Products of Interest

Complete Works of Herbert

Brn on Compact Disc
Herbert Brn, a pioneer in algorithmic composition and a widely admired musical thinker and teacher,
is now audible through a just-released series of four compact discs
on the EMF (Electronic Music Foundation) label. Language, Message,
Drummage (EM 109) features
Herbert Brns compositions for tape
and for instruments performed by
the LaSalle Quartet, Kathleen
Keasey (piano), James Culley (snare
drum), University of Illinois New
Music Ensemble. The pieces are Futility 1964 (1964), Anepigraphe
(1957), String Quartet #2 (1957), Trio
for Flute, Double Bass, and Percussion (1964), Piece of Prose (1972),
Just Seven for Drum (1987), and
Gesto for Piccolo and Piano (1965).
Wayfaring Sounds (EM 110) presents Mr. Brns compositions for instruments with tape, performed by
Percussion Group Cincinnati, Eckart
Schloifer (viola), Performers Workshop Ensemble, University of Illinois
New Music Ensemble, Arun Chandra
and Herbert Brn (conductors). The
pieces are Non Sequitur VI (1966),
Wayfaring Sounds (1959), On Stilts
among Ducks (1997), Sonoriferous
Loops (1964), and Sentences Now
Open Wide (SNOW) (1984).
Mutatis Mutandis (EM 111) includes compositions for solo instruments and ensembles, performed by
Blackearth Percussion Group,
LaSalle Quartet, University of Illinois New Music Ensemble (Herbert
Brn, conductor), Lesley Olson
(flute), Charles Lipp (bassoon), and
William Heiles (piano). The pieces
are Gestures for Eleven (1964), Trio
for Trumpet, Trombone, and Percussion (1966), The Laughing Third
(1995), String Quartet #3 (1963),
Sonatina for Bassoon Alone (1953),
At Loose Ends (1974), Mutatis

Mutandis 7 (19681987), and Nonet

(1969).
SAWDUST (EM 112) presents
works created using his computer
music program entitled SAWDUST.
The pieces are Dust (1976), More
Dust (1977), Dustiny (1978), A Mere
Ripple (1979), U-TURN-TO (1980),
More Dust with Percussion (1977), ,
and i toLD You so! (1981). Percussion Group Cincinnati performs
More Dust with Percussion.
The price of each disc is US$ 12.
Contact: CDeMUSIC; 116 North
Lake Avenue, Albany New York
12206, USA; telephone (518) 4344110; fax (518) 434-0308; electronic
mail cde@emf.org; World Wide Web
http://www.cdemusic.org.

Paul Bergs AC Toolbox

for Algorithmic Composition
with Mac OS
Version 3.3 of the AC Toolbox has
been released. This is Paul Bergs
freeware Mac OS application for algorithmic composition. Various
models for defining musical material are available by using dialog
boxes to describe objects such as
sections, shapes, masks, or note
structures.
A large number of data generators
have been included. Among them
are generators for using tendency
masks, stochastic functions, chaotic
systems, transition tables, recursive
subdivisions, metric
indispensabilities, and morphological mutations. Users may add generators using the Lisp interpreter,
which is part of the system.
Output can be produced for
Csound, Common Lisp Music,
MIDI, etc. The application includes
extensive on-line documentation,
and a 199-page tutorial in PDF format is available. More information

and links for downloading the software and/or the tutorial can be
found on the World Wide web at
http://www.koncon.nl/ACToolbox.

AudioMulch Interactive Music

Studio for Windows
AudioMulch by Ross Bencina is a
graphically oriented real-time sound
synthesis and signal processing environment for Windows computers. The
program lets users interactively route
digital audio through sound generating and processing modules in a similar manner to analog synthesizers.
AudioMulch is designed for anyone
who uses computer to make music. It
implements a variety of contraptions that generate real-time granulation effects, drum-machine
rhythms, bass-line patterns, delay
lines, spatializers, modulators, flanging and phasing effects, and more.
AudioMulch is distributed as
shareware. A single user license can
be purchased for US$ 50. To download
the software via the World Wide Web,
go to http://www.codanet.com.au/
audiomulch; for information, contact
Ross Bencina; electronic mail
rossb@kagi.com.

