*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=* * Aegis Sonix (tm) Copyright © 1987, Aegis Development, Inc. * *-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=* * =============================* * Notes on release version 2.0 * * =============================* Aegis is proud to release SONIX. There are a few things not mentioned in the manual that are discussed in this ReadME file. Please take the time to print out this file and store it in the box with your manual. You can delete this file along with the notepad utility after reading it to conserve more disk space. SEND IN YOUR REGISTRATION CARD!!!  The registration card allows you to update to future versions of Sonix when they become available. When you send in your registration card, we log your number and information into our database so we can help you better. The Aegis Preferred Client: ============================= For a fee of $60.00, The Preferred Client Program entitles you to a year of free updates and also a year of free membership to the Aegis Private BBS (Bulletin Board System). This is particularly valuable for people who own more than one piece of Aegis software! The Aegis private BBS has a vast library of Instruments, Scores and Sampled sound effects for you to download along with a complete library of Amiga public domain software and separate conferences for Music, Animation, Graphics, CAD, Programming and it supports multiple computers. If you are interested in becoming a preferred client, contact Ms. Robin Miller at Aegis Development, 2210 Wilshire BL, suite 277, Santa Monica, CA, 90403 (213) 392-9972 (* Click on bottom-left corner to Go to NEXT PAGE *) *=====================================* * Notes on the Sonix_Data (DF1:) disk * *=====================================* The extra disk included with the Sonix program disk has two important directories: Instruments and Scores. Instruments (Dir) Scores (Dir) The Instruments directory: ========================== The instruments directory contains some of the original Musicraft (tm) instruments from 1985 as well as newer ones created by -=>Pebber Brown. The Scores directory: ===================== The scores directory contains a few demonstration scores to show off the sound capabilities of Sonix and the Amiga. Play these for anyone who doubts the sound capability of the Amiga and watch their reaction! Making a Sonix data disk: ========================= If you wish to create your own Sonix instruments, you will find that the disks cannot hold very many more due to being almost completely full as shipped. To make your own Sonix data disk, follow these simple steps: * Insert a blank disk in drive DF1: * From the CLI, type  Format drive DF1: name "Sonix_Data2"   * Press The screen will prompt you and format the disk. After you have formatted the disk, you will need to create both Instruments and Scores directories. * Type makedir DF1:Instruments  * Press * Type  makedir DF1:Scores  * You will now have a blank Sonix data disk to use in creating new instruments and scores. If you want to modify any of the existing instruments, you must copy from the supplied Sonix data disk to the Instruments directory on the blank disk. The easy way to do this is to make a backup copy of the supplied Sonix Data disk and then delete the Scores from it. This will give you a disk with 138 instruments to use in creating your own scores, and also give you enough disk space to create new instruments if you like. (* Go to NEXT PAGE *) *=====================================* * Notes on the Scores and Instruments * *=====================================* Jays Song: ========== On the internal DF0: disk there is only one composition called "Jays Song". Aegis wishes to thank Jay Kottler for contributing his original song for Sonix. Jay was the person who wrote most of the scores that appeared way back in 1985 on the first beta versions of Musicraft (tm). We were glad to have Jay contribute to the release version of Sonix. Dancing_on_MARS.-=>PB ===================== This score was written as a novelty by -=>PB and uses both analog sounds as well as the regular snare, tom and bassdrum samples. The simulated martian talking is actually an analog sound created with the waveform editor and sysnthesizer controls. YES it can be done without sampling. It was created by setting the Portamento, LFO, Phase and Depth to full and then repeatedly selecting the 3rd harmonic while the harmonic amount slider was set to full. The Plieades.-=>PB ================== This score was written with the intention of demonstrating the polychord voice leadinbg talked about in Appendix B of the Sonix manual. Each chord in the composition was created using the root, 7th, 9th, and 11th or 13th of the scale. This type of progression is used in sound tracks for movies. Each chord is the result of two superimposed triads with certain tones omitted to fit within the four tracks of the Amiga's internal sound architecture. The name Plieades is chosen from the galaxy Plieades in the Orion nebula. Sarabande J.S. Bach: ==================== This music was written for the lute by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is intentionally unfinished so you can give it a try. The sheet music is available at any public library and you can take a look at each individual part to see how it was transcribed for the Amiga. We like the version of this song that Al Di Meola plays on his first LP "Land of the Midnight Sun". HammerHEAD.-=>PB ================ This score was written as a tribute to Jan Hammer. There are three "Amiga solos" in the song. All three solos were created with the intention of simulating and actual human solo. Listen to the pseudo-Jeff Beck licks in the second solo! This was done by using heavily syncopated 16th notes and dotted eighths in combination with the IFF violin instrument modified for sharper attack and vibrato delay. The percussion sounds were created with a little trickery: ---------------------------------------------------------- If you load the TomDrum instrument and place it extremely high in the register on the staff, it will sound like woodblocks. If you use the SnareDrum instrument as a bassdrum in the lower register, it sounds much more powerful than using the actual BassDrum instrument. (* Go to NEXT PAGE *) *===================================* * Notes on writing percussion parts * *===================================* 1: Percussion parts sound much better if you keep the actual notes diatonically in harmony with any layered instruments. 2: Set the tempo fast and use the 16th notes as 32nd notes. Think of half notes as quarter notes. This gives you much more compositional flexibility. 3: For accents and more kick, you can DOUBLE parts into two tracks at once. This causes the instrument to double itself in stereo and will be much louder. You can use this doubling trick to create dynamics as well. Sonix and Musicraft (tm) ======================== You can download any score created with Musicraft (version 1.0 or greater) (using Aegis Diga! of course) from any BBS that has scores availaible to download and load them into Sonix. Scores written in Musicraft v0.99 are NOT compatible with Sonix. To do this just RENAME the score with the extension of ".smus". SMUS stands for Simple Music Interchange File Format.. The original Musicraft scores had the extension of ".score" added to them. To load any Musicraft score into Sonix, go into the CLI and rename it with the extension of ".smus". For example, the score called Axel F.score would be named Axel F.smus . Using Sonix with only ONE disk drive: ===================================== To use Sonix with only ONE drive, Load the score from the program disk called "pre-load". This score is necessary for use with any of the scores contained on the Sonix data disk. It contains the correct techniques that sonix is looking for when loading a score that uses IFF sounds, samples, MIDI patches or analog sounds that have been previously created. * Load the score 'pre-load' from the df0: master disk * Take the master disk out of df0: and insert the data disk. * From the scores screen, click on the instrument icon or go to the instruments screen and select "load" from the Project Menu. * Type 'df0:instruments' in the drawer box * Select 'Look' * After the disk drive spins, select 'Cancel' * From the Scores screen, select 'Load' from the Project menu * Type 'df0:scores' in the drawer box * Load the score! We hope you enjoy Sonix. The future of this product depends on you. Spread the word, not the disk. Aegis Development, Inc. 2210 Wilshire Blvd #277 Santa Monica, CA 90403 (213) 392-9972