Willamette Apple Connection Vol1No10 Dec87

Pe : WAC Journal December 1987 Vol. 1 / No. 10 A Monthly Publication of the Willamette Apple Connection, Inc. An Apple II & Compatible User Education Group “P. O. Box 7252 . Salem, OR 97303-0053 . (503) 585-0811 CONNECTION FREE PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE COPY NIGHT December 17, 1987 -- 7 p.m. DECEMBER MEETING INFORMATION The meeting is scheduled for December 17, 1987, with a starting time of 7:00 p.m.. The meeting will be held on the Chemeketa Community College campus, in Building 2, Room 112. The meeting subject will be the annual report and approval of the 1988 budget. This will also be a "FREE COPY" of the public domain software library. We will have some blank disks available at the meeting, but feel free to bring your own blank disks, AppleFest ‘87: A Feast of New Products for the Apple II Family A veritable banquet of new Apple II software products greeted more than 22,000 visitors to AppleFest(R) last September in San Francisco. On hand to welcome developers and users alike were John Sculley (Apple president and CEO), Del Yocam (Appie‘s chief operating officer), and such Apple luminaries as Steve Wozniak (Apple co-founder) and Alan Kay (Apple Fellow). Pechebs the highlight of the big, three-day event was the strong showing of Apple IIgs software. Now, with more than {00 products shipping and over 30 new products just announced, there is software to satisfy every taste and budget. Here’s a sampling of just a few of these new products: Print Shop(TM) by Broderbund Software, Inc. a completely revised version of Print Shop with many new features for creating signs, banners, stationery, and more Fantavision(TM) by Broderbund Software, Inc. an animation program using 144 colors and hi-resolution graphics and sound for producing animated movies ShowOff by Broderbund Software, Inc. a new desktop presentation program for creating transparencies and Sequencing on-screen Slide shows on the Apple igs New Paintworks Plus by Activision a revised version of Paintworks Plus with advanced drawing and color features List Manager by Activision a mouse- based database for the Apple IIgs Deluxe Print II by Electronic Arts a home publishing program for the Apple Iigs ~ Deluxe Write by Electronic Arts a graphics-based word processor (continued on Page 3) Update Your Apple IIgs with New System Software System Disk 3.1 began shi ing with every Apple Igs CPU in late Oct er, and is now » available at your local participating authorized Apple dealer. This new version introduces the new Apple IIgs Finder(TM), plus updated System Utilities. The inder takes full advantage of the Apple lgs computer‘s 16-bit system performance and: 0 locates and starts applications © organizes information . O performs general system utilities ___What‘s more, the Finder does it all in high-resolution colar graphics. Works with ProDOS _ Using a simple mouse and icon interface, the Finder works with ProDOS(R) applications and requires 512K RAM. It replaces the Apple II Desktop interface. If you have only 256K of memory, you can use the Program Launcher and System Utilities to launch applications and manage files. The system will automatically boot ‘ either the Finder or Program Launcher, depending . System Disk 3.1 contains an e1 : System Utilities. on the memory you have available. | Enhanced System Utilities In addition to the new le IIgs Finder anced version 0: Changes to the disk copyin ‘ou to reduce the number of disl when copying on a single drive feature allow swaps require: . system. New Manual . Available now for separate. purchase is the new Apple IIgs System Disk User's Guide (order number A2D6001). This comprehensive manual (which does not include the software) provides you with extensive documentation of the Finder ; and other functions of System Disk 3.1. It also allows those who upgrade to System Disk 3.1 to take full advantage of the new software features. The manual is available at a suggested retail price of $19.00. P.S. The Finder takes full advantage of the Apple Ilgs computer’s 16-bit system performance ... WILLAMETTE APPLE CONNECTION, Inc. .O. Box 7252 Salem, Oregon 97303-0053 President and Editor of the Journal Lawrence E. Tucker (503) 585-0811 Vice President Darwin Wuerch (503) 364-4194 Secretary Harry Haley (503) 371-3197 Treasurer and Telecommunications System Operator Neal Layton ($03) 370-9321 Salem Public Library Bulletin Board (503) 588-6130 Head Librarian John Moore (503) 838-4966 WAC JOURNAL . The WAC Journal is published monthly. Authors should submit their Copy via MODEM to the Salem Public Library BBS (Apple SIG), in Binary I] form; or mail a diskette with the article written in ASCII text file form, AppleWorks or Bele Writer files by the 7th of the month. Hard copy should be mailed by the last day of the month preceding the publishing month. The WAC Journal is an independent publication not affiliated or otherwise associated with or sponsored or sanctioned by Apple Computer, Inc. The opinions, Statements, positions and views stated herein are those of the author(s) or publisher and are not intended to be the opinions, statements, poaltions or views of Apple mputer, Inc. MEETINGS ; The Regular Membership Meeting is held on the third ursday of the month, with a start time of 7:00 p.m. The meeting is held on the Chemeketa Community College campus, in Building 2, Room 112. The general public is invited to attend. Roples, Music, and MIDI They‘re playing our song! by Tim Knight Some of the most ‘popular musical groups in the United States Bruce Springsteen, U2, Talking Heads, and Genesis have something in common, and it’s not their musical style. They all use the