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

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Published in AMPLINEX 028, September 1992

Questions and answers

Question: Automatic cursor movement

Does anyone know how to position the cursor to automatically highlight and pre-select a particular user-menu line?

The particular situation I am dealing with is when the menu selection will run a short piece from within the same program (i.e. the selection does not cause another program to be loaded).

I wish the cursor to be re-positioned whilst the piece is playing so that just hitting Return will get a repeat playing (without the need to use the arrow keys). Another advantage would be that the selection playing would be highlighted whilst it was playing, not the name of the top line in the menu.

I realise that something similar to this is done when the Music 4000 Keyboard or Recorder options are run from the jukebox menu. However, in those instances another program (kins* or rmix*) is loaded as part of the sequence. This seems to be a quite different situation to that I am having difficulties with.

Tony Walduck

Question: MIDI into AMPLE

Does anyone know how to get MIDI information into AMPLE? I would like to be able to send the data from my keyboard's accompaniment section into Notepad so that I could examine its contents. I understand the MIDI side of it but I do not know how to go about writing the necessary AMPLE program. The lack of support by Hybrid Technology in respect of the MIDI In side of the Music 2000 is surprising.

I would have thought that they could have produced and sold many useful programs using it. It would have been useful to AMPLINEX composers who could have put the backing from a keyboard into their compositions. Perhaps the lack of this type of program is the reason that members are moving on to the Atari etc. Anyway, if anyone can help I would be grateful.

Ken Hughes

Answer: Transposition

Jim Brook asks (AMPLINEX 026) whether the Music Publisher software would allow him to do transpositions of a score. As the author of the software I can say sorry, but no, Music Publisher does not support transposition at present. It should, and hopefully will in due course; but I am very, very short of ROM space, and simply had to offer a basic range of features before tackling the more exotic.

Extraction of selected staves will be next, because it is practically done already. Then transposition, when I have got my mind around the full implications - and have conjured up space in ROM!

A more immediate response to questions may be had by writing to me at:

4 Francis Close
HITCHIN
Herts
SG4 9EJ

or by telephoning (0462) 440489.

Arthur Rowles

Answer: Transposition

In AMPLINEX 026, Jim Brook asked if there is any way to transpose music so that it will print correctly. I had the same problem, for the same reason: to bring songs into my vocal range.

I am sure there are other, neater and more rigorous ways of doing this, but I find that my method works. The steps are described below. As an example, assume you have a song for tenor in the key of G and you want to drop it by two and a half tones to D for a bass.

1) Change the key signature. This is obvious: K(+F)K changes to K(+F+C)K.

2) Set up a table of the corresponding notes in the two keys:

KeyG       Accidentals       KeyD
 +F   =F -> =C ; ++F -> ++C   +C
  E   -E -> -B ;  +E ->  +B    B
  D   -D -> -A ;  +D ->  +A    A
  C   -C -> -G ;  +C ->  +G    G
  B   -B -> =F ;  +B -> ++F   +F
  A   -A -> -E ;  +A ->  +E    E
  G   -G -> -D ;  +G ->  +D    D

 3) Using the table, replace the note letters in G with the corresponding letters in D. The changes in the sharps and flats for the normal notes of the key are already done by the change in key signature.

 4) Make changes to accidentals where necessary. You can see, from the table, that this only happens where there is a change in sharp or flat with the change of note - here from B to +F.

 5) Make a SPOOL file of your original song with:

*SPOOL spoolfile1
WRITE
*SPOOL

 6) Load this into a word processor such as Wordwise or View. Use the search and replace function to change accidental symbols: in this case, -B to =B and +B to ++B (and the same for -b and +b). You could also replace the 14 letters (A to G and a to g) in a similar way but it is slow and not as simple as it looks - try it and see! Instead proceed as follows.

 7) Rearrange your text, if necessary, so that the words containing the notes (e.g. the parts), come after all other words, like mix, or RUN.

 8) Insert a letter Q between these two groups of words, immediately before the first part word definition. Note: your word for the key signature must be before the Q.

 9) Save the text to a new file (referred to as 'spoolfile2' in this explanation).

10) Now, in BASIC, load and run the program 'TranAid' (included on this disc). Enter 'spoolfile2' as your source file and a new file name as your destination file (referred to as 'spoolfile3' below). Enter the desired transposition, i.e. the number of letters up (+) or down (-) the series, ABCDEFGABCDEFG. In our example, G to D is either +4 or -3; both will work. You are told when the transposition is finished.

11) 'spoolfile3' is now your transposed song but it needs a little adjustment, so load it into your word processor and look at it. You will see that the words above Q are unchanged but there are some funny spellings of the words below. In our case 'part' is now 'pert' and SCORE is SGORB. Put these right, remove Q, and save the text to a new file ('spoolfile4').

12) In AMPLE, *EXEC 'spoolfile4' to produce your song in the new key. run it, and you will almost certainly find that you must make some changes to the octave settings in the piece, but this is no problem. When you are happy, save your new version and delete your text files. All this is not as long-winded as it looks.

Fred Bridges

Question: 'Volga Boatman'

Did anyone notice that the piece 'Volga', in AMPLINEX 025, had a load of rubbish in the middle of it? No, I am not referring to the music, but to the actual music file. From location &1082, just after the 'rtn' word, up until the famous '?info' word, at location &14A6, there is what appears to be an de-tokenized version of the 'blurb' word. In fact, the '?info' word just overlays the end of it.

AMPLE seems to have chained its word length fields right through this until it came to the '?info' word. The name lengths do not have their top bit set and so can not be recognised as user words and are therefore ignored. So doing a *SPOOL and WRITE and then *EXECing it back in again gets rid of the junk, and obviously reduces the music file size, but I wonder just how it got there in the first place?

Bryan Anslow

Question: AMPLE BCE versus Nucleus

In the good (or was it bad) old days of AMPLE BCE, one of the sometimes useful features was the ability to gate the separate channels of a voice as individual sub-voices. This allowed, for example, a maximum of 16 voices instead of the normal 8, albeit with restricted tone quality and some complication in organising the note sequences.

With AMPLE NUCLEUS, I have concluded that this is not possible - is anyone able to prove me wrong?

Alan Minns

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Related file on this disc:

Q.TranAid - program for use in transposition process described above

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Published in AMPLINEX 027, July 1992

Questions and answers

Question: Transposition

Occasionally, I come across songs I would like to sing, but they are in too high a key and are not published in a lower key. If I were to enter the music as written, using the Staff editor, is there any way to get the music printed out correctly in a different key? Would the new Music Publisher allow me to do this?

Jim Brook

Question: SoundSculptures?

Does anyone know where a version of the 'SoundSculptures' package may be obtained? Having read the notes and reviews in AMPLINEX 002, 004, 006 and 012 I wrote to Mr J Stockdale some months ago, at the address given in AMPLINEX 006, to ask if it was still available, even enclosing a first class stamp for a reply, but, as yet, nothing has been received.

Bryan Anslow

Question: AMPLE Toolbox

Being thick as a brick, I inadvertently deleted some music files. I got out the 'AREC' program recoverer (part of the AMPLE Toolbox disc), which worked fine - for a while. Unfortunately, I use ADFS and have in excess of 80 music files on the disc in question. AREC only recovers programs to the limit of the destination directory, some 47 files. I can't figure out how to get it to continue on a new directory with the rest.

