AmigActive 13/AACD13.ISO/AACD/Information/DiskMags/AIOIssue38/data/fe2

Text File | 2000-08-25 | 15KB | 421 lines

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{subhead}Using MIDI And A Null Modem Cable{def}{p}
Article by Johan Van Mensel
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Hello,
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I wrote this article from my kind of view and about what I
find important for myself!
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Before you try anything, first read the whole article.
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ALL CREDITS FOR THIS ARTICLE GOES TO {bold}PATRICE FIMMERS{nobold}{p}
WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO PLAY WITH 3 AMIGAS !{p}
   (Patrice is an Electronic Engineer)
{p} {p}
I have tested this setup with  OctaMed 3, 4 and 5.04,  and
found that it works on all of them.
{p} {p}
I  started to  work with Amiga and OctaMed in 1991 and the
first  module  I  made named SOFT METAL BLUES. I have some
songs on cassette but to who can I send them ?
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With   Amiga  I can reach  many people.
{p} {p}
Sometimes a letter falls in the mailbox and that is what I
like,  so let me know where my music is and contact me for
comment or anything!
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Read  the  manual over and over again, and try to learn as
much as possible short cuts as you can.  It will make your
programming  much   easier.   Even now I find I don't know
enough!
{p} {p}
In the  beginning when I  was  trying  to play an 8  track
module the program crashed or the sound was very very bad.
I only used BPM tempos becauce sometimes I wrote my  music
on paper and  I  could follow the blocks  beat by beat  so
sometimes if I  tried to play with  8 tracks the tempo was
wrong.  Then someone  told me I  needed at least an  68030
processor,  and I believed  him  cause I did not know much
about  computers and did not read the manual good enough!!
{p} {p}
Patrice suggested that I used a  7- wire  null modem cable
and a mixer, as I had two Amigas.
{p} {p}
Later I found  the address of  MUG  and wrote a letter  to
Richard Bannister   to join  MUG  and to ask him what do I
need to play  8  track with 68000 (see TI14)  He  told  me
you can play 8 track  with  a  68000  but not using the HQ
setting. I was getting confused  and  so I took the manual
of OctaMed 5.04 and started  to  read  over and over again
until I read how to play an 8 track module, in chapter 5.
{p} {p}
I did find myself very stupid that moment for not reading
the manual carefully!!
{p} {p}
There are two miner  points  when  playing 8 track:  sound
quality and volume (read the manual!) but I have made an 8
track module, "The new high  tech"  (which was sent to the
group with this article) and it  proves that it sounds not
bad at all for an 68000 !!!
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{center}TWO OR THREE AMIGAS
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What are good points?
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CASH!! Many of us  maybe  want  to  buy a synthesizer to
play MIDI but don't have the  cash,  so it is much cheaper
to buy a second hand Amiga than a synth.
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If you like, you  don't  need  a  second monitor - Patrice
performed a miracle  for  me  here:   He  connected  all 3
Amigas via a switch to one  monitor  so I can choose which
display I want to see. I can now work with two monitors or
only one!
{p} {p}
With one Amiga you can load 63 samples, with two 126 or
with three Amigas 189 samples!
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Much more chip memory (depending your computers)
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A full 8 (12) channel tracker, with this I mean no halved
samples, and 8 (12) good working volume channels.
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It is also possible to play 16 (24) tracks.
{p} {p}
The advantage now with 3 Amigas is  that I can make a song
at home, merge the 2  or  3 modules together, convert them
into a MIDI file  (explained  further  in the article) and
give the final touch in  the  MIDI studio from Patrice.  I
intend to buy OctaMed 6 so I can directly save in MIDI.
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If you have an 8  track  module  that  you can't play with
your 68000 you can now halve  it and play (again explained
later in the article)
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{bold}                              {nobold}master    slave 1   slave 2{p}
For now I play with  A 600     A 500     A 2000  all with
68000 processors.
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{center}MIDI
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I first played with two Amigas  and null modemcable 7 wire
and OctaMed, which works  perfectly.  I've been reading in
TI14 (the tutorial section - got a problem) that there can
be problems with the cable and  that is correct: there can
be up to 10 different null modemcables.
{p} {p}
So Patrice made  for  me  a  cable  only  for  sending and
receiving  MIDI signals!   For  those  who are interested,
here are the proper connections:
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The Amiga that sends MIDI signals is called {bold}MASTER{nobold}
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The Amiga that receives MIDI signals is called {bold}SLAVE{nobold}
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You need two  female  serial  connectors  and 1.5m twisted
pair cable, as used in telephone networks.  See your Amiga
manual about the serial connector.
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{bold}WARNING !{nobold} Amiga 1000 needs a male serial connector !  RTFM !
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  pin   2 = TXD = transmitting data{p}
  pin   3 = RXD = receiving data{p}
  pin   7 = GND = ground  0V
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        MASTER    SLAVE{p}
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pin   2 TXD<_    _>2 TXD master txd to slave rxd{p}
{bold}                    {nobold}\  /{p}
{bold}                     {nobold}\/         master rxd to slave txd{p}
{bold}                     {nobold}/\{p}
{bold}                  {nobold}_/  \_       master gnd to slave gnd{p}
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pin   3 RXD<      >3 RXD{p}
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pin   7 GND<------>7 GND
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In this formation both Amigas can be master or slave !
