Copyright (c) Hyperion Entertainment and contributors.
Difference between revisions of "Bars and Pipes Professional"
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: This window provides the complete set of commands to control the movement of Bars&Pipes Professional's Sequencer. Notice that the Transport window duplicates many of the commands found in the top of the Tracks window as well as all the commands in the Mini Transport. You may click on identical buttons to achieve identical results. The Transport Controls window displays the current time in music time (Measures, Beats and Clocks) as well as SMPTE time (Hours, Minutes, Seconds and Frames.) It also adds additional buttons for using the Punch and Loop Flags as well as setting and using all of the Flags. The Transport window can also be opened by double-clicking on its icon. |
: This window provides the complete set of commands to control the movement of Bars&Pipes Professional's Sequencer. Notice that the Transport window duplicates many of the commands found in the top of the Tracks window as well as all the commands in the Mini Transport. You may click on identical buttons to achieve identical results. The Transport Controls window displays the current time in music time (Measures, Beats and Clocks) as well as SMPTE time (Hours, Minutes, Seconds and Frames.) It also adds additional buttons for using the Punch and Loop Flags as well as setting and using all of the Flags. The Transport window can also be opened by double-clicking on its icon. |
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| − | |||
| − | ==Playing a Demo Song File== |
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| − | Chapter 5 |
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| − | |||
| − | === Getting Ready to Play === |
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| − | In this chapter, we'll play one of the demo Songs provided on your Bars&Pipes Professional disk. Before we play the Songfile, however, let's make sure that Bars&Pipes Professional is set up properly. |
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| − | {{Note|text=Make sure that your MIDI equipment is setup properly.}} |
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| − | ==== The MIDI Out And Quick Patch Tools ==== |
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| − | The MIDI Out Tool must be loaded in order for Bars&Pipes Professional to play music via a standard MIDI interface. The MIDI Out Tool's job is to send notes out of the Sequencer to your MIDI instrument. |
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| − | When you first run Bars&Pipes Professional, you should see a MIDI Out Tool at the end of each and every PipeLine, unless you've set up your environment differently (more on this later). |
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| − | {{Note|text=You'll probably also see the MIDI In Tool at the beginning of each PipeLine. We won't need the MIDI In Tool until we're ready to record MIDI In the next chapter. It doesn't hurt to have it in the PipeLine, though.}} |
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| − | We also recommend using the Quick Patch Tool when playing a Songfile. |
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| − | The Quick Patch Tool allows you to easily change patches, or sounds, on your MIDI instrument. |
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| − | The demo Songfiles provided with Bars&Pipes Professional already contain this Tool in their PipeLines. Please refer to the Tools chapter of this manual for more information on the Quick Patch Tool. |
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| − | ==== Installing The MIDI Out And Quick Patch Tools ==== |
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| − | If you don't see the MIDI Out Tool at the end of every PipeLine, open your ToolBox by either double-clicking on the ToolBox icon, or choosing ToolBox from the Windows menu. |
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| − | |||
| − | Do you see the MIDI Out Tool in the ToolBox? You can click down on the Question Mark button to bring up a pop-up list of Tool names. Is the MIDI Out Tool listed? |
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| − | |||
| − | If not, you need to install the MIDI Out Tool. Follow these steps to load the MIDI Out Tool: |
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| − | # If the ToolBox window isn't open, open the ToolBox. |
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| − | # With the ToolBox window still active, use the right mouse button to access the ToolBox menu and select Install Tool.... |
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| − | #A file requester will appear. You should see a list of Tool names. If not, there should be a Tools directory in the Bars&Pipes Professional directory. Direct the file requester to this directory to find all of the Tools. |
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| − | #Once inside the Tools directory, find the MIDI Out Tool. Click on MIDI Out once and select Load, or just double-click on MIDI Out. |
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| − | The MIDI Out Tool will appear in your ToolBox. From now on each time you run Bars&Pipes Professional, it will automatically load the MIDI Out Tool into the ToolBox. You won't have to perform these steps again unless you Remove the Tool from your ToolBox. |
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| − | {{Note|text=Bars&Pipes Professional keeps Track of which Tools are in the ToolBox by a text file called Tools. This file resides in either your S: directory on your WorkBench disk or System partition, or, if the directory "Support" exists in your Bars&Pipes Professional directory, in the Support directory.}} |
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| − | As you did with the MIDI Out Tool, look in the ToolBox for the Quick Patch Tool. If it isn't in your ToolBox, install it as you did the MIDI Out Tool. |
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| − | |||
| − | === The Song Menu === |
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| − | The Song menu is the first menu in the Main menu set. Activate the Tracks window by clicking within it to access the Main menu set. |
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| − | Although we won't be using most its commands right away, now is a good time to introduce the Song. The Song menu contains commands that create, load, and save entire compositions, as well as exit Bars&Pipes Professional. The Song menu commands are: |
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| − | ; New |
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| − | : The New command begins a new composition. If you have made any changes to the current composition, Bars&Pipes Professional will ask if you'd like to save them before closing. Choosing Yes saves the current Song, while choosing No disregards any changes you have made since the last save. Choosing Cancel cancels the New operation and returns you to the current Song. |
