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MODEDIT VERSION 1.00 DOCUMENTATION COPYRIGHT 1991 NORMAN LIN ================= TABLE OF CONTENTS ================= 1. Introduction 1.1 What is ModEdit? 1.2 What is needed to run ModEdit? 2. Getting started 2.1 Setup 2.2 ModEdit's menu system and display 2.3 Configuration 3. Nomenclature/concepts 3.1 Note unit 3.1 Pattern 3.3 Sequence 3.4 Sample 3.5 Integrating note units, patterns, sequence, and samples 4. Using ModEdit 4.1 Entering music 4.1.1 Creating/editing patterns 4.1.2 Sequencing patterns 4.1.3 Other pattern options 4.2 Orchestration: Using Samples 4.2.1 The "Sample Directory" 4.2.2 Loading sample files from disk 4.2.3 Playing samples 4.2.4 Saving sample files to disk 4.2.5 Releasing samples 4.2.6 Attributes of samples 4.2.7 Default sample settings 4.3 Hearing your music 4.3.1 ModRes: Inline playing 4.3.2 ModPlay: External playing 4.4 Saving and loading ModFiles 5. Reference 5.1 Exhaustive menu options 5.2 Pattern editor quick reference key summary 5.3 Effect list quick reference chart 5.4 ModPlay 5.5 Coming attractions 6. License/Warranty/Disclaimer Page 2 ================ 1. INTRODUCTION ================ 1.1 WHAT IS MODEDIT? --------------------- ModEdit is a music editor/sequencer for the IBM PC family that allows you to write music with 4 tracks of digitized instrument sounds. The final product is written to a file called a "ModFile", which can then be played back by Mark J. Cox's "ModPlay" program. 1.2 WHAT IS NEEDED TO RUN MODEDIT? ----------------------------------- To run ModEdit, you need: - An IBM or compatible, 640K recommended. - The executable editor program MODEDIT.EXE. To hear the music, you also need one or both of the following: - The resident module player MODRES.COM by Mark J. Cox, which allows you to hear your music as you write it from within ModEdit. - The external module player ModPlay (MP.COM) by Mark J. Cox, which allows you to play Modules outside the ModEdit environment. NOTE: To run ModPlay or ModRes, you must have a 12 MHz or faster machine. A new version of ModRes which works with 10MHz machines should soon be available. See "MODRES.DOC" for more information. Page 3 =================== 2. GETTING STARTED =================== 2.1 SETUP ---------- Your ModEdit archive file should contain the following files: - MODED.BAT : Batch file that runs ModEdit - MODEDIT.DOC: This file - MODEDIT.EXE: The executable ModEdit module editor - MODRES.COM : Mark J. Cox's resident module player, for use in conjunction with ModEdit - MODRES.DOC : Documentation/License for ModRes - BREATH.MOD : A sample ModFile for you to experiment with - *.SAM : Various digitized sample files for incorporation into your own music To run ModEdit, first unpack the archive file, preferably into its own subdirectory if you have a hard drive. If you will want to use the inline playing functions of ModEdit (usually the case) type "MODRES" and press return. This loads the resident module player into memory. If you do not run ModRes before ModEdit, you will not be able to hear your music from within ModEdit, though you will still be able to load, edit, and save ModFiles for external playing. After running ModRes (if you wish to), run ModEdit by typing "MODEDIT" and pressing return. You will then be running Modedit. You may wish to set some defaults to your own preferences (e.g. screen colors, default directories, etc.); see "Configuration" below. After you exit ModEdit, ModRes remains in memory (it's a TSR). Keeping ModRes in memory does no harm, but does take up a minimal amount of space. To free this memory space, type "MODRES -d". Supplied in the ModEdit archive file is a batch file "MODED.BAT" which automatically installs and deinstalls ModRes. It simply contains the commands: modres modedit modres -d Page 4 2.2 MODEDIT'S MENU SYSTEM AND DISPLAY -------------------------------------- Once you've started up ModEdit, you need to know how to move around through the various available options. ModEdit is menu-driven. To choose an option from a menu, you may either: 1) Use the cursor keys to move the menu bar to the desired item, then press enter, or 2) Press the capitalized letter on the desired item's menu line. To escape from any menu or option, press the ESC key. Certain menu options (e.g. loading, saving, etc.) require you to input text. When ModEdit requires input from you, a small window will be created in which you may type the required input. If you make a mistake, use the backspace key to correct it. Press return when you are finished, or ESC to abort the input. When entering filenames for load options, you may either specify the filename to load, or you may specify a pathname. If you choose to specify a pathname, you must end it with a backslash (\). After specifying a pathname, you are given a directory of files in that path and a large reverse video bar. Move the bar with the arrow keys; press the space bar or enter to choose a file. A status line at the very bottom of the screen always gives you the current filename and various information about the song, as well as memory available. 2.3 CONFIGURATION ------------------ Now that you know how to move around in ModEdit, you can configure ModEdit to your particular system and preferences. Select the "Configuration" option from the Main Menu. You will be presented with the Configuration Submenu. From here you may set various options about ModEdit, such as colors, directories, etc. The only ones you really need to set right now are the following: - ModFile directory: this is where ModEdit will look for your Modfiles (i.e. songfiles). This option is under the "Directories" option of the Configuration Submenu. Page 5 - Sample directory: this is where ModEdit will look for your sample files. This option is also under the "Directories" option of the Configuration submenu. And, if you've loaded ModRes into memory, you also need to set: - Output device: this is the device to which ModRes will play music/samples. It defaults to the PC speaker, but can be a D/A converter on an LPT port (see the ModPlay documentation for information on how to build a D/A converter). Feel free to set any other configuration options you wish to customize (such as screen colors, error beep, etc.). When you're done, select "Save Configuration" to save the current settings to a configuration file. Next time you start up ModEdit, the configuration file will be read and the defaults set according to your specifications. The configuration file is saved to the current working directory; this will initially be the directory that you were in when you started ModEdit. If for some reason you wish to save the configuration file elsewhere, do so by changing the current working directory. Then, when you save the configuration, it will be saved in the new current working directory. Page 6 ========================= 3. NOMENCLATURE/CONCEPTS ========================= In order to use ModEdit, it is necessary first to understand some general terminology and concepts dealing with ModFile construction. 