Apple(R) Macintosh(TM) to help create their music. So does Huey Lewis, the David Lee Roth band, and Michael Jackson, to name a few more. What's even more interesting is that thousands of amateur musicians, recording studios, and individuals use all kinds of Apple computers to make music. Most people know that computers have something to do with music, but they’re not really sure what it is. Here are some fundamentals on computers and music and how you can use your Apple to make and play music yourself. The Stand-Alone Apple Ever since personal computers appeared in 1976, they have always had some kind of intrinsic musical capability. Without special add-on boards, however, most computers could only muster up beeps and boops as single musical notes. Even with add-on cards, the Apple [I could generate just a few notes at one time. Things started changing in the early 1980s. Better software such as Music Construction Set from Electronic Arts and better machines like the Apple IIGS(R) were capable of sophisticated synthesis and multi-voiced sound. Synthesis is the creation of computer-generated sound, and because a personal computer has a lot of memory and flexibility, the variety of sounds can be amazing. The many “voices” that could be produced were individual sounds. For instance, to play a three-note chord with a single note for bass and another note for melody, a computer would have to be capable of five-voice sound. With computers like the Apple IGS (which itself is capable of 15 voices), a: jing renditions were possible using the computer’s built-in speaker and sound chip. Today, both the Apple II and Macintosh families support a variety of software packages that use the computer’s built-in sound capabilities to make music. A good example of a Macintosh program that lets you play and record music is Studio Session from Bogas Software. This program comes with a variety of preprogrammed gongs and lets you make your own as well. Some popular packages for the Apple II include Music Construction Set (Electronic Arts) and The Music Studio (Activision). These programs let a person create synthesized sounds, play ready-made music, and drag notes and other. musical notation to create new songs. Unlike these programs, others don‘t use the standard notation and techniques to create music. Instant Music for the Apple [IGS (from Electronic Arts) and Music Mouse for the Macintosh (from Opcode Systems) let you "jam" with the computer. Instead of dragging notes to a musical staff, you can use the mouse to play random notes. By dragging the mouse in any direction you want, you can play music along with the computer. The program makes sure whatever notes you hit upon sound right with what it’s playing. After just a few minutes of play: with programs like this, you really start to enjoy yourself in this one-on-one jam session. The Music Connection . You have probably already heard of something called the MIDI interface. The name itself is rather redundant since MIDI stands for Music Instrument Digital Interface. But syntax aside, this little Somme coor is probably the most important advance in electronic music ever to occur. The importance of this interface isn’t because it’s technologically very isticated or because it provides some kind of sound capabilities that weren’t possible before. MIDI is important because it is a standard that most large syntnsslzer companies agreed on in the early 1980s. Now the MIDI standard is so prevalent that virtually every keyboard synthesizer, electronic drum set, and computer interface rely on MIDI to establish a connection between the computer and musical instruments. This connectivity has some powerful advantages. First of all, the computer can recognize what is happening with the instrument. A person using a keyboard, for instance, presses certain keys, changes the sound, uses the pitch bend wheel, and might press any one of the dozens Of a buttons on a keyboard. A computer connected via MIDI can recognize all of the events, from how hatg, a key is pressed to the rate of vibrato being used. This means that the person playing the instrument isn’t limited by the fact he or she has only two hands and a certain amount of time to play a song. A person could, for instance, play the melody of a song, which the computer could "record" with a program called a sequencer. After that part was done, the player could record over it by returning to the beginning of the song and playing the chords. This could be repeated to record the bass line, any special effects, and other additions or corrections that have to be made. MIDI gives musicians and would-be musicians dozens of virtual arms, and you can still remove your jacket! Naturally, the computer can play back this music as well. With MIDI, the computer can tell the instrument to play certain notes using certain sounds and eftects. A whole musical concert could be put on with a single Macintosh and an array of synthesizers and drum sets, but people still prefer to see humans running around on a stage. Flexibility with MIDI If there‘s one word which sums up MIDI, it’s flexibility. Just like a word proce: writer flexibility to corrett mistal of text around, and experiment, a music system (whether it costs gives a person who wants to le the flexibility to grow and create If you make a mistake while playifig a song, you can edit out that mistake as easily as you would edit out a typo in a word processor. If you don’t press the keys at quite the right speed and want every note to be exactly one beat, you can use music software to “quantitize” whatever you are playing. If you have no idea how to play a board, there is software that can teach you Syety thing from the basics to how to