Frozen Fish 1: Amiga/FrozenFish-Apr94.iso/bbs/alib/d7xx/d772/vmb.lha/VMB/USER INFORMATION/manual

Text File | 1992-12-05 | 20KB | 461 lines

VIDEO MUSIC BOX v1.6b DEMO release notes...


VIDEO MUSIC BOX is designed to provide means and assistance to creative
non-musicians or beginning musicians who wish wish to compose original
background music for their Amiga multimedia productions, or just for fun.
VIDEO MUSIC BOX supports both MIDI Format 0 and IFF SMUS music file
formats for compatibility with all multimedia authoring programs.

Little or no prior music compositional knowledge is required to
generate basic musical styles from the pre-arranged music pattern
templates and chord progressions. However, for individuals with
increased musical backgrounds there are editor screens to define
additional chord-types, "revoice" chords, create new chord progressions,
perform basic sequence editing, and create new patterns.


                 ** Version 1.6 Differences **


Version 1.6 adds ability to generate an unlimited number of patterns
into a sequence, full support of musical dynamics, and expanded MIDI
implementations.  We have basically added everything our users have
requested.


                 ** Copyright Notice **

The VIDEO MUSIC BOX DEMO program, accompanying files, and documentation
is copyrighted 1992 by Digital Expressions Research with ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED.  You may freely copy and transfer this DEMO as long as all
associated files remain together, intact, unaltered, and this copyright
notice accompanies the files.

This DEMO is provided to demonstrate the capability and operation of
VIDEO MUSIC BOX v1.6 only.  Any commercial use of the sequences generated
from the accompanying music patterns and chord progressions is forbidden.
This DEMO is similar to the regular program in all respects except that
all SAVE commands have been disabled.


                 ** Hardware Requirements **

VIDEO MUSIC BOX requires an Amiga with at least 1 Meg memory
and Workbench 1.3. A Hard-drive is recommended but not required.
VIDEO MUSIC BOX is compatible with AmigaDOS 2.0 and most
accelerator boards.



                 ** Release Note Contents **
                    ====================

               1) Obtaining Additional Information
               2) Ordering Information
               3) Demo Disk Contents
               4) HD installation
               5) About Video Music Box
               6) Loading a Sequence
               7) Generate a Sequence
               8) Generate a Soundtrack
               9) Preview/Play Sequence or Soundtrack
               10) Saving a Sequence or Soundtrack
               11) Enter a Chord or Scale
               12) Enter or Edit a Chord Progression
               13) Editing a Sequence with the Note Edit Screen



                 ** Obtaining Additional Information **
                    ================================

Please contact us with any additional questions or comments you have, we
are always happy to hear from you.  Write or call:


Digital Expressions Research
W6400 FireLane 8
Menasha, WI    54952

Phone [phone]      8 AM - 5 PM CST



                 ** Ordering Information **
                    ====================

Please send us $109 U.S. + $6 S&H (at above address) to receive a
current copy of Video Music Box with over 50 pre-saved chord progressions,
over 75 pre-arranged music pattern templates, user manual, and disk of
IFF 8SVX instruments.

We will accept a personal check, drawn on a U.S. bank, money order, bank
cashiers check etc.  We will also be happy to send you a copy COD for
a slight additional charge. Sorry, but we do not accept credit card orders.



                 ** DEMO Disk Contents **
                    ==================

This disk should contain the VIDEO MUSIC BOX program and six directories.
The six directories include: VMB.ENV, Progressions, Styles, Instruments,
SMUS Examples, and User Information.  If any of these items are missing,
please contact us at the address above.

The VMB.ENV(dir) contains chord files, scale files, preference
settings, and the audio/midi player. If the program is installed on a HD,
this file must be in the same directory as the VIDEO MUSIC BOX
program in order for it to be found.

The Progressions(dir) contains a sample of the chord progressions to
be used with the DEMO patterns in the Styles directory.

The Styles(dir) contains one file consisting of several pre-arranged
pattern templates to apply to chord progressions to creating a background
music track or an accompaniment.  An icon has been attached to this file.
For DEMO purposes, these patterns have been arranged for use with
the Amiga interal audio rather than MIDI.  The patterns in the regular
version of the program are more complicated and include orchestration
suggestions for the various styles.  These patterns will also allow
you to hear the result of experimenting with the "Add Chords at Change",
or "Add Bass at Change" options in the Sequence Generation Preferences
window (in SEQUENCE MENU).