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| − | |||
| − | : If a 'New.Song' files exists, Bars&Pipes Professional loads it. Otherwise, Bars&Pipes Professional create its own default blank Song. |
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| − | {{Note|text=Use the Save As Default command {see below) to create and update the 'New.Song' file.}} |
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| − | ; Load... |
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| − | : The Load... command loads a previously saved Song. If the Song's Tracks, ToolTrays, or ToolPad contain Tools that aren't loaded in the ToolBox, Bars&Pipes Professional attempts to load the missing Tools. If Bars&Pipes Professional can't find a Tool, a requester appears to give you the opportunity to load the Tool manually. |
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| − | |||
| − | ; Revert |
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| − | : The Revert command returns the Song to its condition at the most recent save, by loading the last Song saved to disk. Think of Revert as a powerful Undo command. At regular intervals during the composition process, save your Song with the Save command. Then, if you make a mistake, you can use the Revert command to return to an earlier version of your Song. |
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| − | |||
| − | ; Save As... |
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| − | : The Save As... command either saves your Song for the first time or saves it as a different file name. When you select this command, a file requester opens, which enables you to create a new file or to select an old one to overwrite. Once you save a Song with the Save As... command, Bars&Pipes Professional recognizes the file name. From then on, you can use the Save command instead. |
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| − | |||
| − | ; Save |
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| − | : The Save command saves your Song to disk. This command works only if a file has been previously saved or loaded from disk. Once you load a Song or save it with the Save As... command, you can use the Save command without bothering with the file requester. |
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| − | ; Save As Default |
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| − | : The Save as Default command saves the current Song as the default Song. Whenever you run Bars&Pipes Professional, this Song automatically loads as your initial blank Song. Also, whenever you choose New from the Song menu, this Song loads as the initial template. |
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| − | ; Print |
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| − | : The Print command prints your Song. When you select Print, Bars&Pipes Professional opens the Print requester that allows you to print the entire score. (Please refer to Chapter 11, Printing Notation) |
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| − | ; Title/Author |
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| − | : The Title/ Author command opens a requester into which you can enter the Song's title and author. |
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| − | ; Length... |
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| − | : The Length... command sets the overall length of your Song. Bars&Pipes Professional sets all of its scroll bars to accommodate the new length. |
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| − | ; Disable/Enable MIDI |
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| − | : When MIDI is enabled, the Disable/Enable command displays as "Disable MIDI" in the Song menu. When you select Disable MIDI, Bars&Pipes Professional disconnects the MIDI In Tool from the Amiga's internal serial port, so that another program can access the port. When MIDI is disabled, this command displays as "Enable MIDI" in the Song menu. Choose Enable MIDI to reconnect the MIDI In Tool. |
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| − | |||
| − | ; Propagate |
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| − | : The Propagate command, in conjunction with the Song Construction window's A-B-A feature, copies changes made to the first instance of each section to all other instances of those sections. The Propagate command is ghosted if the A-B-A feature has not been utilized. |
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| − | ; About |
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| − | : The About command brings up a requester with version and copyright information. |
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| − | ; Quit |
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| − | : The Quit command exits Bars&Pipes Professional and returns to Workbench. Bars&Pipes Professional will ask you if you'd like to save your file before exiting. |
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| − | |||
| − | === Loading an Example Song === |
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| − | Let's load the Brandenburg Demo and play it. |
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| − | # Select Load... from the Song menu. The file requester appears. |
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| − | # Find the Song titled "Brandenburg Demo". It's in the Example Songs directory. |
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| − | # Load the Song by either double-clicking on its file name, or clicking once on its file name and selecting Load. Bars&Pipes Professional loads the Song. |
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| − | # Notice that the Tracks window displays seven Tracks. The Track names correspond to the name of the instrument that each Track plays. |
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| − | {{Note|text=If you can't find the Song menu, it is probably because another window's menus are active. Click on the Tracks window to activate the Main menu set.}} |
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| − | Look at the Output PipeLine of each Track: |
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| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | You'll see the Quick Patch Tool, followed by the MIDI Out Tool, followed by the MIDI Channel number. |
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| − | |||
| − | === Setting Your MIDI Channel Numbers === |
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| − | |||
| − | On the far right of each Track, notice a blue number denoting the MIDI Channel number for the Track. This number tells Bars&Pipes Professional though which MIDI Channel to play the Track. |
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| − | |||
| − | The Brandenburg Demo performs on MIDI Channels one through seven; each Track is associate with a different MIDI channel. The result is a multi-timbral performance, since each Track plays with a different sound, or timbre. |
