
GUS Musician's Digest       Wed, 27 Oct 93  3:23 MDT     Volume 1: Issue   8  

Today's Topics:
                              aftertouch
                             Aftertouch ?
                              cake2 demo
                             cakewalk 2.0
                         Keyboard, aftertouch
                       Midi-questions/problems
                 Midisoft Recording Session questions
                       new version of cakewalk
                          Patches and Pianos
                              Piano.pat
                     Psbadpcm Thingy Observation

Standard Info:
	- Meta-info about the GUS can be found at the end of the Digest.
	- Before you ask a question, please READ THE FAQ.

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Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 22:17:16 EDT
From: dmcintyr@muselab.ac.runet.edu
Subject: aftertouch

Aftertouch is a controller much like volume, pan, sustain, pitch wheel or
any other controller as far as how the keyboard interprets that data.  At
least I think that's how it works.

Anyway, in practice what it means is if you hold down a key and then press
down firmly you will generate an aftertouch message for that key.  What
aftertouch does depends on the patch you're playing.  The only keyboard
I've ever used with aftertouch allows you to make a variety of other
controllers such as modulation respond to aftertouch info.  So you can
play a sustained note and then turn modulation on (or whatever it's set up
for) by pressing the key a little harder, then turn it off again by
releasing the pressure a bit.

Another nifty thing to look for is a keyboard capable of supporting
velocity switches.  These are very useful for some sounds.  For example,
take a slap bass patch that's velocity sensitive.  If you play the key
normally you'll get the basic bass sound, but if you move the key very
fast (not necessarily hitting it hard) you will trigger the playing of
another waveform which is the pop sound that's characteristic of that
style of playing bass.  (Take the old Night Court TV show theme for
example.  Bump *BRAP* bum bum bum bum bump...

These are also useful for brass sounds and any other type of instrument
that sounds quite different when played hard or soft.  (Piano is another
good example.  Have hard-attack samples if velocity is very fast, normal
playing samples if the key strike is at a normal speed.


Of course neither aftertouch nor key velocity switches are useful with the
GUS as it doesn't do anything with the information.  Key velocity is nice
though, but you'll of course have to compensate for the GUS's log volume
until they release the new drivers.
--Michael-- << dmcintyr@muselab.ac.runet.edu >>

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 12:15:02 +0100
From: "rjones.NL" <rjones@NL.oracle.com>
Subject: Re: Aftertouch ?

In response to Alexander Majarek's question...

> I'm wondering since I read the first article about keyboards (not the
> ones with a......z, 1.....9, etc.) what AFTERTOUCH is.
>
> If I'm right Midi-controler send a NOTE ON, when a key is pressed and
> a NOTE OFF when it is released, so for what do I use aftertouch?

The most basic MIDI keyboards may be considered to be a collection of 
switches, adequate for nothing more than signalling NOTE ON/NOTE OFF (and
the note value of course).

More sophisticated keyboards start offering facilities such as Velocity, 
Aftertouch and Release Velocity.

Velocity is the speed that the note is hit.

Aftertouch is achieved by applying pressure, when already holding notes 
down.

Release velocity is (you guessed it) the speed that the note is released.

These are all parameters that may be used to modify the loudness of a
sound, or the filtering, or modulation, etc. etc. depending on the voice
architecture of the synth in question. 

So for instance you might configure the synth to introduce vibrato with
Aftertouch pressure, increase loudness with Velocity, and vary the decay 
time with Release Velocity.

Some manufacturers offer 'polyphony' on the above. This means instead of
applying the highest, say velocity, to all notes struck; it recognises
the velocities of individual notes. So you end up getting fairly close
to the responsiveness of an accoustic piano.

Rod Jones  

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 17:27:51 +0930 (CST)
From: Gavin <SCARMAN@hfrd.dsto.gov.au>
Subject: Re: cake2 demo

	I was going to include a list of sites for Cakewalk demo (cwdemo.zip)
	I repeat my question of the other day - Is there a demo of version 2? 		
	Does version 2 do patch cacheing?

Yes and Yes. And yes I would like to upload it to epas but I can't. I got it 
from, er, damn I still don't remember but pretty sure it was 
wuarchive.wustl.edu, in the uploads dir?. Very sorry, my brain is like mush at 
the moment. If not try ftp.uwp.edu, (shit I'm helpful aren't I?)

