MusePlayer Manual
Software & Sound License Agreement Ultimate Sound Bank Software License Agreement Copyright Notice TO PERSONS WHO PURCHASE OR USE THIS PRODUCT: carefully read all the terms and conditions of this software licensing agreement. Using the software or this documentation indicates your acceptance of the terms and conditions of that license agreement. Copyright © 2001-2011 by Ultimate Sound Bank, Inc. All rights reserved.
Welcome / Table of contents Thank You! Congratulations for your purchase of MuseBox™, featuring built-in sounds from Ultimate Sound Bank. We hope your new instrument will become a valuable music-making partner for you and for your musical endeavors. We are proud to feature MusePlayer in MuseBox. MusePlayer is a software-based virtual instrument that is based on the UVI Engine, and is a high-quality sampling synthesizer that is versatile and expandable.
Quickstart Guide MusePlayer is a virtual instrument powered by the UVI engine that is built-in and pre-authorized on your MuseBox, ready to make music immediately. MusePlayer features a comprehensive set of preset sounds that cover nearly any musical situation. By exploring some of the programming capabilities of this powerful piece of software, you can take these preset sounds and customize them further to your liking, or come up with completely new sounds of your own.
Quickstart Guide If you don't hear any sound, check the following: • Verify you have connected your MIDI keyboard to the MIDI input on the back of your Musebox, or into a USB port on the back of your Musebox you are using a USB keyboard with your MuseBox. Note that MuseBox will ONLY work with devicecompliant USB MIDI devices; not all USB MIDI devices are device-compliant, so you might need to connect using a standard 5-Pin DIN MIDI cable with some equipment.
Using MusePlayer tisampled preset, you have access to two “layers” that you can control either individually or grouped. We’ve called the layers “programs” because in each layer you may load what sounds like a full-featured instrument. The large A and B buttons switch the interface panel to control each program (layer) independently. For each program you may set the filters, modulations and other parameters independently.
Using MusePlayer B- Common parameters to both layers : •Velocity curve, POLY(phony) setting, OCT(ave), BEND & 32 -bit mode. • The Master Filter and its resonance slider are common to both layers. • The effects settings (FX1 and FX2) are also common to both layers. • Each layer has a MUTE button, that mutes the corresponding layer and "solos" other one. When mute is selected, the LINK function is disabled and the position of the switch beside it is set on the other layer.
Interface Overview General controls A1. Preset selection arrows A2. Preset selection Menu A3. Program selection Arrows/Menus A4. Link & layer display switches A5. The edit display A6. Memory use display A7. Save Switch Effects F1. FX#1 ON/OFF and Sync switches F2. FX#1 Parameter knobs +Parameter names B1.Modulation - Pitch modulation - Filter modulation - Drive modulation - Amp. modulation - Pan modulation A7 A6 C1 F2 G2 G1 B2 C2 C3 H1 D2 D1 D1- Filter Envelope.
Interface Overview General controls A5. The edit display A1. Midi Indicator/Preset selection menu This diplays the editing mode set by the link mode switch. After any edits the display shows the value of the parameter currently edited. MusePlayer will display the value in dB, Hertz or percent of the current slider. A6. Memory display The MIDI indictaor will light when MusePlayer receives MIDI data. If no sounds is coming out of MusePlayer, check whether this lights up.
Interface Overview Pitch modulation knob, source menu The Modulation Depth knob is bipolar meaning the 0 position is at 12 o’clock, and going to the left or right gives negative or positive values. This section allows to modulate the pitch of the selected layer. Depth knob: controls the Amount of the modulation. (Vibrato effects are possible using a LFO as a modulation source, for example.
Interface Overview This section allows to modulate the position of the selected layer in the whole stereo field. Perfect to create autopan effects. Rate : Defines the speed of the modulating oscillator (MIDI CC #96). Note: MIDI CC# control the displayed (selected) LFO only. B2. Pitch Envelope Depth : This sets the depth of the pitch envelope, or envelope amount. Rate: This sets the speed at which the sound will be affected (transposed) by the pitch envelope. C. Filter Section C1.