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| − | {{Note|text=Please check your synthesizer manual to make sure that it is capable of playing multi-timbrally and receiving on these seven MIDI channels simultaneously. Also, please refer to the chapter "Touring the MIDI Setup" for more information on MIDI channels and MIDI synthesizers.}} |
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| − | If your synthesizer isn't able to play multi-timbrally, all seven Tracks will sound like the same instrument. If your synthesizer can play multi-timbrally, but can't receive on MIDI channels one through seven simultaneously, you'll need to change the MIDI channel number for each Track: |
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| − | To change a Track's MIDI channel, click on the MIDI channel number. A pop-up grid appears. Highlight the MIDI channel on which you want the Track to output MIDI, and then lift the mouse button. |
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| − | |||
| − | === Selecting Your Patch Changes === |
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| − | The Quick Patch Tools at the end of each Track send out Program Changes, or patches, to your MIDI instrument. These patches set up your synthesizer to play the correct sound on each MIDI channel. Each Quick Patch Tool in the Brandenburg Demo ia configured to send patch changes that will sound correct on General MIDI instruments. |
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| − | If your synthesizer or sound modules supports the General MIDI patch list, then skip to the next section, Playing the Songfile. |
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| − | If your synthesizer isn't set up to play General MIDI patches, the Brandenburg Demo might sound funny. To make it sound better, you'll need to change the patch numbers in the Quick Patch Tool. To do so, double-click on the Quick Patch Tool in one of the Tracks. |
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| − | The Control window for the Quick Patch Tool opens: |
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| − | As with all Tools, each Quick Patch Tool has its own Control window, so that you can set up different patches for each one. Drag the slider to change instruments and Quick Patch plays test notes so you can hear how each instrument sounds. |
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| − | Above the slider, Quick Patch displays the name of the currently selected patch. This name is only valid for a General MIDI synthesizer. If you have a different configuration, you can change the names in the Patch List by using the Define Patch List window. |
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| − | {{Note|text=We'll learn about defining Patch Lists later. For now, don't worry, just drag the slider until you get an appropriate sound.}} |
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| − | Once you've selected the instrument of your choice, close the Control window to get it out of the way, or leave it open in case you'd like to continue trying different instruments while the music plays. |
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| − | At this point, you may have a few questions: |
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| − | * What if more than one Track is set to the same MIDI channel? If that's the case, will both Tracks play? |
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| − | * And, if there is a Quick Patch Tool on every Track, which patch will be selected for that MIDI channel? |
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| − | Good questions! |
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| − | First of all, Bars&Pipes Professional plays both Tracks. They'll be performed by the same instrument, since they share the same MIDI Channel. |
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| − | Second, only one Quick Patch Tool can determine what instrument your synthesizer will use. Since Bars&Pipes Professional performs the Tracks in order from top to bottom, the Quick Patch on Track 2 will override the Quick Patch one Track 1. |
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| − | {{Note|text=Remember, we're referring to two Tracks that share the same MIDI channel number. Quick Patch will not override any other Tracks.}} |
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| − | |||
| − | === Playing the Songfile === |
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| − | If you've followed along from the beginning of this chapter, loaded the Brandenburg Demo, and set channel numbers and the Quick Patch Tool for each Track, then it's time to hear the Brandenburg Demo! |
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| − | To start the sequence from the beginning, click on the Start button (blue square followed by a triangle) at the top of the Tracks window or in the Transport Control window: |
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| − | Another way to start the sequence from the beginning is to press the 0 (zero) key on your numeric keypad. |
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| − | |||
| − | You should hear your synthesizer playing the music. Notice a blue vertical line scrolling across the Tracks in the Tracks window. This is the Song Position Line. |
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| − | NOTE-> As the Song Position line passes over the beginning of a note, that note sounds. As it passes over the end of a note, that note becomes silent. |
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| − | If your synthesizer does not play, check your cables, amplifier, and MIDI interface. Refer to Chapter 3, Touring The MIDI Setup if you need more help. Also, review the beginning of this chapter to make sure that you didn't miss a crucial step. |
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| − | === Saving Your Changes === |
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| − | If you've made any changes to the Brandenburg Demo, for example the MIDI channel numbers or the Quick Patch settings, you should save the Brandenburg Demo so that it will play the same way next time. |
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| − | Select the Save command from the Song menu. This tells Bars&Pipes Professional to update the Brandenburg Demo with your new changes. |
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== Sections == |
== Sections == |
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Revision as of 18:52, 5 September 2013
Contents
- 1 Author and Copyright
- 2 Welcome Aboard!
- 3 Installation
- 4 Touring the MIDI setup
- 5 A Quick Tour
- 6 Sections
- 7 Accessories
- 8 Customizing your Environment
Author and Copyright
This documentation is based on the original copyrighted manual.
Copyright (c) 1993 The Blue Ribbon SoundWorks, Ltd.
The original documentation has been modified and enhanced where needed to reflect the changes made to the AmigaOS 4 specific port.
All changes and modifications are
Copyright (c) 2013 Lyle Hazelwood and Steven Solie.
