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Crawly Crypt Collection 1
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sound
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dosound
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manual.lst
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1992-03-26
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The Menu Bar:
Desk:
Under the Desk menu title are the program credits and any accessories
that were loaded during boot time.
Selecting About DoSound... displays a dialog box which presents a brief
description of the program as well as the version number and copy write
notice.
File:
Under the File menu title are the disk operations as well as the option
to quit the DoSound program.
DoSound keeps track of the path and last file name for each of the
three types of files that can be loaded and saved. Each time the File
Selector box appears, the last accessed path for that file type is
presented as well as the last file accessed as the default file name.
The note tables and register tables used in the chip mode are saved
with the extension .SNG. Also included in this file are some of the
various factors associated with the song such as the time signature and
tempo. These are the files that DoSound can re-load so that you may
continue to work on them.
The output file which contains the actual song in XBIOS(32) format has
the extension .INL. This is a pure binary file that can placed within
your own programs.
If you are in the MIDI mode, the Load and Save file entries will be
changed to Import and Export respectively. When a SMF file is imported
into DoSound, only note on and note off messages are recognized. A limit
of 5120 notes will be read.
MIDI files are saved with the extension .MID. The format used is the
standard MIDI file type 0. Type 0 is a single continuous MIDI track.
Standard MIDI files (SMF) that are coded as type 1 may be imported into
the DoSound program but will be converted to SMF type 0.
Play Song: Displays the file selector box where you can choose a .INL
file to be played in background. There is no effect on your current work
when this entry is chosen. The internal buffer provided for this option
has a maximum size of 12k. Larger files can be re-played with JUKEBOX.PRG.
New: Removes the current song from memory. If you are in the Chip Mode
and the entry New is selected, any MIDI song in memory will not be erased.
If you are in the MIDI Mode and the entry New is selected, any Chip song
in memory will not be erased.
Load: Presents a file select box where you may choose a new song to load.
If a .SNG file is successfully loaded, DoSound will attempt to load the
.INL file with the same name from the same path. If the file is found,
the song will be ready to play as soon as it is loaded, otherwise DoSound
will re-compile the song from the .SNG tables.
Save As: This menu entry presents a file select box where you can choose
the path and file name that the song should be saved to. Once the song
tables have been saved, DoSound will also save the output file to the same
path. Both files will have the same name but with a different extension.
If changes have been made to the song tables since the last time it was
compiled, DoSound will automatically re-compile the current version before
the .INL file is saved.
Save: This menu entry is only available if the song has been previously
saved with the Save As menu entry. This menu entry will save the current
song to the known path and file name without prompting you with the file
select box.
Load Clip: Presents a file select box where you may select a previously
saved clipboard file to load. If successful, the data will be placed in
the clipboard and the previous contents of the clipboard are erased.
Save Clip: This menu entry is only active if the clipboard contains data.
When selected, a file select box is presented where you may select a path
and file name where the current clipboard contents should be saved.
New, Load and Quit: If one of these entries is chosen and changes have
been made to the current song that have not been saved, an alert box will
appear asking you if you want to save the current song first (a "Cancel"
button will also be available which aborts the requested command).
Edit:
Under the Edit menu title are the various editing features provided.
Except for the two Undo commands, all entries work in either the Chip Mode
or the MIDI mode. For the MIDI Mode, a separate Undo command is available
under the MIDI menu title. Additional edit functions specifically for MIDI
files are also provided under the MIDI menu title.
Undo Notes: The last action performed which affects the note table can be
undone with this entry. If you choose to undo an action, this entry is
replaced with Redo. Therefore you can toggle between Undo and Redo. A
brief description of what will be undone or redone is displayed in the menu
entry. Remember that only the very last action that affects the note table
can be undone. Pressing the UNDO key is equivalent to selecting this menu
entry.
Undo Registers: Same as above except that the last action that affected
the register table can be undone (or redone) with this entry. There is no
keyboard equivalent for this function, it must be selected from the menu.
Cut: Removes the notes selected from the note table and places them in
the clipboard. Each notes channel, duration, offset, key and volume are
stored in the clipbaord. The previous contents of the clipboard are erased.
The register table for the measures selected is not copied to the clipboard.
The keyboard equivalent for this command is CTRL+R.
