AMPLINEX 016

AMPLINEX issue 016 was published in March 1990. Each AMPLINEX magazine is stored as a 200K single-sided 80-track disk image file (.ssd file type). The image can be used to create disks for a BBC Micro or can be loaded into a BBC emulator. For the disks to run, the BBC (real or emulated) must have an AMPLE Nucleus ROM installed and be running the Hybrid Music System.

News and reviews

In this section we have some comments about the recent Hybrid Technology announcement of a partnership with Research Machines, a user report on the Music 2000 and Casio CT-460 synthesiser, and a review of three new music disc releases.

Hybrid Technology news

In the previous issue of AMPLINEX we carried the news that Hybrid Technology had entered into partnership with Research Machines to produce a Hybrid Music System for the Nimbus PC186 "taking full advantage of its 16-bit technology to make significant improvements in functionality, performance and ease of use." It was noted that this announcement still left open the question of a more general development commitment to provide an upgrade path for existing Hybrid Music System users.

Since then we have received two comments on the announcement. Firstly, from Jack Wrigley:

AMPLINEX 015 reported Hybrid's partnership with Research Machines. Does anybody know how much a Nimbus PC186 costs?

I've searched the PC press, but can't even find an advertisement for Research Machines or Nimbus. 'What Micro' lists the cheapest Nimbus product as the AX286/12 at £2390 and the cheapest Research Machines product as the PC286/10 at £1525. At these prices even the A3000 looks reasonable!

What chance now of an A3000 running a WIMP-based version of AMPLE, utilising the existing Music 2000, 3000, 4000 and 5000 hardware in addition to that computer's own eight sound channels and at last freed from the memory restrictions of the BBC Model B and Master?

If Hybrid are determined to split from Acorn, then surely an Atari ST or Amiga based system would have been a better choice - low priced, with an existing large user base and strong press support.

Secondly, from Jim Redfarn:

The News and Reviews section of AMPLINEX 015 reported planned developments by Hybrid using the Nimbus computer. This report is partly wrong.

I happened to meet Mr Chris Jordan of Hybrid Technology and asked him about this matter. He said that the existing Hybrid Music System was really based on the BBC Model B. The new equipment would make use of the BBC Master's greater computing power. Equipment was also being built for the Nimbus computer, but this was identical in every way to the equipment being developed for the Master. The new equipment will not work on the Model B. In other words, BBC Master owners should stick to their machine. Model B owners can upgrade to either a Nimbus or a Master. Obviously, for existing BBC Model B owners, the Master is the easiest and cheapest upgrade.

Music 2000 and Casio CT-460

Andrew Leahy

I recently purchased the Music 2000 from Hybrid. It took 2 months to get here (Sydney, Australia)! Not owning a MIDI instrument myself (yet) I borrowed a friend's synthesiser, a Casio CT-460 (the Casio CT-540 is the smaller version of this).

The Casio CT-460 is a very cheap MIDI keyboard synthesiser, so it can't be expected to have dazzling features. It allows 16-note polyphony over 4 MIDI channels. Channel 1 - maximum 6 notes; channel 2 - 4 notes; channel 3 - 2 notes; channel 4 - 3 notes.

Channel 4 can be used as either an instrument channel or a percussion channel using the in-built rhythms of the CT-460. These rhythms can be triggered by the Music 2000 using MIDIRT - although once started I couldn't stop it!

The synthesiser has 30 'instruments' plus percussive sounds to choose from. Of the 30 sounds available only about 10 are actually useable! It also has a whole host of 'sound effects', including such things as waves, rain, clapping, galloping horses, ricocheting bullets and car horns.

When hooked up, the synthesiser worked perfectly with the Music 2000. But it only understands note on/off and program change messages, and doesn't respond to any of the more advanced features of the Music 2000 (like pitch-bending or modulation).

You have no control (by software) over the volume of the instruments playing. There are volume sliders on the keyboard itself so you can alter the volume of each channel manually, although channel 1 always plays at maximum volume!