Explicit written permission to copy and edit the original manuals has been secured.
Welcome Aboard!
These documents are for the AmigaOS 4 port of Bars&Pipes Professional. A few notes may be useful: The original program will be referred to as Bars&Pipes, the AmigaOS specific port will be called BarsnPipes instead.
This port is based on Bars&Pipes Professional version 2.5c. The AmigaOS 4 version was provided by Alfred von Faust, and he worked for many years to keep it alive. Lyle Hazelwood has recently taken the port over and is continuing to keep the program current.
Thank you for downloading BarsnPipes Professional. In the pages to come, you will understand why you've made an important choice. With BarsnPipes Professional, you're truly bound only by the limits of your own creativity. We encourage you to read this manual, since it contains thorough explanations of BarsnPipes Professional's wide array of features. BarsnPipes Professional is a high-end MIDI sequencing and composition package. In order to use it, you must have a MIDI sound module or keyboard connected to your Amiga via a CAMD supported MIDI interface.
| Note |
|---|
| If you would like to use the Amiga's Internal sounds instead of MIDI, we suggest SoftSyn available at OS4Depot. |
Everyone at The Blue Ribbon SoundWorks is dedicated to producing the highest quality software and software support in the industry. We have invested thousands of hours of research and development in our products. Much of that time is spent in listening to and learning from people like you. Blue Ribbon products are designed to be affordable, ongoing investments that are improved and expanded over time. We've provided expansion through program updates and add-on software, such as the Creativity Kit and the Pro Studio Kit. If you are a C programmer, with the Rules For Tools add-on, you can even create your own enhancements to BarsnPipes Professional!
Installation
Quick Installation
BarsnPipes Professional is easy to install on your AmigaOS computer.
To install Bars&Pipes Professional :
Make sure that you have at least two megabytes of space left on your hard disk.
Unarc BarsnPipes Professional archive to wherever you'd like to keep the program.
You'll also need camd.library which is already included with AmigaOS.
Run Bars&Pipes Professional from the BarsnPipes Professional drawer on your hard disk.
On the first run, BarsnPipes will ask you to select a screen mode. Please select an ARGB mode for best results. Once the program is open, under the "preferences" menu, select "environment" and then "save" to save your screen choice.
Touring the MIDI setup
Overview
BarsnPipes Professional works with any CAMD-compatible synthesizer, sound module or application. Let's look at some standard ways to connect MIDI instruments to your Amiga computer.
The MIDI Interface
In order to use BarsnPipes Professional, you must first own a MIDI interface. The MIDI interface serves as a translator between your MIDI instrument(s) and your Amiga.
Before using BarsnPipes Professional, first connect your MIDI interface to your Amiga. It may connect to a sound board joystick port, or to USB.
MIDI Interface Ports
Most MIDI interfaces feature one MIDI in, one MIDI out, and possibly one MIDI thru port. The MIDI in and MIDI out ports are the most important aspects of a MIDI interface.
Multiple MIDI In Ports
CAMD supports any number of MIDI Inputs and Outputs. While it is possible to set the input and output individually for each track, you can (and should) set a default input and output that will be used as defaults for every track that does not have an input or output specified. These are set and saved from the Preferences/Environment window.
| Connecting MIDI Devices |
|---|
| Connect the MIDI OUT from your interface to the MIDI IN on your synth or sound module. Connect the MIDI OUT from your keyboard or other instrument to MIDI IN on your interface. |
If your MIDI gear has a USB port, CAMD may be able to access it directly by using the USB Driver
(is the usb MIDI driver part of the OS??)
A Quick Tour
Introduction
Bars&Pipes Professional is an innovative composition environment with an extensive arsenal of features and options. Before exploring it in depth, let's take a quick tour!
| Note |
|---|
| If you need help connecting your MIDI equipment to your Amiga, please read the previous chapter, Touring The MIDI Setup. |
Running Bars&Pipes Professional
Before you run Bars&Pipes Professional, you must first install it. If you have not yet done so, please see Chapter 2, Installation.
Running From The Workbench Icon
You can run Bars&Pipes Professional from Workbench by double-clicking on its program icon.
Doing so opens Bars&Pipes Professional with an empty Song. Alternatively, you can double-click on a Bars&Pipes Song icon. Doing this opens Bars&Pipes Professional with the selected Song already loaded.
Running From A Shell
You can also run Bars&Pipes Professional from a shell. Make sure your stack size is at least 100,000 bytes when running the program this way.
The Default Screen Setup
When Bars&Pipes Professional first starts up, you'll see the Tracks window and a group of icons along the right side of the screen. These icons represent various unopened windows.
Double-click on any icon to open its associated window. Click on the close button in the top left corner of an open window to revert it to its associated icon.
The Tracks Window
The Tracks window represents the heart and soul of Bars&Pipes Professional. It is where multi-track recording takes place. It is also the primary place for organizing the PipeLines and Tools which give Bars&Pipes Professional so much of its power and flexibility. Let's take a brief look:
The PipeLine
The Tracks window contains individual Tracks, into which you will record your music. These Tracks run from left to right in rows, with measure and beat lines drawn from top to bottom.
