converter > > > release 1.5 final user documentation documentation version 1.9.
limitation and disclaimer of warranties By downloading and/or using converter (herein referred to as “the software” or “converter”) and/or the manual (this document inclusive) accompanying this license agreement, you are hereby agreeing to the following terms and conditions: The software and related written materials (including any instructions or suggestions for use) are provided on an “AS IS” basis, without warranty of any kind, express or implied.
new in version 1.
new in version 1.4 The following features were introduced in version 1.4 of converter: • • • • • Additional control functions for the ‘function’ operand in the midi processor and the control functions in the gameport and mouse input subsystems. The new parameters are the audio input filter and gate parameters, enabling quick and easy programming of converter’s audio input subsystem via either a midi control surface, custom (knob-based) gameport controller, or mouse input device.
new in version 1.3 The following features were introduced in version 1.3 of converter: • • • • • Program-specific assignable menu-page bookmarking – assign any menu page to one of eight direct-access user hotkeys ( [F1] – [F8] ) for immediate access to your most frequently used parameters for a particular program. Ability to trigger / control functions in converter from remote midi control using the ‘function’ operand in the midi processor.
new in version 1.1 The following features were introduced in version 1.1 of converter: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Simultaneous midi and audio input (as well as the usual joystick and mouse inputs) now implemented for SoundBlaster 16 (or 100% compatible) users – converter can now do everything, all the time.
• • converter 1.0 (however, any version 1.1-specific programming will not be loaded or saved in the old version 1.0 of converter) New ‘brushed aluminum’ look (can be disabled if desired), various color schemes Additional keyboard shortcuts Bugs fixed in converter 1.
contents introduction introduction to converter foreword features and uses system requirements supported soundcards / system hardware file listing of the converter package 10 12 13 14 18 getting started and using converter dual cards for simultaneous audio and midi software installation and configuration cable connections in a studio environment loading / running converter calibrating hardware settings within converter using converter keyboard layout and hotkeys quick reference midi clock generator direc
gameport input system overview input settings axis midi conversion settings button midi conversion settings arithmetic operators gameport control functions 62 65 66 67 68 69 mouse input system overview input settings axis midi conversion settings button midi conversion settings arithmetic operators mouse control functions 70 71 72 73 74 75 lfo generators system overview transmit enable / disable midi conversion settings arithmetic operators 76 78 79 80 appendixes signal paths (block diagrams) preset p
foreword This software was originally created as an in-house prototype tool for direct midi datastream control and conversion of non-midi controller sources. For reasons of flexibility, certain parameters and functionality within the software has remained open in an attempt to avoid limitations in its potential applications; as a result, it is possible for converter to be programmed in ways which do not conform to conventional midi specifications.
A note about the graphics system The graphics routines in converter are a low priority task, since handling the midi data stream and the related input conversion, audio dsp, and processing is the most important task the computer has to do.
features and uses Main Features • • • • • • • • • • • • • • extremely low-latency system response time similar to equivalent dedicated outboard hardware programmable midi input processor allowing for 144 complete midi message operations in realtime, via a total of 432 conditional verifiers and 576 data transforms 2 channels of audio input, each with 2 additional filter channels for a total of 6 independent sources for audio to midi conversion; each channel is equipped with individual conversion modes, fi
system requirements Different aspects of the software require more processing power than others in order to deliver fast response times. Even though conceptually simple, converter must perform a tremendous number of computing instructions per second in order to provide the kind of programming flexibility it allows for the multiple input sources it supports.
supported soundcards / hardware There are several standards for interface cards which converter supports. These standards are implemented on a variety of cards; however testing for each potentially compatible card is impossible due to the sheer number of interfaces on the market.
SoundBlaster Cards There are a tremendous number of variations of the SoundBlaster family of soundcards. The earliest SoundBlaster cards (SoundBlaster 1.x) are not supported by converter. Soundblaster 2.x cards are supported for midi input, but not audio input, since they cannot support even the most basic audio requirements of converter. SoundBlaster 3.x (SoundBlaster Pro) cards are supported by converter for both midi and audio input.