Is there a way to achieve this? I only deleted about 5 programs, none of them included in the 47 that were recovered. As it happens, all the lost programs were in one particular directory; if I could just get the recovery to work on that particular directory, the problem would be solved, but AREC only asks for a source drive and doesn't accept a directory as well.

Jim Brook

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Published in AMPLINEX 026, May 1992

Questions and answers

Question: Singing with the Music 5000

I sing with a group of friends, two of whom play the piano accompaniments, but I have performed a John Dowland song with 'lute' accompaniment, using the following instrument:

2 CHANS
1 CHAN
  Bright   Flat    Long
2 CHAN
  Reedy    Flat    Percuss
  128 AMP
EVERY CHAN
ON PHSET

It works quite well if the volume is not too high. I start with an arpeggio in the correct key followed by ON PAUSE until a function key, defined with OSCLI to give OFF PAUSE, is pressed to start the song.

The problem with a performance version is that you have to write in the Tempo and Loudness variations, and the performance becomes a bit rigid. Has anyone any ideas to enable the singer to adjust these during the performance?

Fred Bridges

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Published in AMPLINEX 025, March 1992

Questions and answers

Question: Using a hard disc

Are any members of AMPLINEX using a hard disc with their Music 5000/4000 setups?

Are there any problems with daisy-chaining other peripherals on the 1MHz bus through-port on the Music 5000?

D J Barton

Question: Music 3000/5000 files

I would like to know how to make a Music 5000/3000 file. I have just taken ownership of the Music 3000 unit and of course would like to continue to send AMPLINEX copies of my music. I do not as yet know how to make the music suitable for the Music 5000 as well as the Music 3000.

I noticed that Michael Lefevre used some sort of method, when he wrote 'Do It' (AMPLINEX 020 Music section). It said '3000 version playing' when I had the Music 3000 up and running, and 'Music 5000 version playing' when I had not.

Don Buckley

Answer: Key signatures

In reply to Chris Hanby's query on the K(...)K command (AMPLINEX 023), where a construction such as

K(+F)K =F

does not give the intended result, the problem is accepted as an (unfortunate) feature of AMPLE and the answer is to re-position the key signature after that first note.

Since the problem of was dealt with as long ago as AMPLINEX 002, I claim no originality for the above comment.

Alan Minns

Question: The AMPLE Recorder

Not much has been written about the Recorder facility in AMPLE. Does anybody use it?

I can't identify exactly when, but I find that once a piece is about half complete the Recorder starts to falter, refusing to play even 1 or 2 of the existing parts as backing to the new one I'm trying to create. Normally, I set the quantum value to 16.

Is this comment typical, or have any AMPLINEX members found ways and means to make it work better?

J Wrigley

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Published in AMPLINEX 024, January 1992

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

Questions and answers

Answer: Mixing Desk query

In answer to Don Buckley's question in AMPLINEX 019 about the way to move the Mixing Desk faders, Alan Minns (AMPLINEX 020) suggests using VOL commands instead of =L.

However, using VOL in the middle of sections is not, I believe, what it is intended for and there are disadvantages.

The =L command is intended for use in the middle of words for setting the volume relative to other volume levels in that part. The VOL command is intended to set the level for a whole section relative to the other parts playing.

If you use several VOL commands in a part and then decide you want the whole part louder, you have to change all the VOL commands; and if you change the volume in a mix, you will also have to change all the others.

There is also no built-in way to move a fader gradually, like +L and -L do for the =L level.

Michael Lefevre

Question: Static PAN

Like most AMPLE users, I include in my program mixes a number of 'PAN' instructions. Recently, I decided to prick up my ears in an effort to evaluate more precisely the effect of such instructions.

For this purpose, the Autopan instruction is quite convenient as the number of beats can be large enough so the 'position' will vary slowly, giving a listener facing the speakers ample time to check where the sound is coming from.

Well, although the Mixing Desk does monitor the changes of position from R to L, I can't hear any displacement of the sound in the room. 'Pan' has apparently no effect. Should I blame my system? The 'balance' knob on the hi-fi set does correctly what the software fails to do.

The MIDI instruction using 10 MIDICONTROL has also no effect. Perhaps a member will know what should be done to make my system really 'panoramic'.

Roger Sapolsky

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Published in AMPLINEX 022, July 1991

Questions and answers

Answer: Swinging different ways (1)

In AMPLINEX 020 G Adams asks about the use of WIND in separate parts of an AMPLE piece to give the tune 'swing'. I think that the easiest method is to use the FOR(...)FOR construction rather than REP(...)REP. Set the index value to give the same overall length as the playing parts. Each 'part9' will then start and finish synchronised with the corresponding music section.

If it happens that the sum of the initial rest and an appropriate multiple of the rest value inside the FOR(..)FOR loop cannot be made equal to the required total length, just add a rest after the loop to make things neat and tidy.

Alan Minns

Answer: Swinging different ways (2)

In answer to G Adams problem with the WIND word: due to the REP(...)REP loop, 'part9a' never finishes. I suggest replacing the REP(...)REP by a FOR(...)FOR loop with a FOR count number to ensure the correct number of notes or bars are played. For example,

128 FOR( 12 WIND 48,/ )FOR

'part9b' is not now strictly necessary, as any number of different FOR(...)FOR loops may be used in 'part9a' to give changes at the correct point in the music. A browse through some of the AMPLINEX music files will give examples of what may be done.

Neil Walker

Answer: Real instruments

Robert Charlesworth (AMPLINEX 020) asks about real instrument sounds on the Hybrid Music System. Many instrument definitions have appeared in AMPLINEX and more are available in members' tunes and on the numerous AMPLE albums available from Hybrid, Panda and independent sources such as J B Software.

But it's worth remembering that you aren't going to get 100% authenticity across the full range of orchestral instruments from a £150 synthesiser. There are some sounds the system is not very good at, at all (brass, for example).

If you want super-realism you're looking at a sampler (typically over £1000 but second-hand ones are available around £300) or a good synthesiser/expander (typically costing from £350 upwards). But, again, one instrument (especially a budget one - and £500 is budget in the musical instrument world) won't sound like every orchestral instrument under the sun.

This begs the question which was raised in AMPLINEX some time ago about the relevant merits of using the Hybrid Music System for original music and for transcribing existing pieces.

The problem with doing exact transcriptions and then playing them with inexact sounds is that they don't sound quite right. Which is one reason why I maintained (at the time of the discussion) that original compositions specially written to take advantage of the strengths of the system were the most successful. After all, that's what the classical composers did - they wrote to make the most of the strengths of the instruments at their disposal.

Write with what you have, not with what you wish you had.

John Bartlett's 'Symphony' (reviewed in AMPLINEX 020 News and Reviews section) is a tour de force of programming and arranging and I heartily agree with the comment that it is well worth adding to your collection. But however clever the programming may be, the result is not quite the same as the London Philharmonic, is it?

Well, something to bear in mind - unless members want to start another discussion...

Ian Waugh

Question: ZROM Library Manager

In AMPLINEX 011, Taj Letocha gave us a powerful utility: the ZROM Library Manager. But my first attempt to enter a new module belonging to a new library has been a failure (the blame is probably mine). Here is the complete story.

After first loading the ZROM file image into a bank of Sideways RAM, followed by the loading of AMPLE, all of the ZROM commands responded correctly when used in conjunction with a disc containing the X-INSLIB file. I then entered in succession:

*zl MIDI
*|=sb
"sb" [#* 0MIDIBEND] % 5000-2 used
*ze
"sb" SAVE
*zmake 10 MIDI

The story ends here, with the error message 'Can't open file MIDI' displayed.

