¢SLAMMIN'¢¢The Sound Monitor Professional Column¢¢by Bryan Zillwood¢¢Part 2¢¢ In this article, as promised, we shall be looking at what Sound Monitor Professional (SMP) calls a Huellkurve, a spectrum analyser to us.¢¢ As described in the last article, load up WONDER1.SNG from NOSAUG PD Disk U31. We shall use the existing sounds in this file to examine how SMP creates it's instruments.¢¢ The first evidence of the sounds in memory is a new arrangement of colourful bars in the top third of the screen. There are actually nine seperate instruments waiting to be played, but these cannot be displayed together.¢¢ To view the "sound curves" which make up the instruments, select EDITIEREN (edit) followed by Pattern. You should notice that a "---" becomes highlighted in the lower section of the screen. It is now possible to scroll through the sound curves using < and >.¢¢ Each instrument is created from two sound curves. The first represents the volume and the second is for pitch. When pressing < and >, the HK number will change, this is the number of the curve. Even number HKs are volume curves and odd HKs are pitch curves. Highlighted in pitch curves is a text "Frequenz-Modulation HK #--!", the "HK #--!" shows which volume curve this pitch curve is associated with.¢¢ On studying the different curves, you should notice that other things change as well as the shape of curves and HK numbers. Under the HK number is a VC number (VC = Voice Control). This shows distortion to the sound and can have quite a dramatic effect. There are also 3 lines below labelled LP, EFF and DC. LP shows a loop which will repeat until the volume fades out or another note takes over. EFF shows special effects which can be placed on each bar, there are 3 degrees of effect. DC displays the volume decreases in the curve, whenever one of these is encountered, the volume is lowered. This is quite effective in loops.¢¢ So now you know how the sound are made up, let's hear them. You should still be in Edit pattern mode, so put HK#0 in the sound curve window using < and >. Pressing Q will now play a "C". In the pattern window, you will see a C-2 00VF displayed, we won't dwell on this for the moment, but basically it tells you that you've played a C from the second octave using soundcurve #00 at volume F. To play other notes, just press other keys on the keyboard. To change the instrument use < and > to select the one you want (consecutive volume and pitch curves produce the same sound because when played, they are combined).¢¢ Listed below are names of instruments I have given to the sounds in WONDER1.SNG. You may disagree with my names, but they are only intended as a reference for the future, so that when you want to produce your own songs, you can copy them into your own pattern.¢¢00 Laser Gun 0A Short Synth¢02 Synth 0C Telephone¢04 Snare Drum 0E Clarinet¢06 Bounce 10 Oboe¢08 Bird Song¢¢ "How do I make up my own sounds?", I hear you ask. Well I'll tell you. Press escape from Edit pattern and select Edit Huellkurve. Using < and > will choose the curve you want to edit. It is a good idea to clear/reset the curve before you start editing if you want to create a totally new instrument. Pressing shift + < (clear) will clear a volume curve, or produce a full line of half bars in a pitch curve.¢¢ I have already described how the sounds are made up, so listed below are the editing commands:-¢¢+ & * = move cursor along curve¢- & = = raise/lower bar at cursor¢? & : = alter distortion (press shift)¢, & . = set start/end of loop¢; & / = set special effect at cursor¢inverse= toggle volume decrease¢ (volume curve only)¢¢ The distortion (VC) number has two digits. The first digit can only be changed in the pitch curve and produces major changes to the sound. The second digit can only be changed in the volume curve and the change is less drastic.¢¢ It is a good idea to edit a pattern before making an instrument. This can be done by selecting EDIT Pattern and then pressing some of the keyboard keys, so that notes appear in the bottom third of the screen. This way, you can test the instrument you are making by pressing Return so that the pattern plays. Remember to ensure that the pattern uses your instrument (< & > to choose).¢¢ There are no real rules to making up sounds. Best advice is to study ones provided on the disk to see how they work. Just experiment and see what happens. A good thing to know before starting is that a high distortion of the pitch curve creates a purer sound.¢¢ I do have one critisism about this aspect of SMP. That is you cannot save individual instruments to disk. If you create a good sound that you may want to use in other tunes, it would have to be written manually in a manner that could be easily re-inputted back into the program.¢¢ Anyway, for now I will leave you to start inventing some bazaar instruments. Next issue, we will start to create some tunes.¢¢
