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The Final Cut Demo of Version 2.30 "Micro Manual" Legend Software Systems 3508 34A Avenue Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6L 5E8 Phone: (403) 450-0736 (c) Copyright 1989, Legend Software Systems All Rights Reserved. About This Manual This "Micro Manual" is intended to give a very brief description of The Final Cut version 2.30 for users of the demo. It is in no way complete but it should suffice for those wishing to evaluate The Final Cut before purchasing it. This manual is pre-formatted and ready for printing right from the desktop. It is arranged 66 lines per page with a one inch margin all around. The demo program, this user manual and any songs distributed with the demo are copyright works and are not in the public domain. You may make and distribute (at no charge) as many copies of the demo program as you wish as long as this manual and the copyright notices herein are distributed intact with the demo. Introduction ------------ The Final Cut is a 16 track MIDI sequencer for the Atari ST and Mega computers. It will run on as little as a 520ST with a single sided disk drive with either a colour or monochrome monitor, but it will also take full advantage of larger setups (e.g. a Mega 4 with a hard drive). You will also require at least 1 MIDI equipped synthesizer or drum machine to make use of the program. Version 2.30 of the program adds many powerful new features and editing tools. The following is a brief list of the programs main features in no particular order: - graphical note editing (step edit) - programmable tempo (accelerando etc.) - full standard MIDI file compatability (formats 0 & 1) - individual event editing for all MIDI events - comprehensive track editing including cut, paste, copy, append, repeat, erase etc. - two methods of quantization - full MIDI slave/master synchronization - MIDI Thru/Merge with channelization - instant transpose up to 8 octaves up or down - shift tracks to create echo effects - compress, limit and expand track volume (key velocity) - intuitive and easy to use tape machine interface - animated tape reels for good visual feedback - graphic step time recording via mouse or MIDI synth - tempos from 20 to 420 beats per minute and time signatures from 1/16 to 16/1 - instant track channelization - cue points and auto punch-in/punch-out recording - split tracks by note - transpose individual notes - filter for all types of MIDI data - keyboard equivalents for all functions The Tape Machine Interface -------------------------- Using The Final Cut's main user interface is about as easy as it gets. The tape transport controls operate much as you would expect. To summarize: PLAY - Click to start play of song from current measure. Pressing the letter 'p' may be used as an alternative. REC - Click to start recording. Note that a track must be set to record mode first. The letter 'r' can also be used to start recording. RWD - Click and hold on rwd to scan backward through a song. Click once and release to move to beginning of song or nearest cue point. The left arrow '<-' can also be used to move backward by measures FWD - As with RWD except it goes forward. The right arrow '->' can also be used to move forwards in the song. STOP - Click to stop playback or recording. The 'Esc' key may alternatively be used. PAUSE- Used to temporarily pause during record or play. For each of the 16 tracks you can select from 3 different modes; Play, Off or Rec. When a track is in play mode, it will be heard during record and play. When a track is in Off mode it will be silent at all times. When a track is in Rec mode, it will be used to place new material on when the Record transport button is clicked on. You can begin recording at any point on a track. Old material will be written over and the new material spliced in. Note that only one track can be recorded on at a time. Each track also has a MIDI channel (from 1 to 16) associated with it. To change the MIDI channel of a given track, click on it's MIDI box with the left mouse button to increase the channel number or with the right mouse button to decrease the channel number. To change the tempo a song is being recorded or played at, click on the arrows on the left/right side of the tempo display with the left mouse button to decrease/increase the tempo by ones or with the right mouse button to decrease/increase the tempo by tens. Alternatively the following function keys can be used to change tempo: F1 = tempo decreased by one, F2 = tempo decreased by 10, F3 = tempo increased by one and F4 = tempo increased by 10. The tempo can also be programmed to automatically change as you desire by using the 'Tempo Map' feature under the 'Edit' menu (see later). The next part of this manual will discuss briefly each of the options in the drop down menus in the order in which they occur. The File Menu Load Song (Alt L) ----------------- Used to load songs from disk into the program. The current song in memory is lost when a new song is loaded. Save Song (Alt S) ----------------- This feature is inactive in the demo version of the program but is normally used to save the song in memory to disk. Note that all of your user settings and preferences are saved with the song so that when you load the song at a later date to resume working on it, things will be exactly as you left them. Load Track (Alt I) ------------------- Used to load an individual track from a Final Cut track file (extension ".TRK"). The other tracks of