The Instruments(dir) contains the IFF 8SVX instruments for use with
the DEMO SMUS Examples and Pattern templates.  This directory should
also be located in the same directory as the program.

The SMUS Examples(dir) contains four SMUS sequences that can be directly
loaded and played.  Example 1 was basically created from a simple drum/bass
pattern, then DRAW mode was used to create a two bar motif which was
subjected to various variations, (Transposed and made Retrograde).
Examples 2 and 3 were generated from a pattern and short chord progression.
Example 4 was created totally in DRAW mode, using one chord to create
4 measures of each part.  The remainder was created by copying, pasting,
and subjecting copies of the first four measures to one or two variations
from the VARIATIONS menu in Edit Screen.


USER INFORMATION(dir) contains the DEMO User's Manual and some Screen
Images that displays and labels the various gadget discussed in this
text.  It is hoped that the presence of the graphics will help you
get started more quickly with VMB.



                 ** HD installation **
                    ===============

If installing on a HD, it is recommended that a new directory be
created, and the icons for the VIDEO MUSIC BOX program and the
VMB.ENV(dir) and Instruments(dir) be dragged into that new directory.
These two directories need to be located with the program to be
found.

The remaining directories can be installed anywhere convenient.


                 ** About Video Music Box **
                    =====================

Video Music Box is designed to provide an easy to learn and use
environment for multimedia background music composition. The
program combines the ability to read and save both MIDI and IFF
SMUS file formats with algorithmic composition of common music
styles, and a full screen graphic note editor. Your work can be
previewed over MIDI or the Amiga internal audio using the built-in
default instrument, or load up to 8 IFF 8SVX instruments. Each
instrument has individual volume adjustment and mute.

Pre-arranged music pattern templates and chord progressions are used to
allow you to create common styles of music without music training. The bass
and chord parts can use various degrees of note randomisation during
generation for greater variety.  Existing chord progressions can be
edited or new progressions can be created and saved using any chord type.
You can even add an original melody that harmonically follows the chord
progression with the tools provided in the graphic note editor.

If you need a soundtrack of specific duration, enter the desired
time and tempo, and Video Music Box will generate it for you.  A
soundtrack can have up to 5 tempo and volume changes.

Video Music Box operations are organised around four basic objects:
sequences, soundtracks, styles, and chord progressions.

Sequence -   sequences are time-ordered lists of notes that are loaded
             from disk or generated by Video Music Box from a pattern
             and chord progression.  A sequence may contain the notes
             corresponding to one or more instruments or groups of
             instruments. More than 8 parts are allowed but only the first
             8 are played or are accessible to the edit screen.  Parts
             can be rearranged from the Edit Note screen to access
                            other parts.

Soundtrack - soundtrack refers to a sequence that has been generated
             to a fixed time length and tempo map.  Soundtracks can have
             up to 5 segments having different tempos and volumes. A more
             flexible means of creating multiple tempos/volumes uses
             the "Compress/Expand Time" and "Set Volume" functions in the
             Edit Note Screen.

Style -      In Video Music Box the distinctive features of a musical
             style are captured in the music pattern templates that
             are loaded from disk.  Each pattern consists of data to
             generate a rhythm (drum) part, a chordal part (piano,
             guitar, etc.) a bass part, and possibly one or more
             melody/countermelody parts.

Chord Progressions - Progressions are series of chords which Video Music
                     Box uses to generate a sequence.



                 ** Loading a Sequence **
                    ==================

Use the LOAD SEQUENCE gadget to bring up a file requester
to load a MIDI or IFF SMUS file for playback or editing.  If your
MIDI files have a "mid" file extension or your SMUS files have
a "smus" file extension you can also use the menuitems in the MAIN SCREEN
SEQUENCE menu. This gadget is only active when no sequence is present.
Use the DELETE menu selection to load other sequences with this gadget.

Loading a SMUS file will also load any instruments required from the
Instruments(dir).  If they cannot be found it will let you know via a
requester.

