Contents

Welcome to Sweet Little Piano!

Sweet Little Piano allows the computer keyboard to act as a piano keyboard. Pressing a computer key will generate a MIDI note and send it to the device selected. Different aspects of the MIDI message generated, may be changed with different menu commands, keyboard commands and the control bars.

All settings are saved when you exit so you will be ready to play immediately when starting the program the next time.

Note: Not all features described below, is available in the unregistred version of Sweet Little Piano.  Please click here for how to order a full version.

Setting Up

Using the Computer Keys

Using the Control Bars

The Menus

Keyboard Commands

Registration

Hubi's LoopBack Device

Other products from Roni Music

© Copyright 1996 Roni Music - All Rights Reserved. Hubi's LoopBack Device is freeware, courtesy of Hubert Winkler.


Setting up

We assume that you have successfully installed Sweet Little Piano on your computer. Else refer to the readme.txt file for additional info.

1. Select a desired MIDI device in the Device Menu.

2. Activate Sweet Little Piano by selecting Active in the Device Menu.

Note: To be able to send the MIDI data generated to another MIDI application, please read the info about Hubi's LoopBack Device.

Hubi's LoopBack Device

You may now:

3. Select a desired MIDI channel in the MIDI Menu.

4. Select a desired program in the MIDI Menu.

5. Transpose the notes being sent in the MIDI Menu.

Note: Sweet Little Piano will work with all Windows programs that use standard Windows MIDI drivers for input.


Using the computer keys

To play the musical keys with the computer keyboard, use the top two and bottom two rows of the keyboard.

Each pair of computer rows plays an octave apart. The top rows plays an octave above the bottom rows.

In the rows of the computer keys that correspond to the black musical keys, not every computer key makes a sound.

The computer keyboard was not constructed to act like a piano keyboard. This means a computer keyboards can detect only a limited number of keys pressed down at the same time. Also, the keyboard can't detect certain new key presses until other keys are released.

Sustain Pedal

Temporary Key Shift

Stop droning notes

Reset Device


Sustain pedal

Use the SPACE BAR key to send a MIDI sustain pedal message (Controller 64).

This is like using the sustain pedal of a piano. The notes are hold even after you have released the keys.

Press the SPACE BAR key to push down the sustain pedal and release the SPACE BAR key to lift the pedal.


Temporay Key Shift
Temporary Key Shift

Use the SHIFT and CONTROL keys to temporarely shift octave.

Press the SHIFT key to transpose the keyboard one octave up and release the SHIFT key to return to the original octave.

Press the CONTROL key to transpose the keyboard one octave down and release the CONTROL key to return to the original octave.

Stop droning notes


Stop droning notes

If you temporarely change octave with the SHIFT/CONTROL keys, you may play a computer key while one of the SHIFT/CONTROL keys are down and release the key while one of the SHIFT/CONTROL keys are up.

This will send a MIDI Note on message in one octave and a MIDI Note off message in another octave. The note will drone.

Pressing the RETURN key will send the appropriate note off message. This will stop all droning notes.


Reset Device

Pressing the ESCAPE key will send a reset controller (Controller 121) and an all notes off (Controller 123) message on all 16 MIDI channels.

See also the MIDI Menu/Reset Device command.


Using the Control Bars

With the control bars you may change the sound produced, while playing the computer keyboard.

The Pitch Bend Control Bar

The Pitch Bend Control Bar is located to the right of the window.

The Pitch Bend Control Bar sends a MIDI pitch bend message which bends the pitch higher or lower.

The Pitch Bend Control Bar returns to the center position when you release the mouse.

The Modulation Control Bar

The Modulation Control Bar is located at the bottom of the window.

The Modulation Control Bar sends a MIDI modulation wheel message.

This may, if the sound source responds to it, add vibrato or some other effect.

The Velocity Control Bar

The Velocity Control Bar is located to the left of the window.

The Velocity Control Bar changes the note velocity of the keys you press. This most often makes the notes louder or brighter if higher value and softer or darker if lower value.

Shortcut Keys:	PLUS and MINUS keys -- Increase and decrease note velocity.


The Menus

File Menu

Exit

Devices Menu

Active

Devices

MIDI Menu

Transpose

Program

Channel

Reset

Window Menu

Always on Top

Show Control Bars

Default Size

Zoom Keyboard


Exit

Exits program.


Active

Check this option to activate the device selected.


Devices

This will show the devices available in your computer.

This may be Souncards, MIDI interfaces and Virtual MIDI ports.


Transpose

This item allows you to change the octave of the notes being sent.

Shortcut Keys:	UP and DOWN ARROWS -- Changes octaves up and down


Program

This item allows you to send a program change message (0 - 127) to the selected MIDI port.

The items available are according to the General MIDI Standard.


Channel

This item selects the MIDI channel which the generated MIDI events are sent to.


Reset

Selecting this item, will send a reset controller (Controller 121) and an all notes off (Controller 123) message on all 16 MIDI channels.

Shortcut Key: ESCAPE key.


Always on Top

Check this option to keep the Sweet Little Piano window on top of all other windows.


Show Control Bars

Uncheck this option if you don't need the control bars and want the window to be as small as possible.


Default Size

Select this option if you want the window to be as small as possible.


Zoom Keyboard

This option lets you select three different sizes of the computer keyboard shown in the program window.


Registration - Order Form

To get the full version of Sweet Little Piano, use the order form below.