your song are unaffected by this action. Save Track (Alt J) ------------------ This feature is inactive in the demo version of the program. Delete File (Ctrl D) -------------------- Used to delete any file from a disk in case you run out of room when saving a song or track. New Song (Ctrl Z) ----------------- Used to erase the entire song in memory and reset all of the user settings and preferences. Import (Ctrl V) --------------- Used to import standard MIDI files (formats 0 and 1 are supported). The current song in memory is lost when you import a MIDI file. Once imported, the MIDI file can be saved as a Final Cut song file if desired. Export (Alt V) -------------- Used to export the song in memory as either a Format 0 or a Format 1 standard MIDI File. This allows The Final Cut to be used with other manufacturers' scoring programs, sequencers etc. This feature is however inactive in the demo version of the program. Quit (Ctrl Q) ------------- Used to exit The Final Cut and return to the GEM desktop. The song in memory is obviously lost by this action and should be saved first if desired. The Options Menu ---------------- Name Tracks/Song (Ctrl N) ------------------------- Used to give a name to the tracks and the song. Also shows the amount of memory used by each track. Note that un-named tracks that are not blank are indicated with a "<<>>" symbol in the track description field so you always know which tracks are in use. Metronome/Counter (Ctrl M) -------------------------- Used to select the time signature of the song, the metronome settings and a leadin used for record and/or playback. Set Preferences (Ctrl P) ------------------------ Used to select the user's expertise level (i.e. how much warning you want when doing potentially hazzardous stuff), rewind and fast forward speeds, the types of display items you want active and how you want to mark the end of your recordings (i.e. round to nearest beat or measure or end recording at last event received) MIDI Thru (Ctrl T) ------------------ Used to turn on/off the MIDI Thru/Merge echo feature and to select a channel to channelize incoming data to before echoing. Auto Cue (Ctrl A) ----------------- When a tick appears next to this menu option the auto cue function is active and the program will automatically rewind to the beginning of the song (or to the cue point) whenever Record or Play are ended. To set a cue point, move to the desired measure and press the F5 key. To turn it off again, press F5 again. Goto Measure (Ctrl G) --------------------- Used to instantly move to any measure. Once the measure has been specified with this option, pressing 'Alt G' will move you instantly to the measure without having to go through the menu and ensuing dialog box. Mode Send (Ctrl O) ------------------ Allows you to set the MIDI mode (e.g. Omni Off/Poly) of your externally connected synths and drum machines. Tempo Map On/Off (Ctrl H) ------------------------- Allows you to specify whether the tempo map created with the "Tempo Map (Alt H)" Edit option is to be used or not (see later). When this item is checked, the tempo map is used, when it isn't, the tempo map is ignored. Real-time Record (Ctrl R) ------------------------- Used to indicate that you wish to do real-time recording when you click on the Record button. Step-time Record (Ctrl S) ------------------------- When this item is checked, it means you want to record in step time instead of real time (see "Step Edit (Alt B)" later). The Edit Menu ------------- Cut (Alt C) ----------- Used to copy any group of measures from any track into the paste buffer for later pasting. Paste (Alt P) ------------- Used to paste the contents of the paste buffer to any point on any track. The paste buffer contents can be inserted into a track or can replace a group of measures on a track. Events (Alt E) -------------- Allows you to step through any track event by event or measure by measure to examine or change the MIDI events on that track or to insert new ones. (Sorry not much detail here so you'll have to try it for yourself). Copy/Merge (Alt M) ------------------ Used to copy one track to one or more destination tracks or merge multiple tracks together onto one or more destination tracks. Note Pitch (Alt N) ------------------ Used to translate all occurances of one MIDI note number to another. This is primarily used when converting a drum part created for one drum machine for use with another (e.g. Bass drum could be note number 36 on one machine and note number 42 on another so this could be used to translate all note 36's to note 42's). Split (Alt K) ------------- Used to copy all of the notes above or below some specified note to another track. This can be used, for instance, to split left and right hand piano parts recorded on the same track. Append (Alt A) -------------- Used to copy one track on to the end of another. Repeat (Alt R) -------------- Used to repeat the material on one or more tracks any number of times. Filter (Alt F) -------------- Used to manually or automatically filter out any selected component of MIDI data. Quantize (Alt Q) ---------------- Used to auto correct the timing of a track. Two methods are provided, one which quantizes the attack of the notes but leaves the relative durations unchanged and one which quantizes the durations of notes. Un-hang (Alt U) --------------- Used to remove hanging notes from a track. This function is largely unneccessary with this verison of the program since hanging notes are mostly corrected