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5/18/99 Retro AS-1 Demo version 1.2.2d (PC)
Welcome to Retro AS-1!
Retro AS-1 turns your PC into a full-featured programmable MIDI-controlled analog synthesizer!
System Requirements for the Retro AS-1 software
* PC with 200MHz or faster Pentium Processor
* Windows 95 or Windows 98 operating system software
* DirectX or ASIO supported sound card
* 32 megabytes RAM
* 10 megabytes hard disk space
* Compatible CD-ROM drive
* 800 x 600 (SVGA) or higher resolution monitor with 256 (8-bit) or more colors
Suggested System Enhancements
* Quality stereo sound monitoring system
* MIDI controller and interface
About The Demo version
The Retro AS-1 demo is identical to the full retail version with the following exceptions:
* The synthesizer engine can be launched 32 times only before it times out.
* Editor and MIDI Processor files cannot be saved.
* The Record To Disk (save as audio file) feature is disabled.
* Only 128 sounds are included. The retail version includes over 1000 sounds.
About version improvements:
Version 1.2.2:
* More DirectX buffers (for Pinnacle card).
* Fix for MOTU 2408.
* MIDI input disconnected when driver launched for use with Cubase and Logic.
* Microsoft libraries only updated if they are an older version.
Version 1.2.0:
* ASIO support.
* PhatBoy GS/XG NRPNs.
* Improved Reverb.
* Roland Controller fix.
Version 1.1.0
* Improved Engine CPU performance.
* Enhancements in meter display updates.
* Mixer editing of global effects fixed.
* Support for large fonts.
* Improved resource management for the Editor, MIDI Processor, and Mixer.
* Inproved Mixer synchronization with Engine.
Before You Install
To ensure proper functionality when adding software and/or hardware components to your system
(and to avoid troubleshooting hassles later!), operational problems should be resolved BEFORE
installing new component(s) such as Retro AS-1. Please confirm the following steps A, B, and
C before proceeding with the installation of Retro AS-1:
A. Confirm that your sound card supports DirectSound or ASIO audio output.
Retro AS-1 requires DirectSound (a sub-component of DirectX) version 3.0 or higher or ASIO
support. Contact the sound card manufacturer to confirm the card supports DirectSound. If the
sound card supports DirectSound, the software that came with the sound card probably installed
DirectX. You can confirm DirectX installation and support using the following technique:
1. Open the Add/Remove Programs control panel.
Add/Remove Programs can be accessed using Start Menu>Settings>Control Panel.
2. While Install/Uninstall is the active tab, double-click the DirectX Drivers item in the
installed software list.
The DirectX Setup window appears. If DirectX Drivers is not shown in the list, DirectX is
probably not installed. The Retro AS-1 Installer can optionally install DirectX.
3. Confirm the DirectSound component is Certified.
If the DirectSound component row shows certified, your card supports DirectSound. If
DirectSound shows No hardware support, your sound card does not support DirectSound.
NOTE: The Retro AS-1 Installer will optionally install the DirectX drivers to the latest
version (6.1) if necessary.
4. The DirectSound-supported sound card and audio monitoring system must be properly installed
and configured. Follow the installation and configuration instructions that came with the
hardware. Verify proper installation by using the MediaPlayer application that is included
with Windows 95 (Start>Programs>Accessories>Multimedia) to confirm playback of digital audio
(.WAV) files.
B. If Direct Sound is not supported, cofirm that your card supports ASIO audio output.
C. The MIDI interface (if any) must be properly installed and configured.
Follow the instructions that came with the hardware. Verify proper installation by confirming
your MIDI application is sending and receiving MIDI. Retro AS-1 will use the MIDI hardware
port for MIDI input.
NOTE: If you have any problems with the hardware or software, consult the soundcard, MIDI
card, or PC manufacturer for assistance. BitHeadz cannot provide support for items unrelated
to Retro AS-1.
The Software Installer
Retro AS-1 has an automated installer that places the necessary software components where
needed on your hard disk.
How to install Retro AS-1:
1. Double-click the Setup.exe file
2. Follow the instructions on the screen.
The installer will guide you through the process.