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{center}FOR THREE AMIGAS
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         MASTER      SLAVE 1      SLAVE 2{p}
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pin   2 TXD<_    _>2 TXD{p}
{bold}                   {nobold} \  /{p}
{bold}                    {nobold} \/{p}
{bold}                    {nobold} /\{p}
{bold}                 {nobold} _/  \_{p}
pin   3 RXD<      >3 RXD<------>3 RXD
{p} {p}
pin   7 GND<------>7 GND<------>7 GND
{p} {p}
In this formation slave 2  can  only  be  a slave. Slave 2
receives only MIDIsignals from the master!
{p} {p}
Patrice tried the normal  and  same connection from master
to slave 1 for slave 1 to  slave 2 and put OctaMed MIDI in
slave 1 to SEND OUT INPUT but for some reason this did not
work!
{p} {p}
The OctaMED 5.04 manual says that,  when SEND OUT INPUT is
activated, OctaMed  replays  input  MIDI  notes.   It  say
nothing about the clocksignals.
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{center}START UP THE AMIGAS WITH OCTAMED
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For my own I uses the right Amiga as the master.
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Go in the  menu  to  MIDI  and  click  on  MIDI ACTIVE and
SEND SYNC and in  the  slave(s)  you  click MIDI ACTIVE --
INPUT ( ACTIVE ) -- EXT SYNC
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An important rule is that  the  Amigas  have  to play in 4
track or 8 track.
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If you try to play one  4  and  other 8 track than it does
not work - the program  will  crash (my A600 did).  YOU'VE
BEEN WARNED!!!
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Another important rule is do not  load the same modules in
the Amigas for trying out! You'll lose sound quality
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(only for testing the following....)
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The same problem has  been  mentioned  in  TI14 (tutorial
section - "Got a Problem")
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The author of the article  is  not entirely convinced that
there is no delay on  the null modemcable (5.5 nanoseconds
per meter cable) that you can not hear.
{p} {p}
If there is a delay that  you  can hear, it comes from the
hardware or  the  software.  Remember  you  can  only hear
delays above 4 milliseconds.   Below  that  value you have
ONLY  and  MAYBE  a distortion impression.
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        IF YOU HEAR MORE YOU MUST BE A DOG OR A BAT !!!!
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THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT YOU ONLY CREATE YOURSELF!
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NOBODY USES THE SAME  SAMPLE  ON  THE  SAME CHANNEL AT THE
SAME TIME !!!!
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  ---------------    ----------------    -------------
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Test this with the same bassdrum  in  2 Amigas, one on the
left channel in  the  left  Amiga  and  one  in  the right
channel in the right Amiga.  There  is no way you can hear
an delay by listening.  Now delete the right track of your
right Amiga and paste it in the left track (right Amiga)
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( 1 ) Both Amigas have  now  the  same sample on the left
channel.
{p} {p}
Click on start and  you  will  hear  a  bad quality sample
playing.  Turn the left pan button  of the left Amiga from
the mixer to the right and  you  will hear a good sounding
MONO sample!  If there is really  a delay you must hear it
now !!!! I have tested  this  with  headphones and I could
not hear a difference.
{p} {p}
An even better way to test this is... load the same module
in both Amigas and start playing, at first you will hear a
bad sounding  module playing. Now  turn  on the mixer from
the left Amiga  the left  pan  to  the right and the right
pan button to the left.  You  will hear the module perfect
playing in MONO!
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Again... if there is an delay , you must hear it now!!!!
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Hear the difference in soundquality when playing other
modules !
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There is a delay in tiny milliseconds! (software?)
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(the distortion is probably caused by the waveforms of the
two identical samples) set both Amigas Like ( 1 ) but take
a piano sample and start playing.
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Go to instrument settings of  the master and transpose the
sample two whole notes up: the distortion is gone !!
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A MIDI player with two the same synthesizers would have
the same problem !!!
{p} {p}
If you have a synthesizer and  like  to buy a new one, I'm
very sure you will buy another and not the one you already
have: you want the latest  model,  so  you never will play
with the same sound (waveform) at the same time !
{p} {p}
To measure this you need special instruments. Patrice told
me that he will test  it  (if  he  got the time)  So maybe
I'll know more about this later.
{p} {p}
But again... you never play  with  the  same sample on the
same channel at the same  time!!  Don't let this so-called
problem mislead you and  use  your  OctaMed  in the proper
way.
{p} {p}
Notice that when you are  playing  an  2 (3) Amigas module
with OctaMed 5.04 it is  possible  the "sg"  (song playing
sequence - of the master)  sometimes forgets to follow the
song.  A new block is  playing  but the previous block and
songnumbers are still showing  in  the  window. When again
playing the following block the  correct numbers jump back
in position !
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This is good for you to know that this can happen, because
when following your song you  could  think  one of the two
OctaMeds is out of position.
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Is it a BUG?  Is it MIDI?  I have tested this with OctaMed
3 and 4 and there is no problem at all!
