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1990-06-14
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ACCU
Music Printer
by Kevin Fischer
Version 1.2
June 16, 1990
ACCU Music Printer 6-16-90 Page 1
INTRODUCTION:
Are you an aspiring musician? If so, maybe ACCU Music
Printer is the program for you. It is specifically designed for
those music writers who can't write. What that means is that you
type in the music and ACCU Music Printer will print out the sheet
music. Entering the music is very easy and can be done with any
text editor or word processor. Then you just run ACCU Music
Printer. It will automatically take your music and print it out
to your printer quickly and easily. Since this is one of the
first versions of this program, it is slightly limited in fea-
tures. Future versions will be much improved with more advanced
and interesting features.
SYSTEM REQUIRED:
The following equipment is necessary for running ACCU Music
Printer:
o IBM or compatible computer (XT, AT, doesn't matter which)
o Disk drive or hard drive
o Monitor with CGA or better graphics (hasn't been tested
with Hercules graphics card)
o Printer which supports graphics
A text editor or word processor is also recommended for
using ACCU Music Printer.
NEW IN THIS VERSION:
o HP Laser printer support
o Dynamics in music
o Extended measure rests
o Bug fixed in printing routine
SETTING UP THE PROGRAM:
First of all, you need to copy the files that come with ACCU
Music Printer onto a floppy disk or a directory of your hard
disk. After you have it set up on a disk or in a directory, you
are ready to set it up for your printer. Printer drivers for the
program have an extension of '.PRT'. At this point in time, only
four printer drivers come with the program:
PAN1091I.PRT - Designed for the Panasonic 1091i printer.
Should work with the Pansonic 1080, 1091, and
1092 printers also.
EPSNRX80.PRT - Designed for the Epson RX-80 printer.
GEMINI10.PRT - Designed for the Gemini 10 printer. Should work
with the Gemini 15 printer also.
ACCU Music Printer 6-16-90 Page 2
HPLASER.PRT - Designed for any Hewlett-Packard Laser Printer.
Tested with the HP IID printer.
Since there are such a few number of printer drivers, I have
also included a program to create your own printer driver for use
with ACCU Music Printer. This program is called 'MUSCNFIG.EXE'.
If you have a printer which has a printer driver already made for
it, follow these steps:
1. Type the command: 'COPY filename.PRT MUSIC.PRT'
at the DOS prompt (don't type the apostrophes!).
[Replace the word 'filename' with the name of the printer
driver. For example, if you wanted to use the printer
driver 'GEMINI10.PRT', the line would read:
"COPY GEMINI10.PRT MUSIC.PRT" ]
This will create a copy of your printer driver under the
name 'MUSIC.PRT'.
2. That's it! Your printer driver is all set up.
If your printer driver is not included with ACCU Music
Printer, you must use the 'MUSCNFIG.EXE' program. The following
description explains how to use it.
USING 'MUSCNFIG.EXE' TO CREATE PRINTER DRIVERS:
NOTE: If you have a laser printer not Hewlett Packard
compatible, special printer routines need to be written for
it. I would be glad to do this for you. Please send me a
letter telling me your printer name and hopefully we can
work something out. Do not use 'MUSCNFIG.EXE' for laser
printers!
NOTE: Any laser printer drivers cannot be loaded up with
'MUSCNFIG.EXE'. Any attempt to do so will result in
unpredictable problems!
Load up 'MUSCNFIG.EXE' from DOS. It will give you a menu
that looks like the following:
1. Define Printer Name
2. Set up printer strings
3. Save printer configuration
4. Load printer configuration
5. Clear printer configuration
6. Quit program
Begin by giving your printer driver a name. Select option 1
and enter the name of your printer. If you make a mistake,
select option 1 again and retype the printer name.
ACCU Music Printer 6-16-90 Page 3
Next, select option 2 to create the printer strings. GET
OUT YOUR PRINTER MANUAL!! You will now enter the decimal code
numbers for each printer function. You need to enter 3 digits
for each code number. That means for the number 27, enter 027.
For the number 0, enter 000. After entering these 3 digits,
press RETURN. It will advance to the next code number entry.
When you are done entering code numbers for that printer func-
tion, press RETURN at an entry number prompt without typing
anything. This might seem a little confusing so the following is
an example:
Lets assume you want to enter the numbers 27, 87, 102, and 1
for a function. You would type:
'027<RETURN>087<RETURN>102<RETURN>001<RETURN><RETURN>'
Don't type the apostrophes and press RETURN where it says
'<RETURN>'.
