[Lmms-users] Help needed to finish the latest version of User Manual

[Raindrops From Sky]

Hi all,

I had written the original *User Manual* more than 3 years ago.

Now I have updated the manual to cover the latest features and changes. But
there are still some gaps, and I need some information quickly to finish
the manual.

Can someone help me?
I need a quick chat on IRC, Google Hang Out, skype and WhatsApp.

My time zone is *India *(UTC+05:30).

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Narayan

[Raine M. Ekman]

Post by Raindrops From Sky
I had written the original *User Manual* more than 3 years ago.

..which is much appreciated. It's a pretty good manual.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
Now I have updated the manual to cover the latest features and changes.

And this is even better. Keep up the good work :)

Post by Raindrops From Sky
But
there are still some gaps, and I need some information quickly to finish
the manual.
Can someone help me?
I need a quick chat on IRC, Google Hang Out, skype and WhatsApp.

The channel is #lmms on freenode, but you probably knew that
already... not that there's anything wrong in just asking here on the
list. There's probably someone to answer your every question in those
two places combined.

[Raindrops From Sky]

Hi

Thanks for the prompt response, and appreciation, Raine!

You made a good suggestion. I am unable to connect to the IRC channel right
now. So I am sharing my list here. I hope that the other users and
developers will be able to throw some light.

1. Both song/BB editor have a "Record" button.
How do they differ from each other?

2. What does "Project > Save As New Version" menu do?
Is it relevant now, even after 3 years?

3. In the Instrument window, MIDI tab, "Enable MIDI" section:
What does the "Note" control do?

4. What are the practical uses of the *File > Export tracks...* command
(CTRL+SHFT+E)?

5. The table for LB302 plugin:
What do the following parameters do to sound distortion: slide, accent,
dead.

6. Patman plugin: What's "Tune mode"?

7. VeSTige plugin: What do the following controls do?
1. Control VST from LMMS Host
2. Turn off all notes

8. ZynAddSubFX plugin: Forward MIDI control changes -> what does it do?

9. Do the NUMPAD buttons + and - really work in BB Editor??

10. BB Editor track's context menu: Is the Freeze/unfreeze feature removed
now?

11. Earlier, one step at a time could be added to the BB Editor timeline.
Since the timeline is always a whole multiple of a measure, some blank
space was left at the end of the timeline. But the new design adds multiple
steps to fill up the space, leaving no blank space. Is that correct?

12. The entire Bassline-related behavior seems to have changed.
Earlier, it was possible to insert a note of any length.
Now LMMS allows only a small note that is shorter than 1/32th of a
measure.

13. Earlier, when we inserted a bassline in a BB Editor track, the track
used to show the pattern like Song Editor's mlody track. But now it only
displays steps.

14. When we add a bassline note in the nth step in Song Editor, that step
is supposed to light up in the BB Editor. But practically this does not
happen: As we go on inserting bassline notes in progressive steps, the BB
Editor toggles random steps on/off.

If some description is not clear, I can share a small video. Please let me
know...


Regards,
Narayan

Post by Raine M. Ekman

Post by Raindrops From Sky
I had written the original *User Manual* more than 3 years ago.

..which is much appreciated. It's a pretty good manual.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
Now I have updated the manual to cover the latest features and changes.

And this is even better. Keep up the good work :)

Post by Raindrops From Sky
But
there are still some gaps, and I need some information quickly to finish
the manual.
Can someone help me?
I need a quick chat on IRC, Google Hang Out, skype and WhatsApp.

The channel is #lmms on freenode, but you probably knew that
already... not that there's anything wrong in just asking here on the
list. There's probably someone to answer your every question in those
two places combined.
--
softrabbit on #lmms
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[Raine M. Ekman]

Post by Raindrops From Sky
2. What does "Project > Save As New Version" menu do?
Is it relevant now, even after 3 years?

It adds a number to the filename and saves the project under the new
name. Next time, it increments the number. So you end up with
project.mmpz, project-01.mmpz, project-02.mmpz and so on.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
What does the "Note" control do?

It forces all MIDI output from the instrument to use the same note. If
you want to control a drum machine or something like that you could
have all your B&B-tracks go out on the same channel using different
notes.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
4. What are the practical uses of the *File > Export tracks...* command
(CTRL+SHFT+E)?

It exports separate tracks for each instrument in the song editor and
B&B-editor, e.g. for mixing in some other software.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
9. Do the NUMPAD buttons + and - really work in BB Editor??

