Commodore Free 19/Commodore_Free_Issue_19_2008_Commodore_Computer_Club.d64/t.music editor 1

Text File | 2023-02-26 | 8KB | 295 lines

u

 http://www.redesign.sk/tnd64/
  music_scene.html

Created by Richard Bayliss
with Special thanks to Rio/Rattenrudel

Commodore Free would like to thank
Richard Bayliss for his permission to
reprint this guide Many users would
like to make more of there machines,
we all have various talents and if you
felt inspired to create music on a
C64 where would you begin, in this
guide you are lead through the various
options, for creating music with
versions of DMC music editor

The Guide has been broken down in
sections the first part will cover as
highlighted the disk image that
accompanies this series is available
from here:
 www.redesign.sk/tnd64/DMC%20Music%
  20Editors%5BTND%5D.zip

the disk contains;
DMC V2.1 (GRAFFITY), DMC V4.0
(GRAFFITY) + Docs (By Richard), DMC
V5.0, DMC V5.0+ (CREAMD/C64.SK), DMC
V5 PACKER, DMC V5.0 SCANNER and DMC
V7.0 (GRAFFITY+UNREAL)

1  Introduction 1.1  Preface 1.2  DMC
Versions
2  Getting Started with DMC 4 or 7 2.1
 Main Menu 2.2  Sound Editor 2.2.1 ADSR

1  Introduction
1.1  Preface
1.2  DMC Versions

2  Getting Started with DMC 4 or 7
2.1  Main Menu
2.2  Sound Editor
2.2.1  ADSR

2.2.2  Wavetable
2.2.3  Pulse / PWM
2.2.4  Filter
2.2.5  Vibrato
2.2.6  FX
2.3  Filter Editor
2.3.1  Parameters
2.3.2  Filter Envelope
2.4  Track Editor
2.4.1  Channels
2.4.2  Options
2.4.3  Commands
2.5  Sector Editor
2.5.1  Options
2.5.2  Commands
2.5.3  Time Control
2.5.4  Global Filter and Pulse
2.6  Quick Recaps and Examples
2.7  Packer
2.8  Relocator

3  Getting Started with DMC 5
3.1  Introduction
3.2  The Sound Editor
3.3  Making your Drumkit


3.4  Making your first piece of music
3.5  The Other Bitz!
3.6  Packing your Music

1  Introduction
1.1  Preface
Richard's Preamble:
Welcome to the 'Music Scene'
tutorials. All the resources are my
and rio's work ? previous versions are
appeared in Commodore Scene. We start
from the BASICS to the advanced music
composing using my favourite music
composer, which is Graffitys' Demo
Music Creator V4.0.

Rio's Preamble:
Regarding to Richard's welcome, i want
say hello too. Inspired by Richard's
DMC tutorial and my own experience
using that editor, i was motivated
enough to update and to overwork the
article completly (with detailed
chapters and some artwork too). I
added a table of content and as well
as further infos and knowledge about
using SID and DMC 4 and 7 (that's my
fav editor). Some chapters are united
by richard's and my work, so that
people, who want to start composing in
these days have a compact
documentation about one of the best
editors for Commodore 64.

Why we do this?
Because we have fun making music on a
C64, sharing some knowledge about
Editors which are use the unique SID
synthesizer for composing tunes.

What you need for using DMC?
You can start with a real Commodore 64
with 6581 or 8580 SID in it (you will
need some storing hardware too, like
floppies etc.) or an emulator like
VICE or something else, which can
manage disk commands and sid emulation
etc. Notice that there is a difference
between the SID types. More details
will be given in the chapters below.
Notice as well, if you use an
emulator, there will be another key
assignment. Please read about the
emulations software for yourself. The
whole tutorial will be referenced to
original C64 keyboard assignment.

Further you should know something
about bits and bytes. A understanding
for hexadecimal number system will be
necessary. But for those, who don't
know: It's a number system with a
cardinal number of 16
(0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F). So
every parameter or counter have to
write down as a hexadecimal number.
Parameter or command in this
documentation will be described with
variables, like:

SND.xx or FX: xy

If there are two x variables - a 8 Bit
parameter will be expected. If i talk
about x and y variable, then two 4
Bits (nibbles) parameter will be
expected. In some cases x and y
represent a state of a flag for each
parameter (e.g. FX, Waveforms). Then
every bit of a byte (8 Bits) can be
set for a specific state. For example,
if we want to change Bit 0 (it's first
position), we write a 01 as
hexadecimal number. If we want to
change Bit 1 and Bit 2 we write down a
06, because 0110 (bin) is representing
a 6 in hexadecimal system. If you have
some special comments or annotations,
we are pleased if you add your queries
in TND forum.