Starting from left to right, each Track contains the following components:
- The Track Name, which identifies a particular Track;
- The Input Selector box, or Input Arrow, which selects which Track(s) are to receive incoming music;
- The Input PipeLine, which holds Tools that process the music as it flows into the Sequencer;
| Note |
|---|
| When first running Bars&Pipes Professional, you will most likely see a MIDI In Tool in the Input PipeLine. This acts as the source for the Track's PipeLine, and, hence, the Track. This is further explained in Chapter 6, Basic Recording. |
- The Play/Merge/Record Selector, which displays a blue letter P while the Track is in Play mode, a red letter M while the Track is in Merge mode, and a red letter R while the Track is in Record Mode;
- The Sequencer area, which holds and displays the MIDI events, or Sequence, that make up the recording;
- The Thru/Play Only/Mute Selector, or faucet, which switches the Track between Thru, Play Only, and Mute modes;
- The Output PipeLine, which holds Tools such as the MIDI Out Tool that process the music as it flows out of the Sequencer; and
- The MIDI Channel Selector, or Output channel, which displays the MIDI channel over which the final MIDI Out Tool sends.
| Note |
|---|
| This selector is used by the standard MIDI Out Tool. Non MIDI-specific output Tools, such as most Multi-Media Tools, do not need MIDI channels. |
The Flags Area
Above the Tracks area is the Flags area.
Bars&Pipes Professional uses these flags to mark specific points in music time for certain operations, such as punch in and auto-locate. It also displays the current time signature and measure numbers in this area.
Bars&Pipes Professional displays twelve Flag icons across the top of the Tracks. You can grab these with the mouse and drag them from left to right. Use the Flags to set positions in your music for editing, recording, looping, and more.
A Flag appearing during the displayed section has an attached vertical stem intersecting all of the Tracks. If you've placed the Flag in a measure which precedes the displayed section, it appears on the left side of the Sequencer. If you've placed it in a measure that follows the displayed section, it appears on the right.
To relocate a Flag, first scroll the Sequencer so that the desired location shows in the Sequencer. Then drag the Flag to its position. To move a Flag to the beginning of the Song, drag it all the way to the left side of the screen. To move it to the end of the Song, drag it all the way to the right. Flags snap to the alignment specified in the Align with... option in the Preferences menu.
The following Flags are found in the Flags area:
- The Position Marker Flag or Song Position Flag (the red triangle with the blue border) which shows the current position in your Song;
| Note |
|---|
| If you press the Play button, your Song starts at this point. |
- The two Edit Flags (solid purple triangles), which determine the part of your Song that is affected by Cut, Paste, and other editing operations;
The Auto-Locate Flags (blue rectangles marked M1 through M4), which mark important points in your composition;
| Note |
|---|
| You can immediately move to these points by using the corresponding M1 through M4 buttons in the Transport Controls window. |
- The Punch In and Punch Out flags (yellow rectangles marked IN and OUT), which allow you to record over a restricted part of your Song;
- The Loop Flags (red rectangles containing curved lines with arrows), which mark sections for use with Loop-Mode editing and the Loop Tool; and
- The Stop Sign (the red hexagon with the white border), which marks the point at which Bars&Pipes Professional is to stop playback.
| Note |
|---|
| This feature is useful when you want to sit back and listen to part of a Song while you're away from the keyboard, or if you're performing live or recording a sequence to tape and want the Song to stop upon completion. |
Control Buttons
The Tracks Window's control buttons are above the Flags area.
From left to right are the following buttons:
- The Solo button, which both chooses and displays whether the highlighted Track is soloed, muted, or neither;
- The ToolPad, which holds up to sixteen Tools to be used with the Toolize feature;
- The Group selector buttons, which identify combinations of Tracks;
- The Group button, which determines if clicking on a Track adds to a group or not;
- The Up/Down arrows, which move the highlighted Track up or down in the list of Tracks;
- The Tempo button, which chooses and displays the current tempo;
- The Start button, which starts the Sequencer from the beginning of your composition;
- The Play button, which starts the Sequencer from the current Song position, denoted by the red and blue triangular Song Position Flag, found in the Flags Area;
- The Rewind button, which moves the Song Position Flag to the left, toward the beginning of the piece;
- The Fast Forward button, which moves the Song Position Flag to the right, toward the end;
- The Measure display, which shows the measure number in which the Song Position Flag currently resides; and
- The Record button, which chooses and displays whether the Sequencer is in record or playback mode.
- Sizing And Scrolling The Tracks
Use the scroll bar and arrows on the right side of the Tracks window to scroll through the Tracks, in order to view those which don't fit in the display.
At the bottom of the Tracks window, you'll find a set of scroll bars, single arrows, and double arrows. Use the scroll bar and single arrows to search forward and backward. For example, to scroll the Track names from left to right, use the scroll bar and single arrows below the list of Track names.
