Kevin Doyle

As anticipated in the previous issue of AMPLINEX, the Music 5000 waveform designer software is now available. The Wave Designer (written by Mr Jonty Stockdale and sold under the name 'Soundsculptures') is a package consisting of a ROM, a floppy disc and a 140-page manual.

The software was originally written to work with AMPLE BCE but has been altered to integrate with the Studio 5000 software.

The Wave Designer is a collection of waveform design utilities linked to a mode 0 editing screen and with access to 13 waveforms in memory in addition to the one in the editor. Single waveforms or sets of 13 ('presets') can be saved to disc and additional software allows the waveforms to be loading into the Studio 5000 environment in place of the default waveforms supplied.

Installation

After following the ROM installation instructions the first activity is to revise the Studio 5000 system disc. This adds an extra line to the !BOOT file and copies four files to the Studio 5000 system disc.

It is worth warning those who have altered their !BOOT files that this process writes a completely new one - so you may wish to copy your existing file first in order to reconstruct it later.

You should also ensure that you have space for the four additional files on your Studio 5000 disc since the installation routine will simply start again if it encounters a 'disc full' error.

The Wave Designer normally operates using two discs: the System disc which, when !BOOTed, loads and runs the Wave Designer software and a Waveform disc which holds the finished waveforms and linking software for using the waveforms in the Studio 5000 environment.

A program is provided to create empty Waveform discs (for your own work) and a number of sample waveforms are stored on the disc supplied.

The manual

The manual begins with an excellent 12 page introduction to the principles of sound synthesis, explaining terms such as waveform, frequency and timbre and how the Music 500/0 synthesiser generates sound from waveform data. It also outlines the principles of waveform design, a subject which is expanded on in a later, lengthier appendix. The manual then explains each of the functions in turn with many sample screens illustrated.

With no waveforms loaded, reading the manual is rather an academic exercise and I would advise anyone beginning to use the product to turn to the chapter on loading waveforms and to load in one of the presets provided to use whilst reading the manual.

The editing screen

The Wave Designer operates via a mode 0 editing screen which consists of a display area allowing 128 individual points on a waveform to be moved on a scale from -127 to +127. Below the graphics area is a grid showing the 20 different functions associated with the f0-f9 keys.

The 128 points are manipulated with the cursor keys and a small arrow indicates which of the points is being edited. Information about the point number and its value is also displayed at the the top of the screen as it is being edited.

Sine waves and additive synthesis

An alternative method of waveform creation is provided using sine wave addition. Up to 64 harmonics can be assigned a strength (0-100%) and a phase (0-100%) and the program will then calculate the resulting waveform. Another means of creating waveforms is provided through the 'Pre-Vu+' feature which allows two waveforms to be combined.

The function keys

The function keys (f0-f9) are used to invoke the various utilities available. As well as performing the waveform and 'preset' filing functions - transferring between memory and screen or memory and disc - these allow the current waveform to be displayed in a continuous line (oscilloscope) format or as a filled solid about the horizontal zero axis. The current waveform or any of those in memory can be also be shown as a table of values.

Other functions allow the current waveform to be inverted (+ to -) or reversed (left to right). A utility is also provided to print out of any of the screens within the Wave Designer.

For those with a joystick there is the additional facility to create a waveform using this device.

Playing the current waveform

The Wave Designer provides a gateway into the Studio 5000 environment which allows the current waveform to be played through the Music 500(0) synthesiser. After selecting 'Play' from within the Wave Designer and inserting the Studio 5000 System disc, Studio 5000 is installed and a test program called 'Panel' is loaded and run.

The program provides a sample instrument definition in Notepad which plays using the Wave Designer's current waveform. The current waveform from the Wave Designer replaces the 'Hollow' waveform.

However, the transfer between the Wave Designer and the Studio 5000 only works for the current waveform - the waveforms stored in memory are lost. Waveforms in memory must be saved to disc before control is transferred to the Studio 5000.

Playing waveforms from disc

To use the saved waveforms in the Studio 5000 the 'Panel' program is used. When loaded the program provides a menu which allows individual waveforms (or complete 'presets') to be loaded in place of the default waveforms.

To play a loaded waveform you need to know which of the preset waveforms it replaced. Then the name of the preset waveform ('Bright', Broad' etc.) is used in the instrument definition to play the new waveform.

Another menu option in the 'Panel' program keeps track of the waveforms currently in use but a list of the defaults names and their corresponding 'bank' number provided in the manual soon becomes necessary if more than a couple of waveforms are loaded.

If the current waveform was transferred from the Wave Designer to the Studio 5000 for testing it is possible to transfer back into the Wave Designer to continue the design process. In this way the waveform design can be amended until the desired sound is achieved.

Conclusion

The Wave Designer is an intelligent and well-presented piece of software. The screen displays are clear and uncluttered and its many options allow a degree of control and flexibility beyond anything offered by AMPLE BCE. The manual provides a good deal of advice on the use of the product and my only criticism is its failure to give working examples of the functions as they are described.

My few minor criticisms of the software are mainly due to its 'closed' design. For example, the inability to access any other drive but 0 caused a lot of unnecessary disc swapping and I am sure most other users will have dual-sided if not dual disc drives. There was also no access to the operating system from within the Wave Designer which could be rather restricting.

Similarly, it would have seemed more logical (if only one option was to be included) to make the freehand design facility work via the cursor keys rather than only via a joystick. I also found that the print routine wouldn't work with my Star printer due to its not-quite-Epson compatibility - but there was no apparent means of altering the print routine.

The main disappointment with the package is in its level of integration with the Studio 5000 software. The switching between discs (Wave Designer System disc, Studio 5000 System disc, Waveform disc) to play waveforms became irritating - especially since hearing the waveform is the only real test of a new design.

I am sure that a higher level of integration is possible but I suspect that this would require the opening of some of the secrets of the Studio 5000 system, and that Hybrid Technology were unwilling to go that far.

The other effect of this low level of integration is, of course, that any waveforms created are only usable by others with the Wave Designer software.

The 'Advanced Sound Studio' software (which was to include waveform and envelope design) which Hybrid announced in July 1987 has yet to be given a delivery date or price.

I would, therefore, recommend this software to anyone who has an interest in extending their use of the Studio 5000 system and who is willing to invest a small amount of time in getting to know its features.

It corrects a glaring deficiency in the Studio 5000 system and is educative as well as effective in filling this gap.

The Wave Designer is available from:

Mr J Stockdale, 7 Newhey Road, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 2AQ

priced £29.00 including postage and packing. Cheques should be made payable to 'J Stockdale'.

Please note this is a new address, different from that given in AMPLINEX 002.