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1. will set that group to trigger after a pre determined time Next Wait Paired with the Next parameter this is the amount of time that it will take for the selected next group to be triggered by the automation event Loop Stop When Loop or Ping Pong is selected from the Mode menu this toggle will activate when the automation begins In order to stop a loop once it s begun this toggle needs to be manually turned off Otherwise the loop will continue until the automator board is closed Page 35 10a ii_Automation Groups Look along the bottom of the automation board and you ll notice a series of eight buttons Automation messages must be started or triggered manually in The Altogether although we ll see a variety of ways to trigger these messages and the row of buttons allows you to trigger one or more messages at a time In order to use the buttons to trigger a message the message must first be set to one of eight groups Any message set to group one will be triggered when the Group 1 button is pressed In the same manner setting a message to groups 2 7 will allow them to start when the appropriate group button is pressed Multiple messages may be set to a single group so that events can begin simultaneously Important Groups 1 8 are universal not board specific This means that if you want to trigger more than eight events simultaneously you can build several automator boards and set all the parameters to the same gro
2. COMMENT SETUP THE PITCH SHIFTERS 17 PShift1 p1 2 3 p2 2 2 3 2 p3 p4 15 p5 0 1 p6 1 p7 0 15 p8 1 p9 41 p10 0 9 18 PShift2 p1 2 3 p2 2201 p3 p40 p5 0 1 p6 12 p7 12 p8 0 19 PShift3 p1 2 3 p2 4 5 0 1 p3 1 p4 24 p5 p6 p7 p8 p9 p10 0 20 COMMENT SETTING UP THE GRANULATORS 21 Grainl p1 5 1 p2 4401 p3 p4 10000 p6 100 p7 p8 24 p9 100 p10 480 22 Grainl p11 4 8 p12 p13 p14 p15 p16 100 p17 1 p18 p19 1 23 Grain2 p1 5 1 p2 4401 p3 p4 10000 p6 100 p7 p8 12 p9 100 p10 400 24 Grain2 p11 4 p12 0 p13 p14 p15 0 p16 100 p17 1 p18 p19 1 25 COMMENT CHORUS AND RMAM 26 Chorusi p1 5 1 p2 4 3 4 5 p3 p4 p5 p6 100 p7 0 7 p8 22 45 p9 0 75 p10 27 27 RMAM1 p1 5 4 p2 4301 p3 p4 p5 500 p6 0 85 28 COMMENT FINAL HUBS AND REVERB OUT 29 Hub2 p1 2 3 p2 p3 3 1 p4 1 p5 3 2 p6 1 p7 6 6 p8 p9 14 2 p10 1 30 Hub3 p1 5 1 p2 0 5 p3 5 2 p4 0 3 p5 5 3 p6 0 5 p7 5 4 p8 1 p9 25 2 4 6 p10 0 5 31 Reverb1 p1 5 5 p2 0 1 p3 0 p4 100 p5 100 p6 50 p7 127 p3 0 4 1000 32 Reverb2 p1 5 1 p2 1 p3 p4 100 p5 100 p6 50 p7 127 p3 33 COMMENT END MESSAGE STUFF 34 eventnum 1 35 msgview Data Loaded Begin Radical Feral and Senseless 36 COMMENT START DUMMY FILE 37 DummyFile P4 p3 0 5 p7 p8 348000 p4 1 38 1
3. and Automators Multiple boards can be opened together when the project loads but to make this work the message must be set properly After the name of each board a comma must be entered and a space must be added before typing the name of the next board you want to load If this procedure is followed as many boards as needed may be added to the list Quotes will be added automatically as soon as a space is entered Quotes do not need to be deleted and will be ignored by the system Important All boards and scores associated with a project MUST be saved somewhere in The Altogether folder structure It is recommended that files be saved in the included folders to keep your projects organized but custom folders may be added to the main The Altogether folder Boards and scores saved in custom folders will be loaded appropriately but project files saved anywhere other than the Saved Projects folder will not appear in the Load Project menu Page 49 13b_Saving Projects When you ve finished setting the parameters for your project in the Project Settings window you can save your settings as a text file that can be opened later Clicking the Save Project button will bring up the save dialogue window and you can choose the location of your saved project file Important It is strongly recommended that all project files be saved in the Saved Projects folder Doing so will ensure that the project appears as an option in the Select Proj
4. 12 will guide you through the use of automation which will help you bring your projects to life Automation provides a variety of methods to control change in your projects over time Chapter 13 will guide you through the process of building loading and saving projects Chapters 14 15 cover the Metronome and the Master Mixer giving you a look at the final tools available Chapters 16 18 wrap up the manual with a list of known bugs an FAQ and the creator s contact information 2a_The File Structure and Opening The Altogether Let s begin by examining The Altogether s file structure Once the zipped file has been uncompressed a folder will appear in your chosen location on your hard drive It s important that the files in the folder stay in this folder and not be moved elsewhere Moving any of these files can break the program If you re on an Apple computer running OSX and you downloaded the correct file your folder should contain the following items not necessarily in this order 1 The User Manual 2 A pdf explaining how to fix the application is damaged issue 3 A folder called Project Files This folder includes the following subfolders a Audio Files Saved Automators Saved Boards Saved Scores Saved Projects eno 5 Page 8 4 The Altogether application app file The Altogether is opened in OSX by double clicking on The Altogether application file If you are on a PC running Windows and yo
5. SJoouwuHnw Insertion Point Line 1 Fig 22 An example of a potential System Score Event All of the lines of code will be executed simultaneously when the Next Pedal button is pressed on the Performer View Important The following description of the System Score is truncated For the full tutorial open up The Altogether and go to View System Score in System Score on the menu bar Page 40 11a_How does the System Score function The System Score is a user made set of Events consisting of one or more Automation Messages Automation Messages are commands that control the various parameters in your modules and around the system Events are sets of automation messages that you want to send out all at one time to any part of your project Events are Triggered or started by the performer in or out of sequence at any point that they are needed Events can be Triggered one of three ways 1 By using the Event Buttons on the Perfomer View 2 By using the Event Buttons on the Score Player 3 By properly setting up a Foot Pedal or Controller for the necessary function 11b_The System Score Automation Message In the previous chapter on automation we learned how to build automation messages on an automator board In this section we ll revisit these messages to learn how to put them together inside the System Score An Automation Message consists of Two Parts The Automation ID and one or more Parameter Commands I
6. be found in the chapters on Advanced Automation 7a_Using Audio Files in Saved Boards One of the great advantages to saving your pedal boards is that you can build complex projects and re load them with the press of a button You may find yourself in a situation where you need to use audio files in your project and you want them to load automatically when you open your project Luckily this is a possibility but you do need to follow one important step Important Any audio that you want to load automatically with a saved pedal board must be saved in The Altogether Folder It doesn t matter where in the folder and you can add your own folders and sub folders to keep files organized The Audio Files folder has been provided as a starting place and you can know for sure that any audio file saved in that folder will be loaded with your saved pedal boards If you move your audio file while working on a project or make a new folder you may need to close and re open the program before the system recognizes it J Audo Files w e Ef v Le Low Q CJ The Altog Beta 1 201 gt CRT SD E Demo Audio m4a Automator Files Jj Board Files The Altog Beta 1 201 Fig 12 A saved audio file in The Altogether folder saved in the Audio Files subfolder Page 29 8_Recording Tools Recording in The Altogether is easy requiring only a couple of actions to set up and initialize The Recording Tools are found on the
7. build This is the folder containing the application Important You may move this folder to any location on your computer including your applications folder but DO NOT remove any of the initial files from this folder Moving files may cause the program to stop working Optional You may create a shortcut for your desktop if you want quicker access to the program In order to make a shortcut right click on The Altogether application Page 6 and select send to then Desktop create shortcut This will add a new shortcut on your desktop called The Altogether Beta 1 x Shortcut 5 Once you ve positioned your folder to the location that you want double clicking on The Altogether icon or your optional shortcut will open the program It looks like a circle with the letter 7 in it this is the Max 7 default icon This will change ina future release Double clicking the icon should open the program Be patient it may take a minute to launch 1a_Issues with Installing The Altogether On MAC or how to fix the downloaded app is damaged problem Some people have difficulty running The Altogether after downloading and uncompressing the program If you re getting a message saying downloaded app is damaged and can t be opened this is actually the operating system keeping you from using applications that aren t from Apple identified developers To fix this you must change your settings to allow the computer