Some of the literally hundreds of cards which should also work (since they are supposed to either be 100% hardware or “register-level” compatible with the SoundBlaster Pro standard, or have some sort of driver which provides the necessary compatibility) are: • • • • • • • • • • • OPTi MAD16 Pro VIA AC-97 Sound Acer Magic Atlantis CS4232 AVM Apex S3 Sonic Vibes Vortex AU8810, Vortex AU8820 AC’97 Sound Galaxy Pro Dream 32GM Terratec 128i PCI Media Vision Jazz16 Standard Analog Gameport Interface DEVELOPMENT
mode may be useful for certain laptops. Also, remember to have the “SET BLASTER” environment string in your autoexec.bat file – more information about this is found in this manual’s appendix, in the section entitled “proper soundcard configuration under DOS”.
file listing of the converter package The following is a listing of all the files included in the converter source zip archive, and their relationship with the main program file. Files noted as required need to be in the same directory (folder) as the converter program file (c.exe) in order for it to operate properly. Files noted as optional are not needed for proper operation of converter, but are highly recommended to be kept together. file description dependancy c.exe c.cfg hardware.cfg *.cdt *.
dual cards for simultaneous audio and midi input Since many consumer soundcards (notably the SoundBlaster 16 and Awe-32s) have difficulties handling dense midi input streams in combination with ‘high speed’ audio input or output, support for dual soundcards has been implemented in converter in order to provide trustworthy and reliable performance.
software installation and configuration To ‘install’ converter, simply create a directory (folder) somewhere on your computer’s hard drive, and copy all the files contained in the converter .zip archive to that folder. Or alternatively, create a selfbootable converter floppy disk using the floppy boot disk image creator included in the converter .zip archive, or copy the files to your own bootable blank 1.
The last parameter, “force clock compatibility”, is automatically adjusted by converter during runtime if needed, and should not be modified unless converter was forced to change it and you wish to reset converter to use the original midi clock generator engine. Once you have customized these settings to your specific needs, save the file and you’re ready to run converter. The file hardware.
cable connections in a studio environment In a medium-complexity studio environment, with a fairly flexible mixing console and several pieces of midi-compatible outboard equipment, converter operates most conveniently if connections to it are implemented in a similar manner as a hardware effects processor.
loading / running converter Unfamiliar with DOS? If you are using Windows9x on your computer, you can press [F8] just as Windows begins to load in order to bring up a boot menu, from which you can select “command prompt only” to boot into ‘pure DOS’ (“command prompt only”). Or, you can boot out of Windows9x by selecting ‘Shut Down’ from the Start menu, and selecting “Restart in MS-DOS Mode”.
calibrating hardware settings within converter Now that converter is up and running, there are a couple hardware-specific settings found within converter that should be set up so that converter functions predictably and properly. These steps are somewhat optional, as they pertain to joystick input and mouse input; however, if these input sources are to be used, performing the joystick calibration is required, and adjusting the mouse axis speed parameters is highly recommended.
using converter While the user interface in converter might seem daunting at first, with many pages of menus and parameters, don’t be intimidated – there has been a lot of planning behind it to ensure each stage is as intuitive and straight-forward as possible. Most core menu sections have similar (if not identical) layouts, and their patterns will become very obvious after a brief period using converter. Take advantage of the shortcuts and hotkeys, as they will make navigation even faster and easier.
