This file explains each CyberPlayer feature and function in detail. Because of the SimpleText file size limitation, it is continued in a separate file, "CyberPlayer Reference Part 2".
CyberPlayer Controls
This section explains each of the controls found in CyberPlayerユs windows.
Collapsed Display Window
When a sequence file is open, its window is displayed on the screen and its name appears under the Window menu. More than one file can be open at a time; each open sequence file has its own window. The active sequence window is at the foreground and has lines in the title bar.
Both collapsed and expanded views are available. Collapsed view is useful for playback of existing sequences when you donユt want a lot of screen clutter. Expanded view is used for recording and editing. The view mode is selected from the Window menu. Click the blue triangle below the tempo control bar or Option-click the sequence title bar to accomplish the same task.
Location Display
The Location Display shows the current location of the active sequence in bars, beats, and ticks. The display changes in real-time as the sequence is playing or recording.
When you want to go to a different location (to listen to or edit a particular section, for example), enter new values in the Location Selection window. Open the Location Selection window by choosing Location from the Edit menu, or click once on the Location Display.
CyberPlayer resolution for recording and playback is 480 ticks in one quarter note. Higher resolutions are supported only when standard MIDI files recorded on other sequencers supporting a higher resolution are played back with CyberPlayer.
Transport Controls
The Transport Control buttons activate Play, Stop, Pause, Record, Rewind, and Fast Forward modes.
Play Button
Click the Play button to begin playback of the active sequence. Playback will begin from the current location displayed in the Location Display. To begin playback from the beginning of the sequence (location 1:1:0), Option-click the play button.
The spacebar on the QWERTY keyboard toggles between play and stop modes. Press Option-spacebar to begin playback from the beginning of the sequence. Begin playback from anywhere in the sequence by entering the desired location in the Location Selection window.
Stop Button
Click the Stop button to end playback or recording. Option-click the button to stop and rewind to the beginning of the sequence. You can also press the メ0モ (zero) key on the QWERTY keyboard to end playback or recording. The spacebar on the QWERTY keyboard always toggles between play and stop modes.
Pause Button
Clicking the Pause button stops playback but allows notes that are sounding to sustain. This is handy for listening for sour notes. Pause mode can also be activated by pressing the メ2モ key on the QWERTY keyboard.
Record Button
Click the Record button to begin recording from the current location. You can also begin recording by pressing メ/モ (forward slash) or メ3モ on the QWERTY keyboard. Press Option-/ or Option-3 to begin recording from the beginning of the sequence.
Tracks to be recorded are selected with the Record Enable buttons. Only one track can be recorded at a time unless Multitrack Record is chosen from the Options menu. The Record button stays dimmed until at least one track is Record Enabled.
Data on record-enabled tracks is normally overwritten (erased) when Record mode is activated. Choose Record Overdub from the Options menu to add (merge) data to an existing track. Choose Undo Record from the Edit menu to recover accidentally erased tracks.
Click, Count In, Input Filter, and Input Quantize are other recording options that can be selected. See the メOptions Menuモ section in this file for more information on these features.
Rewind Button
Click the Rewind button to move the current location backwards. If the sequence is in Play mode when rewind is activated, playback will scrub (play backwards). You can also rewind by pressing the left arrow, メ<モ (less than), or メ-モ (minus) key on the QWERTY keyboard. To rewind to the beginning of the sequence, Option-click the Rewind button, or press Return, Enter, or the up arrow key on the QWERTY keyboard.
Fast Forward Button
Click the Fast Forward button to advance the current location. If the sequence is in play mode when fast forward is activated, playback will scrub (play faster).
You can also fast forward by pressing the right arrow, メ>モ (greater than), or メ+モ (plus) key on the QWERTY keyboard. To fast forward to the end of the sequence, Option-click the Fast Forward button.
Location Control Bar
This control bar displays the current relative location in the sequence. You can move to a different location by Click-dragging the control bar handle.
Meter Display
The current time signature of the sequence is shown in the Meter display. The meter is set in the Meter Selection window, which is accessed by clicking the meter display or choosing Meter from the Edit menu. CyberPlayer supports multiple meter changes within a sequence. Enter meter changes within a sequence using the Conductor window, which is accessed by choosing Conductor from the Edit menu or Option-clicking the Meter or Tempo display.