Copy: Copies the notes selected from the note table to the clipboard.
Unlike cut, they are not removed from the song. The previous contents of
the clipboard are erased. The register table for the measures selected is
not copied to the clipboard. The keyboard equivalent for this command is
CTRL+C.
Clear: Removes the notes selected from the note table. Unlike cut and
copy, they are not placed in the clipboard. A confirmation is always
requested when this entry is chosen. The register table for the selected
measures is not cleared. The keyboard equivalent for this command is
CTRL+W.
Transpose: Displays a dialog box where you can change the keys of the
selected notes. Notes can be increased or decreased by any number of half
steps or notes with a specific key can be transposed to another specific
key. Notes that would be transposed off the keyboard range are not changed.
The keyboard equivalent for this command is CTRL+K.
Paste (Merge): Copies the contents of the clipboard to the note table
beginning at the first measure selected. Notes are "merged" with any
notes present in the note table. Since only three notes may be active at
any one time, it may not always be possible to merge the clipboard into the
work area. If a conflict in channel assignments is detected, an error
message will be displayed. The keyboard equivalent for this command is
CRTL+P.
Insert Measure(s): Inserts the number of measures selected into the note
table beginning at the first measure selected. The register table will be
shifted accordingly and the new measures will be filled with the default
values. The keyboard equivalent for this command is the INSERT key.
Delete Measure(s): Deletes the measures selected from the note table.
The notes are not copied to the clipboard. A confirmations is always
requested when this entry is chosen. The register table will be shifted
accordingly and the new measures at the end of the song will be filled with
the default values. The keyboard equivalent for this command is the DELETE
key.
Select Measure(s): Displays a dialog box where you can quickly select a
range of measures (or all measures) for editing. If you are not in the
Edit Mode when this entry is chosen, you will be when you exit. The
keyboard equivalent for this command is CTRL+M.
Display Clipboard: Displays a dialog box which provides information on
the number of notes in the clipboard and their length in current measures.
The clipboard is used to store measures of notes that were cut or copied
from the song. As mentioned previously, the resgister table is not
effected by cut, copy and paste. The register table contains information
relating to the channel enabling, noise period, and wave information at a
given point in time. These values remain unchanged until reformatted.
Options:
Under the Options menu title are various entries which pertain to the
entire song as well as an entry to switch back and forth from the Chip
Mode to the MIDI Mode.
Time Signature: In music, the time signature is a reference which
indicates how sheet music is to be read. Here a dialog box allows you to
change the time signature. Possible values for the beats per measure are
1-12. The note to represent the beat must be a value of 2, 4, 8, or 16.
A 2 represents a half note, a 4 represents a quarter note, an 8 represents
an eight note and a 16 represents a sixteenth note. The time signature
selected will apply to the entire song.
Input Mode: Through this dialog box you may select one of four options to
dictate the way notes are assigned to channels while in the Chip mode. In
the Floating Channel Mode, DoSound will automatically assign notes the next
available channel. In the three Fixed Channel Modes, DoSound will write
notes only to the channel you have specified. With this option (if desired)
you can insure that your notes are written to a particular channel.
Preferences: Within this dialog box you can set up certain personal
preferences that apply to the operation of the program. The options
available are as follows:
Reset dot after new note: If you have selected the dotted note button,
enabling this option will turn the dotted note button off whenever you
change note values.
Reset tuplet after new note: If you have selected the tuplet (3:2) note
button, enabling this option will turn the tuplet button off whenever you
change note values.
Reset accidentals after new note: If you are using the staff for note
input and this option is enabled, whenever you make a change to a keys
accidental, it will be returned to "As Set" after the note has been written.
For instance, if you have the key C set as sharp but you wish to play it
naturally, you would depress the N key (or select the entry Natural from
the Staff menu title) (see the discussion on Staff menu title below). With
this option set, immediately after you have entered the note, your input
would be returned to "As Set".
Disable Key Click: With this option set, a keystroke will not generate
a click. If a song is in the process of being played, a key click will
stop the song from playing. If this option has been enabled and you wish
to stop the output of a song, press the ESC key.
Draw notes -1 pixel: This option controls the drawing of the notes in
the work area. Normally when two notes with an identical key start and end
at the same time, there is no seperation present in the display indicating
that there is not just one note there, but two. If this option is selected,
all notes are drawn with a lenth of one less than normal, thus clearly
showing the seperation of all notes.