• • hardware & system settings / audio filter settings [F11] : when set to display ‘hardware and system settings’, this view panel shows the hardware settings for the selected audio or midi interface card, the data rate of midi transmission (useful to avoid overloading midi bandwidth), the filename for the current settings file and whether or not it has been edited since being saved last, long descriptive name for the current program, input information from the gameport (if enabled), and audio peak meters
assigned to specific menus (such as [Alt]-[S] to “save program settings” or [Alt]-[F] for the “audio filter settings” menus); and as stated, function keys [F1] to [F4] can be pressed at any time to return the beginning menus of any of the main menu sections. Note that you don’t have to wait for animations to complete before pressing a key or entering data – try ‘double--clicking’ the function keys keys.
the numeric keypad The user interface of converter has been designed around the use of the numeric keypad for quick parameter navigation and data entry. Under one hand rests all the menu cursor navigation controls, midi data view controls, and parameter adjustment controls. Using this direct entry approach can expedite data entry as compared to using a mouse pointer–driven user interface. However, ensure that the ‘num lock’ key is not depressed if using the numeric keypad in this way.
midi clock generation There are a group of four keys which are used together to provide quick control of midi clock timing. The [del] or delete key, shown above on the numeric keypad, acts as a sort of ‘play’ and ‘stop’ button for the clock generator in converter. The [insert] key next to it serves as the tap tempo button; to generate midi clock data at the tempo of some external music (for example a live drummer or recorded music), tap the tempo of the external music in quarter notes four times.
turning on or off the midi message textbox If the scrolling midi message textbox, on the right hand side of the display panel, is preferred to be on or off, pressing the [z] key does the trick. the upper display panel Most of the display wedges on the top display portion of the screen should be self-explanatory in terms of what they represent and how they represent it. However, there are a few details of two of the display components which could benefit from a bit of explanation.
keyboard layout and hotkeys quick reference hotkeys, accessible at any time [Alt] – [Esc] [Alt] – [ L ] [Alt] – [ S ] [Alt] – [ D ] [Alt] – [ E ] [Alt] – [ A ] [Alt] – [ F ] [Alt] – [ G ] [Alt] – [ M ] [Alt] – [ N ] [Alt] – [ X ] [Alt] – [1] ..
accessible within the menu system display [Esc] arrow keys number keys alphabetic keys [home] [end] [pg up] [pg dn] [Enter] [F1] – [F4] [F5] – [F8] [Shift] – [F1] .. [F8] [Ctrl] – [F1] ..
midi clock generator In addition to being able to synchronize its lfo generators to incoming midi clock, converter also features its own internal midi clock generator. This clock generator was designed to be fast and direct to control, making it optimal for use in a live performance application, or in jam / improvisational sessions in a studio, where acoustic (human-played) rhythm sections define the tempo of a given performance.
directload keys By using the directload keys, commonly used programs (.set files) can be quickly loaded for a given application. In this way, converter can be instantly re-configured at the touch of a button, saving time otherwise spent looking for a particular program file.
bookmark hotkeys There are 8 keys which can be used for quick direct access to menu pages you use most frequently for a particular program (.set file). These ‘bookmarks’ can be recalled at any time by holding down [shift] and pressing a function key from F1 to F8. To assign the hotkeys, simply hold down the [ctrl] key and press the function key (F1 to F8) you wish to assign the menu page to. To see which hotkeys are assigned to which menu pages, there is a dedicated view panel provided.
menu pages and parameter descriptions The following pages of this manual are segmented in five sections, discussing the global settings for converter, followed by its audio, midi, gameport, and mouse input functionality. Each section devotes a page (or two) to each individual page in the menu system, and outlines the parameters found on it and describe their usage.
disk i/o Root : disk i/o [ Alt+Escape – F5 ] Program files store all the midi processor programs, audio, gameport and mouse settings, input source configurations, several of the global system settings as well as the custom viewpanel settings. These program files are stored in the same directory as the converter software; the program files are identified by their ‘.set’ extension. A feature of converter is that the current program is automatically saved at exit into the file default.
core realtime engine settings root : realtime settings : core realtime settings [ Alt+Escape – F6 – F5 ] midi input processor Enables or disables (bypasses) the midi processor, which is used only for incoming midi data (coming from the ‘midi in’ connector on your midi interface). This parameter can be left at the ‘on’ position at all times. view processed data Selects whether the display panels show data after or before passing through the midi input processor.
