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MODEDIT VERSION 2.00 DOCUMENTATION
COPYRIGHT 1991 NORMAN LIN
=================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================
0. License/Warranty/Disclaimer
1. Introduction
1.1 What is ModEdit?
1.2 What is needed to run ModEdit?
2. Getting started
2.1 Quick start
2.2 Setup
2.3 ModEdit's menu system
2.4 Configuration
2.5 The main screen
3. Nomenclature/concepts
3.1 Note unit
3.1 Pattern
3.3 Sequence
3.4 Sample
3.5 Integrating note units, patterns, sequence, and
samples
4. Using ModEdit
4.1 Samples: Choosing your instruments
4.1.1 What are samples?
4.1.2 The "sample directory"
4.1.3 Manipulating samples
4.1.4 Attributes of samples
4.1.5 Default volume
4.2 Entering music
4.2.1 Editing patterns
4.2.2 Creating new patterns
4.2.3 Sequencing patterns
4.1.3 Other pattern options
4.3 Hearing your music
4.3.1 MODRES: Inline playing
4.3.2 MODPLAY: External playing
4.4 Saving and loading Modules
5. Reference
5.1 Pattern editor quick reference key summary
5.2 Sample window quick reference key summary
5.3 Pattern sequencer quick reference key summary
5.4 Effect list quick reference chart
5.5 ModPlay
5.6 Coming attractions
Page 2
=======================================
0. MODEDIT LICENSE/WARRANTY/DISCLAIMER
=======================================
The below information applies only to ModEdit and related
documentation files. Specifically, the below terms do not
apply to the "MODRES.COM" program file. For license
information concerning MODRES, consult MODRES.DOC.
This program and accompanying documentation are Copyright
1991 by the author (Norman Lin). You are hereby granted
permission to freely distribute and use this program for
personal use. You may upload this program to electronic
bulletin boards or Internet FTP sites.
You are specifically prohibited from selling or charging or
requesting any monetary amount for the distribution or use of
ModEdit or accompanying documentation. ModEdit may not be
used for any commercial purposes without my prior express
written permission. ModEdit may not be distributed for use
with any for-profit products (software, hardware, or other;
including but not limited to commercial software, shareware,
D/A converters, etc.) without my prior express written
permission.
There is no warranty of any kind; this software is provided
on an "AS-IS" basis. The author of this software (Norman
Lin) shall not be liable for any damages whatsoever that may
result, directly or indirectly, from the use of this software
or documentation. By owning a copy of and/or using ModEdit,
you agree to all the above terms.
If you find ModEdit useful, entertaining, or interesting --
or if you just feel kind-hearted -- a voluntary donation in
any amount ($5 U.S. suggested) would be greatly appreciated.
With your support, future, better versions of this and other
software can be made available.
Send all contributions, comments, or queries about ModEdit
to:
Norman Lin |Norman Lin
1109 West 94th Street |1400 Asp Avenue Box 1215 East
Jenks, OK 74037 U.S.A |Norman, OK 73026 U.S.A.
==========================|==================================
Permanent address |Current address (thru Spring 1992)
Before the end of Spring, 1992, the address on the right will
reach me more quickly. After Spring, 1992, either email me
to get my new current address, or (if email bounces) use the
permanent address.
Internet email address:
norlin@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu / norlin@129.15.22.2
Page 3
================
1. INTRODUCTION
================
1.1 WHAT IS MODEDIT?
---------------------
ModEdit is a music editor/sequencer for the IBM PC family
that allows you to write music with 4 tracks of digitized
instrument sounds. The file format used is the "Amiga
Module" format. ModEdit can load and save Modules, meaning
that Modules created by other programs (even on other
computers such as the Amiga) can be used by ModEdit, and that
the Modules created by ModEdit can be used by any program
that can use Modules.
1.2 WHAT IS NEEDED TO RUN MODEDIT?
-----------------------------------
To run ModEdit, you need:
- An IBM or compatible, 640K recommended.
- The executable editor program MODEDIT.EXE.
To hear the music, you also need one or both of the
following:
- The resident module player MODRES.COM by Mark J. Cox,
which allows you to hear your music as you write it from
within ModEdit. (Included with ModEdit.)
- The external module player MODPLAY (MP.COM) by Mark J. Cox,
which allows you to play Modules outside the ModEdit
environment.
NOTE: To run MODPLAY or MODRES, you must have a 10 MHz or
faster machine.
===================
2. GETTING STARTED
===================
2.1 QUICK START
----------------
If you're impatient, and think you know what you're doing,
you can "quick start" ModEdit by typing "RUNME" after
unpacking the ModEdit archive. It's strongly recommended,
though, that you take the time to read this documentation.
2.2 SETUP
----------
Your ModEdit archive file should contain the following files:
Page 4
- RUNME.BAT : Batch file that runs ModEdit
- MODEDIT.DOC : This file
- MODEDIT.EXE : The executable ModEdit module editor
- MODRES.COM : Mark J. Cox's resident module player, for
use in conjunction with ModEdit
- MODRES.DOC : Documentation/License for MODRES
- HARDWARE.DOC: Circuit plans for sound boards
- BREATH.MOD : A sample Module for you to experiment with
- *.SAM : Various digitized sample files
To run ModEdit, first unpack the archive file, preferably
into its own subdirectory if you have a hard drive.
