issue09

EMUSIC-L Digest                                      Volume 51, Issue 09

This issue's topics:
	
	pitch bend (8 messages)
	Programming info for popular music cards?

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Date:         Mon, 19 Apr 1993 12:35:19 PDT
From:         metlay 
Subject:      Re: pitch bend

>just a little clarification...
>the midi pitch bend command is a status word independent of the rest of
>midi's controllers (like mod wheel, volume, etc) and is followed by a
>two-byte numerical argument, providing a numeric range of 16384, as
>opposed to the standard range of 128 for the other controllers. this
>precision provides a great deal of flexibility in response implementation,
>with most synthesizers allowing the +/- 8192 range to be assigned to anything
>from +/- one semitone to +/- one octave. glissando is usually a separate
>option, by the way.

And a little amplification....

Just as there is no fixed data-to-pitch ratio for Pitch Bend messages,
there is no fixed range or limit for a particular synth architecture's
bend capabilities. Most synths are limited to an octave, with
adjustable fineness below that, but there are exceptions, both worse
and better.  Among the former, the old Prophets are famous for lousy
pitch bend implementation, with the VS incapable of bends over a fifth
and the T8 permanently set at a range of about a tritone plus a few
cents . Among the latter are the Roland D-70, the Xpander,
and the Kurzweil K2000, which can pitchbend over several octaves when
set up properly. This is handy on both analog and digital instruments:
on the former, it allows large pitch swoops and glides, and on the latter,
it creates interesting sample-based artifacts in the timbres.

--
mike metlay * atomic city * box 81175 pgh pa 15217-0675 * metlay@netcom.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can morph clay, but you can't morph Lego.                 (n. rothwell)

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 21 Apr 1993 07:39:49 +0000
From:         Nick Rothwell 
Subject:      Re: pitch bend

>this
>precision provides a great deal of flexibility in response implementation

... except that I have never come across any synth that either transmits or
respects the LSB of pitchbend messages. All the ones I've played with are
7-bit only.

                        Nick Rothwell   |   cassiel@cassiel.demon.co.uk
     CASSIEL Contemporary Music/Dance   |   cassiel@cix.compulink.co.uk

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 21 Apr 1993 09:50:03 -0500
From:         Brian Adamson 
Subject:      Re: pitch bend

>>this
>>precision provides a great deal of flexibility in response implementation
>
>... except that I have never come across any synth that either transmits or
>respects the LSB of pitchbend messages. All the ones I've played with are
>7-bit only.
>

   It's a shame this isn't at least an option. although two byte controller
messages
may eat a little bandwidth .. the user should be given the option when this type
of precise control is required.  I was able to get special versions of CM
Automation's
MIDI controlled mixer with 2-byte (14 bits) of control over fader settings
and this so
far has worked fine (with specially written control software of course .. I
haven't found
a 14 bit joystick other than a mouse, yet) fo my application


>                        Nick Rothwell   |   cassiel@cassiel.demon.co.uk
>     CASSIEL Contemporary Music/Dance   |   cassiel@cix.compulink.co.uk

- Brian A.
 ____________________________________________________________________
|                     _ _ _                                          |
|        /|\    /\  /\_ _ /\  /\       R. Brian Adamson              |
|       / ||   / / / /   / / / /      Naval Research Laboratory      |
|      / /||  / / /_/_ _/ / / /      Information Technology Division |
|     / / || / / / \_|\_\/ / /      Code 5523                        |
|    / /  ||/ / / /  ||   / /                                        |
|   / /   |/ / / /   ||  /_/_ _   adamson@itd.nrl.navy.mil           |
|   \/     \/  \/     \  \ _ _ _\                                    |
|____________________________________________________________________|

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 21 Apr 1993 12:03:28 -0400
From:         idealord 
Subject:      Re: pitch bend

>
> >>this
> >>precision provides a great deal of flexibility in response implementation
> >
> >... except that I have never come across any synth that either transmits or
> >respects the LSB of pitchbend messages. All the ones I've played with are
> >7-bit only.
> >
>

Doesn't the Yamaha SY99 respond to so-called "Hi-Res" pitch bend?