Another hassle I found was that the keyboard only has a 4 octave range (-2:C to 2:C) even using MIDI. Any notes outside this range get 'transposed' into the range, so -3:D will play -2:D.

After using the keyboard for only a week I found it 'too simple'! Although, with only one week of experience in MIDI, I've probably messed a couple of things up, I find having no control over the voices (besides the choice of instrument) is very limiting and annoying. In short, I couldn't recommend this keyboard if you just wanted to use it for MIDI.

New music discs

Roy Follett

Three more discs for review in this issue: two from Panda Discs and one from John Bartlett. The two from Panda are Volume 12 'Moments in Time' by The Noige and Volume 13 'Jean-Michel Jarre' programmed by Bernie Dawson.

If you are a Jean-Michel Jarre devotee then Bernie Dawson's disc is the one for you. 125K of good music programmed with loving care as only Bernie can, a self-confessed fan.

'Moments in Time' is original material by The Noige (which seems to be a pseudonym for N Scott). This is good stuff although it insists that you listen right through each piece: if you press Escape, the screen is rubbished. Staying with the music will automatically return you to the menu.

Members can make up their own minds on these two discs because Panda have produced short compilations for you to hear. These musical advertisements (a good idea) are included in this issue.

The third disc is the latest from JB Software called 'Impressions'. This is a complete departure from John Bartlett's recent jazz offerings. Good moody, atmospheric pieces, with his usual performance quality.

I really like this disc. The sounds and effects he uses to conjure up the image do not assault my ears. I wish this disc was free of copyright, I would dearly like to dub his music on to my hobby videos, it is so descriptive.

So there we are. Three good discs to buy - we really are getting spoilt for choice. Me? I would spend my money on John Bartlett's 'Impressions'. For further information on this disc see the Advertisement section of this issue.

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

River

by Tim Holgate Composed by: Enya

Source: AMPLINEX 016 disk, file $.RIVER

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

Moments in Time demo

by The Noige From the album ' Moments in Time' Courtesy of Panda Disks

Source: AMPLINEX 016 disk, file $.MITDEMO

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

Man in Appartment 47

by G Adams This composition reminds me of the 'beat' music of the fifties and sixties with its rambling bass and out of tune organ. It conjures up images of a dimly lit underground club, with groups of aspiring cool cats seriously discussing Jack Kerouac, while peering through the smoke filled room wearing shades. It also reminds me of T.V. themes of the time, 'Johnny Staccato' and the like.

Source: AMPLINEX 016 disk, file $.APPMT47

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

Kali

by Jim Redfarn This started out through doodling on the Music 4000 keyboard using the whole tone scale i.e. with 'scale' set to 32. I couldn't, and still can't, see any way of converting this directly into an AMPLE program. So this is my attempt to transcribe the original piece manually. It's nothing like the original, but I'm not unhappy with this new piece. Jim Redfarn

Source: AMPLINEX 016 disk, file $.KALI

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

Jean-Michel Jarre medley

by Bernie Dawson Composed by: Jean-Michel Jarre From the album 'Jean-Michel Jarre' Courtesy of Panda Disks ANNOUNCING -- Bernie Dawson's brand new disc of JEAN-MICHEL JARRE classics. It's all here folks: several of his best tracks from Oxygene (parts 2 and 4) and Equinox (parts 4, 5 and 6) plus, would you believe, the whole of RENDEZVOUS!!!! Over one hour of the very best synth music, with files containing many ideas for use in your own progs. Eg: Wouldn’t you like to SEE the laserharp PLAYING live, in time with the solo you are hearing, plus full backing? Well you can if you buy this disc!! The files contain many sound effects which add much to the actual tunes. Filter sweeps, bursts of white noise, sounds flying round the room, notes sliding, and lots more. Get the disc and use the ideas in your own files, get the disc, play it loud, and annoy your neighbours!! Just think, JMJ used £20,000 worth of gear and you can have similar sounds coming from that little beige box!! Both this disc and my previous one are available from: PANDA DISCS 5.25" disc Four Seasons £5.00 inc p&p Tinkers Lane 80T unless 40T BREWOOD requested. Stafford ST19 9DE Nb. This disc is for the M5000. Do not confuse it with J Rockey's which is for M500.