8. ping pong meaning that once we reach a volume of 1 3 we are going to start bouncing back and forth between 0 and 1 3 with each bounce taking four seconds We ve set this first message to be associated with group 1 and we ve also set it to automatically trigger group 2 as the next event after waiting 717 milliseconds about 3 4 of a second The second message is being sent to the same location but now we are going to change parameter 5 frequency We are going to start the filter around a frequency of 200 and move the frequency center to 2000 taking 20 seconds to get there This message will be one off so when the frequency dial reaches 2000 it will stay there This message is associated with group 2 which means it will be triggered automatically by the previous message and no next group has been established This means that this automation message will not trigger any further messages As soon as we click the Group 1 trigger the first message will begin with the second message beginning shortly after We can trigger this group again if we want to re start the sequence and it can be triggered as many times as we need 10b_Using Controllers Controllers are pieces of hardware that can be used to control music applications The Altogether allows for functionality from three types of controllers keyboards control surfaces and foot pedals Universal support for all types of controllers has not yet been implemented but we ll revi
9. space This storage space is referred to as a buffer and the buffer size is measured in milliseconds Most buffers default to about 2000 milliseconds or 2 seconds but they can be shrunk or extended If your sound is choppy and you want something a bit smoother try extending the size of the buffer in your effect There s Page 21 no limit to the size so try something like 10 000 10 seconds out or even something as large as 1 000 000 1 000 seconds A lot of large buffers could eventually cause your RAM to fill up but most computers have the ram to handle plenty of large buffers 4 Frequency Freq Many filters work by processing a signal around a specific part of the frequency spectrum The frequency spectrum typically extends from between 20hz to 2 000hz Generally focusing on a low frequency will result in a low sounding filtered sound but sometimes the effect will be the opposite If you see Freq as a dial on a filter try playing with this dial can have a huge effect on the process 5 Q A filter s Q factor can be thought of as the sharpness of the effect If you like the sound you re creating but you wish the effect was more pronounced try turning the Q factor up If you want the effect to be more subtle try bringing the Q factor down 6 The Keyboard If you see a piano keyboard in the module this means that you ve chosen either a module that can be played or a module that filters or modifies a sound ar
10. the Saved Projects folder Keeping your project files in this folder will make it easier to quickly pick your work back up where you left off Building Saving and Loading Projects will be discussed in detail in Chapter 17 If this is your first time running The Altogether your best bet is to start by opening a New Project Click the large button beneath the text Open New Project and let s get started 2c_The System Board After you select New Project you will be brought to the System Board This is the part of the program that sends sounds out to your speakers and gives you access to all of the various tools available in the program The System Board MUST REMAIN OPEN while you run the program closing the System Board window will stop everything immediately and will shut the program down The System Board may not look like much but it s loaded with information and features We re not going to be making music from this window we ll be doing that on our Pedal Boards but this screen will be invaluable to us as we build and navigate our projects Let s take a look at the System Board and examine all of its features Page 10 7 j A Fig 2 The System Board 1 DAC toggle This speaker shaped toggle is the Digital to Audio converter When this toggle is turned on highlighted as seen in this image the program s audio engine is running Toggling this off the speaker image will turn dark gray will stop all audio process
11. to run applications from anywhere Easy and clear directions on how to fix this issue can be found here http www tech recipes com rx 45404 mac downloaded app is damaged and cant be opened error solved 1b_Note about Running The Altogether On PC The Altogether takes time to load on both OSX and Windows but it seems to take longer to open properly on some PCs Please be patient while the program initializes Also be aware that after the program opens it may not work properly for the first minute or so Keep an eye on the CPU meter If the number is 0 and or is not fluctuating it s likely that the program is still loading some of its features Creating or opening Pedal Boards while the system is loading will result in non functioning boards Do Not Worry about this Simply wait until you start to see those CPU numbers wiggling around and try again Once the system is fully up and running boards should work exactly as they are supposed to Page 7 2_Getting Started Working in The Altogether can be overwhelming at first I ve gone to great lengths to make the program as intuitive as possible and I m continually working to improve the user experience but the program is very complex Chapter 1 will walk you through the download and installation process for The Altogether on both Mac and PC Chapters 2 9 will walk you through the beginning process of starting your first project and working with the different boards Chapters 10
12. C 1 and Master Out Finally the reverb in the bottom right is receiving C 1 and outputting to Master Out and Z 0 Note that Z 0 never got received by any effect so the signals going here will never be picked up by anything or heard in our speakers wyw Page 24 Input Output Pairing The process of chaining modules together is as easy as setting the output of the first module to the same Letter Number pairing as the input of the second module If you want one module s signal to go to multiple locations set each destination module s input to the same Letter Number pairing as the signal source s output www Let s follow the sequence of pairings in our demo pedal board 1 The entire signal chain for this board originates from the SAH synthesizer It is sending its signal to A 1 2 Two boards are receiving A 1 s signal The degrader and the hub 3 The degrader is receiving the signal from the SAH processing the sound and sending the new signal out to B 1 4 The Hub is receiving signals from both A 1 AND B 1 The hub is a mixing console Note that I ve set the volume for A 1 to be much louder than B 1 in my hub This is so I can get the perfect mix between the two signals The hub is outputting its mixed down version of both signals to two locations C 1 and Master Out Selecting Master Out means that the mixed down signal from the hub will go to our speakers for us to hear This is th
13. Manual is not available yet Further information will be provided with future updates to the program 16_Known Bugs Unfortunately this part of the User Manual is not available yet Further information will be provided with future updates to the program 17_FAQ Unfortunately this part of the User Manual is not available yet Further information will be provided with future updates to the program 18 Contact Information Unfortunately this part of the User Manual is not available yet Further information will be provided with future updates to the program Page 51
14. Scheduler in Overdrive CPU Limit Input Device selects the microphone or interface pi Cups that will send a signal into the system for Ch1 1 Input 0 Chi 10utputo manipulating live performances Ch 2 2 Input 1 Ch 2 2Outputi v Output Device should be set to the speakers or eesti Son one ee interface that your project s sound will be sent out to The Audio Status Window was developed by Cycling 74 and more detailed information can be found in the online documentation for Max 7 https docs cycling74 com max7 tutorials 04_mspaudioio Page 13 4 The Pedal Board New Pedal Boards can be added to your project by clicking Add New Board in the System Board window or by selecting Add New Board from Boards on the program s menu bar File Edit Altogether Windows Re Add New Board Load Board Add Automator Add Mixer Fig 5 Selecting Add New Board from the menu bar Fig 6 A Pedal Board in its Default State fe SE oncom 0 m lt gt on AE Tella 43 o ADD A newly loaded pedal board contains only a few items The outline of a rectangle in which the first process may be loaded e A drop down menu with the names of each available effect to choose from e A tool to provide the current module with a unique automation identification name e The option to add a new module to the right or below the default module and the option to save the board The default board may
15. THE ALTOGETHER User s Manual Version Beta 1 22 Page 2 0_Introduction The Altogether 2015 Hugh Lobel is a holistic electronic music production and performance system for improvisation performance and composition The Altogether is a DAPE or Digital Audio Performance Environment functioning similarly to a DAW Digital Audio Workstation but designed with a special modular structure built for exploration and performance The name is inspired by the 90 s and 2000 s EDM band Orbital who s sixth album was titled The Altogether The Altogether was built in the programming language Max MSP now just called Max and many of the processes in the program are directly accessing the built in library of effects Other tools are processes built from the ground up in the language and provide completely unique sounds and functions The Altogether does not use any third party externals and all effects are either built by the creator or are modified from the Max Examples library Because of the close relationship between Cycling 74 the developers of Max and Ableton many of the interactive buttons and bits used in this code resemble the sliders and dials found in Ableton Live This should make it easier for Ableton users to feel at home in The Altogether but this does not mean that it can be used directly in Ableton A Max for Live version may be released in the future but there is no current timeline for development The Alto