You'll probably want to use the inline playing functions of
ModEdit (so that you can hear your music from within the
editor). So, type "MODRES" and press return; this loads the
resident module player into memory. If you do not run MODRES
before ModEdit, you will not be able to hear your music from
within ModEdit, though you will still be able to load, edit,
and save Modules for external playing.
After running MODRES (if you wish to), run ModEdit by typing
"MODEDIT" and pressing return. You will then be running
ModEdit. You may wish to set some defaults to your own
preferences (e.g. screen colors, default directories, etc.);
see "Configuration" below.
After you exit ModEdit, MODRES remains in memory (it's a
TSR). Keeping MODRES in memory does no harm, but does take
up a minimal amount of space. To free this memory space,
type "MODRES -d".
Supplied in the ModEdit archive file is a batch file
"RUNME.BAT" which automatically installs and deinstalls
MODRES. It simply contains the commands:
modres > nul
modedit
modres -d > nul
2.3 MODEDIT'S MENU SYSTEM
--------------------------
Once you've started up ModEdit, you need to know how to move
around through the various available options. ModEdit's
main options are selectable from a main menu line at the top
of the screen. One option will be highlighted; to move the
highlight, use the left and right arrow keys. Enter will
select the highlighted option. Alternatively, you may press
the capitalized letter of the main menu option to "quick
select" that option; for instance the "File" option may be
chosen by the single keystroke "F."
Page 5
Other "popup" and "dropdown" menus will appear as
appropriate, presenting you with various options. Choosing
an option from one of these menus may be done by:
1) Using the cursor keys to move the menu bar to the desired
item, then pressing enter, or
2) Presssing the capitalized letter on the desired item's
menu line.
To escape from any menu or option, press the ESC key.
Certain menu options (e.g. loading, saving, etc.) require you
to input text. When ModEdit requires input from you, a small
window will be created in which you may type the required
input. The standard cursor editing keys apply here (left,
right, backspace, insert, delete). Press return when you are
finished, or ESC to abort the input.
When entering filenames for load options, you may either
specify the filename to load, or you may specify a pathname.
If you choose to specify a pathname, you must end it with a
backslash (\). After specifying a pathname, you are given a
directory of files in that path and a large reverse video
bar. Move the bar with the arrow keys; press the space bar or
enter to choose a file. To see more files (if there are
more), use the left and right arrow keys.
A status line at the very bottom of the screen always gives
you the current filename and various information about the
song, as well as memory available. A star (*) will appear
next to the Module filename if the Module in memory has been
modified and if the changes have not yet been saved.
2.4 CONFIGURATION
------------------
Now that you know how to move around in ModEdit, you can
configure ModEdit to your particular system and preferences.
Select the "Configuration" option from the Main Menu.
You will be presented with the Configuration Submenu. From
here you may set various options about ModEdit, such as
colors, directories, etc. The only ones you really need to
set right now are the following:
- Module directory: this is where ModEdit will look for
your Modules (i.e. songfiles). This option is under the
"Directories" option of the Configuration Submenu.
- Sample directory: this is where ModEdit will look for your
sample files. This option is also under the "Directories"
option of the Configuration submenu.
Page 6
And, if you've loaded MODRES into memory, you also need to
set:
- Output device: this is the device to which MODRES will
play music/samples. It defaults to the PC speaker, but
can be a D/A converter on an LPT port (see the MODPLAY
documentation for information on how to build a D/A
converter).
- Processor speed: this tells MODRES how fast your CPU is.
You must have at least a 10 MHz processor to use MODRES.
Four 10 MHz CPU speeds are provided, listed as "10 MHz
(mix speed)" on the menu. Lower mixing speeds should be
chosen if your 10 MHz machine crashes on the other speed
choices.
Feel free to set any other configuration options you wish to
customize (such as screen colors, error beep, etc.). When
you're done, select "Write Configuration" to save the current
settings to a configuration file. Next time you start up
ModEdit, the configuration file will be read and the defaults
set according to your specifications.
The configuration file is saved to the current working
directory; this will initially be the directory that you were
in when you started ModEdit. If for some reason you wish to
save the configuration file elsewhere, do so by changing the
current working directory. Then, when you save the
configuration, it will be saved in the new current working
directory.
2.5 THE MAIN SCREEN
--------------------
All of ModEdit's Module editing features are handled from one
main screen. This is a change from earlier versions of
ModEdit. The main screen is divided into three main parts:
the pattern editor, the pattern sequencer/selector, and the
sample window.
Page 7
The three sections are shown on the screen as follows:
Abbreviated
Pattern Editor Sample List
+--------+--------+--------+--------+ +--------------+
| | | | | |1 |16 |
| | | | | |2 |17 |
| | | | | | | |
|Track 1 |Track 2 |Track 3 |Track 4 | |. |. |
| | | | | |. |. |
| | | | | |. |. |
| | | | | | |31 |
| | | | | |15 | |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+ |--------------+
+-----+ |
Pattern Sequence Table |(sample attributes |
+--+--+--XXXX--+--+--+--+ | for current sample)|
|--|--|--X--X--|--|--|--| +--------------------+
+--+--+--XXXX--+--+--+--+
Only one section of the screen is active at one time. To
move from section to section, press the TAB key. The
currently active section will be indicated by a highlighted
border.
A description of each section (pattern editor, pattern
sequencer/selector, sample window) is given below in section
4, "Using ModEdit."
Page 8
=========================
3. NOMENCLATURE/CONCEPTS
=========================
To use ModEdit, it is necessary first to understand some
general terminology and concepts dealing with Module
construction.
