MusicMaker Manual Addendum ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Last Minute Changes: -) WAV and VOC file support added. Now MusicMaker can load and save these formats common to the world of PCs. However, using these on the AMIGA for storing is not recommended: Files namely do not feature LOOP information, so s(h)aving a sample in either of these formats causes loss of LOOP facility. WAV 16-bit files are automatically converted to 8 bit. VOC files created by MediaVision®'s "recfile" program made obvious that VOC happens to be a quite "loose" standard. ["Pack byte" in stereo samples set to 0x05 - according to official documents, the only way to declare a sample as stereo is using the "extension block" (0x08). However, 0x05 is accepted as a special case.] - Using NEW values for DECLARED positions in DECLARED headers does not seem to appear like pulling away the rug from beneath the programmers' feet to anyone there. Changes to this "file format" in the future could make MM to cancel VOC loading in case it senses "illegal" values - so to speak. VOC files in SoundBlaster® hardware compression format cannot be loaded Including this is not worth the work; sounds like via the telephone... -) "@" Speed Change Effect is now enabled in EXT mode as well, BUT - with -two- limitations: First, it allows speed INCREASES only (such as 5/6; decreases will be ignored!) and, secondly, to force a speed change on a distinct location, it has to be set ONE slot LEFT of this position. Read: The player "delays" (-unvoluntarily, of course) the effect one macro slot. Sorry for that, but the mixer program is mindboggling enough, though. -) MM from now features 10 pre-assignable AREXX-scripts. These are executed from TrEd and MacEd by pressing CTRL+F1 thru CTRL-F10. If the key's corresponding script is unassigned, the file-requester allows choosing. Further, the "#" command in CM has changed its abilities a little: "#" called without any parameter shows the list of all currently defined REXX-scripts in ascending order from F1 to F10. "#" called with a numerous argument (ranged from 1 to 10) only, executes the current REXX-script represented by this number. "#", if given a number AND a text parameter (in quotes!!!), assigns this REXX script to this number. "#" featuring a text parameter only, simply executes this REXX-script, without assigning it to anything. This is the function, "#" had so far. The script names are saved into the prefs file. The standard prefs file supplied on the disk has the "UPDATE"-script assigned to CTRL-F1, "LOADMACRO" to CTRL-F6 and "SAVEMACRO" to CTRL-F7. -) Instrument-Editor's "OS LP" gadget changed behavior when hit with right mouse button: Left half now plays range (as before) but right half makes the current DISPLAY audible - new. -) FadeSnd()-parameter in library+link-module function changed slightly: "Speed" now weights half, so fading takes twice the time it took before. This was done due to very small useable range of old parameter value. -) SetupCacheControl() function in mplayer module. This has been added for handling the CPU caches on 68030 and 68040. A call to this is only required when playing 8 channel songs, but for absolute identity to 4 channel players, the sysplayer module, however, also features it as a stub. This function, as mentioned, must be called when playing an EXT song. As parameters, it exspects the OS version (37 for Kick 2.0; can be obtained from Execbase->LibNode.lib_Version) and the System's AttnFlags (in ExecBase, as well). According to that, it sets up cache handling in the player; especially the 68040's COPYBACK mode and the larger cache are the trouble makers in here. For more details about using this function, see all the 8-channel source code examples supplied. By the way: NEVER corrupt execbase when using the 8-channel player (no matter wether library or link module) !! It obtains some data about your system from it, so clearing exec IS harmful to the player!!! V2.40 (and later) post-release changes: -) New library functions "MuteChannels()" and "GetMutedChannels()" The functions do exactly what the name says, they mute one or more channels. In D0, the routine exspects bits 0-3/0-7 to specify which channels to be muted. A bit set means the channel is muted. The function should be called after initialising a song to the routines (eg. via LoadAndInit(), NewSndInit()...). GetMutedChannels() returns the current state in D0. -) MusicMaker goes international: It from now supports the locale.lib and a German catalog is supplied. However, the manual still refers to the english version. This will not change, anyway. -) Additional data saved into the .sdata file. Therefore, the format of the files slightly changed. YOU MUST USE V2.4-PLAYERS FROM NOW! (New 2.4-EaglePlayer-players supplied on Disk #1! The versions coming with the program do no more work correctly with V2.4 files.) MM and the new players, of course, can load all formats. [Sorry for that inconvenience; the V2.4 players will work with all forthcoming versions.] New data saved includes: Oneshot-Flag; Custom-Edit setting; Songdate; Version (just a save count); BPM-Flag. BPM means "beats per minute" and is the new speed-format in MusicMaker. Normally speed is being shown in the old unit (300/600-2800); Clicking the Speed:-display in TrEd turnes the display into the new bpm format. However, the "t"- command still only accepts the old unit. -) The RAM Scan function in the Instr/LFO-Editor experienced some en- hancement: The 'Save'-gadget is now actived during the operation, so the user is enabled to save the whole scan area or just a range directly out of the memory without leaving the RAM scan operator. -) The 'Info' in TrEd features some new data. -) The Record/Accompany gadgets now react on a double click in the way that they call the recorder with the previous (valid) parameters (such as recording channel and start/stop rows) again. This can be repeated as often as desired. -) Tremolo and Vibrato effect in MacEd. These are, as I guess, mostly self explaining; One more to say here: The volume parameter specifies