Source: AMPLINEX 016 disk, file $.JMJDEMO

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

It's a Smooth Dilemma

by Andrew Smith Andrew Smith (aged 13) alias: Andy Smith, Andy Smiff Smiffy, Megafunk, and dude! This piece of music is too short I think - it could do with another section perhaps. I ran out of ideas, and just had to stop. See ya later!

Source: AMPLINEX 016 disk, file $.SMOOTH

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

If I Fell

by P G H Composed by: Lennon & McCartney

Source: AMPLINEX 016 disk, file $.IFIFELL

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

Humantouch

by F Chaplin Movement no. 3 from Fantasia Absolute & Divertimento You might have listened to my earlier offering, Movement Number 1 from Fantasia Absolute and Divertimento Opus 1 (in AMPLINEX 014). This piece is also taken from the above larger work, which was originally set to MIDI voices. Perhaps it is of musical interest that there are odd numbers of bars in certain sections. I hope you enjoy this third movement which is sub-titled 'Humantouch'. F.C.

Source: AMPLINEX 016 disk, file $.HUMANT

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

Django's Castle

by John Bartlett Composed by: Django Reinhardt This beautiful guitar improvisation is taken from a recording by the gipsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. It still leaves me absolutely amazed that the Music 5000 can achieve the result that it does with such complex musical interpretation and expression. The result is unmistakeably Django playing an improvisation which also leaves me amazed! (Try playing it - and then imagine improvising it!) The title often used is the French one 'Manoir de mes Reves'.

Source: AMPLINEX 016 disk, file $.DJANGO

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

Clarinet Quintet in A

by Nick Ridley Composed by: Mozart Movement one

Source: AMPLINEX 016 disk, file $.CLARINA

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

Breathing Still

by Phil Comber This is my first contribution to AMPLINEX, so I hope you enjoy it. If you have any opinion upon the composition, or programming techniques (however bad/good they may be) of any of my songs, please do not hesitate to get in touch, either through AMPLINEX, or to my home address: "Pucks Corner" Green Dene East Horsley Surrey KT24 5RE

Source: AMPLINEX 016 disk, file $.BREATHS

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

Blue Monday

by Marcus Gosling Composed by: New Order

Source: AMPLINEX 016 disk, file $.BLUEMON

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

Abandis

by Neil Walker		Source: AMPLINEX 016 disk, file $.ABANDIS
		Watch the video version

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

AMPLINEX Staff Printer

Bob Ord

Since I am not a keyboard player but a guitarist, and having been told by Hybrid Technology that the only way to print out AMPLE on a stave was to use the Music 4000 keyboard, I decided to write this program for those who do not have a Music 4000 keyboard but who would like to print out their music in staff notation. Shadow RAM is required.

Shadow RAM

The program is written in BASIC, uses a mode 0 screen and may have to load a large AMPLE program. Use is therefore made of Shadow RAM. The Shadow RAM call is set for the BBC Master and B+ and occurs at the beginning of the U.ASP file. Users of other types of Shadow RAM will have to alter this to suit their needs.

Suitable printers

The AMPLINEX Staff Printer consists of two BASIC programs with a fast machine code printer driver for Epson compatible printers with the 640 dot-addressable bit image mode.

The screen

ASP's screen consists of three windows: one in the top left corner used for various control functions, one in the top right corner for information and one across the bottom half of the screen which displays the stave.

Initially the program asks for an AMPLE filename, directory and drive number: the latter two have defaults of $ and 0 if the Return key alone is pressed.

Pressing the Return key alone when the filename is requested will display a catalogue of the selected drive in the information window.

