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Mixer

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How to get there

From the Window Menu, choose Mixer.

What it does

The Mixer contains two parts, a master set of controls and a set of controls for each staff in the score. The master controls can be used to adjust the volume and reverb of the overall output much like the master controls on a conventional mixer. The set of controls for each staff can be used to adjust the volume and pan value relative to other staves in the score much like the volume sliders and panning wheels for tracks on a conventional mixer. All settings defined in the mixer are post-processed and applied over the top of MIDI data that already exists in the score score including MIDI tool data, Human Playback data and/or expressions and articulations defined for playback. In other words the mixer doesn’t change the contour of the playback, only the overall output or the staff relationship.

Settings applied to staves in the Mixer are dynamically linked to the ScoreManager. For example, an increase to the volume for one staff changes the volume setting in the ScoreManager uniformly. The same is true for the other settings.

[Pan dial]. Use this dial to control the pan value for each channel. Click and drag this dial clockwise to pan the channel right or counterclockwise to pan the channel left. Playback volume will be weighted to the left or right speaker accordingly.
M (Mute). Click this button to indicate you want the channel to be silent when you play the score.
S (Solo). When you click in the Solo button, you instruct SongWriter to mute all other staves. In other words, you’ve just isolated a staff so that only it will play back, and all the other staves are silent. (You could achieve the same effect by clicking in the Mute button for all other staves).

You can solo more than one staff, if you wish—for example, you can solo two or three staves, and all the others will be silent. In fact, you can solo all staves, although there wouldn’t be much point, since you may as well solo none of them.

R (Record). Use these buttons to specify which staves wyou would like to record into with HyperScribe.

If Record into One Staff or Split into Two Staves is selected in the Record Mode submenu of the HyperScribe Menu, you don’t need to use the Mixer to specify which staff to record into; simply click the staff in the score that you want to record into. If, however, you prefer to use the Playback Control’s Record button (instead of clicking a measure in the score), then you must use the Mixer’s (or ScoreManager’s) R parameter to indicate the staves in which you would like to record. (Note you can use the ScoreManager to specify individual layers for recording. See ScoreManager).

If you would like to record into two or more staves simultaneously, first, from the HyperScribe Menu, choose Record Mode, and then Multitrack Record. Then click the R button for all staves you would like to record into. The buttons turn yellow, indicating that SongWriter will record into those staves. Click the Record button in the Playback Controls to begin recording. (Also, when you click the HyperScribe tool, the HyperScribe frame appears on the selected staves.)

[Volume Slider]. Use this slider to adjust the volume for this staff (and all other staves set to the same channel). Note you can enter a specific volume value for each channel in the ScoreManager.
PC [Program Change]. This popup menu lists the playback sounds in the selected device (the General MIDI instrument or included SmartMusic SoftSynth GM sound library). You can click the popup arrow and choose from the complete list of General MIDI sounds. Click the popup arrow and choose Edit Patch to open the Set Patch To dialog box where you can assign Program data for playback through an external MIDI device. See To establish MIDI sound settings for a score Instrument. If a device uses midnam files, the Sound popup menu will display banks and sounds for the device associated with the midnam file. To use midnam files, see Configuring a new device in Audio MIDI Setup. If SmartMusic SoftSynth is selected, to select percussion, choose "MakeMusic GM : Bank 128."

Instrument. This is the name of the instrument assigned to the staff (as shown in the ScoreManager).
Reverb Level. The reverb dial controls the overall amount of decay, or length of time a sound persists after released. This dial applies to the overall output. Click and drag this dial clockwise to increase the reverb effect, or counterclockwise to decrease the reverb effect.
Room Size. This setting has the effect of simulating a room size to make your music sound as though it is being performed in a small room, concert hall, or anything in between. Click and drag the dial clockwise to increase the ‘size’ of the room.
Master Mute. Click this button to mute all staves. When you do so, the Mute button is also activated in the staff Mixer controls.
Master Solo. Click this button to solo all staves. When you do so, the Solo button is also activated in the staff Mixer controls.
Master Volume. Click and drag this slider up to increase the volume of the overall output, or down to decrease the overall volume.
Instrument List. Click this button to open the ScoreManager where you can define new instruments, and make additional volume and pan settings for individual layers and chords. See ScoreManager.