharp e.g. a+
is a flat
Change the default note length. e.g., l16 makes it 16th notes
change the tempo of the channel. e.g. t200 for 200 bpm
set the octave e.g., o4
down an octave
up an octave
e.g., @S0 will use the sample defined as S0 to play the notes in this channel
To use any of the envelopes or reverb, you need to specify them on a section of notes in a channel. E.g., A @R0 abcdfgcde @R0 abcd @R0 cadbd @R0 ; the first @R0 turns on Reverb channel 0, the next turns it off and so on
sets the generator type. E.g., @TYPE0 sets the generator to a pulse wave (default duty cycle is 128 on a pulse wave.) The types are: 0 - pulse 1 - noise type 1 2 - sawtooth 3 - sine 4 - triangle 5 - noise type 2
Volume curve interpolator setting. This is for @VAS etc which slide the volume. The following list of interpolators applies to all envelopes where the type of curve can be specified, like pitch envelopes, reverb etc... 0 - linear 1 - hermite 2 - slow fade 3 - sine 4 - pulse
Same as @CV but for pitch
Same as @CV but for dutycycle
this can change phase reset for pitch envelopes
For example if you had @PO0 = { 0 -16 0 16 0 } it will reset the phase of
the note between each segment of the envelope which can cause a little
crackle. If you set it to @RT4 (maybe with @CP1) it will play through
it smoothly without resetting the phase. If you set @RT2 it will reset it halfway through.
Each generator can have buzz added to the waveform it generates. It's basically a hack at this point... If you had a pulse wave in a channel then added sine wave buzz you can imagine the wave being square with a slight (or big) sine at each level.
buzz frequency. It's actually the number of phases of buzz per phase of the note so @BF7 would have 7 phases of buzz on the note
buzz volume (0 to 255)
buzz type. Same as @TYPE
Fade boolean. I think turning this off might introduce some clicks
Channel volume, 0 to 255 e.g. v255
mix volume 0 to 255
Change dutycycle of channel. Applies only to @TYPE0 (pulse.)
toggle sample stretching or not. By default (s0) samples are played back without stretching to note length
PetiteMM is a great tool which can convert MIDI to MML. You will need to hand edit a bit, like described next but also to add your effects, samples, etc.
PetiteMM spits out a single tempo line, play_mml expects a tempo line per channel. Every line that PetiteMM spits out should be prefixed by A, B, C... etc. (first, second, third channel...) Luckily PetiteMM separates each channel with a semicolon. Prefixing everything with a channel and copying the tempo to each channel is the main thing, after that, you can add any effects.
PetiteMM GitHub: https://github.com/loveemu/PetiteMM