The "Easier Drum Machine" pre-release version 3N

Websites:

http://marlow77.hostvan.com/edm.html

http://geocities.com/marlow77.geo/index.html

Contact Info:

Overview:

This program was created in order to bridge the gap in samplers and drum machines, enabling any user to play samples in real-time and record in CD quality for 12 separate samples, sequenced by the user.

License and Disclaimer:

The "Easier Drum Machine" will be referred to as "EDM" within the license agreement below:

License

You can use this EDM in commercial and non-commercial projects without paying a license fee.

The only thing you have to do is to give me credit for the EDM anywhere in your product. Any comments and suggested improvements as well as possibly sharing any music or programs that use this software would be appreciated and information on these things can be sent to the following email account: mailto:Marlow77@hotmail.com or mailto:Marlow77777@yahoo.com.

I exclude any and all implied warranties, including warranties of

merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. I make no warranty or

representation, either express or implied, with respect to the Easier Drum Machine (EDM), its

quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose.

I shall have no liability for special, incidental, or consequential damages

arising out of or resulting from the use, misuse, or modification of the Easier Drum Machine (EDM).

With use of this software, you consent and agree to the above license.

Basic Use:

F1: Shows this information. ESC will get you back into the program.

F12: Permanently deletes undo files and frees up disk space produced by each change of the screen.

ESC: Exits the program.

1-Key: Sound0

2-Key:Sound1

3-Key:Sound2

4-Key:Sound3

5-Key:Sound4

6-Key:Sound5

7-Key:Sound6

8-Key:Sound7

9-Key:Sound8

0-Key:Sound9

U-Key:Sound10

I-Key: Sound11

O-Key:Sound12

Buttons:

MAP KEYS: Maps keys that you want to use for each sample sphere on the keyboard. If a key is cannot be assigned, then it will say so, and you may choose another key in its place. The original keys will stay assigned to the original settings so you can have as many keys as you want for a particular sample in order to be able to play triplets or any other such speed sequences.

SPEED: This key sets the speed of the sounds that are played in sequence. If the speed is increased too high (generally over 30, the sequence will be lost, but you can undo this with the UNDO button)

CLEARALL: This reinitializes variables to their original settings (for those that were not already saved) and removes all sample spheres from the sky.

RECORD: Records in stereo, 44.1Khz, 16-bit. You record properties must be set to record "Stereo Mix" or its equivalent in the recording properties of your mixer for your sound card.

LOAD: Loads saved program settings and arrangements from three files initialization files and a program save file. All four of these files must be available in order to properly load the same settings as was originally configured. The program will load all of these automatically, but if you have any errors in loading, it may be because you altered or moved some of these files from the root directory.

SAVE: Will save with a name you provide. I recommend using something outside of the default, so you can always reload the default if you need to get a good start point.

RANDOMIZE: This is still a work-in-progress, but over a period of time, it will provide the first three samples in a randomized sequence for your alteration. This will improve and allow further modification at a future time and version.

UNDO: This button will undo when left-clicked and redo when right-clicked. Remember to clean out UNDO files over time, by pressing the F12 button so as to not use more disk space. I could have made this automatic, however it may delete undo files you may want at a future time; I don't know when you are complete with your sequences.

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

When you mouse-over sample-spheres, they produce a sample-sphere map so that you can add other samples at the same sample time in a line. If you left click on these blue sample spheres, you will create a sphere at those locations. If you left-click on the sample spheres you increase the volume, if you right click you remove the sample sphere.

The six-sided stars in green are the effects functions. Press on them and they will allow you to change their settings. Generally, you can only have one effect on one sound at a time, because I have not figured out how to link the effects fully yet.

Clicking on the mini-sample spheres will allow you to choose your desired sample in either *.wav or *.mp3 formats.

The yellow triangles to the left of the six-sided green effects stars are the increase and decrease volumes (which only works with *.wav files.)

The green, Linking eyes between the stars link sounds so as to allow only one sample play between linked samples, i.e., a open high-hat will turn off with a closed high-hat when linked. This allows some interesting sound effects by making an almost arpeggio effect when used with fast sequences.

Let me know what you think and share your music and ideas with me once you have created them. I am always interested in people's passions and talents.

THANKS

Special thanks goes to those who supported the making of this program and continue to produce music with it...

Technical assistance for coding the EMAIL functionality and solving a mouse glitch in the earlier version goes to CrazyClown2 (http://emoticon-maker.net/design/)...thanks CrazyClown2...