Name:

Street:

City:

Country:

Sweet Little Piano (full version)	($20 US)	$ ________

Delivered by e-mail	(No extra)	$ 0.00____

Europe shipping and handling	($5 US)	$ ________

Outside Europe shipping and handling	($7 US)	$ ________

Cash Payment	(No extra)	$ 0.00_____

Cheque payment (cost for clearing the cheque) 	($10 US)	$ ________

Total: $ ________

The order should be sent to:

Roni Music

Nybogatan 21

S-212 32  Malmoe

Sweden

or by e-mail: roni@mbox317.swipnet.se

Roni Music homepage is located at URL:  http://home1.swipnet.se/~w-11396

Because of the small amount of money involved, we advice you to send the payment as cash.

It also saves you the money for buying the check. No personal checks, please.

© Copyright 1996 Roni Music - All Rights Reserved.


Keyboard Commands

space bar key	sustain pedal

shift key	octave up while holding down key

control key	octave down while holding down key

return key	stop droning notes

up/down arrows keys	permanent octave change

escape key	Reset All Controllers + All Notes Off

+ / - key (numeric keypad)	change key velocity


Other products from Roni Music

Roni Music is a swedish software company and the main product is the Sweet Sixteen MIDI sequencer software.

Sweet Sixteen is a comprehensive and powerful MIDI sequencer for PC/Windows and Atari ST/STE range of computers. Sweet Sixteen offers Piano Roll, List and Transform edit pages as well as a dedicated Mixer page you can use for your favourite synthesizer.

Capable of playback on 24 + 24 tracks, Sweet Sixteen is ideal for the absolute beginner but powerful enough to satisfy experienced "power" users.

The use of MIDI controllers is fully supported to allow control of all the subtle nuances of expression and dynamics demanded by the discerning MIDI programmer.

Powerful, yet user friendly, Sweet Sixteen offers features far in advance of its more wellknown competitors.

Main features

Pattern based MIDI sequencer 16+1 patterns (one of few pattern based sequencers)

24 + 24 Tracks (48 tracks when running two patterns in parallel)

High note resolution (192 PPQN)

GM-mixer

Multitasking (do anything you like while playing)

Real time processing (all trackparameters are reversible)

Handles all MIDI events (including System Exclusive Events)

Interpolation MIDI Sync (Retains 192 PPQN in external sync)

Programable Tempo/Time Signature Track

Realtime scrolling editors (List and Piano Roll)

Supports SMF (MIDI Files, Type 0 and 1)

Undo function (regret any action)

Logical Editor

Step Input - Cycle Mode

Online help (Windows version only)

Printed manual

...and much, much more

What does the press say?

Atari ST User - Dec 93

"Sweet Sixteen is well specified for the prize and well worth your consideration if you're looking at the budget end of the sequencer market."

Sound On Sound - Feb 94

"Could something this good be this cheap?"

"The only way you'll get a much cheaper sequencer is on the Public Domain, but as Sweet Sixteen is a surprisingly competent sequencer at a very atractive prize, why bother?"

"Stability-wise, Sweet Sixteen seems to be rock solid. In spite of trying, I found it impossible to crash.

The MIX - May 95

"Sweet Sixteen is an absolute breeze, once you get the idea of how it works (which doesn't take long).

"... make Sweet Sixteen the easiest way of getting into sequencing."


Hubi's LoopBack Device

(This info is an excerpt from midlpbk.txt, courtesy of Hubert Winkler).

To be able to send the MIDI data generated by Sweet Little Piano to another Windows application, a MIDI driver, such as "Hubi's LoopBack Device" must be installed via the control panel. The driver offers virtual MIDI Ports (up to 4), which act as Input and Output. All MIDI data sent to the output (from a MIDI program) is delivered to all programs at the input side (eg. another MIDI program).

Installing Hubi's LoopBack Device

Windows 3.1:

Start Windows, select "Control Panel" from the "Main" group, select Drivers, select Add button, select "unlisted driver", OK, enter your directory (eg. C:\TMP). Now you should see "Hubis Loopback V2.4", and press OK. Now the configuration dialog comes up and you must select the number of ports to use. 2 should be a good starting point, but WARNING: Windows(3.1) cannot handle more than 10 midiports (+Midimapper).

After Restart, the new MIDI In and Outputs will be available then. If you have no CTL3DV2.DLL in your \windows or \windows\system directory (nearly impossible) then you must install one manually.

Windows 95:

Start->Settings->ControlPanel->Hardware Continue-> [No] ->Continue -> [ Audio/Video/Game Controller ] ->Continue->Disc-> [ enter the unzipped directory (eg. C:\TMP)] ...

In case of troubles, try copying the file CTL3DV2.DLL to your windows\system directory.

How "Hubi's LoopBack" works:

There is a MIDI output port and a MIDI input port. All data sent to the output will be available at the input port, that is the MIDI output from one program is the input of another program.

Prog1 >--[ LB1 ]--> Prog2

You should think about a MIDI node, which can be opened as output from several programs and input of others. Each of this programs is named "a client". The output of all OUT-clients is merged and sent to all IN-clients. Multi-Client means, that each node can have up to 4 IN-clients and 10 OUT-clients (hard coded).

Hubi's LoopBack can serve up to 4 nodes, but changing the number of active ports (=nodes) requires to restart Windows.

About CTL3DV2.DLL

midlpbk.dll uses ctl3dv2.dll for their dialogs if installed. If this file is missing, dialogs are black/white. If Win3.1 shows an error ignore this.

Possible updates of Hubi's LoopBack Device at the following URL's:

http://www.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/win3/music/mdlpbk24.zip

http://www.winsite.com/win3/sounds/mdlpbk24.zip