1.2  DMC Versions
The predecessor of DMC is the GMC -
Game Music Creator, written by Brian
of Graffity. You will find some
similar elements in that editor too,
but the following DMC versions are
more improved. The way of DMC
development (2,4,5,6,7) was
accompanied by several groups and is
at least mainly split in two programs:
DMC 4 and 5. Some groups have done
modifications in both DMC version, so
you will find a mass of different
releases. Most of them should never be
spreaded. DMC 7 (by unreal) was using
the code of DMC 4 and it's fitted out
with some special functions. So the
first tutorial part is for up for both
versions.

2  Getting Started with DMC 4 or 7
So many people in the C64 scene uses
DMC 4 and we are two of them. Well, if
you were expecting the old Music Scene
by Andrew, think again. This is
because Richard has decided to take
over 'Music Scene' and now i (rio)
have updated the whole tutorial
(Richard hopes Andrew didn't mind).

We have decided to teach you all how
to turn yourselves into cool C64 music
composers. For those of you who are
interested in learning to use DMC 4,
we'll be teaching you how to compose,
using sid fx's and dmc commands. You
will gain a small amount of knowledge
about synthesizers and of course using
C64 SID chip for your own style of
music. Anyway, let's forget all this
nitty gritty and get on with some
serious experimenting. The DMC 4 & 7
player has various options & editors,
which can help you create your own demo
songs by using the 3 Channels of SID.
You can even use up to 8 different
tunes in one file, by using tune
switching. Furthermore DMC 4/7 allows
you to monitor playing notes in 'LIVE
PLAY SYNTHESIZER' Mode (listen to
notes, by touching keys) and to record
sequences in a time-dependent 'RECORD
MODE'. Direct Monitoring (VOICE ON/OFF)
allows you to listen to everything you
tap in. DMC 7 is fitted up with a trace
play mode.

If you start the editor, it will look
something like this:

2.1  Main Menu
The DMC has various menu options
involved. There are sound and filter
editors, a music setup, a disk menu
(or I/O menu) and different player
setups. By pushing ? (DMC 4) or CTRL
(DMC 7) you will get into the main
menu. Use the CRSR keys to highlight
an option, use RETURN to choose one.

The Sound Editor is for creating your
instrument set. The filter editor is
for editing filters, which can be
assigned to a special instrument from
Sound Editor.

In music setup (tune setup) the global
speed and global volume can be
defined. Activating the disk menu or
I/O menu will switch into file
operating menu, where you can load and
store your tunes or use some Commodore
DOS commands. In most DMC versions are
different player routines integrated.
You are able to choose a player (e.g.
A or B). Some are better in quality,
others have a better raster timing.

2.2  Sound Editor
First of all, you need to build the
instruments yourself. Highlight the
'Sound Editor' option in main menu.

Okay, now take a look at the image
below. It shows you what the Sound
Editor looks like. If we go the first
time in the Sound Editor the first
instrument will be choosen
automatically. Watch out after SND: xx
parameter at the right-upper corner.
xx shows the current selected
instrument number. Up to 23
instruments are possible (16h), which
we can select with +/- keys. You are
also be able to copy and paste
instruments by pushing: ? Arrow (Copy
- part of the screen flicker in green)
and @ (Paste - part of the screen
flicker in red). The TRO: 0x value
below, represents the transpose of a
playing test note (C-x) by pushing
space. The tone transpose can be
selected with SHIFT_R and +/-. As you
can see, the sound data are full of
zeroes, therefore there is no sound.
Press space to test the sounds. You
cannot hear the sounds at all, due to
no data.

If you want to change a parameter, you
can select it by using CRSR keys Left
and Right. To set up a parameter,
simple press a key (0..F). Possible
properties for an instrument in the
Sound Editor are as follows
ADSR: 00EA

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT MONTH?