Instrument Samples
from the University of Iowa
The University of Iowa electronic
music studios offers a free database
of musical instrument samples.
Each instrument sample was recorded in an anechoic chamber at
three dynamic levels for each chromatic note. The files are in mono
16-bit, 44.1-kHz AIFF format.
Oboe, bassoon, and horn samples
are on-line, as are other wind, brass,
and string instruments. The samples
are available at the University of

Products of Interest

95

Iowa electronic music studios World

Wide Web site, http://
theremin.music.uiowa.edu. For information, contact Lawrence Fritts,
director of the electronic music studios; electronic mail lawrencefritts@uiowa.edu.

AardSync II 96-kHz Digital Audio Master Clock and AardDDA

AES/EBU Audio Distributor
The AardSync II is a digital audio
device designed as a master clock
synchronizer for digital audio equipment. It synchronizes digital audio
gear together, and locks it to video,
with one low-jitter master clock.
Low jitter improves audio converter
resolution. The ArdSync II eliminates clicks and pops, and allows
locking to video house sync. The
unit has multiple clock outputs,
AES/EBU sync, word clock and
superclock outputs, NTSC and PAL
sample rates, a universal video-generator option, and 96-kHz sampling
rate support with the 2X option.
The low-jitter master clock in the
AardSync II achieves jitter ratings
down into the picoseconds. This
means the AardSync II will synchronize a studio while also enhancing
the precision of audio converters to
make them sound better.
The standard AardSync II can be
set to 44.1 and 48 kHz, as well as all
the pull-up and pull-down rates derived from these frequencies. The
2X option provides a stable source
for a 96-kHz sampling rate. The device is compatible with Sonic Solutions, Digidesign, Avid, and Yamaha
digital mixers.
The AardDDA is a one-to-six
AES/EBU digital audio distribution
box, with S/PDIF adapters available.
The outputs are individually buffered, and there is no reclocking. The

96

unit filters out ground-loop noise.

Users can configure the input and
the six outputs to match their setups. One example could be one S/
PDIF input, with four AES/EBU and
two S/PDIF outputs. Another example could be one AES/EBU input,
with one AES/EBU output and five
S/PDIF outputs.
The AardDDAs transformer-isolated outputs are also individually
buffered. One can distribute a digital audio signal not only to different
devices, but over long distances.
The device features low clock jitter.
The AarDDA also works with the
AardSync II. Contact: Aardvark; 202
East Washington #306, Ann Arbor,
Michigan 48104, USA; telephone
(734) 665-8899; fax (734) 665-0694;
electronic mail lovell@aardvarkpro.com.

Opcode Vision DSP Audio

and MIDI Sequencer
Opcode Systems Vision DSP is the
newest addition to Opcodes line of
computer-based audio and MIDI sequencers. This new release includes
support for Steinbergs industrystandard VST audio plug-in architecture, bringing real-time effects to
the Opcode product line. Vision
DSP is also the first application to
feature Opcodes new parametric
equalizers. These equalizers, created
specifically for Vision DSP, are said
to provide sonic quality surpassing
certain standalone units.
Support for a wide range of inexpensive audio cards is also included
through compatibility with
Steinbergs ASIO software standard.
Among the cards currently supported are Korgs 1212 I/O, Lucids
PCI 24, the Sonorus STUDI/O,
Digidesigns Audiomedia III, and numerous others. The ASIO support

