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1990-01-02
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GFmusic RELEASE 4.2 January 1990
P.O. Box 272136
Tampa, FL 33688-2136
(813) 961-9207
GFmusic.... Professional MIDI Sequencing for
Computer-wise musicians wanting
something more powerful than a
"MIDI tape recorder."
GFmusic runs on the IBM PC/XT/AT/PS2 or compatible and requires one
of the following MIDI interfaces:
MPU-401 or compatible.
Optronics Interface
CMS-404 Interface
KEE Midiator (an interface that connects to the PC serial port
making it a good alternative for laptop use).
A review of GFmusic can be found in the 12/89 issue of Keyboard Magazine.
A general description of GFmusic follows along with a list of major
features and requirements but first...
THIS SHAREWARE IS UNIQUE BECAUSE.....
it provides you a complete professional MIDI Sequencer with ALL
of the features of the commercial version. It also provides
you COMPLETE documentation (160 pages, same content, not as
pretty). Nothing is crippled and all documentation is
included. So what's the catch? When you save your songs, the
program delays for 5 minutes before saving and then resuming.
And when you load a song from disk the program delays 2
minutes. Except for these delays there are no differences
between the Shareware version and the commercial version.
The Shareware version of GFmusic contains 3 files.
- GFMUSIC.DOC (this file)
- GFPROGS.ZIP (about 160K bytes)
This file created with PKZIP 1.02 and contains the
GFmusic programs, files, and demo songs that the
manual refers to.
- GFMANUAL.ZIP (about 130K)
Created with PKZIP 1.02 contains the GFmusic manual)
The Shareware documentation is current as of 1/90. The entire
manual is in GFMANUAL.ZIP including its Table of Contents and a
complete Index. Its physical format is not as nice as the
commercial version but the contents are almost identical.
Without the manual GFmusic is significantly more difficult to
learn and use. The main reason is that it's not
intuitively obvious how to use GFmusic because it is NOT BASED
ON THE TAPE RECORDER METAPHOR! It is based on the "Sequences
Calling Sequences" metaphor. Dr. T KCS users could probably
get by without the manual because the basic principles are similar.
However, GFmusic is NOT a clone of the KCS and there are
enough significant differences that we do not recommend this
practice. With the manual, KCS users could make the
transition very fast.
"Dr. T's" and "KCS" are trademarks of Dr. T's Music Software
Inc. There is no affiliation between Dr. T's and GFmusic.
************************************************************
* GFmusic is a professional MIDI Sequencer and not a toy *
* MIDI tape recorder. The manual is about 160 pages and *
* if there is one main recommendation it is to *
* *
* READ THE MANUAL! *
* *
* At 160 pages, be prepared for a long download and have *
* plenty of paper and a new ribbon in your printer. *
* *
* Don't forget to read README.TXT in GFPROGS.ZIP. *
************************************************************
************************************************************
* We recommend that you not bother with the *
* programs without first downloading the manual and *
* reading it! *
************************************************************
If you would like to save the download time, you can order the
Shareware copy on disk from GFmusic for $15 which will apply to
the purchase price if you order the full version. The current
price for the commercial version is $89. Prices and conditions
are subject to change. Call for current details.
GFmusic Midi Sequencer Description
Close on the heels of the MIDI Standard came a flood of
Sequencers that enabled musicians to use Personal Computers for
controlling the recording and playback of music. Even today most
Sequencers use the multi-track tape recorder as the basic model
for operation. There is now an alternative...
SEQUENCES CALLING SEQUENCES
With GFmusic, the model of Sequencer as multi-track tape recorder
is modified significantly. Each track now becomes a task and can
contain events (instructions) to start other tasks (tracks) the
same way one computer program starts another. When one track
(task) starts another, it can start the track and let it run
independently, or, it can wait for the started track to complete
before going on to its own next event (instruction). And also
like computer programs, when one track starts another, it can
pass parameters to modify the outputs of the started task. For
example, the "starter" can have the "startee" play all notes 1
octave higher. GFmusic songs may contain 255 tracks and there is
no logical limit to subtasking depth. For example, track A can
start tracks B and C, C can start D, E, and F, etc.
