StudioCalc is a program that calculates delay times (in milliseconds) for each type of rhythmic value (ie. quarter note, triplet half-note, dotted whole-note, etc.), given a tempo in beats-per-minute (BPM). Conversely, if you enter a number of milliseconds for any type of note-value, StudioCalc will tell you what the tempo is, in BPM, and will fill in the rest of the note chart accordingly.
Using StudioCalc is easy: just click in any numerical field, type a number and hit “ReCalculate” ( or type “ENTER” or “RETURN”). The whole chart is updated based on the last number you typed in.
For anyone using System 6.x or earlier who may be unable or unwilling to use Multifinder, I have also written and included a Desk Accessory version, virtually identical to the application version.
** NEW FEATURE IN VERSION 1.1: TAP TEMPO!! **
Now you can enter the tempo by either of two methods:
a) clicking and typing in the tempo field
b) tapping the tempo on your Mac's keyboard. More on this below...
** NEW FEATURE IN VERSION 1.2 : SAVED PREFERENCES **
Now, tap-tempo preferences (enable/disable and user-selected tap key) are saved so that when you restart the program, all is as it was when you last quit.
Also, a bug which caused the program to crash when a lone decimal point was entered in the tempo field has been fixed (special thanks to diligent beta-tester Allan Title from MCA Records for finding that bug.)
** SOCIAL RESPOSIBILITY **
StudioCalc and StudioCalc DA are SHAREWARE. They are NOT FREEWARE. You are encouraged to distribute as many copies of the program as you want to as many users, networks, BBS’s as you wish, as long as the program remains unaltered, and this document accompanies the program. Please DO THE RIGHT THING and REGISTER. For registration information, choose “About the Rent” from the Apple-menu (or the “StudioCalc” menu in the DA).
If I see that people are registering the program, then I will be expanding its features even further to include additional useful studio conversions (such as SMPTE<-->Bar|Beat|Unit, etc.) in a user-friendly, eye-pleasing format. Registered users of the current version will not be expected to pay again for the next upgrade, if and when it is available.
** BUG-FREE, AS FAR AS I CAN SEE **
These are pretty simple programs, and I am reasonably sure they are bug-free, but please let me know if you have any difficulty. I have personally tested both the application and the DA on the following configurations, with no trouble at all:
• SE/30 (System 6.0.5, System 7.1)
• Classic (System 6.0.7)
• Plus (System 6.0.5, System 4.1 —Yes, there are those who still use System 4.1!)
• IIcx (System 6.0.5)
• IIci (System 7.0.1, System 7.1)
• Quadra 900 (System 7.0.1)
** HOW TO USE TAP TEMPO **
Tap tempo is pretty self-explanatory, but here are instructions just in case.
To enable or disable tap tempo, you can use any one of the following three methods:
a) Choose “Enable/Disable Tap Tempo” from the StudioCalc menu, OR:
b) Click the “Tap Tempo Enabled” check box in the StudioCalc window, OR:
c) Hold down the “Command” key and hit the single-quote (') key.
When tap tempo is enabled, tapping the designated tap key in tempo will cause the tempo to be entered in the tempo field. The default tap key is the single-quote (') key on the Macintosh keyboard, but you can customize it to be any key that is convenient for you (except “ENTER” or “RETURN”), by choosing “Select Tap Key…” from the StudioCalc menu. [NOTE: If you are using a program such as SmartKeys to get “smart” quotation marks, you may need to choose “Select Tap Key…” once in order for StudioCalc to even recognize your single-quote key. After that, everything should work fine.]
StudioCalc averages the last four taps. If StudioCalc does not sense any taps for a period of greater than five seconds, then it treats the next tap as if it were the first. (This way, you don’t end up with an outrageously low number if you walk away from the computer for a few minutes and then come back to tap in a new tempo.)
Don’t forget: only the tempo is updated with every tap. In order to update the rest of the chart, click the “ReCalculate” button, or type “ENTER” or “RETURN.”