makes it possible for users to create

a professional-level audio production system with real-time effects,
and multiple audio inputs and outputs.
A variety of effects are bundled
with Vision DSP, including some
that Opcode has created specifically
for Vision DSP, such as Echo, Cycle,
Align, Chorus, Rezn8, Plate, Comp,
Squash, Panner, and a Ring Modulator. Providing even more control
over tone and timbre are four bands
of high-quality equalization on each
of Vision DSPs audio mixing channels. Users can choose from five different EQ types to fill the four
slots on each channel. Available
filter types include parametric
peaking EQ, high-pass and lowpass filters, and high- and lowshelving filters. The program offers
a graphic representation of each
bands frequency, bandwidth, and
level of boost or cut. All effects settings can be stored and recalled for
later use. Four audio-insert points
are also provided on each audio
channel, and can be filled with
whatever effects the user desires.
Adding to this power are an additional four effects sends per channel, which can be used for routing
signals from numerous tracks to stereo busses for further effects processing or to Vision DSPs recording
inputs. Many of the signal-processing functions that have made
Opcodes flagship sequencing package Studio Vision Pro a professional
standard have also been added to Vision DSP. These include TruTone
pitch shifting, Adjust Audio Tempo,
time-scale compression/expansion,
formant shifting for tone manipulation, and customizable audio crossfades for seamless edits. All of the
Studio Vision Pro 4.0 recent interface and editing enhancements are
also included, such as the pulse-edit
window for the quick creation of

Computer Music Journal

Figure 1. The dCS converter Windows Remote control panel.

rhythmic parts, groove quantizing

on playback and record, an
arpeggiator window with sequencelock and quantize options, programmable key commands for sequencer
functions and menu items, and appearance control for altering the
overall look of the sequencer. Vision
DSP comes bundled with Opcodes
own Galaxy universal patch librarian for MIDI devices and Peak SE
sample-editing software from BIAS.
The street price of Vision DSP is
about US$ 299, and the upgrade
from any version of Vision is US$
99.95. Contact: Opcode Systems;
3950 Fabian Way, Suite 100, Palo
Alto, California 94303, USA; telephone (650) 856-3333; fax (650) 8560777; World Wide Web http://
www.opcode.com.

Data Conversion Systems

192-kHz and 96-kHz Converters
The British company dCS Ltd.
makes high-performance audio con-

Figure 2. The dCS converter Windows Remote meter panel.

verters, including the 904 analog-todigital (ADC) and the 954 digital-toanalog converters (DAC) for
professional recording at high bit
densities. The dCS Elgar (described
below) is a high-resolution DAC designed for the audiophile market.
The dCS 904 ADC is a high-performance professional unit covering
the high sample rates needed for
DVD preparation, and for recording
and archiving performances at the
highest standard. It covers all current AES/EBU formats and 24/96
formats. In addition, it provides 24bit resolution at 192 kHz, as supported by Sonic Solutions audio
workstations (among others).
Supported sampling rates are 192,
176.4, 96, 88.2 , 48 , 44.1, and 32
kHz. The signal-to-noise ratio is
110 dB over the first 20-kHz bandwidth. All distortion products are
below 100 dB0 over the first 20kHz bandwidth. The output data is
sent through four XLR sockets, configured by switches in the following
manner: 48 kHz and below: four off

AES/EBU outputs; 96 kHz: 88.2 kHz

four B1 format or two B2 format;
and 192 kHz, 176.4 kHz: one C3 format. In addition, there is an XLR
output to daisy-chain the XLR digital input. The analog audio inputs
are balanced XLR to AES14-1992
(+20 dB, 6 dB) . The XLR digital
input, for sync and messaging purposes, is able to take data in the
AES/EBU or B1 formats. The unit
also has BNC word-clock input and
output sockets, the latter doubling
as an AES/EBU or B1 format data
output at TTL levels. Other features
include noise-shaped truncation
from 24 bits to 8 bits in 1-bit steps
selected by a front panel switch or
via software remote, and a dual AES
demultiplexer and noise-shaper
mode. The unit has dual voltage
supplies, and can operate in master
mode (on internal crystal) or slave
mode, sand can sync to data or word
clock inputs, with a pull in the
range of 300 ppm. The dCS 904 is
housed in a one-unit 19-in rackmounting case. It may be controlled

Products of Interest

97

Figure 3. The TaalWizard screen

image.