the depth of the effect. -) Macro-Editor is enabled to be placed on an interlaced (NTSC where available) screen for editing all 8 macros at a time -) NEW FILEFORMAT: New MM features a MODULE save format (for all three save modes: data, packed and lib-disk). I think more explanation concerning this is not required... except that the supplied EaglePlayer player/modules do NOT feature loading MM/Modules (yet). Also, the libraries/players feature some new functions. Please see developer-files for more info about these. Supplied utility pack ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ T2MM - NoiseTracker to MusicMaker CONVERTER ¯¯¯¯ This program converts a NoiseTracker or "compatible" (?) module or song file into MusicMaker format. Efx not or differently supported in either program remain untouched. Instruments are automatically converted, in case you have a module file, otherwise T2MM creates a LIB-DISK instrument set. Since there are many different versions of this so-called "standard" file format available, T2MM may a kind of "abort" himself in some cases. Starting version 3, T2MM is able to convert "Startrekker" 8-channel modules. It must be an audible relief to people using this program in 8 channel mode, now to hear it through MusicMaker. ProTrackers $e-commands are ignored. S2MM - SMUS to MusicMaker CONVERTER ¯¯¯¯ As the name makes it easy to guess, this converts a SMUS file into MusicMaker format. Restrictions: Song must have been written in 4/4 beat, 4 channels ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ maximum. Some SID_events remain unconverted due to incompatibility, and some may under some very special circumstances lead into "abortion"... Instruments cannot be converted, so S2MM shows a list from A in asc. order. They are to be replaced by MM Instruments, since MM can't load Sonix' or DMCS' Instruments, unless they are IFF or SONIX's ".ss"- format. O2MM - Oktalyzer to MusicMaker CONVERTER ¯¯¯¯ Oktalyzer files are being converted including instruments. Efx mostly remain unconverted. O2MM can handle all channel configurations. Converting a song from either of the mentioned ain't a perfect thing. Some cases, which MUST be handled by editing the song in MM are: T2MM: $d, pattern break: T2MM works channelwise, so it sets ":" in ONE of the 4/8 channels only. The ":" must be copied to ALL channels. A pattern in Noisetracker represents TWO macros in MusicMaker. If a ":" is set to halfen the length of a Tracker-pattern, you must delete the "-P-"'s following in the tracks. O2MM: Unusual pattern length may require insertion of ":". Wurlitzer ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ is a small replayer-demo. It can be executed from CLI as well as from Workbench. It opens a window of its own, containing a real bunch of gadgets of all kinds. Don't worry about this at first! You can name up to 20 (on NTSC machines: 15 due lower vertical screen resolution) songs, which are together called a "DISC". Not just by accident this will remind you of CD. To select a song's name, you either activate the text-gadget or the corresponding "FReq"-gadget, which will bring up the file requester. Do this for all the songs you intend to collect together to a disc. A disc can be saved or loaded using these two gadgets below the control- panel. An arrow pointing left from the depicted floppy disk means load, and vice versa. The "ICONS" tool type controls wether or not to save a disc workbench icon. The control panel to the right works like a compact disc player's equivalent. Keys in from left to right order work as -) PLAY. Starts at current track. -) STOP. Guess what. -) FAST FORWARD -) RESTART CURRENT TRACK. This only works if player is running. -) PREVIOUS TRACK -) NEXT TRACK. In order to start at track 7, click NEXT TRACK 7 times, followed by a click on PLAY. This is faster than clicking PLAY first and NEXT afterwards, because this will load all songs between 1 and 7 into memory. The volume slider does its intended job, and "EJ" ejects the current disc clearing all the text areas. To quit the program, click the closing gadget. Playmode controls wether to play all tracks for a single time (which is the normal setting), repeat all tracks or play a single track continously. The latter has the following to care about: Playmode must be turned to "Repeat Single" BEFORE the concerned song starts. While playing, changing to "Repeat Single" has no effect. To force this mode to be used at the current track, just RESTART it, in case it has already been loaded. Other- wise do PLAY instead. Wurlitzer plays all kinds of MusicMaker songs except the ones with LIB-DISK instrument sets. Thus not many songs supplied can be played using Wurlitzer. Sorry about that, but I suppose you don't want to be charged 6 MM-disks just for this feature. The LIB-DISK file format is intended to be an "under-development"-tag; The opus should be saved normally when complete. Radio ¯¯¯¯¯ is an even smaller demo, and plays a 4-channel (STD) song using the mmv8.library. Returns to CLI immediatly, so RUNning it is not required. Plays songs with packed or data-file instruments, no LIB-DISK sets. 8Player ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ same as Radio, but plays 8-channel (EXT) songs (only). URadio ¯¯¯¯¯¯ same as Radio, too, but plays both 4 and 8 channel songs. (Universal). Differs from Radio just in library name and CPU cache handling. All the above described programs are public domain. Permission to use the players in own programs is given under the condition, that a READABLE reference to the name "MusicMaker V8" appears in the program. The libraries are freely distributable, but programs using any of them also have to carry a readable reference to "MusicMaker V8". ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Thomas Winischhofer/Dire Crax Amiga® Software, Austria. MusicMaker is dedicated to Jeff Porcaro+, the greatest drummer ever. ____________________________________________________________________________ "Oktalyzer" is a trademark of MEDIA GmbH. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [eof]