Subject: vmusic, generates true polyphonic music, Oct88 version
From: [email-masked] (Bob Burch)
Date: 25 Oct 88 17:00:48 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc

[
Gleaned from the READ.ME file:

     This is the October 1988 version of Vmusic, a program from Ted
     Holden of HT Enterpreises.  It generates true polyphonic music on
     your PC's speaker using a technique devised by Steve Muenter of
     RocketDyne.  Songs are coded as if for BASIC language "play"
     statements with an extra 'v' or 'V' for voice (2 or 3 voices).  A
     lingering bug in the timing of pauses has been fixed, and several
     new songs have been included.  A provision for setting absolute
     pitches has been added.

Minor gripes:  (a)  The user interface is not very good.  If invoked
without incorrect parameters, the program gives no clear usage message
but prompts you for two numbers, one by one.  After you have typed
them, it complains about "no filename" and exits.  (The syntax is
explained in the READ.ME file, but I consider a brief usage message to
be essential.)  (b)  There is no way of identifying what music is being
played other than by the 11-character filename or by listening to it.
There seems to be no way of having the program print the title of the
music that it is playing.

Major gripe:  Once the music begins, the only way of aborting is to
reboot.  This could be considered a bug, since a single composition can
be up to about 25 minutes long.

-- R.D.
]