Copyright: Copyright 2000 (C) Nikolai Tikhonov
Citation: From 'DrumFlow Help'


The Main Page

DrumFlow v1.70 Help

Copyright © Nikolai Tikhonov 2000. E-mail: vasnick@hotmail.com

Home page: http://tnikolai.virtualave.net/drumflow.html

1. 	Terms of use and limitations

2. 	The purpose of the program

3.	What's new in DrumFlow v1.70?

4. 	The toolbar

5. 	Editing the drum setup

6. 	Editing the sequencer

7. 	Saving, opening and exporting the data

8. 	The registration

9. 	MIDI settings

10. 	Another info and greetings


The Terms of Use and Limitations
Terms of use and limitations

This version of the program is freeware. You are allowed to use it without restrictions only for non-commercial use. No payment of any kind may be charged for this product without my own authorisation and official written license. This program or the data files contained therein may not be altered or modified without my own permission too.

You take full responsibility for the operation of this software and any consequences thereof. I cannot accept liability for damages or failures arising from the use of this software.

For any types of commercial use of the program, please register.

This version has some limitation of the operation: export to MIDI file is disabled, author' name will not be stored in DFA file. Also, check `What's new' for advanced list of features of registered version.


The purpose of the program

The DrumFlow is powerful drum sequencer. The DrumFlow is also can be used to edit Drum Setup (for GS or XG MIDI) parameters by using NRPN controllers. The DrumFlow allows you to create custom percussion parts with adjustable drums and then exports them in your MIDI editor (e.g. Cakewalk or Cubase) through the clipboard or MIDI file.

The DrumFlow gives to you:

- 16 drums and 32-event drum sequencer features volume and tempo setting, selectable drums, extended text information, selection feature;

- 10 adjustable drum setups per each drum: pitch coarse, filter cutoff and resonance, volume, stereo pan, EG attack and decay rates of the drum envelope, reverb, chorus and variation levels, short NRPN controllers set;

- 6 overall MIDI settings, such as: pitch coarse, filter values, reverberation, chorus and variation send levels;

- 127 possible drums in 127 possible banks in ease to customise ini file;

- export drum setup and sequence to clipboard.

Adjustable drums and bank selections are supported for GS or Yamaha's XG MIDI compatible synths. Otherwise you can use the DrumFlow as a full featured drum sequencer.

There is the file to define additional drums and banks: drumkits.ini. It is a simply ini-like file and you can edit it to add new drums, banks, sysexes etc. Refer to its content for a little `HOW TO USE GUIDE'.


What's new in DrumFlow 1.70
What's new in DrumFlow v1.70

Here are new features in the DrumFlow version 1.70:

1. Swing groove - add grooves to your patterns. Groove steps are from -6 to +5.

2. Support for QS300 voices. Edit feature only for registered version only. Now owners of the QS300 compatible synths (for ex. DB50XG, SW60XG etc) can add their own QS voices (up to 8, each voice takes 1 MIDI channel) and use them as drums.

3. MIDI sync. The DrumFlow now can receive MIDI sync messages from your MIDI sequencer and play step by step with it. For registered version only.

4. Change tempo while playing.

5. Volume slide window. Just select region and use this feature.

6. Two MIDI Out devices. If the first device is busy then DrumFlow tries to use the second one.

7. Support for different drumkits. General MIDI, Roland GS, XG level 1 and SW1000XG are currently supported. Easy to add your own kits - look at drumkits.ini file.

8. Now DrumFlow can be used in fullscreen mode. All elements are resizeble.

9. Floating windows have big or small tracks and their layout can be customised.

News in DrumFlow 99 (v1.20-1.60b)

