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Disk 18 News
THE MAGNIFICENT "SOUND MACHINE" FOR SAM. By Paul Angel.
Revelation Label from Sam Computers. £14.99.
Review by David Wornham.
Those of us who welcomed the progress from BEEP to the simple to
use 3 channel PLAY command on the 128K Spectrums must have
shared the excitement on hearing of Sam's stereo 6 channel SOUND
capability, then the disappointment on finding its complexity to
use and sparsity of help in the Sam User's Guide. However, the
introduction by Sam Computer's Revelation of Paul Angel's
Magnificent Sound Machine now opens Sam's musical talents to all
users, from experienced composers to newcomers in the field of
sound. This is a program that really has to be experienced to
appreciate its capabilities and ease of use but, having worked
through the manual once, I am convinced of it's potential and
shall attempt to describe its workings.
£14.99 (surely we all know it's really £15) buys you two disks
(one blank "for your compositions" but I used it to "back up"
the original), a plastic box (which I find space and money
wasting, but no doubt the advertising experts will disagree) and
a good 70 page manual, spoilt only by its lack of an index. On
pressing F9, Uncle Sam, complete with shades, appears on screen
with his electronic accordian whilst the program loads,
producing a clear orange cursor arrow for use with mouse AND
O/P, Q/A keys. I liked this touch, as mouse or keys can be used
without any change - just a pity the cursor keys, which can
easily be used with one hand, are not also implemented.
Moving the arrow to the screen top left and clicking (or key M)
on a small triangle (which is not obvious until reading the
booklet),"pulls down" a menu with a pictorial choice of Music
(notes), Sound (sine wave) or Quit (Q). This professional style
of menu is used throughout the program and has a smart shaded
grey "tubular" effect.
Music Editor selection brings a file handling screen with black
and white musical keyboards on both sides and a welcome,
unusually wide, choice of LOAD, SAVE, MERGE, VERIFY, DIRectory,
COPY, HIDE, PROTECT, ERASE, DRIVE 1/2, MUSIC DATA, MACRO DATA,
WAVEFORM DATA and QUIT. Another pleasing touch throughout is the
display of red "ON" lights for items selected.
One small niggle here (although in common with many other other
programs): with Load, Save, Merge or Copy a short DIRectory
(although restricted to the type of file required: Music, Sound
or Macro) is automatically displayed, with no choice of omission
or Long DIR. This is a nuisance when the name is known, and more
so when the disk contains many items. The DIR is also restricted
to a small window within the file handling screen which,
although looking good, means that the required program name has
a limited chance of remaining in view when needed for typing.
Customising can be done by executing DIR with an absent disk,
pressing the BREAK button and amending line 1040 onwards, but
beware, enlarging the DIR window loses that part of the file
handling screen.
Three demonstrations are included, two showing the effect of
differing sounds on one tune with the "Drums" sequence giving an
example using mainly percussion effects. Although initially a
little disappointed at the lack of a wider selection of demos.,
I realise now that this very fact encourages use of the program
to explore its potential.
Having LOADed the data, the editing screen is selected to
display a vertical musical keyboard alongside a grid, similar to
a guitar's frets, on which the notes are selected and displayed.
A lower, horizontal keyboard displays the notes whilst being
played, and the controls are central.
A simulated set of tape deck controls give a clear use of PLAY,
RE-WIND, FORWARD, STOP and PAUSE. Having loaded the first demo.
I selected PLAY and was pleasantly surprised to see green,
yellow and red "equaliser" type volume bars for each channel
dancing up and down in time to the music. The timing of the
demos. is impeccable, as it should be, but a welcome contrast to
some musical entries on disk mags. which often just get it
wrong. A "slider" tempo control will vary the speed, but will
not operate during play, although this is not a problem.
Described as a "fun" feature, a "real time" control allows the
computer keyboard to be used to play music using keys shown on
screen in a similar pattern to a musical keyboard.
Writing music with Sound Machine is very simple. The five line
convention of the musical stave is omitted in favour of the more
logical grid. This will not assist the reading of music, and may
not please the traditionalists. Although I am an
ex-instrumentalist, I found the grid to be a very good, more
logical system for composing.
Having selected one of the 6 channels, moving the arrow to the
required grid position also gives a yellow square on the correct
position on the keyboard, which will be of use to potential or
actual keyboard players. "Clicking" not only enters the note on
the grid as a coloured rectangle but plays it and - here comes
the real bonus - also plays all the notes selected at that time
on the other channels. This means that if, like me, you do not
know much theory of harmonisation, but know when it "sounds
right", you can move the pointer around the keyboard until the
desired effect is achieved. Differing lengths of note are
achieved by continuing the same note on the same channel, so to
separate notes at the same pitch another channel must be
selected, which is simple to use in practice.
In addition to the demonstrations on the disk, the booklet
contains 5 worked examples as user exercises, giving a good
introduction to the system. For those unfamiliar with music
notation, an introduction to the conventional five line stave is
included to assist entry to Sound Machine from written music.
Whilst entering music there are excellent "play back" facilities
for checking short lengths at a time, octave change, insert /
overwrite, selective channel play, go to start/end, clear
current/all channels, repeat current/all channels, mark, copy,
cut, paste, move blocks etc. A "Macro" feature gives the option
to store a pattern of notes for use elsewhere at any pitch or
channel. As you will have gathered, the program has all the
expected facilities, and more, of a word processor but applied
to sound.