In fact, *CAT shows that 'sb' is present on the disc, but not the 'MIDI' library I expected to introduce by means of the '*zl MIDI' instruction. Will someone be kind enough to tell me what should be done to achieve my aim?

Roger Sapolsky

Answer: Mixing Desk query

Alan Minns (AMPLINEX 020) gives a solution to a question asking if an AMPLE program can control the Mixing Desk faders, by suggesting the use of the VOL command. He gives examples of its use such as:

2; 128 VOL 1;

However, like any other sound word, VOL is directed to a particular voice by VOICE, e.g.

2 VOICE 128 VOL

The music voice setting, e.g. 2;, has no direct effect on sound words.

Hybrid Technology

Answer: Saving instruments

In AMPLINEX 019 Don Buckley asked how to delete unused instruments from a program.

One method is given on page 37 of the Music 4000 User Guide which, put simply, is as follows:

If you have a setup program or an *EXEC file with x number of instruments on it, you make up a separate *EXEC file containing the names of the instruments and DELETE after each one.

For example if your file contains three instruments called arcopiano, binatone and deephorn, your *EXEC file would be:

"arcopiano" DELETE
"binatone"  DELETE
"deephorn"  DELETE

Save the above using *SPOOL, with a name such as S.insdel.

When you wish to delete any unwanted instruments simple *EXEC S.insdel into your program. It will not delete any word that is in use.

You can of course use as many words as you wish (memory permitting) but don't forget to add the delete line to S.insdel if you add extra instruments to your setup program, or *EXEC file.

Ken Hughes

Answer: Auto Menu listing (1)

In AMPLINEX 020, W T Hyde raises a query concerning his inability to get Ian Waugh's 'Auto Menu' program in Acorn User (September 1990) to *EXEC.

It is another black mark to Acorn User! I must admit that I had not looked at this program until the query arose, otherwise it would have been included in my hint in AMPLINEX 020. Fortunately the error, a superfluous Return, is easy to correct.

The long string in the word 'lr' must be entered as one line and not two as shown. Type the program (not in Notepad) with that long line spilling over the screen width to a second line without any carriage return. In the disc copy, edit 'lr' with a word processor to replace the carriage return after 'CODE#2' with a space. The program then works.

Alan Minns

Answer: Auto Menu listing (2)

I think Acorn User has been putting text files on disc rather than files correctly *SPOOLed from AMPLE. For some reason they apparently don't seem to like to include raw AMPLE programs on the disc. I'll see if I can sort this out for future issues.

If W T Hyde has been having problems then I would have thought the first and most obvious step would be to contact the magazine. They are generally very good at passing on readers' letters and I've received none on this subject so far.

The Auto Menu listing seems to be correct (but I'm not going to type it in to find out!). Perhaps the tilde (~) character in the 'lr' word is causing problems. Other things to check are the quotes (") - there are a lot of them in 'lr'.

Well done to Alan Minns for offering a solution to Dice Program problem.

Ian Waugh

Question: Software updates

I was most surprised to read (AMPLINEX 020, Update section) that it is now possible to obtain free Hybrid Music System software updates from Hybrid Technology - as reported by Allan Gardner. Why surprised? Because I had previously found that by being a good customer, ordering quickly and waiting weeks for delivery of the Music 4000 keyboard, meant that I would have to pay for later software updates/upgrades (e.g. Staff printing) although they would be free to later purchasers.

I can understand Hybrid's position but given this situation I naturally assumed that any subsequent software updates that I was lucky enough to hear about, would also not be provided free of charge. Is it not possible, with the support of other members, to ask Hybrid to provide a history of software updates in order to at least identify any bugs and how they were cured with each new release of software. I would welcome comments and information from other AMPLE users, regarding these changes, to enable all of us to avoid any potential problems and to develop programs compatible with all releases of software.

At present I am using the following system discs and have no idea as to what limitations may exist:

Studio 5000   Release 2 (Music 5000)
Studio 5000-4 Release 1 (Music 4000)
Studio 5000-2 Release 2 (Music 2000)

Les Pearce

Answer: Toolbox editors (1)

Tony Walduck (AMPLINEX 020) says, 'I am getting tired of having to MLOAD the desired new editor (sometimes after having to MDELETE the Main Menu editor), then enter the new editor, and finally MDELETE it after use, as well as having to swap between the System and Toolbox discs.'

Some comments:

MDELETEing the Main Menu editor is never necessary, since 'Run program' does it for you.

The MLOAD and MDELETE of Toolbox editors can be conveniently placed on function keys.

Swapping between System and Toolbox discs is unnecessary if the Toolbox editors are copied on to the System disc, or if the Sidemod utility is used.

Hybrid Technology

Answer: Toolbox editors (2)

In reply to Tony Walduck's query about module loading, I find it useful to define function keys to do the calling up. Most of my work is done without the Main menu, having chosen from a menu on booting which editors are needed.

The following method will still work if the Main menu is included, and is probably quicker. *COPY the Toolbox Modules you use on to the System disc (I found no problems here), and have a set of key definitions which are *LOADed in as needed. Any set of keys may be saved by

*SAVE Key1 B00 C00

on the BBC Model B (sorry, I know nothing about the Master) and *LOADed quickly, e.g.

*LOAD Key1

For example, to swap between a mode 0 TEDIT and Staff set up two keys:

*K.9QU."TEDIT"MD."STAFF"ML.ST.|M

*K.8QU."STAFF"MD.0MO."TEDIT"ML.TED.|M

Those flip over function key strips are a handy way to keep track of the keys in use, though once you have a useful combination you tend to stay with it.

As an alternative to all this, AMPLE itself can provide an answer: words may be made to do the swap, and kept in your program during development. For example:

"s" [% Staff from TEDIT
"Q.""TEDIT""MD.""STAFF""ML.ST."
$+]

"t" [% TEDIT from Staff
"Q.""STAFF""MD.0MO.""TEDIT""ML.TE."
$+]

Neil Walker

Answer: MIDI drum kit problem

IN AMPLINEX 020 Mike Dobson comments: 'Using the VEL command to set the volume of any of the MIDI voices doesn't work from the mix word or from within an individual part.'

You can do this, but since VEL is to express =L, your setting will be overridden when you play a note or hit. To prevent this, use

"novel" [30 ACT( OFF 3 FVAR #! ACT )ACT]

SCORE novel CDE...

Hybrid Technology

---

Published in AMPLINEX 021, March 1991

MIDI drum kit volumes

% by Roger Sapolsky
% For more details see Q.uest020
% Published by AMPLINEX November 1990

"mix9" []  "mk" []  "part9a" []
"sys" []  "u" []  "v" []  "w" []

"mix9" [48,100=T
9 SHARE  3 VOICES MIDIV 10MIDICHANNEL
1VOICE 51mk %cym u
2VOICE 37mk %rim shot v
3VOICE 35mk %drum w
PNUM SHARE
]

"mk" [60#-PITCH
]

"part9a" [SCORE 1VOICE
-1 &41 &10 &16 &12 3 1 &7D &50 &2F sys
2VOICE
-1 &41 &10 &16 &12 3 1 &45 &60 &57 sys
3VOICE
-1 &41 &10 &16 &12 3 1 &3D &60 &5F sys
24,w(u)v(u)v(u)w(u)w(vu)v(u)uw(vu)
24,w(u)v(u)v(u)w(u)w(vu)v(u)uw(vu)
1VOICE
-1 &41 &10 &16 &12 3 1 &7D &30 &4F sys
2VOICE
-1 &41 &10 &16 &12 3 1 &45 &40 &77 sys
3VOICE
-1 &41 &10 &16 &12 3 1 &3D &40 &7F sys
24,w(u)v(u)v(u)w(u)w(vu)v(u)uw(vu)
24,w(u)v(u)v(u)w(u)w(vu)v(u)uw(vu)
]

"sys" [&F0 MIDIOUT
FRAME 1 REP(#11 FVAR #?
-1 #=)UNTIL(1 #+)REP #11 1 #-
FOR(INDEX FVAR #? MIDIOUT )FOR
FOR(#2)FOR &F7 MIDIOUT
]

"u" [1;X] % 'Ride cymbal' D#3(51)

"v" [2;X] % 'Rim Shot' C#2(37)

"w" [3;X] % 'Bass Drum-1' B1(35)

---

Published in AMPLINEX 020, November 1990

Questions and answers

Answer: Mixing Desk query

Don Buckley (AMPLINEX 019) asks if an AMPLE program can control the Mixing Desk faders.

