/\ /\ \ A Quick Users Guide to /__\ \ The ASTRAsoft Storm! Demo _/_ _\_\_ ========================= * This program needs an 80 column screen and 1Mb memory* Introduction ============ We hope you'll find most of the standard functions in Storm! simple to use and intuitive, so the best way to use this demo is to try things out! To give you a quick introduction to the main features available each section of the main window is explained below. Enjoy! David Oakley, 18th March 1994. To find out more... =================== Storm! will be available in May 1994 from Goodman International, price œ24.95 (+p&p outside UK). Once you've had a go at using the demo, you can get release details by contacting Mike Goodman at: Goodman International 16 Conrad Close Meir Hay Estate Longton Stoke-on-Trent ST3 1SW ENGLAND For technical inquiries or to give comments and suggestions, write to ASTRAsoft directly at: David Oakley 6 Watlands Rd Bignall End Stoke-on-Trent ST7 8QQ Internet email: dxo@cs.bham.ac.uk ICL WINS: D.Oakley Compatibility ============= To run Storm! you must have the following: o 80 column screen (ST-High or most TT/Falcon modes) o 1Mb memory o Do not run Storm! in MultiTOS protected mode o On some Falcons you may need a patch program such as FPATCH.PRG to turn on STe sound The program has been tested on a 1Mb/4Mb STe, 4Mb MegaSTe, 16Mb TT and 4Mb Falcon030. We are interested to hear of any setups that interefere with Storm!'s running. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Stave ========= All entries on the stave follow a simple rule: LEFT mouse button adds or alters a note/fx, RIGHT mouse button removes a note or effect. Notes and effects added to the stave always overwrite any note of the current voice which was at that position. In the case of notes, double clicking the left mouse button on an existing note sharps/naturals the note without changing the sample number. There are two keyboard shortcuts to move around the stave: Cursor keys LEFT and RIGHT scroll forward and backwards through the stave. Samples ======= The sample number of any note to be added to the stave is selected by clicking the UP/DOWN buttons next to the Sample number. The keyboard shortcuts for samples all use the numeric keypad and are as follows: Key Effect ========================================= Num[+] Increase sample number Num[-] Decrease sample number Num[1..9] Select sample #1..9 Shift-Num[0..9] Select sample #10-19 Ctrl-Num[0..9] Select sample #20-29 Sft-Ctrl-Num[0..1] Select sample #30-31 Loading samples is done using the 'Samples' menu (saving is disabled in the demo version). 'Import' overwrites the current sample, and 'New' adds a sample at the first empty sample number. Storm! accepts signed(.SAM) and unsigned(.SPL) sample files and AVR files as produced by most AVR/Microdeal software. The Sample Editor is also available to perform editing on the sample. Voices ====== Since ProTracker/Storm! songs have 4 voices, clicking on the icons '1' to '4' select the current voice. Function keys [F1] to [F4] are the keyboard shortcuts for these icons. Block Mode ========== Clicking the Block icon (next to the voice icons) or pressing [F5] selects block mode where whole sections of music can be cut or copied and pasted. To select a section simply hold down the LEFT mouse button and drag towards the right of the screen. At the right edge of the screen the stave will scroll so that large sections can be selected. Clicking 'Cut Block' makes a copy of the selected block, and then gives you the option of pulling the music after the section back to fill the gap or simply blanking the cut section. 'Copy Block' makes a copy of the selected block in the block buffer. When 'Paste Block' is selected, the mouse cursor becomes a pointing hand when over the stave. Clicking here will paste music from the block buffer starting at the mouse position, or abort the operation if the cursor is not on the stave. Any music on the stave is deleted if overwritten by the pasted block. Insert/Delete Mode ================== The Ins/Del mode icon is to the right of the block icon, and shows the cursor between two notes. Clicking this icon or pressing [Tab] toggles it on or off. In Ins/Del mode, space is created on the stave by pressing the LEFT mouse button and deleted using the RIGHT mouse button. If you are in normal voice mode (one of the '1' to '4' icons is lit), only the current voice is affected; in Block mode all voiced are affected. Effects ======= Effects are shown on a single line at the top of the stave. If no effects are present you will see a line of dots, one for each note position. There are five effects panels, which all appear in the top right section of the screen. The icons below it show which panel is visible, and these are as respectively: Panel Key Contents ======================================== Volume F6 Set volume level; Slide Volume Up/Down Pitch Slide F7 Slide Pitch Up/Down; Fine Slide; Slide to Note Vibrato etc F8 Arpeggio (play 3 notes quickly); Vibrato; Tremelo Sample F9 Offset (start sample playback at offset); Retrigger (repeatedly restart sample); Cut sample (stop sample after period); Delay (delay sample playback for period) Pattern F10 Speed/Tempo (playback speed); Position Jump (goto position number); Pattern Break (goto note in next pattern); Delay (pause playback for period) All effects are added to a specific voice by selecting the voice and using the LEFT mouse button on the FX line and removed using the RIGHT mouse button. All except Pattern Effects affect only the note/voice being played. Numeric keypad keys [(] and [)] decrease and increase the effect parameter respectively. Positions and Patterns ====================== A ProTracker/Storm! song consists of a set of up to 64 patterns which may be played in any sequence. Patterns may be repeated as many times in the song as needed. The current position in the song sequence and the current pattern number are shown in the top left corner of the main window. Changing the pattern to be played at a certain position is done by moving the sequence cursor to the position to be changed and then using the Pattern [+] and [-] keys to select the new pattern. Patterns can be inserted and deleted using the buttons provided. The duplicate button ('DUP') creates a copy of the current pattern either directly after it or at the end of the song. Note that any pattern which does not appear anywhere in the sequence is automatically deleted, so to move a pattern in the sequence it must first be added at the new position and then deleted from the old position. =========================================================================