From judd@stratus.esam.nwu.edu Tue Nov 24 01:51:42 1998
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.cbm
Subject: Tunesmith version B Announce and Documentation
From: Stephen Judd <judd@stratus.esam.nwu.edu>
Date: 23 Nov 1998 07:21:42 PST

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[ This file contains both the introductory blurb and the .zipped ASCII
  documentation files for Tunesmith. Binaries follow. -- Cameron Kaiser ]

I am very pleased to announce the release of Tunesmith, a music composition
package for the C-64.

What is Tunesmith?  Tunesmith is

	- Easy to use.  First time users can generate tunes within minutes.

	- Extremely powerful.  How many times have you wanted to do this:

		+ JSR Refrain
		  JSR Part1
		  Load new instrument
		  JSR Refrain
		  JSR Part2
		  JMP +

	  In addition to flow control, the tunesmith player includes
	  repeat loops (with nesting), instructions for controlling
	  SID, synchronizing voices, and much much more.

	  Even more powerful is Tunesmith's macro language.  Macros
	  are actual programs which are written and compiled into
	  the player.  Macros can perform sound effects, communicate
	  with the player and with outside programs, and much more.

	  The editing facilities within Tunesmith are very extensive and 
	  powerful, and designed to minimize the usual frustrations of 
	  writing music.

	  Finally, and most importantly, the _musical_ aspects of
	  Tunesmith are without compare -- the composer may use arbitrary
	  rhythms and time signatures, tempos may be specified precisely,
	  and any sort of musical composition or performance device may 
	  be implemented in a straightforward manner.

	  Tunesmith just isn't your usual 4/4 techno-tune composer.

	- Extremely well documented -- including a quick-reference
	  command summary, and a "getting started" tutorial --
	  including many example tunes and macros.

Tunesmith is also an update to the old blahtune composer -- a major
update.  Every part of the program has been updated.  Just some of the 
new features:

	- A nifty 240-column text editor for editing macros

	- A significantly improved compiler and macro language, now
	  including subroutines and user-defined variables and labels.

	- A new player, with new instructions (synchronize voices with
	  each other, cycle test bits, and more), and repeat loops
	  may now be nested.

	- An expanded, more-configurable music editor, with new features
	  (including single-keypress note entry) and old rough edges 
	  sanded smooth.

	- A plethora of patches, for minor bugs and annoyances, cosmetic
	  blemishes, and a host of other small things that accumualated
	  to diminish the composing process.

A lot of work has gone into this program: over 16,000 lines of source
code, and the main binary alone is now over 24k in size.  

And if you don't think it's the most powerful, easiest-to-use quantum
leap of a music composer for the Commodore 64, I'll give you *double*
your money back!

Did I mention that Tunesmith is freely available, and the source code 
is on my homepage?

Steve Judd
sjudd@nwu.edu
http://stratus.esam.nwu.edu/~judd/fridge/