3. Restart when the process is complete. That's it!
Windows 95 Setup
For maximum fidelity and performance, be sure to confirm the following items before using
Retro AS-1. Details are provided in Chapter 2 of the Retro AS-1 Manual. See below for
additional information about the manual.
How To Set Volumes in Windows 95
Windows 95 controls the master system volumes for all devices using its built-in digital mixer
and Volume Control application. For maximum fidelity within Retro AS-1, it is important to set
up the system volumes correctly.
Important! Turn the volume of your sound system all the way down until specifically instructed
to turn it up.
1. Open the Volume Control application (SNDVOL32.EXE).
Volume Control can be accessed from the Start Menu
(Start>Programs>Accessories>Multimedia>Volume Control) or by double-clicking the Speaker icon
at the right side of the Task Bar. The executable file SNDVOL32.EXE is located in the Windows
directory.
2. Move the MIDI slider to maximum.
This control sets the output level of the Retro AS-1 synthesizer engine relative to the other
sliders (CD Audio, Wave, etc.)
3. Move the Volume Control (leftmost slider) to maximum.
This control sets the master output of the sound system (it effects all the other sliders).
IMPORTANT! These sliders control the master system volumes. They are digital level controls;
the volume is lowered by ╥dropping bits.╙ For maximum signal-to-noise ratio, leave the MIDI
and Volume Control sliders at maximum and use your monitoring system controls to set the
listening levels.
4. Slowly increase the monitoring system volume to the desired listening level while sound
is playing from the computer.
Use any audio source (Audio CD, WAV file, MIDI file, etc) for setting the monitoring volume.
Media Player (accessed from Start Menu, same location as Volume Control) is great for playing
any media quickly.
5. If clipping (digital distortion) occurs, lower the Master Volume Control (step 3) while
monitoring the output just until the clipping disappears.
6. Done! You may close Sound Control or leave it open.
Where To Go From Here
Retro AS-1 installation and basic Windows 95 setup is now complete! You are now ready to use
Retro AS-1 as a stand-alone synthesizer with live MIDI input. Chapter 3 of the Retro AS-1
Manual is titled QuickStart. It has the instructions to learn basic operations of the Retro
AS-1 applications.
Important User Manual Information
We strongly recommend reading the Retro AS-1 Manual in order to fully understand and implement
the awesome power of Retro AS-1. As well as within this package, the manual is available as a
free internet download from our website at the following URL:
http://www.bitheadz.com/Updates.html
The Retro AS-1 Manual is provided in the Adobe Acrobat portable document ("pdf") format. To
open the document, you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader application version 3.01 or higher.
The manual can be printed for "hard copy" if desired from within Acrobat Reader. The Acrobat
Reader installer is provided for your convenience on the Retro AS-1 CD-ROM. If you don't have
Acrobat Reader, it is available as a free internet download at http://www.adobe.com.
Please familiarize yourself with important operational concepts by reading the manual before
assuming there is a problem. Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are particularly important.
Retro AS-1 Overview
Thank you for your interest in Retro AS-1, the full-featured professional software synthesizer
from BitHeadz. At last there is software that is so convenient and sounds so fantastic, your
Computer will become your favorite sound module. Using sizzling new DSP technology, you can
recreate the sounds of all the classic analog synthesizers or create amazing new soundscapes
of your own from scratch with full programmability. Just imagine... your creativity will no
longer be stifled by "old-school" hardware limitations on
oscillators, filters, modulation, and effects. And of course, it's fully polyphonic and
multi-timbral, with fast response time, and more.
Extensive MIDI implementation allows real-time control of all parameters and easy integration
into existing MIDI setups. You can play Retro AS-1 'live' just like any other musical
instrument with layers, splits, and full MIDI continuous control, or use it as a multi-timbral
sound module running behind your favorite MIDI application on the same computer.
Use the full-featured arpeggiator to generate analog-style 'sequences.' You can even write the
synthesizer's complete multi-timbral stereo output to disk as an audio file for use in your
favorite digital audio applications.
Is it too good to be true? No! Computer hardware and software is finally fast enough to
execute our latest "rocket science" music technology, and you get to enjoy the benefits of it.
