.pl M T E - The Shareware MT-32 Editor/Librarian By Jeffrey A. Summers Version 1.00 Copyright (c) 1991 by Jeffrey A. Summers All Rights Reserved 1 Table of Contents 1.0 Registration form.............................4 2.0 Introduction..................................5 3.0 Overview of the MT-32 Hierarchy...............5 4.0 Getting Started...............................6 5.0 Main Menu.....................................7 6.0 Master parameter edit.........................8 6.1 Master tune..............................8 6.2 Reverb mode..............................8 6.3 Reverb time..............................8 6.4 Reverb level.............................8 6.5 Master volume............................9 7.0 Edit a Part...................................9 7.1 Midi channel.............................9 7.2 Partial reserve.........................10 7.3 Part timbre edit........................10 8.0 Edit a memory Timbre.........................10 8.1 Tone name...............................10 8.2 Structure of Partial pairs..............11 8.3 Partial Mute............................11 8.4 Envelope Mode...........................11 8.5 Partial Edit............................12 8.5.1 Coarse Pitch.....................12 8.5.2 Fine Pitch.......................12 8.5.3 Pitch Keyfollow..................12 8.5.4 Bender Switch....................12 8.5.5 Waveform.........................12 8.5.6 PCM #............................13 8.5.7 Pulse Width......................13 8.5.8 Pulse Width Velocity Sensitivity.13 8.5.9 Pitch Envelope Depth.............13 8.5.10 Pitch Envelope velocity sens....13 8.5.11 Pitch envelope levels and times.13 8.5.12 Pitch LFO.......................14 8.5.13 TVF Cutoff Frequency............14 8.5.14 Filter Resonance................14 8.5.15 Filter Keyfollow................14 8.5.16 Filter bias.....................14 8.5.17 Filter envelope depth...........14 8.5.18 Filter envelope times and levels14 8.5.19 TVA level.......................15 8.5.20 TVA velocity sensitivity........15 8.5.21 TVA Bias points and levels......15 8.5.22 TVA Envelope time keyfollow.....15 8.5.23 TVA envelope time veloc sens....15 8.5.24 TVA Envelope....................15 9.0 Editing the Rhythm Section...................15 10.0 Editing and listing the Patch table.........16 10.1 Printing the patch table...............16 10.2 Editing the Program change/patch list..17 10.2.1 Changing the timbre group.......17 10.2.2 Changing the timbre number......17 10.2.3 Key Shift.......................17 10.2.4 Fine Tune.......................17 2 10.2.5 Bender range....................17 10.2.6 Assign mode.....................18 10.2.7 Reverb switch...................18 10.3 Editing Part Patch parameters..........18 10.3.1 Output level....................18 10.3.2 Panpot..........................18 11.0 The Command Line............................18 11.1 The File Menu..........................18 11.2 The Copy Menu..........................19 11.3 The Note Menu..........................19 11.3.1 Select a note to play...........19 11.3.2 Selecting a chord...............20 11.3.3 Selecting the channel for notes.20 11.3.4 Setting the Note/Chord Duration.20 11.3.5 Note/Chord Velocity.............20 11.3.6 Playing the note................20 11.3.7 Playing the chord...............20 11.3.8 Exiting the menus...............21 12.0 Acknowledgements............................21 Appendix A - PCM samples.........................22 Appendix B - Midi note numbers...................23 3 1.0 Registration Form Enclosed is $35 to register my copy of MTE. I agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the documentation. Please send me the current version and the utilities at the following address: Name:__________________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________ City/State/Zip:________________________________________ Disk Format:__________3.5" __________5.25" SAVE 5$ on your Registration! You may register the program for just $30 if you include comments and suggestions in the space below. Help the program to do what YOU want and save money doing it! Send this registration to: Jeff Summers 143 Wyndale Rd. Rochester, N.Y. 14617-3635 4 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian 2.0 Introduction The Roland MT-32 sound module has become a very popular instrument due to its high quality of sound and low cost. Howev er, as part of the give-and-take in design, you cannot utilize the full capabilities of this marvelous machine without a comput er and editor software. MTE fills this void by offering access to all the features in the MT-32 in a fast and easy to use pack age. This program and documentation are distributed as shareware. This means that the program and documentation are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. I do allow you to try out the program for 30 days to see if it meets your needs. If it does and you intend to continue using the program, please fill out the regis tration form and send it with a check for $35. In return you will receive the most recent update of the program as well as a couple of utilities that may make your life easier. I'll also notify you of any new updates as they come along. There will be a cheap (if not free, depending on the extent of an update) upgrade path. You also get peace of mind (knowing that you have supported the shareware concept), a clean conscience (use of the program beyond the 30 day trial period without registering is stealing), and best of all you get support. Support will be in the form you initiate - if you write, I will write back with a reply. If you call and I can't correct the problem during your call I will look further into the problem and call you back. No warranty is offered, however, and I can make no guarantee that this program will fit your needs. What I suggest you do is try out the program, decide for yourself if it does the job you need, and then either erase the program and documentation from your system or send in your registration. I mentioned above that for registering you will receive the most recent update of the program. This is version 1.00, and I already have a couple of ideas for improvements. If you have suggestions, send them along. If registrations are numerous, you can expect a dynamic program. If everyone sits back and waits for updates without registering, I will need to put my energies elsewhere. It's that simple. Also, this program and documentation are not meant to be a course in programming the MT-32 or synthesizers in general. Although I would hope that some of the explanations of functions here may make it easier for you to figure out how the MT-32 works, I would recommend the book MT-32 Multi-Timbral Sound Module by Bob O'Donnell, published by Roland Corp. and available through them, for more information on the MT-32's higher func tions. 