Tempo Display
The current playback speed of the sequence, in beats per minute, is shown in the Tempo display. Change the tempo using the Tempo Selection window, or by dragging the tempo control bar. Access the Tempo Selection window by clicking the Tempo display or choosing Tempo from the Edit menu. CyberPlayer supports multiple tempo changes within a sequence. Enter tempo changes within a sequence using the Conductor window, which is accessed by choosing Conductor from the Edit menu or Option-clicking the Tempo or Meter display.
Tempo Control Bar
You can change the current tempo by Click-dragging the tempo control bar. Enter a tempo value numerically using the Tempo Selection window. Access the Tempo Selection window by clicking the tempo display or choosing Tempo from the Edit menu.
Collapse/Expand Button
This blue triangle causes the active file to switch between collapsed and expanded window view modes. Choose Collapse/Expand from the Window menu or Option-click the sequence title bar to accomplish the same task.
Expanded Display Window
Expanded window mode displays detailed track information and allows access to more playback and recording features. Choose Expand from the Window menu to display track information. Click the blue triangle below the tempo control bar or Option-click the sequence title bar to accomplish the same task.
CyberPlayer supports each of the 16 MIDI channels; each channel has its own track. The horizontal row for each track contains controls for play, mute, solo, record enable, and sound selection.
Track Play Enable Buttons
The Play Enable button does triple-duty as a play, mute, and solo switch. When the Track Play Enable button is selected (highlighted green), playback is enabled for that track. Deselect the button to mute (disable) the track. Option-click the button to solo the track, which automatically disables playback on all other tracks. Option-click again (or deselect Solo from the Options menu) to turn off Solo mode. Solo cannot be enabled on more than one track at a time.
When a sequence file is opened, only tracks with data on them are play-enabled. A track is automatically play-enabled after recording on that track.
Record Enable/Play Through Button
This is a dual purpose button. It puts a track in Record Ready mode in preparation for recording, and it selects the play through MIDI channel that determines which track is being auditioned. Because this demo version does not allow MIDI input, these buttons are grayed-out, and cannot be activated.
Record Ready Mode
One or more tracks must be Record Enabled before recording can begin. Clicking Record Enable puts that track in Record Ready mode. Recording does not actually begin until the main record button is pressed. More than one track can be enabled only if Multitrack Record is chosen from the Options menu.
Play-Through Channel
When an external MIDI controller is used, the record-enabled track is the MIDI through channel that sounds are played on. Therefore, a track must be record-enabled to trigger sounds from an external MIDI controller.
Track MIDI Activity Indicators
The dual-color activity indicators blink as MIDI events are occurring on the track. The indicators flash red to indicate incoming MIDI data from an external MIDI controller. They flash green on sequence playback to indicate MIDI data on the track.
Track Bank Pull-Down Menu
The sound bank for the track is selected here. Click, hold, and pull-down the small triangle to select from the list of installed sound banks. Banks can also be selected with MIDI Bank Select commands.
A bank contains a group of related sound programs. The selected bank determines which programs are available from the Program pull-down list on that track. Selecting a different bank will activate a different program list for that track. If only one bank is available, then only one bank is installed, unless CyberPlayer is in GM Mode (see メGM Sequencesモ in the メPreferencesモ section later in this document).
The list of available banks is determined by which bank files are currently installed. Installed banks reside inside the CyberSynth folder at the root level of the System Folder. Additional banks can be installed using the CyberSynth Sound Installer. For more information regarding bank installation, see メInstallation Read Meモ file.
Track Program Pull-Down Menu
The sound program for the track is selected here. Click, hold, and pull-down the small triangle to select from the list of available programs. Programs can also be selected with MIDI Program Change commands. Programs are contained within banks. The current bank determines which programs are available to be selected. Selecting a different bank will activate a different program list for the track. Additional programs can be accessed by installing more bank files. For more information regarding bank installation, see the メInstallation Read Meモ file.
Track Name
Each track can have a unique name. Tracks with no data have a メ-モ (dash) in the track name area. After recording on a track, the track name changes to Unnamed Track. Track names are entered (and edited) in the Track Name window. Open the Track Name window by selecting a track then choosing Name from the Edit window. Shortcut: Option-double click the track name area to open the Track Name window. Double-clicking the track name (without the Option key) opens the Track Window event list for the track.