GFmusic can still be used as a simple multi-track
Sequencer but the real power is realized when use is made
of the "tracks as tasks" feature (often referred to as
the "Sequences Calling Sequences" metaphor in many trade
magazines such as Electronic Musician or Keyboard). It's
a bit different but once you get the hang of actually
thinking in terms of Sequences Calling Sequences you
wonder how anyone could still use Sequencers based on the
old tape recorder or drum machine metaphors.
GFmusic Midi Sequencer Description
EVENT EDITING
GFmusic has a full screen Event Editor that allows complete and
easy access and modification of any parameter for any event in
any track. The Event Editor has all of the capabilities you
would expect from a top of the line Editor. Examples are
commands for copying, inserting, deleting, and erasing events.
There are also a variety of commands for transpose, expand and
compress, quantizing, hiding controller events, playing while in
edit, MIDI channel reassignment, and even "undo" capabilities.
PLAY / RECORD FEATURES
Real-time play/record features provide for computer keyboard
control of starting and stopping tracks; transposition of pitch
or velocity and muting or soloing applied to individual tracks or
groups of tracks; pause and resume; fast forward; tempo control;
filters for pitch bend, after touch, and controller events;
echoing of MIDI In to MIDI Out; etc. The play/record screen
shows status in real-time including what tracks are running,
track start/wait relationships, pitch and velocity transpositions
imposed on tracks when they were started, how many repeats/loops
they have left, which tracks are muted, the current measure, the
current tempo, etc.
EXTERNAL LIBRARIES
Track Library features are also supported. Tracks for one song
can obtain their events from tracks in another song. The result
is that you can maintain libraries of commonly used tracks such
as drum patterns, bass lines, chord progressions, etc. Recording
and playback of MIDI SysEx data is also supported and is a
natural for combining with the Track Library feature.
GFmusic Midi Sequencer Description
PERFORMANCE AND TIMING
MIDI Running Status is also supported. If your songs are
particularly "dense" and running at the edge of the MIDI
band width, use of Running Status can help by eliminating about
30% of the MIDI traffic. MIDI Clocking is also supported.
GFmusic also has a "Perfect Timing" feature for extremely dense
music running on slower 4.77 MHz PCs.
PROGRAMMER'S INTERFACE
GFmusic is the only (repeat ONLY) sequencer that has a
comprehensive and easy to use Programmer's Interface. With the
Programmer's Interface you can write your own enhancements to
operate from GFmusic's Main Menu or from its Event Editor. Or,
you can run programs written by Independent Programmers.
Examples of programs that are currently being written by others
for GFmusic are random note generators, Event Editor commands for
scaling velocity, and programs for computer generated tracks such
as melodies, chords progressions, etc. The Programmer's
Interface is easy to use and supports any language that
understands "pointers" (Pascal, C, Assembler, and some
implementations of Basic). "Advanced" programming techniques are
not required. If you know how to program, you can use GFmusic as
the platform for your own creativity. And, the code you develop
is yours to distribute as you wish (no license fees). We will
even help you by telling others of your work via the GFmusic
Newsletter (at no charge).
The Programmer's Interface documentation is not included in
the Shareware version.
GFmusic Midi Sequencer Description
REQUIREMENTS
Requirements are an IBM PC/XT/AT/PS2 or compatible, 512K of RAM, DOS
2.1 or higher, and 2 floppies or a hard disk. Color
(CGA/EGA/VGA) and Monochrome (IBM or Hercules) are both
supported.
A MIDI interface is also required.
