In the previous issue of AMPLINEX we published a review of
the Hybrid Technology AMPLE Toolbox by David King. We have since received correspondence
from both Hybrid Technology and David King pointing out that the review
contained some errors and omissions.
A second look at the AMPLE Toolbox
David King
Either my review of the Hybrid Technology AMPLE Toolbox was
edited to fit the disc or, more likely, I sent an early version. Anyway, let me
correct myself in my description of the mode 7 screen editor and tell you more
about the other utilities.
Contrary to my review, you CAN get a screen image (saved as
a file) into the editor via *LOAD, but very curiously. You can not *LOAD a
screen into the editor from the menu: it must be called by an AMPLE word which
you can then GET into the editor. If one doesn't already exist, you will need to
define a word to *LOAD a screen. For example,
"screen" ["LOAD scrfile 7C00" OSCLI]
This is not clearly explained in the manual, and really
*LOAD should be part of the program.
AMPLE programmers will be used to *SPOOL and *EXEC as a
method of saving and loading screen files: the AMPLINEX and Panda method. Words
created by Toolbox's MAKE will not *EXEC properly back into AMPLE: the colour
codes are removed. (Fortunately, the UTILS part of the disc offers a merge
facility.)
Windows can be defined and pasted in different parts of the
screen. The window coordinates can also be included in a made word, which is a nice
touch. There may be a bug in here, though. I found some existing word-screens
tricked IEDIT into thinking a window had been defined. This resulted in most of
the right side of the screen being destroyed when I made these words within
IEDIT.
I have not been able to work out what screen characteristics
cause the problem, but it can be got round: redefine the window by positioning
the cursor top left then press Copy key, bottom right then Copy key. This makes
a full-screen window.
Now, features of the Toolbox disc omitted from my review:
Sidemod - Sideways RAM module store
Sadly, this doesn't work on my ancient Solidisc Sideways RAM
board, but it will presumably operate on boards following the conventions of
BBC Master Sideways RAM. The Econet module should be unplugged (*UNPLUG 8) if fitted
in your Master.
Sidemod cuts out all the disc accessing normally experienced
when moving from Staff editor to Notepad to Mixing Desk and so on. This also means,
of course, that you do not need the modules on every disc.
This is a useful addition, though it would have been accessible
to more people if it had been issued as a second ROM image: on a chip or on
disc for Sideways RAM users.
AREC - program recoverer
Another useful little utility, for those occasions when you
need to recover files deleted on a disc. This will be most useful to ADFS users
for those irritating occasions when your disc partly corrupts. AREC does not rely
on catalogue information: it searches through the disc looking for AMPLE files
and, when one is found and brought into the computer's memory, offers you the
chance to save the file.
As I said before, some good stuff on this disc, but too
expensive.
The AMPLE Toolbox costs £39.10 (inclusive of postage and
packing) and is available from:
Hybrid Technology Ltd
273 The Science Park
CAMBRIDGE
CB4 4WE
273 The Science Park
CAMBRIDGE
CB4 4WE
Symphony by John Bartlett
Roy Follett
Here we are with another disc from John Bartlett. Yet again
he has shown us lesser mortals what we should be doing with our AMPLE box. The outpourings
from John this year have been tremendous. Where does he get the time? (I bet
his garden is full of weeds.)
This disc is for those members who like their music from the
past - for here we have music by Beethoven, Mozart and Vivaldi. Three movements
from Beethoven's 6th Symphony - the first, second and fifth; Concerto Grosso
parts one and two from Vivaldi; and the Horn Concerto and Eine Kleine Nachtmusic
from my favourite, Mozart.
That's not all: there are three movements from a Concerto
for Music 5000 from the pen of John himself.
So what we have are seven well-known works that will be
listened to with possibly pre-conceived ideas and then comparative judgements
made, together with three new pieces for unbiased appraisal.
When it comes to listening to the familiar pieces I will
compare John's work with other electronic performers such as Walter (Wendy)
Carlos and Tomita. Members who know these two musicians' records will know that
they were, in general, real-time performances, albeit multi track, and that
their array of equipment was formidable.
So, for John to produce this music on a box of chips no
bigger than ten by six inches, using his programming skill and imagination,
must be the event of this year.
Being original, the Concerto for Music 5000 does not have to
be compared in this way. I found this work absolutely wonderful - the second
movement especially.
What more can I say about this disc? Brilliant. Superb.
Magic. Splendid. Where's my thesaurus? If you think I am going over the top you
are probably right, but I really do like his work and can only urge you to add
it to your collection.
Published in AMPLINEX 020, November
1990