mouse input Enables or disables input from the PC’s mouseport. Mouse to midi conversion doesn’t create any sort of significant computing load; however, this enables mouse input to be disabled if it is preferable to avoid any undesired midi messages transmitted by accidentally moving the mouse, etc. audio sum to mono Determines whether the stereo input signal is summed (merged) together to provide the same mono signal to both left and right audio channels. Useful for 6-band audio filter bank applications.
auxiliary realtime engine settings root : realtime settings : auxiliary realtime settings [ Alt+Escape – F6 – F6 ] midi clock click Enables or disables the midi metronome ‘click’ generator. This function generates a metronome reference using a specific midi channel and note number, and can be used as a tempo cue for live performers. click midi channel Determines which midi channel is used to transmit the note on / note off messages for the metronome clicks. Default is channel 10.
spectral engine settings root : realtime settings : spectral engine settings [ Alt+Escape – F6 – F7 ] The following settings are used to control the features and utility of the spectral analysis view panel (accessed via [F10] or [shift]-[F10] ). Most of these settings can be left at their default values. L energy analysis / R energy analysis Enables or disables bandwidth activity analysis for the left or right main channels.
display settings root : display settings [ Alt+Escape – F7 ] The default settings for the following parameters will usually be the best settings for most situations on most computers. However for reasons of personal taste or limited computing resources, converter can be customized easily on the fly with the following options.
translate numerics Determines whether or not converter displays midi statusbytes, note numbers, and controller numbers in their numerical format or as a statusbyte label with channel number or note letter with octave or controller label for the various parameters within the menu system which directly reference midi bytes. By enabling this option, for example, parameters will display a statusbyte as “poly aft. [ch.
customize user panel root : customize user panel [ Alt+Escape – F8 ] panel meter (A – E) Selects the midi controller message type to monitor for the particular meter in the ‘custom user panel’ display wedge. This provides a visual monitor for controller types not assigned to existing hardwired display elements on the upper portion of the screen. converter 1.5 2000 - 2005 urr Sound Technologies Inc.
audio input Audio to midi conversion in converter is performed on the basis of amplitude, in one of two modes: a continuous time-varying conversion mode for continuous controller applications, and a trigger/gate conversion mode useful for using an audio source to trigger midi note on / note off messages. Note that only the line-input is used on all the soundcards – the mic input is not supported.
The following is an example of how to program converter in trigger mode, so that impulses on the left main audio channel will trigger a note with velocity on midi channel 1. Step 1: program the midi conversion settings • go to the audio parameters menu section (F3), press [F7] for the midi conversion settings menu, then [F5] for midi data settings, and then [F6] for the main audio channels parameters.
to continuous controller conversion, and program the channel to generate channel volume messages for the same midi channel as the trigger note. In this way, the volume and shape of the triggered note follows the incoming audio signal, and can integrate itself quite musically. Note that setting the levels of the incoming audio is very important, and has a great affect on the speed and accuracy of trigger timing and predictability.
audio gate settings audio parameters : audio gate settings : lowpass / main+bandpass / highpass [ F3 – F5 – F5/F6/F7] Depending on the audio conversion mode selected for a particular channel, one of two different sets of parameters will be visible for that channel in the audio input settings menu.
audio filter settings audio parameters : audio filter settings : lowpass / main+bandpass / highpass [ F3 – F6 – F5/F6/F7 ] filter type Selects the type of filter to be used for the particular audio channel. Possible choices are shelving, bandpass, and peaking EQ for lowpass and highpass channels. For the main/bandpass channels, a choice of either bandpass or peaking EQ is available. frequency Selects the cutoff frequency in Hz for the filter for the particular audio input channel.