Although dynamic level is usually set by the commands =L, +L and -L, which do not affect the Mixing Desk display, it is possible to use the VOL command which does.

For example, in a music part

115 VOL

will set the fader for the first (or only) voice at a level of 115. Similarly, to alter the second voice only, one would use

2; 128 VOL 1;

For a multi-voice part, it may be useful to define a word:

"vol" [ ON; VOL 1; ]

and invoke it with, say,

115 vol

which would set the level for all voices in the part to 115.

Alan Minns

Question: Swinging different ways

Using the REP(WIND)REP structure to give a tune 'swing' how can I change the values for different parts? For example,

"part9a" [ SCORE 24,/
REP( 12 WIND 48,/ )REP ]

"part9b" [ SCORE 48,/
REP( 24 WIND 72,/ )REP ]

G Adams

Answer: Saving instruments (1)

The solution to Don Buckley's query (AMPLINEX 019) about saving and loading instruments individually, is to use *SPOOL and *EXEC.

To save just one instrument, type:

*SPOOL <filename>
"<insname>" TYPE
*SPOOL

Where <insname> is the name of the instrument you are saving.

To load it back again, type:

*EXEC <filename>

This allows you to load instruments while preserving other words in memory.

You can save groups of instruments in the same file by typing more than one TYPE command before the second *SPOOL.

If you have the AMPLE Toolbox, another way to do it is to save the instruments by deleting all the other words (I don't know of an easy way, although the Toolbox SPAREDELETE can help) and SAVEing. These can be re-loaded into other programs with the Toolbox MERGE command.

Using these techniques, I keep a library of instruments and other regularly used words which I find invaluable.

Michael Lefevre

Answer: Saving instruments (2)

In answer to Don Buckley's question about saving instruments individually: see AMPLINEX U11 and the ZROM utility. This allows you to save umpteen instruments in one file and to load any individual sound back as you want it.

R G Hanson

Question: Toolbox editors

Has anyone been able to modify the Main Menu to incorporate the AMPLE Toolbox editors so that they can be called up in the same way as the other editors (e.g. Notepad and Mixing Desk)?

I am getting tired of having to MLOAD the desired new editor (sometimes after having to MDELETE the Main Menu editor), then enter the new editor, and finally MDELETE it after use, as well as having to swap between the System and Toolbox discs.

Ideally, I would like all modules to be available from the same disc, and available in the same straightforward way as the normal Main Menu editors.

Perhaps Hybrid Technology might like to address this problem, as it would really integrate new programs into the system, rather than leaving them as inconvenient add-ons.

Tony Walduck

Answer: MIDI drum kit problem (1)

In reply to Bernie Dawson's question (AMPLINEX 017), I have a Music 2000 along with a Kawai K1 synthesiser and Akai XE8 drum module and have found exactly the same problem. Using the VEL command to set the volume of any of the MIDI voices doesn't work from the mix word or from within an individual part. When playing sounds from the Music 4000 keyboard the VEL command does work. It doesn't alter the volume level of a MIDI voice but sets the velocity level which the MIDI instrument reads as how hard you hit the keys.

To set the volume of my MIDI voices I have had to use the dynamic level, the =L command, within each part. Using the Music 5000's sound the maximum dynamic level is 64, but using an external MIDI instrument it's 127. I'd also like to hear of a way of setting a MIDI voice's volume from the mix.

Mike Dobson

Answer: MIDI drum kit problem (2)

In answer to Bernie Dawson's question in AMPLINEX 017: setting the desired output level of each percussion instrument in a drum kit can be done manually on the MIDI instrument front panel. In addition, instructions using '7 MIDICONTROL' can, if the need arises, alter globally the sound level in a score, but these may not be the best methods.

Exclusive messages (of the type described in my article in the Features section of this issue) allow individual output levels to be set as desired using appropriate values of 'address', 'value' and 'checksum'. The start address of 'Rhythm Setup Temp (Unit#)' in the address map is &03 &01 &10. This is valid for Note#24, but the first usable rhythm instrument is Bass Drum 1 (Note#35), the address of which is start address +(35-24)*4 = 44 = &2C giving &03 &01 &3C. See tables 5-3 and 5-3-1 in the Roland manual.

The 'value' parameter has a range of 0-100 (or &0-&64).

Note that the last settings sent stay in the memory of the D110. The default levels (of 100) can be re-entered manually, or by using appropriate messages at the end of the piece.

An offset of one should be added to the address to set the Output Level, hence the final address is 03 01 &3D for the Bass Drum 1 (note that an offset of two will let you set Panpot). A table giving the addresses of all rhythm instruments would be helpful and may avoid errors.

Since player 9 always owns several instruments, each exclusive message must be preceded by 'number VOICE' so it will affect only the desired instrument. As usual, the patterns coming after the message will be preceded by 1;, 2;, etc. when hits (X) are used.

This disc contains a little demonstration programme, called 'Q.KitLvls'. It is in text format (so that is can be viewed by those without a Music 2000), and should be EXECed into AMPLE. The programme plays a simple pattern twice: first loud, then with a softer volume level.

I haven't used the tricks discussed in this article in real programmes yet: thus, I don't know how the system will cope with patterns played Prestissimo with a lot of intermingled exclusive messages!

Roger Sapolsky

Question: Programmable jukebox

I think the programmable Jukebox (AMPLINEX 017) is fine - but I would like to be able to use it under ADFS. I can transfer the existing program OK, and at first it looks as if all will be well, but the music titles have letters missing and they are scattered about like a dog's breakfast.

Is there any chance of Allan Gardner or anyone else coming up with the necessary modifications to the program? I wouldn't have a clue how to do it - and I dare say quite a lot of members transfer everything to ADFS, as I do.

Jim Brook

Question: Continuous music

In the dim, dark past I used to have 3-voice music programs on disc that loaded and then played. Whilst playing the last passage, a program would access the disc for the next piece, then continue playing the new piece, without a pause between the old music file and the new.

Is there any way that this can be done with the Music 5000?

Don Buckley

Answer: Coloured text

In answer to Don Buckley's questions in AMPLINEX 019: the easiest way to get coloured text for lyrics or anything else is to use either the IEDIT (Image EDITor) module on the AMPLE Toolbox disc, or the ASD (AMPLE Screen Designer) utility published in AMPLINEX 002, both of which are excellent. Coloured text, or anything else, is then a piece of cake.

R G Hanson

---

Another answer to this question can be found in the AMPLE program Q.ColText included on this disc and accessible from the Questions and Answers menu.