either from its front and back panels, or by a software-based remote

control running on a Windowsbased personal computer.
The dCS 954 DAC is a professional unit covering the high sample
rates needed for DVD monitoring. It
is a companion DAC to the dCS 904
ADC, and covers all current AES/
EBU formats and 24/96 formats.
In addition, it provides 24-bit resolution for material recorded at 192
kHz. The audio specifications are
similar to those of the 904.
The dCS Windows Remote software (see Figures 1 and 2) is the ultimate control solution for dCS
converters. The software runs on a
PC, and provides an intuitive user
interface that is easy to operate.
This is further enhanced by a comprehensive help facility that provides detailed descriptions of the
meanings and functions for all icons
and displays. Control of all facilities
is available through the units rearpanel switches, but the Windows
Remote software presents these controls in a more visual form with
simple mouse control. Access to the
extensive extended feature set is
also facilitated.
The Elgar exemplifies dCSs
unique D/A topology, called Ring
DAC. This is said to avoid the problems inherent in conventional
DACs, which are either bit stream
(one bit), or binary weighted
multibit. In a one-bit system (which
has the advantage of good linearity),
the converter output is switched between two levels at a very high rate.
This makes the DAC prone to small
clock errors, which generates noise
and distortion. In addition, quantization noise prevents the unit from
achieving a low noise floor. Conversely, a conventional multibit
converter (which has the advantage
of low distortion and noise compared to the one-bit system), is de-

98

pendent on current sources set by a

resistor chain within the DAC. If, in
a 16-bit converter, the most significant bit current source is i, the next
down i/2, the next i/4 and so on, the
least significant bit will be i/65,536.
Resistors of this required accuracy
are very difficult to manufacture,
and in any case tend to drift with
time and changes in temperature.
Conventional multibit designs
therefore have poor low-level linearity, and cannot accurately resolve
low-level signals. The dCS Ring
DAC in the Elgar operates at a relatively low over-sampling frequency
compared to one-bit converters,
thus avoiding the problems resulting from minor variations in high
clock speeds. The dCS keeps jitter
out of the clock that runs the DAC.
The Elgar uses a five-bit unitary
weighted multibit converter. This
means that unlike binary weighted
multibit designs, the problems usually associated with using resistor
chains to accurately define extremely small current values do not
exist. In addition, the Elgar employs
special techniques to cancel any minor errors in current source values.

Supported sampling frequencies are

32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96 kHz.
Contact: Data Conversion Systems Ltd.; Mull House, Great
Chesterford Court, Great
Chesterford, Saffron Walden, CB10
1PF, UK; electronic mail
rk@dcsltd.co.uk; World Wide Web
http://www.dcsltd.co.uk.

TaalWizard Tabla Machine

for Windows
TaalWizard (see Figure 3) is objectoriented tabla software designed for
creating and playing rhythmic patterns of Indian music. It is designed
for students of tabla and other Indian drums, who can use it as a repository for their rhythmic patterns,
as well as a tool for experiencing
new combinations and permutations of these patterns into different
tempos. Other music students, such
as sitar players, can just use the included rhythmic cycles as accompaniment (much as a tabla machine,
but with a far more visual interface).
TaalWizard is based on five rhythmic elements or items, including si-

Computer Music Journal

lence, left-hand stroke, right-hand

stroke, and joined stroke. Each
single-hand stroke is given a name
and linked with its corresponding
sound sample (WAV file); for example, na, ge, tin. A joined stroke is
created by selecting a right- and a
left-hand stroke, and giving a name
to this new stroke; such as dha,
dhin, dhe.
A rhythmic pattern is a sequence
of rhythmic elements. As all five elements derive from the same basic
rhythmic item class, the sequence
can contain any of them, including
rhythmic patterns and cycles, for
example, tirekite or tabla solo.
A rhythmic cycle is a structured
rhythmic pattern for which one can
specify a sam (starting beat) and
khand (bars), for example, tintal,
ektal, bhajani.
TaalWizard works with files that
have the extension .twb.. Each of
these files is called a TaalWizard
base, and contains a collection of
rhythmic items organized into folders. As each base contains its own basic strokes, one can have a tabla base
pointing to tabla samples, a pakhawaj
base, a dholak base, a mridangam
base, and so on. TaalWizard allows
one to change the font of strokes,
names, and other parameters, which
allows one to view rhythmic items in
a vernacular script.
Whoever the artist is, a tabla performance will never be fully elevating if the drums are not
meticulously tuned. Tuning the
drums to the instrument that one is
accompanying is a first lesson in
tabla. TaalWizard allows users to
separately tune the right- and lefthand drums, as one would do in a
concert, by simply dragging the
slider bar on the right for a higher
pitch and on the left for a lower
pitch. As one releases the sliding
tab, one hears the sound of the selected stroke at the selected pitch.