All the above can be done using the original sound or waveform.
Although Sound Machine does not claim the repertoire of a
synthesiser, the user can design a large variety of differing
sounds, to emulate varying instruments and other noises. These
can be stored as 10 different waveforms and used in different
channels to give an "orchestra" effect.
The Waveform Generator is obtained from the title screen, which
means Quitting first if using the Music Editor. A file handling
screen appears from which is obtained the working area. There
are two grids, one for the envelope and one for the wave form.
The Envelope gives the "shape" of the note when amplitude is
compared with time and includes 6 examples. The envelope is
designed using the same method as the Music Editor, by clicking
on 8 positions on a grid, with the results here being displayed
as green outlined bars.
The waveform affects the frequency of the note. A "pure" note,
such as produced by a tuning fork, has a constant frequency,
but other instruments produce varying styles of minor frequency
change whilst playing the "same" note. The waveform is designed
using 8 "slider controls" and displayed on the grid as a yellow
line.
Whether or not the user understands the theory of sound, it is
simple to change and combine these variables to produce sounds
by "trial and error". Octave and pitch can be varied, with a
"mirror image" command for both envelope and waveform but,
unfortunately, not independently.
When your tunes, macros, and sounds have been produced they can
be saved for later use or distribution to others. The disk
contains routines for simple merging and use within other Basic
programs. Whilst Sound Machine is, of course, copyright, I have
written to Sam Computers requesting permission to use the
supplied routines in distributed programs. I believe that such
permission to programmers and disk magazines is in their
interests as it will encourage all who purchase Sound Machine to
send others their work and so encourage more sales.
In conclusion, although some minor improvements have been
suggested, this is a superb, professionally presented and
executed program, simple for all to use and excellent value.
Even if you have the skill to write Sam music in Basic or code
you cannot afford to miss the ease and pleasure of using Sound
Machine. Well done Paul Angel.
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** M A N I C M I N E R **
A REVIEW BY CAROL A HALL
After waiting with mounting impatience, I finally received my
copy of Manic Miner for the Sam. The main screen is different
from the original, much less frenetic without the 'krazy piano',
but still retains the familiar background and music from the
Spectrum version. A message scrolls along the bottom of the
screen giving the control keys. Also on the main screen, the
player is presented with three options; the original set of
screens and two other sets representing deeper and yet deeper
caverns. The degree of difficulty, however, does not increase
with these two other options. You select the game required by
pressing the keys 1, 2 or 3, entering one of the games is not
dependent on completing the prevous one.
I found the new game immensely playable, just as much fun as
the old Manic Miner and the controls just as easy to manipulate,
infact, a game that can be played with one hand if desired. One
is only given three lives to start with, so plenty of care is
required to keep going, though you do seem to get additional
lives if you get far enough!!! One noticeable difference while
playing the game, is the replacement of the 'reducing air strip'
by a pair of air bottles or tanks. Game 1 follows fairly closely
( as far as I've managed to get ), the original, whilst games 2
and 3 present some new problems to solve, ( OHHH for a cheat
poke ). The graphics are mostly as good as the originals, making
reasonable use of the Sam' colour and sound abilities and of
course, no colour clashes, animation is smooth, and control of
main character is good, with the timing fiendishly ( but
manageably ) calculated in places.
* CONLUSIONS *
For those of us who prefer platform games to any other, this
AUGMENTED re-issue is a very welcome addition to the list of Sam
software. It retains all the charm and 'playability' of the
original, and then gives you two extra games. Excellent value
for money, a colourful, friendly, playable, frustrating and
addictive SET of games. A REAL WINNER.... GREAT....
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A few snippets of news on the Samco front this month, starting
with the news that the next game due for release is "BATZ AND
BALLZ". This, if you hadn't already guessed, is an ARKANOID
clone, and very good it looked too, when I saw a pre- production
copy of it at the Swansea computer show.
The game should be ready for release about the same time as the
second issue of the Samco newsdisc.
I talked to Adrian Parker at Samco, and he tells me that they
have had a good few Spectrum and Sam games submitted for their
approval, and some of them will be published as soon as
possible. One of the programs that Adrian mentioned was for all
you astronomers out there, and is a fully fledged astronomy
program for the Sam.
On the hardware front, Mike Andrews has converted a Spectrum
digitizer to work with the Sam, and very well it does it too,
but a little fiddly to use.
Samco has seen another digitizer which is specifically built for
the machine. This may be marketed when the hardware and software
have been tided up a bit.
The All Formats London show venue has been changed as from the
14th March 1992. This show is to be held at Hammersmith, and all
London shows thereafter at Sandown racecourse, Surrey.
John Riding, told Jean (the wife), who does all the Supplements
show bookings, that this is because the price for the
Horticultural Halls had risen sharply, and he had to find a
cheaper venue.
This means that the Supplement will have to work out the
logistics of getting to Sandown, and if it is really worth the
trouble. We shall be at the Hammersmith show on the 14th March,
but I shall have to let you know which Sandown ones we are
doing.
If you have any news or info on the Sam, please write to me at
the Editors usual address.
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