Question: Real-time MIDI In

Can Richard Bettis's MIDI In program be modified to use the M.REC module for real-time recording? As I am a guitarist not a keyboard player and have spent some years learning to express myself on this instrument it would be so much easier to use for musical input. In fact, this would allow any player with a MIDI instrument, not only keyboard, to benefit.

G Adams

Question: Real instruments

I have recently obtained a Music 5000/4000 system and have noticed that there very few 'real' instruments available. I would like to use classical instruments, and folk instruments (e.g. accordion, whistle, fiddle, Irish flute).

I would therefore be grateful if any members could supply, or indicate how to construct, appropriate instrument definitions.

Robert Charlesworth

Question: Auto Menu listing

Has anyone managed to get the 'Auto Menu' by Ian Waugh (Acorn User September 1990) to *EXEC and RUN? I can get neither the monthly disc version or the listing in the magazine to work. It will not *EXEC all the words into AMPLE from the disc and after typing in the listing from the magazine and trying to RUN, I get the error message '! Bad string' in the 'lr' word. I've tried all ways to rectify it but to no avail.

W T Hyde

---

See the Hints and Tips section of this issue for some information on a problem with another Acorn User AMPLE program.

Question: Jargon

When I was a young man, a pianola was considered a pretty clever box of tricks - so perhaps you will not be surprised if I say I think there is room for a kind of glossary, or dictionary, in AMPLINEX.

For instance, what exactly is a 'sampled' sound, and what is the difference between EMR's offerings and the Music 5000, or the Music 5000 and 'MIDI'?

I've no doubt these will seem very elementary questions to many members - but perhaps not to all! And of course there are hundreds more things that could be included in such a feature.

I don't suppose I'm alone in finding the Music 5000 fascinating, but only one of a number of interests - so anything that makes comprehension easier will encourage more and deeper involvement. Could it be that some of those who have lapsed as members have done so because unravelling the complexities of the Music 5000, MIDI, etc. are just too much for the time available?

Jim Brook

---

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.

---

Related file on this disc:

Q.ColText - example program to show how to display coloured text. Can be selected from the Questions and Answers menu.

Q.KitLvls - AMPLE program (for use with the Music 2000 MIDI interface) to demonstrate the setting of drum kit volumes

---

Published in AMPLINEX 020, November 1990

Questions and answers

Question: Mixing Desk Query

Could someone please give detailed instructions on how to move the Mixing Desk faders up and down whilst a piece of music is being played. That is, not by changing mixes, but by use of commands, entered in Notepad, in the score itself.

I would be very grateful, as I use the Mixing Desk a lot, and find it disconcerting to hear volume changes but not see them happen.

Don Buckley

Answer: FOR(...)FOR command

In reply to David Bloxham's question in AMPLINEX 018, the FOR(...)FOR construct is only valid within a word definition, i.e. it cannot be typed directly as a command.

It is not possible to use the f1 key with a word that contains 'inside-word only' commands. This is because when f1 is pressed the Notepad runs the word as if it were being typed at the keyboard, where FOR(...)FOR structures are not allowed. So, the only way of testing the word is by MAKEing it and typing its name.

For a list of which AMPLE words are command-only or word-definition only, see the Reference section of the AMPLE Nucleus Programmer Guide.

Tony Walduck
Michael Lefevre
Chris Hanby

Question: 62-file jukebox?

I have built up a large collection of music for my Music 5000 over the last year and have made a disc of my favourite pieces using Allan Gardener's programmable jukebox (from AMPLINEX 017). I only have a single, double-sided drive but my DFS will allow 62 files in a catalogue.

Is there any easy way of changing the jukebox program so it can use these extra files, or does it mean changing the program entirely? I know only 63 music files can be played in one sequence but I would like to be able to choose from a larger number of files.

Matthew Grist

Answer: Mozart's musical dice-game

In response to Vincent Fojut's query in AMPLINEX 017 concerning Mozart's musical dice game: I wrote a composition program in AMPLE based on this idea a short while ago and it should see the light of day in December's BBC Acorn User. It's structured so that that users can insert their own music data quite easily.

Ian Waugh

Question: Coloured text

Is it possible to include coloured text in a verse of lyrics on the Music 5000?

Don Buckley

Question: MIDI keyboard link-up

I have now got a synthesiser keyboard and interface to the BBC. What software do I need to use it as an input/output device for the Music 5000, and has such a program previously appeared in AMPLINEX?

Peter Miller

Question: Touch-sensitive keyboards

Although I'm quite happy with my Music 4000, I'm very interested in the possibility of adding a touch-sensitive (probably 5-octave) keyboard to the Music 5000.

I'm assuming the keyboard would have its own microprocessor to handle touch-sensitivity, or alternatively perhaps, a standard MIDI keyboard could be used via the MIDI In socket on the Music 2000. Has anyone added their own keyboard to the Hybrid system (touch-sensitive or otherwise)? Does anyone know whether AMPLE would be fast enough to handle this?

Vincent Fojut

Answer: Letters after modules

In answer to David Bloxham's question in AMPLINEX 018, the letters displayed after the module's name and version number are explained in the AMPLE Nucleus Programmer Guide. They are called 'indicators' and tell you about the status of the module.

Some show how the module was loaded:

 F - Fixed. Loaded using INSTALL, usually in the start-up file. Cannot be deleted

 T - Temporary. Loaded with either MLOAD or the menu (which uses MLOAD). Can be removed using MDELETE

 P - Program-owned. Loaded along with a program which required it

The above three options are mutually exclusive.

Some show you how the module is currently being used:

 M - Words in this module are being used by another module

 W - Words in this module are being used in the user program

 U - The module is the current editor (the main menu counts as an editor)

Michael Lefevre
Tony Walduck

Question: Saving instruments

I have a AMPLE file which I use as the starting point for my programs and in which there are approximately eighty instrument definitions. However, it is a pain having to strip most of the program away if, say, I only need five or six of the instruments. It would be nice to hear of a way to save each instrument to disc, and to be able to call back only those instruments required.

Don Buckley

Answer: Watford Shadow RAM

In reply to Philip Robert Hunter's question in AMPLINEX 017 on the use of Watford Shadow RAM, it must be understood that even though the RAM card has 32K, only 20K could possibly be used as video Shadow RAM, and even then only in modes 0, 1 or 2.

The Hybrid Music System, however, uses mode 7 (using only 1K of memory) except for a modified mode 6 (using 8K) for the Staff editor.

In addition, use of a non-integral Shadow RAM card will require a page (or two) of workspace for the driving software - the Watford Shadow RAM needs two pages, I think.

So the potential gain might be as low as 0.5K or 0.75K in most editors, but a substantial 7.5K or 7.75K when using the Staff editor. It is, of course, this latter improvement which is the real attraction of using Shadow RAM.

However, these improvements will only happen if the reclamation of 1.5K from the DFS workspace can still be carried out by C.PREPARE (see Music 5000 User Guide, page 89). Various notes have appeared in AMPLINEX detailing the slight changes that need to be made to C.PREPARE to ensure this is carried out when the Shadow RAM control ROM grabs its workspace.

If this does not work properly, you may find that you have less RAM in most editors with Shadow RAM than without it, and much more modest gains (less than 6K) when using Shadow RAM and the Staff editor.

In answer to the advisability of buying a second processor (6502): whilst I cannot comment on the Acorn second processor (not having one), I can say that the Hybrid System does not work alongside the PMS B2P second processor as this uses addressing and control via the 1MHz bus (NPG FD signal, i.e. 'JIM') to compensate for its lack of a Tube ULA.