In TaalWizard, a rhythmical pattern is visualized as one or many

rows of cells. In a new pattern, all
cells are filled with a silence, but
one can change this item by either
typing in the name of the item (including a path if the item is contained within a subfolder) or by
copying it into the browser tree and
pasting it into the proper cell. A
rhythmic item can also be a pattern,
such as a mukhra or a complex
stroke.
TaalWizard is available via the
Internet with a license fee of
US$ 25; alternatively, the entire
package can be sent on a CD or
floppy disk for US$ 35. Contact: M.
Etchepareborda; Chemin du Marais
2, 1263 Crassier VD, Switzerland;
electronic mail borda@iprolink.com;
World Wide Web http://
www.taalwizard.int.ch.

New Release of Synthesis Tool

Kit (STK) for UNIX
Synthesis Tool Kit (STK) is a set of
audio signal-processing C++ classes
and instruments for music synthesis. STK is portable (being written
primarily in platform-independent C
and C++ code) and it is extensible.
STK currently works on IRIX,
Linux, NEXTSTEP, and Windows
operating-systems platforms. The
software is distributed free for noncommercial use.
The STK user interface is ASCII
text. According to the developers,
STK is not a fancy graphical user
interface (GUI). Why should we
waste hundreds of hours making
platform-dependent code, just so
you can drag a box around with a
mouse or view a sound in a display
window?
Source-code makefiles and Visual
C++ workspace/project files are pro-

vided for compiling. Contact: Gary

Scavone; Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics;
Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA; electronic mail
gary@ccrma.stanford.edu; World
Wide Web http://wwwccrma.stanford.edu/~gary/STK.html.

Event Layla Multitrack Audio

Converters for Windows
Layla (US$ 800) is a multichannel
digital-audio interface for the PC.
Laylas hardware is simple to connect, consisting of a PCI bus-master
host card attached via a digital control cable to a single-space rackmount audio interface. The
interface sports eight balanced 20bit analog inputs, ten balanced 20bit analog outputs, and 24-bit S/
PDIF stereo digital input/output, all
simultaneously accessible. There is
also an on-board digital signal-processor chip (the 24-bit Motorola
56301), word clock/superclock I/O
(for sync and expansion), a 24-bit internal audio path, and MIDI in/out/
thru jacks.
The frequency response of the
unit is 0.5 dB from 10 Hz22 kHz.
The dynamic range is greater than
98 dB, with a total harmonic distortion of 0.005 percent over the range
20 Hz22 kHz.
The hardware ships with
Syntrillium Softwares Cool Edit
Pro multitrack recording and editing
software, as well as Sonic Foundrys
Sound Forge XP 4 graphic waveform
editing and effects software. The
software package also includes
Sonic Foundrys CD Architect for
audio CD mastering. Contact: Event
Electronics; P.O. Box 4189, Santa
Barbara, California 93140-4189,
USA; telephone (805) 566-7777; fax
(805) 566-7771.

Products of Interest

99

Figure 4. Big Briar Etherovox.

