AMPLINEX 028

AMPLINEX issue 028 was published in September 1992. 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

Further thoughts on Music Publisher

Lol Taylor

My review of the Music Publisher (AMPLINEX 026) was completed very quickly after I had received the package. Since then I have had a great deal of experience with it, printing some very long pieces including a string quartet which had been in manuscript since 1929, a song for a friend, and several pieces of my own.

With experience I have found that many of my original problems could be got round. For instance, why not transcribe grace notes (which are merely a sort of shorthand) as ordinary notes?

A Music Publisher print-out is a very solid foundation to work with, even if a few manuscript additions still have to be made - and these get fewer and fewer.

Programming has been so delightful that I keep on accepting the challenge from more and more manuscripts. I think that the computer-jargon word applicable to Music Publisher is 'compulsive'.

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Waltz in E minor

by Bob Ord

Hearing the news over one Christmas period about the plight of the Romanian people, I was reminded of a Romanian air that I learned from my Guitar teacher over twenty five years ago.

This air I have arranged for wind quartet and it forms the central part of this waltz.

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.WALTZE

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Three Piece Flute

by G Adams

This one started with three flute sounds, hence the title.

Part 1 of this piece uses two voices on echo which I find can create more interesting bass lines. The rest is straightforward but the programming style a little chaotic (as usual).

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.FLUTE

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

The Third Reich

by Jim Redfarn

I was really referring to the composer Steve Reich, rather than Adolf. Certainly there's no hint of Wagner! The piece is made up of small sections with instruments going out of sync, or playing in conflicting time signatures. AMPLE seems ideal for this sort of thing. In the real Reich things change much more slowly and subtly, but I'm an impatient man.

Jim Redfarn

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.3REICH

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Strike the Viol…

by Roy Atkins

Composed by: Henry Purcell

Strike the Viol' & 'Such a Blessing'

I am a British expatriate living in the Netherlands. 1989 marked the 300th anniversary of the Golden Revolution, when William of Orange left Holland to claim the throne of England and with his wife Mary reigned for many years. The tercentenary, which ended on 1st July 1989, was celebrated with numerous cultural events linking the two counties. Many of the events featured the music of Henry Purcell, the composer to the Royal Court of W&M. These pieces are part of a suite written to celebrate Queen Mary's 33rd birthday in April 1694.

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.STRIKE

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Sailing

by Paul Hibbert

The rhythm is all wrong in this song compared to what I had intended when it was first written on guitar. I may get round to correct it when I am more sure about what I am doing with Ample but in the meantime it will have to stand as it is now... Sorry!!!

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.SAILING

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Russian Dance

by Bo Hanson

Composed by: Tchaikovsky

From the 'Nutcracker Suite'

Proper' then 'Silly' versions recorded

After scoring the tune itself, I started on the mix and came up with the two choices presented here, I couldn't make my mind up as to which version to submit 'cos I liked 'em both, so this week's SPECIAL OFFER: TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE...

Bo Hanson

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.RUSSIAN

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Rainbow Child

by Phil Comber

Composed by: Dan Reed Network

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.RAINBOW

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Prelude and Fugue in D minor

by Alan Minns

Composed by: J S Bach

Number 6 from 'The 48'

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.PRELUDE

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Petite Fleur

by K Harridence

Composed by: Sidney Bechet

This piece uses the pre-programmed chord system from AMPLINEX 003 and is a direct transposition of a sheet music original for clarinet and guitar.

The chord line, entered in Notepad, was very easy to enter despite the need to enter a couple of additional chords and to add '-1:' to each one to prevent octave changing problems.

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.FLEUR

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Memories Are Made of This

by [unknown contributor]

Composed by: Richard Dehr & Frank Miller

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.MEMORIE

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

It Was the Magic Month of May

by Fred Bridges

Composed by: Robert Schumann

Poem by Heinrich Heine & Fred Bridges

Vocal line' version recorded

I sing for pleasure, and a major use I have for my Music 5000 is in learning new songs. Playing your own accompaniment is difficult for anything but the simplest music, but this allows me to learn complicated works. It has the edge on tapes, as you can change tempo and transpose for other voice types. My example is a simple one, the first of Schumann's Dichterliebe, using a simple 'voice', to show the principle. Strict tempo is best for learning, and the 'performance' option is obviously just an indication.

You would normally sing this from sheet music, but the words option is useful if you don't possess it.