3.1 NOTE UNIT -------------- The fundamental building block of patterns. It consists of three parts: 1) A musical note and octave (e.g. C#3 or A 2) 2) A "sample" or "instrument" number that determines what instrument sound will be associated with the given musical note 3) An effect number and argument, which jointly determine "how" the note is to be played (i.e. loud, soft, arpeggiated, etc.) 3.2 PATTERN ------------ A collection of 64 contiguous note units. It is the fundamental building block of songs created with ModEdit. By arranging note units within a pattern/several patterns, you can create musical motives. Patterns are numbered starting with ZERO (contrast with samples below) and may go up to 63 (i.e. 64 patterns max). 3.3 SEQUENCE ------------- An arrangement of patterns. By arranging patterns into a sequence, you can group musical motives into a song. The sequence may be up to 128 patterns long. A given pattern can appear in the sequence more than once, if desired -- this means that for repeated musical passages, you need not create another identical pattern; you simply place the same pattern number in the sequence. 3.4 SAMPLE ----------- Also interchangeably called "instrument." It is a collection of digitized data which mimics a particular instrument (e.g. Page 7 flute, piano, guitar, etc.). Samples make your music sound "real" as opposed to "computerish" (simple square wave beeps). Up to 31 distinct samples may be used in a Modfile, affording a wide range of orchestrational possibilities. The samples are numbered 1-31 (contrast with the pattern numbering scheme above). 3.5 INTEGRATING NOTE UNITS, PATTERNS, SEQUENCE, AND SAMPLES ------------------------------------------------------------ A complete song, therefore, consists of a number of PATTERNS, each of which contains 64 NOTE UNITS. These patterns are SEQUENCED into a particular order, which defines the song the listener will hear. The SAMPLE that is associated with each note determines the timbral quality (sound) that the note makes as it is played. Page 8 ================= 4. USING MODEDIT ================= 4.1 ENTERING MUSIC ------------------- 4.1.1 Creating and Editing Patterns ------------------------------------ The main building block of ModFiles is the pattern. Musical notes in ModFiles are entered into patterns. From the main menu, choose the "Pattern" option, which will take you to the Pattern Submenu. Initially, no patterns will be in memory. Therefore, you must create a NEW pattern, so choose the "New Pattern Edit" option. To edit an old pattern, you would simply have chosen "Old Pattern Edit" and entered the pattern number you wished to edit. You are now in the ModEdit pattern editor. The screen will look something like this: Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Track 4 --!-----------!-----------!-----------!-----------+ Abbreviated Sample List 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 01!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 01 <<NONE>>|17 <<NONE>> 02!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 02 <<NONE>>|18 <<NONE>> 15!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 15 <<NONE>>|31 <<NONE>> --!-----------!-----------!-----------!-----------+ 16 <<NONE>> ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ | | | | | To the left are descriptions of each | | | | Effect field: argument field for each track. Each track has a | | | | note field, a sample field, and an | | | Effect field: command effect field, as shown. At the very | | | left is the note position within the | | Sample field: sample number pattern. The edit window scrolls, so | | you may go up to note position 63 | Note field: note and octave (since there are 64 note units within | each pattern). Note position within the pattern Below the pattern edit window appear 2 lines (which have been omitted in the above diagram for clarity). The first tells you which pattern number you are editing. The second Page 9 tells you the "default sample number," which is explained under "Sample field" below. The "Abbreviated Sample List" is a shortened version of the full list of samples. It's just for reference, so that you can tell at a glance which sample file is loaded into which sample slot. See "Orchestration: using samples" below for more information on samples. Moving around the pattern editor -------------------------------- Each pattern consists of 64 note units for each of 4 tracks. The 64 note units are numbered 0 - 63. The edit window is only 16 lines long, so to see all 64 note units use the up and down arrow keys to scroll. Movement around the screen is quite simple. Use the arrow keys, home, end, page up, and page down to move the cursor to any field of any track at any note unit position. INS and DEL will insert a note unit or delete a note unit from the track where the cursor is currently located. To reset any field (note, sample, or effect) to an empty or zero value, simply press the SPACE bar when the cursor is on that field. Empty fields might at first seem useless; why would one want an empty field? The answer is that empty note unit fields allow entering notes of differing durational values. See "Note field" below. Editing the note field ---------------------- The