+------------------------------------------------------------------+ O R A C L E v1.10 (release B, 01/09/97). (c) Fuzzy Logic 1995-1997 +------------------------------------------------------------------+ Rock'n'Rol with Fuzzy Logic's magnificent music package ORACLE- a terrific, not-to-be-missed utility from the Dutch company. It's great value for money so low you can't even get drunk on! ORACLE allows you to compose your own little ditties usin' a variety of sound samples and instruments. To get you started there are quite a few included on the disk and they can be altered to your heart's content by including different special effects. Any melody that you want to create can be done note by note using a Step-Time-Editor. If you're a lucky, rather rich, MSX owner you can even tap out your tunes on your OPL4! (18xFM only). But let's not hastite with un-coded programs and let us concentrate on this particulair piece of jewelry! Some Info... ============ At first, this is the first update since the release at the Tilburg fair. Consider this as a true (not beta) version. However, it is far from complete so, other updates can be expected. We will not work that much on this FM version anymore 'coz an OPL4 version has to be coded! Note that the Manual on paper is already published! This disk contains all the necessary files to run your ORACLE on your (or other?) MSX computers. It is possible to print songs, but we've only included minor printing possibilities. If you make your own work-disk, remember to format that disk to the DOS 2.xx format to gain more advantages concerning disk-routines! (notice that ORACLE is fully DOS 2 compatible!) This version will probebly be full of those nasty bugs (stil) that encountered this planet... So, please contact us to correct all the crummy gurus. The replayer: Excuse me for not releasing the replayer YET! It's to complicated to load a ORC file in memory without a Memory Managment Unit. There for I will code a simple load routine which can be altered to you own BIOS/OS or whatever. Check your favorite BBS or Internet for the release. The best configuration for ORACLE is: o A turbo R computer using the great R800 The Z80 version is a bit of a bummer coz' the replayer is using many many effects and can replay atleast 32(!) channels at one go! o Atleast 256 kRam of memory. Each pattern will request a block of bytes anywhere in the RAM. So, the more memory, the more patterns you can get! (max.256) o DOS 2.xx No need telling this gives plenty advantages. o A Harddisk is very recomendable! (it always is...) My (shadow) config is: a Turbo R with 512 kRam, DOS 2.41 and an 80 meg. SCSI-Harddisk ! Update from verson 1.00 to 1.10 (14/08/97) ========================================== o Load other file_formats are included. o Module save will not be possible if no Sample ram is present. o The block read/write function are now correct (I did some stupid thinx in the first version that concludes to block errors) o Load/Save block included. o Two "NEW" modes: Track or Pattern only. o All reset when "NEW" function is aplied. o Chip FM channel overflow check included. o Channel routing completed with output functions (RKS). o Adjusted replayer (added channel_reset etc.) o Added Track_Scanning (at last!) o Improved the Original_Instr. editor. (direct input possible now). o When no files found while reading directory, it will not exit but acts like files were found. So F_keys can be used to correct paths!! o I've added various (usefull) edit functions. o Replayer: Fixed the Pitch_bend down. Added Volume and Brightness slides (!) Adjusted brightness routines per channel. o Remember the last opened Help file to asure quick display. o Some bugs removed at the Sampler. o Raw sample load now 100% with filename as sample name. Bugs we (still) know of: ======================== o The disk error routines (overall) are still fucked up! This is a rather strange bug 'coz at the Development Enviroment it works perfect! I'm working onnit. Just make sure you've got a (formatted) disk in your drive and no errors will appear! o When replaying a track for the first time after booting Oracle, the bar will appear again after pressing a key. After this is once done it will never happen again (strange bugs man...) o Sometimes the edit cursor shows some wrong channels (I know the source of the cause, still working to fix it). o The Z80 mode is fucking slow! Well...buy a R800 or 7.14 Meg or something o The sampler is a bit of a bummer when it comes to recording. Yes this is not so bad as it sounds. The recording will be 100% but while recording a lot of noize is produced. Notice