AMPLINEX 023

AMPLINEX issue 023 was published in November 1991. 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 issue we have an AMPLE-user's view of the EMR Studio 24+ music software for the Archimedes. How does it compare, and how do they work together?

EMR Studio 24+ version 2

John Bartlett

This is not intended as a review, more as a user's view which may help any members who are contemplating forking out the requisite £179 for this powerful and complex piece of software for the Archimedes (and A3000).

The package has been ably reviewed elsewhere - but how does it stand up after 12 months extensive use? The opinions expressed here are purely personal and relate to the way in which I use it, and are not necessarily a judgement on the facilities offered.

The first thing to understand is that this is a dedicated sequencer - something very different to the Hybrid Music System.

The Hybrid package is based on a fairly powerful high-level multitasking musical language. This enables quite complex tasks to be programmed with reasonable simplicity, or the system can be used on a more convenient level by means of the disc-based interfaces supplied. Most of us use a combination of the two (whether we know it or not!).

Studio 24 has no significant programming facilities, but does have various editors for examination and modification of MIDI data. It is possible to program MIDI data (e.g. complete tunes) from scratch in any of its editors (not for the faint hearted! - more of this later), but in essence it is a powerful data manipulation program. The music data is intended to have been generated by a keyboard or other compatible device like the Music 2000. Please note that you will also need a MIDI podule. I use the Acorn AKA16 one and have found it most satisfactory.

Having been duly impressed by the screen graphics and generally figured out what they all do, what next? The manual is reasonably clear but rather poorly laid out, something that is aggravated by the upgrade pack! However, it's all in there and once found, the information is quite clear and concise.

Recording 'live' from a keyboard is very simple and almost identical to using a multi-track tape recorder. You do need to understand your keyboard (e.g. how to set MIDI channels) but this is normal with any MIDI device. Recording from the Music 2000 is also very simple, either one track at a time or in 'bulk'. For bulk dumps there is a very good unmerge facility which allows you take in all of the data on all the channels on one channel and then separate it into individual tracks. I use this extensively. 'Live' tracks can then be added.

Individual tracks may then be modified in several ways: transposition, changing volume (this is via velocity not true volume unfortunately), altering start point, looping, copying to another track, etc.

Arrangements can be built up from parts in a similar way to AMPLE. Note however, that if WIND is used from the Music 2000, strange finish points (in terms of bar position) occur due to the way in which WIND works. This has to be compensated for in the Studio 24 arrange page. There is no mention in the manual of how to correct for odd bar positions, but it can be done.

There are two serious omissions: tempo changes are discrete instructions, hence 'accel' and 'decel' are tedious to produce. 'Cresc' and 'dimin' are impossible to produce other than by editing individual notes.

There are four editors - Event, Drum, Graphic and Score.

The most useful is the Event editor. Information about note, duration, velocity, control, program, etc. is listed in chronological order and can be scrolled through with the mouse. One very pleasant detail is the way in which the data is sent out as you scroll, thus playing the notes or issuing control changes etc. Similarly, when altering the note velocity, the note sound continuously at the appropriate volume.

The Drum editor is a scrolling matrix into which note 'hits' may be placed. I have never found a use for it, as AMPLE does it so much better!

The Graphic editor is essentially an electronic piano roll, which can be useful for quickly tracking down strange occurrences.

The Score editor is, in my opinion, the poorest feature of the whole system. It is difficult and tedious to use for editing and, apart from the relatively good printer dump, it is really only useful for looking at the music in notation form. It suffers from the same malady as most other score editors - the mouse syndrome. Hybrid have produced a staff editor which is superlative - notation can be entered very quickly and simply and it can be likened to a music word processor.

Not so other systems. I have yet to see a mouse-driven editor even come close to the QWERTY keyboard entry method. The manual states - "over the years EMR has had great success in persuading beginners to use real-time rather than step-time input". Having tried the editor I am not surprised! My greatest objection to the crop of poor staff editors is that they assume input from a keyboard.