note field consists of a musical note and an octave. The musical note can be any of the following: C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B. This is a full twelve-tone scale; therefore, to enter "flat" notes, "double sharp" notes and the like, you must enter them as their enharmonic equivalent in the given scale above. For instance, B-flat would be entered as A#, C## would be entered as D, etc. This notation does result in some tonal ambiguity from a musical standpoint, but it makes things much easier for the computer. If you don't quite understand what enharmonically equivalent notes are, don't worry about it. To alter an existing note field, you may either type over it, or use one of the special note editing keys: "O" [capital] will increase the note's octave value; "o" [lowercase] will decrease the note's octave value. "+" will increase the note by one half-step; "-" will decrease the note by one half- step. Additionally, "=" will copy a note field to the note field directly underneath it. Page 10 The octave range of notes is theoretically C 0 to B 9. If you try to enter extremely high notes, though, you will start getting inaccuracies because of loss of note resolution at the higher extremes. For instance, if you try to enter "B 8", "A 8" will appear on the screen instead. This is because the note period for B 8 is so small that the computer's limited resolution interprets it as A 8 instead. There's really no reason you should need to go THAT high with your notes anyway. The effective range is approximately C 0 to C 7. Initially the note field will be blank; therefore "..." will appear in the field. To enter a note in the note field, simply move the cursor to the note field in the desired track, and type in the note/octave from the keyboard. The note will replace whatever old note was there before. Entering notes of differing durations requires a "relative" view of note duration. All musical note durations are relative, in "real" musical notation. For instance, a half note is half the length of a whole note. A quarter note is half the length of a half note. An eighth note is half the length of a quarter note; a sixteenth note is half the length of an eighth note, etc. For instance, here's one way of conceptualizing different note durations: +---------------+ |= = = = = = = =| One whole note: 8 atomic units +-------+-------+ |= = = =|= = = =| Two half notes: each 4 atomic units +---+---+---+---+ |= =|= =|= =|= =| Four quarter notes: each 2 atomic units +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=| Eight 8th notes: each 1 atomic unit +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Note that, in this particular diagram, we cannot subdivide beyond 8th notes because at the 8th note level, we have reached the atomic notational unit "=", which in this case represents an eighth note. We could alternatively, though, choose the atomic unit "=" to represent a SIXTEENTH note, in which case our relations would be as follows: Page 11 +-------------------------------+ |= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =| 1 whole note :16 atomic units +---------------+---------------+ |= = = = = = = =|= = = = = = = =| 2 half notes :each 8 atomic +-------+-------+-------+-------+ units |= = = =|= = = =|= = = =|= = = =| 4 quarter notes:each 4 atomic +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ units |= =|= =|= =|= =|= =|= =|= =|= =| 8 8th notes :each 2 atomic +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ units |=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=| 16 16th notes :each 1 atomic +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ unit Important points to note about the above diagrams: (1) We are using a certain number of atomic units to represent each note duration. (2) The number of atomic units needed to represent a note of a certain duration is a function of the note duration that a SINGLE atomic unit represents. Thus, conceptually, here is how you enter notes of different durations: (1) Determine the SMALLEST or SHORTEST note duration you will need in the song. Say, you choose the 16th note. (2) Assume the atomic note unit represents the note duration chosen in (1). (3) The note duration that is twice as long as the note duration in (1) will be represented by twice as many atomic units. For instance, in this example, 8th notes would be represented by TWO atomic units, since 16th notes are represented by one. Correspondingly, quarter notes would be represented by FOUR atomic units, since 8th notes are represented by two... etc, etc. (4) Adjust the song speed (see "Effect field" below) so that the atomic note unit is of the right real-time, absolute length. As you have probably ascertained by now, the "atomic note units" above are almost exactly the "note units" that comprise a pattern. So, still using the above choice of atomic note unit as 16th note, here's how you'd enter the passage C2[4th] D2[8th] E2[8th] F2[16th] G2[16th] A2[16th] B2[16th] C3[4th]: Page 12 Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Track 4 --!-----------!-----------!-----------!-----------+ Abbreviated Sample List 00!C 2|01|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 01!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 01 <<NONE>>|17 <<NONE>> 02!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 02 <<NONE>>|18 <<NONE>> 03!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 03 <<NONE>>|19 <<NONE>> 04!D 2|01|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 04 <<NONE>>|20 <<NONE>> 05!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 05 <<NONE>>|21 <<NONE>> 06!E 2|01|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 06 <<NONE>>|22 <<NONE>> 07!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 07 <<NONE>>|23 <<NONE>> 07!F 2|01|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 08 <<NONE>>|24 <<NONE>> 09!G 2|01|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 09 <<NONE>>|25 <<NONE>> 10!A 2|01|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 10 <<NONE>>|26 <<NONE>> 11!B 2|01|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 11 <<NONE>>|27 <<NONE>> 12!C 3|01|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 12 <<NONE>>|28 <<NONE>> 13!