3.0 Overview of the MT-32 hierarchy The above notwithstanding, in order to fully understand what you are doing with this program you need an understanding of the 5 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian arrangement of data within the MT-32. Roland's own terminology is used as much as possible. First, the basic unit of sound generation is the "partial". The MT-32 has 32 partials capable of making sound. A partial may be of two types. Synth partials act just like the old analog synthesizers. You have a pitch en velope, waveform selection (saw or square wave), a resonant filter controlled by a filter envelope, and an amplitude (volume) envelope. PCM partials play back recorded samples. Such PCM samples include percussion, bow sounds, and various attacks and looped waveforms. These partials do not have filtering but still may have pitch and amplitude envelopes. Partials of either type have an associated LFO for vibrato effects. Up to four partials may be grouped together along with some control parameters to make a "timbre". Partials are "wired" together in pairs, and then two pairs may be added together to make the timbre sound. A timbre may only need one partial, but it will have 4 partials worth of data associated with it. Wheth er a partial is active or not is determined by the "partial mute" whereby any of the four partials may be turned on or off. There are 13 ways that two partials can be hooked together. These are called "structures". Which structure is chosen determines wheth er a partial is a synth or PCM partial, and how the partials are joined. Part of the reason there are 13 different structures is that a ring modulator can be used in many of the structures. This adds a whole new dimension to many of the sounds. There are 128 timbres in the read-only (ROM) memory in the MT-32. There is also enough random access memory (RAM) for 64 user defined timbres. The "patch table" determines which timbre of the 192 available is called up when a program change command is received over MIDI. Thus, the entry in the patch table (which includes a few other pieces of information such as pitch bend range, etc.) along with the timbre data is called a "patch". There are eight "parts" in the MT-32 plus a rhythm part. The parts are where the actual music is made. A part may be loaded with the data from any of the patches within the machine. It is important to remember that the patch table is consulted when a program change is received over MIDI but not when a patch is chosen via the front panel controls. Thus, it is possible to create a setup where all 192 timbres would be accessible one way or the other. "System parameters" affect the entire system. These are things like master tuning, master volume, and reverb settings. 4.0 Getting Started The first thing you need to do is to set up your system to run the program. You will need an MPU compatable interface in your PC. The MIDI OUT of the computer interface needs to connect to the MIDI IN of the MT-32. The MIDI IN of the computer needs to connect to the MIDI OUT of the MT-32. If you have other keyboards that you also use, you will need to combine the MIDI IN, OUT and THRUs of the other units and the MT-32 in such a way that the MT-32 will receive data from the computer and the com puter receives data from the MT-32 OUT (not THRU). Then, run the program. At this point there are 3 checkpoints that you can use 6 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian to make sure that the program is compatable with your hardware and your hardware is wired correctly to the MT-32. If you get an error before the title screen then the program is not compatable with your system. Usually this means that you don't have enough free memory. Try unloading other programs that may be interfer ing - TSR programs that you aren't using, etc. The other possi bility at this point is that your copy of the program is corrupt ed. Since shareware programs are distributed over the telephone lines via BBS systems and the like, it is possible that your copy got corrupted. Check another copy of the program to see what happens or contact me with your system configuration and let me see what I can come up with. Assuming you have crossed the first hurdle, you should see the title screen. You are prompted to press any key to continue. Do so. The next part of the system the program checks is the MPU interface. If the program has any difficulties getting the MPU to respond, go to UART mode or disable THRU (if you don't under stand these terms don't worry, you don't really need to) you will get the appropriate message. If the MPU doesn't respond, the program will abort as no communication is possible. Resetting your computer will usually coax your MPU back to life. This involves either pressing the RESET button if your computer is so equipped, turning the computer off and back on again (follow the manufacturers guidelines about the time to wait between turning the system off and back on), or pressing the CTRL-ALT-DEL combi nation. However, for most of you, everything should have gone smoothly and you find yourself presented with the main menu. 5.0 