audio midi data settings audio parameters : midi conversion settings : midi data settings : main/filter channels [ F3 – F7 – F5 – F5/F6/F7 ] When programming an audio channel to generate a midi note on message, the particular note can be ‘auditioned’ by pressing the [Tab] key while the menu cursor is hovering over one of the channel’s midi data parameters. This is particularly useful when programming drum triggering.
audio midi data reduction settings audio parameters : midi conversion settings : data reduction settings [ F3 – F7 – F6 ] The parameters on this particular menu page only impact continuous controller audio to midi conversion; trigger mode audio to midi conversion does not employ (or require) data reduction. continuous controller reject (cc reject) Selects the ratio of converted values to transmitted midi messages.
audio arithmetic operators audio parameters : midi conversion settings : arithmetic processors [ F3 – F7 – F7 – F5/F6/F7 ] Note that the arithmetic operations are performed sequentially in the order they appear in the transform list, from first to last – ‘order of operations’ is not followed. This allows for the input data to be processed in a more flexible manner. transform operand (X-form) Selects the type of data transform to be performed on the value converted from the audio input signal.
midi input processor The architecture of the midi processor is structured into 3 levels: the process list, which is the list of programs performed (in sequential order) by the processor; a program, which represents a group of operations; and the operations (also performed in sequential order) which directly perform the midi data modification through a number of bytechecks (or conditional verifiers) and transforms.
• • • • go to the bytecheck parameters menu for this operation (F6). Set byte check #1 byte number (the BC#1 byte number parameter) to 1 – this tells the processor to check the first data byte in any note on message whose statusbyte matched our operation’s message type (we chose 144). In this st case, the 1 data byte of a note on message is the note number. set byte check #1’s check operand parameter to the ‘is in range’ condition, the low value parameter to 0, and high value parameter to 59.
byte. Very complex midi stream manipulations can be achieved. Just remember that if you transform the note number or channel of note on messages, you must perform the same transformations to their respective note off messages - both actual note off messages and note on messages with a velocity of zero; otherwise, notes will get stuck on from never receiving a midi message telling them to turn off.
midi processor program settings midi parameters : program settings [ F2 – programselection – F5 ] program name Edits the name for the selected processor program. # of operations Selects the number of operations used in the program. All operations, byte checks, and transforms are performed sequentially starting with the first.
midi program operation parameters midi parameters : program settings : operation settings : operation parameters [ F2 – programselection – F6 – operationselection – F5 ] operation name Edits the name for the selected operation. message type Selects the statusbyte that identifies the messages to be processed by the current operation. Any midi message that begins with this statusbyte will pass through this operation (and be transformed if the additional ‘bytechecks’ (conditional verifications) are met).
operation byte check parameters midi parameters : program settings : operation settings : byte check parameters [ F2 – programselection – F6 – operationselection – F6 ] Each operation has three independent byte checks (conditional verifiers), each of which can perform a comparison on any databyte of a midi message (even the same databyte as one of the other comparators).
operation transform parameters midi parameters : program settings : operation settings : transform parameters [ F2 – programselection – F6 – operationselection – F7 ] Each operation has four independent transforms which are performed sequentially if the midi message meets the parameters of all of the active conditional verifiers (byte checks). The transforms can manipulate any byte of a midi message including the statusbyte.
operand explanation of operand and transform value no xform add / subtract multiply / divide no action is performed on any of the data, so transform value is irrelevant. the transform value is added to or subtracted from the selected midi message byte. the selected midi message byte is multiplied or divided by the transform value. set to copy to the selected midi message byte is set to the transform value.
operand explanation of operand and transform value function Performs an internal function within converter, for example, starting and/or stopping converter’s midi clock generator, starting/retriggering one or all of the lfo generators, etc. Possible functions are: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • converter 1.
gameport input Gameport to midi conversion allows for a cheap and easy source of additional real-time controllers, and the simplicity of the interface makes it easy to design and build customized control surfaces (for instance, controllers for mixing or a machine control interface with data entry buttons or sliders, etc).
buffer size is greater than the minimum required, midi (or a combination of midi and audio) interrupts may occur so frequently that converter will still be unable to quickly provide accurate axis range results (buttons will not be affected). This should only occur, however, under extreme circumstances.