3.1 NOTE UNIT
--------------
The fundamental building block of patterns. It consists of
three parts:
1) A musical note and octave (e.g. C#3 or A 2)
2) A "sample" or "instrument" number that determines what
instrument sound will be associated with the given
musical note
3) An effect number and argument, which jointly determine
"how" the note is to be played (i.e. loud, soft,
arpeggiated, etc.)
3.2 PATTERN
------------
A collection of four independent tracks, each containing 64
contiguous note units. It is the fundamental building block
of songs created with ModEdit. By arranging note units
within a pattern/several patterns, you can create musical
motives. Patterns are numbered starting with ZERO (contrast
with samples below) and may go up to 63 (i.e. 64 patterns
max).
3.3 SEQUENCE
-------------
An arrangement of patterns. By arranging patterns into a
sequence, you can group musical motives into a song. The
sequence may be up to 128 patterns long. A given pattern can
appear in the sequence more than once, if desired -- this
means that for repeated musical passages, you need not create
another identical pattern; you simply place the same pattern
number in the sequence.
3.4 SAMPLE
-----------
Also interchangeably called "instrument." It is a collection
of digitized data which mimics a particular instrument (e.g.
flute, piano, guitar, etc.). Samples make your music sound
"real" as opposed to "computerish" (simple square wave
Page 9
beeps). Up to 31 distinct samples may be used in a Module,
affording a wide range of orchestrational possibilities. The
samples are numbered 1-31 (contrast with the pattern
numbering scheme above).
3.5 INTEGRATING NOTE UNITS, PATTERNS, SEQUENCE, AND SAMPLES
------------------------------------------------------------
A complete song, therefore, consists of a number of
PATTERNS, each of which contains 64 NOTE UNITS. These
patterns are SEQUENCED into a particular order, which defines
the song the listener will hear. The SAMPLE that is
associated with each note determines the timbral quality
(sound) that the note makes as it is played.
Page 10
=================
4. USING MODEDIT
=================
4.1 SAMPLES: CHOOSING YOUR INSTRUMENTS
---------------------------------------
4.1.1 What are samples?
------------------------
To reiterate, samples are the "instruments" that make your
music sound real. Up to 31 distinct samples may be present
in a Module, and each is uniquely identified by its sample
number, 1 to 31. A sample defines the sound that a note
makes when it is played.
The first step in creating a Module should be loading in at
least one sample. After all, you need samples in order to
hear your music at all.
4.1.2 The "sample directory"
-----------------------------
Samples are stored as digitized sound files on disk; each
sample is stored in its own individual file. Since the
possible number of samples is practically infinite, ModEdit
allows you to specify a "sample directory" where your sample
files are stored. For instance you could set the sample
directory to A:\, which would make ModEdit look for sample
files by default on A:\. This would allow you to store
sample files on diskettes. Alternatively, you could make a
subdirectory on your hard drive, and set the sample
drive/directory there, so that your sample files would not
clutter up other directories.
If a sample directory is not specified (either by hand or
through the configuration file) it defaults to the current
working directory.
4.1.3 Manipulating samples
---------------------------
To manipulate samples, select "Sample" from the main menu,
then select "Edit samples." This will highlight the sample
window, and expand it from its former abbreviated form into
the full form (i.e. you now will see the full sample name
instead of an abbreviation). All 31 samples will not fit on
the screen at once; therefore, use the up/down/home/end/page
up/page down keys to scroll through the list of samples. A
reverse video bar (referred to henceforth as the "sample
selection bar") will appear in the sample list, indicating
the currently selected sample.
Page 11
If a sample's sample NUMBER is highlighted, that sample has
been loaded (allocated). If not, it has not been allocated,
that is, that sample "slot" is empty.
Initially all sample fields will be empty; therefore, no
sample numbers will be highlighted. The sample selection bar
will initially be on the first sample. Moving the
selection bar up or down selects a sample.
Once you've moved the sample selection bar to a sample
number, you may then do one of serveral things to that
sample slot, by pressing the appropriate command key:
<L>oad: Loads a sample file into the currently selected
slot. Sets the sample attributes as follows (see "Sample
Attributes" below):
- Name: The filename on disk of the sample file
- Volume: The "default volume" (see "Default Volume"
below)
- Loopstart, Looplength: Both set to 0.
<S>ave: Saves the currently selected sample to disk.
<R>elease: Frees the memory allocated to the currently
selected sample. The sample that was previously in that
slot is no longer usable.
<A>ttribute: Edits the attributes of the currently selected
sample (see "Sample Attributes" below).
<P>lay: Plays the currently selected sample to the output
device (see "Configuration"), if you've installed MODRES
(see "Setup").
<C>lear: Clears all samples.
4.1.4 Attributes of samples
----------------------------
The box beneath the sample list contains "attribute"
information for the currently selected sample. Sample
attributes define certain characteristics of the sample. You
may edit any of these attributes by pressing "A" when
the sample window is active.
The first attribute of a sample is the name. ModEdit by
default sets the sample name attribute to the sample filename
on disk. This is for clarity and it is recommended that you
have meaningful sample names. You are, however, free to edit
the name attribute to anything you want, up to 22 characters
long. Some composers edit all the sample name attributes to
Page 12
form a message containing composer information or the like.
This makes later identification of samples difficult.
