MBWAVE THE MUSIC EDITOR EN
Contents
3. �THE MUSIC EDITOR
In every menu, submenu or input-event things can be cancelled with the [ESC] key. For every menu where settings are done, you can modify the current settings with the [CTRL] + cursor keys.
3.1 Patterns and positions
For composing music in MoonBlaster it is important to know that this program uses the pattern and position system. This system is widely used in other music programs on other computer systems and it has proven to have many advantages, for the composer as well as for the programmer who wants to use this music in his programs. Below is a brief explanation of this system.
3.1.1 What are patterns and positions?
The memory of the computer is divided into small pieces where music data is stored. These are called patterns. A complete song consists of a sequence of these patterns in an order chosen by the composer. These are the positions. Therefore it is also possible to play a pattern several times within one song, while it is stored in the computer’s memory only once. This system can be compared to a CD-player. Let the tracks on the CD be the patterns and the order of these tracks the positions. When you want to listen to the fourth track, then to the first and then to the fourth again, on position 1 you set track (pattern) 4, on position 2 track (pattern) 1 and on position 3 track (pattern) 4.
This pattern/position system might sound a bit complicated at first, but in practice it is very convenient and it saves a lot of time and memory space. MoonBlaster v1.4 users need to be aware that next to the positions the numbering of patterns and steps also starts with 0!
3.1.2 Editing patterns and positions
Note: With the current pattern is meant: the pattern that is shown in the top right screen at that time. The current position is the position shown in the top right screen. When you change the current position, the current pattern changes automatically to the pattern on that position. This is not the case when you change the current pattern!
The patterns are numbered from 0 to 79. The positions go from 0 to 219. This means that a song can have a maximum length of 220 positions. During the music editing it is essential to be able to move through to the patterns and positions rapidly. With the [TAB] and the cursors left/right you can move by one through the positions; [TAB] and cursors up/down can be used to move 4 steps at the time. Moving through the patterns can be done too, without changing the current position. This is done with [CTRL] and the cursor keys. Again, left/right is used to move by one, and up/down to move 4 steps at the time. [CTRL] with the space bar is used to put the current pattern on the current position. [CTRL]-[A] adds the current pattern after the last position.
A pattern can also be inserted, this is done with [TAB]-[INS]. The current pattern will then be inserted on the current position (the ‘last’ position is then also increased by 1). Removing a pattern from a position sequence is done in a similar way, the [TAB] and [DEL] keys remove the pattern. The last position can be adjusted with [GRAPH] together with the cursor keys. This is used to set the song length.
3.1.3 Pattern/Position editor
Function key F6 will bring you to the pattern/position editor. This is a verbose list of the pattern order. Editing the pattern order is very easy here: move the cursor to a certain position here and with a hit of the space bar the pattern number can be modified. Inserting and deleting patterns is done with resp. the [INS] key and the [DEL] key. In this menu it is still possible to play the song (F1) or a pattern (F2) and to set the last position. This is similar to they way it is done in the music editor, with the [GRAPH] + cursor keys.
3.1.4 �Loop Position
A song can play indefinitely when you set a loop position. This is the position where the song will loop after it has reached the last position. A loop position can be set with [CTRL]-[L]. After that the position can be altered with the cursor keys. Pressing [RETURN] will confirm the modification and [ESC] will cancel it. The music will end after the last position when ‘OFF’ is set as the loop position.
3.2 Playing music
3.2.1 Playing the song
First of all you can switch the output indicator, which will indicate when a note is being played, with the [CTRL]-[O] keys. In the command line in the lower screen is printed whether it is on or off.
The same goes for the settings scan. This is convenient if you are composing a song and you do not want to start playing from the start of the song. It is not impossible that for example an instrument change already took place earlier in the song before the pattern where you start playing. With the settings scan all changes and settings that are done in the song before the current pattern are checked and set. This can be switched on and off with the [CTRL]-[S] keys. When the settings scan is switched off, the song is started with the settings that are normally used at the beginning of the song. When it is switched on, MoonBlaster will scan the complete song after you press F1 or F2 to find setting changes. This is shown with the pattern/position numbers in the top right screen.
The [F1] key starts playing of the song. The song will start at the current position and end at the last position. The [F2] key will play the current pattern only, this is convenient during the composing of the song.
3.2.2 �Stopping the song
The song can be stopped using the following keys: the space bar, the [ESC] and [STOP] key.The space bar and [ESC] have the same function, the music is stopped and the current position will be set to the current position before playing started.The [STOP] key is practical for debugging. When you hear a note that is out of tune, press the [STOP] key and the song will stop at the position that was being played.
3.3 Input and clearing of notes and effects
3.3.1 Input of music
The music notation that is used in MoonBlaster is according to the American way, so an A in octave 3 will be ‘A 3’, an A sharp in octave 3 ‘A#3’. MoonBlaster supports octaves 1 till 8. ‘C5’ is the ‘central C’. A pattern is divided in 16 steps. The steps next to each other are played at the same time. Only one event can be put on a step per channel (for example a note).
More channels are available than shown on screen. With [SHIFT] + cursor keys the available channels can be scrolled onto the screen.
A note can be input in two different ways, MoonBlaster has two input systems. You can alternate these systems with the [CAPS] key. The [SHIFT] is a logical [SHIFT] here: In the first system a temporal switch to the second is made with [SHIFT] and vice versa.