- Roland MPU-401 (or compatible)
- Optronics Technology's Basic Midi I/O
- CMS 404
- KEE Midiator
For additional information contact GFmusic, P.O. Box 272136,
Tampa, FL 33688-2136; Call 813-961-9207 from 7:30 PM to 12:30 AM
Eastern Time for a technician to answer all your questions. At
other times you will reach a recorded message giving general
information and ordering details.
Or, contact Optronics Technology in Ashland Oregon.
Call (703) 338-2110.
GFmusic
DETAILED FEATURES LIST
--------
- Will play tracks via PC's speaker as well as thru
MIDI (a novelty item).
- Up to 255 Tracks, 7,000 events per Track.
Approx. 29,000 total events with 640k of memory.
- A Programmer's Interface for easily developing your own
Main Menu or Editor commands in ANY language. Or, for
running code developed for GFmusic by Independent Programmers.
- Will record and play back System Exclusive data.
- Will use Midi Running Status for extra performance. Also
has a "Perfect Timing" feature for songs that are particularly
complex or dense (only needed for the older 4.77 MHZ PCs and
only in unusual circumstances).
- External or Internal Midi Clocking (e.g. for Drum Machines).
- Full tempo control from events within Tracks.
GFmusic has 3 event types that you can include in your tracks.
They are BPM, BPMUP, and BPMDN for full tempo control from
within your songs.
- Supports LIBRARIES of EXTERNAL SEQUENCES (Tracks) so that
you can create files of often used Tracks (such as
drum patterns, bass lines, chord progressions, etc.) and
include them in your songs.
- Supports CONTROL SEQUENCES
- Start other Tracks and have them LOOP (repeat).
- A Control Track can start another Track and
forget it, or wait for the started Track to
finish looping the designated number of times
specified when it was started.
- When starting a Track, the control Track
can specify pitch and/or velocity transpositions
to take place in the started Track.
- Control Tracks can start other Control Tracks.
- Control Statements can reside in any Track.
You can mix control statements with Midi events
such as Note-On events.
DETAILED FEATURES CONT'D
- EDIT ANY PART OF ANY EVENT IN ANY SEQUENCE.
- Easy to use FULL SCREEN EDITing....NOT LINE BY LINE.
- You can UNDO the effects of commands.
- Quantize event Start Time and/or Duration of notes
- TRANSPOSE Pitch, Velocity, or Duration for selected
or all events in a Track.
- COPY, DELETE, ERASE, INSERT EVENTS
- EXPAND/CONTRACT some/all events by any factor you choose.
E.g. make a Track twice as long but leave duration
of notes the same. Or make a 4 bar Track 2 bars long
and duration of all notes is reduced by half also.
- HIDE/UNHIDE and THIN controller events.
- FLEXIBLE PLAY FEATURES
- Start a Track or groups of Tracks from the
computer keyboard.
- PLAY PAUSE FEATURE allowing you to pause a song by
simply pressing the space bar. To start where you
left off just press the space bar again.
- TRANSPOSE FROM COMPUTER KEYBOARD
- You can transpose pitch and/or velocity of notes in
Tracks from the computer keyboard while they are
playing.
- CHANGE TEMPO from the computer keyboard during play.
- FAST FORWARD and SKIP TO MEASURE to make
overdubbing easier.
- MUTE and SOLO Tracks during play and/or Overdub.
DETAILED FEATURES CONT'D
- EASY TO USE RECORDING
- "Punch in" is dead. OVERDUB IS THE WAY TO RECORD.
- Metronome via PC speaker available.
- RECORD FILTERS for Pitch Bend, Control Change, and
After Touch. You can record these events or have them
filtered out during recording.
- ECHO on any Midi Channel for use with Controller
keyboards and Sound Modules.
- Supports full DOS PATHNAMES for loading and saving
songs and Tracks.
- Load multiple songs at the same time. Load a library of Drum
patterns, or bass lines. Load individual Tracks
from any song. Save individual Tracks as separate files.
- Tracks can contain events on any and all channels.
I.e. a Track is NOT limited to 1 Midi Channel.
************** end of gfmusic.doc ******************