Virtual Sound: Csound for PC

and Mac by Riccardo Bianchini
and Alessandro Cipriani
Virtual Sound is a new tutorial on
sound synthesis and processing with
the Csound language, including
theory and applications. The contents of the book include: Csound:
what it is and how it works; additive synthesis; subtractive synthesis; flow charts; stereo and control
signals; vibrato; tremolo; digital audio; sampled sounds and their processing; analysis and resynthesis;
using MIDI files; MIDI controls and
real time; AM and ring modulation;
FM; global variables; echo; reverb;
chorus; flanger; phaser; convolution;
DNL and vector synthesis; granular
synthesis; physical modeling synthesis; and Csound as a programming language. The book contains a
number of appendixes, including:
Wcshell; a primer in math and trig
readings; controlling real-time
Csound with Max (M. Giri); score
generation with other programming
languages; and Csound for Linux (N.
Bernardini).
The book is available in either Italian or English. The Italian version
costs 85,000 lira, with payment by international money order or bank
transfer. Contact: Contempo Sas; Via
Sorelle Marchisio 16, 00168 Rome,
Italy; fax (+39-6) 355-02025; electronic
mail contempo@wmail.axnet.it;
World Wide Web http://
www.axnet.it/contempo.

Big Briar Etherovox

The Big Briar Ethervox MIDI
Theremin (see Figure 4) is designed
to take full advantage of MIDI. It
covers a total pitch range from the
lowest audible musical pitch to four
octaves above middle C, with a wide

100

range of tone colors. The instrument

offers a choice of three pitch ranges:
tenor (up to two octaves above
middle C), alto (three octaves), or soprano (four octaves). Included are
three continuously variable control
knobs: waveform (predominant overtones), brightness (overall strength
of overtones), and filter (how rapidly
overtones decrease with higher
pitches). An on-board MIDI computer enables control of many currently available sound modules, as
well as recording, editing, and playing back performance gestures with
computer-based MIDI sequencers.
The software and digital electronics
of the Ethervox MIDI Theremin

were designed by Rudi Linhard of

Lintronics.
The instruments antenna circuits
use large, high-efficiency antenna
inductors. The MIDI circuitry generates continuous data that specifies
the tones pitch and volume. Pitch
is transmitted as a stream of pitchbend messages. Volume is transmitted as a stream of master-volume
messages. Both streams are updated
at a player-selected rate of 10200
times per second, at 7- or 14-bit
resolution. Any MIDI channel may
be specified. Tone-color presets may
be transmitted or received by MIDI
program-change messages. Digital
memory allows storage and retrieval
of settings. The instrument operates
on any power voltage without having to be switched or modified, and
offers balanced and unbalanced linelevel audio outputs. It contains a
power amplifier for driving a small
practice or performance speaker.
The approximate price is US$ 2,500.
Contact: Big Briar, Inc.; 554-C Riverside Dr., Asheville, North Carolina 28801, USA; telephone toll-free
in the USA (800) 948-1990; international telephone (704) 251-0090; fax
(704) 254-6233; electronic mail
info@bigbriar.com; World Wide Web
http:// www.bigbriar.com.

Guitar Studio for Windows

Running under Windows NT, 95,
and 98, Guitar Studio is shareware
for musicians who play fretted instruments such as guitar, bass guitar, and banjo. The software
combines educational modules
(chords, scales, and harmonizer), entertainment modules (metronome,
tuner, and multimedia player), and a
full-featured notation module
(tablature editor; see Figure 5). A selected global instrument, displayed
as a fretboard, links all modules. Al-

Computer Music Journal

Figure 5. Guitar Studios tablature

editor.

though early versions of Guitar Studio were designed for French users
and included only a subset of these
modules, the current international
release of Guitar Studio uses the English language.
The chords module displays chord
positions on the global fretboard. It
computes the ten best chord positions, based on user preferences such
as finger space and open strings. The
user selects the chords key and its
construction. The construction is
specified either by choosing a preset
chord typeM for major, min for
minor, sus4 for suspended fourth,
and so onor by specifying the
notes of the chords, based on intervals. Each interval is selected using
the add (normal), dim (minus a halftone), or aug (plus a halftone) operator. When the chord has been
computed, it is displayed on the
fretboard. Then the user can copy a
bitmap of this chord to the clipboard, print the chord, or directly export it to the tablature editor. The
chord can be heard, using the global
MIDI instrument, by clicking on the
corresponding button.
The scales module displays

