You can create special effects by <I>wiring</I> tools together to create a MIDI program. The first program shown, and the program created when you press the <b>New</b> button, is a simple one that sends all Synthesizer input to all Synthesizers and Sound Modules. The following topics are discussed on this page:
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<dt><a href="#RunProg"><b>Running a program </b></a>
<dt><a href="#NewTool"><b>Adding a new tool to the program</b></a>
<dt><a href="#Connect1"><b>Connecting the output of one tool to the input of another tool</b></a>
<dt><a href="#MoveTool"><b>Moving a tool on the screen</b></a>
<dt><a href="#EditProperties"><b>Changing what a tool does</b></a>
<dt><a href="#SaveProgram"><b>Saving a program</b></a>
<dt><a href="#LoadProgram"><b>Loading a program</b></a>
<dt><a href="#RemoveTool"><b>Remove a tool from the program</b></a>
<dt><a href="#BreakLink"><b>Disconnecting the link between two tools</b></a>
<dt><a href="#RecOutput"><b>Recording the output from the Performer page program</b></a>
<dt><a href="#AddingTools"><b>Adding more tools to the toolbar</b></a>
</dl>
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<h3><a name="RunProg">Running a program</h3>
Your program will not do anything until you start it running by clicking the <b>Run</b> button. When the program is running, any keys received from any MIDI keyboard connected to your computer will be sent to the
tool will be sent to all synthesizers connected to your system. You can test a program by pressing keys on the on-screen piano.
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<h3><a name="NewTool">Adding a new tool to your program</h3>
You can add tools to the program by clicking on one of the buttons at the left of the screen that identifies the tool you want, and then clicking anywhere on the right half of the screen, where you want the tool to be placed.
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<h3><a name="Connect1">Connecting the output of one tool to the input of another tool</h3>
Tools that can accept input have a blue arrow pointing into them. Tools that can produce output have a red arrow pointing out of them. For example, a tool that looks like this
a hand grabbing a wire. Now, press the left mouse button, and hold it down while you drag the mouse to the tool that you want to connect it to. When you release the mouse button, a line will be drawn between the two tools.
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<h3><a name="MoveTool">Moving a tool on the screen</h3>
Move the mouse over the tool to be moved until the mouse cursor looks like this
. Now press the left mouse button, and hold it while you move the mouse to the location that you want to move the tool.
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<h3><a name="EditProperties">Changing what a tool does</h3>
You can change the behavior of any tool.
Move the mouse over the tool to be modified, click the right mouse button, and choose the <b>Properties...</b> menu item.
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<h3><a name="SaveProgram">Saving a program</h3>
Click the <b>Save</b> button to save your program to disk. If this is a new program, you will be prompted for a filename. Otherwise, it will be saved back to the same file it was loaded from.
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<h3><a name="LoadProgram">Loading a program</h3>
Click the <b>Load</b> button to load your program from disk.
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<h3><a name="RemoveTool">Remove a tool from the program</h3>
Move the mouse over the tool to be removed, click the right mouse button, and choose the Remove Tool menu item.
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<h3><a name="BreakLink">Disconnecting the link between two tools</h3>
Move the mouse over a tool's blue arrow until the mouse cursor looks like this