Retro AS-1 will provide you with a wealth of new sonic opportunities. We hope you enjoy using
Retro AS-1 as much as we enjoyed creating it!
Features
General
* Outstanding 16-bit, 44.1kHz sound quality
* Excellent real-time play response time
* 100 percent programmable
* Over 200 parameters per program; up to 200 values per parameter
* "Musician Friendly" user interface
* Unlimited presets; includes 1000 factory presets
* Full simultaneous MIDI application compatibility (via Retro AS-1 Device Driver)
* Up to 32 note polyphony (CPU dependent)
* CPU limiting to accommodate MIDI applications
* On-screen keyboard; no MIDI controller required to trigger sounds
* Ability to write synthesizer output to disk in .WAV format (8 or 16 bit)
* Supports Direct IO for output directly to Digidesign digital audio hardware (Mac OS only)
* Stereo output
Oscillators
* Up to 3 oscillators per voice (not including low frequency oscillators)
* 8-octave range per oscillator
* 9 waveform types: Saw, Pulse, Triangle, Sine, Sine squared, Glottal, Noise (white, pink, red)
* Continuous control of waveform symmetry
* Sync any oscillator to any other oscillator or filter
* Frequency modulation from any oscillator or filter
Filters
* 2 assignable filters per voice
* 13 filter types, including 4-pole resonant lowpass, highpass, bandpass, allpass, notch, and
state-variable
* Multiple inputs allow parallel and/or serial filtering
* Filters can be modulated by oscillators ("poly mod")
Modulation
* Dozens of modulation routings
* Dozens of envelopes and low frequency oscillators ("LFO's")
* Six different LFO shapes
* LFO╒s can be synchronized to MIDI clock
* Most parameters are available as a modulation source and/or destination
* Four continuous MIDI controller modulation sources are available simultaneously
Effects
* 2 insert (serial) effects processors per voice
* 2 additional global (parallel) stereo effects processors
* 2 global effect sends per MIDI channel
* Fully parametric and shelf equalizers
* Multiple stereo reverb and reflection algorithms
* Stereo delays, chorus, phaser, and flange
* Overdrive and distortion effects
* Delay times can be synchronized to MIDI clock
Arpeggiator
* Multiple latch and assignment modes
* Enter notes manually or use on-screen keyboard for controller-free play
* Arpeggiator can be synchronized to MIDI clock
MIDI
* MIDI Processor enables full control of layers and splits
* 16 simultaneous MIDI channel multi-timbral
* Real-time control of all parameters simultaneously via NRPNs
Key Concepts
It's really a Synthesizer
All Retro AS-1 functionality is implemented using digital signal processing technology. There
are no samples, wavetables, or digital audio recordings of any kind within Retro AS-1. All
audio is generated on the fly, in real-time, as you manipulate and play back the sounds.
Use it like an instrument
No additional hardware or software is required to use Retro AS-1. Sounds can be triggered
internally using the on-screen keyboard utility. Using a MIDI controller (such as a MIDI
compatible keyboard) and interface (not included), sounds can be played in real-time like a
conventional hardware synthesizer with layers, splits, and full MIDI continuous control. With
the included Multimedia Device Driver, Retro AS-1 can be used as a multi-timbral sound module,
running in the background behind your favorite MIDI application on the same computer.
Program Files
All synthesizer voicing parameters are accessed using the Retro AS-1 Editor application. Each
Editor file is a complete synthesizer "patch" that includes multiple oscillators, filters,
modulation routings, and insert effects. We call this complete set of voicing parameters a
program. The synthesizer engine loads program files from disk into RAM dynamically as required
for playback on each of the 16 MIDI channels. Groups of related programs can be easily
arranged into banks.
Setup Files
The Retro AS-1 MIDI Processor is a powerful performance tool that enables you to modify MIDI
data in the synthesizer engine by programming layers (two programs sounding simultaneously),
splits (two different programs on each side of the keyboard), and arpeggiations (notes in a
chord played sequentially, one at time). The MIDI Processor can be thought of as our own
version of the multis, performances, or combinations in hardware keyboard products. We call
one complete group of layer, split, and arpeggiation settings a Setup. Each MIDI Processor
file can contain dozens of setups.