Jeff Harrington
idealord@dorsai.dorsai.org

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 21 Apr 1993 13:26:48 EDT
From:         "J. Foote" 
Subject:      Re: pitch bend

>Posted on 21 Apr 1993 at 09:44:56 by Brian Adamson
>of precise control is required.  I was able to get special versions of CM
>Automation's
>MIDI controlled mixer with 2-byte (14 bits) of control over fader settings
>and this so
>far has worked fine (with specially written control software of course .. I
>haven't found
>a 14 bit joystick other than a mouse, yet) fo my application


Now wait a minute. Even if they made a 14 bit joystick, do you really have the
manual dexterity to use it? Assume a 4 cm travel in one dimension. 14 bits
means a liner resolution of better than 1/100000 meters or TEN MICRONS!
Same for faders or pitch bend wheels. I can see where you might have an
application (e.g. a "digital Theremin" where you control pitch with a
continuous controller) where you might need that kind of resolution, but for
bending and fading it's a little ridiculous.



  Jonathan Foote           :                        :
Division of Engineering    :        internet:       :      BITNET:
Brown University,  Box D   :    jtf@lems.brown.edu  :   JFOOTE@BROWNVM
Providence, RI  02912      :                        :

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 21 Apr 1993 17:20:48 -0500
From:         Brian Adamson 
Subject:      Re: pitch bend

>>Posted on 21 Apr 1993 at 09:44:56 by Brian Adamson
>>of precise control is required.  I was able to get special versions of CM
>>Automation's
>>MIDI controlled mixer with 2-byte (14 bits) of control over fader settings
>>and this so
>>far has worked fine (with specially written control software of course .. I
>>haven't found
>>a 14 bit joystick other than a mouse, yet) fo my application
>
>
>Now wait a minute. Even if they made a 14 bit joystick, do you really have the
>manual dexterity to use it? Assume a 4 cm travel in one dimension. 14 bits
>means a liner resolution of better than 1/100000 meters or TEN MICRONS!
>Same for faders or pitch bend wheels. I can see where you might have an
>application (e.g. a "digital Theremin" where you control pitch with a
>continuous controller) where you might need that kind of resolution, but for
>bending and fading it's a little ridiculous.
>

   Your right, of course. I'm not using a joystick, but rather a computer
to control
my fairly precise fader settings (& 8-bit not 14 anyway).  Although CM
provided me with
LSB & MSB the, D/A converter they control their VCA chips with is 8-bit,
not 14. I'm
not disappointed with 8-bit (255 levels over 110 dB range) control but
definitely needed
better than 7-bit control.

>
>
>  Jonathan Foote           :                        :
>Division of Engineering    :        internet:       :      BITNET:
>Brown University,  Box D   :    jtf@lems.brown.edu  :   JFOOTE@BROWNVM
>Providence, RI  02912      :                        :

-Brian A.

------------------------------
Date:         Fri, 23 Apr 1993 07:39:45 +0000
From:         Nick Rothwell 
Subject:      Re: pitch bend

>I was able to get special versions of CM
>Automation's
>MIDI controlled mixer with 2-byte (14 bits) of control over fader settings

Would you like to tell us something about this mixer? I've heard of it but
no nothing about it.

>I
>haven't found
>a 14 bit joystick other than a mouse, yet) fo my application

If your main concern is smoothness, you could use something like MAX to
take 7-bit controller data and interpolate.

                        Nick Rothwell   |   cassiel@cassiel.demon.co.uk
     CASSIEL Contemporary Music/Dance   |   cassiel@cix.compulink.co.uk

------------------------------
Date:         Mon, 26 Apr 1993 09:07:17 -0500
From:         Brian Adamson 
Subject:      Re: pitch bend

>>I was able to get special versions of CM
>>Automation's
>>MIDI controlled mixer with 2-byte (14 bits) of control over fader settings
>>Would you like to tell us something about this mixer? I've heard of it but
>>no nothing about it.

