Answer: The ghost fonts of AMPLE DCT
Some of the early AMPLE DCT title screens make use of mode 7
characters, but with the usual interlace turned off.
An explanation of how this can be accomplished is given in
'The Advanced User Guide' (for the BBC Micro), pages 20, 360, and 364-366 (or
pages 189, and 193-195 of 'The New Advanced User Guide').
Basically, if the command VDU 23,0,8,&90;0;0;0,23,0,9,&09;0;0;0
is issued, then the 6845 CRTC chip is instructed to work in pseudo-mode 7, i.e.
Teletext characters, but with the normal interlace (double scanning) turned
off.
In AMPLE this may be achieved by code (placed in a 'title'
word) like:
23#OUT 0#OUT 8#OUT
144#OUT 6FOR(0#OUT)FOR
23#OUT 0#OUT 9#OUT
9#OUT 6FOR(0#OUT)FOR
144#OUT 6FOR(0#OUT)FOR
23#OUT 0#OUT 9#OUT
9#OUT 6FOR(0#OUT)FOR
The first half sends &90 to CRTC register 8 (interlace
off for mode 7), and the last part sends 9 to CRTC register 9 (only 9 scan
lines per character, rather than the usual 18).
The effect of all this is to create text that doesn't
'jitter' on the screen; but for teletext characters an important part of the
character smoothing is achieved by the second scan during interlacing. Without
the interlace the characters are left with strange 'unfinished' shapes.
Tony Walduck
Question: What's a player?
In AMPLE, what's a player?
David Bloxham
Question: The 'M.M5' Module
Can someone please explain to me what the words in the M5
module are for?
Some of the words are explained in the Music 5000 User
Guide, including SHIFT, OFFSET, AMP, FM, SYNC, RM, PHSET, PITCH, PITCHF, PSENS,
INVERT, POS, M5MIX, DETUNE, TRANS, ODD, EVEN, PAIR, CHAN and CHANS and I should
think that most people who have programmed in AMPLE know the function of PAN,
VOL and M5TUNE. However, I can't find any of the others in the User Guide nor
in the Programmer Guide (because they are not Nucleus words).
I know the GATE command is used to set the gate on (start
the sound) which is normally done with either a note or X. The AMPLE command
(which would be used instead of the Nucleus one when the module is present)
seems to do the same thing as the AMPLE word in the Nucleus. The M5INFO word
returns 4 numbers, the third of which is the number of available channels. The M5VALS
word returns one number. I think that VEL is some kind of =L equivalent which
takes values up to 128. I think it is used with the Music 3000.
I have no idea what M5, AEN, ONEN and PEN do. I notice that
Mike Dobson used AEN in his piece 'Nargle' (AMPLINEX 015) - perhaps he could
explain.
Michael Lefevre
Question: Toolbox and Solidisk 128K
Does anybody know if Hybrid Technology's AMPLE Toolbox will
work properly on a BBC Model B with the Solidisk 128K SWRAM?
Andrew Leahy
Question: PLAY command
My friend and I have written a song which consists of five
verses of the same tune - just a simple repeat. So, after programming the three
parts and the mix, we got to the RUN command, and used
"5 FOR(123)FOR" PLAY
to play the piece. However, this failed to make the tune
repeat five times as we expected. Could someone help, please?
David Bloxham
Firstly, although the FOR(...)FOR command you have used
would produce the numbers '123' five times, the PLAY word does not treat the
contents of the preceding string as a command. It just reads the string and
expects numbers or letters to define the players, parts and mixes to be used.
Secondly, the numbers in the first part of a PLAY command
define the players to be used. So, if you had three players with parts (e.g.
part1, part2, part3), "123" PLAY would play them all once. To play
them all five times you need to introduce section letters. So, if the parts
were renamed to include a section letter (to, for example, part1a, part2a,
part3a) then the command "123-aaaaa" PLAY would produce the desired
effect.
An alternative method would be to use the FOR(...)FOR
structure around the scores themselves (i.e. within the part words), but this
is less flexible if you wish to change the number of repeats in future.
Question: Sound sampling
Can anyone tell me if there is a sound sampler for the BBC
Micro on the market that can be used in conjunction with the Music 4000
keyboard in either AMPLE or Basic?
Jimmy Ryan
Question: Music 3000 system disc
Using no Shadow RAM, how many bytes are available when using
the Music 3000 system disc (with, for example, the normal installation, the
Mixing Desk, the Notepad, and the Staff editor)? I am seriously considering buying
a Music 3000 and maybe some Shadow RAM but it would be interesting to compare
my Studio 5000D and Studio 5000-4D with the new Music 3000 disc.
David Bloxham
Answer: Use of *TYPE
In AMPLINEX 015 Allan Gardner said that he had had problems
when using *TYPE as I had suggested (Hints and Tips, AMPLINEX 015).
I save all my instrument definitions using *SPOOL. This
means that the files contain only ASCII characters between &20 and &7E
plus a few like Carriage Return and Newline. So, no problems.
However, instrument definitions also use other characters
below &20 such as &00, &01 and &17, at the beginning and end.
With the Acorn filing system (which I have) when using *TYPE, &40 is added
to these codes and then they are written on the screen preceded by a bar as @,
A and W. So, no problems.
Does the Watford filing system do the same? Whilst in AMPLE,
call a file using *DUMP, *EXEC and *TYPE with the printer switched on and
compare what you get. Don't forget to switch the printer off if the system
hangs!
What happens with characters &80+ I don't know as I
don't get them in my *EXEC files.
L Taylor
Question: Music 2000 and Roland CM32L
Has anyone tried the Roland CM32L (or others in the CM range)
with the Music 2000? It looks like a cheaper alternative than the D110.
Andrew Leahy
Question: !BOOT file problems
In the Features section of AMPLINEX 015 there was an article
on making a multi-purpose system disc, which I undertook with enthusiasm. However,
after the INSTALL commands the system responded with '! File read only', and loaded
the menu program again. Please help.
David Bloxham
Question: 'In The Night'
When I tried to play the piece 'In The Night' from AMPLINEX
014, the program crashed with a 'Too many voices' error in part1, (i.e. at the
'ant' instrument definition).
I was able to cure this by adding UNUSED voices for all the
players not given specific voices in 'mix1'. I presume that all submissions are
played prior to inclusion on the disc, so this suggests a difference between the
AMPLINEX system and mine. Do you have any suggestions as to what this may be?
Richard Bettis
We had a similar problem in AMPLINEX 008 with two files
which produced 'Too many voices' or 'Too many channels' errors. These problems
were eventually traced to the use of Studio 5000 release 6, and the members
affected were advised to contact Hybrid for replacement releases. If this is
not the explanation in this case, then there may be a similar problem with another
release of the software. We would like to hear from any other members who have
experienced problems with this piece, with details of the software release
being used.
Question: Use of Music 2000 MIDI-IN?
While mucking around with the Music 2000 I found that the
MIDI-IN seems to be operable - when I play the MIDI keyboard the bottom LED
flashes. So, I tried altering Scott Mackie's MIDI-IN software to work with the
Music 2000. It seemed simple: just changing two addresses in his source code to
suit the Music 2000. But it didn't work (surprise, surprise). Has anyone got Scott's
software to work with the Music 2000?
Andrew Leahy
Question: AMPLINEX in drive 1
Why doesn't AMPLINEX work in drive 1 ?
David Bloxham
There should be no reason why AMPLINEX will not work in any
drive, provided that drive is the one currently selected (via the *DRIVE
command).
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 016, March 1990