Perhaps the Acorn second processor (with a Tube ULA) avoids this problem, but whatever happens there is no version of Hi-AMPLE to provide really large workspaces.

Tony Walduck

Question: TMS to AMPLE converter

Congratulations to A J P McMaster for an excellent and much-wanted program (Utilities, AMPLINEX 018). It was good to see the program in action.

But, having converted about twenty TMS programs, I was not able to use them.

My first try resulted in 'Bad program'. Loading the file into Wordwise+2 showed that a space preceded all sections. So I deleted these spaces, saved the file, and tried again. Instead of 'Bad program' the error message was now 'Too big'. None of the programs are as long as some AMPLINEX programs which run perfectly on my Master 128.

Help, please!

Leslie Gardener

Question: The new generation

Does anyone have any further news of the new generation Hybrid Music System promised for the RM Nimbus and Master 128 computers? For instance, when is it likely to be on sale and what new features will it have?

Here are four things I would like a future Hybrid Music System to include:

1) MIDI IN - to be able to manipulate sampled sounds directly in AMPLE via MIDI IN, including the human voice

2) MIDI OUT - software dedicated to specific samplers and expanders, such as the Akai S950

3) Micro tuning - to be able to use different ethnic tunings, 'Just Temperament', etc.

4) New operators - for the Music 5000, especially brass and percussion.

Jim Redfarn

---

Editor's note:

The comments following some of the questions above are only my opinions on the subject and should not be taken as definitive answers.

Your comments are most welcome on any of the questions posed, whether they supplement, confirm or correct any I have expressed.

---

Published in AMPLINEX 019, September 1990

Questions and answers

Answer: Shadow RAM choice

In answer to Keith Taylor's question in AMPLINEX 017: I don't think there is a Shadow RAM board for the BBC that doesn't have its drawbacks. However, one that seems to have less operating problems than most is the Integra-B from Computech.

It can be set to access Shadow RAM, and AMPLE seems to make full use of it. The Shadow modes can be disabled, so that games and other non-Shadow applications can be run.

Its one big handicap though, is the price - £135. But for that you do get Shadow RAM, Sideways RAM and extra ROM slots, as well as other goodies. Unfortunately, Hybrid's Sideways RAM utilities (in the AMPLE Toolbox) will only work on a Master 128, not on a B+ or expanded Model B.

Patrick Black

Answer: The 'M.M5' module

Further to the question in AMPLINEX 016 about the meaning of various words in the M5 module: AEN, PEN and ONEN select respectively amplitude, pitch and both envelopes for subsequent GATE effect.

For example, PEN ON GATE will start just the pitch envelope. This is used, for example in 'Mexico Suite third movement'. A useful definition is:

"pgate" [PEN GATE]

Hybrid Technology

Question: FOR(...)FOR command

When I have a piece of music on the screen containing a FOR(...)FOR command, and I try to use the f1 'play' key, it always produces a '! Bad context' error, forcing me to MAKE it and type in its name as a command. Can anyone help, please?

David Bloxham

Answer: Mozart's musical dice-game

In response to Vincent Fojut's query in AMPLINEX 017 concerning Mozart's musical dice game: a more recent source of information on this topic may be found in the book 'Creative sound on the BBC' (pages 185-194) published by Acornsoft and written by David Ellis and Chris Jordan. I suggest this as an excellent source in the first instance.

It provides quite a comprehensive introduction, together with diagrams to show the essential structure of the random 'generator', and a program, written in BASIC, but with the musical notation in the DATA statements - known affectionately as Music Composition Language (MCL) - having a relatively familiar appearance!

If any AMPLINEX members interested in music programming have not yet seen this book I recommend they get hold of a copy and browse through.

Len Chirgwin

---

'Creative sound on the BBC microcomputer Model B' by David Ellis and Chris Jordan published by Acornsoft in 1985 at £9.95p (ISBN 0907876226) contains both a description of the dice game attributed to Mozart and a complete program in BASIC which uses the internal sound chip of the BBC B. Some time ago, Micro User were offering the book at a discount. Although not currently advertised, they may still be able to supply.

Alan Minns

Answer: Music City on Prestel

Philip Hunter AMPLINEX 017 asks about Music City. This used to have Music 500 and 5000 files, but it closed some time ago. It has recently been resurrected, but is now dedicated to MIDI - no AMPLE files. As far as I know there isn't an area on Prestel catering for AMPLE any more.

However, a modem will give access to AMPLE DCT, who have a very good Music 500(0) section. They are at Dudley College of Technology, and their phone number is (0384) 239944. There is a free area and Maestro, for which there is an annual access fee of £3.50p (for MCPS copyright charges).

You pay the cost of the phone call, but nothing else. They do like contributions though!

Patrick Black

---

Music City indeed no longer supports the Music 5000 system. It used to: in fact, it is where I got my first break, but that was two years ago, when it was run by Ian Guinan and Guy Oldhams. Music City now concentrates mainly on MIDI, Amiga and ST thingumajigs, under new government.

The only music board I know of that supports the Music 5000 is that run by 'Panda' man David King: AMPLE-DCT. The address for contributions or information) is:

David King
Dudley College of Technology
The Broadway
DUDLEY
West Midlands
DY1 4AS

The DCT database covers a wide variety of other areas too, not just music.

Phil Comber

Questions: Letters after modules

When MCAT is used, it displays the module name, version number and then some letters. What do the letters mean?

David Bloxham

Answer: AMPLINEX Staff Printer (1)

Like Jack Wrigley (AMPLINEX 017) I was also very interested in the Staff printing utility published in AMPLINEX 016, but was annoyed to find that it did not seem to work on a BBC B with Aries B32 Shadow RAM. However, it is quite straightforward to alter the program to do so.

Lines 9 and 10 in the file U.ASP can be deleted as these select the Shadow RAM on a Master. Line 11 must be left in as it expands the space available for user-defined characters, which are used by the Staff Printer to define the symbols on the staff.

In the file U.ASP2, I found that the program would work perfectly if the

PROCass:CALL code%

in line 40 was REMarked out.

Julian Benton

Answer: AMPLINEX Staff Printer (2)

In reply to Neil Walker's query about the AMPLINEX Staff Printer (AMPLINEX 017), the short answer is no. The purpose of the 'CALL code%' command is to provide a cyan/black stippled border to the screen windows. In the machine code, the subroutine call to &FFB3 is machine specific - it does not exist on the humble Model B! I seem to remember that its purpose is to write a byte to the video memory. Although no harm is done if this routine is omitted, it can be implemented fairly simply for the Aries system.

With apologies to Bob Ord, I have removed some redundant code from his dump routine to reduce its length and added a short piece of code to give the stippled border. This new U.ASPcode file (included on this disc) is suitable only for the Aries system and replaces the original one. To use it, modify the U.ASP2 program by deleting the whole of PROCass starting at line 290 and at line 40 replace 'PROCass:CALL code%' by 'CALL &ACE'.

Bob Ord is to be congratulated on getting such a complex program to work. Alas, when I came to test my modification, two problems arose.

1) In decoding a program word, he searches for the word 'SCORE' following the '%STAFF' command - but not all STAFF words begin with SCORE. This may be corrected by modifying line 2110 thus:

2110 REPEAT:m%=m%+1:UNTIL?m%=&51

2) If the program encounters a double octave jump, such as '!!a', it will stop with a 'Subscript' error. If lines 950 and 960 are replaced by the following, both '!' and '!!' are handled correctly.

