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Q: What do the colors mean?Red notes belong to input chords, black notes don't. When ' neighboring scales' are listed, the modulating notes are gray colored. The same is true when using ' extensions and variance modulate'. Chord names in the main list are blue if they are subsets of any input chords, and olive if they are extensions of any inputs, and black if neither. Input chords names will likewise change color for each output clicked if 'play on click' is unchecked. Q: Why two Players?The other player can be used as a scratch pad, or to bring in another program file. You can store and use play buttons between the two. Q: What are some good tricks?When playing list chords with the mouse, the 'shift' key can be a shortcut to using 'Keep Vc, <,>' control. The 'shift' key makes the auto-voicing go to the next lower pitch, or next higher pitch depending on the state of the control. Voices may be manually set on the selected graphic using the middle mouse button, and stored in the graphic, or stored as an input chord. You can open imported files while a button plays in order to change the instruments using 'Set all to Opened'. There are many ways to build and modify rhythm. One way is to play 2 buttons at once, and change timing for either - the buttons on the right are the accompaniment store and play. Another way is the keyboard's 'Vc (Tm) Only' feature along with 'Move Tm'. You can also get some great results using the Player's 'Time' controls. Results can be stored in real time. You can change the starting point for a button playing by using the up/down step control to pause the count, and then click the store button to create new contents with the paused count as the start. This up/down step control has a right-click menu, as does store buttons, list chords and scales, and the chord name selected on the player. You can use a [loop] selector for the [replace] button and [at loop] edits, though not necessary for [at loop] edits since it will use the current loop if no loop is selected. You can also pause to edit only the note paused. There are many things you can do on the keyboard for a button playing: You can replace a button's channels with keyboard voices using the keyboard's menu, after which you can use other replace options that are based on minimal change - used when no voices are marked, or when selecting chords using the Player. The keyboard's new [ReplaceT] feature is an easy way to add channels from other buttons, while replacing notes at the same time. It combines existing features [Paste] and [Replace] which uses the notes showing on the keyboard. Read about this in the keyboard's help documentation. As with other features, you have to use it to really understand how useful it can be. You might like how you can add arpeggios using the keyboard's [on clk][add/rmv] checkboxes. Clicking on a key will add the note which repeats at corresponding points for each section (or only one section if desired). Continue clicking in notes and you have a new arpeggio. Moving notes are as easy as adding them, and if you prefer a piano roll view to do this over the keyboard graphic, click the 'Grid' button. For more info on any of this, refer to the program's documentation. Q: Why does the timing sometimes change when loading Arps with new chords?When Arps are switching with timing controls, the overall timing may change when loading an Arp that is still waiting its turn to play. But if you load the chord at or near the time that the chord is to be played, it will not be affected. If the change is good, it may be kept. But to restore the timing you can either: reload the chord, use the 'prev' button, use the 'on/off' button, or make adjustment(s) in the 'sync' window. Q: Why do some common chords and scales not appear in generated lists?These are just inversions of the chords that do appear. Some of these are shown in the other library. Each library is complete with unique note groupings in order to keep lists from repeating the same chords - mode theory is used with the library formulas to generate chords. The different sounds of modes and inversions is easily done by the keyboard or the Player. No need to worry about a library's completeness, since you can go beyond it by generating all note combinations to filter - simply select 'Sort By Notes' on the main menu. Q: Does this generate chord progressions?This helps you choose chords and keys to connect, but it won't output progressions by itself. There are maybe programs that output progressions that you find in books, and there are programs, like this, that help you use the theory to be original. It makes no sense to me to use software that limits my chord choices. This was build to suit the composer in me, which I've been doing since childhood. Q: Why use MIDI text files?The main reason is that it works well. Secondly, using convertible midi text requires much less code and resources than using midi files directly. The midi text files this exports can be converted to standard MIDI using a free Assembler – for the download link, refer to the Recorder Help. The midi text files this imports may be stored and used like any program file, and can use instrument choices from other files. Q: Is VST in the future for this?Maybe, working on it. It will either have VST, or instrument wave samples as an option to midi. Updates will still be free. The price may change so get it now. Personally, I'd rather just use midi soundfonts when composing, and leave the audio requirements until later after exporting. Q: Why is Player 2 Disabled?The 180 day trial period will always have something disabled because it makes it more difficult to crack and place on piracy sites. Player 2 is the same as Player 1, so it is the best choice. You can still move a button's contents to another file by storing in 'SameCh' before opening the other file.
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Questions or problems regarding this web site should be directed to: sscott10@comcast.net Last changed: May 15, 2008 |