The second attribute is the volume. Whenever a note unit is
played, the sample that is used to play that note can have a
volume from 0 through 64 (64 being loudest). You may specify
the volume for this note unit explicitly through the effect
field with command "C" (see "Effects" below). If you do not
specify a volume, the sample is played back with the volume
specified by its volume attribute.
The third and fourth attributes jointly determine "looping"
of the sample. Some sounds, such as a piano or a snare drum,
have a definite start and end point. Such samples are
generally not looped (though they could be for special
effects or something similar). On the other hand some
sounds, such as a flute or a sine wave, do not have a
definite "ending" point; the sound is a constant waveform
that only changes in frequency. Such sounds are often
looped.
A "looped" sample is one that will continuously be played
without stop. Sample looping is defined by a "loop start"
attribute and a "loop length" attribute. The "loop start"
attribute is a number that represents an offset from the
beginning of the sample; it is from this point that sample
looping begins. The "loop length" attribute is a number that
represents the length of the section to loop. A diagram
will make this clearer:
+---Loop Length----------+
| |
| This section is played |
v continuously v
-Sample data stream--------==========================
^ ^ ^
| | |
| Loop Start |
| |
+--------------Sample Length------------------------+
The portion of the sample data stream beginning at the loop
start and ending at loopstart + looplength is played
continuously, allowing "ringing" or continuously sounding
notes. This looped portion of the data stream is represented
above by the "=" symbol.
The best way to get a feel for sample looping is to
experiment with the loop bytes and listen to the results
(e.g. with the "<P>lay" option in the sample window).
Page 13
4.1.5 Default volume
---------------------
When loading a sample, ModEdit sets the sample attributes as
mentioned above under "<L>oad." The "default volume" is the
value that the sample attribute "volume" will be set to when
a sample is newly loaded from disk. It is initally 64
(maximum), but if for some reason you wish your samples
to be at a lower volume by default, you may set this "default
volume" through the "Default Volume" option under the
"Sample" menu. The volume attributes of all loaded samples
are set to this "default volume." You are, of course, free to
edit a particular sample's volume attribute once it has been
loaded.
Page 14
4.2 ENTERING MUSIC
-------------------
After you've loaded in a sample (or several samples), you're
ready to enter music. For the examples in this section it is
assumed you have loaded into sample slot 1 the sample
"SAMP.SAM," and into slot 2, "SAM2.SAM."
4.2.1 Editing Patterns
-----------------------
The main building block of Modules is the pattern. Musical
notes in Modules are entered into patterns. From the main
menu, choose the "Edit" option, which will display the Edit
Submenu.
ModEdit intially places one pattern in memory (in fact there
will always be at least one pattern in memory). So, to start
editing, select the "Edit Pattern" option. The pattern that
is selected for editing is the "current pattern." The current
pattern is displayed in the "Pattern Sequence Table" with a
double-box around it (see "Pattern Sequencing" below). To
change the current pattern you may use the "<" and ">" keys;
"<" takes you to the previous pattern in the sequence table;
">" takes you to the next pattern in the sequence table.
Initially, of course, there will be only one pattern in the
sequence table so "<" and ">" cannot change the pattern being
edited (initially).
You are now in the ModEdit pattern editor. The editor screen
looks something like this:
Pattern Editor Abbreviated Sample List
+--!----------!----------!----------!----------+ +----------------------+
|00!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |01 SAMP.SAM|17 |
|01!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |02 SAM2.SAM|18 |
|02!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |03 |19 |
|15 |31 |
|13!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |16 | |
+--!----------!----------!----------!----------+ +-----------+----------+
^ ^ ^ ^^
| | | || To the left are descriptions of each
| | | | Effect field: argument field for each track. Each track has a
| | | | note field, a sample field, and an
| | | Effect field: command effect field, as shown. At the very
| | | left is the note position within the
| | Sample field: sample number pattern. The edit window scrolls, so
| | you may go up to note position 63
| Note field: note and octave (since there are 64 note units within
| each pattern).
Note position within the pattern
Page 15
The "Abbreviated Sample List" contains a list of sample
names, truncated so that all 31 may be displayed on screen at
once. It's mainly for reference, so that you can tell at a
glance which sample file is loaded into which sample slot.
One sample name will "usually" be in reverse video; this is
the "default sample" (described below). (It is possible to
have no default sample, in which case no sample name would be
in reverse video.) Assume "SAMP.SAM" is in reverse video,
for the following examples.
Moving around the pattern editor
--------------------------------
Each pattern consists of 64 note units for each of 4 tracks.
The 64 note units are numbered 0 - 63. The edit window is
only 13 lines long, so to see all 64 note units use the up
and down arrow keys to scroll.
Movement around the screen is quite simple. Use the arrow
keys, home, end, page up, and page down to move the cursor
to any field of any track at any note unit position. INS and
DEL will insert a note unit or delete a note unit from the
track where the cursor is currently located.
To reset any field (note, sample, or effect) to an empty or
zero value, simply press the SPACE bar when the cursor is on
that field. Empty fields might at first seem useless; why
would one want an empty field? The answer is that empty note
unit fields allow entering notes of differing durational
values. See "Note field" below.
Editing the note field
----------------------
The note field consists of a musical note and an octave.