                 ** Generate a Sequence **
                    ==================

Use the LOAD PROGRESSION menuitem or gadget to bring up a file requester
to load one of the pre-saved progressions from the Progression(dir).

Use the LOAD STYLE menuitem or gadget to bring up a file requester
to load the DEMOstyles file from the Styles(dir).

Use the mouse pointer to scroll through the list of style patterns,
select one by clicking the mouse over its name in the list window.

Use the GENERATE SEQUENCE gadget or menuitem to generate a sequence from
the selected pattern and loaded progression.

The Sequence Generation Preferences window, accessed from the SEQ GEN PREFS
menuitem in the SEQUENCE menu, allows global definitions for the midi
channels used for the various generated parts.  This window also allows
you to set the probability that a note or chord voicing will be randomly
selected during the sequence generation process.  This feature greatly
increases the musical variety that can be produced from any given music
pattern.

For the purposes of this DEMO the names on the generated parts correspond
to instruments in the Instruments(dir) that can be loaded and used for
playback.

Try experimenting with various degrees of randomization, or one or
more of the options available in the SEQ GEN PREF window.

The MIDI note assignments for individual drums in the rhythm part
can be set by selecting the DRUM KIT menuitem in the
SEQUENCE menu.


Select the USE PROGRESSION VOICING gadget to tell VIDEO MUSIC BOX
to use the chords as voiced in the chord list.  When unselected,
the program will use a chord voicing based on the style, or you can
add some randomisation to the selection of a chord voicing
(See Randomisation).

The ADD xxx AT CHANGE option tells the program to add a bass note or
chord at each chord change if one is not already present.  This can be
used to provide a greater sense of chord movement.


                 ** Generate a Soundtrack **
                    =====================

This is just a simple alternative to using the Edit Note Screen to impose
Tempo/volume changes on a sequence. Video Music Box generates soundtracks
from your sequence based on the time length and tempo requirements that you
set on the main screen.  Soundtracks generated this way may have up to
five segments each of which has a different tempo and volume.

Load or generate a sequence.

Set the desired soundtrack length with the gadget on the lower left
of the main screen.  Lengths may be anywhere from 1 sec to 9 min 59 secs.

Use the Soundtrack Parameters window to set the starting time of each
segment, its tempo and volume.  This window will move forward when the
soundtrack length is set, or can be accessed from the Windows menu.

Click on the GENERATE SOUNDTRACK gadget or menuitem to generate the
soundtrack based on your input parameters.

Soundtrack segment volumes can be adjusted any time before or after
generation of a soundtrack, but the time/tempo cannot be adjusted once
a soundtrack is generated.



                 ** Preview Sequence or Soundtrack **
                    ==============================

Previewing your work is done with the gadgets on the lower right hand
side of the main screen.  Gadgets exist for REWIND, PLAY, FAST FORWARD,
PAUSE, LOOP (REPEAT).

The gadget labeled SEQUENCE or SOUNDTRACK toggles between the two
respective objects for preview.

The TEMPO and VOLUME gadgets are only used for SEQUENCE.  Soundtrack
tempos and volumes are set in the Soundtrack Parameters window.
All tempos are in quarter note beats per minute.

Select MIDI or INTERNAL AUDIO playback, from the PLAY PARMS menu in
the main screen.  You may also load IFF 8SVX instruments from this menu.

The MIDI CLOCKS OUT option allows you to send MIDI START, MIDI STOP,
and MIDI CLOCKS to synchronise with an external drum machine or other
MIDI device.

A second INTERNAL AUDIO option (PLAY INTERNAL AUDIO 2) has been added to
allow you to assign a specific AUDIO CHANNEL to each part:

             MIDI channel 1-4   are assigned to AUDIO channel 1
             MIDI channel 5-8   are assigned to AUDIO channel 2
             MIDI channel 9-12  are assigned to AUDIO channel 3
             MIDI channel 13-16 are assigned to AUDIO channel 4



                 ** Saving a Sequence or Soundtrack **
                    ==============================

These objects are saved as MIDI or IFF SMUS based on selection of
the appropriate menuitems in the Soundtrack or Sequence menus.
When saving as IFF SMUS, you must also set the quantisation values
(Sequence Menu) that is used to convert the MIDI to the classical
durations used in IFF SMUS file format.