automatically. Erase (Alt D) ------------- Used to remove or blank out any group of measures from one or more tracks. Tempo Map (Alt H) ----------------- Used to specify how tempo should vary throughout a song. Four functions are provided, each which operates over a group of specified measures. These are 1) Set tempo to a specific value for a range of measures, 2) Vary the tempo smoothly from one value to another over a range of measures, 3) Set tempos to a percentage of their current values for a range of measures and 4) Erase all tempo map information for a group of measures. Step Edit (Alt B) ----------------- This feature allows the graphical editing of the note information on a track. There are five modes as follows: Edit - Double-click on any note and a dialog will appear allowing you to change the pitch, duration and key velocity of the note. If you single-click on a note, it will be played with its correct duration via MIDI. Add - To add notes, select the desired duration from the menu, find the appropriate measure and piano note on the display and click. The note will be added to the track as well as played via MIDI. You can use the location display on the menu to help you locate the correct note pitch and measure. Erase - To erase a note double-click on it. To hear a note, single click on it. To erase or delete a measure, double-click next to the measure number on the right. Play - Click on the play icon and the track will commence playing starting at the measure shown at the top of the display and ending at the end of the last measure on the screen. A horiz- ontal line scrolls down the screen as the track is played. When the bottom of the screen is reached, the program starts playing again from the top of the screen. This section repeats over and over again until you press a key. Record - To record from an external synth, select the desired note duration from the menu and play a note or chord on the synth. When all notes have been released on the synth, they are drawn on the screen and then the record pointer is advanced by the selected duration. To record with the on-screen piano keyboard, select a duration from the menu and then click on the desired piano key. To play a chord either hold down the shift key or hold down the right mouse button while sellecting a series of notes from the on-screen keyboard. Release the shift key and/or right mouse button when the chord is complete and the notes will be drawn on the display. The Step-editor has a large number of other features too numerous to describe in a manual of this size, but here are a few other notes to get you going in the right direction: - The display area can be zoomed in/out on by selecting a zoom magnification under 'View' on the menu. - Double clicking on the word 'View' on the menu presents a dialog which allows you to customize the display area grids - In Edit, Add and Erase modes the on-screen piano keyboard is active and will play notes of the duration selected on the menu via the MIDI port. - During Play, the tempo can be changed using the normal keys (F1 to F4) so you can speed up and slow down the playback. This helps in isolating errant notes. - In all modes except Play, a play marker can be set in the measure guide on the right of the screen by single-clicking at the desired location. The play marker will restrict the section that is played back in Play mode so you can, for example, listen to an individual measure looped over and over again. To remove the play marker, click anywhere in the measure guide. - To begin recording at a location other than at the top of the screen, click anywhere in the display area and the record pointer will be positioned there instead. The record pointer can be moved around at will. - To change the key velocity of the notes added in Add mode or with the on-screen piano keyboard in Record mode, double click on the box marked 'Vel: 64' on the menu. - Rests can be added during recording (without explicitly having to move the record pointer) by clicking on the box marked 'Rest' on the menu or by pressing the Spacebar on your computer's keyboard. - To modify the duration of the notes added in Add or Record mode, double click on the box marked 'Duration: 100%' on the menu. This allows you to specify a percentage modifier to be applied to the note duration selected on the menu. This modifier affects the note duration only and not the positioning of the record pointer. This feature can be used to add staccatto or legatto notes e.g. set duration to 50% and select say a quarter note duration. Each time a note or chord is recorded, it is entered onto the track as an eighth note followed by an eighth note rest. The Effects Menu ---------------- Transpose (Alt T) ----------------- Used to tranpose one or more tracks up or down by as much as seven octaves or as little as a semi-tone. Compress (Alt Z) ---------------- Used to even out the dynamics of a track by making soft sounds louder and loud sounds more quiet. Limit (Alt Y) ------------- Used to limit the maximum key velocity of any note on a track. Expand (Alt X) -------------- This is the inverse of the Compress function i.e. it makes soft sounds more quiet and loud sounds louder. Shift (Alt W) ------------- Used to shift a track backwards or forwards in time in order to create echo effects etc. The Sync Menu ------------- Internal (Ctrl I) ----------------- When this item is checked, the program neither sends nor recognizes MIDI timing clocks. The program is not synchronized to or with any