LSD Docs/LSD Docs.iso/FILEZ/lsd34.dms/lsd34.adf/DrTsBoomBox.doc.pp/DrTsBoomBox.doc

Text File | 1990-09-13 | 16KB | 436 lines

                             Skid Row

                             presents

                        Dr. T's: Boom Box

                     Interactive Musical Fun

Introduction:
Batteries Not Included-
Batteries Not Needed!

Welcome to Boom Box, the fun, interactive music software!

Using Boom Box, you can play hundreds of different sounds, add drums,
bass, and synth patterns, they record your mix and play it back.  Your
new Boom Box is easy, fun, and sounds great!

What is Boom Box?

Boom Box is a software program for making and playing music.  You use a
mouse or computer keyboard to play drums, bass, and synth patterns, and
to trigger different solo sounds.

You can interactively change the solo sounds and patterns while they are
playing.  You can record your mixes, add effects to any sound you choose,
then play your mix and store it on computer disk.  Boom Box gives you
a lot of options for creative control over your music!

How do I use this book?

This book is divided into two sections- the Front Panel (Using Boom
Box), and the Back Panel (Reference Section).  Use the first Section
to learn Boom Box.  If you go straight through it, you'll learn almost
everything you need to know to have fun with Boom Box.

The Back Panel (Reference Section) is an easy guide to every Boom Box
feature and menu.  Use this section to find out specific information
about a menu item or screen area.

Installing Boom Box on Your Computer

Before installing Boom Box, make backup copies of your program disks.
Use the backups to install the program.  The Boom Box program is easy
to install to your hard disk.  To install the Amiga version of Boom
Box:

   1) Double click on the Install icon on Boom Box Disk 1.
   2) Follow the on-screen instructions to install Boom Box to your
      hard disk.

Note: the Amiga version of Boom Box doesn't require a hard disk.  If
you're running Boom Box from a floppy, there's no need to run the
install program.

The "ON" Switch - Starting Boom Box

The Boom Box install procedure creates a directory on your hard disk.
After you have installed Boom Box, enter the Boom Box directory in
order to start.

   1) To start the Amiga version of Boom Box, double click on the Boom Box
      icon.
   2) When you first start Boom Box, this screen will appear:

Section I-
The Front Panel:
Using Boom Box

Boom Box actually has three Front Panels-each one lets you do a different
thing:

   o the Boom Box Screen.
   o the Remix Screen.
   o the Jam Screen.

The first chapter in this section discusses the Boom Box screen and the
Remix screen.  It describes the various buttons and controls, and teaches
you how to play along with Boom Box, and how to record and playback
your own mix.

Chapter Two discusses the Remix and Jam screens.

Section I ends with Chapter Three where you learn some hints, tricks,
and tips for using Boom Box.

Chapter 1-Record Your Session!

The Boom Box Screen

Play button: starts playback or recording.
Pause button: pauses playback or recording.
Record button: puts Boom Box in record mode.
Tape counter
Menu bar
Fast Forward button: acts like the Fast Forward button on a cassette deck.
Rewind button: acts like the Rewind button on a cassette deck.
Stop button: stops playback or recording.
Volume Sliders: changes the volumes for the Drums, Bass, Synthesizer,
 and Solo tracks.

To enter the Boom Box screen, select Boom Box from the Mode menu.  This
is the default screen when you load Boom Box, so you may already be
there.

Press the PLAY button.  Then press keys 1-6 to play the samples.  Now
you can play along while in Play mode.

Press the STOP button.

Press the RECORD button so it highlights, then press the PLAY button.
You are now recording.

Drag the sliders on the screen.  You can change the volume level of each
part this way.

When you are finished, click the STOP button.  Your mix automatically
rewinds.

After you record a mix, you're automatically in Playback mode.  Playback
mode is used to play the mix you just recorded.

Press PLAY to listen to the mix you just recorded.

If you are satisfied with a mix, you can save it to your disk.  If you
want to record another mix, simply press the record button again.

   1) Use the mouse to select Save... from the Project menu.  The Save
      Mix File dialog box will appear:
   2) Type the name you want to give this mix.  Check the File path so
      you know where to find this mix if you want to load it later.
   3) Click OK.  Now your mix is saved!

When you start Boom Box, the file BOOMBOX.BOX is automatically loaded.
You can save your favorite file with that name so whenever you start
the program, you can immediately play your favorite file.

Playback Mode

After you record a mix, the program automatically switches to Playback
mode.  While you're in playback mode, the word "Playback" appears on
the screen.

You can switch in and out of Playback mode by clicking on Playback in the
Mode menu.

Playback mode is only used to playback your own mixes.  You can't solo
or change any of the settings while in Playback mode.