If anyone from EMR is out there, please note the following: the assumption is not only naive but also arrogant. We do NOT all want to be keyboard players and we are NOT all beginners. It also goes some way to explain why so much of today's electronic music sounds the same - most of it has been produced by keyboard players. Many of the things which I write are unplayable on the keyboard, so I need a good score editor.

In summary, I generally use the package as a bulk handler for MIDI data and for final mixdown. With the 1Mb expansion there are acres of space. My average program size is about 75k, and there is usually over 1Mb to spare. Sequencers are often notable for their tendency to crash. Studio 24 is not too bad in this respect. For the first few weeks I had numerous problems, but having spotted what tends to make it fall over, I avoided the problems. It crashes occasionally for no apparent reason, but this encourages regular backups!

The ability to play waveforms from the Archimedes is fine, but the format of the waveform has to conform to the EMR standard - i.e. you are tied to EMR samples. A major omission is the inability to save to disc in MIDI standard format. A new piece of software has been released by EMR to read this format but not write it.

Not having used any other sequencers in depth, I do not wish to make comparisons, but I am seriously considering the purchase of an Atari system running either one of the C-Lab or Steinberg sequencers. The huge Atari software base makes me regret having gone the Archimedes route.

Oh, for a Hybrid system running MIDI under RISCOS! Now THAT would be truly wonderful - how about it Mr Jordan? You could beat the competition hands down.

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Tell It to My Heart

by Andrew Leahy Composed by: Seth Swirsky & Ernie Gold HI FROM AUSTRALIA! Recorded by Taylor Dayne. (c) 1987 by Chappell & Co., Inc. November Nights Music, Inc. Goldpoint Music. P.S. I haven't actually heard a recording of this song! Andrew Leahy‚ Sydney AUSTRALIA

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.TELLIT

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Storms in Africa

by Julian Benton Composed by: Enya

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.STORMS

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Somewhere

by Michael Lefevre Copyright (C) Michael Lefevre Playing time 3:38

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.SOMEWHR

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Sans Day Carol

by D O Hall Composed by: Traditional A Cornish traditional carol This was arranged for the Music 5000 for a carol concert last Christmas. At that time the only way I knew how to mix was by complete mixes. I can now change some of the sound within the program but I still do not understand sub-mixes and un-mixes. I like the carol but hate the glitch between mixes. How do other members overcome this problem? The quiet mix was for a solo voice to sing the verse and all in on the chorus. Dave Hall October, 1990.

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.SANSDAY

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Platinum

by Earl Bonnar Composed by: M Oldfield

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.PLATINM

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Perpetual Canon

by Ted Kirk Composed by: J S Bach From THE MUSICAL OFFERING by Johann Sebastian Bach This piece is scored for violin, flute and continuo (harpsichord with 'cello). The violin part is an exact inversion of the flute part, beginning five notes higher and running two bars behind. An overlapping repeat makes it possible to continue for ever. My transcription goes round three times. You can change this by altering the number of times 'cb' appears in the words 'go3' and 'go5'. 'go3' will be in operation if you are using a Music 3000 expander, 'go5' otherwise.

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.PERPCAN

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Moon

by Michael Harbour

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.MOON

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Mind the Gap

by Church Mead Junior School		Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.MINDGAP
		Watch the video version

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

MacArthur Park

by Andy Knight Composed by: Jim Webb

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.MACARTH

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Logic

by Tim Sketchley Sounds for you to enjoy. A = 1/2 x B x H This is my attempt to compose something different from my usual music. I've been told by a friend it sounds mathematical (hence its name). I like to imagine it played in a large church.

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.LOGIC

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Jingle Bells

by Mike Dobson Composed by: Traditional Disco version + one random version recorded A modern arrangement of that old traditional favourite. R A N D O M I X Exactly the same tune again only the BBC will select the instruments for you. To use this in your own programs take the words 'mix2', 'choose' and 'r'. The instruments used are in 'choose'.