The following is a structural map of the menu hierarchy for the gameport input menu section (F4 – gameport settings), which may help familiarize the location of the various parameters.
gameport input settings game/mouse/lfo parameters : gameport parameters : input settings [ F4 – F5 – F5 ] joystick axis Enables or disables input from the specific axis (X or Y) of the specific joystick (A or B). By individually enabling only the channels needed, and disabling unused channels, overall system speed increases. joystick offset Allows for an offset adjustment of the input value from the specified axis of the specific joystick. This value is added to the input value.
gameport axis midi conversion settings game/mouse/lfo parameters : gameport parameters : midi conversion settings : joystick A/B [ F4 – F5 – F6 – F5/F6 ] axis conversion byte position Selects which databyte of the chosen midi message the converted value is placed in.
gameport button midi conversion settings g/m/l parameters : gameport parameters : midi conversion settings : buttons : joystick A/B [ F4 – F5 – F6 – F7 – F5/F6 ] button conversion byte position Selects which databyte of the chosen midi message the converted value is placed in. For more information, refer to the midi conversion settings documentation for the joystick axis inputs. button statusbyte Determines the midi message type (and channel) to use for the joystick conversion value.
gameport arithmetic operators g/m/l parameters : gameport parameters : arithmetic processors : joystick A/B – Xaxis/Yaxis [ F4 – F5 – F7 – F5/F6 – F5/F6 ] Note that the arithmetic operations are performed sequentially in the order they appear in the transform list, from first to last – ‘order of operations’ is not followed. This allows for the input data to be processed in a more flexible manner.
gameport control functions game/mouse/lfo parameters : gameport parameters : arithmetic processors : control functions [ F4 – F5 – F7 – F7 ] joy-A x-axis function / joy-A y-axis function etc… joy-A button 1 function / joy-A button 2 function etc…. Selects the type of function to be performed internally in converter when the associated button is pressed or movement is detected on one of the axis.
mouse input Mouse input conversion is programmed in the same way as the gameport input, so additional explanation would be redundant. Mouse to midi conversion was implemented to allow the use of certain special control surfaces, such as a touchpad, to be used as a controller source – in much the same way as a ribbon controller on some synthesizers.
mouse input settings game/mouse/lfo parameters : mouse parameters : input settings [ F4 – F5 – F5 ] mouse x-axis mouse y-axis Enables or disables input from the specific axis (X or Y) of the mouse. This is useful if only one axis is needed for a particular application, and a second axis would interfere with the midi stream or generate unnecessary data.
mouse axis midi conversion settings game/mouse/lfo parameters : mouse parameters : midi conversion settings : joystick A/B [ F4 – F5 – F6 – F5/F6 ] axis conversion byte position Selects which databyte of the chosen midi message the converted value is placed in.
mouse button midi conversion settings game/mouse/lfo parameters : mouse parameters : midi conversion settings : buttons [ F4 – F5 – F6 – F7 – F5/F6 ] button conversion byte position Selects which databyte of the chosen midi message the converted value is placed in. For more information, refer to the midi conversion settings documentation for the mouse axis inputs. button statusbyte Determines the midi message type (and channel) to use for the mouse button conversion value.
mouse arithmetic operators game/mouse/lfo parameters : mouse parameters : arithmetic processors : x-axis / y-axis [ F4 – F6 – F7 – F5/F6 ] Note that the arithmetic operations are performed sequentially in the order they appear in the transform list, from first to last – ‘order of operations’ is not followed. This allows for the input data to be processed in a more flexible manner.
mouse control functions game/mouse/lfo parameters : mouse parameters : arithmetic processors : control functions [ F4 – F6 – F7 – F7 ] x-axis function / y-axis function / button 1 function / button 2 function Selects the type of function to be performed internally in converter when the associated button is pressed or movement is detected on one of the axis.
lfo generators In addition to the previously described input sources, converter provides 8 lfo (low frequency oscillator) generators. Each lfo can be assigned to generate its own independent stream of midi continuous controller data, used as a modulation source for the midi input processor, or both. All 8 lfo generators are automatically synchronized to either incoming midi clock, converter’s internal clock generator, or simply the tap-tempo time periods (if clock generation is undesired).
