17 Bit Software 1: Collection A/17Bit_Collection_A.iso/files/484.dms/484.adf/Manual

Text File | 1988-11-13 | 22KB | 529 lines

------------      Hit ESC Key to Quit     -------------

This is a text version of the Demo M Manual.  The manual itself is
somewhat graphically oriented, so some parts of the manual may seem
unclear, but it should be of some help if the printed manual is
not available.

A manual (with graphics) is available from:

    Intelligent Music
    116 North Lake Avenue
    Albany, NY  10026       [phone]

                         *****  M ******

Program by Darrienn Fitzgerald and David Zicarelli
with Joel Chadabe, John Offenhartz, and Antony Widoff

Instructions for Demonstration Disk

Copyright 1988 Intelligent Computer Music Systems, Inc.

What You Need

     To run M you need an Amiga with at least one megabyte of memory.
Please feel free to try M on a 512k Amiga, but be aware that you may
encounter memory- related problems.  To run this demo, insert the disk
in your internal drive and reboot your Amiga.

     If you have a MIDI setup, you may use it with M, with or without
the Amiga's internally- generated sounds.

     But if you don't have a MIDI keyboard to input notes, that's not a
problem because you can input notes using the on-screen keyboard in the
Pattern Editor.

     And if you don't have a MIDI synthesizer to generate sounds, that's
also not a problem because M uses the Amiga's sound-generating
capability (although we do suggest that, for better sound quality, you
connect the Amiga's audio output to an external playback system).

About This Demo

     This demonstration version of M is the same as the normal version,
except that it doesn't save files and it's on a 30-minute timer.  You
should have plenty of time in each program run to get a good idea of
what the program's like.

     In this manual, we're going to give you a glimpse of ways of
working with M.  We'll start by discussing some of the concepts of the
program.  Then we'll give you an overview of M's user interface.
Finally, we'll take you through a short tutorial in using the program.

About M

     M is special in several ways.

     First, it's completely interactive.  You hear the musical results
of everything you do while you're doing them, so that you can try things
out quickly and easily, and formulate your ideas.

     Second, M gives you independent control over the different elements
of your music, so that you can put your ideas together exactly as you
want them.  You can change a rhythm, for example, then try out different
accent patterns, then experiment with phrasing, then change notes, then
something else.

     Third, M works with you.  You can tell M how to automatically vary
details so that M becomes the orchestra, playing your music, and you
become the conductor.

     And there are many more ways that M is special, as you're about to
see.

The Main Screen

     Start M by clicking on the program icon.

     Look at the main screen.  There are seven distinct areas.  Each
area contains a group of controls and all the areas are simultaneously
active, so that you can use any control whenever you like.  It's all
there, everything you'll need to make music.

Four By Six

     Notice that there's a recurring design theme of four throughout the
various areas.  The Patterns Area, for example, contains four horizontal
rows of controls, one below the other.  Each row represents one Pattern.
A Pattern, in M, is a collection of notes.

     The controls in the Variables Area, are also arranged in rows of
four, one below the other.  Each control row corresponds to one of the
Patterns.

     Notice also that there is a recurring design theme of six
throughout the screen.  There are, for example, six boxes, vertically
arranged, for each variable in the Cyclic Variables Area.  By clicking
on a box during a performance, you can instantly change from one group
of control settings to another.


Conducting

     You can also move from one box to another by conducting, if the
arrow associated with that variable is selected.  Do it now.  Select the
arrow next to the word VEL (lower left), for example.

     Then move the mouse into the Conducting Grid in the Conducting
Area.  (Grid in upper right hand corner ).  It will change to a hand
holding a conductor's baton.  Hold down the mouse button, and move the
mouse along the axis indicated by the direction of the arrow you've just
selected.

     You'll see the boxes next to the selected arrow become highlighted
as you move the mouse.  Deselect the arrow by clicking on it again.


The Edit Windows

     Behind the main screen, there are Edit windows which are accessed by
double-clicking.  Double-click, for example, on the first box under the
word VEL in the Variables Area.  An Edit window will open.

     Just to see how they work, open several Edit windows by double-
clicking in boxes in the Variables Area.

     Bring any window to the foreground by clicking on the gadget in its
upper right-hand corner, or by selecting its name in the Windows menu.

     When you've finished, close the Edit windows.  Click on the gadget
in the upper left corner of each window.

M's Screen Controls

     M's screen controls are distinctive.  We designed them as they are
so that making music with M is intuitive and fast.

     They include the button, which is something you click on once to
trigger an action, such as the Start button in the Control Area.  Click
on it.  It will highlight.  Click on it again.  It will unhighlight.