16. access to a number of unique buffers that can be paired with file players and the looper for quick swapping of audio files Looper A looping tool with lots of controls this module records an input signal either on a one off recording or on an overlapping loop and plays back the recording so that you can build complex and compelling textures Page 27 Gater Add rhythms to your sounds by gating them to the built in envelope Creates a choppy sound as either a one off effect or as a continuous pulse Gater s continuous mode can be activated by setting the number of repeats to 0 Scratcher Emulates the effect of scratching a record Tweak the sound of your scratch to find the perfect effect or click the random scratch button to see what you can find Load up your favorite audio file set it playing then scratch to your heart s content Scratcher2 Equivalent to the original Scratcher but works with live audio Now you can scratch the sound of your instrument without having to press it onto vinyl first Delay Exactly what you want a delay to do Sound comes in sound comes out some time later Includes feedback for an echo effect Echo This echo module provides a stereo ping pong delay that bounces back and forth between the left and right channels Crash A randomized glitch effect Choose how often the sound might glitch out and what the chances are that a glitch might happen Make the glitch more or l
17. ain It should work now Toggle Record On Off Clicking on the green toggle begins the recording process You will know the toggle is on when the box is filled with an X The recorder will pick up any sounds that are currently going out to your speakers In other words if you can hear it you re recording it Recording starts the moment you click the toggle off and continues until you click the toggle off the X will disappear Important Audio File Locations Recorded audio files will be sent to the Altogether Folder Once generated feel free to move the audio files to any other part of your computer If you start a new recording with the same file name the old audio file will be automatically written over Make sure to make copies of anything you ve recorded that you like Include Dry Mics This option includes two additional files with every recording made one for the first two inputs on your audio interface If you re performing with a live instrument this is a good way to get the sound of the instrument without any manipulation making it easy to create post performance mixes Page 30 9 The Performer View Before we can properly begin our discussion of automation in The Altogether we need to take a look at the Performer View This view is an extension of the System Board and can be accessed by hitting the Toggle Performer View button on the System Board interface 7 p MK GQ Nrd Fig 13 The Syste
18. ations can be recorded for posterity or future manipulation More information can be found in the Recording Tools section Page 12 3_System Setup in the Audio Status Window Setting up your computer s audio system to work with The Altogether is easy and for the most part automatic If your computer uses a single sound card then everything should be setup automatically Plugging in an audio interface before starting The Altogether will allow the program to recognize it automatically However if your setup uses multiple sound cards or interfaces it may be necessary to set up your audio manually To do this navigate to the Audio Status Window by View Audio Options in Altogether Windows on the program s menu bar Altogether Windows Record Audio At Fig 3 Selecting View Audio Options from View Audio Options sid View Loaded Boards View Metronome View Pedal Setup Wima Diteh Tracker File Edit Boards CPU 5 Fig 4 The Audio Status Window Driver ad_portaudio MME ki Input Device Realtek Digital Input Y Output Device Speakers Realtek Hig v Performance and Scheduler Setting up your computer to work with The Altogether is as easy as selecting the appropriate driver from the Driver menu For Macintosh computers you ll want to select Core Audio For PCs you ll want to select the driver for your sound card Sampling Rate 44100 v 1 O Vector Size 512 Signal Vector Size 64
19. bottom of the System Board below the program s name The left portion contains the record toggle the right portion of the Tools includes the File Namer and the bottom toggle provides the option to include the dry mic output The File Namer This section of code allows you to choose a name for the output file This name will be used for every consecutive file that s created with a new number appended to the end The default name is simply audio and the first file created if the default name is kept will be audio0 The following file will be audio1 then audio2 etc until a different file name is chosen Important Namers Throughout the program these tools exist to allow the user to type in names for various functions These tools are called namers and consist of a toggle and a message box To use the namers click the toggle to the on position the toggle will have an X displayed in it With the toggle on you can now type in whatever names you want Once you ve settled on a name hit return or enter on your keyboard This will tell the namer that you ve chosen a name and will turn the toggle off so that the namer no longer pays attention to your keyboard entries If you have a dial number box or slider selected when you are trying to type in a name any numbers you enter will go to the selected object instead of to the name Click on any open surface to deselect the object then try typing your number ag
20. by selecting a waveform and playing the keyboard to generate sound In the bottom left corner of the SAH we see two outputs chosen A1 and Z0 www The Input Output List Each input output is created by the user by making a pair of selections from drop down menus The first menu is populated by Master or Mic on inputs and letters A Z The second menu is populated by Out and the numbers 0 16 One selection must be made from each so that the output or input is set to a letter and a number like A1 or ZO If the sound source is going to be a microphone or input then Mic 1 must be selected for the input or 2 16 if you re using multiple mics Also in order for sound to go out from a module to your speakers Master Out must be selected for the output nnn Let s look at the outputs we ve selected for the SAH Output 1 is set to A 1 while Output 2 is set to Z 0 Since neither output is set to Master Out the sound will not go from this module to the speakers Now let s look at the degrader the module in the top right corner The degrader does require an input source and A 1 has been selected here Notice that this is the same as the first output for the SAH The outputs for the degrader are B 1 and Z 0 Now let s glance to the Hub module on the bottom left This takes up to four inputs and mixes them down into a single stereo out The Hub is taking A 1 and B 1 and outputting to
21. ce as loud as the original signal Look back to the previous page and try to find these three parameters Choose Input is at the top and this will be the case in every module In contrast Choose Outputs is at the bottom They may not always be in the center of the module but the outputs will always be somewhere along the bottom The Volume Dial changes position frequently so make sure to take a moment to look for it when you load anew module In this effect it s near the top left but in other modules it may be in the center or close to the bottom right 5d_Other Important Parameters Although the previously listed parameters are by far the most common some other important common parameters can be reviewed as well 1 Waveforms In the SAH and Additive Synthesizers sound generation starts by choosing the type of waveform to use Each waveform has a unique quality and mixing and matching unique sounds can make all the difference Open Audio File Load The EZFilePlay and FilePlayer loads and plays back audio files into buffers and players Pressing the Open Load button opens a dialogue window where you can navigate your system to find the audio file you want to add to the project If you want the audio file to load automatically with a saved board followed the instructions outlined in the chapter Using Audio Files in Saved Boards Buffer Size Buffer effects work by loading chunks of live sound into a temporary storage
22. dal Setup Next Pedal array 7 Screen Currently designed Group 1 Group 2 fe Group 3 fe Croup 4 MIDI Out the interface specifically for the Line 6 Microsoft GS Wavetable Sy v FVB MKI Future updates will introduce universal n gt pedal support Slider Settings Parameter scale low po a eo gt Slider Settings Parameter scale low Qj Sustain Ped gj Sustain Ped Next Pedal Next Pedal po Group 1 Group 1 Group 2 fe Group 2 fe Group 3 fe Group 3 O Group 4 O Group 4 o 0 o 0 o o o 0 po po po an po po po po mg mg mg mQ mm mQ Ps TR mG mar po po po po po Bo on ee H es Bye Ge Ge gt Ge D Pot Settings Pot Settings Pot Settings Pot Settings Pot Settings Pot Settings Pot Settings Pot Settings Parameter J Parameter I Parameter Em Parameter o Parameter J Parameter ee Parameter I Parameter I scale low hi scale low hi scale low scale low scale low hi scale low scale low hi scale low hi Parameter J Parameter I Parameter J Parameter J Parameter I Parameter RI Parameter J Parameter J scale low hi scale low hi scale low zm scale low Pe a scale low hi scale low a scale low hi scale low hi Solo Settings Solo Settings Solo Settings Solo Settings Solo Settings Solo Solo Settings Solo Settings Parameter RI Parameter I Parameter JR Parameter Parameter I Parameter D Parameter CI Parameter I toggl