Track Selector
Tracks are selected for editing by clicking once on the track name of the track to be edited. The track name is highlighted when the track is selected. Shift-click to select multiple tracks for editing. Choosing Select All (command-A) from the Edit menu selects all 16 tracks in preparation for editing the entire sequence.
Edit Range Start and End Display
The range of time between the Edit Start and End points is called the edit range. Performing an editing function only affects selected track data within the edit range.
Edit Start and End location values are entered in the Edit Range window. Open the Edit Range window by clicking the Edit Start or End display boxes, or choose Edit Range from the Edit menu.
Option-click the Edit Start or End display box (in the main window, not the Edit Range window) to automatically enter the current location into the box. Control-Option-click to automatically enter the entire sequence range.
See the メCyberPlayer Conceptsモ document for more information on the Edit Range.
CyberPlayer Menus
This section explains each of the commands found in CyberPlayerユs five menus.
File Menu
The File menu commands control file management tasks such as loading and saving.
New
Choosing New (command-N) creates a new, untitled sequence window. Use New when you want to record a new sequence from scratch.
Open
Choosing Open (command-O) loads a previously saved file from disk. CyberPlayer uses the Standard MIDI File (SMF) format as its native file format. Any file from a different sequencer application that is saved as a Standard MIDI File can be loaded by CyberPlayer. You can also drag-and-drop a sequence file icon onto the CyberPlayer application icon while in the Finder to open the file.
Close
Choosing Close (or clicking the close box in the sequence window title bar) closes the active sequence file. If the file was modified since the file was opened, you will be asked if you want to save the changes to disk.
Save
Choosing Save (command-S) saves the active sequence file by writing it to disk, overwriting the previously saved file. If you donユt want to overwrite the existing file, use Save As instead to create a new file.
Save As
This command saves the active sequence by creating a new file on the disk. The original disk file remains unchanged.
Revert
Choosing Revert reloads the previously saved file from disk. All changes to the file since the last Save command are lost.
Quit
Choosing Quit closes the CyberPlayer application. If any open files have been modified, you will be asked if you want to save the changes to those files.
Edit Menu
Many general aspects of the sequence can be modified using commands from the Edit menu. Most modifications to actual note data are performed under the Process menu.
Undo
Choosing Undo (command-Z) reverts the sequence back to the way it was just before an editing function was performed. Use Undo when you don't like the results of the editing change.
Cut
Choose Cut (command-X) to delete selected data and store it in the Clipboard (a temporary storage buffer) for pasting elsewhere. Data to be cut is defined by entering Edit Start and End points, then selecting a track or tracks.
Copy
Choosing Copy (command-C) puts a copy of the selected data onto Clipboard for pasting elsewhere. Data to be copied is defined by entering Edit Start and End points, then selecting a track or tracks.
Paste
Choosing Paste (command-V) inserts data from the Clipboard into the sequence at the current Edit Start location, replacing the data between the edit start and end points. Use Merge if you want to add data in the Clipboard to the data in the Edit Range instead of replacing it.
Merge
Merge (command-M) combines (adds) data in the Clipboard to existing data at the Edit Start location. Use Paste to overwrite data instead of adding to it.
Clear
Clear deletes data within the Edit Range on selected tracks. Data to be cleared is defined by entering Edit Start and End points, then selecting a track or tracks.
Select All
Choosing Select All (command-A) selects all tracks. Use this command when you want to perform an edit or process on all track data simultaneously, such as clear or transpose.
Length
Choose Length to open the Length selection window. This window allows you to redefine the total sequence length for all tracks. Use this feature to automatically truncate the length of all tracks. When a sequence is saved, data after the length value is permanently lost.
Location
Choose Location to open the Location selection window. This window allows you to change the value of the location display to a specific point in the sequence for playback, recording, or editing. You can also open the Location window by clicking on the Location Display.
Tempo
Choose Tempo (or click on the Tempo display) to open the Tempo selection window to enter (or change) the tempo of the sequence. Another method of changing the tempo is by click-dragging the tempo control bar.
CyberPlayer supports multiple tempo changes within a sequence. Enter tempo changes within a sequence using the Conductor window, which is accessed by choosing Conductor from the Edit menu.
Meter
Choose Meter (or click on the Meter display) to open the Meter selection window, where the time signature of the sequence is defined by entering the number of beats per measure and the value of the beat.
CyberPlayer supports multiple meter changes within a sequence. Enter meter changes within a sequence using the Conductor window, which is accessed by selecting Conductor from the Edit menu.
