NOTES | |
---|---|
Field Name | Note |
Drum-Speak | This is where you enter your pattern. See this page for much more detailed info |
Release it? | You have to try not to write in a release in the pattern you type above. Instead, use this. I know it's hard sometimes not to write the release into the pattern (because you usually think/say it) but it makes handling transitions and repeats much easier if you simply use the "Release it?" field instead. |
Flam the release? | Self-explanatory? (see "Grace Notes" note below for more) |
Play Beat Indicator? | Plays generally a Cowbell on every beat. It also respects time signature changes. See Volume Notes below |
Play Bar Indicator | Plays generally a Crash Cymbal at bar boundaries. It respects time signature changes. See Volume Notes below |
Time Signature | Anything that has quarter note or eighth note as the beat will work (i.e. */4 or */8) |
Repeats | repeat your pattern 0 or more times |
Start Tempo | Number of beats per minute (between 30-350) |
Tempo Change /Repeat | • This will alter (+/-) the tempo every time the pattern is repeated
• If there is a transition pattern, the tempo change will occur at the point the transition pattern starts. Otherwise, it will occur at the point where the pattern repeats. • The final tempo must also be between 30 and 350 bpm or an error will occur. |
Intro Pattern | • Select from the list
• This is played at the very beginning, before your pattern is played. • Its time signature does not need to match your pattern's time signature |
Transition Pattern | • Like the Intro Pattern but this is played after your pattern is played as long as your pattern is still to be repeated |
Voices | These correspond to the "GENERAL MIDI" drum assignment values listed here |
More Notes | |
---|---|
Ticks | • 120 ticks make up a quarternote. Everything else is defined relative to this value. Therefore an eighth note is 60 ticks and an eighth note triplet is 40 ticks. If you need a quarter-note division that doesn't fit into 120 ticks, you have the option of changing the "TimeBase" (or "Parts Per Quarter Note"). |
Volumes | • Volumes are in the range 1-9. These correspond to the MIDI "Velocity" values of 10-127 in increments of 13. I figured going with 1-9 would simplify things and that anything below 10 was too low anyway. |
Grace Notes | • Grace Notes have a duration of 3 ticks. What this means as far as the MIDI file generated is concerned is that the beat before a flammed beat is actually shortened by 3 ticks (which is audibly undetectable) and then the grace note is inserted and then the next beat. • MIDI Note: If the absolute first note being generated is flammed then the beat/bar indicator,time signature and tempo changes will all be shifted forward 3 ticks. This could make it very difficult to import this file into another MIDI editing program. So, in general, use a non-flammed intro and everything else should be fine. |