Mixer Files
Multi-timbral settings can be created and modified using the Retro AS-1 Mixer application.
Each Mixer file contains a complete set of values for bank and program selection, volume, pan,
mute, solo, and global effect send levels on each of the 16 MIDI channels. Global effects
parameters can also be accessed in the Mixer, and their values are stored in the Mixer file.
Mixer files enable fast and easy multi-timbral reconfigurations for use in particular MIDI
environments.
MIDI
Retro AS-1 enables direct connection to a MIDI interface. Retro AS-1 can run in the background
behind your favorite MIDI application on the same CPU, providing excellent synthesizer timbres
without additional hardware. Up to 4 simultaneous real-time modulations using standard MIDI
controllers can be stored in a program for expressive performances. Additionally, almost every
voicing parameter can be accessed simultaneously for real-time control using our extensive
MIDI implementation.
Polyphony
Because there is no dedicated hardware to perform certain tasks, the computer's CPU must handle
all synthesizer routines. Therefore, the available polyphony is dependent upon CPU type, clock
and bus speed, voice complexity, and other applications that may be running simultaneously. CPU
processing resources can be reserved or limited in the Retro AS-1 control panel, and polyphony
can be restricted to allow use on slower PowerMac systems.
Output
The output of Retro AS-1 for PC goes to DirectSound (a sub-component of DirectX), part of the
Windows 95 operating system, or to the ASIO component. The output component then routes the
signal to the sound card where the audio outputs are located, where it can be routed to a mixer,
headphones, stereo system, recording device, or any other audio input. Using the Record To Disk
feature, the synthesizer output (including multi-timbral output with effects) can be recorded to
disk as an audio file for use in digital audio applications.
Software Components
The Retro AS-1 package is a modular collection of eight main software components, all designed
to work together while maintaining ease of use and sensible functionality grouping. Each of
the components is briefly described below. For detailed component descriptions, refer to its
associated reference chapter.
Retro AS-1 Editor Application
The Editor is the main sound design application, where synthesizer programs are created,
modified, and saved. The synthesizer voicing parameters are accessed here. The Editor is mainly
for voicing only; it does not need to be open to use the synth. For details, see Chapter 7.
Retro AS-1 MIDI Processor Application
The MIDI Processor is a powerful software controller that allows you to control layers, splits,
arpeggiations, and other ╥live play╙ controls. It receives MIDI data from the synthesizer
engine, then processes it using a variety of functions before returning it back to the engine
for audio output. The MIDI Processor does not need to be open to use the synth. For details,
see Chapter 6.
Retro AS-1 Keyboard Application
This is an on-screen keyboard that allows you to audition Retro AS-1 sounds without using a
MIDI controller. It has several utility functions for selecting programs and triggering notes
and chords. For details, see Chapter 8.
Retro AS-1 Mixer Application
The Mixer is where you can create, edit, and save multi-timbral mixes. You can also edit the
global effects processors here and set their individual send levels per MIDI channel. For
details, see Chapter 9.
Retro AS-1 Control Panel
The control panel is the global settings utility. It allows you to edit system configuration
parameters such as polyphony, CPU usage, sample rate, MIDI controller assignments, output
device, and more. For details, see Chapter 5.
Retro AS-1 Programs
The Retro AS-1 Programs folder is where the synthesizer programs are located. Program files
can reside anywhere but must be within the Retro AS-1 Programs folder to receive MIDI Bank and
Program change commands. Programs are arranged into banks by creating a folder hierarchy
within the Retro AS-1 Programs folder. For details, see Appendix A.
Retro AS-1 Engine
The system extensions are the host-based processors that perform the actual synthesis. This
"synth engine" performs its duties in the background at the system level, behind all other
applications. The synth engine itself, when activated, requires 6 megabytes of system memory
in addition to any other applications being used.
Enjoy,
BitHeadz, Inc.
4400 Capitola Road, Suite 202
Capitola, CA 95010
831-465-9898
831-465-9899 (fax)
www.bitheadz.com
info@bitheadz.com