Accidentals: Within this dialog box you can set up which keys should have
accidentals associated with them. Each key from A to G can be set as
either natural, flat or sharp. If the staff is being used for note input,
the appropriate designations will be placed on both the bass and treble
clefs. When notes are entered via the staff, they are automatically
converted to the key specified by the accidentals. For instance, if you
have set the key C to be sharp, then placing the mouse pointer over any C
position on the staff will show C# in the tone display and will be written
as C# to the note table if selected. Notes that are set as flat will be
presented in the tone display area with a sharp sign also (for instance D
flat is will show up as a C sharp since they are the same). Notes that are
entered via the piano will not be automatically converted. The designations
on the piano are merely reminders to you that a particular note should be
played a particular way. The reason they are not converted is that you have
access to the accidental keys on the piano where as you do not have access
to them on the staff.
Master Tempo: Within this dialog box you may select how fast a song is to
be played. This is done by specifying how many 'clicks' there are for a
whole note. One click represents 1/50 of a second. The fastest available
tempo is 48 clicks per whole note while the slowest is 192 clicks per whole
note. Typically, a quarter note last for half a second (or 25/50ths of a
second). The initial value of 96 clicks per whole note is used (instead of
100) because it breaks down evenly when continuously divided by two.
The slider bar in the tempo dialog box operates just like a window slider
bar. If you click on the arrow keys, the tempo will be increased (or
decreased) by one click. Clicking inside the slider bar will increase (or
decrease - depending on which side of slider you clicked) the tempo by 16
clicks. You may also drag the slider to any position within the bar. The
tempo selected will apply to the entire song. If you are in the MIDI Mode,
you will be changing the tempo for the MIDI song only and not for the Chip
song (and visa-versa). The keyboard equivalent for this command is the T
key.
Compile & Play: If the sound tables have been changed since the last time
they were compiled, DoSound will rebuild the output file. Otherwise the
output file will be immediately sent to the sound chip and begin playing.
The keyboard equivalent for this command is the F1 key. If the SHIFT key
is being held while this menu entry is chosen, a dialog box will appear
providing you with the opportunity to select the starting point (measure)
that DoSound should begin compiling at. The measure that is currently set
as the compiling measure is indicated in the status bar at the bottom of
the screen. When a song is saved, the compiling measure is always reset
to the first measure so that the entire song is saved.
Information: This dialog box presents some information about the current
song, including the total number of notes, the number of measures used and
the songs duration in minuets and seconds as well as a precise duration in
1/50 of a second intervals. A button is also available to request
information on how many bytes the song file will require. The keyboard
equivalent for this command is the I key.
Display:
Under the Display menu title are various menu entries which control the
way information is displayed.
Piano and Staff: These options switch between the staff and piano displays.
The active option is indicated by a check mark.
Zoom In: Increases the magnification of the measures by 2x each time
selected. The maximum magnification allowed is 4x. With some time
signatures the maximum magnification allowed will be smaller. The reason
for this is that at least one measure must be fully visible. The keyboard
equivalent for this command is the Z key.
Zoom Out: Decreases the magnification of the measures by 2x each time
selected. The minimum magnification allowed is .25x. With some time
signatures the minimum magnification allowed will be higher. The reason
for this is that so that the measures will not be squished into oblivion.
The keyboard equivalent for this command is the X key.
Goto Measure: Displays a dialog box where you can enter a measure number
to quickly 'go to'. The keyboard equivalent for this command is the G key.
Show channels: Displays a dialog box where you can chose to display notes
on specific channels. Any combination of A,B,C or ALL is allowed. The
resulting display will draw only notes on the channels you specify. This
can be helpful to find all notes on channel A for instance.
Show Beats Lines: If active, the beat lines between measures are drawn
horizontally across the screen. The keyboard equivalent for this command
is the B key.
Follow Playback: If follow playback is selected, DoSound will scroll
through the music high lighting the measures that are being played. This
option must be enabled before Compile & Play is selected. To stop the
follow playback once it is in operation, simply press the ESC key. During
follow playback, the menu bar is inactive as are all other commands.
