ROLAND.DOC
For Roland D10, D20 keyboards, and D110, MT32 modules
About the program ..........
This program was written in HiSoft's Power Basic, and is SHAREWARE, placed
in the Public Domain, and may freely be distributed with the following
proviso's:
a). No charges, apart from the costs of duplication, are made.
b). This documentation accompanies the program.
c). It is clearly understood that all relevant copyrights and
licences remain with the author.
d). The author makes no representation as to the applicability
of the software, neither can he be held responsible, nor
accept any liability for any loss or damage caused by the
use of this program.
Having said all that, the program works well, and has been through many
debug cycles. The screen update is a bit slow, and I welcome suggestions,
but the program has been specifically optimised for disk access and mouse
control.
Equipment ................
To my best knowledge, this software will NOT run properly in anything but
Hi-Res mode, but works well on 520's and 1040's from STF's, STFM's, and
STE's. Naturally, it works best with a synth attached, the synth mode should
give out "Active Sensing" pulses.
Shareware ................
If you like this software, and intend to use it, it is strongly suggested
that you register with the author with either some suitable donation, or
some nice original tones/patches, technical info regarding the D10 etc.
This way, should some nice improvement be made, you will get to benefit.
Any queries or relevant information, including the reporting of "bugs",
should be addressed, in writing, to the author, with suitable examples
of reported "bugs".
The source is available to interested parties, but isn't supplied free.
The author welcomes requested additions or alterations, but, as above
no donations, no response !.
Author: Alun D. Jones (ADJUST Software)
100, Greenfield Crescent
Horndean
HANTS. PO8-9EL
Program usage ............
The program is fairly straightforward in usage, being predominantly a "GEM"
type program.
I must assume that you're fairly familiar with the D10, D110, D20 or MT32
range of ROLAND synth's, and are aware that there are many other tone/patch
editors around.
This program is fairly unpretentious, having no fancy graphics etc., (..yet),
but was intended initially for my use; such that I could handle all four
partials on screen simultaneously, and give easy, uncomplicated editing,
something most of the other editors didn't appear to cater for.
The tone screen is a little "busy", but how else do you display over 246
different variables at one time ?.
Menus ...............
There are 7 main menu functions, catering for :-
a). Internal Tones (i01-i64)
b). Patches (A11-A88, B11-B88)
c). Timbres (A11-A88, B11-B88)
d). System Data
e). Rhythm Patterns (P51-P88)
f). Rhythm Key Set-Up
g). Rhythm Track
Two additional menu functions are :-
h). Midi, ability to set-up/play Midi channels
i). Data, allows copying/swapping data, and gives access to the
tone database.
Each of the 7 main menu functions give access to :-
1). Disk a). Load (recall data from disk)
b). Save (store data onto disk)
2). Midi a). Send (transmit midi data)
b). Fetch (receive midi data)
3). Edit a). Clear (null memory data)
b). Edit (display and enter the appropriate
editor screen.
In addition, some of the Function keys act as short cuts for the EDIT and
FETCH functions.
F1 .... Tone Edit Alt-F1 .... Midi Fetch Tone Menu
F2 .... Patch Edit Alt-F2 .... Midi Fetch Patch Menu
F3 .... Timbre Edit Alt-F3 .... Midi Fetch Timbre Menu
F4 .... System Edit Alt-F4 .... Midi Fetch System Menu
F5 .... Pattern Edit Alt-F5 .... Midi Fetch Pattern Menu
F6 .... Setup Edit Alt-F6 .... Midi Fetch Setup Menu
F7 .... Track Edit Alt-F7 .... Midi Fetch Track Menu
F10 ... Tone Database
Editors ..........
Upon program entry, the default window is the Tone Editor, and a nominal
default set of parameters are provided, (.. my starting point).
All editing is mouse driven, for lazyness, and parameters may be incremented
by the left button, decremented by the right button, or set to mid-point
by both buttons simulaneously. Almost everything is "clickable", so try it.
The key may be used to re-display the current edit screen, and
may be used to abort if your mouse locks up.
Normal exiting is via the CLOSEBOX icon on any of the main Edit screens.
The speed of mouse increment/decrement has been somewhat optimized, but
still may be too fast/too slow for some! .... my appologies.