Fred Bridges

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.MAY

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Honeysuckle Rose

by Mark Crisp

Composed by: Thomas 'Fats' Waller

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.HONROSE

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Hermes Breaks It

by I W Buckley

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.HERMES

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Ebudae

by Julian Benton

Composed by: Enya

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.EBUDAE

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Casino

by Michael Mellor

Composed by: Al Di Meola

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.CASINO

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

But Then Sometimes I Wonder

by Michael Harbour

5th June - 10th June 1988

Dedicated to a squashed fly lying on my bedroom windowsill.

Can we be sure that we are the most intelligent race on Earth or is it the dolphins, the pigs, the flies or the spiders?

Who knows? (Who cares?)

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.BUTTHEN

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Bees Wedding

by Michael A Rouse

Composed by: Felix Mendelssohn

Source: AMPLINEX 028 disk, file $.BEESWED

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Korg M3R remote editing utility

% by Bernie Dawson
% For more details see U.M3Rinfo
% Published by AMPLINEX September 1992

"7bit" [] "lev" [] "mdesk" []
"prg" []

"7bit" [&3FFF AND
#11
&7F AND MIDIOUT
128 #/ #2
MIDIOUT
]

"lev" [1 VOICE
&41 &24 &3F &42 &F0
6 FOR( MIDIOUT )FOR
7bit
&F7 MIDIOUT
]

"mdesk" [% prog          level
    11 1 prg      80   2 lev
    21 15 prg      60 16 lev
    21 29 prg      70 30 lev
     1 43 prg      70 44 lev
     1 57 prg      70 58 lev
     1 71 prg      60 72 lev
    12 85 prg      80 86 lev
     4 99 prg      71 100 lev
]

"prg" [1 VOICE
&41 &24 &3F &42 &F0
6 FOR( MIDIOUT )FOR
1 #+ 7bit
&F7 MIDIOUT
]

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Remote editing of the Korg M3R

Bernie Dawson

Although this utility is written for the Korg M3R it can be easily adapted for other synthesisers.

When I grew tired of the Music 5000 sounds I expanded via the Music 2000 route and got into MIDI. I bought the M3R expander unit. This is a rack-mount 16-voice polyphonic multitimbral synthesiser. On this synthesiser, instruments are arranged as 'programs', and these are combined into a 'combination'. Roughly speaking this equates to instruments and a mix on the Music 5000. While the factory sounds are very good, it wasn't long before I wanted to alter them.

Unfortunately, like most digital synthesisers, access to programming the sounds is via a few buttons next to a tiny 16 x 2 display. On a rackmount unit this is on a vertical face, the wrong angle for your fingers. When you consider that there are something like 60 different parameters that can be altered for just one sound, it can involve a lot of button pushing!

Pining for the instrument panel approach of Notepad I therefore decided to have a go at writing a remote editor. This involved understanding a little about the nature of MIDI messages, which are of two types. Channel messages convey note information (which note, note on, note off, velocity, etc). System exclusive (sysex) messages can do much more, including changing the sound parameters. The Music 2000 manual was particularly helpful and a few frustrating nights in the back of the M3R manual eventually brought forth success. The following is an example of a sysex message:

&F0 begin sysex message
&42 KORG ID
&3n n + 1 = MIDICHANNEL number
&24 M3R ID
35 Parameter number for filter cutoff
29 new value to be used
&F7 end sysex message

Thus in the above example the instrument being edited in the M3R would have its filter cut-off value altered to 29. On any other synthesiser it is a matter of substituting the middle bytes, which will involve you delving into the back of your own synthesiser's manual! Each byte is sent out using MIDIOUT. Data values have to be processed to a 7 bit format since the MIDI specification lays down that data bytes have bit 7 = 0. This is done within the program by the word '7bit' which I got from the Music 2000 manual. The rest you can suss out by analysing the program words.

It is no good doing this unless your synthesiser is set up to receive the messages. In particular you need to ensure that the synthesiser receives on the same channel as you are sending, that program changes are not disabled and that sysex messages are enabled! Check out the 'info' within the program.

Program editing

To start the editor, LOAD it in, get 'panel' into Notepad and follow the instructions. You will see the block cursor blinking on 'progch'. Hold down shift and alternative instrument pages are presented. This works because each instrument page starts with a null word I've defined, 'INSPAGE'. This is one of Hybrid's rules and is how the program knows which alternatives exist. To go into an instrument page, press the space bar. This is exactly equivalent to choosing a Music 5000 instrument and then accessing the instrument panel.

