Contents |
Description
'MSX Music-System' is an MSX-AUDIO firmware provided with the complete MSX-AUDIO cartridge, the Panasonic FS-CA1 and the 'basic' MSX-AUDIO cartridge Toshiba HX-MU900 (FM-Synthesizer Unit). In the Panasonic version, the Toshiba references have been removed and the program has been adapted for a music keyboard without Multi-Sensor.
It is conceived to be used with a standard MSX-AUDIO music keyboard (usually the Toshiba HX-MU901 or the Panasonic FS-MKB1). However, the Panasonic version allows to use the computer keyboard as music keyboard.
It boots up automatically, but can be skipped by holding the ESC key if you use the Toshiba cartridge. According the position of the switch on the Panasonic cartridge, this program will boot up automatically or not, but it can be skipped by holding the ESC key.
The menu of this utility gives access to three MSX-AUDIO songs and a music editor. A demo mode with these songs is also included and you can see the played notes on the keyboard. You can notice that the menu screen creates some confusion with MSX-MUSIC, which is a light version of MSX-AUDIO!
From MSX-BASIC, it can be launched by entering
- CALL SYNTHE or _SYNTHE with the Panasonic cartridge if you don't have already used the CALL AUDIO command
- CALL SYN or _SYN with the Toshiba cartridge
Notes:
- On the Philips NMS 8220 pressing ESC on startup to skip the integrated Designer firmware will also prevent the MSX Music-System software from starting at the same time. In this case, start it from MSX-BASIC with the appropriate command.
- Upgraded versions of the Toshiba version, made by the MSX scene, inverse the procedure as you need then to press the ESC key while booting to launch the firmware.
Editor
The editor screen is divided into several sections.
If you enter this screen when one of the three MSX-AUDIO songs from the menu is played, you will see the values corresponding to the played song for the different parameters.
Polyphonic, bass and chord sections
| Setting | Values | |
|---|---|---|
| VOI | Voice | 65 presets (see Voice Data Table) |
| VIB | Vibrato | ON / OFF |
| SUST | Sustain | Short / Long |
During perfomance (with or without recording) or playback, the chord names are displayed in a special section at the right top of the screen.
Rhythm section
| Setting | Values | |
|---|---|---|
| PAT | Rhythm pattern | 20 presets (see Rhythm Patterns Table) |
| TEM | Speed of rhythm (tempo) | 40 to 200 beats per minute (default 120) |
| BASS | Auto walking bass line | Root (Off) / Walk (On) |
Level section
This section allows to change the output level for the polyphonic mode, the bass, the chord and the rhythm.
Play section
| Setting | Values | |
|---|---|---|
| KEY-MODE | Music keyboard mode | Normal, Split, Ensem(ble) |
| LH | Keyboard mode for lower notes | Bass in Split mode, Acomp(animent) in Ensemble mode |
| RH | Keyboard mode for upper notes | Polyphonic mode in all cases |
| SEN-MODE | Multi-Sensor* mode | Percus(sion), Rhypat (Rhythm Pattern), Rhyedt (Rhythm Editor), Voice, Arpeg(gio), Chord |
- see below for details
Record section
| Setting | Values | |
|---|---|---|
| LH | Recording mode for lower notes in the computer RAM | OFF, PLY (playback) or REC (recording) |
| RH | Recording mode for upper notes in the computer RAM | OFF, PLY (playback) or REC (recording) |
Besides, the recording levels for the lower notes and the upper notes can be adapted.
Function section
| Setting | Values | |
|---|---|---|
| TRANSPOSE | Key transpose | -12 to +12 (default value: 0) |
| TUNING | Pitch tuning | -7 to +7 (default value: 0) |
| VIB-DEPTH | Vibrato Depth | Off / On |
| SAVE-LOAD | Data storage | (Access to SAVE LOAD screen) |
Save/Load screen
save/load screen
This screen allows to load/save data from/to cassette or disk. The name of the file can be entered in a specific place.
Here are the different possibilities:
| Name | Operation | Cassette | Disk |
|---|---|---|---|
| MUSIC (.MDT file on disk) | Load performance data | X | X |
| Save performance data | X | X | |
| KIll performance data | - | X | |
| RHYTHM (.RDT file on disk) | Load rhythm data | X | X |
| Save rhythm data | X | X | |
| KIll rhythm data | - | X | |
| SOUND (.SDT file on disk) | Load voice data | X | X |
| FILES | Files on disk | - | X |
Multi-Sensor
The Multi-Sensor is a special zone at the top of the Toshiba HX-MU901 music keyboard. Note that the Panasonic FS-MKB1 music keyboard does not have this feature, but the Multi-Sensor is partially emulated by the function keys F1 to F5 in the Panasonic version of the firmware.
According the mode selected in the Play section, the Multi-Sensor zone is differently divided and the display on the last line of the editor screen varies:
- Percus(sion): BD (Bass Drum) - SD (Snare Drum) - TOM (Tom-tom) - CYM (Top Cymbal) - HH (Hi-Hat/Cymbals)
- Rhypat (Rhythm Pattern): by default, the five following rhythm patterns are selected: 03 - 06 - 08 - 14 - 17 (see table below)
- Rhyedt (Rhythm Editor): by default, it's like the Percus(sion) mode, but you can create your own rhythm patterns and assign them to a Multi-Sensor subzone
- Voice: by default, the five following voices are selected: 03 - 12 - 22 - 36 - 63 (see table below)
- Arpeg(gio) and Chord: 10 subzones instead of 5, as these modes allow to slide your fingers on the Multi-Sensor, using the 65 available voices, and producing one note (Arpeggio) or three notes (Chord) at a time
Voice Data Table
This utility has its own system of voices, regrouped by instrument type and using abbreviations. There are obviously user voices created for this firmware, but accurate infos are missing to compare with default MSX-AUDIO voices (see CALL VOICE). The below table tries to make this comparison, but it includes probably many errors and inacurracies.
