The Game Master (3rd Edition)/The Game Master 3rd edition.iso/files/musieech/fmpaka/fmpaka.exe/lha/FMTUNE1.HLP

Text File | 1990-12-28 | 17KB | 214 lines

                         ┌┬──────────────────────┬┐
                         ││ FM-Tune: Frequencies ││
                         └┴──────────────────────┴┘

 Function key usage                                          Mouse

   F1     - Display this help information.                  [Help]
   F2     - Reset to standard pitch, equal temperament      [Reset]
   F3     - Exit program.                                   [Exit]
   F4     - Save frequency information to disk.             [Save]
   F5     - Load frequency information from disk.           [Load]
   F6     - Switch to scale tempering screen.               [Temper]
   F7     - Play current note.                              [Sound]
   F8     - Stop any notes playing.                         [Quiet]
   F9     - Decrease value of current field.                <left button>
   F10    - Increase value of current field.                <right button>
   Home   - Move to first screen cell.
   Alt-F1 - Toggle note following off/on (default is on).   [Follow]
   Alt-F3 - Push to DOS.                                    [Push]
   Alt-F7 - Toggles pc speaker on/off (default is off).     [Speaker]
   Alt-R  - Set other cells in row the same as current cell.
   Alt-C  - Set other cells in column the same.

 ┌─────────┐
 │ Editing │
 └─────────┘

 Use the arrow keys to move the large block cursor around the screen to
 select the available data fields or "cells".  On a color monitor, the data
 in cells which can be changed will appear yellow.  Note the input area near
 the bottom of the screen, indicated by ">" and the small blinking cursor.
 To enter or change a selected cell, type into the input area and press
 return.  The value entered will then appear in the cell (if the input was
 valid).  A description of the valid input for the current cell will always
 appear on the line above the input area.

 Use the following keys for editing:

  Return    - Retrieves the current contents of a cell and places it in the
                input area for modification (if the input area is empty).
  Insert    - Toggles between character insert and overwrite modes.
  Delete    - Deletes the character at the cursor.
  BackSpace - Deletes the character before the cursor.
  End       - Moves to the end of the character string.
  Home      - Moves to the beginning of the character string.
  Escape    - Erases the input area.

 ┌───────────┐
 │ Operation │
 └───────────┘

 Each cell on the tuning screen corresponds to one of the 128 possible MIDI
 notes, designated 0 thru 127, or C-2 thru G8 (middle C = 60 = C3).  Moving
 to a cell will highlight a particular note and its "standard" frequency in
 cycles per second, or Hertz (Hz).  Its MIDI number and note name will appear
 at the top of the screen.  The frequency of any note can be changed by
 typing in a new value, or by using F9/F10 to decrement/increment it.  When
 that note is played by a MIDI controller, its MIDI designation is sent to
 the computer and information is resent to the Music Feature or FB-01 to
 cause it to play at the specified frequency.  A typical setup for use with
 an FB-01 follows:


       ┌──────────┐                       ┌──────────────────┐
       │          │                       │    Keyboard or   │
       │ Computer ───── MIDI IN ─────────┤ other controller │
       │          ├───── MIDI OUT ───┐    └──────────────────┘
       └──────────┘                  │
                                     │       ┌───────────┐
                                     └───────   FB-01   │
                                             └───────────┘

 For use with a Music Feature card, a keyboard or other controller connected
 to the MFC's MIDI IN is all that is required.

 Note that the FB-01 and Music Feature are NOT capable of storing variable
 tuning information.  Each note must be sent with the proper base note and
 fractional tuning information in a special system exclusive message.
 Therefore, new tunings are only active as long as this program is running to
 translate the incoming MIDI data.

 While any note can be designated to be any frequency in the range 8 to
 15,542 Hz, the FB-01 and MFC can only play in the range D#-1 to D7 (20-4700
 Hz). This is also dependent on the individual voice configuration (i.e.,
 whether the voice or individual operators are transposed out of that range).
 Out-of-range notes are mapped back into the legal range by the sound module.
 The full set of 128 notes are provided, however, so that all may be utilized
 in alternate tunings (for example, scales with more than 12 steps per
 octave).

