SBTimbre Version 2.60                                    11-08-92

                             
                      SBTimbre FM Editor

SBTimbre  is  a  Timbre editor -- it lets you create  and  modify
instrument  sounds  for the Sound Blaster  and  Adlib  FM  Cards.
You   can  audition  sounds  using  a  Sound  Blaster  or  MPU401
compatible  MIDI  interface  and  a  MIDI  controller  (a   piano
keyboard   for  instance).   The  present  version  of   SBTimbre
operates  only  on IBK format bank files, but  you  can  use  the
SBANK utility to convert between IBK and BNK file formats.

Setting up SBTimbre

Unzip  all  the  files to a directory (You  may  want  to  create
another  directory  for  your  IBK bank  files),  change  to  the
directory   containing  SBTIMBRE.EXE,  and  type:   SBTIMBRE   to
load  and  start  the  program.  If  your  FM  Card  is  properly
installed,  you  should  hear a chordal  sequence  as  the  About
dialog   box   is   displayed  (the  chordal  sequence   can   be
disabled   if  you'd  rather  not  hear  it  --  see  Configuring
SBTimbre).

General Information

SBTimbre   is  a  text  based  windowing  program.   You   select
options  by  pulling down menus with a mouse,  or  by  using  the
cursor  movement  and  function  keys.   The  top  line  on   the
screen  is  known  as  the  menu bar --  it  contains  drop  down
menus  from  which  items can be selected.  Any  option  that  is
followed  by  three  dots indicates that a  dialog  box  will  be
displayed  when  this  item  is  chosen.   The  bottom  line   is
called  the  status  bar  and  contains  it  options  which   are
generally  available.   You  may select  items  from  the  status
bar  by  either  clicking on them or pressing the  short-cut  key
associated  with  them. When the text of an item  is  grayed  out
it  means  the  item is not currently available.   Active  Dialog
box  windows  may  be closed by clicking on  the  little  box  in
the  upper  left  corner  of the dialog, selecting  Window/Close,
selecting Close from the status bar, or pressing Alt-F3.

Configuring SBTimbre

You  may  change  certain  program parameters  by  selecting  the
Options/Configure...  menu  choice.   The  dialog  box  presented
contains the following items:


        MIDI OPTIONS
        None            No MIDI interface is installed.
        MPU401          An MPU401 compatible interface is installed.
        Sound Blaster   A Sound Blaster MIDI connector Box is 
                        installed.


        MIDI IRQ        The IRQ Number that the MIDI interface is
                        installed on.
        MIDI I/O Port   The Hexadecimal based number of the I/O
                        port that the MIDI interface is using.

        FM CARD OPTIONS 
        1 OPL2          The sound card contains one Yamaha 3812 
                        (OPL2) FM synthesis sound chip.  The 
                        original Adlib, standard Sound Blaster,
                        and Media Vision Thunder Board owners
                        should use this option.
        2 OPL2          The sound card contains two Yamaha 3812 
                        (OPL2) FM synthesis sound chips.  The
                        original Sound Blaster PRO and early Media
                        Vision Pro AudioSpectrum cards have this
                        configuration.
        1 OPL3          The sound card contains one Yamaha OPL3 
                        FM synthesis sound chip.  The Sound Blaster
                        PRO 2, and newer Media Vision PAS, PAS Plus,
                        and PAS 16 cards contain this chip. 
        FM   I/O Port   The hexadecimal based number of the I/O
                        port that the FM Card is using.

        VIDEO OPTIONS
        25 Lines        Uses a 25 line standard text mode display.
        53/50 Lines     Will display 43 lines on an EGA monitor or 
                        50 lines on a VGA montor.
        About Box       Unchecking this item will prevent the 
                        opening chordal sequence.

There  are  several  versions of Sound Blaster  MIDI  Interfaces.
SBTimbre  should  operate  with any  of  them  with  one  caveat:
Sound  Blaster  cards  with  DSP ROM versions  earlier  than  2.0
only  support  MIDI  in  -- not MIDI  out  or  through.   If  you
have  one  of  these  earlier  ROMS,  the  Thru  on  and  Out  on
choices   will   not   be  available  from  the   Control   Panel
(described later).