Loading an AMPLE file

Once an AMPLE file has been entered and loaded, the AMPLE words in the file created using the Staff editor (i.e. having the comment %STAFF) are displayed in the information window.

Single or multiple word option

Single or multiple words may be printed. The program asks for the number of words if the multiple option is chosen. These are printed out in the order that the names of the words are entered.

Screen or printer option

Either screen only, or screen and printer, output may be produced. The screen output is useful for checking that you have the correct word name before committing anything to paper.

Escape key

Pressing the Escape key at any time will reset the program to the initial state waiting for an AMPLE file name.

Pressing the Control and Escape keys together will exit from the program.

Errors

All operational errors are reported in the information window.

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Related files on this disc:

U.ASP - AMPLINEX Staff Printer main program

U.ASP2 - AMPLINEX Staff Printer secondary program

U.ASPcode - AMPLINEX Staff Printer machine code printer driver

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

Hints and tips

Sideways RAM and Integra-B

Patrick Black

There are some problems using Sideways RAM on an expanded Model B. One I've met is with ZROM loaded into Sideways RAM on the Integra-B board.

Loading ZROM and using AMPLE as normal is fine. The difficulty comes when ZROM is called. If you then return to the Staff editor the display is corrupted - though in other respects it still works.

To overcome this either blow ZROM on to a ROM and install it in a spare slot, or do all the Staff work before orchestrating the piece. This is what I do as I have no spare ROM slots. If you have room, but no facilities for blowing ROMs, Taj Letocha did offer a ROM-blowing service.

The guitar - a transposing instrument?

Roger Sapolsky

The subject of transposing instruments was treated by Lol Taylor in AMPLINEX 012. But I notice that the most popular instrument in present days has been forgotten! Yes, many (amateur guitarists among them) may not realise that the guitar actually sounds one octave lower than what is written on the stave. Music written for the guitar has much to offer to the Music 5000 user nowadays. If you choose to program such a piece, lower it by an octave, so that it plays in the register chosen by the composer.

Use of MIDIRT

Ken Hughes

For some reason MIDIRT (the MIDI command to send clock and control messages to drum machines or sequencers) continues to send timing signals after a piece of music has finished.

This affects some instruments, such as the Farfisa TS600 organ, and they need a READY command to stop the problem. The word below shows how to get AMPLE to do a 'READY' automatically at the end of the music.

The word is based on the 'chain' word given in the Hints and Tips section of AMPLINEX 009 by Bernie Dawson. See this for an understanding of how it works. The READY command is called up by the 'chain' word and thus the word 'chain' should be put in the final part of the piece (usually in a separate part by itself, e.g., part1z).

"chain" [ REP( QTIME-100#< )UNTIL(
IDLE )REP $2
"" "READY" $+ ]

Multi-channel instruments

Michael Lefevre

As you may know, the Music 3000 Mixing Desk shows each voice in one column regardless of the number of channels it uses. This means that it can be difficult to tell how many channels a voice is using.

The easy solution to this is to put the number of channels an instrument uses at the end of the name of the instrument, unless the instrument uses 2 channels. For example 'piano4' would be a 4-channel instrument, 'piano' would be 2-channel.

Doing this also enables you to use the instrument with the Keyboard option from the main menu on the Music 4000 system, as this works out how many voices can be used in this way.

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

Index to AMPLINEX issues 013 -015 (Sept 89 - Jan 90)

Patrick Black

The headings to the Index are pretty well self-explanatory. Directory prefixes are used to indicate in which section an item appears on the AMPLINEX screen menu, as follows:

Directory prefixes

$ = Music
A = Introduction & Adverts
F = Features
H = Hints & Tips
I = Instruments
N = News & Reviews
Q = Questions & Answers
U = Utilities

All the '$' music files have now been gathered together in the 'M' section of the Index - it seemed more logical and the quote marks took up valuable space! Note the issue code M13 for files on the music disc sent with issue 013 (September 1989).