You need to enter code numbers for the following printer
functions:
o Setting linefeed to 1/6 inch spacing
[Make sure this is for setting all linefeeds to 1/6 inch,
not just a one time 1/6 inch linefeed.]
o Setting linefeed to 8/72 inch spacing
[Make sure this is for setting all linefeeds to 8/72 inch,
not just a one time 8/72 inch linefeed.]
o Setting Graphics mode to 960 dots per line
[Make sure this is for 8 pin mode, not 9 pin.]
o Turning on double wide print mode
o Turning off double wide print mode
o Turning on enhanced or NLQ printing
o Turning off enhanced or NLQ printing
If you make a mistake while entering these, finish with the
rest of the code numbers for the other printer functions. Then
select the 2 option from the main menu again. This time, just
press RETURN at the prompt for each printer function you entered
correctly. This will skip entering the data for that function,
but will retain the data you entered previously. When you come
to a function which you entered incorrectly, just type in the
correct code numbers. They will overwrite the old ones.
After you have finished entering all of the code numbers for
each printer function and have defined the name of the printer,
select the 3 option (save printer configuration) from the main
menu. It will prompt you for a save filename. I recommend a
filename which will give you some idea of what kind of printer it
is. Make sure it has the extension '.PRT', and be sure that it
is not called 'MUSIC.PRT'. You are now done creating a printer
driver. You can always use the 4 option (load printer configura-
tion) to load up the printer driver and make changes if you need
to. [NOTE: Don't forget the '.PRT' extension when load up the
printer driver!]
Once you have created a printer driver, there is one last
step in order for it to work with ACCU Music Printer. That is
ACCU Music Printer 6-16-90 Page 4
the same step as if you had already had a printer driver ready
for your printer. Just follow these directions:
1. Type the command: 'COPY filename.PRT MUSIC.PRT'
at the DOS prompt (don't type the apostrophes!).
[Replace the word 'filename' with the name of the printer
driver. For example, if your printer driver was named
'JOHNDOE.PRT', the line would read:
"COPY JOHNDOE.PRT MUSIC.PRT" ]
This will create a copy of your printer driver under the
name 'MUSIC.PRT'.
2. That's it! Your printer driver is all set up.
That explains how to get a printer driver set up for your
printer.
RUNNING MUSIC.EXE:
Run 'MUSIC.EXE' from the DOS prompt. Upon doing this, you
will be presented with the title of the program, the name of your
current printer, and a prompt for your music filename. If you
forgot to set up a printer driver, you will get an error message.
Please refer to the section "SETTING UP THE PROGRAM" which is
listed above. If you didn't get an error message, enter the name
of your music filename here. See below for information about
creating your own music file.
Next, the program will ask you whether your music should be
printed out in bass clef or treble clef. Press B or T depending
on your choice. Then it will ask you whether the key signature
has sharps or flats. If it has neither (nothing in the key
signature), pick either one. Then it will prompt you for how
many sharps or flats, depending on which one you picked. If
there is neither in the key signature, just enter 0. Next it
will ask you for the time signature of the music. Enter as '44'
or '24'. Do not put a dash or slash between the two numbers.
Last of all, you will be prompted for the song title and the
author. These are both optional.
Assuming you entered everything correctly and the music file
exists, it will begin loading and printing the file on the
printer. Be sure that you have the correct disk in and the
printer is turned on before you finish answering the author
prompt. When it is done printing, the program will return you to
DOS.
PRINTING SOME SAMPLE MUSIC:
Included with Version 1.0 of ACCU Music Printer is the file
'STARBANN.ACC'. This is the music for the Star Spangled Banner.
To print it out, make sure you have correctly set up your printer
driver. Then, load up MUSIC.EXE. At the filename prompt, enter
ACCU Music Printer 6-16-90 Page 5
'STARBANN.ACC' plus any appropriate drive and directory specific-
ations. Next, when it asks you which clef, enter T for Treble
clef. After that, enter F for Flats and then 0 since there are
no flats or sharps in the music. Next, enter '34' as the time
signature. Finally, enter 'The Star-Spangled Banner' as the
title and 'SOUSA' as the author. He is the arranger of this
particular version. Be sure the correct disk is in the drive and
the printer is turned on and correctly aligned before pressing
RETURN after the author's name. The program should print out the
music to the Star Spangled Banner then.
CREATING YOUR OWN MUSIC:
You may be thinking by now, "This is great, but how do I
print out my own music?" Well, here comes that information. The
first step is to load up your word processor or any good text
editor (something as simple as EDLIN will work too). You will be
entering information specifically for the printout by ACCU Music
Printer. That means that anything you type will appear in the
sheet music. The format for each command is as follows:
[Note Letter][Accidental][Octave Number][Note Length][Dot][Tie][Dynamic]
A description of each part follows:
Note letter - This is the musical letter of the note. Valid note
letters are: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, R. The R is for rest. Use it
if you want a rest instead of a regular note.