Use the double arrows to resize sections of the display by dragging the arrows from left to right. With the double arrows, you can resize your display to show only what you want to view.
| Note |
|---|
| You can control how much space is available by using different screen resolutions. Lower resolutions like 800X600 will make everything large and easy to read, while higher resolutions will provides plenty of room for additional Tracks. |
The Main Menu
As you may know, in the Amiga's windowing environment each window can have a different menu. Some of the windows in Bars&Pipes Professional do have their own menus, however, most share one menu, the Main menu.
To access the Main menu, click on the Tracks window or the background with the left mouse button. Then, to select one of the Main menu options, click and hold the right mouse button, while moving the mouse pointer to your desired selection.
Window Icons and the Windows Menu
Several windows in Bars&Pipes Professional are accessible from both icons, located at the right side of the screen, and menu commands, located in the Windows menu found in the Main menu set.
Window Icons
To the right of the Tracks window, you'll see a column of icons. These icons represent various windows. Double-clicking on an icon opens the window, while clicking on the close gadget of a window turns it back into an icon.
| Note |
|---|
| The Tracks window itself can be closed and turned into an icon. To do so, click on the close gadget in the upper left hand corner of the Tracks window. The close gadget looks like a square with a smaller square inside of it. Notice that the Tracks window turns into an icon of railroad Tracks. Double-click on the Tracks icon to reopen the window. |
The Windows Menu
Each window can also be accessed from the Windows menu in the Main menu. This includes many additional windows that do not have icons. Let's take a quick tour of all the windows in the Windows menu. As we do this, we'll get a quick glimpse of the various capabilities of Bars&Pipes Professional. Open each window by selecting it in the Windows menu. If a window has an Icon, notice that the icon disappears. Close the window by clicking on its close button (top left.) You might also experiment with double-clicking on the window icons to become familiar with each.
- Accessories
- Accessories are separate modules that add new features to Bars&Pipes Professional. Use the Accessories window to install, use and remove your Accessories. The Accessory window may also be opened by double-clicking on its icon.
- ClipBoard
- When the ClipBoard window is open, cut copy and paste editing operations store and retrieve from it. Use this to move music around between different parts of the program. The ClipBoard window may also be opened by double-clicking on its icon.
- Define...
- You can define your own Scales, Chords, Rhythms, and Patch Lists using the four Define windows opened from the submenu.
- Edit PadTool Controls
- If you have a Tool in the ToolPad, the Edit PadTool Controls command opens the Control window for that Tool.
- Icons
- The Icons window allows you to keep all of the window icons in their own separate window. Opening the Icons window automatically collects the window icons and places them inside the Icons window. Closing the Icons window causes the window Icons to return to their previous positions.
- Information
- The Information window provides useful information about the state of your project and computer. The Information window may also be opened by double-clicking on its icon.
- Master Parameters
- The Master Parameters window accesses a special master Track where you may set up global Time Signature, Lyrics, Scales, Chords, Dynamics, and Rhythm changes. The Master Parameters window may also be opened by double-clicking on its icon.
- Media Madness
- The Media Madness window brings multi-media production to Bars&Pipes Professional. With this window, you can place Multi-Media Tools in each Track, and edit a complete Multi-Media presentation. The Media Madness window can also be opened by double-clicking on its icon.
- Metronome
- Use the Metronome window to set up your metronome click - internal Amiga audio, MIDI or visual. The Metronome can also be opened by double-clicking on its icon.
- Mini Transport
- The Mini Transport window provides a subset of the main Transport Controls window (see below.) It's designed to be small and innocuous. You can open it from anywhere simply by pressing the 'M' key on your keyboard.
- Mix Maestro
- Use Mix Maestro to do a complete automated mixdown of your performance. Mix Maestro provides a volume slider and pan pot for each Track. As the Song plays, drag the slider to lower or raise the volume and turn the knob to rotate the sound left or right. Mix Maestro memorizes your moves and plays them back faithfully. The Mix Maestro window can also be opened by double-clicking on its icon.
- Record Activation
- By default, when Bars&Pipes Professional's Sequencer records into a Track, it erases all MIDI event types (note, pitch bend, etc.) and replaces them with the new. However, with the Record Activation window you can tell the Sequencer to ignore specific MIDI types. For example, you can set it to record over pitch bend while leaving notes intact. The Record Activation window may also be opened by double-clicking on its icon.
- Set Flags
- The Set Flags window allows you to position any Flag in the Track's window by typing in the location you want for the Flag, either in music or SMPTE time. Open the Set Flags window by choosing Set Flags from the Main menu's Windows menu, or double-click on the Set Flags icon.
- To determine music time or SMPTE time, click on the SMPTE/Music Time button. To change the Flag, click on the numbers to the right of the Flag representation.