	Here is a brief list of this new features in the DrumFlow 99 (v1.20-1.60b): 1. Tracking control shows modified status, name and value in one element. 2. Separate windows with group of control elements of the same edit reason, i.e. drum setup editor window or overall settings editor. 3. New file format designed to include new parameters. Note: the DrumFlow 99 reads all versions of DFA/DFS/DFQ files, but saves only in new format. 4. Extended text information to specify the name, author and comments for the sequence. 5. Overall settings - simply move the trackbars to change pitch, filter values and reverberation level. 6. Last open/save files list. The last file operation folder is used for file access. This features are add to ease file operation. 7. Toolbar with nice graphic buttons. This makes access to all of the DrumFlow functions much faster. 8. Most operations in the DrumFlow now got keyboard support, includes the start/stop buttons. Also you can assign the key for each drum to play them just by the computer keyboard. 9. Copy All command copies to the clipboard all MIDI information by one block. 10. Play range selection specifies the region of the sequence to play. This feature will be useful when it's necessary to create the loop with resolution different then 16 (4/4). 11. Enhanced edit options, so you can select multiple region of notes. 12. Note retrig (autorepeat) feature. This is the most important improvement in 'music' side. Now you can create such complex drumloop, like jungle or breakbeats. 13. Define your own color for volume scale. Click right mouse button to pickup color. DrumFlow remembers your choice. 14. Nice background pattern to make drumflowing more comfortable.


The toolbar

Here is complete list of all buttons in the DrumFlow toolbar with full comments and explanation. Text will come from most left button to most right.

New - press here to clear all, both drum setup and sequence. The program will ask again to be sure

Load DFA - shows open dialog with *.DFA files. The fastest way to open DFA files

Save DFA - saves current work in last open file. This button is active only if you have opened the file before pressing it

Save DFA as - shows save dialog with *.DFA files. The fastest way to save DFA files

Copy all - copies all data to the clipboard. If you don't need in separate drum setup or sequence, surely use this feature

Settings - Execute configuration dialog

Drum setup editor - shows or hides the drum setup editor window

Overall settings - shows or hides the overall settings window

Text info - shows or hides the text information dialog

QS-Voices editor - shows or hides QS-Voices editor

Volume slide - shows or hides volume slide dialog

Pen mode - press to switch the sequence to pen mode. In this mode you able to add notes, draw long ones, edit volume and retrig settings of individual notes.

Edit mode - this button turns the sequence to edit mode. You can select part of  note to make complex operations, such as delete, cut, copy and so on.


Editing the drum setup

The drum setup is a set of adjustable parameters for any percussion instrument. The DrumFlow can handle all 10 parameters: pitch coarse, filter cutoff, filter resonance, volume, stereo pan, EG attack and decay rate, reverb, chorus and variation per one instrument.

To edit the drum setup, turn the drum setup window on and select drum you want to adjust in the left selection window. The name of the selected drum will be displayed at the top of the LED-style screen on the bottom of this window. The moving of the trackbar changes the default drum setting to custom setting and turns the drum to the modified. This drum will be named as the default plus the '+' sign. Example:

'Bass Drum' ---> changing the pitch ---> 'Bass Drum+'

To return to the default drum setup setting press the green button in corresponded trackbar control. Only the modified drums will give NRPN controllers to export to the MIDI editor. You can also play a sequence and edit the drum setup in the same time. Double click the name of the active sequence drum to select the active drum and turn on the Drum setup page. Press 'Space' key to hear the drum and pull the arrow keys to change parameters finer, PageUp/Down to change the parameter more coarsely.

Some of the drum setup parameters (volume, pan, reverb level) are individual for each drum and they aren't able to be known. The DrumFlow sets these parameters to the default values only if you want to return to the drum defaults settings.


Editing the sequencer

The drum sequence is the composition of drum events placed in the time. The DrumFlow's sequencer is table-like window with horizontal lines (tracks) and vertical lines. The horizontal lines correspond with each drum. The vertical lines are used for storing events in the time. Current version of the DrumFlow has 16 drums and 32 events in its sequencer. You can also specify the region by play range selection window (to get more help press on long white box with 2 triangles on the picture below).

At first, you need to set active drums. Do it by drag-and-dropping of the drums from left select window to the drum name grid (on left, not far from sequencer window). If you want to get rid of some drum, click the right mouse button in the name window and select 'Delete drum'. To clear all the note events of current drum select 'Delete notes'.

Click on the region you want to get help on.

To delete the drum event select it at the first (click left mouse button) and then click right button to delete it. You can delete more than 1 event at a time if you select them.

To change volume of the drum event select it, press left button and move the mouse up or down to adjust the volume.

To modify retrig value of the drum event select it, press left button and move the mouse right to increase retrig value and move to left to decrease it.