     There are arrow buttons, which are special because the arrows
inside the buttons can be made to change direction.  There are many
arrow buttons throughout the screen.

     To change the direction of an arrow, click on it and drag in a
circle outside of and around its box.

     Then there are Numericals.  The Numerical is a box which contains a
letter, number, or graphic that can be changed with the mouse to show a
greater or lesser value or to step through a series.  An example of a
Numerical is the Sound Numerical under the number 1 in the Sound Area.
The box will be blank at first, but, believe us, there's something
there.

     Change the Numerical to a higher value by positioning the cursor in
the top half of the box and pressing the mouse button.  The cursor will
change to a thin upwards-pointing arrow and the number will change to
increasing values.

     Change a Numerical to a lower value by positioning the cursor in
the lower half of the box and pressing the mouse button.  The cursor
will change to a thin downwards-pointing arrow and the number will
decrease in value.

     Change a Numerical as a slider by clicking on the Numerical and,
while holding down the mouse button, moving the mouse up or down above
or below the box.  The Numerical will change accordingly.

     There are also Range Bars.  A Range Bar is for defining a range
within which a value will change.  One example is the Tempo Range Bar in
the Control Area.

     To change the range setting of a Range Bar, first position the
mouse arrow at the high or low end of the range you want to define and
then drag the contrasting area to the other end of the range.  Try
changing the setting of the Tempo Range Bar.  Set it to a wide range.

     To set a Range Bar to a single value, click once anywhere within
the bar.

     There are also Sliders.  A Slider lets you set a value by dragging
a "handle" left or right.

     Open the Note Density Edit window by double-clicking in the box
under DENS.

     Try changing a Slider's value.  Close the window when you're done.

     And there are a number of other controls which we'll explain as we
use them.

Enter Notes

     If you're using MIDI, choose Open from the File menu and load the
MIDIStart file.

     If you're using the Amiga's sounds, choose Open from the File menu
and load the AmigaSoundStart file.

     Wait until the cursor changes back into an arrow.

     We'll start by recording and varying a simple Pattern.  If you're
using a MIDI keyboard, read the following section.  If you don't have a
MIDI keyboard, skip the following section and proceed to Enter and Edit
Notes Without a MIDI Keyboard.

Enter Notes With a MIDI Keyboard

     We're about to play some notes into Pattern 1.

     Look at the uppermost of the four rows in the Patterns Area.  Make
sure that the Numerical below SRC reads All, indicating that Pattern 1
is receiving on all MIDI channels.

     Then hold down the left mouse button while pointing in the first
box below USE.  A Picture Matrix will pop out to the right.

     Still holding down the mouse button, drag the cursor to R (for
Record) and release the button.  You're setting the first Pattern to
record.

     But wait a second.  You'll certainly want to hear what you're about
to play, so you need to echo your input to the MIDI channel your
synthesizer is receiving on.  Enable Echo-Thru- Orchestration (still in
the Patterns Area) by clicking in the box under the icon representing a
section of the Orchestration variable box.  A check mark will appear.

     Then look in the Variables Area at the bottom of the screen.
Double- click on the first box under ORCH.  An Orchestration Edit window
will appear.

     The top row in the Orchestration Edit window directs the output
from Pattern 1 to any of the sixteen MIDI channels.  Each of the boxes
corresponds to a particular MIDI channel, as the numbers above the boxes
indicate.

     Click in the top-row box that corresponds to the receive channel of
your synthesizer.  Deselect any selected boxes that do not correspond to
the receive channels of your synthesizers.  Click in the close gadget
(in the upper left corner of the window) to return to the main screen.

     Now, to record.  Play the following notes on your MIDI keyboard.
You should be hearing them as you play.

     Notice that the Pattern-Length Numerical in the Patterns Area,
under the word OUTPUT, now reads 3 for the number of notes that you've
recorded.

     If you make a mistake in recording or want to erase a Pattern for
any reason, follow these steps.  Click in the Edit box (in the Edit
column in the upper left corner of the Patterns Area) for the Pattern
that you want to cut.  The box will be highlighted.

     Then choose Cut from the Edit menu.

     When you've finished recording, hold down the mouse button in the
first box under USE and disable recording by selecting the dash in the
Picture Matrix.

     If you want to edit your notes in the Pattern Editor, read the next
section.  Enter and Edit Notes Without a MIDI Keyboard

     We'll use the Pattern Editor to enter and edit notes with the
mouse.  Open the Pattern Editor by double-clicking in the Edit box
marked 1 in the upper left corner of the screen.

The Pattern Editor window will open.