23. ding Pedal Boards 5 Using Effects a Controlling Effects b Time c Common Parameters d Other Important Parameters 6 Connecting Effects 7 Effect List with brief descriptions a Using Audio Files in Saved Boards 8 Recording Tools 9 The Performer View 10 Automating Parameters a Using Automator Boards i The Automation Message ii Automation Groups iii Example Automation Messages b Using Controllers Page 4 11 Advanced Automation 1 The System Score a How Does the System Score Function b The System Score Automation Message c Messages with Multiple Parameter Controls d Events e Controlling the System Score 12 Advanced Automation 2 The Secondary Scores 13 Projects a Designing Projects b Saving Projects c Loading Projects 14 The Metronome 15 The Mixer 16 Known Bugs 17 FAQ 18 Contact Information Page 5 1_ Installation Guide OSX Installation 1 First download the compressed folder from the website www hughlobel com software html Make sure to download the file labelled The_Altogether_MAC zip Once the file is downloaded double click the zipped file to decompress it If you downloaded the file with Safari it may be automatically unzipped After the decompression process you should see a folder titled The Altogether Beta with a number for the current build Important You may move this folder to any location on your computer including your applications folder but DO NOT
24. ds www J Parameter Commands are the specific commands created to change parameters throughout the system Parameter Commands consist of two parts The first part is the parameter number The second part is the value or values for the parameter Look at the first example line again After the word Echo1 we placed the word p1 We tell the system what parameter to change by writing p followed by the number of the parameter In other words if we want to change the input of the Echo1 module we state this by writing p1 for Parameter 1 In the same way changing the output would start with p2 and changing the volume would start with p3 Remember that p1 p2 and p3 are almost always our Input Output and Volume controls There are different types of parameters though and not all can be controlled the same way For a full list of automation parameters see the tutorial included in the Altogether Page 42 11c_Messages with Multiple Parameter Controls The demonstration Automation Message shown in the section above contained a single Parameter Command However automation messages in the System Score can combine Multiple Parameter Commands onto a single line making it easy to control every part of a module in one message Messages can include multiple parameter commands by adding a comma at the end of the command and then immediately beginning a new command Here s an example message KKK Echo1 p3 0 p1 Mic 2 p2 Mast
25. e Score Player Next the Echo1 automation message goes out The input is set the outputs are set the volume is set then moved and the delay is set then moved Next the Delay1 automation message goes out Then in sequence the eventnum msgview and COMMENTS are sent out Finally the event is finished signaled by the Event Number 0 11e_Controlling the System Score The System Score can be controlled from one of three locations 1 The Performer View 2 The Score Player 3 Pedals or Controllers Regardless of the method used events can be triggered in sequence by hitting the Next Event button Alternatively selecting an event number from the Choose Event number box then hitting enter or return will trigger the even immediately The System Score Controls With the Performer View toggled open the event controls can be found on the right side of the window If the Score Player is opened the same controls will be found The Score Player can be found in both the Altogether Windows and System Score menus on the menu bar The Current Event Display Page 45 The top control is the Current Event which is really just a display of the event that was recently loaded The current event is only displayed properly if the event has a special automation message added to the end of it This special message requires the ID eventnum followed by the number you want to display A demonstration of this can be found in the ear
26. e first part of the signal chain that we ll actually hear 5 Finally the reverb unit is picking up the hub s output from C 1 The reverb unit is processing the sound and turning it into a reverberated signal The reverb sound is going out to Master Out To review this process We made a synthesizer and decided to degrade its sound Then we decided that we wanted to hear both the degraded sound and the original sound but not equally so we mixed them together in the hub The mixed together sound is what we finally sent out to our speakers but we also sent it to a reverb unit The reverb unit also went out to our speakers The resulting sound would be our SAH synthesizer with a little bit of distortion and some nice reverberation Try recreating this board then try making your own pedal boards with complex signal chains This signal chain is actually pretty basic compared to some combinations Important Number Letter pairings made on one board can be received on other boards So if you like a sound you re making ina full board and want to continue to change it just make a new board and send the signal from board 1 to board 2 There aren t any additional procedures to do this just make sure to pair your inputs and outputs between your boards Page 25 7_Effect List with brief descriptions File Players File_Play This full featured file player includes the ability to load a file into a buffer choose your playbac
27. e off on toggle off on toggle off on toggle off on toggle off on toggle off on toggle off on toggle off on Mute Settings Mute Settings Mute Settings Mute Settings Mute Settings Mute Settings Mute Settings Mute Settings Parameter Parameter Pi Parameter Parameter Parameter Parameter Parameter toggle off on ton on be con ae cm eae of on toggle off on toggle off poi toggle a z vege a bo bo po po po 1 Do Record Settings Record Settings Record Settings Record Settings Record Settings Record Settings Record Settings Record Settings Parameter yo Parameter po Parameter po Parameter po Parameter po Parameter po Parameter po Parameter po toggle off on toggle off on toggle off on toggle off on toggle off on toggle off on toggle off on toggle off on po po po mh ta po po a Fig 21 The Controller Setup screen Currently optimized for the Korg NanoKontrol2 universal controller support will be introduced in a future update The Foot Pedal and Controller Setup windows provide the tools to use hardware to control modules in a more tactile manner The Pedal Setup can map up to four foot buttons to various parameters Each button can be used to send sustain messages to your hardware keyboard to progress to the next event in the System Score covered in the next section or to trigger automation groups 1 4 on automator boards An expression pedal wah pedal can also be set to send one or two messages
28. ect File menu on the Load Project screen If the project file is saved elsewhere on the computer the file will need to be selected from the Open Dialogue window by clicking Open Project File 13c_Loading Projects There are several ways to load projects in The Altogether 1 When the program opens to the Load Project screen a saved project may be selected from the menu or from the open dialogue screen 2 From the System Board window click the Load Project button to bring up the open dialogue screen 3 From the Project Settings window click the Load Project button to bring up the open dialogue screen Projects may be loaded at any point not only when the program is opened To return to the Load Project screen select Project Window from the File menu Important All boards and scores associated with a project MUST be saved somewhere in The Altogether folder structure It is recommended that files be saved in the included folders to keep your projects organized but custom folders may be added to the main The Altogether folder Boards and scores saved in custom folders will be loaded appropriately but project files saved anywhere other than the Saved Projects folder will not appear in the Load Project menu Page 50 14 The Metronome Unfortunately this part of the User Manual is not available yet Further information will be provided with future updates to the program 15_The Mixer Unfortunately this part of the User
29. ections of the Project Settings Window Project Name With the Performer View opened the System Name can be found displayed across the screen For your own project you may like to change the name This setting gives you the option to choose your own name to replace the default In figure 23 the title is in quotes Quotes are added automatically as soon as a space is typed into any namer message button The quotes will NOT appear in the program and do NOT affect the system Also these quotes do NOT need to be added manually and do not need to be deleted in order to make the name come out properly System Settings These settings control various aspects of the System Board Toggle Performer View Determines whether the Performer View will be open when the project opens Include Dry Mics Determines whether Mic 1 and 2 s signals will be recorded as separate files when audio files are recorded Toggle Metronome Determines whether the metronome is On or Off BPM Sets the default tempo for the metronome Scores These settings control which scores will be loaded automatically with the project Type the name that you want for the System Score Repeat Score and Delay Score and these files will become the default files loaded when you open the project in the future Boards These settings control which pedal boards and automators open with the project In figure 23 multiple names have been placed in the message buttons for both Pedal Boards