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.JINGLEB

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Fugue in G major

by Bill Knox Composed by: J S Bach A la gigue. BWV 577

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.FUGUEG

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Fairground Organ Medley

by Michael A Rouse Composed by: Various I have endeavoured to create here the authentic, slightly out of tune, sound of the Fairground Organ - which I hope will conjure up pictures of gaudily painted merry-go-rounds with their carved horses and bright lights. FAIRGROUND ORGAN MEDLEY 1 "Over the Hills and Far Away" (Trad.) 2 "Camptown Races" (Stephen C Foster) 3 "The British Grenadiers" (Trad.) 4 "Washington Post" (John P Sousa) All music arranged and programmed by Michael A Rouse

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.FAIRORG

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Eye Level

by Peter Wright Composed by: Jack Trombey Mix 2 'Mixed' recorded

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.EYELEVL

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Crying Game

by Jack Wrigley Composed by: Geoff Stephens This piece was suggested by the sound of the 'vocoder' instrument. Its 'wha' like quality being similar to the lead guitar used on the Dave Berry original recording of 1964. However, the 'vocoder' sounded awful on parts 1c and 1d, 'vox' proving a much more tuneful alternative. I initially tried two mixes to change 'vocoder' to 'vox' on these parts, but this gave an annoying 'hiccup'. Changing instruments as an above staff instruction proved to be the answer. Jack Wrigley

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.CRYGAME

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Body and Soul

by J Bartlett Composed by: John W Green As played by Art Tatum Art Tatum was for me the great piano genius. One is usually fogged by the man's dazzling technique, and his musical genius is often not 'heard' because of it. This piece reveals the depth of his musical genius. If you are interested in understanding how to modulate chords chromatically around a theme then take this piece apart. I was almost reduced to tears in getting to grips with the logic of it. (The piano keyboard was bashed a few times in frustration because even though it sounded right, it shouldn't have.)

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.BODY

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Bach Goes to Town

by W T Hyde Composed by: Alec Templeton Arrangement by Bill Davies

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.BACHINC

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Ave Maria

by Roy Atkins Composed by: Rachmaninov A Russian carol from Rachmaninov Vespers

Source: AMPLINEX 023 disk, file $.AVEMARI

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

'Jukebox' revisited - EXEC file

% U.Jukeb62
% by Allan Gardner
% For more details see U.Jukeb/i
% Published by AMPLINEX November 1991

"getcat" [
zblk names cblk 1 #+ #!
62 cblk 5 #+ #! cblk 8 osgbpb
numfils numfil-a #!
numfil-a #? numfil-c #!
names ptr-a #! numfil-c #? FOR(
drvnum #? 48 #+ ptr-a c!
8 ptr-a #+!)FOR
]

"logo" [7 MODE curoff
0 0 tab 4 FOR(134x157x')FOR
2FOR(2 COUNT 1#-tab 129x141x)FOR
5 0 tab"Rcacccmmcb!c Jukcbau"$OUT
140x"(62 file DFS)"$OUT
5 1 tab"PFogFuMMudte Jokedox"$OUT
3 2 tab 132x
"(c) 1991 Allan M Gardner"$OUT
24 3 tab 132x"autoRepeat:"$OUT
repflg #? IF(35 3 tab 136x129x"ON"
$OUT)ELSE(35 3 tab 132x"OFF"$OUT)IF
srtflg #? IF(30 2 tab 129x" Sorted"
$OUT)ELSE(30 2 tab 132x"unSorted"
$OUT)IF28 24 tab 136x134x157x129x
"h"$OUT 132x137x"help"$OUT
]

"numfils" [
62 cblk 5 #+ #? #-
]

"printitle" [
dsktitl ptr-a #!
2 3 tab 132x"Disk:"$OUT
drvnum #? NOUT 129x
ptr-a c? FOR(
1 ptr-a #+! ptr-a c?
#11 126 #< IF(x)ELSE(#2 SP)IF
)FOR
]

"double"DELETE

"setdrv" [
% This word should be edited to suit
% the disc-drives used. Place '%'
% where required. (If all 3 options
% are removed with '%'s then the
% program will be correct for 1
% single-sided drive.

% drvnum #? 1 AND 1 XOR drive
           % for 2 single-sided drives

% drvnum #? 2 XOR drive
           % for 1 double-sided drive

  drvnum #? 2 #+ 4 #/ XOR drive
           % for 2 double-sided drives
]

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

'Jukebox' revisited

Allan Gardner

There have been a number of enquiries lately about my Jukebox program which was published in AMPLINEX 017. There have also been some kind comments for which I am grateful.