To  setup  the  MIDI  interface, select the  type  of  card,  the
I/O  port  and  the IRQ setting.  By default,  the  FM  I/O  Port
is  set  to  388  hex.  This is because all Adlib  compatible  FM
cards   (including  Sound  Blaster)  respond  to  this   address.

The  program  will  determine that it can not  find  an  FM  card
at   startup,  but  will  not  alert  you  to  that   fact   upon
changing  the  I/O  Port  address:   you  won't  hear  any  sound
though.   You  can verify this by opening the About  box  on  the
system  menu  --  if  a card is found, a brief  chordal  sequence
is  sounded.   The  program  supports 43/50  line  modes  on  EGA
and  VGA  graphics cards.  The higher resolution  allows  a  much
less  cluttered  view  when many IBK  files  are  open  at  once.
The  current  settings  may be saved to a  file  (SBTMB.INI)   by
selecting  Options/Save  Setup.   This  file  may  be  edited  by
hand,  but  is  overwritten by selecting the  Save  option.   The
INI file is written in the same directory as SBTIMBRE.EXE.

The  amount  of  remaining memory is displayed in the  About  box
--  you  may  want to monitor this if you have very many  (60  or
more) IBK files open at once.

Opening Files

IBK  files  are  located  via  the File/Open...  menu.   You  can
double  click  on  one to select and open it (for  those  without
a  rodent,  you  can  use the cursor keys -- then  press  enter).
The  program  prevents you from opening the same  file  twice  --
this  is  to  prevent  loss of data involved when  modifying  two
copies  of  the  same  file.  You can open a  copy  of  the  same
file,  by  first  saving  the file with a different  name  (using
File/Save  as...)  and then reopening the  original  file.   Once
a  file  is  opened,  you  will see  a  list  of  the  instrument
timbre names it contains.

Locating Files

You   can  move  to  a  different  current  directory  using  the
File/Change  Dir  Menu selection, or you can  navigate  from  the
File/Open  menu  (by  double clicking  on  the  "\.."  item).   A
new  IBK  file  may  be  created by using  the  File/New  option.
When  you  create  a  new IBK, all the names  are  blank,  and  a
default Piano instrument is stored in each Timbre slot.

Saving Files

IBK  files  can  be saved either with the name they  were  opened
with  (File/Save),  or  with a new file name  (File/Save  as...).
When saving New files a name is always requested.

Selecting Timbres

You   can  open  multiple  IBK  files  at  the  same  time.   The
current  window  and the current timbre are  highlighted.   If  a
MIDI  interface  is  installed  you  may  audition  a  timbre  by
simply highlighting its name in the IBK file window.

Copying Timbres

Timbres  may  be  copied from one IBK to  another,  or  within  a
single  IBK.   To  accomplish this, select Copy from  the  Timbre
menu,  select  Copy  from the status bar, or hold  the  Ctrl  key
and   press  Insert:  the  timbre  is  inserted  into  the   copy
buffer.  An  indication  of  this  is  presented  in  the   upper
right   corner   of   the  screen:   the  word  Paste:   appears,
followed  by  the  timbre name.  In order to  paste  the  timbre,
first  select  the  target IBK and position,  then  either  press
Shift-Ins  or  choose  Timbre/Paste from the  menu:   the  timbre
is immediately inserted into the target position.

Editing Timbres

You  may  select  timbres  to  edit by  double  clicking  on  the
timbre  name,  or  by  selecting Timbre/Edit.   The  Edit  dialog
box  is  where  all  the different parameters  that  comprise  an
FM  timbre  are  displayed and edited. All  the  numbered  fields
have  Spin  controls:  clicking on the  up  arrow-head  increases
the  value  --  the  down  arrow-head decreases.   You  may  also
use  the   and   keys  to  achieve  the  same  effect.   You  may
audition  a  tone  at  any time, from the computer  keyboard,  by
pressing  the  short-cut  key corresponding  to  the  highlighted
letter   on  the  Note  or  Chordal  buttons.   In  other  words,
press  n  to  sound a note; m to sound a major chord.   When  the
cursor  is  positioned in the Timbre Name  field,  you  must  use
the Alt prefix (Alt-n to sound a note).

