G H Richardson
If there is one thing that has bedevilled me from the start
on the Hybrid Music System, it is the dreaded message 'Too many players' (or
voices, or channels) and, as I was working recently on a piece using all eight voices,
I soon ran into it again when I tried to change to a new mix. This time,
however, instead of sidestepping the problem I decided to confront it face-to-face
and find the proper answer.
I knew it had something to do with 'unmixes', but the word
itself filled me with terror because I had never understood it (despite the
explanation in the User Guide) and I suspect there are some others in the same
boat.
Having solved the problem (to my own practical satisfaction
at least) I thought I would set down in a step-by-step sequence in the hope
that it would help the other struggling mortals.
I will use the piece I was working on as a means of
explanation. The piece began with 'mix1' which used 3 players with a total of 7
voices:
"mix1" [M5MIX 48,150=T 0 M5TUNE
1 SHARE 3 VOICES pianol
1 VOICE 112 VOL 0 PAN
2 VOICE 112 VOL 0 PAN
3 VOICE 112 VOL 0 PAN
2 SHARE 3 VOICES pianol
1 VOICE 92 VOL 0 PAN
2 VOICE 92 VOL 0 PAN
3 VOICE 92 VOL 0 PAN
3 SHARE 1 VOICES pianol
1 VOICE 124 VOL 0 PAN
PNUM SHARE
]
1 SHARE 3 VOICES pianol
1 VOICE 112 VOL 0 PAN
2 VOICE 112 VOL 0 PAN
3 VOICE 112 VOL 0 PAN
2 SHARE 3 VOICES pianol
1 VOICE 92 VOL 0 PAN
2 VOICE 92 VOL 0 PAN
3 VOICE 92 VOL 0 PAN
3 SHARE 1 VOICES pianol
1 VOICE 124 VOL 0 PAN
PNUM SHARE
]
In the next mix I wanted to use 4 players with a total of 8
voices but with a different distribution - 2 voices on player 1, 3 on player 2,
2 on player 3 and 1 on player 4. This is where the trouble (the 'Too many...' error
messages) began.
The solution was quite simple - 'unmixes'.
This is how I used unmixes:
1) I got 'mix1' into the Mixing Desk with
"mix1" GET
which showed the first 7 voices with brackets around them
and the last one without.
2) I removed the brackets from voices 3,4,5,6 and 7 by moving
the cursor to each voice and pressing 'b' (see Music 5000 User Guide p.83).
This left just voices 1 and 2 in brackets (because these were to be retained in
the new mix) and voices 3,4,5,6,7 and 8 without brackets, freeing them for further
use.
3) I NAMEd this concoction 'mix2' but instead of MAKEing it,
I typed
UMAKE
and it then scrolled out,
"mix2" [M5MIX
1 SHARE 3 VOICES
3 VOICE UNUSED
2 SHARE 3 VOICES UNUSED
3 SHARE 1 VOICES UNUSED
PNUM SHARE
]
1 SHARE 3 VOICES
3 VOICE UNUSED
2 SHARE 3 VOICES UNUSED
3 SHARE 1 VOICES UNUSED
PNUM SHARE
]
Although called 'mix2' it is in fact an 'unmix' and it is
this which frees voices 3,4,5,6 and 7 (with 8 already free) ready for use in
the new mix - 'mix3'.
4) I started to set up 'mix3' in the normal way beginning
with CLEAR and READY, SHAREing the voices to the players and ending with
another CLEAR.
I then allocated the instruments to the voices, set the
volume levels etc.
I then NAMEd the mix as 'mix3' and typed MAKE in the normal
way.
5) Finally I moved into Notepad, called up 'RUN'
"RUN" GET
and included the unmix ('mix2') in the playing sequence
before 'mix3',
"1234-1ab23cd41abg" PLAY
It is vital that the unmix ('mix2') immediately precedes the
new mix ('mix3') whenever it is used. You will also notice that I have had to
use a further unmix 'mix4' to unscramble the players and voices to get back to 'mix1'.
I make no apology for the simplicity of this step-by-step
explanation - I only wish someone had done it before me and saved me a lot of
trouble. I do apologise to those who find this child's play - perhaps someone
may show how it can be done in a better and simpler way. For myself I am content
that the 'terror' has gone out of unmixes and the dreaded 'Too many...'
messages!
Published in AMPLINEX 011, May 1989