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 13 <<NONE>>|29 <<NONE>> 14!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 14 <<NONE>>|30 <<NONE>> 15!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00!...|00|0 00| 15 <<NONE>>|31 <<NONE>> --!-----------!-----------!-----------!-----------+ 16 <<NONE>> Editing pattern 0. Default sample: 01. The "..." in the note field indicates that particular note unit is "empty"; an "empty" note unit means to HOLD the most recent note in that track, whatever it was. (Remember to enter empty or null fields, press the SPACE bar when the cursor is on that field.) So, the C 2 is played for 4 note units (0 - 3); then the D 2 is played for 2 note units (4 - 5), etc. Thus, the C 2 is played twice as long as the D 2, which is exactly as intended (C 2 is a quarter note, which should be played twice as long as the D 2, which is an 8th note). Editing the sample number field ------------------------------- You will notice that when you enter a note, not only does the note appear, but also a number in the sample field to the right appears. This number is the "default sample" number that was mentioned above. The concept of a "default sample" number is as follows. Each note in a pattern must be "played" with a particular "instrument." It is often (almost always) necessary to enter a long series of notes that is played with one instrument. Rather than entering the notes AND entering the same sample number over and over again, you simply enter the note, and ModEdit will automatically enter the default sample number in the sample field for you. If you change the default Page 13 sample (with "S" and "s"; see below) to NONE, this automatic feature is turned off. By default, the default sample will NOT overwrite an existing (i.e. non-zero) sample number. For instance, say that the default sample is 3, and you enter a note "C 1" in an empty note unit; then the sample number of that note unit will become 3. Later, you change your default sample to 4, and change this "C 1" to a "D 1". The sample number will stay 3, since the default sample, by default, does not have "precedence" over an existing sample number. This is so that you may change existing melody lines without altering the sample number. You may change this precedence by going to the Configuration Menu (see "Configuration" below). If the default sample has "precedence," it will always overwrite an existing sample field. This is useful for entirely rewriting tracks, samples and all. To change the default sample, press "S" [uppercase] to increase, or "s" [lowercase] to decrease. You'll want to change the default sample number when your lead line changes instruments, when you switch from entering a lead track to a percussion track, etc. -- basically, whenever the music you're entering switches from predominantly one instrument to another. You may also edit the sample field manually by moving the cursor onto the sample field, and typing in the sample number that you want associated with the note in the adjoining note field. If you attempt to enter a sample number greater than 31, ModEdit will clip the value to 31. Just as with the note field, "+" and "-" increase and decrease the field value, respectively. Note that it is possible for a note unit to have a non-empty note field, but a null (zero) sample field. This can happen if you set the default sample to NONE and edit an empty note unit, or if you manually change the sample field to zero. The end result is a note with no associated sample. I call such notes "orphaned" notes. You generally should avoid orphaned notes. They may play correctly, since the sample number that will be used during playback will most likely default to the last sample number that was used in that track. It's best explicitly to associate a specific sample number with each non-empty note field. Additionally, you need to beware of using samples that you haven't loaded. ModEdit allows you, for instance, use "sample number 17" even if you have not yet loaded (see "Loading samples" under "Orchestration" below) a sample into position 17. If you forget eventually to load a sample into position Page 14 17, you may (probably will) get very strange results during playback which may crash your computer. So, always make sure that, when you're ready to play your music, you are only using samples you have loaded. Editing the effect field ------------------------ The effect field consists of 2 parts: a command and an argument. The command can one of 16 values: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F. These commands control various aspects of note and song playback. An effect command generally takes effect starting immediately with the note field associated with that effect. The argument is one byte long and is represented in hexadecimal. A hexadecimal byte, in case you don't know, is a base 16 representation of a number that consists of an "upper nybble" and a "lower nybble", each of which may take on a value of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, or F. Values from A - F correspond to the decimal values 10 - 15. Certain commands listed below use the 2 nybbles separately (e.g. arpeggiation). In this case, the 1st nybble is one argument, and the 2nd nybble is the 2nd argument. Other commands treat the 2 nybbles jointly as one byte (e.g. speed). In this case, the decimal equivalent of the hexidecimal number is calculated by: (upper nybble * 16) + lower nybble. So, for instance, an effect of "F 1D" would mean set the song speed ("F") to 29 (1*16 + D = 1*16 + 13 = 29). Here's a list of effects and their required argument byte. "xy" for the argument byte means each nybble is treated separately; "xx" means they are treated jointly as one byte. 0 -- AREPEGGIATION Format: 0 xy Plays its associated note in arpeggiated fashion; that is, it rapidly steps the note between 3 pitch values: the original pitch value, the original pitch value + "x" number of halfsteps, and the original pitch value + "y" number of halfsteps. Page 15 1 -- SLIDE UP Format: 1 xx Slides pitch up; slide speed is determined by the xx argument (remember, it's in hexadecimal). 