Renaming and Restoring Timbres

You  can  rename  the  timbre  by typing  into  the  Timbre  Name
field,  but  it  will  replace  the  original  timbre  when   you
press  OK.   If  you  like  your  changes,  but  don't  wish   to
overwrite  the  original  timbre, you  can  press  Cancel  within
the   Edit   dialog.    Rather  than  completely   discarding   a
cancelled   timbre,  the  editor  saves  it  temporarily   in   a
restore  buffer  -- indicated in the upper right  corner  of  the
screen  by  the  word  Restore:  followed  by  the  timbre  name.
You   restore  the  sound  to  a  different  position  by   first
selecting  the  target  IBK and position, and  then  pressing  F7
or  by  choosing   the  Timbre/Restore  option  --  the  buffered
timbre   is   immediately  inserted  into  the  target  position.
Keep  in  mind  that  the  restore buffer  is  overwritten  every
time   Cancel   is  selected  from  the  editor  --   it's   very
temporary.

You  may  also  rename  a  timbre by  selecting  Timbre/Rename...
from  the  menu  bar.   You  can use any  characters  to  name  a
Timbre,  but  imbedding  illegal  DOS  filename  characters  will
prevent  you  from  extracting INS  and  SBI  files.   The  SBANK
utility  will  remove embedded spaces when  creating  an  INS  or
SBI file from an IBK bank.

Play Option

The   Play   option  is  a  unique  feature  in  SBTimbre:   when
running,   it  generates   melodiesFor  a  nice  description   of
1/f  music,  as  well  as  an algorithm for  generating  it,  see
"White,   Brown,   and  Fractal  Music."   Martin   Gardner,   in
Fractal   Music,   Hypercards  and  More...    W.   H.   Freeman,
1992..   Rather  than  completely random,  each  successive  note
is  related  to  the preceding one.  To start  it  at  any  time,
click  on  Play  in the status bar or press F9 -- the  word  Play
changes  to  Stop  and the melody starts.  To end  it,  click  on
Stop   or   press  F9  again.   You  can  perform  any  available
SBTimbre  action  while Play is running --  this  allows  you  to
audition  tones  while  editing, or auditioning  different  tones
in  the  IBK  list box.  Play is also available from  the  Timbre
menu, except when the editor is open.

Control Panel

The  Control  panel  is primarily for adjusting  MIDI  and  sound
card  options.   To  open it, select Options/Control  Panel  from
the  menu  bar  or  press F8.  Adjustments  do  not  take  effect
until   the   Send   button  is  pressed.   The   Volume   option
controls  only  the MIDI volume level sent to the  FM  Card,  and
not   the  Mixer  levels  available  on  the  Sound  Blaster  Pro
cards.   To  adjust  Mixer  levels,  use  the  software  supplied
with your card.

        CONTROL PANEL
        FM Card Options
        Volume          Controls the volume of sound sent to the 
                        FM Card
        Key Shift       Transposes the incoming MIDI note a
                        specified number of half-steps before 
                        sending to the card
        Bend Range      Adjusts the MIDI bend range response of
                        the FM Card by the specified number of 
                        half-steps

        Vibrato         Toggles the overall Vibrato level between
                        Light and Heavy.
        Tremolo         Toggles the overall Tremolo level on the
                        card between Light and Heavy.

        MIDI Options
        Play Channel    Changes the MIDI channel that the Play
                        option melodies are sent on.
        MIDI Note       The number of the MIDI note for auditioning
                        tones.

        Thru On         Controls whether MIDI input is copied to
                        MIDI output
        Out  On         Controls whether generated notes and 
                        melodies are sent to MIDI out


Final Notes

To  use  your  IBK  files  with  Twelve  Tones  Systems  Cakewalk
Sequencer,  copy  your  IBK file to a  file  named  ADLIB.IBK  in
the  Cakewalk  program  directory --  it  will  automatically  be
loaded by the FM card driver when Cakewalk starts up.

FM Card Parameters

The  FM  cards  supported  by  SBTimbre  use  two  operators   to
produce  a  voice.   Each  operator  is  the  equivalent   of   a
primitive   analog   synthesizer,   containing   a   sine    wave
oscillator,  an  envelope  generator,  and  an  amplifier.    The
operators   can   be  combined  to  perform   FM   Synthesis   or
connected in parallel resulting in additive synthesis.