I never realised the panel form of Notepad was so flexible until I wrote this utility. I can now change sounds on my M3R in an analogous manner to changing Music 5000 sounds. The Return key, or the Music 4000 keyboard allows me to hear the results of the alterations.

The one disadvantage of my utility is that the communication is one-way, BBC to M3R, so I have copied one program's parameters (Analog 2) as the starting-off point for sound alteration. This cannot be solved without knowing how to use the MIDI IN of the Music 2000 interface, for which the manual gives no information.

Combination editing

This (U.M3Rexec) is a short file which should be EXECed in to a music file. It proved a simple matter to adapt the program editing approach to write a combination editor. I have stopped at an elementary Mixing Desk approach. Start up a piece and enter 1 SHARE, then call up 'mdesk' in Notepad. Again, press f2 to go into panel mode and you can then alter the choice of programs or their relative volumes. This is analogous to the Mixing Desk of the Music 5000 and again means that alterations can be done remotely, from the BBC, without loads of button pushing.

Related files on this disc:

U.M3Rprog - Remote editing program for the Korg M3R synthesiser

U.M3Rexec - EXEC version of the remote editing utility

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Hints and tips

Check your hi-fi

David J Barton

I work for a builders/decorators merchant and help customers with the selection of paint colour quite often. Whilst helping a customer recently I advised her that her tinted spectacles were giving a distorted rendition of the colour cards. Thinking about this later I realized that many of us may be listening to our Music 5000s through hi-fis with tone controls colouring the sound.

Before sending off your latest composition to AMPLINEX try listening to it without the bass boost, etc. It makes quite a difference.

Clearing unwanted data

Lol Taylor

I have noticed, on going through some of my old files, that since having the AMPLE Toolbox software I have saved unnecessary data with them. This can be checked using 'MEM' immediately after a file is LOADed. If data is shown, typing 'CLEAR' in command mode will get rid of it. Occasionally it may be necessary to call up the offending editor, where it should appear on the screen, and 'CLEAR' it there.

Chord echoes

I L Hubbard

'Echo' only gives multiple echoes of single voices. My version of 'echo' gives single echoes of multiple voices, i.e. chords.

My 'echo' is used in the same way as 'Echo' - that is, '9 4 echo' gives a delay of 9 ticks with voices 1 to 4 echoed on voices 5 to 8. 'OFF echo' turns it off. The delay range is 0 to 255 and the voices range is 1 to 6.

Two player-dependant variables are needed to hold the delay and voices parameters.

"&delay" [ PNUM4DIM#+ ]

"&voices" [ PNUM4DIM#+ ]

The 'echo' word needed is as follows.

"echo" [#11 0#>IF(
&voices#B! &delay#B! 20
)IF
ACT(
ACT 5FVAR#? #11 0#>
IF(&voices#B? #+VOICE!
0 &delay#B? #11 7FVAR#? #-DURATION
ACT #-DURATION
)ELSE(#2)IF
)ACT
]

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Questions and answers

Question: Timing

I am married, and my wife Vera helps me to decide what sounds good as far as voices go when arranging pieces of music. However, my mother visits us now and then and has taken an avid interest in the 'synths'. Until about two months ago, mum said that the music I arranged sounded mechanical, but after spending a few hours with me and my trusty Music 5000 and 3000, she came up with the answer - variation of timing on each 'phrase' of music.

So, bearing in mind what she told me, I proceeded to alter the timing of phrases. I found the difference to be very pleasing. She also said that every time she plays a piece at home, it is different (owing to timing variations) which led me to think about a random capability. This is where I came unstuck.

I looked up the 'RAND' instructions, and was able to create random timing - but I could not find the method for adding (or subtracting) just a couple of digits per bar. For instance, if you have a 'mix' timing of, say, 100 I would like to give the choice of either adding or subtracting a random figure of between 1 and 3 from the principle figure of 100 then at the start of the next phrase of music have the same random figure of 1 to 3 either added or subtracted from the result of the last equation. Oh, and have a top and bottom limit of, say, 86 and 116.

Can anyone help? Incidentally, I would like to thank all the members who send in Hints and Tips and such things - they have helped me to gain as much pleasure from the system as I do at this time.