Accidental - This is the accidental of the note. Some valid
accidentals are: N (natural), S (sharp), F (flat), *. Only use
an accidental if you want it to appear on the music. For
example, if all of the notes in a song are natural, do not put an
N for all of their accidentals. Use an *. That means that ACCU
Music Printer will just print the note with no accidental. For
rests, be sure to use an *.
Octave Number - This is the octave number of the note. It ranges
from 1 to 8. If the note is a rest, use an * instead of an
octave number. Each octave goes from lower C to the B above it.
Octave 8 only contains lower C. The following diagram gives you
an idea where on the staff each octave is:
G
---------------------------F --------------------------
E
---------------------------D --------------------------
Treble C - Start of octave 5
---------------------------B --------------------------
Clef A
ACCU Music Printer 6-16-90 Page 6
---------------------------G --------------------------
F
---------------------------E --------------------------
D
C - Start of octave 4
B
---------------------------A --------------------------
G
---------------------------F --------------------------
Bass E
---------------------------D --------------------------
Clef C - Start of octave 3
---------------------------B --------------------------
A
---------------------------G --------------------------
F
E
Note Length - This is how long the note is. Valid note lengths
are W (whole note), H (half note), Q (quarter note), E (eighth
note), and S (sixteenth note). Rests must have a note length.
Dot - This is whether the note is dotted. If it is, there is a
period immediately following the note length. If not, there is
NO period following the note length.
Tie - This is whether the note it tied. If it is, there is a T
following the last character. If it is not, there is nothing
following the last character. [NOTE: Ties do not work in this
version of ACCU Music Printer. Include them in your music so
that in future versions you won't have to modify your music.]
Dynamic - This is the dynamic of the note. It is optional.
Dynamics can be "fff", "ff", "f", "mf", "mp", "p", "pp", "ppp",
etc. After the last character of the note command, put a slash
('/') and then the dynamic (in lower case). For a "mf" note, you
would add "/mf" to the end of the note command. See examples for
a better illustration. Do not add dynamics to rests! Only
changes in the dynamics will be printed on the music, so if you
want to put dynamics, do it on EVERY note!
The following are some examples:
C*4E - This is a C note, with no accidental, in the 4th
octave and is an eighth note.
FS5Q. - This is a F note, with a sharp accidental, in
the 5th octave, a quarter note, and is dotted.
B*3ST - This is a B note, with no accidental, in the 3rd
octave, sixteenth note, and is tied.
R**Q - This is a quarter rest.
GN6H.T - This is a G note, with a natural accidental, in
the 6th octave, half note, dotted, and is tied.
ACCU Music Printer 6-16-90 Page 7
BN4Q/mf - This is a B note, with a natural accidental, in
the 4th octave, quarter note, "mf" dynamic.
G*5H.T/fff - This is a G note, with no accidental, in the 5th
octave, half note, dotted, tied, and is "fff"
dynamic.
In addition to the usual whole measure rest "R**W", I have
added a new type of rests common to musicians. It is the multi-
ple measure rest. It shows up on the music as 1.5 inch line with
the number of whole measure rests written above it. The command
is "Xn" where 'n' is the number of whole measure rests. Do not
use it for only 1 whole measure rest. Anything 2 or greater is
okay. Some examples are:
X2 - Two measures of whole rests.
X12 - Twelve measures of whole rests.
X6 - Six measures of whole rests.
There are a few other things that you must know in order to
enter music for ACCU Music Printer. The first is that you need
to divide your music into measure bars. If you don't you'll run
into major problems. To put a measure bar in your music, use
'M***' as the note. Do not put a measure bar at the beginning or
end of your music. At the end of your music use 'Q***' as the
note. This tells ACCU Music Printer that this is the end of your
music. The following is a sample scale divided into measures:
C*4Q
D*4Q
E*4Q
F*4Q
M***
G*4Q
A*4Q
B*4Q
C*5Q
M***
D*5Q
C*5Q
B*4Q
A*4Q
M***
G*4Q
F*4Q
E*4Q
D*4Q
M***
C*4Q
R**H
R**Q
Q***
That explains everything necessary to make your own music.
If you do decide to use a word processor to create your music, be
ACCU Music Printer 6-16-90 Page 8
sure to convert the file to ASCII text when done using the word
processor.
FUTURE REVISIONS:
Assuming I receive some support or acknowledgement that this
program is any good, I will continue making enhancements. Future
enhancements include the following:
Added o Support for Hewlett-Packard Laser Printers.
o More already written music files ready to print with
ACCU Music Printer.