Here’s a basic outline of the menu hierarchy for the lfo generators. root transmit enable/disable sine on/off triangle on/off saw on/off square on/off sample & hold on/off 9-step on/off 5-step on/off asymmetrical on/off sine / triangle sine conv. byte position sine statusbyte sine 1st databyte value sine 2nd databyte value tri conv. byte position tri statusbyte tri 1st databyte value tri 2nd databyte value sine tempo subdiv. tri. tempo subdiv. converter 1.
lfo transmit enable/disable game/mouse/lfo parameters : lfo parameters : transmit enable/disable [ F4 – F7 – F5 ] sine LFO / triangle LFO / saw LFO … Enables or disables midi continuous controller message transmission from the particular lfo generator selected. By disabling transmission of one or all of the lfo generators, their usage as a modulation source within converter is not affected (unless the lfos are globally disabled from within the root realtime engine menu). converter 1.
lfo midi conversion settings game/mouse/lfo parameters : lfo parameters : midi conversion settings [ F4 – F7 – F6 – F5/F6/F7… ] lfo byte position Selects which databyte of the chosen midi message the converted value is placed in.
lfo arithmetic operators game/mouse/lfo parameters : lfo parameters : arithmetic operators [ F4 – F7 – F7 – F5/F6/F7… ] Note that the arithmetic operations are performed sequentially in the order they appear in the transform list, from first to last – ‘order of operations’ is not followed. This allows for the input data to be processed in a more flexible manner. transform operand (X-form) Selects the type of data transform to be performed on the value converted from the respective lfo generator input.
signal paths The following diagrams show a simplified overall view of the flow of input sources to midi output within converter, and may help in understanding how certain settings affect other components within converter. Certain elements, such as the noise-shaping dc filters, gameport interpolation / smoothing filters, and other fixed / hardwired components in the signal flow have been omitted as their parameters are non-adjustable. If a more detailed explanation is required, drop us an email.
joystick input signal paths joystick A x-axis offset adjustment midi conversion arithmetic processor midi output joystick A y-axis offset adjustment midi conversion arithmetic processor midi output joystick A button A status invertor midi conversion midi output joystick A button B status invertor midi conversion midi output joystick B x-axis offset adjustment midi conversion arithmetic processor midi output joystick B y-axis offset adjustment midi conversion arithmetic processor m
preset program files Several ‘preset’ settings files (.set) accompany the converter distribution. These presets are preprogrammed for some of the typical applications of converter, and serve as templates which can be edited or tweaked to accommodate the specifics needed for a particular use. Note that the file default.set is the work file converter uses to automatically ‘remember’ its settings between sessions.
midi data protocol specifications Midi is a simple asynchronous serial interface able to transmit data at a rate of 31.25Kbps, which allows a maximum transfer rate of about 3000 bytes per second. Midi data is formatted into data ‘packets’ called messages. Each message begins with a status byte, and may be followed by any number of additional data bytes as determined by the message type.