Questions and their answers often appear in separate issues of AMPLINEX, so the letters 'Q' or 'A' or both, are placed with the issue number, depending on whether the item is a question on its own, an answer to a previous query, or is a question accompanied by a response.

There is a ROM compatibility table, compiled from members' submissions, at the end of the Index.

Subject               Issue Filename
--------------------- ----- ---------

*TYPE -
 Used to locate
     instruments      013   H.ints013
 Hanging machine      015Q  Q.uest015

A

AMPLE -
 !BOOT files, modules
     & memory         015   F.Boot
 Benchmarks (BBC v
  Electron)           014Q  Q.uest014
 Bibliography         009   H.ints009
  continued           013   H.ints013
 Clear screen word    015   H.ints015
 Copyright on music   014QA Q.uest014
 Drum machine trigger 012Q  Q.uest012
                      014A  Q.uest014
 Keypress get word    015   H.ints015
 Making longer progs  012   F.LongPrg
                      013   H.ints013
 MENU
  command line length 015   H.ints015
  control over        015   H.ints015
  re-making           014Q  Q.uest014
                      015A  Q.uest015
 Mixing Desk with more than
     40 instruments   015Q  Q.uest015
 Modules & memory     015QA Q.uest015
 Music 500
  Convert C.PREPARE to
     access waveforms 013   U.PrepInf
                      013   U.Prepper
 Music 1000
     headphone output 012   N.ews012
                      013   H.ints013
 Music 2000
     & Casio HT3000   012Q  Q.uest012
                      014A  Q.uest014
 Music 3000
  Watford Shadow RAM  014Q  Q.uest014
                      015A  Q.uest015
 Music 4000
  Delete file         014Q  Q.uest014
  Drums on Music 4000
     keyboard notes   015   U.Drumtxt
     program          015   U.DrumKey
 PAN values & volume  014Q  Q.uest014
 Preset popularity    013   F.instrum
 ROM compatibility -
     see table below index
 Scrolling text       015Q  Q.uest015
 Separating notes
  query               013   $.VolunDm
  with 'Len'          014   H.ints014
  with ON PHSET       014   H.ints014
 Sideways RAM
  Solidisk 128        013Q  Q.uest013
 Staff editor
  avoid memory limits 014   H.ints014
  black on white      014   H.ints014
 Transposing instruments
  brass '@' offsets   013A  Q.uest013
 User words limit     014Q  Q.uest014
AMPLINEX -
 Address              ALL   A.contrib
 & CEEFAX             013   A.Update
 Compatibility of music files
  Music 2000          014   F.Mcompat
  example files       014   $.Metal
                      014   $.Metal/2
                      014   $.Metal/5
  Music 3000          014   F.Mcompat
 Competition          013   A.Compinf
  entry 'form'        013   A.Comp000
 Contributions        ALL   A.contrib
  closing date        ALL   A.nextiss
 Control program
     compatibility    015   A.update
 Delays to issues     009   A.welcome
                      015   A.welcome
 Hybrid system uses
     feature          015   A.update
 Index (007-012)      013   F.index2
  M09/009 code error  014   A.Update
 Member to member
     comments         013   A.Update
 Music 2000 files     014   A.Update
                      015   A.update
  with Music 3000     014QA Q.uest014
 Music 4000 keyboard
     split utility    015Q  Q.uest015
 Music 5000 waveform
     editing utility  014   U.Wave
  notes               014   U.WaveTxt
  M500 presets        014   U.Preset1
 Printing data        ALL   A.print
  with Interword      013   H.ints013
 Sideways RAM utilities
     source code      012QA Q.uest012
                      014A  Q.uest014
 Spectral Harmonic Analyser
  notes               013   U.ASHAinf
  utility             013   U.ASHA
 Unused word search
  notes               013   U.Freeinf
  utility             013   U.FREE

D

Drums on Music 4000 keyboard
 notes                015   U.Drumtxt
 program              015   U.DrumKey

F

Fast Fourier Analysis
 notes                015   U.FFAtext
 BASIC program        015   U.FFA