 ┌────────┐
 │ Saving │
 └────────┘

 Once a tuning has been established, the individual frequency definitions can
 be saved for future use.  Press the F4 (Save) function, and you will be
 prompted for a file name.  Frequency information will be written to that
 file, and can be later reloaded via the F5 (Load) function.

 There are two basic formats for this file.  The format written by the
 program includes information to load the table quicker.  You can create your
 own tuning file, however, which simply includes frequency values.  It must
 contain 1 frequency per each of 128 lines, corresponding to the MIDI notes.
 Two decimal places are assumed, so values must be multiplied by 100.  The
 first entry *MUST* be non-zero.

 If a wildcard character (* or ?) appears in the file name when using the
 load function, a list of matching file names will be displayed.  Move to one
 of them and press return (or click if using a mouse) to select and load from
 that file.  The same rules used by DOS for file matching apply.

 ┌───────────┐
 │ Tempering │
 └───────────┘

 A variety of common scale temperings are available via the F6 (Temper)
 option.  This feature also lets you conveniently enter new temperaments.
 Press F1 (Help) on the Temperaments screen for more information.

 ┌───────────────┐
 │ Miscellaneous │
 └───────────────┘

 As notes are played via the MIDI controller, the highlighted note cell will
 jump from one to another, corresponding to the note just played.  For fast
 sequences, this may slow down playing.  To turn this off, press Alt-F1
 (Follow).

 For reference, or if the FB-01 or MFC are not active, the pc speaker may be
 used to listen to the designated frequencies.  Press Alt-F7 (Speaker) to
 enable the speaker.  Press it again to disable.  Only monophonic sound is
 available from the speaker, so any chords played will sound as the last note
 triggered.

 ┌─────────────┐
 │ Mouse usage │
 └─────────────┘

 When a Microsoft-compatible mouse is available and the mouse driver software
 properly loaded, operations using the mouse will be enabled.  The mouse may
 be used to select an input cell on the screen by positioning the small mouse
 cursor on the cell and single clicking either button.  The cell will be
 highlighted, just as if the cell had been selected using the arrow keys.

 Any cell which can be changed using the F10/F9 keys to increment/decrement,
 may be changed in a similar manner using the mouse.  Once a cell is selected
 by clicking on it, subsequent clicking of the left button will decrement the
 cell value, and clicking of the right button will increment it.

 In mouse mode, the function key designations normally displayed at the
 bottom of the screen are changed to selector blocks for each available
 function.  Clicking on a block will perform the indicated function.  All
 functions may still be invoked via the normal keyboard equivalents.

 If mouse operations are not desired, add the -k option on the command line
 when the program is run to force keyboard mode.

 ┌────────────────────┐
 │ Command line usage │
 └────────────────────┘

 FMTUNE <-options>

 <-options> may be any of the following:

 -d  Selects the MIDI interface to use if more than one is present in the
     system:

              -dmfc      selects IBM Music Feature
              -dmpu      selects MPU-401 compatible
              -dmidiator selects MIDIator
              -dsbmidi   selects Sound Blaster MIDI

              (The first 3 letters of the device name are sufficient.)

     The MIDIator cannot be detected automatically and the -dmid option
     must always be specified if one is in use.

     Non-standard IRQ and I/O port address information can be added following
     the device id if necessary:

              -dxxx:<irq>:<ioaddr>

     For example, to define an MPU-compatible interface using IRQ 5 and I/O
     address 332 (hex), use:

              -dMPU:5:332

     If only the I/O address is required but the default IRQ is alright,
     use -dMPU::332.

     The irq and ioaddr are not relevant to the MIDIator, though the first
     option number can be given to indicate use of the com port 2 instead of
     the default com 1.  (ex: -dmid:2)

 -i  Try to determine the IRQ in use automatically (MPU and MFC only).

 -v  List the type of interface actually selected before starting.

 -k  forces keyboard mode if a mouse is present.

 -m  forces monochrome mode (mono mode is automatically detected).

 -b  selects BIOS writes to the screen, instead of the default direct
     output mode.  This slows screen updating substantially, but may be
     necessary for proper operation on certain systems.

  Separate all options with at least one space.



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