955 IFd%-&DC ELSEz%=m%?1:z%=m%? (1-(z%=&DC)):t%=1-((z%MOD2)*2): IFb%cptr%=cptr%+7*t%ELSE pptr%=pptr%+7*t%

Jack Wrigley's problem (AMPLINEX 017) is a little more complex. Yes, the '*FX114' and '*SHADOW' lines must be removed but retain the '*FX20,3'. This explodes the character font and raises the value of OSHWM by three pages to make room for the special characters used in the staff printing - this is why PAGE is reset to &1C00. But now, because the Aries Shadow RAM is initiated by default, OSHWM is raised by a further page to provide workspace for the Aries system. It is necessary to specify PAGE at &1D00 in order to make room.

This may not leave enough memory for the variables. It would be better to allocate a specific page (e.g. &1800) for the Aries workspace thus:

*XOFF
<BREAK>
*XON 20 18
MODE 7

The program should then run properly.

Alan Minns

---

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.

---

Related files on this disc:

U.ASPcode - Replacement file for the AMPLINEX Staff Printer (published in AMPLINEX 016) for use with the Aries Shadow RAM board.

---

Published in AMPLINEX 018, July 1990

Questions and answers

Answer: Use of *TYPE

In AMPLINEX 015 Allan Gardner said that he had experienced problems when using the *TYPE command within AMPLE.

The answer may well be the Watford DFS. In using any of the commands *TYPE, *LIST or *DUMP, page &1200 is used as a buffer - but, in addition, the first few bytes of page &1300 are corrupted. So far as I know, the quirk is unique to this DFS. In the case of *TYPE, the first 4 bytes in page &1300 are set to zero.

So if, for example, the Aries control block is at &1300 or if the Staff display characters are suppressed and a module loads at this address, the use of *TYPE will cause the system to lock up. When using BASIC, the problem is unlikely to arise since page &1300 is normally unused.

The answer (if this is the cause) is to put the Aries control block at &1400 and set OSHWM to &1500 with *FX179,21 (note: 21=&15) before booting the system disc. If the *FX command is included in the !BOOT file, it must precede the */C.PREPARE R S K line.

Alan Minns

Question: Mixing Desk mystery

Can anyone please explain why the mix changes when I switch to command mode and back to edit mode in the Mixing Desk? If I run a program from the Mixing Desk, then press Tab to enter command mode (whether I enter a command or not makes no difference), and then Tab to go back to edit mode, I find that the channels have swapped themselves about.

I know it isn't a ROM clash as they are all unplugged. Ordinarily, this isn't much problem, but occasionally it has caused a few mutters because if I MAKE a mix, it makes the new setup. Is this a bug peculiar to my system, (BBC+ 128 and two double-sided disc drives), or is it just one of those things? Any advice would be surely welcome.

Bob Hanson

Question: Music City on Prestel

I have access to a modem, with membership to Prestel. Could you tell me if you have any pages on this system or a similar system, and how to access them. I have tried 'Music City' in Micronet through a gateway in Prestel, but so far have found nothing in there that shows any relevance to the Music 5000.

I have a copy of the album 'Music City II', where it explains where the songs on the album came from. It says they came from contributors of the Micronet Viewdata service. Where is it?

Philip Robert Hunter

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AMPLINEX has no links with any such service. We do not know the status of Music City - perhaps other members can help? For some members comments on the use of other telephone-based sources of AMPLE, see the Features section of AMPLINEX 008.

Answer: What's a player?

In answer to David Bloxham's question in AMPLINEX 016, a player is one of the things that plays the musical parts. When a PLAY instruction is given, part1 is played on player 1, part2 on player 2 and so on. There are 10 players - only 1-9 are available with PLAY, but 10 can be used by a P(...)P instruction, although this is not necessary for most music. As well as the ten there is player 0, the master player which is used by instructions typed at the keyboard.

A definition of the word 'player' can be found on page 155 of the Music 5000 User Guide (in the glossary) and more information is given on page 12 in the introduction under 'concurrency'. I have found that this manual, and especially the tutorial section, covers most things like this, which you may not know or may have forgotten.

Michael Lefevre

Question: AMPLINEX Staff Printer (1)

Having seen Bob Ord's Staff Printer (AMPLINEX 016) working on a BBC Master it looks to be a very useful program, especially where several parts need to be printed out together. Can anybody advise on the changes required to run it on a BBC B with Aries B-32 Shadow RAM? On my BBC Model B, Shadow RAM is selected by default, but running Bob's utility simply displays the request to check lines 9-11 for Shadow RAM suitability.

I believe the lines '*FX114,0' and '*SHADOW' select the Master's Shadow RAM, but I can't find '*FX20,3' in the BBC Master User Guide. Deleting lines 9-11 results in a 'Bad program' message when the program is run. Any solutions please, boffins?

Jack Wrigley

Question: AMPLINEX Staff Printer (2)

Help! Bob Ord's Staff Printer utility published in AMPLINEX 016, gives up at line 40 in U.AS2 unless I REM out the 'CALL code%' command in that line. The JSR call at line 350 seems to be causing the trouble.

Using a BBC Model B with Aries B32, I have altered U.ASP to suit. With code% removed all the program functions seem to work OK - am I missing anything?

Neil Walker

Question: Waveform design utility

Concerning the waveform design utility published in AMPLINEX 014: having created your waveform, how do you store it and use it in other instruments? If you can't do this, what is the point of the program? If I can store waveforms for use in other instruments, then this will prove to be an extremely useful utility.

David Bloxham

Answer: 'In The Night'

In reply to Richard Bettis (AMPLINEX 016): the problem of 'too many voices' or 'too many channels' is caused by the PLAY word in older releases, like release 6. The word gives all the players a Simpleins voice if there is no word called 'mix'. Programs like 'In The Night' which have words like 'mix1' and 'mix2' (but no 'mix') are given a Simpleins voice on each player, although they are not needed. When the program tries to use its mix, there are no more voices (or channels) because they have been taken by Simpleins instruments.

Making all the other voices UNUSED is one solution, a much simpler one is to have a dummy mix word which can be created with:

"mix" []

However, it is still a good idea to get a new version of the system disc, which recognises mix words with a number.

Michael Lefevre

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See the Hints and Tips section for Richard Bettis's own solution to this problem.

Question: Mozart's musical dice-game

Does anyone have any information on Mozart's musical dice game? All I know is that it is a means of assembling together a series of 'preset' musical phrases, by throwing dice, and consistently generating an acceptable musical result (waltzes, I think). It's been featured in a few magazines over the years (Practical Electronics, and Your Computer to name two) but I can't lay my hands on the back-issues. Armed with a suitable algorithm, I'd like to try coding it in AMPLE.

Vincent Fojut

Question: MIDI drum kit problem

As a newcomer to the delights of using the Music 2000, can someone solve the following problem? Page 41 of the Music 2000 User Guide gives an example of the use of VEL to balance instruments in a kit, but I can't get it to work.

The guide shows

5 SHARE 10 VOICES MIDIV
 1 VOICE 35 midikey 80 VEL
 2 VOICE 38 midikey 60 VEL
 3 VOICE 39 midikey 75 VEL
 ...

and seems to have been written with Roland gear in mind because the midikey numbers on page 40 correlate with the drums on the Roland D10 I've been using.