Main Menu The first thing you should note about the main menu screen is the command bar across the top of the screen. The command menus File, Copy, and Note may be chosen by pressing the ALT key along with the highlighted letter. These command menus will be covered in more detail later. The ESC (escape) key is used to move back one menu in the program. At the main menu screen this would be used to exit the program. Selecting options from the menus involves pressing the letter next to the option you wish to select or parameter you wish to change. At the main menu you may select from several different groups of parameters in the MT-32. The Master group allows you to change parameters that have global effects. This includes the master tuning, reverb settings, and master volume. The Part group allows you to change parameters associated with the 8 parts. The Memory group allows you to change the parame ters associated with the sounds in the "memory" bank of sounds. The patch list/patch edit group allows you to list and edit the patch table. This table determines which of the sounds is called up when a program change occurs. The rhythm group allows you to edit the rhythm section, changing which sound corresponds to which midi number (or key) as well as such sound characteristics 7 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian as reverb and panpot for each key. It is important to note that whenever a value is displayed for any parameter, it is the most recent received from the MT-32. If you change a parameter, the new value is first uploaded to the MT-32, then the bank of values is re-read from the MT-32. This assures that what you see on the screen is what is current, and is especially important after the Load and Copy commands. Also, if you enter a value that is out of range, you may see that the value you entered is not what is displayed on the screen. That is because the program allows the MT-32 to do some of the error checking and displays what is actually in the MT-32, not what you think you sent. 6.0 Master Parameter edit Upon choosing the Master section from the main menu you are presented a list of the master parameters and their current values. These are as follows: 6.1 Master Tune The master tune is based on the frequency of the A above middle C. The default value is 442.0 Hz. A very common setting is 440.0 Hz. The range here is 432.2 to 457.6 Hz in steps of .2 Hz. To change this parameter, press the letter A at the menu. You will be asked for the new value. Type it in and press ENTER. Your new value will be reflected on the screen. 6.2 Reverb Mode There are four reverb modes available on the MT-32. These are Room, Hall, Plate, and Tap Delay. The values which corre spond to these reverb modes are 0-3 respectively. To change the reverb mode, press the letter B at the menu. You will be asked for the new mode number. Enter the number and press ENTER. The new value will be displayed. 6.3 Reverb Time The reverb time refers to the decay time of the reverb. Legal values range from 1-8 and do not seem to correspond to any particular units (these are not seconds of decay time). Larger numbers will give longer decay times. To change the reverb time, press the letter C at the menu. You will be asked for the new reverb time. Enter a number between 1 and 8 and press ENTER. The new value will be sent to the MT-32 and displayed. 6.4 Reverb level The reverb level refers to how loud the reverb signal is relative to the main stereo signal. Values here range from 0-7 with larger numbers reflecting more reverb. To change the reverb level, press D at the menu. You will be asked for the new reverb level. Enter a number between 0 and 7 and press ENTER. The new 8 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian value will be uploaded to the MT-32 and displayed. 6.5 Master volume The master volume for the unit may also be controlled. The range of values is from 0 (off) to 100 (loud). To change the master volume level, press E at the menu. You will be asked for the new master volume. Enter the new value and press ENTER. The new value will be uploaded to the MT-32 and displayed on your computer. Of note, you will not see any changes appear on the MT-32 display. If you had the volume set at 40 and changed it to 80 through this program, the volume on the display will still read 40. The volume that you hear will be at the 80 level, however. This is due to the fact that the MT-32 does not update its display unless a front panel change occurs. So, to see your new volume you could press the part 1 button to change the dis play then press the MASTER VOLUME button to bring you back to the usual display. Now the value in the window will be correct. 7.0 Edit a Part The part edit section allows you to change the parameters associated with one of the 8 main "parts" of the MT-32. To get a feel for the different parameters that are considered Part param eters, Patch parameters, or Timbre parameters you may navigate through the menus in this program or flip through the MT-32 manual recommended above. You will probably do most of your timbre editing using one of the parts. This is because you can play a note and hear the results. If you edit a memory timbre directly you will need to load a part with the data before you can hear the sound. Howev er, it is important to remember that you can easily erase the memory of a part by sending a program change or by selecting a new timbre from the MT-32 front panel. Thus it is advised that you periodically save the sound you are working on either to disk or to MT-32 memory. Disk is better, since the MT-32 memory is lost every time you turn off the MT-32. The great monster string patch you have been working on for two hours could be lost by your wife or your little brother accidentally turning off the power strip. A word to the wise - save your patches to disk often. When you first choose this option from the main menu you are asked which part you wish to edit. Type a number from 1-8 or the letter R if you are editing the rhythm part parameters. You are presented with a short list of options that are at the part level, namely the midi channel, partial reserve, and the option of editing the timbre data. If you chose the Rhythm part you cannot edit the timbre data here. Use the Rhythm edit from the main menu instead. Pressing any key other than A, B, or C will return you to the main menu. Please note that there are "patch" parameters associated with each part. These are edited using the patch edit section outlined later. 