G

"Ghost fonts" on
 AMPLE DCT            015Q  Q.uest015

H

Hybrid Technology
 AMPLE Toolbox        013   N.ews013
  delivery delays     015   N.ews015
  review              015   N.ews015
  SWR restrictions    014   N.ews014
 Discs -
 'AMPLE Bytes Back', extra parts in
  Hooked on Tchaikov. 013   H.ints013
 'Electricity'        013   N.ews013
 'Music City 1', extra music in
  Ice Breaker         014   H.ints014
 'Shivering Again'    013   N.ews013
 Manual improvement   015   H.ints015
 Music 1000
     headphone output 012   N.ews012
                      013   H.ints013
                      014   N.ews014
 Music 3000 review    014   N.ews014
  specification       013   N.ews013
 Music 5000 Universal 015   N.ews015
 & RM Nimbus computer 015   N.ews015
 Soundscape           015   N.ews015
 Soundspace           015   N.ews015

I

Ian Waugh             015Q  Q.uest015
IBM compatibility     015   N.ews015
Instrument design
     research         013   F.Instrum
Instruments -
 12string             014   I.nstr014
     demo             014   $.12stDem
 bassguit             014   I.nstr014
 2' 4' 8' 16' 32'
     organ voices     014   I.nstr014
 thunder              008Q  Q.uest008
                      014Q  Q.uest014
 trumpet              015Q  Q.uest015

K

Korg DDD-5
 drum machine         013   H.ints013
 MIDI access to
     functions        013Q  Q.uest013

M

MCPS address          014QA Q.uest014
Music discs
 Jazz Disc vol. 2     015   N.ews015
  see also under 'Hybrid' & 'Panda'
Music files
 Andante cantabile    015   $.Cantab
 Arabesque            M13   $.Arabesq
 Battle, The          015   $.Battle
 Christmas song, The  014   $.Christm
 Doctor Gradus ad
     Parnassum        M13   $.DocGrad
 Drum kit demo        013   $.DrumKit
 Electrix             014   $.Electrx
 Endangered species   014   $.Endangr
 Evening falls        013   $.Evening
 Fairly quiet bit     014   $.FQuiet
 Falling snow (music) 014   $.Falling
  title screen        014   $.FallPic
 Fanfare for the common man
  sheet music         012Q  Q.uest012
                      014A  Q.uest014
  trumpet             015Q  Q.uest015
 Fantasia absolute &
     divertimento     014   $.Diverti
 Fantasy number 1     015   $.Fantasy
 Free form            M13   $.FreeFrm
 Happy birthday       013   $.HappyB
 Horrible alien       M13   $.Horribl
 How tremendously
     stimulating      015   $.How
 Humphrey where's
     my cuppa         M13   $.Humph
 I just called to say 014   $.Icalled
 Illusions            M13   $.Illus
 In the night         014   $.InNight
 Jumping on a train   013   $.Train
 Last patrol, The     015   $.Patrol
 Let's go & play the
     crazy tune       015   $.Crazy
 Lullaby to the
     Light Elves      M13   $.Lullaby
 Ma-Tovu (How Goodly) M13   $.Ma-Tovu
 Machu picchu         M13   $.Machu
  PAN problem         014Q  Q.uest014
 Mbala                M13   $.Mbala
 Miami vice           013   $.MiamiVi
 Moods                014   $.Moods
 Morning mist         015   $.Mist
 Musique des
  automates           M13   $.Automat
 Nargle               015   $.Nargle
 Never a cross word   M13   $.XWord
 Nobody knows the
     trouble I see    014   $.Trouble
 Pastime with good
     company          M13   $.Pastime
 Prelude in G minor   013   $.Prelude
 Quartertone study    013   $.QTone
 Repto                M13   $.Repto
 Round the corner(HT) 013   $.Round
 Running on ice (HT)  013   $.Running
 Shadow of your
     smile, The       015   $.Smile
 Shelley              015   $.Shelley
 Snapshot             M13   $.Snaps
 Sombre               M13   $.Sombre
 Sunday, bloody
     Sunday           015   $.Sunday
 Sunset, sunrise      014   $.Sunrise
 Sweet Caroline       015   $.Carolin
 Tailback             015   $.Tailbck
 That South Sea
     island           015   $.Island
 Toccata in D minor   M13   $.Toccata
 Voluntary in D minor 013   $.VolunDm
 Walk of life         013   $.WalkLif
 We call it sillieee  015   $.Silliee
 We'll meet again     015   $.WMeetAg

