Question: Speech synthesis
Has anyone experimented with speech synthesis on the Music
500(0)? I don't underestimate the complexity of the task, but if commercial
packages such as Speech! can get acceptable results from the BBC's internal
sound chip, perhaps equally good (or better) results are attainable using
Hybrid hardware.
Vincent Fojut
Answer: Music 3000 and Shadow RAM
In AMPLINEX 014 Graham Firth tells of his difficulties with
the Music 3000 and Watford Shadow RAM. Having recently received my Music 3000,
I knew that I would be having the same problem. Try as I might, moving the page
workspace to either &1300 or &1400 or even abandoning the use of the
Staff editor and using page &900 or &A00, still the software either hung
up when loading or in the Mixing Desk. However, I have a sort of a fix that
allows the Shadow RAM to be used. Persistence pays off in the end!
Load the Music 3000 !BOOT file into a word processor and
remove the 'S' from the C.PREPARE instruction. Save this file and rename it
AMPBOOT.
Then create the following !BOOT file and save it.
1 *BASIC
2 CHAIN"MODIFY"
2 CHAIN"MODIFY"
Now type in and save the following BASIC program under the
name MODIFY.
10 MODE 7
20 *FX21,0
30 RESTORE
40 *KEY|*EXEC AMPBOOT|M
50 FORI%=1TO16
60 READ N%
70 OSCLI("FX138,0,"+STR$(N%))
80 NEXT
90 *FX202,48
100 *FX118
110 PRINTTAB(0,10)CHR$131CHR$136"Please PRESS BREAK"TAB(0,0);
120 DATA42,87,77,87,83,32,48,67,13
130 DATA42,82,65,77,79,78,13
20 *FX21,0
30 RESTORE
40 *KEY|*EXEC AMPBOOT|M
50 FORI%=1TO16
60 READ N%
70 OSCLI("FX138,0,"+STR$(N%))
80 NEXT
90 *FX202,48
100 *FX118
110 PRINTTAB(0,10)CHR$131CHR$136"Please PRESS BREAK"TAB(0,0);
120 DATA42,87,77,87,83,32,48,67,13
130 DATA42,82,65,77,79,78,13
I know it’s not a perfect solution since you lose the Staff
editor graphics. But at least you gain all the memory available and the Music 3000
Mixing Desk works. After all, you can use your original Music 5000 software for
the Staff editor.
Bob Ord
Question: Instruments in Mixing Desk
Does anybody know of a way to use the first few instruments
in the Mixing Desk when more than 40 user-defined ones are present?
Peter Burridge
Question: Scrolling text
Has anybody written a colourful text scroller for use in the
AMPLE environment? I would like to display a message from right to left at a moderate
speed during one of my pieces. Can the BBC computer cope with two tasks in one
go, and will this slow down the tempo of the music?
Andrew Smith
Question: Modules and memory
I have a BBC model B with Music 5000 and 4000. Using the
Music 5000-4C system disc I get 14505 bytes of available memory. With the Music
5000 system disc I get 15537. Neither was enough to run AMPLINEX 013. I have modified
(as suggested in AMPLINEX) the !BOOT file of the Music 5000 disc by removing
MENU and INS1 which gives me 17605 bytes. MLOADing the MENU (but not INS1)
allows me to run AMPLINEX 013. MLOADing INS1 (but not MENU) allows me to run
longer pieces like 'Prelude' (on AMPLINEX 013).
I would prefer to modify the Music 5000-4C disc as this is the
one I normally use (so that I can use the keyboard). However, MENU and INS1 are
not identified on the !BOOT file. Is there any way I can get round this?
M Matthews
Recent releases of Hybrid Music System software have
replaced four modules (M.EW, M.FX1A, M.INS1 and M.MENU) with a large combined
file called M.S5-4C. This means that you can no longer perform the selective
module loading suggested. However, I am puzzled by the fact that you cannot run
AMPLINEX 013 with the memory you mention since the A.MPLINEX file was under
15000 bytes in length.
