So the good news is that samples now playback like properly audible instruments. There is no longer a jumble of static and it turns out the instrument information is indeed stored as-is in signed 8-bit PCM samples. Lacking more information or documentation, I was initially unsure if the samples were stored with some sort of encoding scheme causing them to not playback correctly. This is not the case and after many headaches I’ve realized the problem lies in the timing system. I have to re-investigate some of the information presented regarding tempo numbers and interrupt speeds to track down why this is the case. As predicted, the issues with the timing system is still the major obstacles holding me back.
In the mean time, while I work on resolving this problem and possibly restructuring the timing system and update cycle, I will continue work on implementing the needed pattern and macro effects in an effort to have them ready for the end of the week.