Loadstar 27/027.d81/t.muzic maker

Text File | 1986-01-01 | 4.7 KB | 317 lines

             MUZIC MAKER
                 by
             Mark Jordan


COMMODORE POWER/PLAY MAGAZINE
August/September, 1986


  You can think of the MUZIC MAKER as

two programs in one.  In one mode, it

is a music editor that allows you to

create and save music.  In the second

mode, the MUZIC MAKER serves as a

utility that can add interrupt-driven,

"transparent" music --music that plays

while a program runs-- to your own

programs.


USING THE MUZIC MAKER
---------------------


  You go through three major steps

when creating music with the MUZIC

MAKER-- initialization, which

determines tempo and voices; note

designation, which determines duration

and octave; and parameters

designation, which changes the

envelope and waveforms.  Because of

this program's on-screen prompts, we

will cover in-depth only those

functions that might seem mysterious

at first.


INTIALIZATION
--------------

  When you run the MUZIC MAKER, you

are first asked if you want to append

that session's work to a previously

saved tune.  Thus the append command

allows you to do your work in sections

or string songs together.


  Next, you must determine whether you

want sharps (+) or flats (-), the

tempo, and number of voices.


NOTE DESIGNATION
----------------

  After you have entered the initial

data, you must enter your tune note by

note.  When you begin, a large note

rests at middle C on the staff at

left side of the screen.  When you

define this note's duration, octave,

and name, it will appear in its

appropriate place on the scale--

allowing visual verification.  You may

also verify this note by listening to

it.


  If the note is as you like it,

pressing RETURN will take you to work

on the next note.  Pressing the back

arrow key will let you redo that note.

Pressing the asterisk will exit that

voice.


  There are several things to

remember:


-- Dotted notes must must be preceded

   by a period.


-- Setting the octave can be tricky--

   keep in mind that middle C is

   the beginning of the fourth octave.


-- When asked to enter the name of the

   note, you also have the option of

   entering a rest.  Type an English

   pound key for each rest.


PARAMETER DESIGNATION
---------------------

  After you have defined each note,

you set the musical parameters --the

attack, decay, sustain, and release,

etc.-- and waveforms for each voice.

The tune plays as you alter these

values, so you can immediately hear

the effect of your changes.


  Chances are that you will notice a

few bad notes.  You can review any

note by pressing the back arrow key or

edit the note that is currently

playing by pressing 1, 2, or 3 to stop

its voice.


Things to remember:


-- The "+" key adds the section you

   are testing to your segment.


-- Pressing "0" will shut off a

   voice(s), and allow you to listen

   to just one voice at a time.


-- The ampersand key, "&" allows you

   to single out a section of your

   tune by entering its beginning and

   ending notes.


-- Pressing the "$" key will send you

   to a save routine.  The filename

   must be 16 characters or less.


USING TUNES IN YOUR PROGRAMS
----------------------------

  When you have a music file debugged

and saved, to load it, all you have to

do is type: LOAD "song name",8,1.  To

play it in immediate mode or from

within a program, type SYS 49152. SYS

65418 will stop the tune.  (Remember

to type NEW between loading the song

and loading the program.)


  Once you SYS the song, it will play

over and over again unless stopped.

If you wish the song to play

just once in a program, you should

type in this line: SYS 49152: POKE

49417,0.


CHAINING SONGS
--------------

  If you want to chain several songs

together and have the program control

which tune is played, there are

several other factors to take into

account.


  First, when you are composing songs,

you must make sure each voice ends

with a rest and that all voices of a

song have the same number of notes.

Use rests to "make up the difference"

between different voices.  Also be

sure to keep track of each song's

beginning and ending notes.


  If you want two songs to play one

after the other, make sure any rests

you have tacked on are equal in count

for all three voices.


  Finally, to play a particular tune

within a program, you first have to

know the starting and ending note

numbers of that tune.  Before SYSing

49152, type the line: POKE 49433,SN:

POKE 49408, SN: POKE 49417,EN.


  "SN" should be the starting note

number of your selection minus one;

"EN" is the ending note #  of your

selection.


  To have the song play through just

once, be sure to add POKE 49417,0

immediately following your SYS 49152.


DISK FILES USED:

MUZIC MAKER

------------< end of text >-----------