The musical note can be any of the following: C C# D D# E F
F# G G# A A# B. This is a full twelve-tone scale; therefore,
to enter "flat" notes, "double sharp" notes and the like, you
must enter them as their enharmonic equivalent in the given
scale above. For instance, B-flat would be entered as A#,
C## would be entered as D, etc. This notation does result
in some tonal ambiguity from a musical standpoint, but it
makes things much easier for the computer. If you don't
quite understand what enharmonically equivalent notes are,
don't worry about it.
To alter an existing note field, you may either type over
it, or use one of the special note editing keys: "O"
[capital] will increase the note's octave value; "o"
[lowercase] will decrease the note's octave value. "+" will
increase the note by one half-step; "-" will decrease the
note by one half- step. Additionally, "=" will copy a note
field to the note field directly underneath it.
The octave range of notes is theoretically C 0 to B 9. If
you try to enter extremely high notes, though, you will start
Page 16
getting inaccuracies because of loss of note resolution at
the higher extremes. For instance, if you try to enter "B
8", "A 8" will appear on the screen instead. This is because
the note period for B 8 is so small that the computer's
limited resolution interprets it as A 8 instead. There's
really no reason you should need to go THAT high with your
notes anyway. The effective range is approximately C 0 to C
7.
Initially the note field will be blank; therefore "..." will
appear in the field. To enter a note in the note field,
simply move the cursor to the note field in the desired
track, and type in the note/octave from the keyboard. The
note will replace whatever old note was there before.
Entering notes of differing durations requires a "relative"
view of note duration. All musical note durations are
relative, in "real" musical notation. For instance, a half
note is half the length of a whole note. A quarter note is
half the length of a half note. An eighth note is half the
length of a quarter note; a sixteenth note is half the
length of an eighth note, etc. For instance, here's one way
of conceptualizing different note durations:
+---------------+
|= = = = = = = =| One whole note: 8 atomic units
+-------+-------+
|= = = =|= = = =| Two half notes: each 4 atomic units
+---+---+---+---+
|= =|= =|= =|= =| Four quarter notes: each 2 atomic units
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=| Eight 8th notes: each 1 atomic unit
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Note that, in this particular diagram, we cannot subdivide
beyond 8th notes because at the 8th note level, we have
reached the atomic notational unit "=", which in this case
represents an eighth note.
We could alternatively, though, choose the atomic unit "="
to represent a SIXTEENTH note, in which case our relations
would be as follows:
+-------------------------------+
|= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =| 1 whole note :16 atomic units
+---------------+---------------+
|= = = = = = = =|= = = = = = = =| 2 half notes :each 8 atomic
+-------+-------+-------+-------+ units
|= = = =|= = = =|= = = =|= = = =| 4 quarter notes:each 4 atomic
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ units
|= =|= =|= =|= =|= =|= =|= =|= =| 8 8th notes :each 2 atomic
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ units
|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=| 16 16th notes :each 1 atomic
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ unit
Page 17
Important points to note about the above diagrams:
(1) We are using a certain number of atomic units to
represent each note duration.
(2) The number of atomic units needed to represent a note of
a certain duration is a function of the note duration
that a SINGLE atomic unit represents.
Thus, conceptually, here is how you enter notes of different
durations:
(1) Determine the SMALLEST or SHORTEST note duration you
will need in the song. Say, you choose the 16th note.
(2) Assume the atomic note unit represents the note duration
chosen in (1).
(3) The note duration that is twice as long as the note
duration in (1) will be represented by twice as many
atomic units. For instance, in this example, 8th notes
would be represented by TWO atomic units, since 16th
notes are represented by one. Correspondingly, quarter
notes would be represented by FOUR atomic units, since
8th notes are represented by two... etc, etc.
(4) Adjust the song speed (see "Effect field" below) so that
the atomic note unit is of the right real-time, absolute
length.
As you have probably ascertained by now, the "atomic note
units" above are almost exactly the "note units" that
comprise a pattern. So, still using the above choice of
atomic note unit as 16th note, here's how you'd enter the
passage C2[4th] D2[8th] E2[8th] F2[16th] G2[16th] A2[16th]
B2[16th]:
Pattern Editor Abbreviated Sample List
+--!----------!----------!----------!----------+ +----------------------+
|00!C 2|01|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |01 SAMP.SAM|17 |
|01!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |02 SAM2.SAM|18 |
|02!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |03 |19 |
|03!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |03 |19 |
|04!D 2|01|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |03 |19 |
|05!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |03 |19 |
|06!E 2|01|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |03 |19 |
|07!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |03 |19 |
|08!F 2|01|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |03 |19 |
|09!G 2|01|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |03 |19 |
|10!A 2|01|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |03 |19 |
|11!B 2|01|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |03 |19 |
|12!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |03 |19 |
|13!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000!...|00|000| |16 | |
+--!----------!----------!----------!----------+ +-----------+----------+
Page 18
The "..." in the note field indicates that particular note
unit is "empty"; an "empty" note unit means to HOLD the most
recent note in that track, whatever it was. (Remember to
enter empty or null fields, press the SPACE bar when the
cursor is on that field.) So, the C 2 is played for 4 note
units (0 - 3); then the D 2 is played for 2 note units (4 -
5), etc. Thus, the C 2 is played twice as long as the D 2,
which is exactly as intended (C 2 is a quarter note, which
should be played twice as long as the D 2, which is an 8th
note).
Editing the sample number field
-------------------------------
You will notice that when you enter a note, not only does
the note appear, but also a number in the sample field to
the right appears. This number is the "default sample"
number that was mentioned above.
The concept of a "default sample" number is as follows.