Also when saving as IFF SMUS it is a good idea to name the parts
with the instrument names of the IFF instrument that is to be used to
play that part. Many SMUS players will not load a score if they cannot
find the instruments.  Part names are edited in the MAIN SCREEN.

The instrument volumes will be saved as set on the main screen.



                 ** Enter a Chord or Scale **
                    =====================

Chords or scales to be used in chord progressions must be defined in the
chord or scale list respectively.  The contents of these lists are
accessed from the EDIT CHORDS or EDIT SCALE menuitems in the Progression
& Styles menu.

All chords and scales are entered relative to a C root.

Toggle the keys in the keyboard to select notes in the chord.  The
name can be editted in the string gadget above the list window.
ADD adds the defined chord/scale to the list.  EDIT replaces the selected
chord/scale with the new data.



                 ** Enter or Edit a Chord Progression **
                    =================================

Select NEW PROGRESSION from the Progression & Style menu to create a
neew progression.

Select EDIT PROGRESSION from the menu to edit an existing progression.

In the window that appears you may enter a chord progression name,
set the length of the progression (in measures), and set the number of
chords per measure.  When these parameters are set press CONTINUE to
access the window in which the chords are actually input.

This next window will have an entry for each one of the chords as set in
the previous window. To enter a chord or scale, click the mouse in
the progression list window to select the particular measure and division
where you want the chord (or scale) , use the gadgets below the
list window to select the chord or scale root (the note upon which the
chord or scale is built) and the particular chord or scale type.
Click on the SELECT CHORD or SELECT SCALE to enter the indicated
chord or scale into the selected chord position.  Click on CLR to
remove your selected chord/scale.





                 ** Note Edit Screen **
                    ================

Select the EDIT NOTE DATA from the Soundtrack or Sequence menus to
edit the Soundtrack or Sequence respectively.

When entering/erasing note data the mouse cursor location is displayed
in the upper left hand portion of the screen in clock time (minutes:
seconds), musical time (measure:beat:tick), and musical pitch.
Video Music Box uses a resolution of 240 ticks per beat.

The various parts/instruments of your sequence are selected for editing by
selecting the appropriate part button to the right of the note display
area. Single note edits pertain to the ACTIVE part, the part that was
most recently selected.

EDIT existing notes by placing cursor over the note, then click and holding
the left mouse button; the note should turn gray to indication selection.
Drag the cursor left or right to adjust note duration, or up and down to
adjust note pitch. Release button when finished. ERASE note by quickly
clicking and releasing over the note.

EDIT VOLUME of new or existing notes.  Once a note is selected with the
left mouse button down: continue to hold the left button down and push
the right mouse button. The current note volume will then be displayed
numerically.  Scrolling the mouse up or down will change volume.
Release either mouse button when end.


Various editing options are available from the Edit Menu.
Editing operations apply to ALL SELECTED parts.

The RANGE gadget creates a box-type range.  Edit commands then
apply only to that box.  For each part that is selected, the
edit operation will apply to the defined range in that part. Select
this gadget and draw diagonally on the note display and the box will
appear.

The INSERT gadget is used for a variety of edit commands including
PASTE, SPLICE, SLIDE.  Select this gadget, then position the cursor
at over the note display at the desired position, and click the left
mouse button to set the position.

When using the range definition gadgets, the notes in the active range
will always be highlighted (grey) so you can see what will be operated
on by the edit command.

The DRAW menu of the Note Edit screen provides some special tools
that can be used to quickly add drum fills, arpeggiate chords,add
scalar riffs, or melodies that follow the chord progression etc.
The tool is activated when the DRAW gadget on the screen is
selected.  Select this gadget, position the mouse cursor over the display,
press and hold the left mouse button.  While still holding the button,
move the cursor slowly from left to right and up and down; notes
will be added. The quantisation, duration, and volume of the drawn notes
is controlled by submenu selections in the DRAW menu.

The pitches of the drawn notes can be limited to a particular scale or
chord, or to a chord progression if one was present when the window
was opened.  Selection among those options is also made in the DRAW
menu.  When using a chord or scale to limit note input, select the
desired root and chord/scale type in the gadget in the upper right
hand side of the Note Edit Screen.


                                ** END **