The PATCH and TONE names may be entered either with the mouse on the
appropriate character, or from the keyboard, using to clear the data,
to backup one character, or normal text data.
Additionally, the current list of PATCHes/TONEs may be displayed, and the
PATCH/TONE selected by clicking on the appropriate "LIST" boxes.
The Rhythm windows are fairly notional, as I rarely use these features.
The PATTERN window shows the Step number, KEY, and Velocity. If the KEY
value is invalid (not a KEY), the decimal value rather than the KEY name
is displayed.
The SETUP window displays the KEY to Tone assignment, PAN, and REVERB
switch, for the sake of simplicity, the REVERB switch is an asterisk
occuring in the same box as the PAN.
The TRACK window shows the rhythm sequence in units of the selected
PATTERNs, from P11 to P88, displaying the current track in increments
of 100 PATTERNs.
TONE Editor only .....
There is an automatic partial memory, selected by the "MEMORY" box, whereby
any one of the four partials will be automatically held in a buffer.
This buffer is automatically updated, and may be used for copying partials,
either within the same tone, or copied from tone to tone.
All unused partials and PCM/SYNTH unavailable parameters are "greyed", but
still editable.
During my exerimentation with the D10, I discovered "unused" parameters in
the TONE MIDI data relating to the Pitch, TVF and TVA envelopes.
These originally relate to the MT32, and are not accessable from the
D10/D20 internal editor, but I've found that these parameters, defaulted by
the D10's internal software, can be altered and adjusted to additional
effect.
I've named these parameters "Lx" and "Tx", and I suggest that you play
around with them, to ascertain their effect of your synth.
Issues 1.20 and later now can display the Pitch, TVF and TVA envelopes,
either as all partials (by clicking on the GRAPH box), or individually,
by clicking on the individual partial graph boxes. Under the latter mode,
the individual parameters may be edited in a similar manner to the
Tone editor.
Disk (LOAD/STORE) ................
Fairly obvious here, so no explanation given!
Midi (FETCH/SEND) ................
Before fetching or sending data, the Midi line is checked for the "Active
Sensing" signal, and the operation is aborted if no Midi signals are
detected. Use both Midi-in and Midi-out cables.
PATCHES, TIMBRES, and TONES may be fetched/sent to the internal memory
either as a complete block, individually, or to the temporary area, for
quick testing. The temporary area doesn't store the tone, but is just that,
temporary. There are 8 temp. tone areas on the D10, each associated with
a midi channel (multitimbral), the first two only are used in performance
mode.
The PATTERNS may be fetched/sent to the internal memory either as a
complete block, or individually.
The SYSTEM, SETUP, and TRACK may be fetched/sent only as a single entity,
to the internal memory.
The default of Midi channel 17 is used for all SYSEX data, which may be
altered by it's selection from the Midi Menu.
All Midi data is sent/fetched using One-Way transfer, not Handshake, such
that you don't have to set up the synth, just power up ... so exercise just
a little caution if you don't wish to overwrite all your best tones.
Midi (PLAY/SCALE) ................
The PLAY option allows the used to test the tone in the selected PLAY
channel, selectable from 1 to 16 from the menu.
The left button alternatively sends key-on/key-off data, whilst the right
button sends key-off data to all notes.
Velocity is selected by the mouse height position, and the note is
determined by the mouse's left-right position.
The mouse icon changes to an "open hand" during PLAY mode, and all mouse
editing of parameters is suspended until the PLAY mode deselected.
Turning the PLAY option off sends key-off data to all keys on all 16
midi channels (for when your spouse yells "can't you stop that *** noise!").
The SCALE function plays a monochromatic scale, covering all notes, on
selected PLAY midi channel.
Issues 1.15 and later allow the user to turn off the ACTIVE-SENSE
requirement. With the active sense off, no check of the midi line is
made prior to data Send/Fetch.
Database (GET/PUT) ..........
The database file "ROLAND.DBF" is read, and displayed in groups of 16 tones,
which may be selected and "FETCH"ed from database to memory, or "STORED"d
from memory to database.
To speed up selection of the database, the user may opt to increment the
data in units of 1,10,100 and 1000, in addition to the page increments of
16, by clicking on the appropriate number character.