If you still can't find it I'll post it to you in uuencoded parts if'n you'll 
upload it to epas.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 22:25:21 EDT
From: dmcintyr@muselab.ac.runet.edu
Subject: cakewalk 2.0

So just how much of an improvement is 2.0 over 1.3?  UPS LOST my @#$@#$@#
package!  Twelvetone says they shipped it over a month ago 2nd Day Air and
it STILL hasn't gotten here.  I'm getting really pissed off!  UPS says
their records show it was delivered.  Only thing I can possibly think of
is no one was here, they left it by the front door and some passerby
decided to lift it.  Don't you have to sign for 2nd day air stuff or
somethign?  I'm really pissed!
--Michael-- << dmcintyr@muselab.ac.runet.edu >>

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1993 11:50:34 +0100 (MET)
From: tgakem@chem.tue.nl
Subject: Keyboard, aftertouch

> I'm wondering since I read the first article about keyboards (not the
> ones with a......z, 1.....9, etc.) what AFTERTOUCH is.
> 
> If I'm right Midi-controler send a NOTE ON, when a key is pressed and
> a NOTE OFF when it is released, so for what do I use aftertouch?

At least some keyboards work in the following way: if a key is not pressed,
there is one electrical contact. Then, when the key is pressed, this contact
is broken, and, a little later, another contact is made. The keyboard uses
the interval between the breaking of the first contact and the making of the
second to determine the key velocity. If the key is released, the interval
between breaking of the second and the remaking of the first contact can be
used to determine the speed with which the key was released. Some keyboards
code this information as an aftertouch midi message. You might use it to
generate the typical 'TOCK' (I really don't know how to spell this in english)
you get if you release the keys of a harpsicord.
  All this stands apart from 'pressure sensitvity', which some keyboards have.
Pressure sensitivity means that the keyboard sends midi messages about the
force you're exerting on the key. This might be used to introduce vibrato
halfway a tone.

Eric

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 14:22:15 MET
From: (FunkyTrip) zonnevel@dutiws.TWI.TUDelft.NL
Subject: Midi-questions/problems



------------------------------

Date: Mon, 25 Oct 93 15:35:56 EST
From: "Bryan Cass" <bc%idx.com@sadye.EMBA.UVM.EDU>
Subject: Midisoft Recording Session questions

Now that I have started using Session to arrange some tunes, I have a few
questions/grievances.  Go easy on me, this is the first time I've arranged
music that wasn't with quill and parchment ;-)

1)  How do you make "Legato" the default note length for step-time or
    mouse-input notes?  I can set the note length in the "Step-time entry
    parameters" box (which takes up 1/4 of the screen, BTW), but it reverts
    back to normal when you minimize the box.  On the same note, how do you
    change an existing note's length without erasing and re-entering the note?
    (If the answer is the MIDI View window, please explain what the heck all
    those number columns mean...)

2)  When I save the .MID file and open it later, the clef and key signature
    setting are gone for all tracks - with accidentals all over the place.
    So if I forget to change the key signature back and add new notes, I have
    to add #s and bs to the new material before changing the key signature back
    to what it was.  Very annoying.

3)  If I record on a track, stop and then record again, the software records on
    the next track number.  You must have to punch the "Rec" button on the track
    you want to record on every time.  This is annoying too when you are
    working on one track over and over.

4)  When I add dotted notes (e.g a dotted quarter note) to an empty measure,
    the software will always put the next beat's note (e.g. a half note) in the
    measure.  It should put a dotted quarter with an eighth rest in there
    instead of a half note that's only held for 1 1/2 beats.

Is this software just crippled ("stipped-down junk" as Francis Li said in the
previous Digest) so that you are induced to buy their Studio software, or are
these real "bugs" that should be fixed by a patch or new version?  If program
updates are available, where are they??