controllers / mode changes (MSB) controller controller number data byte 2 bank select modulation wheel breath control foot controller portamento time data entry volume balance pan position expression effect control 1 effect control 2 general purpose controller 1 general purpose controller 2 general purpose controller 3 general purpose controller 4 damper pedal (on/off) portamento (on/off) sustenuto (on/off) soft pedal (on/off) legato footswitch (on/off) hold 2 (on/off) sound controller 1 (sound variation
high-resolution component (LSB) for controllers (unused by converter) controller controller number data byte 2 bank select modulation wheel breath control foot controller portamento time data entry channel volume balance pan expression controller effect control 1 effect control 2 general purpose controller #1 general purpose controller #2 general purpose controller #3 general purpose controller #4 32 33 34 36 37 38 39 40 42 43 44 45 48 49 50 51 fine value (LSB 0-127) fine value (LSB 0-127) fine value (
troubleshooting As a general troubleshooting tip, if converter is having trouble functioning properly, or it is difficult to isolate what is interfering with its successful operation, try making a bootable floppy disk with converter installed on it – this may help determine if the problem is a memory, hardware or software issue. loading converter My soundcard isn’t found by converter! or converter crashes during “initializing I/O”! If required for the particular mode in hardware.
My Roland MPU-401 (or compatible) isn’t found by converter! This means you have specified the incorrect base address for the card in the hardware.cfg file. Check your card’s jumper settings and/or try another address. If the base address setting in hardware.
When I try to run converter under Windows Millenium Edition, WindowsXP, or various flavours of Windows NT (including Windows2000), it doesn’t work. After testing, it has been determined that converter won’t function under these platforms, due to the fact that these versions of Windows use a DOS emulator which does not permit any program to communicate directly with the computer’s hardware.
using converter I get the message “warning – CPU LOAD HIGH” – what should I do? This message means that the computer has a very high task load and while no errors should be caused as a result, response times may be affected. Often when this error is displayed, converter’s midi output data rate is very close to or exceeds the bandwidth of the midi interface specification, which will affect the responsiveness of timing and such things.
I just booted up converter, and when I transmit midi messages from the external midi controller, converter appears to be receiving a corrupted midi stream (and/or the undefined data and data code display in the system status wedge flashes and shows data codes which are ‘invalid’) This means that converter hasn’t received a statusbyte yet from the midi input port, because the device sending the midi stream to converter is in running status mode and is assuming converter caught the initial statusbyte for the
proper soundcard configuration under DOS This section is provided for users configuring an older soundcard within DOS, for which there may be no accompanying documentation or installation software.
Note that the numbers above are for a specific configuration – they aren’t ‘one size fits all’. You must use the numbers specific to your system’s configuration. A bootable floppy could be created to run converter with its own autoexec.bat, thus avoiding this issue of modifying the autoexec.bat on your hard drive (see the next appendix).
Roland UART-mode MPU-401 and compatible These interface cards (generally) do not use a DOS environment variable to specify their base address and IRQ; therefore, the card’s base address and IRQ are typed into the file hardware.cfg that converter uses for initialization (see the discussion on configuring this file earlier in this manual).
creating a bootable DOS floppy to auto-run converter Since converter and its associated files take up relatively little disk space, the application can be run from a single 1.44MB 3.5” floppy disk. This fact enables converter to become a ‘portable’ application that can be run ‘out of the box’ so to speak by creating a bootable DOS disk that boots your computer into ‘true’ DOS mode and auto-loads converter without intervention.
Create a bootdisk manually Here’s the steps: • Find a blank 1.44MB 3.5” floppy disk, and format it as a bootable disk in one of the following ways: • Under Windows9x Explorer shell: Insert the blank disk in the disk drive, double-click “my computer”, select your floppy drive (typically A:), click on the File menu and select format. In the dialog box that appears, make sure “1.44Mb (3.
tips to ensure best speed / performance As with any complex system open to many different configurations and applications, there are certain factors which can influence converter’s performance.
gameport interface pinout Warning! The following information is provided for users with concrete electronics knowledge and experience. There are 5-volt pins on the joystick interface that can provide a surprising amount of current if short circuited, causing potentially expensive and/or irreparable damage to components in the computer, as well as information loss, and any other number of disasters. By providing the following information, urr Sound Technologies Inc.
converter 1.5 2000 - 2005 urr Sound Technologies Inc.