7.1 Midi channel 9 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian Under normal conditions, parts 1-8 receive and send on channels 2-9, and the rhythm part uses channel 10. However, you may assign each part to any of the 16 midi channels. You may also assign more than one part to the same midi channel, thus layering the sound and allowing you more than 4 partials to the note. 7.2 Partial reserve The partial reserve allows you to reserve a certain number of partials so that if you produce a particularly dense piece of music that requires more than the 32 partials available you can be assured that this part will have enough. Generally, the MT-32 will steal partials from parts that are not being used in order to sound new notes. This prevents partials from being stolen from this part. Remember that the parts are polyphonic - a single part where the timbre uses 4 partials playing a 4 note chord uses 16 partials. Unless you are running into difficulties with stolen partials affecting your sound, this is probably something not to mess with. Also, I have never been able to get a value to "stick" in this area. As soon as I change things, the MT-32 changes them back. 7.3 Part timbre edit This option allows you to edit the timbre data in the part. A full description of the timbre editing process is described in the next section on editing the memory timbres. All of the values that you may change in memory timbres are also available at the part level. 8.0 Edit a Memory Timbre Upon selecting this option from the main menu, you are asked which of the 64 memory timbres you wish to edit. When the MT-32 is turned on, these locations are filled with copies of the 8 timbres originally loaded into the 8 parts. Thankfully, this program allows you to load and save entire setups and memory timbres using the File command (covered later), so you don't have to reprogram each memory timbre each time you turn on the MT-32. After choosing the timbre, a list of the "common" parameters appears. First is the Tone name, which may be up to 10 charac ters long. This is followed by the structures of partials 1&2, structures of partials 3&4, partial mute, and envelope mode. You may also get a list giving a shorthand notation of the "wiring diagrams" of the structures, and you may also choose to edit any of the partials themselves. 8.1 Tone name The tone name is displayed. Any letter, number, or space are legal characters in a tone name. By pressing the letter A you are asked for the new tone name. Type this in and press ENTER. The new tone name is sent to the MT-32. Characters other 10 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian than the above may be included in the name with varying results. The MT-32 uses the standard ASCII character set for the letters and numbers but there are some strange characters it can generate that don't quite follow the ASCII standard. You can experiment with this if you like. 8.2 Structure of partial pairs The structure of the partial pairs is chosen from a list of 13 possibilities, as outlined in the Overview of the MT-32 Hierarchy above. The number of the structure recorded here not only determines how the partials are wired together but also whether the partials are synth or PCM types. The structures may be found in the reference above, and a shorthand list of these can be obtained by pressing the letter L at the timbre edit menu. In this list, the partials are represented by symbols (S for synth partial, P for PCM partial) and the wiring represented by other characters. The small r means the ring modulator. The + simply means the partials are added together. A comma is used in two of the structures because these two structures send the first partial to the left channel, the second to the right. The par tials are actually not combined at all in those two structures. Parentheses are used to group procedures. For example, (S1rS2)+S1 would mean that the two partials are synth partials, that they are combined through the ring modulator, and then this resulting sound is summed with the first synth partial to make the total sound. Considering that this type of complexity is available for each partial pair gives you an appreciation for the design of the MT-32. Choosing options B or C will cause the computer to ask you for the new structure number for partials 1+2 or 3+4, respective ly. Type in the number followed by ENTER. The change will be reflected on the screen if successful. 8.3 Partial mute Whether a partial is turned on (will make sound) or not is determined by this value. Turning a partial off makes it avail able for other sounds that may be concurrently playing. The value here is a "bit map". Don't let this scare you, however, as it simply means that you have a little addition to figure out the value and what it means. The first partial has a value of 1. The second partial has a value of 2. The third has a value of 4, and the fourth has a value of 8. If you want the partial on, add the value of the partial. So, to have a sound where partials 1, 2, and 3 are on, you would add 1, 2, and 4 to come up with a sum of 7. This would be the value you should put into the partial mute. The maximum would be 15 (all 4 partials on = 1+2+4+8 = 15), and the minimum would be 0 (all 4 partials off, pretty worthless). Similarly, you need not necessarily use the partials in order. If you just want partials 1 and 4 turned on, this would be 1+8=9. 