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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: Hiddenevil on January 26, 2008, 01:54:01 AM
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i have octamed 3 and i would really like to know how to use the thing..doesnt anyone know where i might find a video or an online guide??
Me and a mate are wanting to start up a band and i think the Amiga would make a pretty cool musical tool..
Help!
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Just play with it! It is much easier to use than a sequencer like the nasty Cubase or the wonderful Logic Pro.
Get your hands dirty and if you get stuck then you can ask for specific help here :-)
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If it isn't too demanding for your system, you could get OctaMED 4 for free from this Aminet link (http://aminet.net/mus/edit/OctaMEDv4.lha). If you want the latest OctaMED SoundStudio 1.03c you can get it and an AmigaGuide manual when you join the MED Soundstudio Amiga Yahoo group/mailing list (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MED_Soundstudio_Amiga_Platform_Only/).
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I joined the mailing list a while ago as I am also interested in learning to use OctaMED. I don't think I ever got round to downloading it though.
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Well i have an A500 and a 1200, but i'd just like to know how to use it. There are soo many darn buttons, it would be nice just to have a guide showing you briefly what it all does
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The best way is to read the Amigaguide manual downloadable when you join the OctaMED Yahoo Group. Then load up OctaMED and a MOD, and let it play. Try to figure out what's going on by watching and editing the code inside the MOD (the AmigaGuide manual will give you a clue as to what the codes do).
You need to understand the basics of music construction in beats/bars/measures though first....otherwise it might not make much sense and you.
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ral-clan wrote:
The best way is to read the Amigaguide manual downloadable when you join the OctaMED Yahoo Group. Then load up OctaMED and a MOD, and let it play. Try to figure out what's going on by watching and editing the code inside the MOD (the AmigaGuide manual will give you a clue as to what the codes do).
You need to understand the basics of music construction in beats/bars/measures though first....otherwise it might not make much sense and you.
Yes, load up some premade MODs and deconstruct them! Rip out the sequences and patterns... then use their samples.
Remember you have 4 tracks, each of which can play one sound at a time. Each track is 64 lines line long... each line can be thought as a 16th note... thus one pattern of 64 lines is 4 bars.
So try putting a sample at 1, 16, 32 and 48... and that will play a sample at the start of each bar, which you can use as a marker... then play to your hearts content :-)
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I think to problem is..How do i insert a sample..:S
I joined the yahoo forum and also posted a thread..i dont see any guides on there tho
:-?
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Hiddenevil wrote:
I think to problem is..How do i insert a sample..:S
I joined the yahoo forum and also posted a thread..i dont see any guides on there tho
:-?
Load a sample into the sample area.
you will notice mid way through the display is the "play bar" wher wever that is is where you can place a same. Now enter edit mode (click the litte edit toggle)... and then the keyboard becomes a musical keyboard. With Q being middle C (at least it is how I have it set up). then you can play the notes in... using the cursor down key to advance to the next line (i.e. 16th note),
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There really needs to be a good beginers guide to Octamed for new folks. I found the interface to be very confusing when I first started out.
maybe something with screen shots with things circled to explain each function?. I'll do it if I ever find time. Heck I'll do a video and put it on YouTube if I get the chance.
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@bloodline,
Just play with it! It is much easier to use than a sequencer like the nasty Cubase or the wonderful Logic Pro.
I'm going to agree with you there. Cubase has a horrible interface. I dont think its harder to learn then Octamed though.
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Personal interests aside..i think making a tutorial for Octamed would be a productive thing..It's supporting the Amiga scene and user base and opening up the Amiga as a musical tool for people such as myself.
I'm wanting to use it as an instrument for an industrial band..The syth side really has me interested..
Any help anyone can provide in getting me off the ground..That would be soo cool..Heck if someone wrote a tutorial or made a vid..i'd personally consider making a site and hosting it..just to help support the Amiga..
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@Hiddenevil,
Ok, You talked me into it :-)
I'm in the middle of redoing my A1200 with a Mediator board. when I'm done I'll hook my camera to the composite out and do a quick video w/ voiceover tutorial.
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A hint from a guy who has used Octamed since 1991. Dont go for Soundstudio for now, use OMed V4 as it simply is the best there is. V4 has some bugs with samples and MIDI on the same channel but with small extraeffort you can hide them.