2 -- SLIDE DOWN Format: 2 xx Just like SLIDE UP except it slides the pitch down. 3 -- SLIDE TO NOTE Format: 3 xx Similar to slide except it slides the pitch TO the pitch of the associated note field (commands 1 and 2 only specify a speed, not a destination). xx is the speed to slide the pitch. 4 -- VIBRATO Format: 4 xy Performs "vibrato" on a note (wavering effect). x is the vibrato speed; y is the vibrato depth. A -- VOLUME SLIDE Format: A x0 or A 0y Slides the volume either up or down. If x is specified and y is 0, the volume is slid up at speed x. If y is specified and x is 0, the volume is slid down at speed y. B -- POSITION JUMP Format: B xx Breaks the pattern (i.e. stops playing it at its current position) and jumps to position xx (hexadecimal!) in the pattern sequence table. C -- SET VOLUME Format: C xx Sets the current volume to xx. Valid range is 00 - 40 (hex). D -- PATTERN BREAK Format: D 00 Breaks the pattern (i.e. stops playing it at its current position) and goes on to the next one in the pattern sequence table. The argument is meaningless. Page 16 F -- SET SPEED Format: F xx Sets the speed of the song; hex values 00 - 1F are valid. The best way to understand what exactly these effects do is just to experiment and listen. Playing music from within the editor ------------------------------------ With ModRes installed, you may hear your music from within the pattern editor two ways. First, you may press the "N" key. This plays the note that the cursor is currently on. Second, you may press the "P" key, which plays the entire pattern. These functions are useful for immediately hearing what your music sounds like, allowing you to make changes and hear the results. Page 17 4.1.2 Sequencing patterns -------------------------- After you've entered your music into patterns, you then must sequence the individual patterns into a particular order that will define the song. To do this, choose the "Sequence Pattern" option of the Pattern Submenu. You will then be presented with a table full of zeros, with an index number going from 0 to 127 beside each zero. This is the pattern sequence table. Initially, no patterns will be in your song sequence. So, move the cursor to song position 0 and press INS, to insert a pattern into the sequence. A highlighted "00" will appear in position 0. If you press INS again, another highlighted "00" will appear. You may press INS as many times as needed (up to the maximum of 128) to insert patterns into the song sequence. Then you simply edit the highlighted list. The highlighted list is the sequence of patterns that will be played. Initially it will contain all zeros. So, let's say that patterns 0,1,2, and 3 contain the lead in to your song, then patterns 4, 5, and 6 contain a melody to be repeated twice, then patterns 7,8, and 9 form your coda. You would press INS 13 times, which would result in a highlighted blank list of 13 zeros. Then you edit these zeros to reflect your desired sequence: +----->Song position | | +-->Pattern to be played at that song | | position 00|00 00|00 01|00 01|01 02|00 02|02 03|00 03|03 04|00 04|04 ---> Notice that the "4 5 6" 05|00 05|05 progression occurs twice; this 06|00 06|06 is because, as mentioned 07|00 07|04 above, patterns 4, 5, and 6 08|00 08|05 contain a musical phrase 09|00 09|06 to be repeated twice. 10|00 10|07 11|00 11|08 12|00 12|09 Unedited blank Final edited sequence sequence Page 18 To delete a pattern from a sequence, simply move the cursor onto the pattern in the highlighted area and press DEL. You need to be aware that when you save a ModFile (see "Saving and loading ModFiles" below), the highest pattern number that will be saved is the highest pattern number that was USED in the pattern sequence. For instance, say you created 38 patterns (0 - 37), but in your sequence you only used patterns 0 through 20. If you attempted to save the song, patterns 21 through 37 would not be saved. This is a limitation imposed by the ModFile format. Be sure, therefore, that when you save a ModFile that the highest pattern number in the sequence table corresponds to the highest pattern in memory. If you try to save a ModFile and there is a danger of losing patterns, ModEdit will warn you of this before proceeding. Page 19 4.1.3 Other pattern options ---------------------------- The Pattern Submenu has a few other options for your convenience. "Duplicate pattern" will create an identical copy of a pattern. You supply it source and destination pattern numbers, and it will copy the source pattern into the destination pattern (leaving the source unchanged). You may choose to copy all tracks from the source to the destination, or only one track (in which case the other tracks in the destination are unchanged). This is useful for musical lines that are similar but not identical; you simply copy the needed tracks from an old pattern into a new one, then make the necessary minor changes to the new pattern. "Transpose pattern" allows you to increase or decrease the pitch of notes in a pattern by a certain number of half-steps. You may transpose all tracks or only one track. "Clear all patterns" does just what it says -- erases all patterns from memory. It asks for confirmation before it wipes the pattern memory. It's useful if you want to start over with a new song but keep the current samples in memory (see also "Clear all samples" under "Orchestration: using samples" and "Wipe all memory" under "Miscellaneous"). "Play pattern" is used in conjunction with the resident module player ModRes You type in a pattern number (0-64) and it plays it to the current output device. For more information see "Hearing your music" below. Page 20 4.2 ORCHESTRATION: USING SAMPLES ---------------------------------- To reiterate, samples are the "instruments" that make your music sound real. Up to 31 distinct samples may be present in a ModFile, and they are uniquely identified by their sample number 1 through 31. A sample defines the sound that a note makes when it is played. 