[en]4== VOICE MENU THE SAMPLER ==
By pressing the function key 4 you enter the voice menu Those who only have access to an MSX-MUSIC chip or a Toshiba module with MSX-AUDIO (instruments menuboth lack an ADPCM sampler)can skip this chapter. A menu appears where you can make the following choices:
:-Select Voices:-Set Start Voices=== 5.1What is a sample?:-Create Own Voice===
=== Select Voices ===A sample is a digitized sound, in which case the data of the sample is stored in the computer. The sampler of the MSX-AUDIO always scans for a few thousandths of seconds the external signal (eg the microphone) and converts the incoming value into a number. The time between these scans can vary, this is called the sampling frequency.
The first choice of the voice menu is 'Select Voices'=== 5. With this function you can use instruments (voices) me! choose their corresponding start volumes for the track. First make your choice for which sound chip you want to select the voices. You will then receive a tahel with numbers from 1 to 16 (these are the numbers that you have to put in the patterns behind the T). In this tahel are the instruments that will be kept in the piece of music. You can go through this tahel with the cursor keys. If you press the space now, you will enter the voicebanks. These voicebanks are filled with the standard instruments that MoonBlaster has on board. With [CTRL] + cursor left / right you can walk through the voice banks. The last column of the voicebanks covers the 'Own Voice' list. For more information on the own voices, please see par. 4.3. Create Own Voice. When you have found the right instrument, press the space bar and return to the instruments label. With [ESC] you can also leave the voice banks, but you will not choose an instrument. You can thus put an instrument at any place. You can use these chosen instruments for instrument change (see chapter 3) or for star instruments. The initial volumes of the instruments (these are placed behind the instruments in the instrument cluster) are changed with the cursor left (decrease volume) or the cursor right (increase volume). The Voices can be listened to when selecting an instrument. With the F3 key you can select the right keyboard with which the instrument must be played. This can be done with the MSX keyboard, the keyboard of the Philips Music Module or via MIDI, MoonBlaster knows the following MIDI interfaces: 1205 MIDI (available in the Philips Music Module), the MSX-MIDI standard or the FM1 (FAC MIDI Interface). The appropriate MIDI interface can be selected with the [M] key. With [F1] and [F2] you can change the height of the keyboard per octave, because some instruments will sound too high or too low. (Note: When using the MSX keyboard, the format is different from the one-key input system.)2The Moon Blaster sampler ===
==== MoonBlaster has the ability to use the sampler of the MSX -AUDIO , and to record, play and edit samples. The sample memory of the MSX-MUSIC ====AUDIO is 32 kB and MoonBlaster divides it over 14 samples. These 14 samples together are called a sample kit. In these sample kits you also find the location in the sample memory where a specific sample is located. You can go to the sampler from the music editor by pressing the [F3] key. The following things can be set in the sampler:
With MSX-AUDIO chips there ====Adjust sample signal==== This allows you to set the correct volume of the incoming signal (eg via the microphone). The volume is indicated by a red expanding bar at the bottom of the screen. If you turn up the signal, the bar will continue to expand, if you make the signal softer, the bar will turn out less far. ==== Start sampling ==== This is the real sampler, the incoming signal is recorded. A variety of factors can be set for proper sampling. These factors are no restrictions on described below. ==== Set sample adresses (F4) ==== This allows you to set the start and end address of the 14 samples. This has some advantages: a (sampled) bass drum is not very long, leaving sample memory for a long sample. If you omit a sample (see Section 7), the choices length of instrumentsthe sample is saved. If you load a sample at a different starting address, then the end address is automatically adjusted. The start and end addresses are stored in the sample kit. The addresses must be entered hexadecimal. It means that the number system does not run from 0-9, but with from 0-F (after the 9 follows the MSX-MUSICA). The hardware voices (always lowest possible address is 0000 and the first column highest possible is 1FFF. Note that leading zeros must also be entered. ==== Current sample block ==== You can use this to select one of the voicebanks) 14 sample blocks. This applies to both sampling and loading and storing samples. There are then marked with 14 sample blocks. ==== Sample frequency ==== This function sets the frequency of recording the sample. A high frequency means high quality, but short sample, a low frequency means low quality, but long sample. The highest frequency is 16 kHz, the lowest 2 kHz. ==== Threshold ==== An incoming signal has a '*'certain volume. These hardware voices With the Threshold function you can all draw a limit to how loud the signal may be chosenbefore the sampler is allowed to sample. If this limit is exceeded, the sampler starts his work. Up to six The border is shown with an arrow, the loudness of the other voices signal is shown with a red bar. This function only works when the Sample Control is set to Automatic (software voicessee below) . ==== Sample control ==== You can be selectedset the Sample Control to Automatic or Manual. If the Sample Control is set to Automatic, the incoming sound is only sampled when it is hard enough to exceed the threshold value (see Threshold). However, when Sample Control is set to Manual, it is only sampled if the space bar is pressed again after selecting Start Sampling. ==== Back to Editor (ESC) ==== With [ESC] or Back to Editor you leave the sample menu and go to the music edit screen ==== Disc menu ==== With [F5] you go to the disc menu. Here tooyou can load and save individual samples or complete sample kits. See chapter 7. For all the above functions money: choose a function with cursors, there is change a limitation: value with the spacebar and then the numeric keys. === 5.3.Play in the sample menu === The samples that have been recorded can be played while playing music in the music edit screen, or in the sample menu. With F3 you can choose the right keyboard to play the sample with. You can choose from the keyboard of your MSX, the Philips Klavier that belongs to the Music Module, or MIDI. The MIDI interfaces supported by MoonBlaster are the MSX-MUSIC only has FM SynthesisMIDI (which is built into the turbo R FS-A1GT), so tie AM Voices NMS 1205 MIDI (in the Music Module) or FMI (the FAC MIDl interface). With the [M] - key you can select one of these MIDI interfaces, MoonBlaster tells you whether this interface is present or not . If you press one of the keys on your keyboard , the current sample (Current Sample Block) will be selected and listened toplayed. The height of the frequency of the sample depends on the key you press.