chords, scales, and modes all over

the fretboard. These musical elements are specified by their key and
name. The chord, scale, or mode is
not computed, but is read from a database. When its drawn on the
fretboard, the construction can be
displayed in different ways (note
names, intervals or semitones), according to a selection in the options
window. As with the chords module, the construction can be auditioned via MIDI.
The harmonizer has two main
working modes. Both are based on
notes that the user draws with the
mouse on the global fretboard. In
the identification mode, the program computes all chords, scales, or
modes that exactly fit with the
specified notes. In the harmonization mode, which is useful for music composition and improvisation,
it computes chords that do not necessarily contain all these notes.
Guitar Studio includes a simple
but accurate metronome that displays the current beat in a large font.
The user just chooses the tempo and
the number of beats per measure,
and starts the metronome running.

One uses the tuner to tune an instrument that has from four to
seven strings. Many instrument are
defined, and advanced users can create their own instruments by editing Guitar Studios initialization
file. To tune an instrument, Guitar
Studio plays the correct note of the
open string, and the user must tune
his or her instrument to match. An
improvement is planned that will
allow the computer to listen to
the users instrument and give automatic feedback about whether a
string is tuned too sharp or too flat.
The tuner module is also used to
choose Guitar Studios global instrument, which is used to display
chords, scales, and modes and to initialize each new tablature.
The multimedia player is a simple
browser for playing common multimedia file formats: WAV MID, and
AVI.
Guitar Studio won a prize in the
1998 Bourges International Music
Software Competition. For more information, contact: Nicolas Manel;
1, rue de Forsan, 55140 Vaucouleurs, France; electronic mail
nmanel@worldnet.fr; World Wide
Web http://home.worldnet.fr/manel.

Melody Assistant 2.0

for Windows and Mac OS
Myriad Software provides Melody
Assistant 2.0, an easy-to-use musical score editor capable of complex
musical notation (see Figure 6). The
US$ 15 shareware program for Windows or Macintosh lets the user create compositions by dragging and
dropping notes, rests, or guitarchord items on a staff. Online help
guides the user at any point.
The application is entirely staffdriven. Multiple notes, complete
bars, or groups of bars can also be

Products of Interest

101

Figure 6. Melody Assistant screen

image.

selected and edited. As an item is

placed, Melody Assistant spaces it
proportionally on the staff, automatically filling in each bar. This
proportional placement can also be
overridden for manual placement of
particular notes. Full staff notation
is available, and notes, accidentals,
rests, breaks, and other items are selected from floating palettes prior to

102

placing them on the staff. For guitar

players, tabs and chord diagrams can
be displayed. Staves can be added or
deleted as required.
A built-in digital instrument database allows playback of a selection
or the whole piece. A selection can
be looped for continuous playback.
User sounds can be imported from
the microphone or CD, or from sev-

eral types of sound files, including

WAV and AIFF. Melody Assistant
can import pieces as ABC, MID,
KAR, MOD, S3M, or Band in a Box
files. It also lets the user play in
karaoke style, displaying the lyrics
in time with music. Unregistered
copies of the program allow compositions to be saved only in the builtin proprietary format (MUS). After
registering a copy of the program,
the user can also export pieces as
MIDI files, Karaoke, ABC text files,
or WAV or AIFF sound files.
Melody Assistant 2.0 won a mention in the 1998 Bourges International Music Software Competition.
Myriad Software also offers Harmony Assistant, which automatically harmonizes and accompanies a
melody and provides complete chord
grids, drum patterns, and MIDI input. Harmony Assistant is commercial software, sold on CD-ROM for
US$ 65. An evaluation version can
be downloaded from the authors
World Wide Web site. Contact:
Myriad Software; 22 rue Pierre
dAragon, 31200 Toulouse, France;
electronic mail myriad@hol.fr;
World Wide Web http://
members.aol.com/GBShare/
gbshare.htm.

Computer Music Journal