8.4 Envelope mode 11 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian The envelope mode refers to whether the timbre will have a sustain or not. Some sounds require sustain - you want a string sound to continue as long as you are pressing the keys. However, percussive sounds would not sustain. It makes no sense to sus tain a mallet sound or tom. The envelope mode is used to choose the appropriate mode for the sound at hand. 8.5 Partial edit Each of the four partials is edited basically the same. There are three screens full of data that make up the entire partial. The first screen contains most of the pitch data, such as coarse and fine pitch as well as the pitch envelope. The second screen starts with the pitch LFO parameters and includes just about all the filter data. The final screen completes the filter data and also the amplitude or volume data. You may move from screen to screen by entering 0 at the prompt. As always, pressing ESC will move you back one menu level to the common parameter screen. Following is a list of the parameters as well as a short explanation of each. 8.5.1 Coarse pitch This parameter changes the pitch of the partial in half step increments. The normal value is 36. So, if you want to pitch your partial one octave lower than normal you would change this to a 24. Changing the coarse pitch is also useful in creating varieties of overtones when using the ring modulator. 8.5.2 Fine pitch The fine pitch allows you to adjust the pitch of the partial in cents. The values range from -50 (fifty cents or hundredths of a half step lower than normal) to +50 (fifty cents higher than normal). Duplicating a partial then changing the pitch by a few cents will tend to thicken the sound. 8.5.3 Pitch keyfollow Values here refer to the amount the pitch changes with movement away from middle C. With this parameter it is possible to set your keyboard to quarter tones, expanding the octave to 24 keys or reverse the keyboard, putting the higher pitched keys at the lower end and in reverse order. The values range from 0-16 and reflect changes of -1, -.5, -.25, 0 (partial pitched same wherever played on keyboard), .125, .25, .375, .5, .625, .75, .875, 1 (normal), 1.25, 1.5, 2, and two special modes that are roughly 1.01 and 1.02. The most common values used are 1, 0, and the 1.01/1.02 modes (values 11, 3, 15 and 16, respectively). 8.5.4 Bender switch The pitch bend for each individual partial may be turned on or off. Very interesting effects using the ring modulator may 12 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian result from setting the pitch bend off in partial 1, on in par tial 2, and choosing a structure that will take advantage of the arrangement. Then, changing the pitch wheel will change the overtones of the sound. 8.5.5 Waveform In synth partials the waveform may be either sawtooth or square. Choose the appropriate value (0 for square wave, 1 for sawtooth). 8.5.6 PCM # This parameter controls the PCM number in PCM waveforms. A list of the PCM waveforms may be found in the text reference above or in appendix A at the end of this document. 8.5.7 Pulse width In square waveforms, the width of the pulse may vary. Short widths make the sound thinner. 8.5.8 Pulse width Velocity Sensitivity The width of the pulse may be varied by the velocity as well. Negative numbers reduce the width with increasing velocity while positive numbers increase the width. The width may change the octave of the partial, and thus very interesting effects can be created. 8.5.9 Pitch envelope depth The amount of pitch variation that will be effected by the pitch envelope can be controlled with this parameter. Thus, if you find the pitch to vary too much you need not reprogram the entire envelope. You may simply change this parameter to reduce the effect of the envelope. 8.5.10 Pitch Envelope velocity sensitivity The pitch envelope may be modified by velocity as well. Thus, you may have a timbre where small pitch variations occur when playing softly while large swings occur when playing more aggressively. 8.5.11 Pitch envelope levels and times These values control the actual pitch envelope. Time 1 controls the amount of time the partial takes to go from the base pitch to level 1. Time 2 would be the time to get from there to level 2. Time 3 is then the time to the sustain level, and time 4 the time to the ending level that is achieved after the key is let go. Values for both the times and levels range from 0 to 100, as with all envelopes in the MT-32. 13 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian 8.5.12 Pitch LFO The pitch may undergo a continuous variation using a low frequency oscillator or LFO. The set rate is not variable in real time, but the depth of the LFO may be varied. The depth set is the depth with the mod wheel in the 0 or off position. Mod sensitivity allows you to use the mod wheel to add more depth to the LFO. 8.5.13 TVF Cutoff frequency The TVF is the "Time Variant Filter", or filter for short. The cutoff frequency is used with synth partials to reduce the high frequency content of the sound. The cutoff frequency is the base frequency above which sound will be cut off (hence the name). The actual filter cutoff will vary, however, as the filter envelope works above the base frequency. Frequency here is not in any particular unit, and you will need to experiment with this value to get a feel for how it affects the sound. 8.5.14 Filter resonance The filter is not a simple cutoff filter but has a feature that dates back to the better old analog synthesizers. This is resonance. Resonance adds emphasis to the part of the sound near the cutoff frequency. 8.5.15 Filter keyfollow The filter keyfollow is of more use than the pitch keyfollow above. Here you may change how the cutoff frequency varies with the key pressed. In general, you will want a setting that de creases the filter as the keys get higher as most natural sounds tend to follow this pattern. The range is 0-14 and corresponds to the first 15 values in the pitch keyfollow. 