I guess they do, at least on the Ubuntu and Windows systems I have at hand.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
11. Earlier, one step at a time could be added to the BB Editor timeline.
Since the timeline is always a whole multiple of a measure, some blank
space was left at the end of the timeline. But the new design adds multiple
steps to fill up the space, leaving no blank space. Is that correct?

Now you can add steps to the whole pattern at once, before you had to
add them separately for each track. But it sure looks like you always
add/remove one bar at a time now.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
12. The entire Bassline-related behavior seems to have changed.
Earlier, it was possible to insert a note of any length.
Now LMMS allows only a small note that is shorter than 1/32th of a
measure.
13. Earlier, when we inserted a bassline in a BB Editor track, the track
used to show the pattern like Song Editor's mlody track. But now it only
displays steps.

I'm not sure what you think has changed in these two, but right-click
on the track and "open in piano-roll", edit and you have a piano-roll
pattern. AFAIR, it used to work like this in 0.4 too?

[Tres Finocchiaro]

AFAIR, it used to work like [only displays steps] this in 0.4 too?

That's what I remember as well.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
2. What does "Project > Save As New Version" menu do?
Is it relevant now, even after 3 years?

It adds a number to the filename and saves the project under the new
name. Next time, it increments the number. So you end up with
project.mmpz, project-01.mmpz, project-02.mmpz and so on.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
What does the "Note" control do?

It forces all MIDI output from the instrument to use the same note. If
you want to control a drum machine or something like that you could
have all your B&B-tracks go out on the same channel using different
notes.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
4. What are the practical uses of the *File > Export tracks...* command
(CTRL+SHFT+E)?

It exports separate tracks for each instrument in the song editor and
B&B-editor, e.g. for mixing in some other software.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
9. Do the NUMPAD buttons + and - really work in BB Editor??

I guess they do, at least on the Ubuntu and Windows systems I have at hand.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
11. Earlier, one step at a time could be added to the BB Editor timeline.
Since the timeline is always a whole multiple of a measure, some blank
space was left at the end of the timeline. But the new design adds

multiple

Post by Raindrops From Sky
steps to fill up the space, leaving no blank space. Is that correct?

Now you can add steps to the whole pattern at once, before you had to
add them separately for each track. But it sure looks like you always
add/remove one bar at a time now.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
12. The entire Bassline-related behavior seems to have changed.
Earlier, it was possible to insert a note of any length.
Now LMMS allows only a small note that is shorter than 1/32th of a
measure.
13. Earlier, when we inserted a bassline in a BB Editor track, the track
used to show the pattern like Song Editor's mlody track. But now it only
displays steps.

I'm not sure what you think has changed in these two, but right-click
on the track and "open in piano-roll", edit and you have a piano-roll
pattern. AFAIR, it used to work like this in 0.4 too?
--
softrabbit on #lmms
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Download BIRT iHub F-Type - The Free Enterprise-Grade BIRT Server
from Actuate! Instantly Supercharge Your Business Reports and Dashboards
with Interactivity, Sharing, Native Excel Exports, App Integration & more
Get technology previously reserved for billion-dollar corporations, FREE
http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=164703151&iu=/4140/ostg.clktrk
_______________________________________________
Lmms-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/lmms-users

[Stian Jørgensrud]

Post by Raindrops From Sky
1. Both song/BB editor have a "Record" button.
How do they differ from each other?

They don't? :) Either you can look a the B&B Editor and ascertain that the
B&B Editor don't got a record button, only play and stop. Or, as I guess
you have done, you can find out that you can open the Piano Roll Editor
from the B&B Editor and it will be the same Piano Roll as when opened from
the Song Editor.

Am I missing something here?

Post by Raindrops From Sky
2. What does "Project > Save As New Version" menu do?
Is it relevant now, even after 3 years?

It is a new feature, seven months old maybe. It saves your project by
appending increment numbers to your project and you will be able to
continue to work on the latest version without any disruptions. It starts
by adding "-01", so your project called test.mmpz will be called
test-01.mmpz. The next time you save as new version it will get the name
test-02.mmpz.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
What does the "Note" control do?

I can't find such a feature, are you sure it is called "note control"? It
might be that something have been removed for LMMS 1.1, I am using an
RC/beta version.

What is new from 0.4.15 there is the way LMMS handles MIDI instruments, so
the option "Custom Base Velocity" has been added. MIDI has velocity from 0
to 127, while LMMS in the Piano Roll has the option to adjust each note
from 0% to 200%. In old versions of LMMS turning the volume above 100% did
nothing (and eventually started causing a bug so therefore it was changed),
cause 100% was 127 velocity. From LMMS 1.0.0 100% is 63 velocity and 200%
is 127 velocity.