However, trying to apply this to the D10 causes every voice in the kit to be the same volume. The tip given recently in AMPLINEX of using [number] 7 MIDICONTROL has the same effect and cannot be used on an individual VOICE within a kit.

If anyone knows how to solve this I would be happy for you to phone me reverse charges on 081 953 6867 (before sending the answer to AMPLINEX for the benefit of other members - Editor).

Bernie Dawson

Answer: The 'M.M5' module

In AMPLINEX 016 Michael Lefevre asks about the meaning of various words in the M5 module. Referring to the Music 500 User Guide may throw a little light on some of these:

number AENV - select amplitude envelope (number in range 1-10)

number PENV - select pitch envelope (number in range 1-10)

These could well be the functions of AEN and PEN, though I cannot find any equivalent for ONEN. Maybe they access envelopes by number, rather than by name - but the available envelopes are contained in the EW module, not in M5.

I have not actually tested any of these findings, however, so I cannot be sure of their effects. Perhaps someone with more knowledge of the sound generation process would be better placed to advise.

Tony Walduck

Question: Watford Shadow RAM

I am the owner of a BBC Model B, as well as the Music 5000, 4000 and 3000. In my computer I have fitted the Watford Shadow RAM, and have found that for some reason AMPLE will not recognise it as free memory, giving about the same memory it would if it wasn't there at all. Thanks to Bob Ord in AMPLINEX 015 I gained about 1K. What has happened to the other 31K?

I also want to know whether it would be advisable to buy a second processor for my computer, as using the Shadow RAM seems to slow the computer down so much, that the music it is playing jumbles-up, as if the CPU can't keep up. Would a second processor solve this problem?

Philip Robert Hunter

Question: Shadow RAM choice

Like others I am thinking of expanding my system with a Music 3000. I have a BBC Model B and Music 4000 and would like to expand my memory with Shadow RAM. I am quite a new member and in some of the back-issues of AMPLINEX which I have received people have noted problems with Shadow RAM.

What I would like to know is: is there anybody with a Shadow RAM that works well with the music system and also doesn't interfere with other programs like games?

I would be very grateful for any assistance in selecting one.

Keith Taylor

Question: Long-playing music discs

Does anyone know of a way of chaining items of music so that all of the files on a disc can be played without user intervention - i.e. as on a long-playing record?

F Isaac-Dixon

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See the Utilities section in this issue.

Answer: Music 3000 system disc (1)

In reply to David Bloxham's question in AMPLINEX 016: the Music 3000 system disc does not create an entire set of new modules; instead it updates any system disc by replacing the MIX and M5 modules and C.PREPARE. This means that the amount of memory available depends on the system disc you started with: which release it is, and what type (i.e. with or without a Music 4000, 3000, or 2000). With Shadow RAM, the screen memory, which takes up different amounts depending on the mode, is gained.

On my system, which is a Studio 5000-4 release 2 updated with the Studio -3 disc, I get 16049 bytes (nearly 16K) free with no editors loaded. With the Mixing Desk loaded I have 10664 bytes free.

Michael Lefevre

Answer: Music 3000 system disc (2)

I have obtained the following free RAM amounts with the configurations shown:

System  ------- modules loaded -------
disc    'Basic'  PAD   MIX STAFF   REC

5000     15537 10929 10673  2737   --

-4       14505  9897  9641  1705  8873

-4D      14505  9897  9385  1705  8873

-3       14257  9649  8872  1457   --

-4D-3    13225  8617  7840   425  7593

These figures are without using Shadow RAM. Using Aries Shadow RAM increases space by 768 bytes generally, but by 7936 bytes in the Staff editor.

Tony Walduck

Question: AMPLE disassembly

I have performed a cursory disassembly of the AMPLE ROM and am overwhelmed by the task of deciphering all the data. Could other AMPLINEX members who have already trodden this path offer any time-saving tips and hints - e.g. addresses of key routines, data areas, embedded AMPLE code, key memory locations, etc?

Vincent Fojut

Question: AMPLINEX and ADFS (1)

In order to save disc space, I have transferred all of the past issues of AMPLINEX to ADFS format discs, storing each issue in a different directory (e.g. 016 for issue 016). Following a tip given in an earlier AMPLINEX issue, I changed the required line in the word 'lr' to access the correct directory.

However, on issues 015 and 016 I have been unable to do this, getting a 'too long' type message when trying to TYPE the word. Can you please tell me how to get around this as I am unable to access the Music menu from my ADFS discs?

Graham M Tipping

Question: AMPLINEX and ADFS (2)

Normally I transfer AMPLINEX to an ADFS disc, which will take three issues. However, on issues 015 and 016 when I attempted to change the 'lr' word to read '$.FIFTEEN' or '$.SIXTEEN' (so that on returning from a piece of music to the music menu I stay within the appropriate directory) I met with difficulties. I change 'lr' by *SPOOLing the word to disc, loading the file into View, making the alteration and *EXECing it back into the A.MPLINEX program.

However, when *SPOOLing the word it gives the message '! Too many characters'. I assume this is because you have COMPILEd the program with Toolbox. On attempting to DISCOMPILE the program I continually get the message '! No room' no matter how many modules I do not load. Can you suggest a remedy?

M F Mellor

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The reason you cannot *SPOOL the word 'lr' is indeed because it has been COMPILEd to save memory. However, the word has not been changed, so use an issue 014 disc to *SPOOL the word and then continue as before.

Question: Microphone input

I have a piece of literature advertising the Music 5000 synthesiser from Peartree Computers. On the back are examples of various screens. One of them shows a sample menu on which one of the selections is 'microphone input'.

Can this be done, or is it a bit of someone's imagination? The literature does not appear to make reference to the MIDI system so can it be attached somehow to the Music 5000 Unit?

Keith Taylor

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In answer to a similar question in AMPLINEX 010, Hybrid Technology commented: "we made and demonstrated a working microphone input add-on prototype, but development was halted in 1986, and this is unlikely to appear as a product in this form. Frankly, though the unit works well, the whole principle is not as useful as you might expect."

AMPLINEX in drive 1

Like David Bloxham (AMPLINEX 016) I too have had problems in running AMPLINEX from drive 1. My AMPLINEX issues arrive on two 40-track discs which I now transfer to a single 3.5" disc. I have problems in starting (in my first issue I didn't discover the musical intro as my system went straight into the menu) and issue 016 would not load A.MPLINEX but gave a 'Too big' error.

I have solved my problems by creating a duplicate AMPLE system disc with a modified !BOOT file especially for AMPLINEX. In this !BOOT file I have deleted the 'MAIN' command and appended

*DRIVE1
"A.MPLINEX"LOADRUN

So if I now put the system disc in drive 0 and AMPLINEX in drive 1 and press <SHIFT><BREAK> AMPLINEX will run. Furthermore, all of my difficulties have gone away!

To create your own customised AMPLE system disc is easy:

1) Load the system disc and enter '*TYPE !BOOT'.

2) Enter '*BUILD !BOOT' and load a new formatted disc.

3) Use cursor arrow keys to copy the displayed lines until 'MAIN' is reached. Don't copy 'MAIN'.

4) Now enter *DRIVE1 (or any other drive number).

5) Enter "A.MPLINEX"LOADRUN then hit <ESCAPE> to save the file.

6) Enter '*OPT 4,3' and then '*ACCESS *.* L'

7) Copy from your system disc all prefixed files (all except the $. files

8) Stick a write protect tab on the new disc and label 'AMPLINEX BOOT DISC'

Fred Isaac-Dixon

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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 017, May 1990