Opening, Saving and Exporting of the Data
Saving, opening and exporting the data

The DrumFlow has 3 file formats: DFA, DFS and DFQ. All these formats are DrumFlow's only and I don't guess you could open them in another program. DFS is the file format that stores drum setup only. DFQ is the format stores sequence data. And, finally, DFA ('All in one') is the DrumFlow general file format that stores in one file the drum setup and the sequence. To save and to open these files click on 'File' menu of the program or use special toolbar buttons.

To export your drum setup or sequence to other programs look at the 'Clipboard' menu. Data of export are the standard MIDI format. Data of export can be pasted in MIDI program, like the 'Cakewalk' (Cakewalk 5.0 Audio and higher is 100% tested and supported). When you are copying the drum setup, the DrumFlow copies all necessary RPN and NRPN controllers. When you are copying the drum sequence only drum events are copied. If you had copied drum setup, don't forget to include XG Reset SYSEX in your composition.


Registering the program
The registration

This version is freeware and you can use it without registering only for non-commercial purposes. But if you want to get your own personal version of the DrumFlow with enhanced options (like direct export to MIDI file and so on) or you want to use this program commercially, you need to register it.

Registration is online and very easy now. Please refer to The DrumFlow Home Page for more information.

Registered users will receive technical support and special upgrade options. So if you liked the DrumFlow and you found it cool, please register and support further development of the program.


MIDI settings

The DrumFlow analyses your MIDI devices at the start time. If your device has 'XG' string in its name, this device will be automatically selected by the program. If your device hasn't this string, you need to specify the device manually. The MIDI selection is available on 'Setting' page. To save your settings, don't forget to click on 'Save on close' checkbox at the button of the configuration window.

Note for S-YXG50 users: the Soft Synthesizer doesn't function with 2 or more MIDI programs at a time. In this case (to suppose, you need to copy drum setup to MIDI sequencer), disable the DrumFlow MIDI output. You can enable output at any time after you finish to copy.


Another info and greetings

I hope the DrumFlow will help you to write cool drum parts and to bring your music on level more realistic and live. I wanted to support Yamaha XG MIDI standard and all XG musicians world wide by this useful program. If you take drum patterns written by me, Nikolai Tikhonov, please state my name in your MIDI song. If you have made some cool drums and/or sequence and you want to share it with other people - send your DFAs to me and I will put them in the DrumFlow Home Page (with your brave name, of course).

Finally, I would like to pass my greetings to XG groups and musicians whose music I loved to hear (unsorted order :-): X-Static, Crackhead, Scars, N-Traxx, Cryogenic Emotions, Sascha Henken, ZEN, Bill Welsh, The XG Midi Fun Page, Capone, Chris Holm, Alan Taff, Fireman, Antonio, Michael Walthius, XSCAPE, PHAZE1, D. Kelly, persons who sent me e-mails with new ideas according DrumFlow and all other XG enthusiasts.

All comments, bug reports and suggestions are always welcome.

Nikolai Tikhonov, May, 2000.


Set volume here: enter number and press ENTER, or simply press button on colorful line. MIDI volume may vary from 0 to 127. Also you can change the colors of the volume scale - to do it, press right button under the scale and specify the color. DrumFlow will remember your color scheme.


Changes the tempo of the sequence - number of the beats per minute. Values can be from 20 to 240.


Sequence drum names grid. Drag'n'drop drum here to specify active drums set. Right click mouse button for other options: delete drum or row notes.


Plays the drum sequence one time. Good for testing drum's progress.


Plays the drum sequence in loop - repeat the pattern. Ideal for tuning sounds of the drums, because you can change drum setup and play the sequence in the same time. Press 'Space' key to quickly start/stop the sequence.


This window is to specify the sequencer play range. Press left mouse button to change starting (red) position and right mouse button to change last (blue) position. This settings will be saved in DFA/DFQ files.


Stops the played sequence. Press 'play' or 'play loop' graphic buttons to play again. Press 'Space' key to start/stop the sequence.


You can mute/unmute drum by double clicking here. Press right mouse button to invoke additional mute options: solo drum or unmute all. Also use '/' key to mute and '\' key to unmute.


It's main sequencer window. Press left mouse button to add event. Press left mouse button above the existing event to select it. With holding SHIFT key you can draw long events. By pressing CTRL key you 'inverse' current edit mode. So you can select and draw events in one mode.


Here you can assign the key for each drum to play it by computer keyboard.


Yamaha XG MIDI is the progressive standard in computer music allows, in our case, to edit sound of the drums.