| Voice No. | Name | Abbrev. | _VOICE No. | Voice No. | Name | Abbrev. | _VOICE No. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Violin 1 | VN1 | 2 | 34 | Saxophone | SAX | ||
| 02 | Violin 2 | VN2 | 45 | 35 | Jazz Fkute | JFL | 36 | |
| 03 | Cello | VC | 36 | Marimba | MAR | |||
| 04 | Strings | STR | 37 | Xylophone | XYL | 8 | ||
| 05 | Acoustic Guitar | AGT | 10 | 38 | Glockenspiel | GSP | ||
| 06 | Electric Guitar | EGT | 39 | Vibraphone | VIB | 16 | ||
| 07 | Distortion Guitar | DGT | 40 | Tubular Bell | TBL | |||
| 08 | Electric Bass 1 | EB1 | 12 | 41 | Kalimba | KAL | ||
| 09 | Electric Bass 2 | EB2 | 42 | Agog Bell | ABL | |||
| 10 | Wood Bass | WB | 33 | 43 | Steel Drum | STD | ||
| 11 | Acoustic Piano 1 | AP1 | 0 | 44 | Koto | KOT | 17 or 39 | |
| 12 | Acoustic Piano 2 | AP2 | 1 | 45 | Shakuhachi | SHH | ||
| 13 | Electric Piano | EPF | 32 | 46 | Shamisen | SHS | 49 | |
| 14 | Harpsichord | HPC | 14 or 15 | 47 | Biwa | BIW | ||
| 15 | Celeste | CEL | 48 | Harmonica | HAM | |||
| 16 | Clavichord | CLC | 13, 37 or 38 | 49 | Recorder | REC | ||
| 17 | Electric Organ 1 | EO1 | 9 | 50 | Triangle | TRG | ||
| 18 | Electric Organ 2 | EO2 | 46 | 51 | Accordion | ACD | ||
| 19 | Pipe Organ 1 | PO1 | 7 | 52 | Reed Organ | ROG | ||
| 20 | Pipe Organ 2 | PO2 | 40 | 53 | Harp | HRP | ||
| 21 | Synth Bass | SYB | 23 | 54 | Sitar | SIT | ||
| 22 | Trumpet 1 | TP1 | 6 | 55 | Banjo | BAN | ||
| 23 | Trumpet 2 | TP2 | 56 | Ukulele | UKL | |||
| 24 | Horn | HR | 48 | 57 | Toy Piano | TYP | ||
| 25 | Trombone | TRB | 58 | Music Box | MB | |||
| 26 | Tuba | TUB | 59 | Toy Box | TYB | |||
| 27 | Flugelhorn | FHR | 60 | Space Noise | SPN | |||
| 28 | Brass | BRS | 35 | 61 | Wave | WAV | ||
| 29 | Piccolo | PIC | 62 | Crash | CRH | |||
| 30 | Flute | FL | 3 or 36 | 63 | Wall Clock | WCK | ||
| 31 | Clarinet | CL | 4 | 64 | Typewriter | TYW | ||
| 32 | Oboe | OB | 5 | 65 | Tut | TUT | ||
| 33 | Fagotto | FG |
Rhythm Patterns Table
This utility can use 20 rhythm patterns, regrouped by type and using abbreviations.
| Pattern No. | Name | Abbrev. | Pattern No. | Name | Abbrev. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Rock 1 | RK1 | 11 | Slow/Ballad | SLB | |
| 02 | Rock 2 | RK2 | 12 * | Shuffle 1 | SF1 | |
| 03 * | Rock 3 | RK3 | 13 * | Shuffle 2 | SF2 | |
| 04 | Rock 4 | RK4 | 14 * | Tango | TAG | |
| 05 * | Rock 5 | RK5 | 15 * | Bigin | BIG | |
| 06 * | March | MAR | 16 | Funk 1 | FK1 | |
| 07 * | Swing 1 | SW1 | 17 | Funk 2 | FK2 | |
| 08 * | Swing 2 | SW2 | 18 | Fusion 1 | FS1 | |
| 09 * | Waltz 1 | WT1 | 19 | Fusion 2 | FS2 | |
| 10 * | Waltz 2 | WT2 | 20 | Non-Rhythm | NRY |
- = can be used for auto walking bass line (Walk)
Useful keys
| Key | |
|---|---|
| F1 to F5 | Emulate Multi-Sensor on MSX keyboard (only in Panasonic version) |
| 'Normal' keys | Emulate music keyboard on MSX keyboard (only in Panasonic version) |
| Cursors | Move arrow in the Menu, Editor and Save/Load screens |
| BS | Select previous value for a specific parameter or access to Save/Load screen, erase one character to the left of vertical arrow for NAME in Save/Load screen |
| DEL | Select next value for a specific parameter or access to Save/Load screen |
| ESC | Back to previous screen or stop the Name procedure on the Save/Load screen |
| HOME | Edit rhythms patterns |
| INS | Select previous value for a specific parameter or access to Save/Load screen |
| SELECT | Activate one of these modes (according the selected parameter or value): Auto Bass, Auto Rhythm, Playback, Recording in computer RAM |
| SHIFT + cursors | Fast move in Editor screen |
| SHIFT + BS or SPACE | Fast selection of value in Editor screen |
| SPACE | Select option in Menu and Save/Load screens, next value for a specific parameter or access to Save/Load screen |
| STOP | Stop a feature activated by SELECT |