Name
Choose Name (or Option-double click the track name) to open the track Name window to enter (or edit) the name of the currently selected track.
Track
Choose Track (or double-click the track name) to open the Track Window, where MIDI note, controller, and program change events on a track can be viewed, inserted, deleted, and modified.
The track window is for editing individual note, controller, and program change events. To edit multiple note and controller events in a track simultaneously, use items in the Process menu instead.
The Track Window
The Track window displays the MIDI data that is contained in a track as a list of MIDI events. The Track window is used to view, insert, delete, and modify individual MIDI events contained in a track. To modify multiple events simultaneously, use items in the Process menu instead. Open the track window by double-clicking a track name, or click once on the track name to select the track, then choose Track from the Edit menu.
The Event List
All the MIDI events in the track are displayed in the window sorted by chronological order; events at the beginning of the sequence are at the top of the list, and events at the end of the sequence at the bottom of the list. Use the scroll bars or page up/page down keys to view data that doesnユt fit within the window. The Insert, Delete, and Edit buttons (covered in this section) are used to change the events.
The MIDI Events
Each horizontal row represents one MIDI event. Every attribute of the event is displayed in the row. The first item, at the left of the row, is the event location (where in the sequence the event occurs). The next item is the event type (note, pitchbend, aftertouch, controller, or program). The third item is the event number (note number, controller number, or program number). The fourth item is the event value. For note events, the event value represents the velocity of the note. For controller events, the event value represents the controller value. The fifth and final column displays the note duration; it is only displayed for note events.
Event Selection
An event must be selected before inserting, deleting, or editing the event. Select a MIDI event in the track window by clicking once on the event. Shift-click to select multiple events for deleting. Double-click an event to open the Event window and edit the event.
Insert Button
Click Insert to place a note, program, or controller event into the track. The Insert button opens the Track Insert window, where the type of event to be inserted is selected. At least one event must be selected or the Insert button will be dimmed.
Track Insert Window
Clicking Insert opens the Track Insert window. Select the type of event to be inserted and click OK. The attributes of the event can then be edited in the Event window.
Delete Button
Clicking Delete removes (erases) selected events from the list. Shift-click to select multiple events for deleting. If an event(s) is deleted accidentally, click the Cancel button to exit the window without saving any changes. If OK is pressed, you can still select Undo from the Edit menu to recover the lost data.
Edit Button
Click Edit to change the attributes of an event. The Edit button opens the Event window where the attributes are edited. An event must be selected or the edit button will be dimmed. Double-clicking an event will also open the Event window.
Event Window
The attributes of a MIDI event are edited in the Event window. Enter the desired values for the event and click OK to modify the event.
Conductor
Choose Conductor (or Option-click the Tempo or Meter display) to open the Conductor Window, where multiple tempo, meter, and key signature changes can be viewed, inserted, deleted, and modified.
The Conductor Window
The Conductor window displays the meter, tempo, and key signature events that are contained in a sequence as a list of MIDI events. The Conductor window is very similar to the Track window, except the Conductor window is used to view, insert, delete, and modify the individual time events contained in a sequence. Open the Conductor window by Option-clicking the meter or tempo display, or choose Conductor from the Edit menu.
The Event List
All the Conductor events in the sequence are displayed in the window sorted by chronological order; events at the beginning of the sequence are at the top of the list, and events at the end of the sequence at the bottom of the list. Use the scroll bars to view data that doesnユt fit within the window. The Insert, Delete, and Edit buttons (covered in this section) are used to change the events.
The Conductor Events
Each horizontal row represents one conductor event. Every attribute of the event is displayed in the row. The first item, at the left of the row, is the event location (where in the sequence the event occurs). The next item is the event type (key, meter, or tempo). The third item is the event value.
Key Signature events do not change the pitch of the sounds in a CyberPlayer sequence. They are supported by CyberPlayerユs Standard MIDI File format for compatibility with other MIDI applications such as notation software. In CyberPlayer, change the pitch of the sounds in the sequence using the Transpose feature.
Event Selection
An event must be selected before inserting, deleting, or editing the event. Select a Conductor event in the track window by clicking once on the event. Shift-click to select multiple events for deleting. Double-click an event to open the Event window and edit the event.
Insert Button
Click Insert to place a meter, tempo, or key signature event into the sequence. The Insert button opens the Conductor Insert window, where the type of event to be inserted is selected. At least one event must be selected or the Insert button will be dimmed.