4.2.1 The "sample directory" ----------------------------- Samples are stored as digitized sound files on disk; each sample is stored in its own individual file. Since the possible number of samples is practically infinite, ModEdit allows you to specify a "sample directory" where your sample files are stored. For instance you could set the sample directory to A:\, which would make ModEdit look for sample files by default on A:\. This would allow you to store sample files on diskettes. Alternatively, you could make a subdirectory on your hard drive, and set the sample drive/directory there, so that your sample files would not clutter up other directories. If a sample directory is not specified (either by hand or through the configuration file) it defaults to the current working directory. 4.2.2 Loading sample files from disk ------------------------------------- To use a sample in your song, you must load it from disk into memory. You can load it into any of 31 slots (since, again, 31 samples may be present in a ModFile). To load a sample from disk, choose the "Load sample" option of the Sample Submenu. You will then be presented with a list showing you what sample each of the 31 sample slots holds. Initially, all of the slots will be empty, so next to each sample number you will see "NOT ALLOCATED." Pick a sample number that you wish to load. Say, you choose 1. Type "1" and press enter. ModEdit will then ask you for the sample filename. Say you want to load in a bass drum sample into sample 1, which is stored on disk as the file "bassdrum.sam." Type in "bassdrum.sam" and press return. Remember, ModEdit will look in the "sample directory" on the "sample drive" to try to locate the sample file. If it cannot find your sample file, you'll get an error message and be prompted to try again. Page 21 If the load is successful, then next to sample number 1 in the list will appear "bassdrum.sam," which tells you that now sample 1 is associated with the bassdrum.sam file, which is your bass drum. So, whenever you use "1" in the sample field for a particular note (see "Note field" and "Sample field" under "Creating/editing patterns" above), that particular note will be played with a bass drum sound. You may continue to load sample files until (1) you have loaded all the samples you need; (2) you have loaded samples into all 31 slots; or (3) you have no more memory to load any more samples. Note that ModEdit currently cannot load sample files greater than 64K. 4.2.3 Playing samples ---------------------- The "Play sample" option plays a sample to the "current output device" (see "Configuration" below). This is useful for determining exactly what a sample sounds like, and how it will sound when played in your song. 4.2.4 Saving sample files to disk ---------------------------------- You may be wondering, "but where can I get digitized sample files?" You will find in the ModEdit archive file a few example sample files to play with; they are all "*.sam" files which can be loaded with the "Load sample" option above. The "Save sample" option of the Sample Submenu allows you to save samples in memory to individual sample files on disk. This is useful for extracting the digitized samples from existing ModFiles. When you choose the "Save sample" option, you will be presented with a list of samples and their allocations. You simply enter the sample number you wish to save, then the filename to save it to, and ModEdit writes the sample data from memory to a file. Note that the "sample name field" (i.e. the name that is printed beside the sample slot number) is actually INDEPENDENT of the sample filename on disk. (See "Attributes of samples" below.) For clarity, ModEdit always by default assigns the sample filename to the sample name field, but the name is just there for your convenience. All the computer knows about is the sample number. This can cause problems when trying to save samples from existing ModFiles to disk. Since, again, there is nothing Page 22 that requires the sample name field to be meaningful, ModFile composers often blank out the sample name fields entirely or replace the name fields with a message about themselves. (ModEdit allows you to do this also; see "Attributes of samples" below.) Such alteration of the sample name field does not affect the playing of the ModFile, but it makes difficult the logical interpretation of samples. So, say that you just found this ModFile with interesting sample sounds, and you want to use those in your ModFiles. You load the ModFile into ModEdit, go into the save sample screen, and you see a list of 1 - 31 with blanks by each sample slot. You can still save the samples with absolutely no problem; just type in the sample number you wish to save. But what about the filename? You don't "know" which sample number is associated with what actual sound. This is the purpose of the sample name field, but since it's been wiped, you have no information. An analogy that may be useful is this: say you decide to order 31 musical instruments in the mail. They arrive in 31 separate, identical, sealed boxes. There are no labels on any of the boxes, just a number from 1 - 31. How can you tell just by looking what instrument is in which box? You can't. The "Play Sample" option mentioned above can be useful here. By playing the sample and listening to it, you can fill in the name field yourself, for your own reference. For instance, say that sample number 1 has a blanked-out name field. You choose the "Play Sample" option to play sample 1, and it sounds like an electric guitar. Then you could change the sample name field to "Electric Guitar" or something similar (see "Attributes of samples" below). The whole idea is just that if the sample name field is blank, you have to figure out for yourself what the sample actually sounds like. The sample name field is a label, nothing more. 4.2.5 Releasing samples ------------------------ Sometimes you may load a sample that you later decide you don't need/want in your ModFile anymore. You could just leave it in there, but it would be taking up disk and memory space. Also, there are only 31 samples, so it's possible that you could run out of sample slots. For situations