4. What are the practical uses of the *File > Export tracks...* command

Post by Raindrops From Sky
(CTRL+SHFT+E)?

Mastering and mixing in other programs, or just editing in other programs.
An important and useful function is that it will not export muted tracks,
so you can choose some tracks you want to export.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
What do the following parameters do to sound distortion: slide,
accent, dead.

Good question, I see you have already looked at the wiki. I think the wiki
actually is wrong here, I can't understand what slide has to do with
distortion. The slide LED toggle turns slide=portamento on and off and the
knob slide decides how long time it goes before sliding (I think).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TB-303

Post by Raindrops From Sky
From reading up on this page I can indeed confirm that my thinking was

correct. I have not found out what the "dead" LED toggle is. Maybe making
the sound more monophonic? According to the article there was an accent
function, but I wouldn't say that the "dead" function added accent, more
like the opposite.

There aren't any accent parameter in LB 302, so the wiki is wrong there
again, could be the original coder of the plugin who wrote the article
before he was finished with the plugin, or it could be someone who have
read the same wikipedia article I just did.


6. Patman plugin: What's "Tune mode"?


Much like a soundfont the .pat files contains several samples which is
different recordings of an instrument in this case at different note
frequencies. Without tune mode you will only hear the original samples,
which usually isn't all over the keyboard but only every sixth whole note
for example. In tune mode PatMan will adjust the frequency of the
nearest(?) sample so you can play all the different notes on your keyboard
without having one sample for each key.


7. VeSTige plugin: What do the following controls do?

Post by Raindrops From Sky
1. Control VST from LMMS Host
2. Turn off all notes

It opens a window with all accessible parameters as regular LMMS knobs,
this way you can automate those parameters.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
8. ZynAddSubFX plugin: Forward MIDI control changes -> what does it do?

I am no good with MIDI, sorry. If you ask at the developer mailing list (or
ask me to do it) you will probably get better answers at technical
questions such as the LB 302 one.


9. Do the NUMPAD buttons + and - really work in BB Editor??


Yes, and it doesn't have to be the numpad it seems. They change to the next
or previous B&B track. You must have several B&B tracks for it to work.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
10. BB Editor track's context menu: Is the Freeze/unfreeze feature removed
now?

Yes, removed from everywhere. That is also right click menu in Song Editor.


11. Earlier, one step at a time could be added to the BB Editor timeline.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
Since the timeline is always a whole multiple of a measure, some blank
space was left at the end of the timeline. But the new design adds multiple
steps to fill up the space, leaving no blank space. Is that correct?

Yes. You would have silence at the end anyway in the previous versions, the
beat wouldn't start over one quarter note before the other beats.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
12. The entire Bassline-related behavior seems to have changed.
Earlier, it was possible to insert a note of any length.
Now LMMS allows only a small note that is shorter than 1/32th of a
measure.

What? How? Did it? I want to know!! You can double click on the note area
in B&B Editor to open Piano Roll and enter regular notes of infinity length,


13. Earlier, when we inserted a bassline in a BB Editor track, the track

Post by Raindrops From Sky
used to show the pattern like Song Editor's melody track. But now it only
displays steps.

Hmm, yeah, there is something that have changed with that. Or is it... I
can't explain, don't remember. I know that when you have zoomed in 800% or
more and you have only drum notes it will be displayed as in the B&B
Editor. If you add long notes it will go back to looking like a normal
pattern.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
14. When we add a bassline note in the nth step in Song Editor, that step
is supposed to light up in the BB Editor. But practically this does not
happen: As we go on inserting bassline notes in progressive steps, the BB
Editor toggles random steps on/off.

No, nothing in the Song Editor will show up in the Beat and Bassline
Editor. Has it done that before?

[Raindrops From Sky]

Hi Stian,

Thanks a ton for the clarifications!

Some of the points where you have raised doubts are actually my mistakes:
#1. I copied this from the first version of manualk, without realizing that
the record button is actually removed from the BB Editor in the 1.x version
of LMMS!

#12/13/14
A big oops moment! Somehow my LMMS behaved that way.
But when I restarted the PC, all went as before... SORRY!

*******
While your mail explains some points, the others are pending.
I also have some more doubts.

The next list of pending terms is given below.
Can you get this clarified from developers? Thanks in advance!