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@hooligan,
I disagree :-o
If your learning from scratch you might as well learn the best version unless your only going to run it an a A500?
Soundstudio will run well even on an 020. Being able to load samples into fastram makes it worth it just for that!
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Hiddenevil wrote:
I joined the yahoo forum and also posted a thread..i dont see any guides on there tho
:-?
There should have been some links on the welcome email that would get you to Med Soundstudio and it's instruction manual. If you didn't have email delivery activated when you joined, you can still look in the files area for "message.txt" which contains the welcome message.
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spihunter wrote:
If your learning from scratch you might as well learn the best version unless your only going to run it an a A500?
Well thats what I said, use the best version, which is version 4 :-)
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hooligan wrote:
spihunter wrote:
If your learning from scratch you might as well learn the best version unless your only going to run it an a A500?
Well thats what I said, use the best version, which is version 4 :-)
I prefer OSS. I started on V4 but OSS is a better programme in my opinion.
-EDIT-
Now that I think about it, I started on V3.
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@hooligan,
Just out of curiosity, what makes version 4 of Octamed better then Soundstudio?
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I loaded a few things into OctaMED, and I am starting to see how it works. I could probably learn it all myself given enough time, but a guide would certainly be good. I'll have to have a look at the help files.
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I'm in the same boat & would really like a beginners guide for SoundStudio 1.03C too...awaiting for my A1200 with 030@50 to really get my hands dirty with it :-D ...loading all the instruments/samples into fastram is gonna be sooooo nice ;-)
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Tony Horgan wrote some tutorials for CU Amiga but I don't know if they're on line anywhere.
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i had a look, it's Amiga format magazine 64 to 69 from what i've found out..Sadly i've not found any sites with those pages availible..
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The Tony Horgan stuff was mostly a review from what I remember?
It went over features of the program but never gave insight on how to use it.
I'm not sure I never had those issues though so I'm not sure.
On another note, I've started recording my own Octamed training videos tonight. Hopefully I'll have the first one up on YouTube soon.
The composite out on my A1200 gives a better signal then I remember if you use the right screenmode...
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I'll knock together a basic guide if i get up early enough tomorrow. Stupid new job robbing me of life currently. :roll:
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First of all composing tunes with V4 is several times quicker than on OSS as the UI is much simpler, logical and simply working. Secondly, because of the things mentioned it is also easier for beginner to learn. This of course the case only if the user wants to create 4ch/8ch-tunes with Paula. If the user is going to use MIDI then I'd advice to start on OSS aswell.
I remember I tried OSS several times when it came out, always returning to V4 as the "new look" was soooo confusing. It still is, I did a remake of Lost Patrol yesterday and was cursing the userinterface half the time ;-)
Grab it here: Lost Patrol remake (http://koti.phnet.fi/yh14756/TheHooligan_-_Lost_Patrol.mp3)
ps.Its been two years since I last touched my synth and OSS.. so please forgive me its crappiness
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Cute remix, though it's almost heresy to remix Lost Patrol. IMHO one of the greatest game songs around, yet amazingly simple.
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nice remix, octamed? where are the samples from?
but have to agree that remakes of this enormous classic is almost blasphemy ;)
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Hiddenevil wrote:
i have octamed 3 and i would really like to know how to use the thing..
Hi, I learned by listening to a lot of other people's Mods and then going through it listening to one track at a time to see what they did and how they did it.
The Amiga is a wonderful tool for music, some people still use it in the music indistry.
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kidkoala wrote:
nice remix, octamed?
SoundStudio.
where are the samples from?
Yamaha CS1x
but have to agree that remakes of this enormous classic is almost blasphemy ;)
Agree fully :-)
Its just that I happened to bump to a site called AmigaRemix and downloaded all 2.5gb of remixes from there. Sort of lifted up my interest to get back to tracking again after a long time of silence.
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oh, must download the same stuff, i listen to slay and nectarine radio regularly so i guess i'm an everyday blasphemer..but aren't we all in some way :)
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Boot up OctaMED V4 from floppy disk or hard disk.
You should then be presented with the “play” screen with 4 columns of numbers and above options to play stop etc at the top. These are actually 2 screens in effect. You should notice that the top right corner option is also highlighted showing 4 rows of 3 sliver lines on a black background. That’s your tracker screen, and each of the 4 columns bellow the play screen is a mono audio track.
