Machine Shop MS3

Machine Shop MS3

by Lol Taylor

Suggestions by Lol Taylor

It is rather difficult for comparative beginners like myself to grasp the subtleties in the programming of many of the examples we get. Beginners might be put off completely when they compare their own prowess. MS3 was devised as something they could work with. A knowledge of music is unnecessary, and probably a hindrance!

Feel perfectly free to experiment with this program ($.Machine). You have my full permission. Here are some notes about it.

I have chosen a bar length of 240, as this also divides by 5. Part 'a' is 50 bars long, part 'b' 46 bars, and part 'd' 12 bars. Part 'c' is a fairly orthodox interlude and can be disregarded.

The musical(?) phrase words have a suffix which gives their length in bars. E.g. 'sub-6' is 6 bars long.

I obtained some squared paper (at least 50 columns wide) and wrote down the player numbers several lines apart. It was then easy to note each player with instruments:

pitch @ loudness* o

staccato q staccatissimo sq

legato y pan p

(* 3o = pp 8o = ff

stands for a number)

I then filled in the squares opposite each part number with the phrases and rests (e.g. 6 squares for sub-6) so that they all totalled the same length (e.g. 50 bars in part 'a').

Here is a summary of the phrase words:

sub- = subject,

csub- = countersubject,

hiss- = note 2:C,

ped- = note -2:C,

n- = note 0:C,

up- = chromatic scale etc.,

sli- = a slide downwards,

sli0 = a slide upwards etc.,

larum- = alarm,

r- = a rest.

To study a part, say "part6a", call up the Notepad. In command mode type ' "part6a"GET ' then 'mix' then '6 SHARE'. Press TAB to go into the editor and then . To hear the same phrases on bdrum say, go into command mode and type '8 SHARE' (if bdrum is still in player 8 in the 'mix' word) and then go back into the editor and press .

To hear a few instruments at a time go into command mode and type, say, ' "123-a"PLAY ' as an example. You will need to type 'mix' again and ' SHARE ' after doing that, if you wish to hear a part in the editor.

When you experiment you can try out your own ideas for phrases. There's plenty of scope: aviary, jungle, aquarium, motorway, cavern etc., when you get tired of machinery!

Lol Taylor.