that the real sample will not include this rustle! o When a track is loaded while your at any editor but the pattern- editor, the track settings and name will not be printed (just don't select filetypes other than the needed ones) How to get started: =================== For detailed information about Oracle read the manual! We've putted all text files at the on-board-help-desk. To reach the info files just press: [graph] + [H] and you'll be at the HELP desk! (tataa!). Here are several files (including a file for KEYS) which will provide you with necessary information. ORACLE is a new kind of music editor and is a little simular to Moonblaster (the structure of songs I mean) But the editor it self takes a lot of time and practise to understand. Not that it's a difficult program but it's just that Oracle is very NEW compared to other programs I could mention. The main functions are stored at the Pull-Down-Menus which you can acces by pressing [graph] in combinatin with the FAT-characters in the Topics at the top of the screen. (e.d [graph]+[F] for File menu [graph]+[I] for Instruments etc.) Disk window: ============ This window deserves special attention. At this window there are a few keys to acces all files: [F1] Set path (can include: Drive, Path and file/dirmask) [F2] Set filename (can include: Drive and filename(+ext)) [F3] Select Filetype [F4] Set Disk options To select a file you can either use the cursor keys or just type in the name of the file and ORACLE will automaticly search for the first file that is simulair to the "search" string. (this is a very usefull option!!) Let me try to explain a common misunderstanding: ================================================ "Look at this man! This new tracker's got a really mind-crushin' equalizer on board!" No it doesn't! In fact we have never seen a single MSX program with an equalizer. But VU-meters (Volume Unit that is) or Spectrum Analyzers are featured on most demos and trackers! An equalizer is just like a tone control with cut/boost controls for each frequency range. Just take a look at your stereo, and maybe you'll find some sliders marked 125,250,500 1k, 2k, 4k etc. That is a Graphic Equalizer. There are also Parametric Equalizers where you can change the center frequency and Q-factor (bandwith) of each band, but they are useally found on mixer consoles and other equipment. Spectrum Analyzers show the relative volume of each frequency band, but of course the MSX cannot analyze the spectrum of an instrument in real time, so it will just show which notes are played. VU-meters are even simpler, they show the volume of the sound or in combination with a Note Analyzer it shows each channel's volume. But again, the MSX cannot show the real volume of the notes, so the VU-meter just pops up to the volume you've set for that note, and falls back to zero. Not even the Scopes will show the sound just as it is. They just show a few bytes of the sound, and will just "scroll" through the instrument as it plays. Things that you want, but we wont: ================================== o MIDI Look, guys; ORACLE is not supposed to be a MIDI sequencer, it's a music program that you use to create music for demos, games, music disks or what ever. MIDI sequencers have got a much higher timing resolution and lots of tracks (channels), while ORACLE has 16th and only up to 32 channels. Some of you want to hear you music played on there (MIDI)keyboeards/synthesizers too, but the tracker was not really designed to do that. The MIDI functions will have to be coded some day, but probebly it will only be used for the replay of a song. In the mean time you can use some other music trackers... o Realtime record Oh no! Not that again. Haven't you learned yet? Recording/Editing a song REALTIME on you wimpy keyboards is as terrible as trying to whistle the national-anthum while eating a ciquita! To be short; It's not gonna happen bros! o Sample editor With ADPCM? Yeah right! Converting samples just to edit them, hmmm naah! Wait for the OPL4 version for real PCM. I (shadow) would like to use this oppertunity to say something to: o Moonsoft Hey Remco! Eat this for breakfast (hahaha) Thanx anyway for some stuff I did not use. o Wolf Hope you're sattisfied with this piece a work? Thanx for waitin' and tips/hints for making ORACLE one of the biggest! o New World Order (what kinda name is that for some idiots who attempt to beat my coding?) Keep up the good work, I love your enthousiasm. Thanx for tips/bug report! o Savage A special thanx to you my friend! It's been a long time since we've had some beer, let's get together again some time!