     Enlarge the window by dragging the title bar to the upper left
corner of the main screen, and then by dragging the size box, in the
lower right corner of the window, down to the right.

     Look in the Editing Grid.  You should see the notes of your Pattern
as filled-in boxes.  If you don't see the notes, scroll the Editing Grid
by clicking and holding on either of the scroll arrows above and below
the keyboard on the left.

     Move the mouse cursor into the grid.  Notice that as you move the
mouse, note names appear next to the left keyboard and column numbers
appear above the grid.  Click in successive columns to add notes as
indicated below.

     If you make a mistake, click on a filled-in box to erase a note.
Click on as many boxes as you like.

     Now you've created or edited a Pattern with the mouse.  You can
play the notes "manually" by dragging the Edit Counter (the small arrow)
at the bottom of the grid to the left or right and clicking.  Make sure
that the Speaker icon near the size box, in the lower right corner of
the window, is highlighted so that you can hear your music.

     When you've finished, close the Pattern Editor by clicking on the
close gadget in the upper left corner.

     Play Back What You've Entered

     Look in the Patterns Area under OUTPUT, and if the Loudspeaker
button for Pattern 1 does not contain a loudspeaker, click on it so that
the loudspeaker icon appears.

     Then click on the Start button, in the Control Area, so that it
highlights.

     You should be hearing your notes.  You can stop the music at any
time by clicking on the Start button again, so that it unhighlights.

     Change Your Sounds

     Are you hearing the sound you want? If not, look for SOUND in the
Sound Area.  Look at the leftmost box, under 1.

     Change the Numerical upwards until it shows the number for the
sound you'd like.  Try for a low-pitched sound.

     If you're using Amiga sounds, you're choosing from six IFF
instruments provided with this demo.

     If you're using MIDI, you're sending program changes to your
synthesizer.

Set the Tempo

     Now set the tempo, in the Tempo Range Bar in the Control Area, to
118.

     And then look at the Time-Signature column in the Patterns Area,
under the clock icon and under OUTPUT.

     Change the denominator of the Pattern 1 Time-Signature Numerical to
8.  You'll hear your notes played twice as fast.  Try 16.  Try any
combination of numerator and denominator.

Set Accents

     Now we'll vary the Pattern further.

     Double-click in the first box under VEL in the Variables Area.  The
Velocity Edit window will open, with four Range Bars.

     The top Range Bar is for Pattern 1.  Specify a large velocity
range, say between 50 and 100.  This sets the range over which the
Accent variable will operate.  Setting accents is the next step.

     Close the Velocity Range Edit window to unclutter the screen.

     Now double-click in the first box under ACCENT in the Cyclic
Variables Area.  The Cyclic Editor window will open.

     The four grids represent the four Patterns, top to bottom.  When
the word ACCENT for a Pattern is highlighted, it means that the
corresponding grid can be used to vary accents.

     Click on the word ACCENT for Pattern 1's grid, if it's not highlighted.

     Then, to set a cycle length of four steps, click under the fourth
column of the grid so that a 4 appears.

     Now we'll set the values for each step.  Click on the top row of
the first column in the grid, and at the second-from-the-bottom row for
the second, third and fourth columns, as shown below.  You should be
hearing an accent cycle of one strong beat followed by three weak beats.

     Remember, however, especially if you're using MIDI, that the effect
of this change is dependent upon the sensitivity of your sound to MIDI
velocity signals.  If you don't hear significant changes in accent,
experiment with other sounds.

     Experiment also with other accent cycles.  Try, for example, a
cycle length of one.  Click on 1 under the first column.  All the notes
will be of equal accent.  But note that if you drag down the length of
the column from the top level to the second level from the bottom, so
that almost the entire column is selected (the lowest level isn't
selected because it means zero accent, or no sound), you'll hear random
accents, because the program will choose randomly from among the
different levels selected.

     When you've got your accents where you want them, close the Cyclic
Editor window.  Create Another Pattern With a MIDI Keyboard

     If you have a MIDI keyboard, you'll essentially repeat the entering
process described above.  But this time, it will be for Pattern 2 and
you'll record chords as well as single pitches.

     Move the cursor to the second row from the top (for Pattern 2),
under the word TYPE, and press the mouse button.  A new Picture Matrix
will pop out.

     While holding down the mouse button, drag to the icon representing
two quarter notes stacked in a chord.  Then release the mouse button.
You've just chosen a record mode which allows you to input chords to the
Pattern.

     Enable Record for Pattern 2 as we described earlier for Pattern 1.
Make sure that Record is disabled for Pattern 1.