P

Panda music discs     013   N.ews013
 Bernie Dawson disc   015   N.ews015
 Children in Need     015   N.ews015

R

RM Nimbus computer    015   N.ews015
ROM compatibility -
     see table at end of Index

S

Sideways RAM
 Solidisk 128         013Q  Q.uest013
Speech synthesis      015Q  Q.uest015
Synthesiser for
     Music 500        012Q  Q.uest012
                      013A  Q.uest013

T

Transposing instruments
 brass offsets 'n@'   013A  Q.uest013

U

Up-grading from BBC B 015QA Q.uest015
User defined words
 cls                  015   H.ints015
 com1                 015   H.ints015
 press                015   H.ints015

W

Wave Designer
 bugs & fixes - notes 012   U.WDesign
 wave converter       012   U.TFWave
Waveforms
 Converting C.PREPARE
  notes               013   U.PrepInf
  utility             013   U.Prepper
 Editing utility      014   U.Wave
  notes               014   U.WaveTxt
  M500 presets        014   U.Preset1
  harmonics           015Q  Q.uest015
  identifying files   015   H.ints015
  using set-up
      procedure       015Q  Q.uest015
 For Nucleus from BCE 009   U.NewWave
                      009   U.Preset2
 Fast Fourier Analysis
     notes            015   U.FFAtext
  BASIC program       015   U.FFA

Y

Yamaha PSR70/TX81Z
     voice dumps      013Q  Q.uest013

Z

ZROM manual           014   H.ints014

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ROM compatibility table (B = Model B: M = Master)

Compatible with AMPLE

ACORN
     Basic Editor 1.32           BM
     DFS 2.26                    BM
     Forth 1.03                  B
     View 3.0                    BM
     Viewsheet 1.0               BM
     Viewstore 1.0               BM
ACP/PRES
     ADI 1.10                    B
     ADT 1.76                    B
     ARM                         B
AMX
     Mouse Support 3.61          BM
     Stop Press 1.9              BM
     Stop Press Support 1.9      BM
ARIES B-32 1.00                  B
Commstar                         B
COMPUTER CONCEPTS
     Inter-Base 2.0A             B
     Inter-Word                  B
     Inter-Chart                 B
     Inter-Sheet                 B
     Mega-3                      B
     Spellmaster 1.69            B
Dumpmaster 2.03                  BM
Enigma Disc Imager 1.09          B
Floppy-wise Plus 1.9             B
Integra-B OS 1.2                 B
*Oxford Pascal 2.1               B
*Slave 1.34 toolkit              B
Vine Micros Replay System        B
WATFORD
     Beebmon 1.00                B
     Conquest                    B
     DFS 1.44                    B
     Dumpout 3.2                 B
     Quest Paint 1.10            B

Incompatible with AMPLE

Care ROM Cartridge System
 in some cases (See H.ints008)   B
Integra-B OS if earlier
     than V1.02                  B
*Oxford PASCAL                   B
PMS NTQ                           M
Screenprint                      B
Screenprint Colour               B
*Slave toolkit                   B
-----------------------------------
* NOTE: contradictory advice from
members on these ROMs.

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

Music 5000/Music 2000 compatibility

Roger Sapolsky

Following Taj Letocha's example (AMPLINEX 014), I will examine in this article a method to convert a MIDI program into a program compatible with the Music 5000 (or 3000) and Music 2000. In the following text, 'D5' stands for Music 5000 system disc, while 'D2' applies to the Music 2000 system disc. Assuming D5 has been selected and an attempt is made to load in a MIDI program, the software will try to load in module M.M2 which is included only in D2. This prohibits loading of the program.