8.5.16 Filter bias point, direction, and level The bias point further changes the filter frequency depend ing on key. This allows you to set a key and direction (with one value) and then the amount the bias will change the filter. This is useful for establishing distinct effects on key ranges. 8.5.17 Filter envelope depth The filter envelope depth controls how much effect the filter envelope will have on the filter frequency. This works just like the pitch envelope depth. 8.5.18 Filter envelope times and levels. The times and levels for the filter envelope work basically like the pitch envelope. However, there are 5 times and 4 lev els, the last level being the sustain level. The final time is the time to return to base frequency after the key is released. 14 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian Note that the envelope sustain level is on the 3rd screen due to space limitations. 8.5.19 TVA level TVA stands for Time Variant Amplifier. It refers to the volume level control for the partial. The TVA level parameter is the base volume level, much like the TVF cutoff frequency gave a base frequency from which other modifications were made. The actual volume is figured by taking the base TVA level, adding volume by velocity sensitivity, reducing it by bias, and adding volume due to the TVA envelope. 8.5.20 TVA velocity sensitivity The TVA velocity sensitivity is the means for increasing or decreasing volume with changes in keypress velocity. Numbers less than 50 decrease the volume with increasing velocity, and the lower the number the greater the reduction in volume. That's sort of the opposite to what you normally expect - increasing velocity would be expected to increase volume. Numbers greater than 50 follow the expected pattern, with higher numbers increas ing the velocity effect on volume. 8.5.21 TVA Bias points and levels The bias points and levels allow you to taper the volume level of a partial above or below two points. The amount or slope of the taper is set by the level. The associated bias point determines the direction of the taper as well as the start ing key. 8.5.22 TVA envelope time keyfollow This value allows you to vary the envelope time depending on the key pressed. This is used to shorten the amplitude envelope with higher notes. Again, this is something you can use to add realism to your sounds. 8.5.23 TVA envelope time velocity sensitivity Velocity can also be used to vary the envelope times. Higher numbers mean that at higher velocities the envelope will be shorter. 8.5.24 TVA envelope This works much the same as the pitch and filter envelopes. There are 5 times and 4 levels, as the volume starts and ends at 0. Time 1 is the time to level 1. Time 2 is the time to level 2. Time 3 is the time to level 3, and time 4 is the time to the sustain level. Time 5 is the release time. Values for both the times and levels range from 0 to 100. 9.0 Editing the Rhythm Section 15 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian The rhythm part is also able to be edited using MTE. The rhythm part is organized by key. Each key has several adjustable parameters. Thus, the first question you are asked is which key you wish to edit. Middle C (C4) has the value 60. If you have a 61 key keyboard, the lowest key will have a value of 36. The legal range of keys is 24 to 87. You are next presented with a list of available parameters. The first is the timbre associated with the key. The first 64 values (0-63) correspond to the memory timbres. Thus, you can actually program an extra music part by setting all of the keys to a particular timbre, or even give yourself a keyboard split by setting part of the keys to one timbre, the rest to another. Also, this means you can make your own percussive sounds using a combination of synth and PCM partials. The next group (64-93) correspond to the standard rhythm tones, which are the same as the first 30 PCM samples (see the list at the end of this docu ment). Finally, a value of 94 turns the key off. The second parameter is the output level. This ranges from 0-100 and allows you to balance the loudness of the different keys. The third parameter is the panpot. Lower numbers are more on the right side, higher numbers on the left. The range is 0- 14. The final parameter is the reverb switch. This allows you to have a "dry" and "wet" version of the same sound within your drum kit. With any of these parameters, simply choose the parameter to change by selecting the letter beside the option. You will then be prompted for the new value. Answer appropriately and the change will be made. 10.0 Editing and listing the patch table and patch parameters The patch table is simply a list that tells the MT-32 which timbre to load when it receives a program change message via MIDI. Each entry in the patch table contains a few additional parameters, however, allowing you to customize your system some what. Thus, you are able to have two different program numbers pointing to the same timbre data, but with (for example) differ ent bender ranges and fine tunes. Since the parameters from the patch table are loaded into a part when the appropriate program change command is received by the MT-32, this section is also where you can edit these same parameters in a part. 10.1 Printing the patch table Upon choosing to list/edit the patch table from the main 16 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian menu, you are offered another menu. The first option is to print a list of the patch parameters. Make sure your printer is turned on and ready before choosing this option. Then, the patch num ber, timbre group (0 = ROM A, 1 = ROM B, 2 = "Memory (the RAM patches you can create), 3 = Rhythm), timbre number, keyshift, fine tuning, pitch bend range, assign mode, and reverb switch. For explanations of these parameters see below. 10.2 Editing the program change/patch list Upon choosing this option from the submenu you are first asked which patch you wish to edit. Enter a number from 1-128. You are then offered a list of parameters you may change. 