Staff:
Under the Staff menu title are entries specific to the staff input mode.
Selecting one of these entries (or the keyboard equivalent) overrides any
settings specified in Options Accidentals. The active entry is indicated
by a check mark and will remain active until changed (unless Options
Preferences has been set up to indicate otherwise).
As Set: Indicates that the note should be entered into the song table
with its accidental as set with Options Accidentals.
Natural: Indicates to enter the note naturally. (This only has an effect
if a note was specified as sharp or flat).
Flat: Indicates to enter the note as a flat note. (If the note was set
up as a flat, it will become a double flat). (If a note was set up as
sharp it will become natural).
Sharp: Indicates to enter the note as sharp. (If the note was set up to
be sharp, it will become double sharp). (If it was set up to be flat, it
will become natural.)
MIDI:
Under the MIDI menu title are the entries specifically for the MIDI mode.
This includes a separate Undo command for MIDI editing as well as an
options to transfer the MIDI tables to the Chip tables and visa-versa.
If you do not have a MIDI capable instrument connected to your computer,
you will not be able to record or play back MIDI songs. However, there
are some interesting aspects of the MIDI mode that you can use to your
advantage to write Sound Chip songs.
Undo: The last function entered that changed the MIDI tables can be undone
with this command. Like the Undo commands for the Chip mode, it toggles
between Undo and Redo. Pressing the UNDO key is equivalent to selecting
this menu entry.
Play: This entry can be chosen from the menu bar or by depressing the
play button in the tool bar. Playback will begin at the measure specified
from the tool bar. DoSound may have to build the MIDI buffer and find the
first note to begin playing at depending on the situation. A dialog box
will be displayed to let you know what DoSound is doing. Pressing any key
will stop the MIDI output.
Record: Like play, this entry can be chosen from the menu bar or the tool
bar. Recording begins with the first MIDI message received. Recordings
are written to the MIDI buffer starting at the first measure as specified
in the tool bar. This allows you to actually record at any point. All
MIDI data that was present in the MIDI tables from the recording measure
onwards will be deleted. Recording can be stopped by pressing any key.
Recording will also be stopped if the note table runs out of room or if
the time table runs out of room. The MIDI tables have room for 5120 notes
and a time span of almost 10 minuets. Since the MIDI Mode feature was
included as a tool to write songs for the sound chip, only note on and
note off messages are recorded.
Quantize: Displays a dialog box where you can quantize the notes selected.
Quantizing means to adjust the notes timing to perfect intervals. Here
you can choose to Quantize to half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, or
thirty-second notes. For instance if you choose to quantize to the closest
1/16 note interval, each selected notes attack will be forced to begin on
the closest sixteenth note beat. You may also choose to preserve the note
durations or not. If the note durations are not preserved, their ending
times will not be altered (since the starting time has changed and the
ending time has not, the duration is changed). The keyboard equivalent
for this command is CTRL+Q.
Durations: Displays a dialog box where you can adjust the durations of
the selected notes in various ways. You can either multiply the durations
of the selected notes by a percentage or align them to the closest natural
value. Dotted notes and/or 3:2 tuplets may be considered when aligning
durations to the closest natural value (this is controlled by an internal
table).
Delays: Displays a dialog box where you can adjust the delay messages of
the selected notes. Adjusting the delay messages has the effect of
expanding or compressing the length of the notes as well as their starting
times. For instance, you could select 2 measures of music and multiply
their delay messages by 50%. The result would be that the two measures
would now occupy only one measure. The difference from this function
verses the Duration option is that the starting times as well as the
durations are changed. The keyboard equivalent for this command is CTRL+Y.
Transfer: Presents a dialog box where you can set various options relating
to the transfer of the MIDI data to the Sound Chip tables. The data can be
transferred directly to the Chip clipboard or directly to the work area.
Additionally, the write volumes for the three channels can be specified, as
well as a note mask. The note mask dictates which notes should be
considered for transfer to the Sound Chip tables. Only notes that fall
within the specified range will be considered. Since the Sound Chip can
only handle three notes active at any one time, you may specify that the
high notes or low notes should have priority when being transferred. The
Chip time signature as well as the Chip tempo is replaced with the MIDI
values.
Receive: Copies the contents of the Sound Chip tables to the MIDI tables.
