<html><head><title>SqueekySynth 1.1 Instruction Manual</title></head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">

<table width=100% border=0><tr>
<td width=50% align=left><a href="General%20MIDI">&lt;&lt; Previous (General MIDI)</a></td>
<td width=50% align=right><a href="MIDI%20Implementation%20Chart">Next (MIDI Implementation Chart) &gt;&gt;</a></td>
</tr></table>
<hr>

<h2>Composing Music with SqueekySynth</h2>

This is the purpose for which SqueekySynth was written, and as such is optimized for this role. The aim of this section of the manual is to cover using SqueekySynth in conjunction with the current most popular BeOS sequencer: Sequitur.<p>

Firstly, start SqueekySynth. Then, start Sequitur and create a new, blank project.<p>

For this example, we shall create a piece of music using SqueekySynth as the only sound source. It is obviously possible (and indeed, recommended) to mix and match different sound sources in a single piece of music.<p>

For the first step, we will programme a drum section. This will be on track #1 of Sequitur.<p>

The first step is to assign track #1 to SqueekySynth. To the far right of the Sequitur main window, you will see a list of MIDI port icons. Move the mouse over the icon for track #1, and click the small downwards-pointing arrow to call up a pop-up menu. Point to "Change To", and then select "MidiPortGlue(in)", as illustrated below:<p>

<table border=4><tr><td>
<img src="Images/Sequence%201">
</td></tr></table>

<p>

The devices you see listed in this menu are the various MIDI destinations on your system. Some may be physical MIDI ports on your computer, while others may be software synthesizers, like SqueekySynth.<p>

<dl><dt><b>Note:</b></dt><dd>
Since SqueekySynth uses the original BeOS MIDI API, as opposed to the new but undocumented "midi 2" API, SqueekySynth shows up as "MidiPortGlue(in)" instead of "SqueekySynth". This titling problem is an unfortunate limitation of the BeOS MIDI API, and will be addressed by switching to "midi 2" in a future release.</dd></dl><p>

The next step is to load an appropriate Soundfont file into SqueekySynth. In this example, I have loaded a dedicated "Acoustic Drum Kit" Soundfont as bank #0, which has a single bank containing two different drum kits, as presets #0 and #1.<p>

If you are using a General MIDI Soundfont, you will find the percussion on channel #10. However, since I loaded a dedicated drum Soundfont, the percussion is available on any channel providing one of the presets in the Soundfont are selected.<p>

The next step is to select an appropriate preset in Sequitur. This is performed by inserting a "patch change" in the first bar of the song (the music will start on bar #2). Consult the Sequitur documentation for specifics.<p>

In this example, I have selected preset #0, which is an acoustic drum kit. Since I have not inserted any bank change messages, bank #0 is being used.<p>

The finished drum section is shown below. Note the "patch change" at the start of the song:<p>

<table border=4><tr><td>
<img src="Images/Sequence%202">
</td></tr></table>

<p>

Now it's time for a bass part. For this, we will use a General MIDI Soundfont file. Since the General MIDI file contains a full bank of presets (128 of them), we will put it on its own bank number, to avoid it overlapping with the acoustic drum set loaded earlier:<p>

<table border=4><tr><td>
<img src="Images/Sequence%203">
</td></tr></table>

<p>

Returning to the Sequitur main window, we shall assign track #2 to SqueekySynth, as we did for track #1. Ensure that track #2 is using a different MIDI channel to track #1.<p>

Now bank #1 (for the General MIDI Soundfont), and preset #36 (for "Slap Bass 1") need to be selected. In common with many other MIDI devices, SqueekySynth uses controller #0 to select banks. Therefore a controller #0 event with a value of 1 should be inserted. This will be followed by a "patch change" message, to select the preset. This is illustrated below:<p>

<table border=4><tr><td>
<img src="Images/Sequence%204">
</td></tr></table>

<p>

The programmed bass part is shown above. Note also the bank change message on controller #0 (marked in the image with a red arrow, due to its marginal visibility), followed by the "patch change" message.<p>

Further parts can be added in the same way, using different banks and patches as appropriate. The "finished" piece is shown below:<p>

<table border=4><tr><td>
<img src="Images/Sequence%205">
</td></tr></table>

<p>

As the piece is complete, it is time to mix it. Mixdown will be performed entirely inside SqueekySynth, by inserting volume, pan, and effect send controllers at the start of the song.<p>

First, controller #91 is used to apply some reverb to the drum part. The default reverb preset is obviously a poor match for this piece, as it overcrowds the mix. Alternative presets are tested in SqueekySynth, in the "Effects" page, until a close match is found -- the "Light Studio" setting. This has a slightly too short reverb time, so the "Room Size" is increased using the slider.<p>

The same process is then repeated for the other tracks. Controller #93 is then used to apply chorus where required. Finally, controllers #7 (volume) and #10 (pan) are used to finalize the mix.<p>

<h3>Important Notice</h3>

If you are composing music using SqueekySynth version 1.1, record all finished works as audio for archival purposes. SqueekySynth is still in its early stages of evolution, and important synthesizer parameters (e.g., velocity sensitivity curve, etc.) are likely to change in subsequent releases. As a result, there is a strong chance your music will sound different (and incorrect) on later versions of SqueekySynth.


<br>


<hr>
<table width=100% border=0><tr>
<td width=50% align=left><a href="General%20MIDI">&lt;&lt; Previous (General MIDI)</a></td>
<td width=50% align=right><a href="MIDI%20Implementation%20Chart">Next (MIDI Implementation Chart) &gt;&gt;</a></td>
</tr></table>





</body></html>