Now we are going to load up a sample of your choice from a PD [public domain] disk or from a disk of samples you may have made yourself or perhaps got on an old cover disk. Click “files” and providing you have your samples disk in the drive and have removed Octamed the disk it should list all the files and directories on that disk. If it doesn’t then click “DF0:” to the left in the list.
Select your sample from the list of files on the disk. For example a kick drum. When you have selected your sample, it’s should appear in the “File:” field. Now click “Load Instr” which is Load Instrument. Make sure you don’t click “Load Song” by mistake, as that’s for loading a whole tracker tune.
You should notice after you’ve loaded the sample, that it’s name has appeared next to “01” just below and to the right of the “File” field. That’s the space in Octamed's memory that it will hold that sample.
To load another sample, lets call it a hi-hat. Left Click on the “01” it should turn over to “02” another space to load your sample. Click “Load Instr” again and that’s your second sample loaded into Octamed’s memory. If you’ve clicked too many times, don’t worry, just Right Click on the numbers until it’s back to what you want.
Now return to the “Play” screen by clicking on the “Play” button. You should notice a red rectangle around 3 dashes “---” those dashes are where a musical note will appear when we go into editing mode.
To enter editing mode press “esc” and “~” they toggle editing mode and spacing on/off respectively. You can also Left Click them to do the same.
For this tutorial I’ll be pressing “i” which should produce a beat in note “C-3” then push down on the cursor key followed by “i” again them down again. Keep doing this until you have filled the whole block.
It should look like this all the way down...
000 C-3 10000
001 --- 00000
002 --- 00000
003 --- 00000
004 C-3 10000
...to...
056 C-3 10000
057 --- 00000
058 --- 00000
059 --- 00000
060 C-3 10000
061 --- 00000
062 --- 00000
063 --- 00000
I believe the number refers to the octave, so if you hit “q” which would make “C-2” appear instead, you’d get a deeper, longer sustained kick which doesn’t sound so punchy.
Anyway turn off editing mode and spacing with the mouse or buttons mentioned previously. Left Click the “Play Song” button and you should be greeted with the sound of a basic 4/4 kick pattern. To start and stop a track you can also press “Amiga+Space” to start and just “Space” to stop it.
Next we are going to add a “hi-hat” between the “kick drum” beats. To do this enter edit and spacing mode via mouse or keyboard. Be sure you are at the top of this track and block by pressing “F6” the red cursor should be back where it started.
Press the “down” cursor and press “i” and “down” and “i” continue to do so until you have filled all of the spaces between the kick beat, as illustrated bellow.
000 C-3 10000 NB: the 1 before the 4 zeros
001 --- 00000 is the samples number. So
002 C-3 20000 10000 tells you sample 1 is
003 --- 00000 being played, and 20000 is
004 C-3 10000 sample 2 being played. So
005 --- 00000 it’s the kick and the hi-hat.
006 C-3 20000
007 --- 00000
...to...
056 C-3 10000
057 --- 00000
058 C-3 20000
059 --- 00000
060 C-3 10000
061 --- 00000
062 C-3 20000
063 --- 00000
Exit edit and spacing mode and play it back again. You should be greeted by the sound of a classic pounding disco beat.
You might want to start work on your next track in the block now. So stop the beat with “Space” or mouse. Hit “F6” to get back to the start again. Now press the “Right” cursor button until it the red rectangle is in the next track and has 3 dashes “---” inside it again.
Go back to the “File” screen by clicking on the file button respective button. Now select a “Bass” sample from the file requester. Make sure Octamed’s sample memory is on “03” remember that’s the number bellow and to the right of the “File” field.
Now click “Play” enter editing and spacing modes. Now press “q” “i” “q” “i” until you’ve got the same as bellow.
000 C-2 30000
001 --- 00000
002 C-3 30000
003 --- 00000
004 C-2 30000
005 --- 00000
006 C-3 30000
007 --- 00000
...to...
056 C-2 30000
057 --- 00000
058 C-3 30000
059 --- 00000
060 C-2 30000
061 --- 00000
062 C-3 30000
063 --- 00000
Turn off editing and spacing modes and press “Amiga+Space” or Left Click “Play Song” and enjoy an ear splitting tune. :-)
Hope this is of some help to anyone new to OctaMED.