other external device. Master (Ctrl J) --------------- When this item is checked, the program sends MIDI timing clocks as well as Start, Stop and Song Position Pointer messages whenever Play or Record is in effect. In this way, other devices can synchronize to The Final Cut with your computer acting as the Master time-keeper. Slave (Ctrl K) -------------- When this item is checked, the program will neither play nor record until it receives a START or CONTINUE MIDI message, and even then, the programs timing is controlled by an external drum machine or sequencer. Notes ----- This manual is admittedly brief and since The Final Cut is so easy to use it will probably suffice to guide most people through the program's features. However, in an attempt to head off a barrage of questions, here are a few points for those who are new to MIDI and sequencers. Q: How do I record multiple parts (overdubs)? A: Set a track (e.g. track 1) to 'Rec' mode. Set the time signature, metronome and leadin as required using the 'Metronome/Counter (Ctrl M)' function from the 'Options' menu. Click on Record and play your first part. Rewind the song and have a listen to it. If it needs a bit of fixing use the Edit options as required. Rewind to the beginning of the song. Set another track (e.g. track 2) to 'Rec' mode. Note that track 1 will automatically change to 'Play' mode as you do this. Click on Record and play your second part. You will hear your first part play back as you record. Repeat this process as neccessary to build as many parts as you want. Q: How do I make different parts (tracks) play different instruments? A: Each instrument can be set to recieve a particular MIDI channel. Make sure that each track is sending information on the MIDI channel required by its target instrument. Q: Why do all of my instuments play all of the parts? A: Instruments can be set to respond to all MIDI channels or just one MIDI channel. To make them respond to only one MIDI channel, use the 'Mode Send (Ctrl O)' option to send an 'Omni Off/Poly' message on all MIDI channels. Q: How do I make songs automatically select the sound(s) they need from my synths each time they are played? A: What is required here is that each synthesizer receive a Program Change MIDI message on the channel that it is set to. For example if you have a synth set to receive on MIDI channel 1 and you want that synth to play a Piano sound you must send it a Program Change to switch it to the Piano sound, from any Final Cut track that is sending on MIDI channel 1. The easiest way to do this is to use the 'Event Editor (Alt E)' option from the Edit menu. At the beginning of the track, select the 'Insert' button from the editor. A list of different event types will then be displayed. From this list, select 'Program Change' and click on OK. You have now inserted the required program change message onto the track but you still have to specify what program number (sound) you wish to change to. This is the tricky bit. You must know for each of your instruments which Program Change numbers correspond to which sounds. This information should be provided in your synth's user manual. Okay, so now you discover the Piano sound you want is program number 64. You just type this number into the Program Change event you have inserted and click on the Alter button. With a bit of practice this procedure becomes second nature. It is unfortunate but understandable that no two manufacturers use the same program numbers for the same (type of) sound. Q: How do I make my multi-timbral synth play more than one sound at a time? A: I don't know. It's your synth. In all probability though, after delving through your synth's user manual several times you will discover that each of the parts your synth can play, can be set to respond to any single MIDI channel and that each part can play any sound your synth is capable of. The secret here is to assign each part a separate MIDI channel and then from the Final Cut track(s) associated with that part (i.e. sending on the same MIDI channel) send a Program Change MIDI message to select the sound you want. On some synths (e.g. Roland's MT-32 sound module) each part is permanently assigned a MIDI channel so that part 5 will always respond to MIDI channel 6 for example. In this case, all you have to do is insert a Program Change on a Final Cut track set to channel 6 to select the sound for part 5. Q: How do I play on one keyboard and make it sound a different one (i.e. master synth or MIDI controller playing a second synth)? A: The answer to all your troubles is the 'MIDI Thru (Ctrl T)' option. It allows you to change the channel of any incoming MIDI data before it is echoed out again. Simply turn on the MIDI Thru option and select the channel which corresponds to the synth you want to hear. Don't forget though, if the volume is turned up on your master synth, you'll still hear it as you play. Finale ------ Well I hope that has answered most of your questions about The Final Cut version 2.30. If you like the program and would like to purchase a copy, please contact your local dealer. If he can't find it or won't order it you can get one from us at: Legend Software Systems 3508 34A Avenue Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6L 5E8 Please send a cheque or money order for US$89.95 or in Canada CDN$124.95. Sorry, no COD's but we won't charge for shipping providing its in the Western Hemisphere. I hope you enjoy this demo and we welcome any suggestions on how to improve the program.