With the first input system (CAPS off) notes have to be entered with several keys, these are the letters [A] till [G], for the right note (plus the [+] or [#] to increase a half note if desired) and the numbers [1] till [8], for the right octave. [ESC] cancels the input. When a note is entered, the [RETURN] key can be used to repeat the last input without having to re-enter it completely. �The second input system (CAPS on) turns the MSX keyboard into a music keyboard with two rows. Every row is an octave. These octaves can be set with [GRAPH] + cursors. The following keys are used in this system:
octave. These octaves can be set with [GRAPH] + cursors. The following keys are used in this system:
2 3 5 6 7 QWERTYU(low octave)
S D G H J
ZXCVBNM(high octave)
(With German keyboards the program adapts this to the swapped [Z] and [Y])
This means that you should press [Q] or [Z] for inputting a C. For a G# you press [6] or [H]. If you want to enter an event other than a note, CAPS must be switched off, or you can press [SHIFT].
During the input of notes it might be convenient to listen to what you just entered (note audition). This can be selected with [CTRL]-[K]. When it is switched on, every note will be played after it is entered. This simplifies noticing notes that are out of tune. You can of course always use [F1] and [F2] to do this.
A note can be (and sometimes must be) switched off. This is done with the [O] key. An ‘OFF’ event will be displayed in the pattern. If you want to play an A#5 and it should only last one step, move the cursor to channel 5 (the fifth column) and type an A#5, directly followed by an OFF event.
3.3.2 Special options
The special functions effect the tone in the desired way. With a number you have to enter several digits. Enter [RETURN] to end the input if you want to enter fewer digits than the maximum length. �Detune The detune is an option that slightly increases or decreases the tone height of a channel (maximum of 3 frequency steps above or below normal). This can be used to give the song a ‘full’ effect. The detune is entered with the [T], followed by a [+] or [-] and a number between 0 and 3. In the pattern the detune command is displayed by the T, for example ‘T+1’. The detune option in MoonBlaster always calculates from zero, so a detune is not added by the last detune (T+1, followed by T+3 will not be T+4). The detune will note take effect until a new note is played. The start detune settings are done with [F10].
Pitch bend A pitch bend event bends a tone frequency smoothly up (+) or down (-). This is entered with [P] and a [+] or [-]. Next, you type a number between 0 and 9. This is the speed of the pitch bend, 1 is slow, 9 is fastest. Speed 0 will halt the pitch bend. Pitch bending also stops with a new note, OFF, or modulation event. A pitch bend is displayed with a P, for example ‘P+3’. The overall speed of the pitch bend is also affected by the base frequency. (see chapter)
Modulation Modulation is entered with the [M] key followed by a 1, 2 or 3. Modulation modulates the frequency of a tone. This will stop with a new note, OFF or pitch bend event. Modulation is displayed with the M, for example ‘M 1’. The modulation wave to use is selected with the number after the M. These modulation waves can be edited with [CTRL] + [Y]. A menu appears where you can alter the current values with [CTRL] + cursors left/right. It is possible to make your own pitch bend here when you do not ‘modulate’ up and down, but only one way. It is highly recommended to use the hardware vibrato instead of the modulation (it is the same). The hardware vibrato is not affected by the base frequency and uses no processor time at all (only to start it that is).
Linking The linking option plays a new note without triggering it. A smooth change is made from the last note to a new note. A link is entered with the [L] key. Next, you type a offset to which note the link should be done, this is from -9 to +9. This is entered with the [+] or [-] and the numeric keys. The offset is added to the current note and is given in half tones (this equals the difference in tone height on two keys from a piano, the black keys must also be counted). Examples: �From:To:Link command: C 5 C#5 L+1 E 3 D 3 L�2 A#6 F 7 L+7
After a link a new link can be entered, this will be added to the last link.
Volume change The volume of every channel can be set with the [V]. After pressing the [V] you can enter a value from 0 (weak) till 31 (loud). In the pattern a volume change is displayed with a V, for example ‘V30’.
Waves A maximum of 48 different waves can be selected with a start volume. These instruments are used to change the current instrument during the song. This is done with the [W] key. Next, you enter a value between 1 and 48. The values after the W correspond with the values in the list of selected waves. See chapter 5 for more information on Waves. In the pattern a wave change is displayed with a W, for example ‘W 7’. Notice that with the instrument, the volume changes too!
Stereo settings After the S option, entered with the [S] key, a value from -7 to + 7 can be entered. -7 plays the channel completely left, +7 plays completely on the right. An in between value sounds better of course. Also selectable with [F-8].
LFO Settings The LFO settings can be used entering the [X] key and a value from 1 to 9. With this option you can alter the LFO speed, Vibrato dept and Tremolo dept of a wave currently playing on a channel. It works in the same way when if you were using a the modulation. The values of these LFO settings can be set as you like by using the LFO editor (CTRL-V).
Reverb on The opl4 has a build in pseudo Reverb and this can be triggered by entering the [R] key. The ‘Reverb’ will start after an OFF command.
Reverb off The pseudo Reverb can be set off by entering the [Q] key.
LFO The LFO from any wave can be stopped with the LFO command and started again by using it again. You enter this by pressing the [Y] key.