Any MIDI data present in the MIDI tables is erased. The MIDI time
signature as well as the MIDI tempo is replaced with the Chip values.
The Tool Bar:
Beneath the menu bar is the tool bar. The tool bar provides quick access
to note functions, action modes and register changes. The register buttons
are replaced with MIDI buttons when the MIDI mode is selected.
Chip Mode:
A: Note Buttons: These buttons act like radio buttons, only one may be
active at any time. The active button appears depressed. The length of
the active note will be the value written to the song table in either the
write mode or the step mode. The active note button may also be selected
by pressing the numerical keys 1-6.
B: Dotted Note Button: Each time this button is selected it will alter
its state from active to inactive. In the active state, the current note
button selected will be written to the song table as a dotted note. Dotted
notes have a length of one and a half times their normal value. The dotted
note button may also be selected by pressing the numerical 7 key.
C: Tuplet Button: Each time this button is selected it will alter its
state from active to inactive. In the active state, the current note
button selected will be written to the song table as a 3:2 tuplet. This
is the most common form of tuplet found in sheet music. Tuplet notes have
a length of two thirds their normal value. This means that 3 tuplet notes
will take the space of 2 normal notes. The tuplet button may also be
selected by pressing the numerical 8 key.
D: Step Marker Buttons: These buttons are only active in the step mode.
Rest Button: Selecting this button advances the step marker the length
of the active note (adjusted by the dotted note and tuplet buttons if
selected). The TAB key can also be used to activate the rest button.
Back Button: This is similar to the rest button except that the step
marker is moved backwards the length of the active note. The BACKSPACE
key may also be used to activate the back button.
E: Wave Button: Selecting this button opens a dialog box where you can
change the wave parameters for the selected measures. If no measures have
been selected, the last measures selected will appear as the default values.
The first and last measures that should be edited can be changed at the top
of the dialog box. The wave parameters available are the wave type, the
wave period and a re-insert flag. Any or all of these factors may be
changed. If you do not want to change a particular parameter, simply
click on the items text box. A text box that is black with white text
means the parameter will be changed. A white box with black text indicates
that it will not be changed. If re-insert wave is set to 'Yes' then each
note that falls within the measures selected will receive a new wave form
before it begins to play (See the discussion on the sound chip in Chapter
1). The area to the left of the wave button displays the active wave
information at the time pointed to by the mouse when the mouse is in the
work area The first value is the wave number followed by the wave period.
If re-insert wave is active there will be a bar over the wave number.
F: Volume Button: Selecting this button opens a dialog box where you can
change the volume information. There are three options here, changing the
write volumes, the global volumes, or the volumes of notes less than a
specific length. Changing the write volumes dictates the volume a note
receives when it is written to the sound table. The values that appear to
the right of the volume button are the current write values. If you are
changing the volumes of notes in a selected range, choose the Global Change
button. You may select any or all channels to change. If you don't want
the volumes for notes on a particular channel changed, click on the text
box for that channel. A black box with white text indicates the volume
will be changed for notes on that channel. A white box with black text
indicates that they will not be changed. Volumes range from 0-16. For a
solid tone, the maximum value is 15. For a tone that is to use the wave
form volume, a value of 16 is required. To change only the volumes of
notes less than a specific length, click on the box before the text
'Lengths less than' (which is at the bottom of the dialog box), and enter
the desired length and desired volume.
G: Time Indicator: When the mouse pointer is in the work area, the time
pointed to by the mouse is displayed in this box. The first number
represents the measure, followed by the beat, followed by the click.
In 4/4 time there are four beats per measure numbered 1-4, and 24 clicks
per beat numbered 0-23. If you are at a zoom level of less than 1X
magnification, you may not be able to access all clicks per beat depending
on the time signature you are using.
H: Note Indicator: When the mouse pointer is in the work area (or on the
piano), the note pointed to by the mouse is displayed in this box. If the
staff is being used and the mouse is outside the staff area '---' will
appear in the note indicator box.
I: Action buttons: These buttons are like radio buttons, only one may be
active at a time. The active button will appear depressed.
Write Mode: The first button with the picture of a pencil is the write
mode button. In the write mode the mouse pattern will change to a thin
cross hair if moved into the work area. Clicking the mouse button in the
work area causes a note to be written to the sound table at the time
pointed to and with a length determined by the note buttons.
