Copyright: Microsoft Interactive Music Control Copyright © 1996 Microsoft Corp.


Music Properties

Style

Select a style for the music. A style is a pattern of notes and rhythms that fit a particular genre, such as jazz, rock, and new age. Style files have the file extension .STY, and are installed by default in the following path: C:\Multimedia Files\Music\Interactive Music.

Personality

Select a personality that matches the mood you want the music to evoke. A personality is used by the control to compose the chord progression for the style you select. Although you can select any personality to go with a style, it's best to select a personality that fits the mood of the style. Personality files have the file extension .PER, and are installed by default in the following path: C:\Multimedia Files\Music\Interactive Music.

Band

Select a band to perform the style you select. A band is a set of instruments for the style. For example, one band might perform the style with pianos and strings, whereas another band might play the same notes with guitar and sound effects. The band you select also sets the volume and right/left balance (pan) settings for the style. Bands have descriptive names such as Jazz Combo, Angel Choir, and Classic Rock, and the bands available depend on the style you select.

Shape

Select a shape for the music. Shape determines how the intensity of the style you select changes over time. For example, if you select Rising, the music may increase in number of voices and musical activity as it plays, evoking a feeling of increasing intensity. Shapes have descriptive names such as Rising, Falling, and Random. In particular, you can use the Song shape to build repeating themes that vary for interest, and yet are consistent.

Activity

Select an activity level for the music. Activity describes how frequently the chords change. Activities have descriptive names such as Sparse and Dense.

Length

Specify the duration, or length, of the music in number of measures. If you have selected the Repeat option on the Options tab, the pattern of music you established through Style, Personality, Band, Shape, and Activity properties repeats after the number of measures you specify have played.


Options

Number of Voices

This option has an effect only if you select the Use Software Synthesis option. The effects of this option can be heard only at run time, and only on slow computers. Specify the minimum number of voices, or instruments, to use. Voices represent individual timbres, which can be different from one another or which can be alike, filling separate harmonic parts. For example, an ensemble of one bass, one drum, and one piano and an ensemble of three saxophones each consists of three voices. By default, the synthesizer allocates 24 voices, but most of the styles run comfortably with fewer.

Maximum CPU Usage

This option has an effect only if you select the Use Software Synthesis option. The effects of this option can be heard only at run time, and only on slow computers. Specify the maximum percentage of processing power you want the computer to use to play the music. To meet this percentage, the computer may compress data or omit voices to the minimum number of voices you specify. For example, to meet the percentage you specify, a slower CPU may drop from stereo output to monophonic, 11 kHz, compressed output, whereas a faster CPU may send output in stereo at 22 kHz, uncompressed. If the computer cannot meet your requirement, it sends output to the hardware MIDI device.

Use Software Synthesis

Select the Use Software Synthesis check box to play music through the Microsoft Synthesizer. Clear this check box to use a MIDI device.

Repeat

Select the Repeat check box to repeat the music at the interval you selected in the Length box on the Music tab. For example, if you specify a length of 16 measures, and then select the Repeat option, the pattern of music you established through the Style, Personality, Band, Shape, and Activity properties repeats every 16 measures. Clear this check box to have the music play once and then stop.

Play Immediately

Select the Play Immediately check box to cause the music to play as soon as the page is opened. Clear this check box to have the music wait for some other event, such as the user clicking on an object, to play.

Transition Type

Select how you want the music to sound as it makes a transition to music in another object. For example, suppose you have the style Jazz.sty playing on one page and have selected the transition type Break. On another page, you have the style Reggae.sty playing. When you go to the reggae page from the jazz page, the jazz music plays a musical break before the reggae music starts. Transition types have descriptive names such as Break, Fill, and End and Intro.