Conductor Insert Window
Clicking Insert opens the Conductor Insert window. Select the type of event to be inserted and click OK. The attributes of the event can then be edited in the Event window.
Delete Button
Clicking Delete removes (erases) selected events from the list. Shift-click to select multiple events for deleting. If an event is deleted accidentally, click the Cancel button to exit the window without saving any changes. If OK is pressed, you can still choose Undo from the Edit menu to recover the lost data.
Edit Button
Click Edit to change the attributes of an event. The Edit button opens the Event window where the attributes are edited. An event must be selected or the Edit button will be dimmed. Double-clicking an event will also open the Event window.
Event Window
The attributes of a MIDI event are edited in the Event window. Enter the desired values for the event and click OK to modify the event.
Edit Range
Choose this command to open the Edit Range window. You can also click the Edit Start or Edit End box at the bottom of the (expanded) sequence window to open the Edit Range window.
The range of time in bars, beats, and ticks between the edit start and edit end points is called the edit range. Performing an editing function only affects selected track data within the edit range.
Edit range locations are entered in the Edit Range window by typing values for bar, beat, and tick in the Edit Start and Edit End boxes. Click the Entire Sequence button to automatically enter the full sequence length into the start and end boxes.
You can avoid the Edit Range window altogether by option-clicking the Edit Start or Edit End boxes (in the main expanded window, not the Edit Range window) to automatically enter the Location Display value into the Start and End boxes. Control-Option-click to automatically enter the entire sequence range.
Preferences
This command opens the Preferences window, where global application preferences are specified. Preference settings are stored and remain as they are set until changed.
Remind About Sound Manager 3.1
System performance is improved when Sound Manager version 3.1 (part of the Macintosh operating system software) is installed. Sound Manager version 3.1 was installed during CyberSynth installation. If this box is checked, a notice that Sound Manager 3.1 has been removed will be displayed when CyberPlayer is opened.
Remind About AppleTalk
System performance is improved when AppleTalk is disabled. If this box is checked, a notice that AppleTalk is enabled will be displayed when CyberPlayer is opened. Use the Chooser utility (in the Apple Menu) to disable AppleTalk.
Open New on StartUp
If this box is checked, a new, untitled sequence file will be created when CyberPlayer is opened.
Play on Open
If this box is checked, Play mode will automatically begin when a sequence file is opened (loaded from disk).
Play on Activate
When several sequence files are open simultaneously, the file in the foreground is the active sequence. A sequence is activated by bringing it to the foreground, either by selecting it from the Window menu or by clicking on its window. If this box is checked, Play mode will automatically begin when a sequence file is activated. This is handy for quickly comparing two sequences.
GM Sequences
GM (General MIDI) is a standardized set of specific sound and drum programs designed to allow for easy cross-platform compatibility of sequence files. This allows GM sequences to play the correct sounds on various GM-compatible systems. Cybersynth and CyberPlayer are GM compatible; they conform to the GM standard.
Checking the GM Sequences box puts CyberPlayer in GM mode. This locks the drum channel to be on track 10 and only allows the GM bank to be active. Uncheck the box to access to other banks besides GM. (GM sequences can be played with this box unchecked, but the sound programs may be incorrect.)
Preload on Play
If this box is checked, all sound programs required for the sequence are loaded into memory before playback begins. This usually improves playback performance by avoiding a potential stutter that might occur if sounds are loaded while notes are trying to play.
The disadvantage is that sequences using many simultaneous sounds may require a larger Sound Cache (an Option setting in the CyberSynth control panel) because all the required sounds may not fit into memory.
MIDI Input
CyberPlayer requires a MIDI input source to trigger sounds and record MIDI data. Before a track can be record enabled (and before sounds can be triggered via MIDI), MIDI Manager or OMS must be selected as a MIDI input source. Select None to improve system performance when using the sequencer for playback only.
MIDI Manager software and OMS support are selected as part of the installation process. If an item is dimmed, it is not installed or it is configured incorrectly. メThe CyberSynth Installerモ in Chapter 2 explains how to install MIDI support.
Click
The Click option provides a metronome sound and count-in as a timing reference for recording. Click and Count In are enabled in the Options menu. The volume of the click sound is set here by click-dragging the volume slider handle. Enter the number of measures desired for count-in into the box.