Don Buckley

Answer: Santa Barbara Cruisin' (1)

Andy Knight asks a question (in the 'help' word of his 'Santa Barbara Cruisin'' piece in AMPLINEX 027) about a pause during play. I expect he's found it by now, but in case not I have a cure. The pause is at 4f in the PLAY word, not at 3g. To get rid of it, go to part1e, find the two occurrences of '^(^)' (half-way down and at the end), and change them both to '0,^(^)'.

It's a nice piece! And I liked it more after all the replaying and searching, and that can't be bad.

Ted Kirk

Answer: Santa Barbara Cruisin' (2)

I've found the answer to Andy Knight's problem mentioned in AMPLINEX 027. It concerns a pause during play of 'Santa Barbara Cruisin'' when moving from one section to the next near the end of the piece.

There are two errors in part1e. The first on line 10 where there's an extra beat - it should read

+g(C)/// g(+A)//// ^(^)

and the second is the bottom line which should be

0,^(^)

I discovered these by hearing parts 1 and 2 together and hearing them go out of step in part e.

Tim Sketchley

Question: Manual explanation

Does anybody understand the paragraph on notation for spare structures on page 27 of the Music 4000 manual? This is using part8 as a master player without voices and uses / to mark the passage of time.

David J Barton

Question: Music expression

I am not awfully clever at composing original pieces of music, but I gain a lot of pleasure from transposing sheet music into AMPLE format. I spend hours, no, days messing with different voices to get the Music 5000 and 3000 'singing' my new arrangements. However, I always come a little unstuck when trying to deal with such things as appassionato, crit, con moto, dolce etc.

I was advised to look up the expressions down at the library, but could not find a 'music dictionary' that could explain what I am after. Is there any AMPLINEX member who has this knowledge? I would be grateful for it.

Don L R Buckley

Answer: 'Volga Boatman'

In AMPLINEX 027, Bryan Anslow asked about apparent 'rubbish' in the middle of the music file of 'Volga Boatman' from AMPLINEX 025.

If this file is LOADed in the normal way, and the SHOW command issued, then you can see that instead of 'no data', there is TXT data instead.

This would probably have originated from the use of the Text Editor from the AMPLE Toolbox - if you have this, type "TEDIT" MLOAD, followed by TEDIT, and you can see the contents of this editor, in this case an earlier version of the 'blurb' word.

The original file had been saved without the editor having been CLEARed, resulting in wasted disc space.

Even without the Toolbox editor, it is possible to remove this 'rubbish' just by issuing the CLEAR command, with the Main Menu screen active.

'Clearing public data' (in Hints and Tips AMPLINEX 020) had more information about this and a warning about wasting space when using the Image Editor, IEDIT.

Tony Walduck

Question: Music 5000/3000 switch

After loading Ian Hubbard's 'Chariots Of Fire' (AMPLINEX 026), I noticed 'Music 5000 mix' displayed on the title page. So, after playing it, I then loaded my Music 3000 system, and re-loaded the file. It then came up with 'Music 3000 mix', and played the Music 3000 version. I have bought the AMPLE Toolbox from Hybrid, but am unable to find how the system sensing works. Would Mr Hubbard like to share the knowledge of his Music 5000/3000 sensing switch please?

Don L R Buckley

Question: Instrumentals

Has anyone found any good books of instrumental hits from the past? The only one I have seen so far is 'Great Hits of the Shadows'. This has such hits as 'Albatross'! A great tune but not a hit for the Shadows I think. It does not have 'Apache' or 'Wonderful Land', which seem serious omissions. I would love to hear AMPLE versions of 'Pipeline', 'Wipeout', 'Rebel Rouser', 'Peter Gunn' and, if anyone can make a good set of drum/cymbal sounds, 'Let there be drums', which is an all-time favourite of mine.

Also, is it possible to make the music I enter from simple keyboard books sound better? I suppose what I want is a book with arrangements for more than one instrument. Are they easy to follow for someone who knows very little about music?

David J Barton

Question: Music 2000 and MIDI files

Have any members ever managed to transfer their AMPLE files to other systems (and computers)? I presume this is only possible via a Music 2000 equipped system using MIDI files. What are the limitations and is it possible to go the other way and import non-AMPLE music into a Music 2000?

Jack Wrigley

Question: AMPLE module initialisation

Is it possible to initialise the Sideways RAM image of AMPLE modules found on a back issue disc without pressing Ctrl+Break? I have tried a program from Micro User without success. It shows the ROM images installed but on calling the Mixing Desk or Notepad it still tries to load from disc. I would like to be able to build a !BOOT file to setup the modules from scratch. Pressing Ctrl+Break does work and modules are loaded from Sideways RAM.