such as these you need to "release" or "deallocate" a sample slot. Choose the "Release (deallocate) sample" option of the Sample Submenu. You will be presented with a list of the 31 sample slots and any samples that have been loaded into those slots. To free a sample slot so that Page 23 you may load another sample into it, type its number and press return. That sample slot will then say "NOT ALLOCATED" on the list. For instance, say that sample slot 7 has been loaded with the sample file "badsnd.sam" which you decide is no longer appropriate in your song. You'd just choose "Release (deallocate sample)" then type "7." Next to slot 7 in the list, "badsnd.sam" would be replaced by "NOT ALLOCATED." You are now free to load in another sample file, say "goodsnd.sam," into slot 7 via the "Load sample" option. If you attempt to load a sample into an already allocated slot, you will be given the option of deallocating it. 4.2.6 Attributes of samples ---------------------------- Sample attributes define certain characteristics of the sample. You may edit any of these attributes from the "Attribute view/edit" option of the Sample Submenu. The first attribute of a sample is the name. As mentioned above, ModEdit by default sets the sample name attribute to the sample filename on disk. This is for clarity and it is recommended that you have meaningful sample names. You are, however, free to edit the name attribute to anything you want, up to 22 characters long. Some composers edit all the sample name attributes to form a message containing composer information or the like. The second attribute is the volume. Whenever a note unit is played, the sample that is used to play that note can have a volume from 0 through 64 (64 being loudest). You may specify the volume for this note unit explicitly through the effect field with command "C" (see "Effects" above). If you do not specify a volume, the sample is played back with its "default" volume, i.e., the volume attribute. The third and fourth attributes jointly determine "looping" of the sample. Some sounds, such as a piano or a snare drum, have a definite start and end point. Such samples are generally not looped (though they could be for special effects or something similar). On the other hand some sounds, such as a flute or a sine wave, do not have a definite "ending" point; the sound is a constant waveform that only changes in frequency. Such sounds are often looped. A "looped" sample is one that will continuously be played without stop. Sample looping is defined by a "loop start" Page 24 attribute and a "loop length" attribute. The "loop start" attribute is a number that represents an offset from the beginning of the sample; it is from this point that sample looping begins. The "loop length" attribute is a number that represents the length of the section to loop. A diagram will make this clearer: +---Loop Length----------+ | | | This section is played | v continuously v -Sample data stream--------========================== ^ ^ ^ | | | | Loop Start | | | +--------------Sample Length------------------------+ The portion of the sample data stream beginning at the loop start and ending at loopstart + looplength is played continuously, allowing "ringing" or continuously sounding notes. This looped portion of the data stream is represented above by the "=" symbol. The best way to get a feel for sample looping is to experiment with the loop bytes and listen to the results (e.g. with the "Play sample" option of ModEdit or with the various "Play pattern" options). 4.2.7 Default sample settings ------------------------------ Although all information is saved when you save a ModFile, not all information is saved when you save a sample file. Specifically, sample attributes are NOT saved when you save a sample file; only the sample data (i.e. the sound) itself is saved. Therefore, when you load a sample file, no attribute information is known. So, ModEdit sets the sample attributes for newly-loaded samples to "default" values. The "Default sample settings" option of the Sample Submenu allows you to change these defaults. You may set the default volume, default loop start, and default loop length. The default volume is 64 (hex 40), which is the maximum volume; the default loop start and loop length are both 0 (no looping). If you change these values, then the new values will be applied to every sample as soon as it is loaded. Of course the "Edit sample attributes" option allows you to change the attributes for a particular sample once it's loaded into memory. Page 25 4.3 HEARING YOUR MUSIC ---------------------- 4.3.1 ModRes: Inline playing ------------------------------ If you've loaded ModRes into memory (see "Setup" above), you may hear your music directly from within ModEdit. First, you may choose the "Play Pattern" option. You will be asked to supply a pattern number (0-63), and ModRes will play this pattern to the current output device (see "Configuration" below for a description of the current output device). Secondly, you may go into the pattern sequence screen, move the cursor to a pattern you wish to hear, and press "P." This will play the pattern that the cursor is currently on. Alternatively, you could press "S," which would play the entire song, starting from the pattern the cursor was on. Consult "MODRES.DOC" for more information on ModRes. 