Firstly, I would like to answer the question about making the program suitable for ADFS. Whilst it would be perfectly feasible to modify the program, there are a number of problems associated with the change. The major one is that I have insufficient knowledge of the ADFS to perform the changes myself and I do not have access to an ADFS machine to develop the code in this direction. However if anyone has the know-how, inclination and machine to do the work I will be very willing to assist if he/she would care to contact me through AMPLINEX.

Next, an enquiry was made about changing the program to work with a 62-file DFS. This is a little simpler to implement. Although Matthew Grist (Question and Answers AMPLINEX 019) did not specify which particular DFS he was using, I have made the necessary modifications to work with Watford Electronics DFS (1.44) 62-file catalogues and have included the necessary modifications in the form of a file which should be EXECed into the Jukebox program as published in AMPLINEX 017.

The obvious change to the way in which the program is used is that only one side of a disc can be catalogued at one time, (a mode 7 screen would not be able to show 124 files in any sensible way). The 'd' key which selects the drive to be catalogued, now steps through the available 'sides' of drives in an order determined by the word 'setdrv'. This word should be edited (e.g. in Notepad) to suit the setup required. Commenting out any unwanted lines with '%' is probably the best way to change 'setdrv'.

Don't forget to save the modified program back to disc (the 'save' command is built into the program for this purpose).

Please let me know if it works the way you want it to.

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Related file on this disc:

U.Jukeb62 - *EXEC file to be used with U.Jukebox file published in AMPLINEX 017

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Hints and tips

More on the 'fade' word

Neil Walker

I was happy to see that Ted Kirk had found a use for my 'fade' and 'swell' words (published in Hints and Tips AMPLINEX 021). Ted's suggestion (Hints and Tips AMPLINEX 022) on the use of the words is fine - it will give a drop in volume on a different curve to the original word and down to a lower level. Perhaps my explanation was not as clear as it should have been - so may I explain how the words came about, which might help clarify things.

During the programming of 'Funny Valentine' (Music AMPLINEX 021) I realised that the result was going to fall short of what was needed. It sounded rather clinical: there was no way of controlling a single note once it was started, all control being in the hands of the amplitude and pitch envelopes.

The two words were an attempt to resolve this problem, to enable a point to be chosen, during a note, to start variations in the volume level up and down rather like a dynamic amplitude envelope imposed on top of the system amplitude envelope.

I tried it out on a short piece of music and found that the words work. However, they are a right pain to use, needing careful working out of note lengths, how much you want the volume to drop or rise, and need constant resetting of ','. So they did not get used in 'Valentine' - I had enough problems trying to recognise the notes working from a record. It is a gift I don't have and took me ages.

However the words do demonstrate that it is possible to get some dynamics into a note at your chosen point. As with many AMPLE words they may be modified to do what you want.

The first version of the 'fade' word was:

"fade" [
FOR( 128 COUNT #- v1 /) FOR
% or 127 COUNT if it suits
]

which when called with

2, C 23 fade

reduces the volume level by 23.

Each time round the loop the volume is reduced by the value of COUNT - in this case reducing the volume by 23 over a note of 48. That is, there are 23 holds of length 2, making (including the C) a total note length of 48. The maximum for this note length would be with a setting of '1,' and, starting immediately after striking the note, 47 holds - giving a reduction of 47.

This works quite well but, for more controlled use, another number was introduced to give a choice of adding an offset to COUNT. This may, as Ted suggests, be multiplied with COUNT (or divided or subtracted or used with INDEX) to get the effect you might be after - it depends on the result YOU want. If the number is 0 the word acts as the one shown above.

I was thus incorrect in saying the number was the amount the volume is reduced, as COUNT needs to be taken into consideration - sorry.

The actual sound is very dependent on the tempo: with a long slow note a lot can be done; in faster pieces the effect can be as Ted found - the note rapidly drops down to a lower value. This, though useful, can be a difficulty - juggling the amount you want to drop in the time available for the note. The real time that the note is sounding needs to be considered: notes that lasts a fraction of a second are best dealt with by the system words.