David J Barton

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

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.

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Next issue news

The next issue of AMPLINEX will be for November 1992. We plan to publish at the end of November.

All applications for a FREE copy (i.e. those with discs containing contributions) must be received by MONDAY 2ND NOVEMBER. Anyone paying the £2.00 fee should apply by Friday 27th November.

More than ever 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.

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

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 and the arrangement (if applicable). Please do not include lyrics as it is not feasible for us to obtain separate copyright clearance for these.

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.

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Update – changes/corrections/comments

This section is a focus for news about the workings of AMPLINEX, corrections to items in previous issues, and other small pieces of information which might otherwise be missed amongst the details of each issue.

Membership

As mentioned in previous issues, we have been experiencing a drop in interest in AMPLINEX over recent months and have been trying to find ways of encouraging back lapsed members. In response to one of our reminder letters, David Barton made the following comments about AMPLINEX membership. We would be interested to hear other comments from members.

With regard to the lower contribution rate to AMPLINEX I wonder if my own experience is of interest. My initial purchase of a Music 5000 happened just before a bout of illness. Just as I started to make more use of it the chance of an upgrade to a Master 512 came. Then quite quickly came the chance to buy a Music 5000/4000 setup. So there I was learning the ins and outs of ADFS, DOS+, View, ViewSheet, AMPLE and music theory, and how to play a keyboard all at the same time. I also bought a second-hand copy of a DTP publishing program and tried to get to grips with it simultaneously.

It became clear that I was really not learning any of them properly so I had to slow down the learning process. At the same time I was ordering AMPLINEX back issues three at a time and studying the programs on these (and listening to the music). Perhaps other users have purchased new computers, whether Acorn or other makes, and are going through a similar learning curve.

I see that Micro User magazine (to be known as Acorn Computing from September) is offering Music 5000 units at £55.00. Whilst this will reduce the value of the Music 500 I never got around to selling when I upgraded, I hope it will give a new influx of members to AMPLINEX. Perhaps the magazine should have sold the units at £60.00 with a first disc from AMPLINEX included.

G H Richardson tribute discs

In AMPLINEX 024 we reported the death of one our regular contributors, George (G H) Richardson and later published details of two tribute discs prepared by Jack Wrigley. Jack has recently written to us with an update on the discs.

Many thanks to the members who responded to the first mention of this idea in AMPLINEX 026. Take-up is running at about 10% of our dwindling numbers at the time of writing. I'm sure we can manage another 10% with issue 027!

I've managed to include a couple of pictures of George on the disc sleeves, so for the first time you can see the face behind the music.

The details are repeated below.

AMPLINEX members who have enjoyed the musical contributions of the late George Richardson over the years may want to acquire two tribute discs to George and help Cancer Research at the same time. The first disc contains all of George's original compositions, while the second is a selection of classical and dance pieces. Some have already been published in AMPLINEX, but George's family and I think it would be a fitting tribute to release his entire AMPLE work as a collection.

Just send (AMPLINEX-style) two 80-track or three 40-track formatted discs in a re-usable carrier with stamped return address label to:

Jack Wrigley
187 Bramhall Lane
South Bramhall
Stockport
Cheshire
SK7 2NG

All we ask is that you enclose a cheque for £3 (or more if you can afford it) made payable to: "Christie Hospital & Holt Radium Institute". This is the Manchester hospital that treated George. Please give generously to help combat a disease that claims far too many people every year.

Quite simply these discs contain music that one can listen to many times over. I'm sure you'll enjoy what George has left us to remember him by.

We always welcome suggestions for improvements in the workings or contents of AMPLINEX - most of the changes made to date have originated from members' suggestions. So, if you have an idea to improve AMPLINEX, let us know.

Also, please let us know if you spot an error or omission in the content of AMPLINEX - you may be the first one who has noticed.

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Welcome to AMPLINEX 028

Kevin Doyle and Roy Follett

In this issue we have a utility of interest to those members with Music 3000 and 4000 units, and another of more general interest. We have further comments on the Music Publisher software in the News and Reviews section, as well as our regular Questions and Answers and Hints and Tips sections.

As usual we have a wide selection of AMPLE music, with seventeen pieces of original or more familiar music.

We look forward to receiving your contributions to the next issue of AMPLINEX - details of our deadlines are in the Next Issue News section.

Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992