4.3.2 ModPlay: External playing --------------------------------- To play modules outside the ModEdit environment, simply choose the "Save ModFile" option of the File Submenu to save your song to a ModFile. It's best to save it with an extension of ".MOD," so that ModPlay and ModEdit can automatically locate it. The resulting ModFile on disk can be played via the external ModPlay Module Player, by Mark J. Cox. Consult the ModPlay documentation for specific instructions on using ModPlay. Page 26 4.4 SAVING AND LOADING MODFILES -------------------------------- ModEdit can load in standard 15 or 31 instrument ModFiles. This means you can edit a vary large portion of existing Amiga ModFiles (since the ModFile format comes from the Amiga). ModEdit looks for ModFiles in the "ModFile directory," which you may set/change via the Configuration Submenu. Loading a ModFile is straightforward; choose the "Load ModFile" option of the File Submenu, specify the path/filename, and the ModFile will be loaded into memory. Any errors during loading will be printed to the screen. Saving a ModFile is equally simple; simply choose the "Save ModFile" option of the File Submenu. Technical note: ModEdit only saves 31 instrument ModFiles, even ModFiles that were originally loaded as 15 instrument modules. Since the 15 instrument format is supported for loading, compabitility is maintained. Page 27 ============= 5. REFERENCE ============= 5.1 Exhaustive menu options ---------------------------- Following are all the available options in ModEdit. Most are self-explanatory; where needed, a brief explanation is included. FILE SUBMENU - Directory listing - Save ModFile - Load ModFile - Jump to DOS shell PATTERN SUBMENU - Old pattern edit (edits an existing pattern) - New pattern edit (creates new pattern in memory) - Sequence patterns (into a song) - Duplicate pattern - Transpose pattern (up or down a certain # of halfsteps) - Play pattern (must have MODRES loaded) - Clear all patterns SAMPLE SUBMENU - View current samples - Attribute view/edit (name, volume, looping) - Load sample - Save sample - Play sample (must have MODRES loaded) - Default sample settings (for newly-loaded samples) - Release (deallocate) sample - Clear all samples CONFIGURATION SUBMENU - Directories (current, ModFile, Sample) - Masks for filenames (sample/ModFile filename masks) - Toggle error beep - Colors - Output device for playback (with MODRES) - Precedence of default sample (see section 4.1.1, subheading "Editing the sample number field") - Save configuration MISCELLANEOUS SUBMENU - Title of song - Wipe all memory Page 28 EXIT SUBMENU - Return to main menu - Exit 5.2 Pattern editor quick reference key summary ----------------------------------------------- Key(s) Function ------ -------- Cursor movement keys Standard functions A-G, 0-9, # Note entry N Play note cursor is on O (uppercase) Increase note by one octave o (lowercase) Decrease note by one octave P Play entire pattern S (uppercase) Increase default sample s (lowercase) Decrease default sample + Increase note or sample field - Decrease note or sample field 5.3 Effect list -- quick reference ----------------------------------- Effect #/Description Format/Argument -------------------- --------------- 1: Slide Up 1 xx xx=speed 2: Slide Down 2 xx xx=speed 3: Slide To Note 3 xx xx=speed 4: Vibrato 4 xy x=speed y=depth 5: <<no effect>> 6: <<no effect>> 7: <<no effect>> 8: <<no effect>> 9: <<no effect>> A: Volume Slide A x0/A 0y x=upspeed OR y=downspeed B: Position Jump B xx xx=pattern position C: Set Volume C xx xx=volume(00-40 hex) D: Pattern Break D -- skip to next patt. E: NOT USED F: Set Speed F xx xx=speed(00-1F) 5.4 ModPlay ------------ ModPlay is an external Module (ModFile) playing program by Mark J. Cox. ModPlay can play ModFiles created with ModEdit, outside the ModEdit environment. It is available at many ftp sites, one of which is wuarchive.wustl.edu (in Page 29 mirrors/msdos/sound, program modpy112.zip). Here is an excerpt from the ModPlay documentation: Modplay allows you to play (most) Amiga soundtracker/noisetracker files on a PC (10Mhz or faster clock speed). CGA minimum is required for the graphical display whilst playing, but no display at all is required just to play modules. MODPLAY detects automatically if a module is corrupt, and detects if it is a 15 or 31 instrument module. 5.5 Coming attractions ----------------------- New version of ModRes, which will: - Work with 10 MHz machines - Add SoundBlaster support - Allow more flexible sample playing options - Allow greater than 64K samples See the file "MODRES.DOC" for more information. Be on the lookout for these and other improvements in later versions. 5.6 License/Warranty/Disclaimer -------------------------------- The below information applies only to ModEdit and related documentation files. Specifically, the below terms do not apply to the "MODRES.COM" program file. For license information concerning MODRES, consult MODRES.DOC. This program and accompanying documentation are Copyright 1991 by the author (Norman Lin). You are hereby granted permission to freely distribute and use this program for personal use. You may upload this program to electronic bulletin boards or Internet FTP sites. This documentation file must always be included with the program. You are specifically prohibited from selling or charging or requesting any monetary amount for the distribution or use of ModEdit or accompanying documentation. ModEdit may not be used for any commercial purposes without my prior express written permission. ModEdit may not be distributed for use with any for-profit software (including but not limited to commercial software and shareware) without my prior express written permission. There is no warranty of any kind; this software is provided on an "AS-IS" basis. The author of this software (Norman Page 30 Lin) shall not be liable for any damages whatsoever that may result, directly or indirectly, from the use of this software or documentation. By using ModEdit, you agree to all the above terms. If you find ModEdit useful, entertaining, or interesting -- or if you just feel kind-hearted -- a voluntary donation in any amount ($5 U.S. suggested) would be greatly appreciated. With your support, future, better versions of this and other software can be made available. Send all contributions, comments, or queries about ModEdit to: Norman Lin | Norman Lin 1109 West 94th Street | 1400 Asp Avenue Jenks, OK 74037 | Walker Tower Box 1214E | Norman, OK 73026 ==========================|================================ Permanent address | Current address -- | valid through August, 1991 Before August 1991, the address on the right will reach me more quickly. After August 1991, either email me to get my new current address (preferable), or use the permanent address. Internet email address: norlin@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu norlin@129.15.22.2 Page 31