Interface Overview C2. TIMBRE Timbre parameter “detunes” the sound without affecting the reference note making strange tuning-filter effects. This is a setting that encourages experimentation... C3. Master filter & Resonance Velocity Sensitivity This knob allows the velocity to modulate the envelope settings. D2. Amplitude Envelope The Master Filter is common to both layers. The cutoff slider is neutral at the center position.
Interface Overview Effects & presets included in MusePlayer Effects MusePlayer features a comprehensive effects engine built into it to provide reverb, delay and other effects for the sounds inside MusePlayer. There are two effects slots, and the amount of the effect can be adjusted and syncronized to MIDI clock. F1. FX#1/2 On/Off and Sync Switches & Name Display This allows activation (ON) or deactivation (OFF) of each effect.
Interface Overview Common parameters G1. Glide Slider/Solo Switch - Velocity curve switches The Solo Mode lets you play convincing bass and lead parts, and includes a glide time setting. Glide sets the transition time between two notes. Solo Mode is the same as a polyphony setting of 1. the preset are immediately loaded in 32-bit mode. This uses twice the RAM but means the engine doesn’t have to convert on the fly. H1.
Rendering to audio / MIDI Controlers MIDI Continuous Controller Table Note: for layer parameters, MIDI CC will only automate the layer that is visible. In a similar way, it will automate the selected LFO.
Frequently Asked Questions Multitimbral Use If you want to use MusePlayer in a multitimbral way, open up a second copy of it in the MuseBox play rack. Alternatively, you can add a secondary instrument to a solo instrument inside the MusePlayer instrument, giving you up to four separate sounds at once. Expanded polyphony On MuseBox you should be able to get more than 48 voices per instance.
Legal/Copyright F.A.Q. Legal/Copyright “Frequently Asked Questions” 1. Are there any legal limitations to how I can use MusePlayer? MusePlayer is meant for composing and performing music only. You may not use it to create your own sample library or another kind of sample-based product from the sounds contained within your MuseBox. You are also restricted from selling or sharing online any samples created using MuseBox alone, although sharing of Presets is not only allowed but encouraged. 2.
Troubleshooting & Support How do I remote control MusePlayer using a controller keyboard ? It is possible to automate almost every knob in the MusePlayer interface by sending the appropriate MIDI continuous controllers data your MuseBox. The easiest way to do this is to use the MIDI Learn function in Musebox. Additionally, the most common 8 parameters are available from the front panel of MuseBox by simply pressing the EDIT button.
Troubleshooting & Support Support We’ve done our best to provide a product that is reliable and easy to use. However, if you experience problems, you may contact us by sending email to us. The email links can be found on our website www.museplayer.com, or by contacting Muse Research directly at support@museresearch.com. Please do not contact Universons or Ultimate Sound Bank for support.
Credits & Thanks CREDITS Produced by Ultimate Sound Bank for Muse Research and Development, Inc. and provided under license.
A word about sound synthesis A - Analog (or Subtractive) synthesis Called “Analog” because it was the synthesis you could find on most of the first analog synthesizers, Analog synthesis starts out with a waveform rich in harmonics, such as a saw or square wave, and uses filters to make the finished sound subtracting harmonics, which is why it is accurately referred to has Subtractive synthesis.
A word about sound synthesis B - Frequency Modulation (FM) synthesis Invented at Stanford University, FM synthesis produces an output signal by oscillating the frequency of a source oscillator's signal at such a high frequency that it starts to "modulate" and produce new tones in the process. This process can generate fairly complex waveforms containing multiple frequencies/sidebands with only two oscillators, requiring minimal computations.
A word about sound synthesis F - PCM or "Sampling" synthesis As digital technology became more afforable, digital audio became more and more prevalent. This also helped create a new class of synthesis employing the storage of digital "snapshots" of sound using PCM (pulse code modulation), but more commonly known as "sampling" synthesizers. A sampling synthesizer captures a real sound by digitizing the sound and storing it as a waveform, much like a camera stores an image on a memory card.
The making of MusePlayer A - Concept We started the MusePlayer project by surveying the market of keyboards to determine the most important "meat and potatoes" sounds required by most keyboardist. We then searched the massive UVI sample libary for suitable instruments, and if they weren't there, we captured them using various synthesizers, sample libraries, and live players.