The following four words are another variation on the same theme. The additional word 'vol' keeps track of the current volume setting, and the original ',' setting is restored after use. The '/' is set to 2, though this may be altered.

"v1" [#11 vol#! 1VOICE VOL]

"vol" [GVAR]

"fade" [
0 MVAL? FRAME
2 FVAR#? 8FVAR#!
2 % ',' setting - may be changed
2FVAR#!
MVAL!
#12 #212 #12 #* 2#/ #2
#213 #12
FOR( #11 vol#? #12 #- v1 / )FOR
#2 ,

% Takes 2 numbers: amount taken from
% VOL (remembering COUNT)
% on each hold and number of holds
% timed on last ',' setting.
% Restores ',' to last value.
]

"swell" [
0 MVAL? FRAME
2 FVAR#? 8FVAR#!
2 % ',' setting - may be changed
2FVAR#!
MVAL!
#12 #212 #12 #* 2#/ #2
#213 #12
FOR( #11 vol#? #12 #+ v1 / )FOR
#2 ,

% Takes 2 numbers: amount added to
% VOL (remembering COUNT)
% on each hold and number of holds
% timed on last ',' setting.
% Restores ',' to last value.
]

It is interesting to note that it is possible to re-define a waveform in the Music 5000 synthesiser after the note has started playing - giving another means of getting some expression - though it can be difficult to handle.

Exclusive MIDI messages

Roger Sapolsky

In a couple of recent contributions to AMPLINEX I have suggested use of exclusive MIDI messages. However, in a music piece where such messages are sent simultaneously, or nearly simultaneously, by two or more players, the MIDI system may not be able to cope. This is likely to be evidenced by a humming noise, which can only be stopped by switching off the MIDI system.

To avoid this, all exclusive messages included in a program should be spaced out in time.

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Slide - an attempted explanation

G H Richardson

On page 125 of the Music 5000 User Guide a short item on the subject of the Slide command appears. It has never struck me as adequate and even the example given is, I understand, not correct. The correct example is:

12=L ON Slide % turn on Slide
              % (sets offset to 0)
48, 12 8 -L   % down by 3 semitones
              % over 8 beats
0:c/// ////
OFF Slide     % turn off Slide

In order to explain the Slide function I will use an example which I have used in a piece of music.

"s1" [1: 1,
ON Slide
-24 =L 24 24 +L
F 23 FOR(/)FOR
24, ////^
OFF Slide
]

Using 's1' as our guinea pig I will take each character or group and attempt an explanation of its purpose.

[1: 1,

The first '1' is the octave setting. The second '1' still mystifies me, but the number placed there affects the rate of climb/fall of the slide. '1' is the fastest, '2' is slower, '3' slower still, and so on.

ON Slide

This turns on Slide and sets the offset to 0.

-24 =L

The 24 has to do with tick count (I think). The minus (or plus) before it is connected with the slide function (up or down). In this case the slide is going up and the 24 must be preceded by minus. The 'L' in the last character of the following group must have the opposite sign (plus) to achieve the upward slide. In other words '-24 =L' followed by '24 24 +L' is up; '+24 =L' and '24 24 -L' is down.

24 24 +L

The first '24' determines over how many semitones the slide travels. In this case it is 6 semitones (from C to F) which with a tick count of 24 seems to make it 4 ticks per semitone. In any case the tick count of 24 mentioned in the previous paragraph ('-24=L') must be the same as the tick count in the first '24' here.

The second '24' determines the duration of the slide - in this case 24 ticks. If the number were, say, 12 the rate of climb would be quicker and the duration shorter.

The '+L' (together with '-24=L') makes the slide go up.

F 23 FOR(/)FOR

'F' is the pitch of the finishing note - hence the necessity to use another slide if you want to finish on a different note.

'23 FOR(/)FOR' is the number of 'holds' over which the sliding note is sustained. It is also connected with the middle '24' in the previous group in the sense that the '23' holds plus the 'F' make 24.