Coming o A Transposer which will convert music from one
Soon instrument to another. (So you can play a piano
piece on a guitar or trumpet for example.)
o Enhanced printer output. This means that several
consecutive eighth notes and sixteenth notes will be
connected together instead of separate. Also, the
addition of thirty-second notes would be nice. The
addition of ties will be coming in the future.
Another enhancement would be compacting several
measures of rests into one symbolization.
Dynamics o The ability to change time signature or key signature
added in the middle of a song. Also, some dynamics and
crescendos and decrescendos could be added.
o A Scorer which would take several ACCU Music Printer
files and print them out like a director's score or
something like you would find in a music book.
ACCU MUSIC PRINTER SUPPORT:
ACCU Music Printer is being distributed as ShareWare. If
you find it useful or use it every so often, please register your
program. Two registration plans are available:
o Plan 1: Fill out the registration form and mail it
with $5.00. You will receive the next version of
ACCU Music Printer on disk with printed documenta-
tion. You will ONLY receive the next version.
o Plan 2: Fill out the registration form and mail it
with $12.00. You will receive the next three ver-
sions of ACCU Music Printer on disk with printed
documentation.
.... one more plan ....
o Plan 3: Send anything over $20.00 and I will supply
you with a version of ACCU Music Printer each time I
make a new one. That means you will get a version
until I stop making them.
ACCU Music Printer 6-16-90 Page 9
You may be wondering, "How come he doesn't give unlimited
versions at $12.00?" I have to worry about expenses. Disks cost
around a $1.00 (assuming equal 3.5 and 5.25 inch disk usage) a
piece. Mailing costs at least $.50 (probably more with the Post
Office raising rates). And then I'd like to make some kind of
profit.
I would really appreciate any comments, questions, ideas,
etc. Anything I can get from the users will certainly help me
make ACCU Music Printer a better program. If you have any
problems, BE SURE TO WRITE ME!! Just send me a note or write me
a letter. Be sure to include your return address in case I need
to write you back. There is a comment form near the end of this
documentation.
Send all correspondence to:
Kevin Fischer
13234 Vinter Way
Poway, CA 92064-1216
See registration form on the next page if you feel like
registering your ACCU Music Printer.
DISCLAIMER:
I do not accept any responsibility for any damages caused by
ACCU Music Printer. You are using this program at your own risk.
There are no warranties or guarantees that come with this
program.
SHAREWARE:
This program is distributed as SHAREWARE. No fee may be
charged for it except by me. It may only be distributed on disk
or archive by itself, not with any other program. If you decide
to continue using this program, please consider registering it.
REVISIONS:
Version 1.2
-----------
Fixed bug in printing which skipped certain staff lines. Bug
corrected. Added laser printer support. Added dynamic support.
Added extended number of rests.
Version 1.1
-----------
Fixed bug in music formatting routine which caused measures in
music to be skipped. Bug corrected and music formatting routine
works correctly.
Added version # and date of version to MUSIC.EXE program.
ACCU Music Printer 6-16-90 Page 10
Version 1.0
-----------
Initial release of ACCU Music Printer.
Any problems concerning ACCU Music Printer should be sent to:
Kevin Fischer
13234 Vinter Way
Poway, CA 92064-1216
ACCU Music Printer 6-16-90 Page 11
VERSION 1.2, COMMENT FORM:
Name:
--------------------------------------------------------
Street Address:
--------------------------------------------------------
City, State and ZIP:
--------------------------------------------------------
Ratings: (1 to 10, 10 being the best)
Documentation Quality 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Program Quality 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Program Value 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Comments and Questions:
--------------------------------------------------------
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Use this form for sending comments, questions, etc. to me con-
cerning ACCU Music Printer. Please do this even if you decide
not to register your program. Your suggestions may make this a
program worth registering.
Mail to:
Kevin Fischer
13234 Vinter Way
Poway, CA 92064-1216
VERSION 1.2, REGISTRATION FORM:
Name:
--------------------------------------------------------
Street Address:
--------------------------------------------------------
City, State and ZIP:
--------------------------------------------------------
Home phone number:
--------------------------------------------------------
Type of computer system (type of computer, monitor, video card,
disk drive, hard drive, printer, modem, etc.)
--------------------------------------------------------
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Where did you get ACCU Music Printer?
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Comments about the program:
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Amount of money enclosed, registration plan number:
--------------------------------------------------------
Type of disks you use (3.5 inch or 5.25 inch, 360k or 720k):
--------------------------------------------------------
Thank you very much for registering your ACCU Music Printer
program. You will be receiving the latest version of the program
as soon as it becomes available.
Mail this form with your money to:
Kevin Fischer
13234 Vinter Way
Poway, CA 92064-1216
