E.P.S.S. Control 1st Guide
--------------------------

We are very proud to welcome You to our E.P.S.S.-system!

You have now access to a very powerful tool for making computermusic, but
before you start, you must have some basic knowledge about the system.

The EPSS-system is based on the standard MIDI-format. The EPSS could be
compared with a synthesizer or replaysampler, but it is different because
it is totally software-based. It uses samples to make the sound which it
plays and the samples are mapped out on a keyboardlayout, and a sound
is played when the key attached to the sound is played. MIDI has 16
different channels, and so has EPSS. The samples and their parameters
together with the keyboardlayouts are saved in a separate file, called
"patch". This patch has always the extension "SPI".

To create record a song you use a ordinary sequencerprogram together
with EPSS running as an ACCessory. If you already have a sequencer,
you are especially lucky if you use the Steinberg Cubase(R) or a similar
sequencer which is based on the specialized MIDI operating system
MROS(R) because together with the registered version of EPSS, a special
driver for MROS(R) is supplied which makes is extremely easy to use EPSS
together with the sequencer. If you don't use a MROS(R)-sequencer, don't
despair because EPSS is able to recognize some popular sequencers and
take over their MIDI-transmit and link it to EPSS. This is done in a 
more 'rude' way, so this might not work as smoothly as from MROS. If you
have a sequencer that isn't supported in EPSS, please contact us and we
will try to make EPSS work together with it.

When you have recorded a song, this is saved as a standardized MIDI-
file, a so called 'MID'-file because its extension is "MID", and this
file could then be replayed with the EPSS ACC-file, or with the separate
BIN-module.

The EPSS ACC-file handles the MIDI-input and output of the sounds as
well as some editing functions for the patch and the samples. The
ACC-file can also be renamed to .PRG and be run as a stardard
application.

Install EPSS
------------

To install EPSS, copy EPSS.ACC and EPSS_SEQ.INF to your bootpartition on your
harddisc or a bootdisk. Rename EPSS_SEQ.INF to EPSS.INF. This INF-file are set
up to reserve 300 kb for song, patch and workmemory, which is necessary if you
want to modify a patch and extend it by loading more samples, or use EPSS.ACC
together with a sequencer. This is also always necessary if you use a computer
with an older TOS-version than 2.0. This amount can be changed with an editor
if you find it too little or too much.

Reboot your computer to install EPSS. It probably won't find the sounddriver,
if you haven't set it in the EPSS.INF-file, so you must choose the driver
from the fileselector. There are currently three drivermodules supplied with
the package. EPSS25_8.BIN is the module for 8 channels in 25 kHz with volumes.
EPSS25_4.BIN is a module with 4 channels in 25 kHz which has higher volumes
and better dynamics than the 8 channel driver. DUMMY.BIN is a silent module
which lets you use the program to look at or perhaps make a patch on a ST
not equipped with the PCM-sound.

Next you have to choose a default file to be loaded, because the program
can't run without a patch from start. Locate the empty patch 'EMPTY.SPI'
and load.

If all works correctly the EPSS main window should appear on the screen. Press
'Save Inf' to save information about your settings so you don't have to choose
driver and patch next time you boot.

Your first patch
----------------

Now we will explain the basic method for making a patch:

Load an empty basepatch, such as EMPTY.SPI which is supplied by pressing
'Load' in the main window. This patchfile is made with 16 MIDI-channels
and contains has 32 empty sounds. To edit the patch and define the sounds,
openr the patcheditwindow by pressing 'Edit'. In this window you can
load samples, edit their playing parameters and define them on the keyboard.

We start with an example:
You want to load a Bass-Drum to sound 0. Set the current sound to 0 by either
pressing + and - buttons or choosing the sound directly from the submenue.

Press 'Load' to load the sample "BD.SPL". Notice that this is a unsigned
sample with the extension SPL.

When you have loaded the sound, press 'Show Sample' to see what the sample
looks like in the sample window. You can see that the volume of the sample
is too low. You can also hear how the sample sounds like by pressing at its
filename.

Adjust the volume to 150% by pressing the right mouse button when the mouse
is placed above the volume value. If you press one of the shift-keys while
increasing the value with right button, the increment get 10 times bigger,
in this case the step is then 10 instead of 1. Another way to change the value
is to doubleclick with the left mouse button on the value. You then get a
inputbox in which you can write the value you want, in this case 150. Either
press return or klick at the value to set it.