10.2.1 Changing the timbre group The timbre group may be changed by pressing A at the menu. The range of values is 0-3. Zero means the first ROM set and 1 means the second ROM set. The timbres in these ROMs are the timbres that you get when you turn the MT-32 on. The initial setup is suchthat the first 64 timbres are from ROM A (0) and the second 64 are from ROM B (1). You may change the timbre group to the 64 timbre memory bank (RAM, with a value of 2) or to rhythm (30 values corresponding to the first 30 PCM samples). 10.2.2 Changing the timbre number After setting the proper timbre group you may select the timbre within the group. The range here depends on whether you are using a ROM or RAM group, or the rhythm group. The rhythm group has 30 timbres while the ROMs and RAM have 64 each. Please note that the timbre numbers start at 0, not 1. 10.2.3 Key Shift The key shift is much like the coarse tuning. The units here are half steps, and thus the -24 to +24 range means you can transpose the notes 2 octaves up or down using this parameter. 10.2.4 Fine Tune The fine tune is in cents, or hundredths of a half step. Thus, any adjustments in the tuning of the timbre can be handled at this level. A range of +/- 50 cents coupled with the key shift above gives you full pitch control of your sound. 10.2.5 Bender range Bender refers to the pitch bend which is often controlled by a wheel on your master keyboard. The bender range determines how much the pitch varies when the wheel is moved. The values range from 0-24, each number representing a half step. If you are not getting any pitch bending when moving the pitch wheel, make sure that the pitch wheel parameters within the partials in your sound are set so that the patch can respond. 17 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian 10.2.6 Assign Mode The assign mode refers to the midi mode that will be adopted by the part. In general you will ignore this. The range is 0-3 reflecting 4 poly modes (although the midi spec uses 4 modes, 2 mono and 2 poly, the MT-32 uses 4 poly modes). If you really need to know, check the book above. 10.2.7 Reverb switch The reverb switch may be on or off. 10.3 Editing Part Patch parameters When a part is loaded using a program change command, the above parameters are loaded from the patch table. Thus, most of the menu here is the same as with editing the patch table. However, there are two other parameters that the MT-32 associates with the part that are covered here. Also, you should note that the timbre data is loaded into the part whenever you change the timbre group or number parameters. This gives you yet another means for loading timbre data into a part. You may "dial" in the timbre data if it is a ROM timbre using the front panel controls, issue a program change if the patch table has been set up to access the timbre, or directly load it into the part by changing the group and timbre number here. 10.3.1 Output level The output level is the volume level of the part. Varying this allows you to do some mixing of the sounds from the various parts. 10.3.2 Panpot The panpot is the left/right balance of the part. The range is 0-14, with lower numbers being more right. 11.0 The Command Line The command line is the line across the top of the screen with highlighted letters. There are four options on the command line. The ESC key will move you back one menu in the program. All other commands are selected by pressing the ALT key along with the highlighted letter. These options are available at any menu prompt, but not at prompts for data. Each brings up a dialog box or menu with several further options. 11.1 The File Menu By pressing ALT-F brings up the file menu. At this menu you may choose to load or save parts of the MT-32's memory. You may choose to load or save the entire setup (a tad over 19000 bytes), a full timbre, or a single partial. You may also "Temporarily go 18 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian to DOS". This loads a copy of the command processor COMMAND.COM and allows you to do any of the usual DOS operations. This is the same as the "Shell to OS" or "OS Shell" commands found in many other programs. After performing the DOS operations you need you may return to MTE by typing EXIT. You will pick up right where you left off. Thus, if you want to load a timbre but can't remember the filename, you can go to DOS, get all the directories you like until you find the file you want, then type EXIT to return to MTE and load the file. In each of the load and save combinations you are prompted for information to allow MTE to load and save the correct data. You will be asked for a filename. If the file is in the current directory no pathname will be necessary. If you wish to use a different path you should specify the entire filename with its path. If you are not loading or saving an entire setup, you will be asked whether you want to save either memory or part data. This allows you to save a timbre or partial from any of the 8 music parts or from any of the 64 memory timbres. You will then be asked which part number or memory location you wish to work with, and finally the partial number if applicable. The data is then quickly transferred. 11.2 The Copy Menu Although you could copy a timbre or partial by using the file functions to save, then load the data, the Copy menu gives you a more convenient means for doing so. Pressing ALT-C at any menu prompt will start the copy dialogue. First, you are asked if you wish to copy an entire timbre or just a partial. Next, you will be asked if the source (where you are copying FROM) is a memory location or a part. Next, you are asked for the number of the memory location or part. Finally, if it is a partial that is being copied, you are asked for the source partial number. The program then asks the same questions for the destina tion. You may use this function to copy timbres and partials from memory location to memory location, part to part, memory to part, or part to memory. It is also very useful for copying a partial to a different location within a single timbre. By duplicating a partial within a timbre you may thicken the sound with detuning or get interesting effects by using the ring modu lator with a detuned sound. 