SOUND LOOM version 13.00

GENERAL

Return and Escape keys: Rationalised usage:

In almost all circumstances


• Return means "DO IT" (or Quit if there is nothing to do)
• Escape means "DON'T DO IT" (equivalent to Quit, Abandon or Close).

with one or two exception ....


• In windows where text can be edited, Return is a valid character to type into the window so cannot be used to mean "DO IT".
  (In these windows Control s or Control S will Save the text data).
  
  
• If there is any ambiguity about what is to be done, the Return key will not be active.
  
  
In the previous release, the Escape key was used to proceed through the normal processing sequence i.e.


• Workspace -> Process Page
• (If using same process again) Process Page -> Parameters Page.
• Parameters Page -> Run Page
• Do Run
• (If required, but see below) Run Page -> Parameters Page, for naming the output.

You should now use use Return instead.

Ignoring routine messages on the Run page:

If you want to ignore routine messages (those that are neither Warnings nor Errors) on the Run page
(and hence automatically exit directly back to the parameters page once a process runs successfully)
there is a new option under SYSTEM SETTINGS 1 on the SYSTEM menu on the Workspace
to IGNORE/DISPLAY ROUTINE PROGRAM MESSAGES.

To Restore messaging, use the same menu item.

Universal End Session Shortcut:

On Any page with an End Session button, Control-Alt-Escape will also end the session.
(Control-Command-Escape on the MAC).

Creation Date display:

The creation date of any selected file on the Workspace page, can be displayed, using the F12 Key.

It can also be used to date Thumbnails on the Thumbnails editing page,
and files waiting to be backed up on the FILES TO BACK UP page (see next item).

If you select two files, their Creation dates will be compared.

Displaying files that have been Created, Modified or Deleted:

If you wish to keep a record of files that have been created, modified or deleted
(for example, in order to know which files you need to backup to an external storage medium)
there is now a new option on the SYSTEM menu, under SYSTEM SETTINGS 2.

OPTION TO MAKE LOG OF FILE CHANGES

If you select this option, the Loom keeps a log of any files created, deleted or modified during the session,
(except for those stil in the Workspace base directory**).
It also keeps a record of any modifications to mixfiles
(e.g. when soundfiles within the mixfile are renamed, backed-up or deleted).

This log is displayed at the start and end of each session.
When it is displayed, if you have already copied the listed sounds to an external storage medium
(or you intend to do so), the log can be deleted.

If you decide not to copy the files to an external storage medium at this time
the log will be preserved, and any further file modifications added to it.

The listing is intelligently managed, e.g.
• A file created and later deleted is removed from the lists.
• If a file xxx is deleted, and later a new file is created with the same name (xxx),
  file xxx is listed as modified.

** Files in the workspace base directory i.e. with no pathname in the workspace listing,
are assumed to be provisional. Backing them up to a directory declares you want to keep them.

WORKSPACE PAGE

Keyboard Shortcuts:

• Return: proceed to the Process Page.
  
  
• On the Directory listing it is now possible to hilight specific types of file,
  using keyboard shortcuts similar to those used for the same purpose on the workspace.
  e.g. (or on the MAC) highlights all analysis files on the Workspace.
  
  The new convention is that
  • Lower case letters do the highlighting on the Workspace listing.
  • Upper case letters do the highlighting on the Directory listing.
  
  (Note that, on the workspace, properties of files are known and can be used to determine file type,
  whereas on the Directory listing, searches can only rely on the file extensions of listed files).
  
  As a result, changes to some existing shortcut keys have been made.
  
  
  • mUltichannel files are now highlighted using Alt u or Alt U.
  • SoundList textfiles (orchestras) are now highlighted using Alt o or Alt O.
  • Sound Files are now highlighted using Alt s or Alt S.
  • Property files are Alt-p on the workspace but Alt-Q on the Directory Listing.
  • Home (as before) lists the entire directory on the Directory Listing.
    
    (On the MAC, use Command instead of Alt)

Displaying Difference in Duration between 2 soundfiles:

A new entry on the SELECTED FILES: PROPERTIES menu, DURATION DIFFERENCE
returns the difference in duration between 2 selected files.

Improved interface for comparing textfiles:

SELECTED FILES OF TYPE: COMPARE SELECTED FILES.
Now has a better interface for comparing textfiles (e.g. previous and current mixfile).

MUSIC TESTBED

Multichannel Shred, Multichannel Zigzag and Multichannel Iterate
now function correctly on the MULTICHAN menu on the Process Page.

They have therefore been removed from the MUSIC TESTBED menu.

PROCESS PAGE

New Keyboard Shortcuts

• Return: Use the process again (if there is a previous process).
• Escape: Quit.
  
  
• Control f,F ... (as on the workspace) Finds Properties of any files being processed.
• Control-c,C ... gets Channel Count of any files being processed.
  
  Depending on the number and type of sounds being processed, 1 keystroke access to processes..
  