Each note in a pattern must be "played" with a particular
"instrument." It is often (almost always) necessary to enter
a long series of notes that is played with one instrument.
Rather than entering the notes AND entering the same sample
number over and over again, you simply enter the note, and
ModEdit will automatically enter the default sample number
in the sample field for you. If you change the default
sample (with "S" and "s"; see below) to none, this automatic
feature is turned off.
By default, the default sample will NOT overwrite an
existing (i.e. non-zero) sample number. For instance, say
that the default sample is 3, and you enter a note "C 1" in
an empty note unit; then the sample number of that note unit
will become 3. Later, you change your default sample to 4,
and change this "C 1" to a "D 1". The sample number will
stay 3, since the default sample, by default, does not have
"precedence" over an existing sample number. This is so that
you may change existing melody lines without altering the
sample number. You may change this precedence by going to
the Configuration Menu (see "Configuration" below). If the
default sample has "precedence," it will always overwrite an
existing sample field. This is useful for entirely rewriting
tracks, samples and all.
To change the default sample, press "S" [uppercase] to
increase, or "s" [lowercase] to decrease. You'll want to
change the default sample number when your lead line changes
instruments, when you switch from entering a lead track to a
percussion track, etc. -- basically, whenever the music
you're entering switches from predominantly one instrument to
another. By pressing "S" or "s", the reverse video bar in
the sample window will move up or down accordingly, to show
Page 19
you which sample is currently the default. If you change the
default sample out of bounds, this selects no default sample
(the reverse video bar disappears to indicate this).
For instance, in the example above, say that "SAMP.SAM" was
in reverse video. By pressing "S", "SAM2.SAM" would be
selected, since it's the next sequentially (upward) in the
sample list. By pressing "S" again, no sample would be
selected as the default sample (since you've moved off of the
end of the list). By pressing "S" again, "SAMP.SAM" is again
selected. Using the "s" key cycles through the samples in
the opposite order. If this is a bit confusing, just try
pressing "S" and "s" when in the pattern editor to see how it
works. "S" and "s" only cycle through allocated samples.
You may also edit the sample field manually by moving the
cursor onto the sample field, and typing in the sample
number that you want associated with the note in the
adjoining note field. If you attempt to enter a sample
number greater than 31, ModEdit will clip the value to 31.
Just as with the note field, "+" and "-" increase and
decrease the field value, respectively.
Note that it is possible for a note unit to have a non-empty
note field, but a null (zero) sample field. This can happen
if you set the default sample to none and edit an empty note
unit, or if you manually change the sample field to zero. The
end result is a note with no associated sample. I call such
notes "orphaned" notes. You generally should avoid orphaned
notes. They may play correctly, since the sample number
that will be used during playback will most likely default
to the last sample number that was used in that track. It's
best explicitly to associate a specific sample number with
each non-empty note field.
Additionally, you need to beware of using samples that you
haven't loaded. The default sample feature will not allow you
to select a default sample that has not been loaded. However,
you may still edit the sample number field manually to be any
number, say, "sample number 17" even if you have not yet
loaded a sample into position 17. If you forget eventually
to load a sample into position 17, you may (probably will)
get very strange results during playback which may crash your
computer. So, always make sure that, when you're ready to
play your music, you are only using samples you have loaded.
Once again, the default sample feature is a handy way to do
this.
Editing the effect field
------------------------
The effect field consists of 2 parts: a command and an
argument.
Page 20
The command can one of 16 values: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C
D E F. These commands control various aspects of note and
song playback. An effect command generally takes effect
starting immediately with the note field associated with that
effect.
The argument is one byte long and is represented in
hexadecimal. A hexadecimal byte, in case you don't know, is
a base 16 representation of a number that consists of an
"upper nybble" and a "lower nybble", each of which may take
on a value of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E,
or F. Values from A - F correspond to the decimal values 10
- 15.
Certain commands listed below use the 2 nybbles separately
(e.g. arpeggiation). In this case, the 1st nybble is one
argument, and the 2nd nybble is the 2nd argument. Other
commands treat the 2 nybbles jointly as one byte (e.g.
speed). In this case, the decimal equivalent of the
hexidecimal number is calculated by: (upper nybble * 16) +
lower nybble. So, for instance, an effect of "F 1D" would
mean set the song speed ("F") to 29 (1*16 + D = 1*16 + 13 =
29).
Here's a list of effects and their required argument byte.
"xy" for the argument byte means each nybble is treated
separately; "xx" means they are treated jointly as one byte.
0 -- AREPEGGIATION
Format: 0 xy
Plays its associated note in arpeggiated fashion; that is, it
rapidly steps the note between 3 pitch values: the original
pitch value, the original pitch value + "x" number of
halfsteps, and the original pitch value + "y" number of
halfsteps.
1 -- SLIDE UP
Format: 1 xx
Slides pitch up; slide speed is determined by the xx argument
(remember, it's in hexadecimal).
2 -- SLIDE DOWN
Format: 2 xx
Just like SLIDE UP except it slides the pitch down.
3 -- SLIDE TO NOTE
Format: 3 xx
Similar to slide except it slides the pitch TOWARDS the
pitch of the associated note field (commands 1 and 2 only
Page 21
specify a speed, not a destination). xx is the speed to
slide the pitch.
4 -- VIBRATO
Format: 4 xy
Performs "vibrato" on a note (wavering effect). x is the
vibrato speed; y is the vibrato depth.