30. er Out Z 12 p4 0 p4 10000 5000 p3 1 3 10000 KKK This Automation Message contains six Parameter Commands separated by commas Notice that we don t put the semi colon in until the End of the Automation Message Also notice that we only put the automation ID at the beginning of the line not before every command The commands do NOT need to follow the parameter number order IMPORTANTLY commands are executed one at a time in order from left to right This means that The First command in the message sets volume to zero immediately The Second command sets the inputs immediately The Third command sets the outputs immediately The Fourth command sets the delay to 0 immediately The Fifth command moves the delay to 10000 over 5 seconds The Sixth command moves the volume to 1 3 over 10 seconds Finally the semi colon states that the message is over Page 43 11d_Events An Event is a collection of automation messages and comments see the full tutorial for more information on comments that will be triggered and sent out together Remember that the System Score is constructed as a sequence of events that the performer will move through one at a time An Event consists of two parts 1 One or more automation messages 2 The Event Number A line of code consisting only of a number and a semi colon Keep in mind that the automation messages come first There is no limit to the number of messages that can be grouped to
31. ess subtle Crash_N_Burn Identical to the original Crash Override module with an additional acid burn distortion unit on the glitched out sounds Makes the glitches harsher and more emphatic Mastering StudioEQ A five stage visual EQ tool that includes a highpass lowpass two bandpasses and an allpass Great for final mixes or for shaping the timbre of your instrument so that it really pops Panner Sometimes you don t want your sounds coming out of both speakers equally Position your sound to be louder in the left or right speaker or send your sound spiraling back and forth with a variety of options Compressor Compression is a crucial tool in many producers libraries but it can be just as useful for live performance Bring out the quieter parts of your signal and create a full rich tone from any sound Hub The hub is a mini mixer taking in up to four signals and mixing them down into a single stereo output Splitter Sometimes you need to send the output from a module to more than two places The splitter has you covered here allowing you the option to send your signal out to four more directions Page 28 Control Message Board This module provides the ability to load additional system scores to build more complex automation The message board may not be useful to most users but for those who are interested this system provides the most in depth power and control over your modules Exploration of system scores can
32. eters Almost every module have the same first three parameters and these are crucial for setting up the process All three parameters must be set in order for the module to properly work Because of their importance each of these parameters are explained in more detail below 1 Choose Input With the exception of the file players and synthesizers every process begins by selecting the input This is where we choose what sound to send into the process This parameter is presented as a set of drop down menus Select both a letter and a number which should match up with the output of the source process Page 20 3 Matching outputs and inputs are crucial to building a successful patch and this process is described in more detail in Chapter 8 Choose Outputs Each effect provides routing to output the signal in two directions The default output is set to Master Out or the stereo signal that goes to your speakers If you want to hear the output signal directly make sure to set at least one output name to Master Out Chaining effects together will be described in more detail in Chapter 8 Volume abbreviated as Vol This is presented as a large dial although sometimes a small dial is used to save on space that can be turned to control the output volume of the module At the far left position no sound will come out At the 12 noon position the signal will be at full volume and moving the dial to the far right boosts the signal to be twi
33. ew below the controls that are currently available Keyboards Three synthesizers the SAH Add1t1ve and Vocoder can be played with a midi keyboard This requires two steps to setup First the keyboard needs to be plugged in via a USB or Firewire cable Once the keyboard is plugged in the keyboard toggle in the synthesizer module needs to be switched on Keep in mind that if you have multiple synths pulled up playing a keyboard will control all of the synths that are toggled to receive keyboard commands Control Surfaces and Foot Pedals Page 37 Currently The Altogether only offers full support for the Korg NanoKontrol2 and the Line 6 FVB MkII foot pedal In the future universal support will be implemented but there is no current timeline for full implementation In the future a complete system will be devised and quick access to this system will make it easy to setup your controller from the System Board For users who own either the NanoKontrol2 or the MkII selecting View Pedal Setup or View Controller Setup from Altogether Windows from the menu bar provides access to the setup screen for each Altogether Windows Fig 19 Controller and Pedal setup can be accessed View Audio Options from Altogether Windows in the menu bar View Loaded Boards View Metronome View Pedal Setup View Controller Setup View Pitch Tracker View Delay Machine View Repeat Machine Ol or MIDI In the FBV Fig 20 The Pe
34. ge volume sliders on the right hand side for Mic 1 and Mic 2 This allows the performer to change the volume of the live instrument s signal before it goes to the modules Note that by default the post faded signals from Mic 1 and 2 route out to A1 and B1 so match your inputs accordingly Page 32 10_Automating Parameters Automation is the act of changing and recording the change of parameters over time Most industry standard audio editing software includes automation and the use of automation is central to creating involved and exciting projects The Altogether provides a unique approach to automation to make the unique approach to sound creation Automation Identification Name Each module that you add to your project gets assigned an Automation ID in the form of a unique name You will notice that when you select a module a name gets added in the message box next to the selection menu This is the default ID and this can be renamed to whatever you would like If you want to create a new automation name it s important to make it easy to remember and easy to type we ll be using it a lot SEE Automation io mFilterShaper717 Fig 14 A default Automation ID generated for a module with the Filter Shaper Parameter Numbers Once you ve settled on an ID name for your effect you ll want to decide what parameters you want to automate Look carefully at the parameter names notice that each one has a number We discussed these nu
35. gether into an event This means that you can send out 10 20 or even 100 messages at a single time The event number must come after the last automation message for the event The event number signifies the end of the current event Event numbers are 0 based meaning that the First Event is Event 0 the Second Event is Event 1 etc Here s an example event eK COMMENT Here s where the Event Begins FilePlay1 p1 test aiff p2 Master Out A 1 p3 1 Echo1 p1 A 1 p2 Master Out A 6 p3 0 p3 1 20000 p5 100 p5 10000 2000 Delay1 p1 A 1 p2 Master Out A 7 p3 0 p3 1 10000 p4 5000 eventnum 1 measure 1 msgview This is the First Example Event COMMENT This is the end of the event 0 This event consisted of six automation messages two comments and the event number 0 at the end Page 44 Some of these automation messages use special IDs that control unique parts of the system These special messages are covered in depth in the full tutorial Important Information about Order of Operations in Events Events are executed in sequence Each automation message sends it s parameter controls in sequence as well Parameter controls within a message occur in order moving from left to right Automation Messages within an event occur in order moving from Top to Bottom So the first thing that happens in our example is that the Comment is sent out This doesn t do anything other than send the comment to th