  
• Alt b,B ... BRASSAGE (full monty or Sausage) or BLUR
• Alt c,C ... CHANNEL: Interleave, Extract, or Mono->Stereo, or COMBINE: Pitch + Formants, or Sum Spectra
• Alt k,K ... CURTAIL: double strength
• Alt d,D ... DOVETAIL: double strength
• Alt e,E ... EDIT: cut out and keep
• Alt f,F ... FILTER: lopass/hipass, bands as frq or FORMANTS get.
• Alt g,G ... GRAIN: count.
• Alt h,H ... HILIGHT: Trace (between frqs)
• Alt i,I ... ITERATE, give duration: or Edit INSERT
• Alt j,J ... JOIN
• Alt l,L ... LOUDNESS: gain
• Alt m,M ... MIXFILE (standard) Create, or ANY MIX Run, or do MORPH.
• Alt p,P ... PVOC: Analysis or Synthesis
• Alt r,R ... REVERB: stadium, or REPITCH extract pitch to textfile
• Alt s,S ... SEMITONE Transpose
• Alt t,T ... TIMESTRETCH (brassage for soundfiles, tstretch for analfiles).
• Alt v,V ... VIBRATO Pitch
• Alt w,W ... TREMOLO Loudness (Wobble)
• Alt x,X ... eXCISE (remove segment).
• Alt z,Z ... ZIGZAG, user specified
  
  
• Control e,E ... ENVELOPE Extract
• Control m,M ... MULTICHANNEL MIXFILE Create, or ANY MIX Run.
  
  
• Control Alt c,C ... COMPARE: soundfiles.
• Control Alt d,D ... DRUNKWALK: completely.
• Control Alt f,F ... FILTER: band pass
• Control Alt g,G ... GRAIN: assess.
• Control Alt h,H ... HOLD spectral window.
• Control Alt p,P ... PAN Sound
• Control Alt r,R ... REPEAT Distort:
• Control Alt s,S ... STACK or (analysis files) SEMITONE Transpose but keep fmnts.
• Control Alt t,T ... TEXTURE: simple, neutral
• Control Alt V,V ... VARIBANK Filter, data as midi
• Control Alt x,X ... eXCISE many (remove many segments).
• Control Alt z,Z ... ZERO crossings Edit.

PARAMETERS PAGE

New Keyboard Shortcuts

• Return: Proceed to run the process.
• Escape: Quit (To Workspace).
  
  
• Control S or Control s: Save the Output, or (when creating an instrument) the Process.
  
  
• Alt-d or Alt-D ... Set Default Values in all parameters.
• Alt-n or Alt-N ... Get a New Process.
• Alt-p or Alt-P ... Set Penultimate Values in parameters.
• Alt-r or Alt-R ... Recycle Outfile (if Recycle button is active).
  
  
• Alt-c or Alt-C ... Play or View individual Channel of any multichannel soundfile output.
  
  
• Tab ... Hitting the Tab key after entering a parameter value, immediately tests the validity of the parameter.
  In frequency parameters with an attached pitch-value box, Tab will also set, in the pitch-box,
  the tempered-pitch closest to the frequency.

RUN PAGE

New Keyboard Shortcuts

• Return: Proceed to run the process + (if necessary) acknowledge process completion.
  
  Note that completion-acknowledgement can be avoided by setting the new option to
  IGNORE/DISPLAY ROUTINE PROGRAM MESSAGES on the SYSTEM menu on the Workspace (see above).
  
  
• Escape: Abort, abandoning the process and its output.

TEXTFILE EDITING PAGE

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Control s or Control S saves the content of the text window to a file.
  
  
• Keyboard Shortcuts for entering Musical Meter:
  
  On some textfile-editing pages, various keys can already be used for entering musical meter.
  These are now listed (where relevant) under a new "K" Key at the top left of the page.
  
  Where a Click-track is being created, additional shortcut keys are listed.

QIKEDIT PAGE

New Keyboard Shortcuts

• Return: Keep the edited mixfile, and quit.
• Escape: Abandon any edits, and quit.
  
  
• Control-s (Spatialisaion)
  when one mixfile line is selected, this gives a graphic display of the loudspeaker routing for that line.

New or Expanded Qikedit Functions

• SWAP MUTING PAIR replaced by the more general SWAP MUTE/NOT:
  
  this simultaneously unmutes any muted lines in your selection, and mutes any unmuted lines,
  allowing groups of muted and unmuted lines to be exchanged as active participants in the mix.
  
  
• REROUTE : "<" ">" "<>" and "><" for copying/exchanging routing patterns between lines.
  
  Previously lines had to have the same number of input channels,
  and the routing of input channels in one line was changed to the routing of input channels in the other.
  
  Now, this also also works for lines which have the same number of Output Routes.
  The output destination of each route in one line is changed to the output destination of each route in the other.
  
  Where there is ambiguity, you are asked to clarify which of these 2 possibilities you intend.
  
  
• New MaxChan button finds and displays the value and time of the maximum level in each channel.
  (This function is also accessible from the PLAY CHANS window).

BUG FIXES & IMPROVEMENTS

• MOVE TO NEW DIRECTORY with a list including a mixfile, and files within that mix,
  did not always update the mixfile management information correctly. Fixed.
  
  
• PLAY CHANS on QikEdit page and
  PLAY SINGLE CHANNEL OF MULTICHAN FILE on MUSIC TESTBED
  did not work in all cases. Fixed.
  
  
• QIKEDIT:
  • MIRROR and MOVE TIME -type operations: Muted versions of original lines not generated in v12.0.8. Fixed.
  • SOUNDS TO SUBMIX : gave incorrect filename extension for multichannel mixes. Fixed.
  • SOUNDS TO SUBMIX & SOUNDS TO WKSPACE no longer ask if the mixfile is to be backed up
    if no changes have been made to the submix.
  
  
• If PLAY AND RENAME was chosen when no playable files selected, window did not disappear. Fixed.