11.3 The Note Menu After you have created a sound on your MT-32 you will want to hear it. By pressing ALT-N at any menu prompt you are pre sented with the note menu. From this menu you are able to select which note or chord to play, its velocity and channel. 11.3.1 Select a note to play By selecting A at the note menu you may choose which note to play when playing a single note. The number to be entered is the 19 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian midi note number. Remembering the C4 is 60 and that there are 12 half-steps to an octave makes it easy to calculate the number of the note you wish to hear. C5 would be 72 (60+12). C2 would be 36 (60-24). See the table at the end of this document if you don't want to do the math. 11.3.2 Selecting a chord If the sound you are creating will be used mostly in chord progressions it may make the most sense to hear what it sounds by playing a chord. MTE allows you to do this by setting up a chord and playing it. Choosing option B at the note menu allows you to make a three note chord. You will first be asked for the midi number of the first note in the chord. After entering this, you are asked for the second note, then the third. You will see the notes you have chosen on the note menu. Just as with the "Select a note to play" above, you need to use the midi note numbers in defining your chord. If you don't want to calculate them using the formula above you may use the enclosed table. 11.3.3 Selecting the channel for the sample notes When playing notes to your MT-32 you must choose which channel you wish the computer to send on. When the MT-32 is initialized, part 1 is on channel 2, part 2 is on channel 3, and so on. However, you may change the midi channel of any part. This option allows you to set the channel over which your notes will be played. 11.3.4 Setting the Note/Chord Duration The note or chord you play may be as long as you like. Thus, if you have late effects you may set the duration long enough to hear these effects, but if you don't you can have a short duration and save time. Choosing option D from the note menu allows you to set the duration in 1 second increments. 11.3.5 Note/Chord Velocity The velocity of the note and/or chord may be varied by selecting option E at the note menu. When playing a chord all notes will be of the same velocity. Velocity ranges from 1-127. Thus, you may see how the sound changes with different velocities by alternately changing the velocity and playing the note or chord. 11.3.6 Playing the note Selecting option F at the note menu plays the note chosen through option A, with the velocity selected by option E, over the channel selected by option C, for the number of seconds set by option D. Thus, you have quite a bit of control over your sample note. 11.3.7 Playing the chord 20 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian Selecting option G at the note menu plays the notes chosen by option B, with the velocity selected by option E, over the channel selected by option C, for the number of seconds set by option D. 11.3.8 Exiting the note, file, or copy menus Each of these menus may be exited by pressing the ESC key. 12.0 Acknowledgement I'd like to acknowledge the patience of my wife and children while this program was being developed. This program was written using Borland's Turbo C. 21 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian Appendix A - PCM waveforms 1 Acoustic Bass Drum 38 Slap Bass Tail 2 Acoustic Snare Drum 39 Acoustic Bass 3 Electric Snare Drum 40 Gut Guitar 4 Acoustic Tom Tom 41 Steel Guitar 5 Closed Hi Hat Attack 42 Pizzicato Strings 6 Open Hi Hat Tail 43 Harp 7 Crash Cymbal Attack 44 Harpsichord loop 8 Crash Cymbal Tail 45 Contrabass 9 Ride Cymbal Attack 46 Violin 10 Rim Shot 47 Timpani 11 Hand Clap 48 Orchestra Hit 12 Mute Conga 49 Indian Flute 13 High Conga 50 Hammond Organ Loop 14 Bongo 51 Bell 15 Cowbell 52 Telephone Bell 16 Tambourine 53 Ethnic 17 Agogo Bell 54 Stainless Steel 18 Clave 55 Acoustic Bass Drum*** 19 Timbale 56 Acoustic Snare Drum*** 20 Cabasa 57 Electric Snare Drum*** 21 Acoustic Piano 58 Acoustic Tom Tom*** 22 Hammond Organ Attack 59 Closed Hi Hat Attack*** 23 Trombone 60 Open Hi Hat Tail*** 24 Trumpet 61 Crash Cymbal Attack*** 25 Breath Noise Loop 62 Crash Cymbal Tail*** 26 Clarinet 63 Ride Cymbal Attack*** 27 Flute 64 Rim Shot*** 28 Steamer 65 Hand Clap*** 29 Shakuhachi 66 Mute Conga*** 30 Alto Sax 67 High Conga*** 31 Baritone Sax 68 Bongo*** 32 Marimba 69 Cowbell*** 33 Vibraphone 70 Tambourine*** 34 Xylophone 71 Agogo Bell*** 35 Windbell 72 Clave*** 36 Fretless Bass 73 Timbale*** 37 Slap Bass Attack 74 Cabasa*** PCM's numbered 75-128 are simply referred to as "Loop xx" where xx is a number 1 through 54. The early loops are mostly looped samples of the first 45 or so PCMs. The later loops are less useful combinations of sounds much like the "One Note Jam" tim bre. PCM's that have *** after the name are not tunable. All others are considered tunable. 22 MTE - MT 32 Editor/librarian Midi Note Numbers The notes here are a format commonly used in midi applications. First, there is the letter of the note and any accidentals. Next comes the octave. Middle C is C4. The C above middle C would then be C5. The E above the lowest C on a 5 octave (61 key) keyboard would be E2. The MT-32 responds to midi note numbers ranging from 12 through 108, therefore only those midi note numbers are defined here. Midi Note Number Note Midi Note Number Note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ditor/librarian 55 G3 104 G#7 56 G#3 105 A7 57 A3 106 A#7 58 A#3 107 B7 59 B3 108 C8 60 C4 24