36. gether is currently in beta form but that does not mean that it is incomplete New features will be added to the program in the future but it is highly functional in its current state The program has already been used to create and perform complete works and performances using the Altogether have occurred across the United States and in parts of Europe and Central America The program may be used to create perform and distribute your own music and no type of recognition is required However I would love to hear about your use of the program and I d love to hear the music that you create with my toolbox Please feel free to e mail me to tell me about your creations and to share your music with me I can be contacted at hugh lobel gmail com P S This User s Manual is a work in progress I will be releasing this as I complete it so that users may use what I ve finished so far to help them get started P P S Keep your eyes open for special sections with the Important header These paragraphs have information that shouldn t be missed and will go a long way in helping you get the most of out the program Page 3 Table of Contents 0 Introduction 1 Installation Guide a Issues with Installing The Altogether on OSX b Notes about running The Altogether on PC 2 Getting Started a The File Structure and Opening The Altogether b Creating a New Project c The System Board 3 Audio Status Window 4 The Pedal Board a Saving Loa
37. ing and cut out any sounds currently being sent out to your speakers or headphones 2 Add New Board Clicking Add New Board will generate a new Pedal Board Pedal Boards are where all sounds in the program are generated and manipulated This button can be clicked multiple times to generate as many boards as needed Pedal Boards are described in detail in the following section 3 Load Board File Pressing this button allows the user to re load any previously saved Pedal Board More information can be found in the Saving Loading Pedal Boards section Page 11 4 Master Gain Sliders and Meters The output signal volume is displayed in the black bars while the two striped sliders allow the user to adjust the final volume Moving the left channel slider automatically moves the right channel slider 5 CPU Monitor This number shows what percent of your computer s CPU is currently being used by The Altogether If this number gets too close to 100 slowdown may occur and the audio may begin to cut in and out Overloading the CPU can cause the program to crash 6 Performer View Toggle Toggling this on expands the System Board window to reveal the performer view Toggling this off contracts the window again hiding the performer view from the screen More information can be found in the Performer View section 7 Recording Tools This set of tools allows the user to record any signal going out to the speakers Performances and explor
38. k range and even choose the speed and pitch of playback either connected or separate functions Limited to loading one file at a time but provides complex control Allows fast file swap in conjunction with a BufferBoard EZFilePlay Stripped back controls with cleaner and quicker functionality Can load up to four files into a single module and can swap files out on the fly by switching to a buffer stored on a BufferBoard Synthesizers SAH Sample and Hold synthesizer re creates a method for quickly generating a variety of sounds that was used on old arcade and console sound cards Good for re creating your favorite Atari sounds or making something really bizarre Add1t1ve A three oscillator wavetable synthesizer with a good bank of waveforms an amplitude envelope and a sequencer LFO features coming soon Tambura This synthesizer is a drone machine devised as a bank of sine waves that re create the spectral color of the Indian Tambura A very good plug and play drone tool that allows you to set the tuning and pitch center Includes flange slider Vocoder Classic vocoder effect Input signal can be filtered through up to eight different pitches or a secondary signal can be chosen from another module like Add1t1ve or from a live source Filters FilterShaper A multi purpose tool that allows you to choose from a highpass lowpass bandpass and bandreject tool which can be shaped with different algorithms Resonant_Filte
39. lier example event This message is covered in more detail in the full tutorial The Next Event Button This button when pressed moves the System Score forward one event triggering all of the automation messages in that event The Reset Score Button This button when pressed moves the System Score back to Event 0 Resetting the score Does NOT automatically trigger Event 0 In order to trigger Event 0 once the reset button has been set the next event button needs to be pressed Skip to Event Entering a number into this number box and then hitting Return or Enter will automatically move the score to this event Once return or enter has been pressed the System Score will move to the selected event and the event will automatically trigger For more information on using the System Score follow the directions from the beginning of the chapter to get to the included tutorial inside of the program Page 46 12_Advanced Automation 2 The Secondary Scores Unfortunately this part of the User Manual is not available yet Further information will be provided with future updates to the program 13_Projects It s very likely that as you get experience working with The Altogether you ll want to save your work and continue it later Project files can be used to load preferred system settings saved scores and saved boards all at one time Project files can be loaded upon starting the program making it possible to pick up y
40. ll squares with circles inside of them ACTE Automation 10 fj san Load Play Loop Volume this button will add a new module to the EEC CD ight or the current one 0 00 EE oe 0 00 OE isnot deias xi o O G 0 00 On Ss 0 00 View x Toggle Routing List Choose Outputs MIRA HZ ao Fig 7 A Pedal Board with the EZ_FilePlay module loaded Clicking this button will add a new module below the current one As many new modules as you want can be added to your pedal board up to a grid of 64x64 modules New pedal boards can be made at any time and any number of the individual effects can be loaded onto one or more boards Page 15 E come on Barn money CO ooo D M e Load Duration Name Buffer View Info Lopen auco File Waveform 1 INPUT e 4 Play 5 Loop Prict Vol 4 Shin 5 Rate Se Ee Po D El ae LFO pions 8 Toggle E 7 oroc Picritime x lid amy SD G x BH se E Pitcn shin uniock first i Tiga a dii mmm SEED soma a O 2 42374 988 C Ce Fig 8 A pedal board with six modules loaded including a file player a buffer board a pitch shifter a retuner a granular machine and a signal hub 4a_Saving Loading Pedal Boards Entire compositions can be designed and planned on these pedal boards and it d be a shame not to be able to save your work Fortunately The Altogether allows the user to save and reload any number of pedal boards When you ve finished building
41. m Board with the Performer View toggled on Notice that in figure 13 the Performer View is attached to the System Board The Performer View is actually a portion of the System Board that is always available it s simply hidden from view when the program opens The Performer View acts as a hub for many of the programs central features It includes a series of volume faders that can be set to any of the input combinations acting as a final mixing station including a larger Master Volume fader for better control As can be seen from the image there s also a small metronome available controlling this is discussed in the Metronome chapter a message button with information the name of the program re namable to match your project via the System Score and several other parameters connected to the System Score See the chapter Advanced Automation 1 for more information on working with the System Score Take note of the Event Number Reset Button Next Pedal Button and Skip to Event items These all relate to the system score and help navigate through and keep track of where the performer currently is in the score Page 31 Important This view is constructed to work closely with the modules and the system score to streamline the performance process as much as possible In order to make the most of this section of the program familiarity with working in the System Score is a must Also notice the two lar
42. mbers earlier as a means of guiding you through the use of the effect Here we see the number s second function as parameter numbers these will be used to identify what we want to change with automation Fig 15 The Filter Shaper module Parameter List Choose Input Choose Outputs Volume Filter Type Filter Algorithm Frequency Order 5 Filter Algorithm butterworth v ao a a 3 c ab NAO AWNHE 20 200 2K Frequency Hz 200 00 EL ae aa 2 Outputs Master Out v Page 33 10a_Using Automator Boards Automator Boards are the easiest and most immediate way of getting into automation New boards can be made by clicking the Add Automator button on the System Board or by selecting Add Automator from Boards on the menu bar File Edit OOO Sys Add New Board l Automators like Pedal Boards can have Load Board multiple instances loaded and once Add Automator you ve set your automator up you can Add Mixer save your board as a file that can be re me Altogether Fig 16 Selecting Add Automator from boards on the menu bar loaded at a later time 3 j rameter Start Value End Value Ramp Time Group Next Next Wait Loop Si dest aram start inextw top TT a L m Bt LILLE A SS EC CC SS CC Cs SS SC a M E o D a a T a wa om i o A o o r O Fig 17 An automator board in its default state Figure 17 show