     Then play the following music (or anything else, if you have
another tune in mind).  Don't worry about playing it in rhythm, as the
rhythm will be determined elsewhere.  If you left the Start button on,
you'll hear your notes played back as you enter them.

     Create Another Pattern With the Mouse

     If you don't have a MIDI keyboard, open the Pattern Editor by
double-clicking on the second Edit box (for Pattern 2) in the Edit
column in the Patterns Area.

     Then enter notes in the Pattern Editor, as we've described above.

Play the Second Pattern

     If there is no loudspeaker icon showing in the Loudspeaker button
for Pattern 2, click on it so that the loudspeaker appears.

     Click again on the Loudspeaker button for Pattern 1, so that the
loudspeaker disappears.  This will let you hear Pattern 2 without
hearing Pattern 1.

     Click on the Start button, if the music isn't already playing.

     Just for purposes of this tutorial, change Pattern 2's
Time-Signature denominator Numerical to 16, or something fast.

     Then, if you're using MIDI, follow the same routines we described
above for Pattern 1 (but remember that we're now working with Pattern 2,
which will always be the second row from the top in any column).  Open
the Orchestration Edit window by double-clicking in the first box under
ORCH.  Click in the box for Pattern 2 that corresponds to the receive
channel of your second synthesizer.  Set the sound Numerical next to the
word SOUND, under the number that corresponds to the receive channel of
your synthesizer, to a sound that you like.

     If you've got one synthesizer, set it to the same channel as
Pattern 1.

     If you're not using MIDI, find your sound by changing the Numerical
under 2 next to the word SOUND, in the Sound Area.

Vary Pattern 2

     We're now going to add variety to the second Pattern, giving it an
improvisational feel.  Click in the first box under ORDER in the
Variables Area.  The Note Order Edit window will open.

     Look at the Range Bar for Pattern 2.  You'll see that there are
three types of note ordering to chose from: Original Order, Cyclic
Random, and Utterly Random.  Click on the middle box and drag it to the
left, until the number inside the first box reads 50 and the number in
the far-right box, which is the box that indicates the percentage of
Utterly Random ordering, reads 50.

     What you're doing is scrambling and randomizing, within defined
limits, the order of the notes in the Pattern.  When you've finished,
close the Note Order Edit window.

     Open the Note Density Edit window by double-clicking in the first
box under DENS.

     Change the note density for Pattern 2 by dragging the Slider's
"handle" to about 30%.  This sets a probability for the number of beats
on which a note will play.  When you've finished, close the window.

     Open the Transposition Edit window by double-clicking in the first
box under TRANS.  To transpose your Pattern up an octave, change the
octave transposition Numerical from 3 to 4.  Note: Amiga-generated
sounds may respond to certain transposition ranges and not to others.
Try them out.

     Next, try changing the key of your Pattern by changing the note
transposition Numerical, in the column under NOTE.  C3 represents the
key and octave in which a Pattern was originally recorded, and any
change from that setting will change your Pattern's relative
transposition.  Experiment.

     Click again on the Loudspeaker button for Pattern 1 (the
loudspeaker will reappear) so that you can hear both Patterns together.
Then adjust their keys and octaves.

     Now click on the first box under ACCENT and set an accent cycle for
Pattern 2, using the technique we described before.  Experiment.

     Then click on the word RHYTHM for Pattern 2.  Select a cycle length
of one (by clicking on the number 1 under the grid), and set random
durations by dragging the height of the column from top to bottom.
Experiment.

     Then click on the word LEGATO for Pattern 2.  Select a cycle length
of one, and set random legato-staccato note articulations by dragging
the height of the column from top to bottom with the mouse.  Experiment.

     When you've finished, close the Cyclic Editor window.

     Finally, click on the Sync button in the Control Area to restart both
Patterns together.

     Experiment with the controls you've used until you're pleased with
the music.


Performing

     Of course you can change any of the screen controls with the mouse.

     But if you'd like to use your MIDI keyboard, you can do that too.
You can use your MIDI keyboard to control the program's functioning.
Select C (for Control) from the Picture Matrix in the USE column for any
Pattern.

     Then play B below Middle-C on your MIDI keyboard, for example, and
the music will stop.  Play C and the music will start.  It's a simple
example of using keyboard controls, but there's lots more you can do.

A Few Closing Words

     M's power is formidable.  The complexity it can achieve is
enormous.  When working on your own, our advice is to start simply.
Input a Pattern.  Play it back.  Change variable settings as your music
is playing.  After you have a feeling for working with one Pattern, try
adding a second Pattern, and so on.

     We would have liked to show you everything about M, but there's no
way we could have fit all of M's features into a demo manual.

Happy composing!  We hope you enjoy M.