The buttons on the Boom Box screen work just like the buttons on a tape
recorder.  Try clicking the PLAY, PAUSE, STOP, FAST FORWARD, and REWIND
buttons.

You can also use the space bar to start and stop Boom Box.

The Remix Screen

To enter the Remix screen, choose Remix from the Mode menu.

The Remix screen works a lot like the Boom Box screen, only it lets you
add a lot more.  You can record your own mix as in the Boom Box screen,
and you can also change the tempo, add effects with the FX sliders, and
use the Solo Pads to play samples.  The Remix screen lets you monitor
the patterns that are playing, but you can't change the patterns.

To the right of the pattern buttons are the Retrigger and Loop buttons.
While Boom Box is playing, you can press the Retrigger button to retrigger
the current measure.  You can also turn on the Loop button to loop the
current measure.

The Solo Pads can be used several ways.  You can either click on the
Solo Pads, or use the number keys (1-6).

Try recording some sounds and patterns.  Click on the RECORD button
to enter record mode, then press the space bar to begin recording.

The patterns will play, and you can use the sliders in the middle of the
screen to control the levels.

Use the Solo Pads to play solo sounds- click on a number, press a number
on the keyboard (1-6).

Press the FX button above a sound to activate effects for that sound.
Use the FX Time, Repeats, and Pitch sliders and the Pitch button to
set the type of effect.  Use the FX sliders to set the effects level
for each sound.

Press the STOP button.  Then press the PLAY button to hear the mix you
recorded.

Chapter 2-
Pump Up the Volume!

The Jam Screen

The Jam screen gives you the most flexibility in Boom Box.  This screen
lets you do everything you can do on the Remix screen.  And it also
allows you to change the patterns.

This is a good place to experiment, because everything is at your
fingertips.  You can record on the Jam Screen and instantly try out new
ideas.

To instantly mute any pattern, click the pattern icon that is currently
playing.  To unmute it, click it again.

Click the RECORD button so it highlights.  Then click the PLAY button
(or press the space bar) to start recording.

Press the function keys or click on the pattern buttons to change the
patterns that are playing.

The pattern will change immediately.  Holding down the Ctrl key while
clicking will cause the pattern to change after the current measure.

Use the FX controls to add effects.

Use the mouse or keyboard to add solo sounds.

Boom Box uses keys 1-6 only to trigger solo sounds.

When you record fader changes on Boom Box, you see the faders move
when you play back!

You can move sliders three different ways- by clicking on the slider
and dragging up or down, clicking on the up or down arrows, or clicking
in the shaded area surrounding the slider.

While the patterns are playing, use the mouse to drag the sliders on the
screen.  You can change the volume level of each part this way.

Press the space bar to stop recording.  The STOP button will highlight.
Then press PLAY to play the mix you just recorded.

Chapter 3-
Hints, Tricks, and Tips!

If you did everything we suggested in the last few pages, you're still
only scratching the surface!  Boom Box comes with many different sounds,
and many different sounds, and many different ways to control them.

Changing Sounds

The Sounds menu holds the list of current sounds.  The first six sounds
can be played with either the solo pads or keys 1-6 on the keyboard.

To assign a sound to a Solo Pad or number:

To assign a sound to a solo pad number, select the sound you want to
change from the Sounds menu, and choose any IFF 8SVX sample using the
file requester.

   1) Select the sound you want to change from the Sounds menu.
   2) If you want to load a Sample File, press the Load Sample File
      button.  An open file dialog box will appear.  Select the format
      for the file you want to load (.iff, .wav, or .voc).  Locate
      the sample file you wish to load and click OK.

A sample File is an actual digital recording of a sound, like a record
scratch or voice sample.

Keyboard Creations

You can use the keyboard to trigger Solo Pads.  Every row of keys has
a different function.

   o The first row of keys (1-0) will play the current solo sounds
     (only keys 1-6).  You can view the current sounds by selecting
     the Sounds menu.
   o The second row of keys (q-p) will play a short phrase using the
     current sampled solo sounds.
   o Keys U, I, O, and P are used to increase the faders for Drums,
     Bass, Synth, and Solo.  Keys J, K, L, and ; are used to decrease
     the level of the faders.  Experiment with keys Q-T and A-H-
     sometimes they're assigned to play a short musical sequence.

You can also use the keyboard to trigger the transport controls.

    o The space bar will start and stop playback.
    o ESC pushes PAUSE button.
    o The right arrow pushes the FAST FORWARD button.
    o The left arrow pushes the REWIND button.
    o Pressing HELP is the same as clicking the Help button.