43. nd a minute looking over the effects that have been loaded into this pedal board as we ll be using it as the primary example for our discussion on connecting effects Important The Altogether was designed as an emulation of a guitar effect board Imagine your favorite guitarist playing in your favorite band That guitarist probably isn t sending the sound of their instrument directly into their amplifier right Guitarists around the world use effects to Page 23 process and shape their sound into something truly unique to their playing styles Typically the guitars sound goes into a single effect pedal but that pedal is likely then chained on to another pedal and maybe many more before it reaches the amplifier Think of your Altogether Pedal Board as a guitar pedal board but one where you can load up synthesizers and audio files as well as live instruments where there s no limit to the number of effects you can load save for the limit of what your CPU can handle and where the signal chain can be routed in several directions at once Maybe now you re starting to get a good idea of this software s full potential Let s look at how to do this naw As stated before each module besides the synthesizers and the file players begins by choosing where to take a signal in from and where to send the processed signal out Look at the module on the top left This is our SAH synthesizer In place of choosing an input the SAH begins
44. not seem like much but as soon as a process is selected from the drop down menu the program really starts to come to life The available processes fall into four categories File Players These modules allow the user to load up and play back audio files 2 Synthesizers These modules allow the user to synthesize and create new sounds Synthesizers can be controlled by any USB keyboard 3 Filters Take in audio from a file player synthesizer or live input and changes the sound on a variety of ways Page 14 gt m lt ame ep lan 3 4 Buffer Effects Like filters buffer effects process sound from a file player synthesizer or live input but do so through a process called buffer manipulation These effects are varied and exciting 5 Mastering These are filters and tools that are used to provide clarity or balance to the mix 6 Control This currently contains a single effect the Message Board which provides an alternate space for building saving and reading system scores Selecting any process from the menu immediately loads it into the previously blank module space complete with a unique interface that provide tools to control the parameters of the effect A pedal board with only one module is useful but a pedal board with a variety of modules has a variety of uses To add more modules to a board simply click on of the add buttons on the right of the module or below the module These buttons are the sma
45. o Graph 8 Keyboard Fig 10 List of controllable objects found in The Altogether 1 Dials These are knobs that can be turned up clockwise or down counter clockwise to change a parameter within a lower and upper range 2 Toggles These boxes allow us to turn Off and On various functions When the X is highlighted in the box the toggle is ON When the X is dark the toggle is off 3 Number Boxes Integer vs Floating Point These allow us to control parameters by directly typing the value we want to set it to These give us more precise control compared to dials 4 Buttons Certain processes require a simple click to activate Usually buttons look like dark squares with circles in the middle or simply circles without the square When the boxes are clicked the circle quickly lights up then turns dark again when we release the mouse button 5 Message Buttons These function like normal buttons but include a message in them They are rectangular and are longer or shorter depending on the length of the message 6 Sliders Sliders are a good alternative to the dial and function similarly Sliders can set a single value or a low and high range for parameters Page 19 7 Menus Allow us to select from a series of options Perfect for creating our input and output IDs and also good for choosing between algorithms or processes 8 Keyboards Some modules are playable or are pitch centric In these cases a keyboa
46. ou get started on creating your first project Aeee Ge Automation o mResonant Filter451 W 1 Choose Input 4 Filter Type highpass all AL AVAIL AM in int l Ml MA ESC ae aa 2 Outputs Master Out Fig 9 The Resonant Filter Module We ll take the Resonant Filter as our example module It s not the simplest but it s not the most complex effect either The Resonant Filter takes in sound from a live instrument or from another part of the project and filters out certain frequencies The squiggles in the middle represent the shape of the signal after it goes through the filter The Resonant Filter like the majority of the tools includes a series of menus and dials allowing the user to modify the filter s function Notice that a number accompanies each parameter These numbers guide us through the best order of operation for setting up the module By following the numbers and changing parameters one at a time you ll find the most effective way of moving through the initial setup for each process Page 18 5a_Controlling Effects Modules are controlled via a wide variety of objects that can be manipulated with the mouse and keyboard Let s quickly look at the different type of objects and how they give us control over our loaded effects 3 Number 1 Dials 2 Toggle Boxes 4 Button 5 6 Sliders Message live sli live dial live dial x iO Button Q 40 G 8 E g S 37 9 Multi_Slider 11 Studi
47. ound specific pitches Try playing the keyboard to generate sounds on the synthesizer or choose a pitch to filter the sound around 7 View Routing List This button appears on a few of the more complicated modules where there may not be enough room to place numbers on the parameters Pressing this button opens a secondary window with a list of the parameters along with their assigned numbers for reference 8 Flonum or no name at all Important This is an error in the program that occasionally happens when you choose one module effect and then re load a different effect into the same space If you see a dial labelled Flonum or without a name at all it means the system forgot what to call that particular dial The dial will still serve its original function and if you load the effect in a new module space or on a new board the dial s name ought to appear correctly Page 22 6_Connecting Effects Avtonaton il aS Atonaton ol a aS Degrader as maa a 9 Keyboard Toaal oisi 44 Tose in 5 Phase Source Rate 18 Toggle ll i 4 Mix hace Ey 18 m MIRA 0 28 2 Output 1 E Eq Degrade a CA 6 Phase Trigger Rate 2 3 Vol Mt 7 pitch syne 2 Choose Outputs WA 8 Pitch Mult 1 INPUT Edi 2 OUTPUTS 1 amp 2 Ei Master Out co Master Out cu STEREO PLATE REVERB Fig 11 A Pedal Board with a SAH synthesizer a degrader a hub and a reverb unit loaded and chained together Spe
48. our work where you last left off Project files can be shared as long as the folder structure stays intact and are the best way to get major works quickly loaded and ready to go for performances Projects even make it possible to get other performers up and running with a composition that you ve designed making it easy to run your works from their own computer Page 47 13a_Designing Projects PROJECT SETTINGS fe Instructions L S o ALTOGETHER A A V D SYSTEM SETTINGS E P Ed Toggle Performer View Ea Include Dry Mics P R R ie a Toggle Metronome BPM 0 J J E SCORES E C T Ea System Score T F F E Score EJ Delay Score 3 E E BOARDS x Pedal Boards Ed Automators Fig 23 The Project Settings Window The Project Settings window is accessible from the System Board window and from The Altogether Windows menu From here projects can be designed saved and loaded Saved projects can be re opened at any time When a project is loaded the saved settings will automatically go into effect The Project Settings window is separated into four sections Each section correlates with a different aspect of the program and changing these settings will change how your project Page 48 opens Most of these settings use namers to allow you to type in your choice Remember that namers allow us to type in strings of words and symbols by turning the toggle on and typing in what you d like to display Let s explore the four s
49. r Another multi purpose filter like the Filter Shaper with a different set of options including the ability to modify the filter s resonance Chorus A classic chorus effect Add this to your sound to make it thicker like a chorus of voices instead of a single singer Comb The comb filter allows you to choose a pitch to filter the signal s frequency around The more pronounced the effect turn up the feedback and feedforward the more pitched the sound will become Convolve Multiply the amplitude envelope of one signal with the spectral energy of another signal together to get a sound with characteristics of both Try swapping the order of the signals to get different results Page 26 Degrade A two in one effect this module offers basic overdrive distortion and degrade or bit crusher distortion Make sure to choose what process you want from the drop down menu or the module won t work Distortion A more in depth triple band distortion effect this provides separate distortion around the low mid and high range of the frequency spectrum The best way to make really crunchy sounds Flanger The classic flanger effect is like a chorus pedal on steroids Really great for crafting old school far out signal manipulation like your favorite guitarist from the 60 s Pitch_Shift Bend the pitch of a signal up and down Great way to get an octaver effect or combine it with careful automation to harmonize an instrumen
