Loadstar 25/025.d81/t.sound advice 1

Text File | 2022-08-26 | 7KB | 404 lines

     SOUND ADVICE for the C-128
                 by
            Gary Fields

COMMODORE POWER/PLAY MAGAZINE
June/July, 1986
p.100

**************************************
NOTE: Because this program is written
for the C-128 it cannot be run
directly from LOADSTAR 64.  To run the
program, press your RESET button.
This will automatically display a
menu of the C-128 programs in this
issue.  Choose the program you wish
to run from this menu.
**************************************


  SOUND ADVICE, a sound editor for the

C-128, has two main options.  One

option lets you create sound effects

such as rusty hinges or laser blasts.

The other option lets you turn your

C-128 into a musical instrument.


  When you have the sound that you

want (sound effect OR music), you can

print the statements and parameters

used to create it to on printer.

You can then use the sound in your own

BASIC programs by typing in the

listing your printer produces into

your program.


USING SOUND ADVICE....


  The first screen that you see

serves as a main menu.  Here you

choose whether you want to work on a

sound effect (ENVELOPE), play music

(PLAY), or QUIT.


THE ENVELOPE OPTION

  When you choose this option, you

are first asked to define important

parameters of the sound: volume,

voice, frequency, and duration.  Use

this table (and experimentation) to

choose these values:


             TABLE A

VOLUME: 15
VOICE: V= 1
FREQUENCY: F= 4444
DURATION: D= 10


  Once you have entered these values,

you are asked to set some optional

parameters.  First, though, you are

given a chance to hear the sound in

its present state and alter it-- enter

"N" instead of the default value of

(Y)es at the OPTIONAL PARAMETERS line.


  You will then see a SOUND AGAIN

line that prompts you to (y)es, hear

the sound again, (n)ot hear it again,

(c)lear screen, (p)rint information,

or (q)uit.


  If you answer "no", the cursor will

return to the VOLUME line, allowing

you to change the first values.  If

you answer "quit" you will return to

the main menu.  And if you enter

"print", a window containing prompts

to dump the sound's statements to the

printer will open at the bottom of the

screen.


  Entering the default value at the

OPTIONAL PARAMETERS line lets you set

the sweep direction, the minimum

sweep frequency, the sweep step

value, and the waveform.  Notice

that if you choose Option Two for the

WAVEFORM parameter, you must set the

PULSE WIDTH parameter also.


  Don't worry about coming up with

these values off of the top of your

head-- SOUND ADVICE's author urges

you to experiment your first time

through the program.  You can also

refer to TABLE B for some sample

values for the optional parameters.

              TABLE B

DIRECTION: DR= 2 (OSCILLATE FREQ)
MINIMUM FREQUENCY: M= 4321
STEP VALUE: S= 123
WAVEFORM: W= 2 (VARIABLE PULSE)
PULSE WIDTH: P= 3095


  When you have entered the values

for WAVEFORM, the last parameter, you

will again see a SOUND AGAIN line

that allows you to hear the sound,

send it to the printer, or alter it

further.


THE PLAY OPTION


  The PLAY option turns your C-128

keyboard into a musical instrument.

When you choose this option from the

main menu, you will go to the PLAY

NOTES screen.  Again you will be

prompted to enter parameters defining

the volume and tempo.  (The larger the

number entered for TEMPO, the faster

the notes are sounded.)


  Next, you are asked to DEFINE

ENVELOPE, in other words, to pick one

of the C-128's instruments to

redefine.  Then you must define some

of the musical properties of that

enevelope.  (Look at p.144 of your

C-128 systems guide to see these

properties and their predefined

values.)


  Once you have entered these values,

you have the option to turn the

FILTER on.  If you turn it on, you

will be given five filter parameters

to define.  The author of the program

recommends that you become familiar

with the sublties of SOUND ADVICE

before you worry about filters too

much.


  When you have defined these

parameters, you come to the PICK

COMMAND line.  Its six options allow

you to write and play notes as well

as sending them to the printer.


THE SOUND NOTE OPTION


  The first option, "S" will open a

window at the bottom of the screen

and show the values for the envelope

you have just defined.


  You can now play notes if you press

any of the keys A through G.  To play

a sharp, press the "#" key and a note

key (A-G).  Press "4" before notes

for flats and the "period" first for

dotted notes.  You will see the notes

listed in the window under the value

information.


  You can also change the way the

notes are played while you are in the

SOUND NOTE option.  Pressing "O" and

following it with a number (0-6) will

change the notes octave.  You can

also change the volume (U), select

another envelope (T), and turn the

filter on and off (X), in the same

manner.  You may also play different

voices by entering "V" followed by a

"1", "2", or "3", but the author

suggests that you stay with Voice 1.


  You can change the duration of the

notes by typing in W (whole note), H

(half), Q (quarter), I (eighth), or S

(sixteenth).  SOUND ADVICE, in order

to match all of the C-128's sound

statements exactly, "R" ("rest until

all voices playing end") and "M"

(wait for end of measure") have been

added-- but they will not alter what

you hear.


  To quit the SOUND NOTE option,

press the SPACE BAR.


THE DUMP WINDOW OPTION


  If you like how a particular

combination sounds, you might want to

print out a record of the notes and

values.  Use the "D" option from the

PICK COMMAND line to send this

information to the printer.


  If you are using a non-Commodore

printer, the reversed type in the

window might cause you to get some

unwanted results when you print.  To

fix this problem, use the cursor left

and cursor right keys to remove the

reversed type before printing. (The

cursor right key will print colons on

the screen, but colons will not be

printed by the printer.)


THE PRINT OPTION

  Entering "P" will make a printout of

the information on the screen.  It

also prints an example program that

you can duplicate for use in your own

programs.  Line 50 of this program

prints out: FOLLOWED BY SELECTED

NOTES.  If you liked the notes you

have created, you can insert those

notes into Line 50.  The result will

be a customized melody.


FILES REQUIRED:

SOUND ADVICE.128

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