24, ////^

These characters appear to control the note length (and accordingly the speed) of the notes which follow the slide note within the same bar.

Notwithstanding all this, I confess that the calculation of the number of holds required to get the bar value right defeats me and I usually have to put in what I think is a suitable number of holds and then fudge it up or down until it fits. The rest also appears to be necessary even when you do get the right number of holds.

OFF Slide

This merely turns slide off.

It will be obvious that I am not a technical man, but this is a practical attempt to explain slide by detailing methods which, through blood, sweat and tears, I have found will work - given a bit of fudging here and there. How they work I don't always know, but that they do work I do know. The best of luck with your experiments.

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Questions and answers

Question: Whither AMPLE?

I have followed with interest over several issues the subject of upgrading from a BBC Model B. I now read of Super AMPLE, samplers etc. Would Hybrid Technology please give some indication: is the Master the recommended upgrade path, or is it the A3000 or something else?

There must be many people like me, pottering around with the Hybrid Music System as a hobby, to whom a new computer is a major cost and something which will have to last for a number of years. If we upgrade now to Masters and find AMPLE on an Archimedes next year... you see the problem.

Just a yes from Hybrid to one of the following will do. Should we, 1) do nothing at present, 2) upgrade to a Master or 3) upgrade to an A3000 or Archimedes?

Neil Walker

Question: Key signatures

I have found that trying to naturalise the first note of a part does not work. For example, entering

K(+F)K =F=F

in Notepad and then playing it does not alter the first note, but does alter the second. Have I missed something in the manual, or has anybody got an explanation?

Chris Hanby

Answer: Static PAN

In answer to Roger Sapolsky's question in AMPLINEX 022 on the effect of PAN, it is possible his amplifier is running in mono. He could check any mono/stereo switch, and the leads to the amplifier input. Somewhere the left and right inputs may be joined together. I hope this is of help.

Neil Walker

Question: AMPLINEX WRITE error

When trying to WRITE the environment program (A.MPLINEX) in AMPLINEX 020 I get a '!Too many characters' error message. Is this because the program is protected in some way or is written using the AMPLE Toolbox?

Is there any way of writing the words 'copy' and 'lr' to screen to see how they function?

David J Barton

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Editor's note:

Certain words within the A.MPLINEX program have been compacted in order to save space and this can make them undisplayable. We could list the words 'copy' and 'lr' for you, but these words contain other words which themselves may not be displayable and so this would not be very helpful for seeing how they work.

A better method would be to look at the program in use in AMPLINEX 014 or earlier issues. The program hasn't substantially changed since then, but the program was not compacted in the same way.

MIDI drum kit problem - update

In AMPLINEX 020 (Questions and Answers), I gave an explanation of how to set the Roland D110 Bender Range using an exclusive message. In fact, there is a much simpler way to do it. The Bender Range you select, say 16, may be easily written into the D110's inner memory (see 'timbre writing', page 73 of the Roland manual). After doing this, 16 will have become the default Bender Range. I have repeated the procedure with all the instruments I use often in my programmes.

Roger Sapolsky

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Printing out AMPLINEX information

There are three ways to print out the information seen in AMPLINEX.

You can print out an AMPLINEX file as it is displayed on the screen from within AMPLINEX; you can print the files themselves as you would any other text file; or you can load the files into your own word processor and re-format them as required before printing.

1) To print a file from within AMPLINEX choose the 'SET PRINT ON/OFF' option from the Introduction menu. This allows you to toggle a software 'print switch' on or off. If the switch is set ON then any AMPLINEX file which is displayed on the screen will be sent to the printer. This will continue until you set the switch off again using the same Introduction option. An asterisk is displayed at the top of the screen next to the issue number when the print option is ON and the print status is shown at the bottom right of the screen as text is displayed within AMPLINEX.