1. In the Instrument window, MIDI tab, "Enable MIDI" section.
What does the green LED labeled "NOTE" do?

2. In * LB302* plugin, what do *Accent* and *Dead* controls do?

3. In *Vestige* plugin, what is the use of the "Turn off all notes"
button?

4. In the *ZynAddSubFX *plugin, what does *Forward MIDI control changes*
control do?

5. In *SF2 Player *plugin, what does the CHORUS section do?
Further, what do the following controls do? NUM, LEVEL, SPD, DEPTH

6. In *SID *simulator, what do the following controls do?
SYNC, RING, FILTER, TEST

7. In *Bass booster *plugin, what does "Ratio" control do?


Regards,

Narayan

Post by Stian Jørgensrud

Post by Raindrops From Sky
1. Both song/BB editor have a "Record" button.
How do they differ from each other?

They don't? :) Either you can look a the B&B Editor and ascertain that the
B&B Editor don't got a record button, only play and stop. Or, as I guess
you have done, you can find out that you can open the Piano Roll Editor
from the B&B Editor and it will be the same Piano Roll as when opened from
the Song Editor.
Am I missing something here?

Post by Raindrops From Sky
2. What does "Project > Save As New Version" menu do?
Is it relevant now, even after 3 years?

It is a new feature, seven months old maybe. It saves your project by
appending increment numbers to your project and you will be able to
continue to work on the latest version without any disruptions. It starts
by adding "-01", so your project called test.mmpz will be called
test-01.mmpz. The next time you save as new version it will get the name
test-02.mmpz.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
What does the "Note" control do?

I can't find such a feature, are you sure it is called "note control"? It
might be that something have been removed for LMMS 1.1, I am using an
RC/beta version.
What is new from 0.4.15 there is the way LMMS handles MIDI instruments, so
the option "Custom Base Velocity" has been added. MIDI has velocity from 0
to 127, while LMMS in the Piano Roll has the option to adjust each note
from 0% to 200%. In old versions of LMMS turning the volume above 100% did
nothing (and eventually started causing a bug so therefore it was changed),
cause 100% was 127 velocity. From LMMS 1.0.0 100% is 63 velocity and 200%
is 127 velocity.
4. What are the practical uses of the *File > Export tracks...* command

Post by Raindrops From Sky
(CTRL+SHFT+E)?

Mastering and mixing in other programs, or just editing in other programs.
An important and useful function is that it will not export muted tracks,
so you can choose some tracks you want to export.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
What do the following parameters do to sound distortion: slide,
accent, dead.

Good question, I see you have already looked at the wiki. I think the wiki
actually is wrong here, I can't understand what slide has to do with
distortion. The slide LED toggle turns slide=portamento on and off and the
knob slide decides how long time it goes before sliding (I think).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TB-303
From reading up on this page I can indeed confirm that my thinking was
correct. I have not found out what the "dead" LED toggle is. Maybe making
the sound more monophonic? According to the article there was an accent
function, but I wouldn't say that the "dead" function added accent, more
like the opposite.
There aren't any accent parameter in LB 302, so the wiki is wrong there
again, could be the original coder of the plugin who wrote the article
before he was finished with the plugin, or it could be someone who have
read the same wikipedia article I just did.
6. Patman plugin: What's "Tune mode"?
Much like a soundfont the .pat files contains several samples which is
different recordings of an instrument in this case at different note
frequencies. Without tune mode you will only hear the original samples,
which usually isn't all over the keyboard but only every sixth whole note
for example. In tune mode PatMan will adjust the frequency of the
nearest(?) sample so you can play all the different notes on your keyboard
without having one sample for each key.
7. VeSTige plugin: What do the following controls do?

Post by Raindrops From Sky
1. Control VST from LMMS Host
2. Turn off all notes

It opens a window with all accessible parameters as regular LMMS knobs,
this way you can automate those parameters.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
8. ZynAddSubFX plugin: Forward MIDI control changes -> what does it do?

I am no good with MIDI, sorry. If you ask at the developer mailing list
(or ask me to do it) you will probably get better answers at technical
questions such as the LB 302 one.
9. Do the NUMPAD buttons + and - really work in BB Editor??
Yes, and it doesn't have to be the numpad it seems. They change to the
next or previous B&B track. You must have several B&B tracks for it to work.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
10. BB Editor track's context menu: Is the Freeze/unfreeze feature
removed now?

Yes, removed from everywhere. That is also right click menu in Song Editor.
11. Earlier, one step at a time could be added to the BB Editor timeline.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
Since the timeline is always a whole multiple of a measure, some blank
space was left at the end of the timeline. But the new design adds multiple
steps to fill up the space, leaving no blank space. Is that correct?

Yes. You would have silence at the end anyway in the previous versions,
the beat wouldn't start over one quarter note before the other beats.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
12. The entire Bassline-related behavior seems to have changed.
Earlier, it was possible to insert a note of any length.
Now LMMS allows only a small note that is shorter than 1/32th of a
measure.

