TRACKERS MOONBLASTER EN 04
Contents
VOICE MENU
By pressing the function key 4 you enter the voice menu (instruments menu). A menu appears where you can make the following choices:
- -Select Voices
- -Set Start Voices?
- -Create Own Voice
4.1.Select Voices
The first choice of the voice menu is 'Select Voices'. This function allows you to select instruments (voices) with 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 table with numbers from 1 to 16 (these are the numbers that you have to put in the patterns behind the 'I'). This table contains the instruments that will be saved in the piece of music. You can go through this table 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, see Section 4.3 - Create Own Voice. When you have found the right instrument, press the space bar and return to the instrument table. 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 starting instruments. The initial volumes of the instruments (these are located behind the instruments in the instrument table) 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 FMI (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 layout differs from the one-button input system.)
MSX AUDIO and MSX-MUSIC
With MSX-AUDIO chips there are no restrictions on the choices of instruments, but with the MSX-MUSIC. The hardware voices (always the first column of the voicebanks) are then marked with a '*'. These hardware voices can all be chosen. Up to six of the other voices (software voices) can be selected. Here too, there is a restriction: the MSX-MUSIC only has FM Synthesis, which means that the AM Voices can not be selected and listened to.
4.2.Set Start Voices
The second option of the voice menu shows the channels (channels) with their corresponding instrument. On the left is the MSX-AUDIO, on the right the MSX-MUSIC settings. The instruments that come with the channels are those instruments with which the song will start. For example, on channel1 and 2 are both instrument 1, and instrument 1 is a violin with volume 13, then the song on channel 1 and 2 will play a violin with volume 13, until a V or I is switched to another volume respectively another instrument plus volume.
MSX-AUDIO and MSX-MUSIC
The MSX-AUDIO gives no problems with this option, the MSX-MUSIC has a number of limitations. The MSX-MUSIC has 6 FM channels and 1 FM drum channel. This number can be changed, leaving 9 FM channels without FM drum channel available. If there are only 6 channels and 1 FM drum channel, then there is no point in setting a start voice on channels 7, 8 and 9 (of course it is allowed).
The MSX-MUSIC can only play a software voice at the same time. This means that only one instrument can be used as a starting instrument without a '*' sign. If there are several, MoonBlaster takes the software instrument on the highest channel.
4.3.Create Own Voice
This option allows you to design your own software voices. These voices are stored in the song under the name "OWN VOICE" with a song or they can be written to disk (F5 key), with a number of 1 (voice) or 16 (voice bank) at the same time.
The 'Own Voice'-screen is structured as follows: on the left you see the 'Voice Bank' where 16 own voices are stored. You can walk up / down through this voice bank with the cursors. On the right, the register values of Own Voices are displayed. If you press the space, you can change these values so that your own instrument can be created.
The sound-forming functions
It would be going too far to explain the complete functioning of FM synthesis in this manual. That is why we will suffice with a short description of all functions.
Multi Sample Wave: this sets the generator frequency. Values: 0 to 15.
Key Scale Rate: The swelling, waning and extinction of the tones goes faster as the octave is higher. How much faster is this function determined. Values: 0 (slow) to 7 (fast).
Vibrato: on (1) and off (0) setting the vibration of an instrument.
Amplitude modulation: switches on the slow amplitude modulation (1) or off (0).
Total Level: For FM Synthesis, the total level of register A is the controller for the modulation depth, and register B controls the volume of the instrument. In the AM Mode, both registers control the volume.
Key Scale Level: This function controls the decrease in volume with increasing pitch, so the higher the KSL the softer the instrument becomes at high tones. Values: 0 to 3.
Percussion: 1 = percussion off, 0 = percussion on. For the function of percussion he has to look at the Sustain Level.
Attack Rate: This function sets the swell times of a tone. Values: 0 to 15.
Decay Rate: The decrease in the intensity of the tone after the maximum concentration is achieved can be set with this function. Values: 0 to 15.
Sustain Level: If the percussion is off, this is the loudness at which the tone falls back (Decay) after the maximum swallowing strength (Attack) has been reached. However, if the percussion is on, this is the loudness at which the drop will turn into extinction (Release). Values: 0 to 15.
Release Rare: The decay time is set with this function. If the Release Rate is set to 0, the tone will continue forever. Values 0 to 15.
Feedback: Allows the waveform of register A to be set. If the value is 0, the wave is a pure sine, with the values 1 to 5 this wave becomes an increasingly sharp sawtooth, 6 and 7 contain noise.
Connect: Choice of FM and AM mode. The MSX-MUSIC can not use this function.
Audition: MSX-MUSIC or MSX-AUDIO. Indicates which music chip the voice can be listened to during editing.
Note: if you have changed a particular voice, it will only become part of the song companion if you choose it again with Select Voices.
Existing voice edits
If you have a certain Own Voice and press the F4 key, you can select a MoonBlaster instrument and copy it to the Own Voice data. You can walk through the voice banks with the [CTRL] and cursors left / right. Use the space to copy the chosen instrument to Own Voice. This makes it easy to customize a MoonBlaster instrument to your own taste. The instruments can be listened to during the compilation via the MSX keyboard, the Philips keyboard for the NMS 1205 or one of the following MIDI Interfaces: 1205-MIDI, MSX-MIDI or Fac Midi-Interface. These can be selected with the F3 key and the [M] key for the correct MIDI interface. With F1 / F2 you can lower or lower an octave. to increase.
You can also save Own Voices with the F5 key (Disc menu). For further explanation of the disc menu, please refer to the seventh chapter, which concerns the disc menu.