    The mixers I have are CM Automation's MX-816 ($779.95 US retail) which
is a 16 channel MIDI controlled mixer (single 19" rack space). It sums 2
groups of 8 channels to 2 individual outputs and each of the 16 channels
also have its own output so that this box can be used as an automated
(faders) front end to your own 16 channel mixer.  (There is also an 8
channel version which retails for $489.95 and can be expanded to 16 by the
user with a $289.95 kit)

   The faders are of course controlled via continuous controller messages
(The mixer has an internal 7 bit -> 8 bit map to produce an attenuation
curve.  My special application required precise control over attenuation so
I have
specially modified version which accept 8 bit (LSB + MSB) controller messages.)

  The MX-816 has a 100 patch memory for storage & instant recall of fader
setting snap shots and scene fade times.  It uses MIDI Note On/Off events
for
individual channel muting & Fade Time data entry.  You can gate individual
audio channels on & off with MIDI Note On/Off event also.  A neat feature
is that a 17th controler message (in addition to 16 controlling channel
attenuation) can be used to fade between 2 stored snapshot scenes.  A
simple example is between a scene with all channels volume off and a stored
mix to fade out from a mix in an easy way ... A more complex application
would be fading between 2 different effects mixes.

System Exclusive messages are supported for parameter changes and patch
storage and recall via MIDI.

  The audio quality is pristine. Better than 95 dB SNR, over 116 dB dynamic
range, +/- 1 dB freq response from 5 Hz to 80 kHz.  Less than .01% THD
(unweighted).  The MX-816 works with either -10 or +4 dBV levels (over 22
dBV max).

        Other niceties include a ground lift switch, gold palted Audio
jacks throughout, 28 different preprogrammed master autofades (up or down).
 There is also an ugly little control console available for it also phantom
powered via MIDI (not using MIDI data lines, but actually using Pin 3 of
the MIDI connector..the MX-816 puts +9V DC on this pin)

DISADVANTAGES: No MIDI Through except for MIDI Note Events, Start, Stop,
Continue, CLock, Patch Change, Continuous Controller, and MX-816 Sys
Exclusive messages (no other sys. exclusive messages).

>
>>I
>>haven't found
>>a 14 bit joystick other than a mouse, yet) fo my application
>
>If your main concern is smoothness, you could use something like MAX to
>take 7-bit controller data and interpolate.

   Smoothness isn't a problem. They use VCAs, filtering the control voltage
to get rid of any type of "zipper noise".

   I've been happy with using the box, the company's been supportive to my
special needs
>
>                        Nick Rothwell   |   cassiel@cassiel.demon.co.uk
>     CASSIEL Contemporary Music/Dance   |   cassiel@cix.compulink.co.uk
 ____________________________________________________________________
|                     _ _ _                                          |
|        /|\    /\  /\_ _ /\  /\       R. Brian Adamson              |
|       / ||   / / / /   / / / /      Naval Research Laboratory      |
|      / /||  / / /_/_ _/ / / /      Information Technology Division |
|     / / || / / / \_|\_\/ / /      Code 5523                        |
|    / /  ||/ / / /  ||   / /                                        |
|   / /   |/ / / /   ||  /_/_ _   adamson@itd.nrl.navy.mil           |
|   \/     \/  \/     \  \ _ _ _\                                    |
|____________________________________________________________________|

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 31 Mar 1993 16:24:27 GMT
From:         Tom Bushell 
Subject:      Programming info for popular music cards?

I am looking for ways to send World Meteorological Organization
radio-facsimile transmissions of weather charts for ships from a
PC.  This requires the production of discrete tones between 300
and 2300 Hz.

Currently, we are considering writing software for an
off-the-shelf music card such as Soundblaster, since the
hardware is so readily available.  My questions are:

1) How easy are the popular sound cards to program down at the
   bare metal?

2) How good is the programmer's documentation?

3) Can anyone suggest a better approach?


Thanks in advance,

-Tom Bushell (Software Kinetics Ltd., Dartmouth, NS, Canada)

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End of the EMUSIC-L Digest
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