While you are in the Jam, Boom Box, and Remix screen, you can use the
keyboard to control the tempo and bottom buttons:

   o Pressing the up arrow increases the tempo.
   o Pressing the down arrow decreases the tempo.
   o Pressing the down or up arrow with the Shift key down doubles
     or halves the tempo.
   o Pressing the "'" key (next to Return) restores the original tempo.
   o Pressing the "|" key pushes the RECORD button.  This will only
     work if you are not playing.
   o Pressing the ENTER or Return key pushes the Loop button.
   o Pressing the Backspace key pushes the Measure retrigger button.

In the Jam and Remix screens, you can also use the keyboard to control
the FX buttons.

These are the keys used for Boom Box:

   o "(" in the numeric keypad pushes the FX button for Drums.
   o ")" in the numeric keypad pushes the FX button for Bass.
   o "/" in the numeric keypad pushes the FX button for Synth.
   o "*" in the numeric keypad pushes the FX button for Solo.

Section 2- The Back Panel:
Reference Section

Chapter 4- What does this button do?

The Bottom Row of Buttons

In the Remix and Jam screens, there is a group of buttons along the
bottom row.  These buttons (except for the last two buttons on the
right, Loop and Retrigger) can only be pressed in the Jam screen-
in the Remix screen they are there for display only.  The pattern
buttons control the current patterns.

If you press a pattern button that is already selected, it will cause
that part to mute.

If you click on a pattern button in play mode, it will change to the
new pattern when the current pattern finishes.  If you hold down the
Shift key and click on a pattern button, the pattern will change after
the current measure of music is finished.  The measure changes
immediately when you click on a pattern button.

   o Pressing F1-F4 sets the current Drum pattern.
   o Pressing F5-F7 sets the current Bass pattern.
   o Pressing F8-F10 sets the current Synth pattern.

The Pattern Buttons on the bottom row can only be pressed while you're
in Jam Mode.

The other two buttons and Loop and Measure Retrigger.

   o In Jam and Remix modes, the Loop button plays the current measure
     of music until you turn it off.
   o Press the measure retrigger button to retrigger the current measure.
     This can be a neat effect!

Using the key-equivalents to the Loop ("Enter") and Measure Retrigger
("Backspace") buttons works in Boom Box mode even though the buttons
are not on the screen.

The Transport Controls

Rewind, Fast Forward, Stop
Play, Pause, Record

The Transport Controls show up on every screen, although they may be in
a different order.  The transport controls are:

   o RECORD - Puts Boom Box in record mode.
   o STOP - When this is pressed, the mix is automatically rewound.
   o PLAY - Plays the current mix or playback.
   o FAST FORWARD - use this button while a pattern is playing to create
     a "turntable" effect.
   o REWIND - use this button while a pattern is playing to create a
     "turntable" effect.
   o PAUSE - puts Boom Box in Pause mode.

The FX Section- Adding Sound Effects

Notice that effects don't happen when the mix is stopped.

In Jam and Remix mode, there is a special FX Section.  Above each part
slider is an FX button, which will assign that part to the FX Section.

Above the FX button, you will see another slider.  This controls the level
of the part going to the effect.

The FX Time Slider changes the duration of the effect.

The FX Repeats Slider sets the number of times the effect is repeated.

The Pitch Slider changes the pitch of the effect.  If it is set in the
middle, there is no pitch shift.

You can turn the Pitch effect on or off by pressing the Pitch button.

The Solo Pads

Clicking one of the Solo Pads plays the sound that is assigned to the
pad.  This is the same as pressing 1-6 on the keyboard.

The Tempo Section

The equivalent of the Tempo section of Boom Box is called Groove.  On
some of the songs, moving the groove slider changes the loop point
in the sample, not the speed of the pattern.  On other songs, moving
the groove slider will increase or decrease the tempo.

The effect heard when moving the Groove slider might be out of the
ordinary, or interesting, depending on your musical taste.

Help

Clicking the Help button will call up the on-screen help system.

To get help, press the Help button, the Help key, or select Help from
the Project menu.  Click on any object on the screen to get information
about that object.  To exit from Help, press the Help key or click on
the Help button again.

Chapter 5- Menu Items

File

   o Open...-lets you open a .BOX file, which contains the main song,
     alternate mixes, solo sounds, and music patterns.
   o Save...-lets you save your current mix to disk.
   o About-calls up the about Boom Box dialog.
   o Help-calls the on-line help system.
   o Quit-quits Boom Box.

Samples

The items in this menu are the current sounds.  The first six sounds
are assigned to the Solo Pads.  Selecting an item from this menu
lets you change the sound.  See "Changing Sounds" in Section 1 for
more information.

Mode

   o Boom Box-puts you in Boom Box mode.  This menu selection has a
     submenu that lists the mixes for the current file.
   o Remix-puts you in Remix mode.  This menu selection has a
     submenu that lists the mixes for the current file.
   o Jam-puts you in Jam mode.
   o Playback-Toggles Playback mode.

end.