To make loading possible, all of the MIDI words and commands included in the program must be 'de-activated'. A Music 5000/2000 compatible program, called 'F.NiceWrk', is included on this disc. Boot-up D5, and load the example program.

Running the program as it is will play the non-MIDI parts 1 and 3 (see 'mix1'). Since the MIDI parts will not be heard, some adjustment of the program will probably be necessary to improve the result. For example, replacing '3 SHARE' with '2 SHARE' and selecting 'Upright' instead of 'solo' in 'mix1' will activate the pianist's left hand (in place of the guitar accompaniment using John Bartlett's excellent 'solo' instrument).

If you wish, since its score includes very few 4-note chords, player 3 can be allocated only 3 VOICES, and a fourth player added to 'mix1' for a drum part or a bass line.

Use of this program is obviously simpler for Music 2000 MIDI users. Boot-up with D2 and load 'F.NiceWrk'. After selecting Notepad, GET 'mix9' to see how it has been made inactive.

As indicated in mix9, the words 'mc' and 'mk' have been deleted from the program. If you look at the music parts 9a to 9h you will see that % (comment) signs have been typed before all of the MIDI sound level instructions such as '50mc'.

To use the MIDI program, enter 'mc' and 'mk' as indicated in 'mix9' and re-activate 'mix9' by deleting the % signs where needed. Forgetting to delete the % signs in player 9's score will set the sound levels of percussion voices at maximum.

That's about all, apart from the possible variations in MIDIPROGRAM and PITCH (MIDI key) numbers adopted by various MIDI instrument brands. The short comments in 'mix9' (sax, piano, etc.) should help in selecting a suitable equivalent.

The reason for the special treatment given to percussion voices in the program is explained in Hints and Tips, AMPLINEX 012 ('Controlling the Roland D110'). However the command given in that issue was incorrect. Use 'number 7MIDICONTROL' as shown in parts 9a..9h.

Other AMPLE instructions are not obeyed by MIDI, for example, 'Len'. This is a serious drawback. To check what your MIDI instrument does with '24Len' before a few crotchets (in first bar) enter

"1-1a" PLAY

Then replace 2 with 1 in the first line of mix9, and enter

"1-19a" PLAY

Player 1 will play the expected staccato the first time, and probably not the second time.

If this is the case, you will have to specify rests in your programs in place of the 'Len' command. For example,

12, CrDrEr

where 'r' is defined as

"r" [4,^8,]

rather than

12, -4 Len CDE

If you want to play a solo 'with feeling' as well as John Bartlett does in his remarkable discs, don't use a MIDI voice. It will lack not only Len instructions, but also Echo and other commands unearthed during my thorough cribbing sessions!

It should be easier for Music 3000 users to amend the program due to the greater number of voices available to them. Conversion of long MIDI programs may still cause problems, however, due to a lack of memory. This is because MIDI instruments use up only the MIDI unit's internal memory, not the Music 5000's - and replacing them with Music 5000 instruments may not always be possible.

MIDI compares well here against the Hybrid Music System, in which each instrument requires somewhere between 30 and 200 bytes. For this reason, MIDI scores often include 'PC' numbers which bring into action new 'free' instruments. Because of the Hybrid Music System's memory constraints, a few of the MIDI parts may thus have to be removed.

In conclusion, I have described a method to make the exchange of programs feasible between members using different systems. I am therefore looking forward to enjoying more 'compatible' contributions in future issues of AMPLINEX.

Now RUN the program and listen to a great hit of the swinging thirties, played 'a la MIDI'.

---

Related file on this disc:

F.NiceWrk - Example Music 5000/2000 compatible music file

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990

Questions and answers

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

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.

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Published in AMPLINEX 016, March 1990