A -- VOLUME SLIDE
Format: A x0 or A 0y
Slides the volume either up or down. If x is specified and y
is 0, the volume is slid up at speed x. If y is specified
and x is 0, the volume is slid down at speed y.
B -- POSITION JUMP
Format: B xx
Breaks the pattern (i.e. stops playing it at its current
position) and jumps to position xx (hexadecimal!) in the
pattern sequence table.
C -- SET VOLUME
Format: C xx
Sets the volume for its associated note unit to xx. Note
that it only takes effect with its associated note unit, not
subsequent notes. Valid volume range is 00 - 40 (hex).
D -- PATTERN BREAK
Format: D 00
Breaks the pattern (i.e. stops playing it at its current
position) and goes on to the next one in the pattern sequence
table. The argument is meaningless.
F -- SET SPEED
Format: F xx
Sets the speed of the song; hex values 00 - 1F are valid.
The best way to understand what exactly these effects do is
just to experiment and listen.
Playing music from within the editor
------------------------------------
With MODRES installed, you may hear your music from within
the pattern editor three ways.
First, you may press the "N" key. This plays the note that
the cursor is currently on.
Page 22
Second, you may press the "T" key, which plays the track the
cursor is located in.
Finally, you may press the "P" key, which plays the entire
pattern.
These functions are useful for immediately hearing what your
music sounds like, allowing you to make changes and hear the
results.
4.2.2 Creating new patterns
----------------------------
A pattern only contains 64 note units. This generally isn't
enough for a whole song, so you will want to create more
patterns. This is done by selecting "Create Pattern" from
the "Edit" menu. A new pattern is created and is inserted
int the "Pattern Sequence Table" (see "Sequencing patterns").
You are then free to edit this pattern. You can also create
patterns within the sequencer (see "Sequencing patterns").
4.2.3 Sequencing patterns
--------------------------
After you've entered your music into patterns, you then must
sequence the individual patterns into a particular order that
will define the song. To do this, choose the
"Sequence/Select Patterns" option under "Edit." The Pattern
Sequence Table will then be highlighted to indicate it is
active. (You could also have pressed TAB from the pattern
editor or sample window to get to the sequencer.)
The Pattern Sequence Table looks like:
+---+---+---XXXXX---+---+---+---+
| | | X000X | | | |
+---+---+---XXXXX---+---+---+---+
| | | X00 X | | | |
+---+---+---XXXXX---+---+---+---+
The top number represents the POSITION within the sequence
table. The bottom number represents the PATTERN NUMBER that
is at that position. There is a maximum of 128 positions
within the table.
The double-box (represented above with "X"s) represents the
current pattern. It is the pattern that is edited when you
are in the pattern editor. To change it, use the left and
right arrow keys. This scrolls you through the current
pattern sequence, thereby changing the current pattern.
To change the pattern number at a particular position, simply
move to that position (with the left and right arrow keys) so
that the desired position is within the double-box. Then
Page 23
simply type in the new pattern number.
To insert or delete patterns into your song, press INS or
DEL, repsectively. A "00" pattern will be inserted into the
sequence, which you can then edit to be whatever pattern
number you want. Also, the "+" key will append a "00"
pattern into the sequence AFTER the current position (INS
places it BEFORE).
You can also create patterns within the sequencer by pressing
"C". This creates a new pattern and inserts it after the
current pattern.
You need to be aware that when you save a Module (see "Saving
and loading Modules" below), the highest pattern number that
will be saved is the highest pattern number that was USED in
the pattern sequence. For instance, say you created 38
patterns (0 - 37), but in your sequence you only used
patterns 0 through 20. If you attempted to save the song,
patterns 21 through 37 would not be saved. This is a
limitation imposed by the Module format. Be sure, therefore,
that when you save a Module that the highest pattern number
in the sequence table corresponds to the highest pattern in
memory. If you try to save a Module and there is a danger of
losing patterns, ModEdit will warn you of this before
proceeding.
4.2.4 Other edit options
-------------------------
The Edit menu has a few other options for your convenience.
"Duplicate pattern" will create an identical copy of a
pattern. You supply it source and destination pattern
numbers, and it will copy the source pattern into the
destination pattern (leaving the source unchanged). You may
choose to copy all tracks from the source to the
destination, or only one track (in which case the other
tracks in the destination are unchanged). This is useful for
musical lines that are similar but not identical; you simply
copy the needed tracks from an old pattern into a new one,
then make the necessary minor changes to the new pattern.
"Transpose pattern" allows you to increase or decrease the
pitch of notes in a pattern by a certain number of
half-steps. You may transpose all tracks or only one track.
Additionally, you may transpose all samples in the
pattern/track or only 1 sample. This is useful if you want
ony to transpose a particular INSTRUMENT.
"Clear all patterns" does just what it says -- erases all
patterns from memory. It asks for confirmation before it
wipes the pattern memory. It's useful if you want to start
Page 24
over with a new song but keep the current samples in
memory.
"Highlight lines" allows you to specify the starting line to
be highlighted in the editor window, as well as the increment
between highlighted lines. Highlighted lines in the editor
are simply for reference, so that you can tell at a glance
where you are within the pattern. You can turn off the
highlighting by setting the starting highlight line to be any
number greater than 63 (since a pattern has only 64 notes).
The default highlight start line is 0, and the default
increment is 4.