Then press the 'Reload' button to reload the sample. You will notice the change
in volume by the wave getting bigger. In the sample window you can zoom in at
a particular point by single pressing the left mouse button. To zoom out to
normal, press the right mouse button. It is also possible to drag out an area
which you want to zoom with the help of a rubberbandbox.

If you want to modify the samplepointers, you could do that by changing the
value manually, in the same way you changed the volume, or you could place
the mouse over the pointer, press and hold the left mouse button and drag
it to the position you want it to be moved to.

Next we want to define at which MIDI-note the sample should play at. Unselect
the 'Show Sample' button to make the keyboard visible again, and unselect
the 'Play'-button to make marking at the keyboard possible.

Select the MIDI-channel you want it to be placed at by either pressing the
+ and - buttons beside the MIDI-text or press at the MIDI-text and choose
channel from the submenue. It is some sort of standard to place all drums
on channel 10, so choose channel 10 from the submenue.

Next we should select where in the keyboard you want to place it. The
bassdrum in a MIDI-equipment is most often placed on the C2-key so it is
there we want to place our too. Above the keys of the keyboard the octave
is shown. Find Octave 2 and doubleclick with the mouse at the C-key. You
notice that the 'OrgTone' reads 'C2'. We have now told the program that
we want to play the sample at its original pitch on the note C2. This is
very important to remember every time you make a new split otherwise you
may not be able to play with the sound at all keys you want.

To make the actual split and place the drum at the C2 key we now press the
button 'Make'. Because the key we want to split the drum to already is
selected, this performs the split. You see that the keyboard is redrawn and
updates with the number '0' directly below the C2-key. This indicates that
the sound 0 is playing at the C2-key. You could now activate the keyboardplay
by selecting the 'Play'-key and pressing with the mouse at the C2 key. If all
is correct you should hear the drum in your speakers.

If you now have a MIDI-keyboard connected to your computer you could activate
the main window by selecting it (it should be located behind the patchedit-
window) and press the button 'MIDI In'. Choose channel 10 at your keyboard
and try to find the drum by pressing C2 at your keyboard. Depending
on how large your keyboard is, you may not be able to play the C2 without
octaveshifting your MIDI-keyboard first.

When playing at your MIDI-keyboard, activate the button 'Show Inp'. If your
MIDI-keyboard are set to MIDI-channel 10, you should now see the keys you
play to select at the keyboard. This is useful to see where your MIDI-keyboard
is playing.

The next step is to place a bass-sound at keys C2-B5 on MIDI-channel 1.

Change sound to sound number 1 and load the sample 'PLUCKBAS.SPL'. Adjust the
volume if you find it too low in the same way as for the drum. Unselect the
'Play' and 'Show Inp' buttons and change MIDI-channel to channel 1. Press
the 'Octave'-text and choose the octaves 'C2-B5' from the submenue. The
keyboard should update and the octaves change to show the keyboards actual
position.

 We must then decide at which key we want the original pitch to be placed.
Because EPSS is capable of replaying four full octaves, two up and two
down from original pitch, we want of course access to all this range. This
means that the middle tone of the keyboard is ideal to place the original
pitch at. Therefore you doubleclick at the C4 key. You will see that the 
OrgTone' changes to C4.

 Next is to define the range of the tones where we want the sound to be
placed at. This could be done by manually selecting all keys that you
want to make the split at, but EPSS has also a more convenient method.
Select the lowest note that you want the split to start at. In this case
it is C2 which is now situated at the bottom of the keyboard. Next is to
select the highest note for the split which is B5. Then press the 'Mark'-
button and all keys between the lowest selected and the highest selected
is marked automatically. Note that the button has dual functions, 1) to tell
the program where the original note is placed by only selecting ONE key and
2) to mark a range automatically by selecting TWO (or more) keys.

 We are now prepared for the actual split which is done as before by pressing
the 'Make'-button. The keyboard should now update to show all sounds
splitted. You can now select the 'Play'-button and listen to the sound in its
different pitches by pressing at the keys, or select channel 1 at your
MIDI-keyboard and play with the sound from there.

You can now start to exploring the special soundattrbutes such as the VVFE-
functions and the subtone functions.

Hopefully this little description have showed you how you should do to make
your own patches and experimenting with the many features that EPSS gives
you.


Best Regards, 

Conny Pettersson, Copson DATA/Unit Seventeen


Cubase and MROS is trademark of Steinberg, Germany
Atari ST/STe/MSTe/TT/Falcon 030, MultiTOS are trademarks of Atari
  Corporation, USA