The current number of tones in the database is displayed (mod 16), and the
user may automatically append tone data within the next block of 16 tones
(4K data size blocks are used).
My own database has over 1500 tones, (some good, some ????), so disk space
should be your only problem.
Issues 1.16 and later permit the user to send the selected database tone
direct to the Synth's Tone Temp. area, to allow quick selection of the
desired tone type (as Tone names can be misleading !). The Temp. area
selected is the same as the midi play channel number, found under the
Midi Menu.
Database (MAKE) .............
The user may elect to setup his own database of tones, enabling him to
pick, store, and select individual tones at will. To set-up a new database
use the MAKE option, which creates an initial database consisting of
the first 16 tones. Additional tones may then be added/recalled by the
database GET/PUT options.
Note that the database MAKE option creates a file "ROLAND.DBF" file,
that will overwrite any such existing file in the current directory.
The database file "ROLAND.DBF" used must exist in the current working
directory, otherwise it cannot be accessed.
Data Files ..............
The default name is "ROLAND"
a). TONE files, "*.TON", 16384 bytes, consisting of 64 consecutive
tones of 246 bytes, on a stride of 256 bytes.
b). PATCH files, "*.PAT", 8192 bytes, consisting of 128 consecutive
patches of 38 bytes, on a stride of 64 bytes.
c). TIMBRE files, "*.TMB", 1024 bytes, consisting of 128 consecutive
timbres of 8 bytes, on a stride of 8 bytes.
d). SYSTEM files, "*.SYS", 50 bytes.
e). Rhythm PATTERN files, "*.RPT", 18816 bytes, consisting of 32
consecutive patterns of 588 bytes, on a stride of 588 bytes.
f). Rhythm SETUP files, "*.RSU", 340 bytes.
g). Rhythm TRACK files, "*.RTK", 502 bytes.
Set-Up Configuration File .............
Issues 1.19 and later look for the existance of text file,
"ROLAND.INF", to default certain internal parameters. This file
is fully editable, and has very tolerant syntax.
Syntax:-
a). Each line must be terminated with a /
b). The first two characters on each line are treated as a Keyword,
the remaining characters are taken as data.
Do not put comments on active Keyword lines.
c). Keywords (surrounded by double quotes "" for clarity ONLY!)
1). "* " ....... Remark line
2). "P:" ....... Default path name (in full)
3). "N:" ....... Default file name
4). "D:" ....... Database file name and extent
5). "S:" ....... Default Sysex channel number (17 to 31)
6). "C:" ....... Default Play channel number (1 to 16)
7). "A:" ....... Active sensing disable with Keyword "OFF"
d). Any or all Keywords may be omitted, the internal default will be #
used instead.
e). This file and appropriate will be extended as and when the need
arises, so watch this space.
A typical "ROLAND.INF" file might look something like this ....
* Default ROLAND set-up
* Work Path
P:E:\ROLAND\DATA\
* Use my files as default starter
N:MY_FILE
* Keep Hold of my original database
D:E:\ROLAND\TONEDATA.TDB
* Sysex Channel default
S:17
* Play Channel for my rhythms
C:10
* Use this for my D100,
A:OFF
The internal defaults are ...........
P:A:\
N:ROLAND
D:ROLAND.DBF
S:17
C:1
A:ON
Other provided utilities ........
Dependant upon where you obtained this software, you may or maynot
find additional utilities to assist with the use of ROLAND.PRG.
Below is a list of the utilities, and some cryptic explanations.
a). DBUTIL.TOS
Reads in a ".DBF" database file as created by ROLAND.PRG,
sorts the tones alphabetically, and rejects those tones that
have duplicate names AND data. Rewrites the database file to
a "*.NDB" file for you to rename back to "*.DBF", and creates
a tone list file "*.LDB", listing the contents and order of
the tones now held in "*.NDB"
b). TWOTONE.TTP
Converts other sources of tone bank data to ROLAND.PRG type data.
Syntax :- TWOTONE {dash_options} input_file.ext output_file{.ext}
where dash options are ......
-O .... convert OMNIBANKER tonebank data to ROLAND
-T .... convert Dr T's tonebank data to ROLAND
-M .... convert plain Midi tonedump to ROLAND
ADJUST Software
25/04/90