Page 25
4.3 HEARING YOUR MUSIC
----------------------
4.3.1 MODRES: Inline playing
------------------------------
If you've loaded MODRES into memory (see "Setup" above), you
may hear your music directly from within ModEdit.
The simplest way is to choose "Whole song playback" from the
"Play" option on the main menu. You may also choose "Partial
song playback" to play back only a part of the song.
Second, as mentioned previously, you may use the N, T, or P
keys from within the pattern editor to play a note, track, or
pattern, respectively.
Finally, you may go into the pattern sequence screen, move
the cursor to a pattern you wish to hear, and press "P." This
will play the pattern that the cursor is currently on.
Alternatively, you could press "S," which would play the
entire song, starting from the pattern the cursor was on.
This is equivalent to selecting "Partial song playback" under
"Play" on the main menu.
Consult "MODRES.DOC" for more information on MODRES.
4.3.2 MODPLAY: External playing
---------------------------------
To play modules outside the ModEdit environment, simply
choose the "Save Module" option of the File Submenu to save
your song to a Module. It's best to save it with an
extension of ".MOD," so that MODPLAY and ModEdit can
automatically locate it.
The resulting Module on disk can be played via the external
Module Player MODPLAY, by Mark J. Cox. Consult the MODPLAY
documentation for specific instructions on using MODPLAY.
Page 26
4.4 SAVING AND LOADING MODULES
--------------------------------
ModEdit can load in standard 15 or 31 instrument Modules.
This means you can edit a vary large portion of existing
Amiga Modules (since the Module format comes from the Amiga).
ModEdit looks for Modules in the "Module directory," which
you may set/change via the Configuration Submenu. Loading a
Module is straightforward; choose the "Load Module" option of
the File Submenu, specify the path/filename, and the Module
will be loaded into memory. Any errors during loading will be
printed to the screen.
For some reason or another, some Modules are missing the last
4 bytes of sample data from the last sample. ModEdit catches
this length discrepancy and warns you of it with an "early
end of file" warning. It's often nothing to worry about, and
if you re-save the Module, the error will usually disappear.
Be aware, though, that this error can also signify a
corrupted module (if the module is corrupted, ModEdit
extracts all the information it can from the module during
loading).
Saving a Module is equally simple; simply choose the "Save
Module" option of the File Submenu. Technical note: ModEdit
only saves 31 instrument Modules, even Modules that were
originally loaded as 15 instrument modules. Since the 15
instrument format is supported for loading, compabitility is
maintained.
Page 27
=============
5. REFERENCE
=============
5.1 Pattern editor quick reference key summary
-----------------------------------------------
Key(s) Function
------ --------
Cursor movement keys Standard functions
A-G, 0-9, # Note entry
N Play note cursor is on
O (uppercase) Increase note by one octave
o (lowercase) Decrease note by one octave
P Play entire pattern
S (uppercase) Increase default sample
s (lowercase) Decrease default sample
T Play track cursor is in
+ Increase note or sample field
- Decrease note or sample field
= Duplicate note/field
> Move to next pattern in sequence
< Move to previous pattern in seq.
TAB Move to sample window
5.2 Sample window quick reference key summary
----------------------------------------------
(reverse video line indicates the selected sample)
Key(s) Function
------ --------
Cursor movement keys Standard functions; selects sample
A Edit attributes of selected sample
C Clear all samples
L Load sample file into selected sample
P Play selected sample
S Save selected sample into file
TAB Move to pattern sequencer
Page 28
5.3 Pattern sequencer quick reference key summary
--------------------------------------------------
(double-box encloses the current pattern number)
Key(s) Function
------ --------
Cursor movement keys Standard functions; selects current
pattern
C Create pattern
P Play pattern
S Play song
INS Insert pattern into sequence
DEL Delete pattern from sequence
+ Append pattern into sequence
TAB Move to pattern editor
5.4 Effect list -- quick reference
-----------------------------------
Effect #/Description Format/Argument
-------------------- ---------------
1: Slide Up 1 xx xx=speed
2: Slide Down 2 xx xx=speed
3: Slide To Note 3 xx xx=speed
4: Vibrato 4 xy x=speed y=depth
5: <<no effect>>
6: <<no effect>>
7: <<no effect>>
8: <<no effect>>
9: <<no effect>>
A: Volume Slide A x0/A 0y x=upspeed OR y=downspeed
B: Position Jump B xx xx=pattern position
C: Set Volume C xx xx=volume(00-40 hex)
D: Pattern Break D -- skip to next patt.
E: <<no effect>>
F: Set Speed F xx xx=speed(00-1F)
5.5 MODPLAY
------------
MODPLAY is an external Module playing program by Mark J. Cox.
MODPLAY can play Modules created with ModEdit, outside the
ModEdit environment. It is available at many ftp sites, one
of which is wuarchive.wustl.edu (in mirrors/msdos/sound,
program modpy112.zip).
Page 29
Here is an excerpt from the MODPLAY documentation:
Modplay allows you to play (most) Amiga
soundtracker/noisetracker files on a PC (10Mhz or
faster clock speed). CGA minimum is required for the
graphical display whilst playing, but no display at
all is required just to play modules. MODPLAY detects
automatically if a module is corrupt, and detects if it
is a 15 or 31 instrument module.
5.6 Coming attractions
-----------------------
- Real time recording
- Song "tracking" (i.e. display of current position within
song during playback)
- Online help
And possibly, in the far distant future:
- Standard musical staff based entry of music