During  FM  synthesis,  one operator  acts  as  a  carrier  while
the  other  functions  as  a  modulator.   Modulating  a  carrier
with  an  audio  source causes a timbre change  --  this  is  the
core   of   FM  synthesis.   The  degree  of  timbre  change   is
chiefly  a  function  of the tuning interval (or  ratio)  between
the   operator's   frequency  multiplier,  and   the   depth   of
modulation   (caused  by  the  modulator  output  level).    With
additive  synthesis,  both  operators function  as  carriers  and
their output summed to produced a single sound.

Oscillator

Each   operator   contains   a   sine   wave   oscillator.    The
frequency  multiplier  parameter  (FreqMult)  controls  the  base
frequency.   Each  successive  value  increases  the    frequency
by  that  number  of  octaves, except  for  the  value  0,  which
actually  results  in  a  multiplier of 0.5,  thus  lowering  the
base  frequency  by  an  octave.   The  ratio  of  the  frequency
multipliers  of  the  carrier and modulator controls  the  amount
of  sideband  overtones generated.  These overtones  add  to  the
complexity  of  the  sound.  The modulator  can  have  a  portion
of   the  output  signal  returned  to  the  input  (FB),   which
further  increases  wave  complexity.   In  addition,  the   wave
form  select  parameter (WaveForm) provides  varying  degrees  of
sine  wave  distortion -- a value of 0 results  in  a  pure  sine
wave.    Applying   low  frequency  pitch  modulation   (Vibrato)
causes a pitch wavering effect.

Envelope Generator

Any   instrument,  real  or  synthesized,  has  a  characteristic
sound  envelope  that  describes how quickly  the  sound  attains
peak  output  (Attack),  how quickly it  descends  to  a  sustain
level  (Decay),  and  how quickly the sound fades  after  a  note
is   released  (Release).   For  sustaining  sounds,  the   level
(Sustain)  is  maintained as long as a note  is  held  down,  for
momentary  sounds  the  sustain level  determines  the  point  at
which   the  decay  rate  changes  to  the  release  rate.    The
keyboard   rate   scaling  parameter  (Envelope   Scale)   causes
higher  notes  to  have a shorter envelope,  which  is  a  common
occurrence with real instruments.

Amplifier

While  the  ADSR  envelope controls the rate  of  change  in  the
operator  amplifier,  the  output  level  (Level)  controls   the
overall  output  of  the amplifier.  For an  operator  acting  as
a  carrier,  the  output level functions  as  a  volume  control;
for   modulators,  the  output  level  controls  the   depth   of
modulation.    The   keyboard  level  scaling   parameter   (KSL)
causes  a  gradual  reduction in output for  higher  notes.   Low
frequency  amplitude  modulation  (Tremolo)  may  be  applied  to
the signal to obtain a volume wavering effect.

Parameter List

     Attack             the rate of the sound's inital onset.
                        Value:  0 - 15
     
     Decay              the rate at which the inital attack fades.
                        Value:  0 - 15
     
     Sustain            the level at which the sound sustains.  
                        Value: 0 - 15
     
     Release            the rate that the sound fades after a note
                        is released.  Value: 0 - 15
     
     Envelope Scale     if checked, higher notes have shorter
                        envelopes.
     
     Sustain Sound      if checked, a note sustains as long as it
                        is held.
     
     FreqMult           the frequency multiplier applied to the base
                        frequency.  Value: 0 = 0.5, 1 - 15
     
     Level              the overall output level for the operator.
                        Value: 0 - 63
     
     KSL                the keyboard scaling level.  Higher numbers 
                        cause more attenuation for higher notes.
                        Value: 0 - 3
     
     WaveForm           the amount of distortion applied to the sine
                        wave oscillator.  Value: 0 - 7  Note: cards
                        based on the OPL2 chip provide only 4 
                        waveforms -- the upper 4 wave forms sound the 
                        same as the lower 4.
     
     Vibrato            if checked, low frequency pitch modulation is
                        applied
     
     Tremolo            if checked, low frequency amplitude modulation
                        is applied
     
     FB                 for modulator only:  the amount of feedback 
                        returned to the operator input.
                        Value: 0 - 7
     
     FM - Addsyn        a radio button that controls the operator
                        connection:  FM synthesis or Additive 
                        synthesis.