It is now also possible to print out part of a file from within AMPLINEX. There are two ways to do this:

a) To print a single page of an AMPLINEX file, make sure the 'print switch' is OFF and then select the menu option which displays the file. When the page you wish to print is displayed, and the 'Press RETURN to continue' prompt is showing at the bottom of the screen, press the letter 'P' on the keyboard. The page being displayed will then be sent to the printer. Pressing RETURN will then continue to display the file without printing.

b) To start printing part-way through a file, you can turn on the 'print switch' by pressing the CTRL and 'P' keys together when the 'Press RETURN to continue' prompt is displayed. Subsequent pages which are displayed will then be sent to the printer. The 'print switch' can be turned off again in the same way.

2) If you prefer to print the parts you require outside of AMPLINEX - all the data is held in files on the AMPLINEX disc. The files are in directories named according to the sections in which they appear and the file names can be seen at the foot of the screen as they are displayed in AMPLINEX so you can make a note of the ones you require.

The file directories allocated to each section of AMPLINEX are as follows:

$. for Music

A. for the Introduction and Adverts

F. for Features

H. for Hints and Tips

I. for Instruments

N. for News and Reviews

Q. for Questions and Answers

U. for Utilities

In addition to the text files, the AMPLE instrument definitions can also be printed directly from within AMPLINEX. Music and utility programs written in AMPLE can only be printed by LOADing the programs into the Studio 5000 and using the WRITE command (see Studio 5000 User Guide page 100).

3) If you wish to re-format the text before printing you should load the files into your word processor. The files contain unjustified text restricted to 38 columns width. The files contain only printable ASCII characters except for a control code (ASCII 11) which marks the screen page breaks. View treats these as left margin tabs and if necessary they can be removed with a C/^L// command.

Two utilities have been published in AMPLINEX to aid with the re-formatting of text files:

In AMPLINEX 003 'Hints and Tips' (H.ints003) there were instructions for a Wordwise segment program to automatically format AMPLINEX text files. The segment itself was included in AMPLINEX 004 (H.WWconv).

In AMPLINEX 005 there was a utility to print formatted 80-column text direct from an AMPLINEX text file. The instructions (U.print/i) and the BASIC program (U.print80) are both within the 'Utilities' section. A modification to this program (to provide a wider margin) was included in the 'Hints and Tips' section of AMPLINEX 006. See also the Update section of AMPLINEX 008 for a note concerning BASIC 1 users.

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Next issue news

The next issue of AMPLINEX will be for January 1992. Because this issue is a little late, we plan to publish at the end of January or in the first week of February.

All applications for a FREE copy (i.e. those with discs containing contributions) must be received by MONDAY 13TH JANUARY. Anyone paying the £2.00 fee should apply by Friday 31st January.

Most of the content depends on your contributions between now and then - so please let us have an example of your music, or that question, answer, hint, or comment which might spring to mind when reading this issue. You can record your thoughts right now using our Feedback utility, or copy your latest piece of music on to another disc ready for contribution.

We look forward to reading and hearing your contributions.

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

How to contribute to AMPLINEX

To receive your next issue of AMPLINEX free of charge you must send a contribution of your own.

This could be an AMPLE music program, an instrument definition, a question or an article about some aspect of the AMPLE language or Hybrid Music System hardware or software, an AMPLE utility, a useful hint about AMPLE, or an answer to another member's question.

Under copyright law we cannot publish programs or music unless we have the permission of the copyright owners or their licensing agent. It is important to realise that in the case of an AMPLE music program, copyright exists in both the program itself and the music it represents. There may even be a separate copyright in the arrangement. If you wish to contribute transcriptions into AMPLE of someone else's music you must credit the copyright owner(s) of the music, the arrangement (if applicable) and lyrics (if included). We can then try to obtain permission to publish.

To protect ourselves from copyright actions we must ask you to sign the copyright declaration on the 'next issue request form' which was sent to you with this issue of AMPLINEX. All submissions made to AMPLINEX will be regarded as permission to publish within the AMPLINEX membership. Beyond this, the submission remains the property of the author.

As part of an exchange arrangement, we may wish to pass on your address if any of your contributions are of interest to other software publishers.

If you do NOT wish your contributions to be considered for publication elsewhere (and thus your address not to be passed to anyone else) please indicate this on the request form in the place provided.