- Song Construction
- Edit your music at the highest level with the Song Construction window. Create, drag, duplicate and erase everything from individual measures to entire sections. The Song Construction window can also be opened by double-clicking on its icon.
- Tempo Map
- Use the Tempo Map window to create a graphical Tempo Map for your performance. With a Tempo Map, you can tell Bars&Pipes Professional when to speed up and slow down as it plays your music. The Tempo Map window can also be opened by double-clicking on its icon.
- Tempo Palette
- You may set four preset Tempos in the Tempo Palette window, and then switch instantly to anyone at any time. The Tempo Palette can also be opened by double-clicking on its icon.
- Time Line Scoring
- Connect several Songs into one performance on a SMPTE time line using the Time Line Scoring window. This is useful for laying out an extended piece where different Songs occur at different times. The Time Line Scoring window can also be opened by double-clicking on its icon.
- ToolBox
- The ToolBox window displays several rows of square icons. These represent Tools. Each Tool can be placed in a Track's PipeLine where it performs a specific task to the MIDI music as it flows through the pipe. To place a Tool in a PipeLine, click on the Tool with the left mouse button, and, while holding the button down, drag the Tool to the destination Track's PipeLine. Although the ToolBox displays a palette of available Tools, you may install more Tools, create your own Tools, as well as remove Tools from Bars&Pipes Professional, thereby changing the collection of available Tools in the ToolBox. The ToolBox can also be opened by double-clicking on its icon.
- Tracks
- This command opens the main Tracks window, which is also accessed by double-clicking on its icon.
- Transport
- This window provides the complete set of commands to control the movement of Bars&Pipes Professional's Sequencer. Notice that the Transport window duplicates many of the commands found in the top of the Tracks window as well as all the commands in the Mini Transport. You may click on identical buttons to achieve identical results. The Transport Controls window displays the current time in music time (Measures, Beats and Clocks) as well as SMPTE time (Hours, Minutes, Seconds and Frames.) It also adds additional buttons for using the Punch and Loop Flags as well as setting and using all of the Flags. The Transport window can also be opened by double-clicking on its icon.
Sections
Bars & Pipes Professional: Playing a Demo Song File
Bars & Pipes Professional: Recording
Bars & Pipes Professional: Tools
Bars & Pipes Professional: MIDI Event Editing
Bars & Pipes Professional: Note Editing
Bars & Pipes Professional: Editing Song Parameters
Bars & Pipes Professional: Printing Notation
Bars & Pipes Professional: The List Editor
Bars & Pipes Professional: System Exclusive
Bars & Pipes Professional: The Metronome
Bars & Pipes Professional: The Transport Controls
Bars & Pipes Professional: Timing, Syncing and Tempo
Bars & Pipes Professional: Tempo Mapping
Bars & Pipes Professional: Advanced Sequencing
Bars & Pipes Professional: Multi-Track Editing
Bars & Pipes Professional: Song Construction
Bars & Pipes Professional: Mix Maestro
Bars & Pipes Professional: Time Line Scoring
Bars & Pipes Professional: Create-a-Tool
Bars & Pipes Professional: Tool Trays
Bars & Pipes Professional: Scales, Chords, Rythms and Patches
Accessories
Accessories can be loaded by openeing the accessories window and selecting "load" from the menu. At this time SmerFF is the only accessory available. It allows loading and saving MIDI files.
Customizing your Environment
Chapter 31
Overview
In this chapter, we'll learn how to customize your Bars&Pipes Professional environment, so that it automatically sets up the system to your liking. We'll also discuss the disk files that Bars&Pipes Professional uses to keep track of your preferences.
The Environment Preferences
In the Main menu, the Environment.., option in the Preferences menu opens the Environment Preferences requester. This requester controls various aspects of Bars&Pipes Professional's appearance as well as some memory-saving options:
- Interlace Screen
- Select the Interlace Screen option to double the vertical resolution of the Bars&Pipes Professional environment.
- Use Workbench Pointer
- If you'd rather use the Workbench mouse pointer instead of the Bars&Pipes Professional saxophone, enable Use Workbench Pointer.
- Exploding Windows
- The Exploding Windows option causes windows to open with an expanding rectangle and close with a contracting rectangle.
- Windows To Front
- Normally, use the standard Window To Front/Back button on the top right of each window to bring a window to the front If you'd like any window to come immediately to the front no matter where you click in it, select Windows To Front.
- Save Icons
- Bars&Pipes Professional will only create an icon for a song file if the Save Icons option is enabled.
- WB 2.0 File Requester
- If you're running Bars&Pipes Professional under Workbench 2.0 or later, you may optionally use the Workbench file requester for selecting files.
- Double Width Screen/Double Height Screen
- Under Workbench 2.0, Bars&Pipes Professional can display its screen at double width and/or double height, providing much more room to drag and place windows. When in this mode, certain hotkeys make navigating this huge screen easier:
- The Alt key, in conjunction with the arrow keys moves the screen by one screenful. The window icons always appear in the current screen for easy access.