master 7th ords. : The MIDI standard has only been around for a few years, so the software and instruments available today are just the beginning. There are lenty of software packages which use MIDI, including Sequencer (Opcode Systems), Performer (Mark of the Unicorn), and Master Tracks (Passport Design). Companies like Passport Design, Opcode Systems, and Sonus also make MIDI interfaces for every Apple computer there is, so there’s no problem connecting an instrument to your computer. The instrument you choose, just like the computer you have and the software and MIDI interface you'll need to support the system, can range from simple and inexpensive to elaborate and exorbitantly priced. Most individuals like pasio keyboards at costs about $300 and have built-in MIDI, easy programmability, and plenty of support in the form of cartridges and instructional books. There are plenty of instruments which can use MIDI, including drums, guitars, and even electronic violins, but most people Uke keyboards because of the wide variety of sounds you can produce with them. Whether you're a professional musician, an amateur who likes to play a couple of times a week, or a person who’s never touched a keyboard, your computer can make the world of music a lot more accessible. You can start off by using your computer‘s built-in capabilities, and if you want to take the leap into "real" electronic music, some good softiare and MIDI is what will bring it all ‘ogether. If you have no idea how to play a keyboard, there software that can teach you everything from the basics to how to master 7th chords. (Apple Fest...continued from Page 1) Multiscribe 3.0 by SyleWare, Inc. a second generation word processor with a built-in spelling checker, thesaurus, and graphics drawing capabilities < . Memory Saver by Checkmate Technologies a unique combination of hardware and software that reduces booting time from over a minute to about 10 seconds and saves memory in RAM even when computer is turned off. AppleFest also provided an excellent portunity for User Groups to get together and share their excitement and enthusiasm for the Apple II computer family. And to make sure it all happens again, two more AppleFest events are lanned for next year one in Boston at Hynes uditorium, May 20-22, and a repeat performance in San Francisco at Brooks Hall, September 16-18. So mark your calendars and plan to attend one or both. If the success of this year’s event is any indication, AppleFest ‘88 will surely exceed all expectations! P.S. More than 100 Apple IIgs products are shipping and over 30 new products were announced 1987 Apple Computer, Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Apple Il gs, AppleFest, AppleLink, AppleWorks, LaserWriter, MacDraw, MacPaint, MacProject, MacWrite, and ProDOS are registered trademarks Apple Computer, Inc. Finder, HyperCard, Macintosh, and Stackware are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Paintworks Plus and List Manager are trademarks of Activision. Print Shop, Fantavision, and ShowOff are trademarks of Broderbund Software, Inc. CompuServe is a tegistered trademark of CompuServe, Inc. Multiscribe is a trademark of StyleWare, Inc. Memory Saver is a trademark of Checkmate Technologies. SOFTDISK is a trademark of SOFTDISK, Inc. Other third-party products named in this issue are trademarks of their respective companies. These Months in Apple‘s History .. ie Stteorts ft opie yeaa Jobs and Woz x months after Apple are Uitting a monthly sal ‘of $250. 197 ie le In erate Show os pene le in Pelee 1980 bele's gaployee count has bole II Is Introduced. 1981 The first Dealer prrcutive Briefing is held. Macint 3 intr 1984 The cintosh 512K i ‘oduced. 1985 citer(r) II and HD-20 are introduced. 2 ie ee 1986 The The Apple tetas and an enhanced Apple IIc are introduced. OFTORER 979 Personal Software, Inc, releases VisiCalc for the Apple II. The spreadsheet is the first application to make personal computers a practical {cal for peopie who don’t know how to write their 1980 The The bork. tr Ireland, manufacturing facility opens. oer ce ae e iy ‘am begins. 1984 pl e’s Corporate Grants Departoent ie forsed: It encompasses Education Foundation and Community Affairs, as well as the company’s Buployee Volunteer Action program. Willamette Apple Connection, Inc. P.O. Box 7252 Salem, Oregon 97303-0053 NOVEMBER 1976 le’s first formal business plan sets a goal for jes to grow to $500 million in ten years. (As it turned ou! out, the company passed that mark- in half the time 1980 The beple Tl_is chosen as the network access machine for EDUNET, an internat lens! computer ne education and research. 1981 After rina Hly working the bugs out of the le III, the product 1s promoted under the "Allow me a reintroduce myself." There are now about 3,000 Apple dealers worldwide, a itd of which are authorized secvice centers. ‘he first annual report rolls off the press. It notes that the Apple II’s installed base has grown to 1 over 300,000, that el eS NOW number about 2,500, and that Apple has introduced over 40 new software programs this year. 1983 AppleWorks is introduced. 1984 Apple buys every advertising 9 Page In the special postelection issue of issue’s final fold-out ad is used nan launch a ‘Test Drive a a" | customers are home for a free -hour trial. About 200,000 people do just that , and aver Using Age magazine names ‘Test Drive' one of the ten best Browot ions of the year. The two. a ath (erde I] is sold. 1985 Apple Corporate Grants awards computer equ equipment to ri ioe aoneratlt social service yipencles and art is bei ine total value of donated Systems to $3:5 milli EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS FIRST CLASS PLEASE MAIL, ge