You can also use your return disc to pass on questions which you would like answered on any issue relating to the Hybrid Music System or AMPLE language. We will do our best to answer them (or will pass them over to the other members for help) and publish the results in the Questions and Answers section of AMPLINEX.

You can also use AMPLINEX to advertise any (un)wanted items or to make contact with other members. Just put the details of your advertisement on to the return disc and we will try to include it in the next issue.

The 'Feedback' section of AMPLINEX contains a utility to allow a note to be written on the screen which can then be saved to disc. This 'note' file can then be included on your disc sent for the next issue of AMPLINEX.

'Feedback' notes can be used to make contributions to any of the text-based sections of AMPLINEX as well as to make comments or suggestions on AMPLINEX itself.

Send all contributions, on a standard DFS format disc (40- or 80-track).

It is not necessary to send printed copies of your contributions - any copies required are printed locally to minimize postage costs.

40-track disc users please note:

The AMPLINEX magazine is designed to fit on to one side of an 80-track disc. If you use 40-track discs you should send one double-sided or two single-sided discs.

Suggested file formats are:

a) AMPLE music programs - save these in normal Studio 5000 format (e.g. by selecting 'Save program' from the Studio 5000 Main menu). Since many members do not have the Music 4000 keyboard please ensure that your program has no M.M4 or M.KFX module words present. To make sure, try loading the program using your Studio 5000 system disc.

Please include some comments about the music - how or why it was written, how it could be changed - and put them into a word as comments following a DISPLAY statement. Use of the word 'info' to contain such text is common practice and we would suggest that it is NOT displayed automatically every time the music is played.

b) AMPLE instruments - save these in text form via *SPOOL using the AMPLE 'TYPE' command to save the word(s) you want.

Some description of the sound itself and hints on its use (e.g. which parameters could be changed, which are the most suitable octave settings) would make it more useful. This can be done using comments within the instrument definition itself (by preceding them with a '%').

c) Text (hints, questions etc.) - use the 'Feedback' note facility for short contributions. For longer pieces use View, Wordwise or other word processor (without embedded format codes or commands). Do not right justify the text.

You can help us operate AMPLINEX more efficiently by careful naming of the files which you send us. Receiving several files called 'hint' or 'quest' can cause us problems in trying to keep track of which contribution came from which member.

Wherever possible, please try and make the filenames of your contributions unique especially where they are for a regular section of the magazine.

Putting a combination of your name or initials and the section for which the contribution is destined is one way of doing this. So if your name is Fred Bloggs you could use FBquest or BlogH&T for contributions to the Questions and Answers or Hints and Tips sections.

Whatever filenames you use, please remember to include your name somewhere in the contribution - this can save us many hours annotating lists and cross-referencing filenames with contributors.

Ensure that your disc is well packed as we will be using the same packaging to return it to you.

Make sure you enclose a return address label and postage and that both the packaging and the disc are marked with your name and address.

Send it to:

AMPLINEX
26 Arbor Lane
Winnersh
Berks.
RG11 5JD

to arrive by the date specified in the 'Next issue' section.

We look forward to reading and hearing your contributions.

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991

Welcome to AMPLINEX 023

Kevin Doyle and Roy Follett

In this issue we have the regular sections of Questions and Answers and Hints and Tips as well as an explanation of the Slide command, a utility which provides a play-along 12-bar blues, and an update of the jukebox utility published in a past issue of AMPLINEX. In the News and Reviews section we have an AMPLE user's view of the EMR Studio 24+ software for the Archimedes, and we have eighteen pieces of AMPLE music including some seasonal melodies in traditional and not-so-traditional forms.

Please accept our best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. We look forward to your support during 1992.

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Editor's note:

Once again I have to apologise for the late arrival of an AMPLINEX issue - but, I hope, for the last time. I have just finished the final part of my further education course, rather later than planned, and this delay meant that the September issue of AMPLINEX had to be postponed and eventually became the November issue.

Future AMPLINEX issues should revert to the normal timetable of six issues per year.

I would like to offer my thanks to you for your patience over this past year of reduced AMPLINEX issues and hope that we can make 1992 a busy one for AMPLINEX.

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Published in AMPLINEX 023, November 1991