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(Actually, this is  a  bug,  because  I've  noticed it too
while playing non-MIDI tunes.  I  /think/ it's still there
in OctaMED 6, too - MSR)
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Don't worry too much - your  module is playing correct and
that's what counts !
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{center}WHAT MIDI FEATURES TO USE
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I think  START,  STOP  and  CONTINUE  are  the  only  MIDI
features you need to work with the Amigas.
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In BPM mode the  slave(s)  follow  the  master's tempo and
tempochanges (by clocksignal)
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( 2 ) In SPD (in  4  track) the slave(s) will also follow
the master  when  primary  tempo  (left)  is  changed (not
secondary!! - right) It is  possible  to edit the slave(s)
via the master but  it  goes  much  quicker directly! (too
complicated)  When you have 3  Amigas  load in slave 1 and
slave 2 a sample.
{p} {p}
Now set the INPUT CHANNEL of  slave  1  on 1 and the INPUT
CHANNEL of slave 2 on 2.  Load  a sample in the master and
play the keyboard.
{p} {p}
Now  you  hear  the  sample  of  the  master.  Go  to  the
instrument parameters window and set  the  MIDIch on 1 and
play the keyboard. Now you hear the sample of slave 1, set
the MIDIch on 2 and play, now you hear the sample of slave
2. Now set the INPUT CHANNEL of slave 1 also on 2 and play
on the masters keyboard, what do you hear now ??
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Exactly. . you hear slave 1 and slave 2 playing at the
same time!
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This example shows you how MIDI works.
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There are other programs  that  are  written  to make your
Amiga   use  MIDI  modules  and  where  you  can  use more
samples! (maybe later more about this)
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IS IT POSSIBLE TO PLAY 16, 24  TRACK in SPD (2, 3
Amigas 8 track)?
{p} {p}
YES!!  The START, STOP and CONTINUE also work but not
the clocksignal!
{p} {p}
Now  you  don't  have  a   master  that  leads  the  other
OctaMed(s) so all you have to do  now is putting in the 2,
3  modules the tempo and tempochanges!
{p} {p}
I have tested with an 8 track module, The new high tech in
all 3 Amigas  with OctaMed  5.04,  all  3 stopped  exactly
after 11. 47 min. in the songsequence on the same block on
the same line!!!!
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(also tested with STOP, CONTINUE and LOOP! (set in all 3))
{p} {p}
When all three are playing  4  track  in  SPD the 2 slaves
follows the master in primary tempo (see (2))
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{center}8 TRACK DIVIDE IN TWO 4 TRACKS
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{p} {p}
If you know your shortcuts it goes very quickly (see your
manual)
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Load the 8 track module  and  set  the  channel mode to 4,
delete the first four channels of all blocks.
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Add to the modulename the letter R for right.
{p} {p}
Flush all unused samples and save.
{p} {p}
Load again the 8 track module but now delete the four last
tracks of all blocks, flush  all  unused and save with the
letter L for left after the module name.
{p} {p}
If played in BPM see that  all the tempochanges are set in
the master,  if played  in  SPD  all  tempochanges in both
modules.
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{center}MERGE 2 OR 3 FILES TO CONVERT TO MIDI
{left}
{p} {p}
OctaMed 6 can save MIDI (I don't have the program yet!! so
I don't know anything about it!)
{p} {p}
TIP!! As far as I know the best way to program the OctaMed
for a MIDI module (for a  beginner)  is to take one sample
on one track for each   MIDI  channel  so  you have a good
look about what you are doing!
{p} {p}
Load your left (first) module. Go  to MENU song select and
choose "add new".
{p} {p}
Load the second (and third).
{p} {p}
Put all the blocks of song 1 in 8 (12 - 16 - 24) tracks.
{p} {p}
Now you can copy one by one all blocks of song 2 (and 3)
into song 1.
{p} {p}
IT IS BEST THAT YOU MAKE IN THE OCTAMEDS EXACTLY THE SAME
SONG SEQUENCES  OR ELSE. . . . . GOOD LUCK!!!
{p} {p}
(than you only have to copy block  00 -> 00  /  01 -> 01
  / 02 -> 02  etc. . )
{p} {p}
Flush all instruments. Save and convert the module into a
MIDI file.
{p} {p}
You can also KEEP the samples  to convert in MUSIC-X, when
the requester appears while add new... click on REMAP (y)
{p} {p}
If you want all samples and  tracks in order like you have
made them, put  all  the  samples  of  the other module(s)
also in the MASTER!   IN ORDER!!
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(Piano in 01 of the left module also in 01 of the master!)
{p} {p}
When loading the MASTER as last and requester appears. . .
click on DON'T REMAP, all  samples  are in right position!
(Try it!!)
{p} {p}
With this article I  hope  I  could  help  some  of you to
expand your musical possibilities and ideas!!
{p} {p}
     Greetings !{p}
     Johan{p}
     [e-mail]
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{p} {p}
Editor:  Johan also incuded several sample madules with this article,
but space restraints forbaid me from including them.  So, he would like
it knoown that if anyone is interested they can contact Johan for
sending the modules.
{p} {p}