Question: Use of *TYPE
In the Hints and Tips section of AMPLINEX 013, Lol Taylor
suggests a use for the *TYPE command. However, when I use it from within AMPLE
on my BBC Model B setup, the system 'hangs' and the only exit is to press
Break. It could be because of the Watford DFS (version 1.44) or the Aries B32
Shadow RAM which I use.
The problem only occurs in AMPLE, and I would be interested
if anyone else has experienced a similar problem.
Allan Gardner
Question: Upgrading from a BBC Model B
Like many others I am thinking of upgrading computers but
would like a Hybrid-compatible machine. I have three questions:
1) Are there any snags about changing over from a Model B to
a Master?
2) I read somewhere that a new 1MHz bus add-on conversion
for the Archimedes allowed it to run the existing Hybrid system. Can anyone confirm
this?
3) I have read in the press somewhere that Hybrid are
working on a Music System for the RM Nimbus. Can this be confirmed by anyone?
If so when will it be released?
Jim Redfarn
For news on the RM Nimbus machine, see this issue's News and
Reviews section.
Question: The ghost fonts of AMPLE DCT
Has anyone else noticed the slightly odd font designs on
some of the AMPLE DCT files, particularly those of 'Obernell' origin? They seem
to be mode7-style, but with 'bits' chopped off here and there, which produces a
mode-4-like image. I've compared the font with the Mode 4 one and it definitely
has its differences. I can't find anything in the programs which suggest how
AMPLE DCT did this. Could I have an explanation please?
Andrew Smith
Question: Trumpet sound
I am a new member of AMPLINEX and recently received issue
011. Seeing that 'Fanfare for a Common Man' was on the Music menu I hoped that
it would have a good brassy sound. It does not. However, it is a super
arrangement. Does anybody have a convincing sounding trumpet?
David Hall
Question: Keyboard split utility
I enjoy using my Music 4000 and have found the keyboard
split utility in AMPLINEX 007 to be tremendous. However, sometimes when I am
playing a chord using 3 or 4 notes on the left, anything I play as a melody
line has its sound truncated. Is this a problem with processing capacity on the
computer and does anyone know how I might get round this?
M Matthews
Question: Waveform editing utility
Congratulations to Richard Bettis for an excellent utility
(AMPLINEX 014). I have had many enjoyable hours playing with it.
I'm getting a bit old to understand some of the programming
but I have a couple of question which I hope do not seem too naive.
Is it necessary to repeat all the setting-up procedure when
using previously filed waveforms? Is there a way of dropping them straight into
the waveform slots in memory?
If user-defined waveforms have been used then it is either
necessary to re-boot to get the regular waveforms, or else we need to have them
stored as words to be added to programs and called at the end of the queue. The
Music 5000 User Guide gives a general idea of the harmonics of the regular waveforms.
Has anyone more precise details?
In spite of my delight with the utility I still think
envelope control to be more important. Here's hoping that someone who grasps
AMPLE better than I do will come up with a few clues.
Lol Taylor
Answer: Re-MAKEing MENU words
In AMPLINEX 014 I asked if any special rules applied to
modifying MENU displays. It looks as if the trees got in the way of the woods,
but just in case anybody else is making the same mistake, read on!
I think my problem was caused by trying to use MENU (a
system word) as a user-defined word. In Ian Waugh's 'Funky Nuts' piece he named
the menu display 'menu' (note: lower case characters) not 'MENU' as I was
doing.
Jack Wrigley
Question: Ian Waugh
They seek him here, they seek him there, they seek him
everywhere.
Ian Waugh writes good, solid reviews about all kinds of
music hardware and software in many music and computer magazines. Could anyone
give us a bit of background information about the man?
Dave Chamberlain
Editor's note:
The comments following some of the questions above are only
my opinions on the subject and should not be taken as definitive answers.
Your comments are most welcome on any of the questions
posed, whether they supplement, confirm or correct any I have expressed.
Published in AMPLINEX 015, January 1990
