______________________________________________________________________________ R H Y T H M I C S ( N O T A T I O N S Y S T E M ) 1 ______________________________________________________________________________ RHYTHMICS is first of all a program to notate rhythms played on drums and small-percussion instruments: for this purpose the symbol font PERC.FNT was created. Characteristic for the RHYTHMICS NOTATION SYSTEM is the possibility to edit notelines which give a direct picture of time and its structure: symbols or notes are shown at the moment when they occur in time - and in relation to a given beat. This notation system is for most percussive instruments the more adequate way to notate and read - and you do not have to know anything about staff notation and its theory. Other fonts are added for demonstration: PITC#C-G.FNT (+ PITCHC-G.FNT) which allow to notate in pitch notes. Also LETTER.FNTs and CYPHER.FNT There are other special fonts for different usages: DRUMSET.FNT, DOREMI.FNT, PENTATONIC.FNT, NATURAL.FNT, OCTAVE.FNT, PITCHSTEPS.FNT, GUITARTAB.FNT, MRIDANGAM.FNT etc. All these fonts on special order; extra fonts can be designed on request. Printing needs a postscript printer or a postscript emulation. Version 2.0 uses the intern loudspeaker to make the input of symbols and notes audible immediately - lines, pages, buffers or whole files can be played in the same way - though no soundcard etc. is necessary to work with the program. Rhythmics 2.0 runs safest under DOS. ______________________________________________________________________________ A. Copy all files from the diskette to the harddisk (or: type 'a:install') ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 - create the 'RNS' directory on your harddisk: [C:\>] md rns (or any other path, for example [C:\MUSIC>] md rns) 2 - change to this directory: [C:\>] cd rns the path will show as [C:\RNS>] 3 - put the RHYTHMICS diskette into drive A and type: xcopy a:*.* /s ['copy' is not enough!] (note down these commands for further procedure) 4 - type: rns 5 - if you have a DEMO-VERSION you cannot create other directories than the given DEMODIR. Follow the instructions on the screen - you will get to the file TESTFILE.RNS. This file can be saved normally - all other files will be set on 'read only'. 6 - if you are a licensed user, take some time to think about the directory- and file structure. Further SUBDIRECTORIES can NOT be opened, but you can have as many directories and files as you wish, and the program accepts as well directories with endings (for example 12345678.123)! 7 - Do NOT start RHYTHMICS from the diskette (error message only)! ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ B. The Main Menu 2 ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 - Control 'F - DirName\ Files' (top button) = active directory + filelist. 2 - you can choose within the menu (AS IN ALL MENUS!) by a) typing the shortcut-letter, b) using the cursor keys up and down + [Enter] or by c) using the mouse and its left button. 3 - Generally [Enter] (or shortcut key or mouseclick) activates a selection, [Esc] ignores a selection or escapes from a menu (or file). (Right mouse button = [Esc] as well.) To escape from the main menu resp. from the program is possible only by choosing 'Quit .... Q' by cursor, shortcut-key or mouse. 4 - Activate 'D - Directories': the directory-list will occur on the right side. [Enter] will show you the FILELIST of the chosen directory. If you type a new directory name, the program will ask you to confirm with 'Y'. 5 - If you want the filelist of the active directory immediately choose 'F - \ Files'. The last chosen file will be indicated in the title line. [Enter] opens the file. Eventually select another file from the list by cursor-keys or mouse. If you type a new name the program asks again for confirmation: in this case be aware that first the SETUP PAGE will be presented (usually with a brown background to warn you): layout this page as you want new pages in the file to look like - [F1] shows you a table of all the possible commands - then press [Esc]: the first page of the file will be presented. For later changes call up the setup page by [Alt]+[F9]. 6 - 'P - Page Layout' offers the possibility to install a DEFAULT PAGE for a certain DIRECTORY - whenever you open a new file in this directory the SETUP PAGE will look like this. Though 'Page Layout' is dependent on the active directory or the directory chosen immediately after escaping from the page layout menu. 7 - This is almost the same with the 'S - Symbol Fonts'. Activating one of the fonts and confirming with 'Y' will install this font in the active directory - but if you press [Esc] and then choose another directory, the font will permanently be installed there. Pressing [Esc] and then selecting 'Files' will install the chosen font temporaryly in the active file and will not overwrite the setup font for this directory. 8 - (The menu 'Notelines .. N' is no more available in the new version: it was in practice not really necessary. Notelines can be quickly defined in the [Shift]+[F3] menu, you can use Copy Line or even mark a special linesetting and write it to a buffer file: see Block [Shift]+[F8].) 9 - With 'C - Colors' you get a list of prepared and tested color settings. The selection of a specific setting influences all directories. (If you need to have your own setting open the file 'myset.col' on the DOS Prompt with any editor and make your changes - or copy a setting you like into 'myset.col' and then make slight changes. The new colors will not show until you activate them by selecting again 'myset.col'!) 'ptscreen.col' serves to get hardcopies of the full screen, 'ptpage.col' will show filepages only (install a printscreen utility first). ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ C. Learning how to use the program 3 ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 - Use [F1] (=HELP) very often. The table shows all Hot-Key commands. Generally [Shift]+[F-Keys] are menus (except [Shift]+[F4]); [F-Keys] (except [F6]) and [Ctrl]+[F-Keys] act immediately. 2 - Activate the mouse menu with [F11] or by clicking with the left button ANYWHERE in the STATUS FIELD at the bottom of the active filepage. This mouse menu shows again the upper part of the [F1] helptable with abbreviations: 1 - 10 indicate the F-Keys; S, C and A stand for [Shift], [Ctrl] and [Alt] respectively. 3 - Read through the file \DEMODIR\MANUAL.RNS within the program, more - or special things - are explained there in detail. Make it 'read only', then you can make tests, changes will not be saved (attrib +r manual.rns). IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT without a printed manual, print out manual.rns (.eps-file [postscript], screenprint, or contact us to get a copy. ______________________________________________________________________________ D. Contacting RHYTHMICS ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 - If you have any problem, question or order write to: R H Y T H M I C S Tel/Fas +41 1 730 37 37 S o n n e n h o f s t r . 1 e-mail: rhythmics@rhythmics.ch C H - 8 9 5 2 S c h l i e r e n homepage: www.rhythmics.ch - to print an order sheet enter 'edit order.txt', then print this file. 2 - RHYTHMICS was sold for the equivalent of SFr. 180.- (incl. postage). Since 99 it has become FREEWARE, but all users must order it personally! Orders MUST contain: full name and address + tel.number (e-mail adr.) You will receive an e-mail (or diskette) with the full licensed program containing an internal serial number. Please be aware of copy rights. _______________________________________________________________________________ You can print C:\RNS\README.TXT from DOS-Edit or from the Windows Editor. _______________________________________________________________________________ RHYTHMICS percussion +41 1 730 37 37 Peo Oertli-Kassim peo@rhythmics.ch Sonnenhofstr. 1 www.rhythmics.ch CH - 8952 Schlieren _______________________________________________________________________________