What? How? Did it? I want to know!! You can double click on the note area
in B&B Editor to open Piano Roll and enter regular notes of infinity length,
13. Earlier, when we inserted a bassline in a BB Editor track, the track

Post by Raindrops From Sky
used to show the pattern like Song Editor's melody track. But now it only
displays steps.

Hmm, yeah, there is something that have changed with that. Or is it... I
can't explain, don't remember. I know that when you have zoomed in 800% or
more and you have only drum notes it will be displayed as in the B&B
Editor. If you add long notes it will go back to looking like a normal
pattern.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
14. When we add a bassline note in the nth step in Song Editor, that step
is supposed to light up in the BB Editor. But practically this does not
happen: As we go on inserting bassline notes in progressive steps, the BB
Editor toggles random steps on/off.

No, nothing in the Song Editor will show up in the Beat and Bassline
Editor. Has it done that before?
--
From
Stian JÞrgensrud

[Raine M. Ekman]

Post by Raindrops From Sky
1. In the Instrument window, MIDI tab, "Enable MIDI" section.
What does the green LED labeled "NOTE" do?

Didn't I answer this already? It makes all the MIDI notes output from
the plugin have the same note number, e.g. for sending out to a drum
machine.

Post by Raindrops From Sky
6. In *SID *simulator, what do the following controls do?
SYNC, RING, FILTER, TEST

SYNC syncs the oscillator to the previous one (1->3, 2->1, 3->2), RING
activates ring modulation (a kind of distroted mix of the waves) in
the same way.

FILTER enables the internal filter for the oscillator. The filter is
controlled by the RES and CUT knobs at the top of the plugin and the
type is selected through the HP/BP/LP buttons.

TEST basically locks the oscillator and resets its waveform when released.

[Stian Jørgensrud]

Post by Raindrops From Sky
What does the "Note" control do?

It forces all MIDI output from the instrument to use the same note. If you
want to control a drum machine or something like that you could have all
your B&B-tracks go out on the same channel using different notes.


And now some answers from me

Post by Raindrops From Sky
In *Vestige* plugin, what is the use of the "Turn off all notes" button?

Pretty sure it only is there in case some notes get stuck and play forever,
this can happen sometimes when automating the pitch of MIDI instruments. It
is because LMMS sends a noteON signal for one note, and then noteOff signal
for the same note, but when you automate the pitch LMMS will send noteOFF
for a new note/tone because you changed the pitch.


In *SF2 Player *plugin, what does the CHORUS section do?

Post by Raindrops From Sky
Further, what do the following controls do? NUM, LEVEL, SPD, DEPTH

Both the Reverb and Chorus are effects. The point of these two fields is
that some SoundFonts have their own chorus and reverb effect, or support it
natively or something, so by enabling this you are using the reverb effect
and chorus effect for that specific soundfont, or from the SoundFont
Player? I wrote this, can't give you any better answer right now.
http://lmms.io/wiki/index.php?title=SF2_Player
I'll ask the developers about whether it is effects that follow the
soundfont files or if it is effects in the SoundFont Player.


So what I will do now is to send a mail on the developer list asking about
the rest of the questions. It is needed to document once and for all :)

[Stian Jørgensrud]

1. What does the "Dead" knob do for LB302?

Kills the filter envelope.

2. Do the reverb and chorus for soundfonts activate the effect

specifically

for that soundfont,

Yes. The soundfont must support reverb/chorus in order for reverb/chorus
to have any effect. Not entirely sure how the whole thing works though.

3. In the ZynAddSubFX plugin, what does Forward MIDI control changes

control

do?

Forwards MIDI CC commands from LMMS to Zyn. Only works if you have a
MIDI controller connected to LMMS.

4. In SID, what do the following controls do? SYNC, RING, FILTER, TEST

Check the WhatsThis. It's explained there.

5. In Bass booster plugin, what does "Ratio" control do? I reckon it is

for

compression of some kind, but not entirely sure.

How much bass is boosted.

[Chrissy McManus]

"7. VeSTige plugin: What do the following controls do?

1. Control VST from LMMS Host"

thanks Mikobuntu ;)


I'm unsure if this was answered so to the O.P, something like this below could be added to the Manual:-
In LMMS's confiuration setting the Sync VST plugins to host playback will force a VST ( instrument or effect ) that has it's own internal midi clock to be synced to LMMS's master clock. This will make sure that a VST plugin is running at the same tempo as the LMMS song.