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 12:03:05 GMT
From: james@maths.exeter.ac.uk
Subject: new version of cakewalk

I found it in computing/systems/ibmpc/windows3/uploads on src.doc.ic.ac.uk
as wincake1.zip and wincake2.zip 
This is a mirror of ftp.cica.indiana.edu so the same stuff is also available
at:
*  NORTH AMERICA
**  wuarchive.wustl.edu [128.252.135.4] in mirrors2/win3
**  grind.isca.uiowa.edu [128.255.19.233] in msdos/win3
**  gatekeeper.dec.com [16.1.0.2] in /.2/micro/msdos/win3
**
**  OVERSEAS
**  vmsa.technion.ac.il [132.68.7.2] (Israel Institute of Technology)
**  nic.switch.ch [130.59.1.40] (Switzerland)
**  monu6.cc.monash.edu.au [130.194.1.106] (Monash Univ, Melbourne Australia)
**  nctuccca.edu.tw [140.111.3.21] (Chiao Tung Univ, Hsinchu, Taiwan)


--
James Andrews, Computer Development Officer, Exeter University Maths Dept

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 06:04:43 PDT
From: deraud@power.amasd.anatcp.rockwell.com (Robert Lee DeRaud)
Subject: Patches and Pianos

>From: chrisw <chrisw@leland.Stanford.EDU>
>Subject: Piano.Pat and Answers

>Now, for some answers:

>>Francois writes:
>>The waveform itself cannot be copyrighted but a patch is software and 
>>so can be copyrighted. 

>Which is astounding really since there is much more work in a sample than in
>the extra bits to make a patch.

Hmmm...admittedly, it's been awhile since I got to work with a high-end 
sampler (one of the early Akai's), so maybe the software/controls have 
improved a lot. But once input levels etc were established, getting the 
raw sample was easy (much easier than with the GUS, IMHO).
The HARD part was getting the loop points right, so there IS a 
substantial amount of work/value-added in the commercial patches...not 
that it will keep me from using them on the GUS (for personal use only 
of course).

>>what sort of piano is it representing anyway?

>Not sure I follow: one with strings and shit like that?

Don't worry about it: he's one of those people that thinks he can tell 
the difference between a Steinway and a Bosendorfer sample played 
through a GUS into his 4" desktop speakers :-)

***********************************************************************
Lee DeRaud                             Will program Windows for food.
Rockwell Int. AESD                   (Hey, I'm easy but I'm not cheap!)
   DoD #985 - Fast and ugly beats slow and cute any day of the week.
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
      My own opinions only, not those of Rockwell International.
   (Yeah, right: like anyone around here cares what *I* say...NOT!)
***********************************************************************

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 01:18:07 +1100
From: adriano ennio raiola <adrianr@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU>
Subject: Re: Piano.pat

chrisw writes:

>Well Adrian, since you're the only person I know who was happy with the
>original acpiano.pat I guess I'm unlikely to be able to convince you 
>otherwise. But if it's the decay that worried you so much, check out the
>new version. Also, how many files do you have that use the GUS 1M to
>within 120k of the limit (particularly ones that use the piano at all)? 
>Playing all the others there's no `cost' of the larger patch.

Fair enough. 

>>>what sort of piano is it representing anyway?
>
>Not sure I follow: one with strings and shit like that?

Well, the GM set has at least 5 different pianos, Grand, brite, honky tonk,
etc etc.. i'm wondering what style of piano yours is, and the reason i
ask (and the reason i criticised it) is because compared to acpiano, it
didnt quite sound as 'real', still very good (and dont get me wrong, i
applaud you for creating the patch) but not quite a substitute for the
acpiano, IMHO.

Anyway, ill check out the new one you uploaded.. 

Adrian
 

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 18:44 EDT
From: kildayb@erau.db.erau.edu (Kildayb)
Subject: Psbadpcm Thingy Observation

  I was just checking out that neat ADPCM program that decompresses that short Pet Shop Boys sample.  According to Patrick, unusual (and funny) results occur when you play the sample back @ 30kHz (with the -f30000 option).  Well I figured what the hell, lets see, if it can do 30khz lets try 96kHz.  So I entered the switch -f96000 just to see how quick my system would crash, and low and behold it worked!  It actually played the sample at that speed!

  This may not be surprising to some, but I was flat out amazed.  So I ponder this question, if you can playback @ 96000Hz why can't you record @ 96000Hz?  

  Btw, I have a 486DLC-40 (don't laugh) and playing back in stereo @ 44k consumed roughly 40 something percent of CPU power, @ 96k  in stereo it was bouncing of 97%. 

------------------------------

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