Erase Mode: The second button with a picture of an eraser is the erase
mode button. The mouse pattern will change to a framed cross hair if moved
into the work area. Clicking the mouse button in the work area causes any
note pointed to by the mouse to be erased from the sound table.
Edit Mode: The third button with two curved arrows is the edit mode
button. In the edit mode you can select measures for editing or edit
specific notes. To edit a specific note, simply click on that note and a
dialog box will appear giving you the opportunity to change the notes
parameters. The starting time, key, volume and duration may be changed.
A notes channel assignment cannot be changed. To select a range of
measures, move the mouse to the left side of the screen and click on a
measure number. If you hold the mouse key down and drag the mouse up or
down, the measures will scroll. If you drag the mouse above the first
visible measure, the measures will scroll backwards. If you drag the mouse
below the last visible measure, the measures will scroll forwards. The
range of measures selected will be updated on the bottom of the screen in
the status bar at the far right. If you change your mind, and want to make
a different selection, release the mouse button and start over. Pressing
the ESC key or changing action buttons will also cause the current
selection to be reset.
Step Mode: The fourth button with a small piano is the step mode button.
In the step mode, you may write notes to the song table by clicking on the
piano keys or on the staff (or if in the MIDI mode, by playing the MIDI
instrument). The mouse pattern will change to a pointing hand when moved
over the piano or staff. Notes will be written to the song table at the
time indicated by the step marker (a dotted line that appears horizontally
across the screen). The step marker will automatically advance once a note
has been written. To write a chord of notes, hold down the SHIFT key
before the note is selected. DoSound will now wait for at least one more
note to be entered before advancing the step marker. A maximum number of
three notes may be entered as a chord (afterwards the step marker will
automatically advance, except while in the MIDI mode where there is no
note limit). Note values may be changed during a chord input. Clicking
the mouse in the work area causes the step marker to be moved to the time
pointed to. Clicking on a measure number will cause the step marker to be
positioned at the start of that measure. The step mode is most useful for
entering notes from sheet music.
J: Noise Button: Selecting this button displays a dialog box where you can
change the noise period for a range of measures. In order for a note to be
played with a noise period, it must first be enabled with the enable button.
The noise period selected can have a range of 0 to 31 and applies to all
channels that are enabled for noise. When the mouse pointer is located in
the work area, the noise period active at the time pointed to is displayed
in the box to the right of this button.
K: Enable Button: Selecting this button displays a dialog box where you
can change the channel enabling for a range of measures. Each channel may
be enabled for tone and/or noise, or neither. If you do not wish to change
the enabling for a specific channel, simply click on that channels text box.
A black box with white text indicates that the enabling for that channel
will be changed. A white box with black text means that the enabling for
that channel will not be changed. When the mouse pointer is in the work
area, the enabling active at the time pointed to is displayed in the box to
the right of this button. There are two values displayed for each channel
in the following format: Y:N Y:N Y:N. The first group relates to channel
A, followed by channel B and then C. The first parameter is the tone
indicator, the next is the noise indicator. A 'Y' indicates that it is
enabled, while a 'N' indicates that it is not. So in the above example all
channels are enabled for tone, but not for noise.
MIDI Mode:
A: Rewind Button: Selecting this button decrements the 'From Measure'
counter. The counter will continue to decrement while the mouse key is
held down.
B: Measure Counter: When either play or record is selected, the requested
action will begin at the measure indicated here. Use the rewind and fast
forward buttons to change this value.
C: Fast Forward Button: Selecting this button increments the 'From
Measure' counter. The counter will continue to increment while the mouse
key is held down.
D: Play Button: Selecting this button is equivalent to selecting the Play
menu entry from the MIDI menu title. MIDI playback will begin at the
measure indicated in the measure counter. See the discussion on the MIDI
menu title.
E: Record Button: Selecting this button is equivalent to selecting the
Record menu entry from the MIDI menu title. MIDI recording will begin at
the measure indicated in the measure counter. Any MIDI data present in
the MIDI tables from the measure counter onwards is deleted prior to
recording. See the discussion on the MIDI menu title.
All other parts in the tool bar respond identically as described under the
Chip Mode.
ə