- Holding the Shift key causes the currently active window to move into the new view area. Hold down both the Shift and Alt keys while pressing the arrow keys.
- These features can make it seem like Bars&Pipes Professional is four screen instead of one! For instance, you could open Mix Maestro in one quadrant, the Track window in another, and still have two full screens for other windows. Keep in mind, however, that open windows consume CPU and memory resources
- 68000 Optimization
- If you are running Bars&Pipes on an Amiga using a 68000 processor, such as the A500 or A2000, setting this option will enable Bars&Pipes to run slightly more efficiently.
- Workbench Screen Mode
- Also under Workbench 2.0, Bars&Pipes Professional can adopt the current screen mode used by Workbench. This is particularly useful with the new AGA chipset machines (the Amiga 4000 and 1200) because it provides an automatic method for supporting the new graphic modes.
- Close Workbench
- To save memory, Bars&Pipes Professional can attempt to close Workbench. This only succeeds if no programs have windows open in Workbench.
- Disable Undo Buffer
- When the Bars&Pipes Professional sequencer records a Track, it automatically backs up the entire performance in an Undo buffer. Although this provides an easy way to recover from a poor recording, it doubles the memory provided for MIDI events. Disable the Undo buffer to double the number of notes you can record in low memory situations.
- Use Grey Scale
- Bars&Pipes Professional normally displays in eight colors. Use Grey Scale halves the color count to only four, saving graphics memory.
- Disable Fast Refresh
- Bars&Pipes Professional's windows keep their images intact, even when behind other windows. This results in very fast refresh, but eats memory. Disable Fast Refresh saves memory because it no longer stores hidden imagery, but the drawing time can become painfully slow.
- Save
- Select the Save button to implement the changes and permanently save your choices in the "Bars&Pipes Professional.info" file. Whether run Bars&Pipes Professional from its icon or the Shell, the program still looks at the "Bars&Pipes Professional.info" file for these preferences. If the .info does not exist, Bars&Pipes Professional chooses its default preferences.
- Use
- To use the changes without making them permanent, select Use.
The Support Drawer and Support Files
Bars&Pipes Professional must keep its control files in a support directory: If a drawer named "Support" exists within the same directory as the Bars&Pipes Professional drawer, Bars&Pipes Professional places its support files there.
If there is no drawer named "Support" located within the same directory, Bars&Pipes Professional places the support files in the S: directory. This is the same directory that contains your startup-sequence.)
- TIP * If you are using Bars&Pipes Professional without a hard drive and want to boot with a Workbench disk, create a Support drawer on your Bars&Pipes Professional program disk Then move the files, Tools, Accessories, and BPPDirs from the & directory on your WorkBench disk to the Support drawer created on your program disk.
The Tools File
Bars&Pipes Professional uses the Tools file when customizing your environment. This text file contains the names and path names of the Tools currently loaded in the ToolBox. Bars&Pipes Professional updates the Tools file whenever you Install or Remove a Tool in the ToolBox.
The Accessories File
Bars&Pipes Professional also uses the Accessories file when customizing your environment. This text file contains the names and path names of the Accessories loaded in the Accessories window.
Bars&Pipes Professional updates the Accessories file whenever you Install or Remove an Accessory
BPPDirs
The BPPDirs file, another environment file, is a binary file that contains the path names of files that you load and save, such as Song files, Patch Lists, and Chords.
Whenever you load or save a file, Bars&Pipes Professional refers to the Bppdirs file to determine the last place you loaded or saved a similar type of file. Bars& Pipes Professional then directs the file requester to this location.
When you change directories with the file requester and select Load or Save, Bars&Pipes Professional looks to the new directory. Bars&Pipes Professional updates the BPPDirs file whenever you exit Bars&Pipes Professional.
Settings in Song Files
Bars&Pipes Professional saves many settings in each individual Song file, including which windows are open and closed, the color palette as defined by the True Colors Accessory, the position of window icons, Patch Lists, Chords, Scales, Rhythms, Metronome settings, Tool Trays, the ToolPad, Tools in PipeLines, the status of Thru faucets, MIDI channel selectors, the status of Edit windows and all other musical information.
Creating a Preset Environment With New.song
If you prefer a particular configuration of Tools, Tracks, Tempos, etc., you can set your preferences, then save them as a Song,. This way, you'll have a preset environment each time you begin a new Song.
To do so, first set up your Tracks, MIDI channels, Tool placements, etc., and then use the Save As Default command found in the Song menu. This saves your settings to a file called "New.song." Each time you run Bars&Pipes Professional or select New from the Song menu, Bars&Pipes Professional automatically loads this file.
| Tip |
|---|
| When you load another Song, Bars&Pipes Professional overrides your "New" settings with those in the currently loaded file. To impose your new environment on old Song files, load your old Song. Then make a Group out of all of the Tracks contained in the old Song file. Next, save the Group to disk and select New from the Song menu. After you delete all the Tracks in the New Song, load in the Group! |