50. rd will appear in the module These keyboards can be played by clicking on them or in the case of some synthesizers can be controlled by plugging in a USB keyboard 9 Multi Sliders These are like regular sliders but allow you to set multiple parameters Perfect for creating ADSR envelopes 10 Line Graphs A few modules provide line graphs that can be changed and manipulated Currently this is used in the Gater to draw the shape of the pulse 11 The EQ Graph Used in the StudioEQ this detailed graph has five points that map to the five steps of the equalizer Each point can be clicked and dragged around the graph to create the EQ shape 5b_Time Many effects and controls in The Altogether are concerned with time or how quickly or slowly various events play out Time is critical in music and when it comes to determining how events occur precision is important in how we measure time In order to give maximum precision to the user time is measured in milliseconds 1000 milliseconds 1 second so it s common to see large numbers when looking at time delay and duration parameters This is useful if we want to specify very small increments of time such as 1 100 of a second In this case the value we would enter would be 10 for 10 milliseconds On the other end long durations require very large numbers 1 5 minutes becomes 90 000 milliseconds Make sure to always keep this in mind when setting time based parameters 5c_Common Param
51. remove any of the initial files from this folder Moving files may cause the program to stop working Optional You may create an alias for your desktop if you want quicker access to the program In order to make an alias right click on The Altogether application and select make alias This will add a new icon in the folder called The Altogether Alias This icon may be moved to any location on your computer but the original application needs to stay in the folder Once you ve positioned your folder to the location that you want the program can be opened by double clicking on The Altogether icon It looks like a circle with the letter 7 in it this is the Max 7 default icon This will change in a future release Double clicking the icon should open the program Be patient it may take a minute to launch Windows Installation 1 First download the compressed folder from the website www hughlobel com software html Make sure to download the file labelled The_Altogether_PC zip Once the file is downloaded you must decompress it Do this by right clicking on the zipped file and select Extract All from the drop down menu Choose the location and the folder name if you re uncertain leave the defaults as they are and press Extract After the decompression process you should see a folder titled The Altogether PC Inside this folder is another folder titled The Altogether Beta with a number for the current
52. s the automator board in its default state Notice that it is comprised of column and rows Each row is color coded to help keep the data organized and the contents of a row are combined together to create an automation message One automation message can alter one parameter in one module Note that there are 8 rows available on an automator board meaning that you can store up to 8 messages If more automation messages are desired multiple boards may be loaded at once Setting up an automation message requires filling out the information for the destination parameter number start value end value ramp time mode and group Next and Next Wait are optional values and Loop Stop will only come into play in certain situations Page 34 10a i_The Automation Message In order to create an automation message we should first become familiar with the individual components of the message 1 10 Destination This is the automation ID of the module where we will send the message Toggle the namer on see previous note on namer function type in the automation ID then hit return or enter on your keyboard to finish setting it Parameter This is the parameter number that you would like to automate For example if we want to increase the volume of an effect we would select parameter 3 Start Value Automation occurs by ramping or moving in a line between one value and another The start value is where you want the parameter to begin
53. t in real time Good for live performances Pitch_Shift2 Almost identical to Pitch_Shift but with a different algorithm Better quality shifting results in a fuller sound but with a longer delay in the signal Good for recording but because of the delay has limited use for live performances RM_AM Short for Ring Modulation Amplitude Modulation this is another two in one effect Multiplies a signal with a modifying sine wave with a bipolar ring modulation or unipolar amplitude modulation waveform ReTuner This module taps into Max s new pitch correction algorithm allowing control over what pitches are part of the scale you re using Any signal running into this module will be adjusted into the scale you ve created fixing off tune performers or shifting a signal from one set of notes into another Reverb The resident reverb unit in The Altogether this algorithm recreates what s called plate reverb Controls like room size and decay time provide a huge variety of reverberations in a simple to use package Buffer Effects Granulator The granular machine takes sound in from a live source or other module and granulates it Complex control of the sound includes ability to control duration playback direction pitch and more grain parameters Includes smoothing algorithm and randomness parameters BufferBoard Buffers are spaces on your hard drive reserved for loading or recording audio The Buffer Board provides quick
54. t may be useful at this point to review Automation IDs how they function and what they do This information can be found in the Automation chapter of the User Manual An automation message consists of a single line of code set to change the parameters of a single module The first word of automation message will be the ID of the module you want to control For example if we want to control a module called Echo1 we will want our message to read like this KKK Echo1 p1 something p2 something something etc KKK Page 41 Check out the name that I gave that message Starting the line with Echo1 will send all of the information out to the module with that ID You can only choose one ID per line so don t mix and match IDs in a single line The system won t be sure what to do with more than one ID Remember that the ID MUST go at the beginning of the line The system will ignore the message if you put the ID anywhere else www J After we ve placed our ID at the beginning of the line we can decide how we want to change the parameters This will make the most sense if you review the previous discussion of Automation Parameters first Remember that each module is constructed of parameters that can be changed Most of these parameters can be controlled via automation messages in the automation board With the System Score we can control even more parameters This control is achieved through creation of Parameter Comman
55. to any module using its automation ID The Controller Setup provides eight channel strips with controls for one dial one slider and a set of solo mute and record buttons Each strip can be used to control up to five parameters of any module by using the automation ID and each tool on the strip can be scaled to a custom low and high range Page 39 11_Advanced Automation 1 The System Score The System Score is by far the most powerful form of automation control In the system score automation messages can be put together quickly and in a more compact form and an unlimited number of messages can be chained together and sent out at one time If the upside to the System Score is the power the downside is the complexity The Altogether s design removes most code writing from the electronic composition creation process but the System Score gives the user the ability to create code that unlocks the full potential of the program 8 COMMENT SETUP THE Distortion 9 tracker toggle 0 receive 1 stoggle sel dummy 10 DummyFile p2 1 2 1 p3 0 75 11 Degradel p1 2 1 p2 13901 p3 p41 p5 1 p6 16 p7 3 p3 0 5 1000 12 LP1 p1 2 2 p2 1 50 1 p3 p4 10000 p5 1 p6 0 3 p3 1 1000 13 Delay1 pl 2 4 p2 1 6 17 p3 p4 6 p5 1 p6 0 25 p3 1 1000 14 Delay2 p1 2 5 p2 1701 p3 p4 15 p5 1 p6 0 15 p3 1 1000 15 Hub1 p1 2 1 p2 1 p3 2 4 p4 1 p5 2 5 p6 1 p7 2 6 p8 0 p9 1 4 26 2 p10 1 16
56. u download the correct file your folder should contain the following items not necessarily in this order 1 2 3 The User Manual A pdf discussing the loading issue A folder called Project Files This folder includes the following subfolders a b c d e Audio Files Saved Automators Saved Boards Saved Scores Saved Projects A folder called resources The Altogether mxf file The Altogether executable exe file The Altogether is opened in Windows by double clicking on The Altogether executable file 2b_The Project Load Screen Upon opening The Altogether you will be greeted with the Project Load Screen This screen allows you to start a new project or open a saved project fares bey EE ALTOGETHER Open New Project Open Saved Project fe Open Project File Select Project File Demo _Project_1 Fig 1 The Project Load Screen Let s look at the options that we have available and how to use them Page 9 1 Open New Project In order to start a new project click the large button below the text 2 Open Saved Project Here the user is provided with two methods of opening a saved project a Open Project File If your project file has been saved in a location other than the Saved Projects folder you ll have to search out and select the project using the open dialogue window b Select Project File This menu will be populated by any files that are currently saved in
57. up Clicking the group button on any automation board will cause all automation messages associated with this group to begin regardless of what board they are on 10a iii_Example Automation Messages Loop lt S Destination Parameter Start Value End Value Ramp Time Mode Group Next Next Wait dest param start end ram mode rou next nextw L mestami O 3 Cia leoo PhgPog BT 2 mFiterShapera7 5 200 2000 20000 OneOf 2 0 Fig 18 Two automation messages set to change parameters in module mFilterShaper717 Before moving on to our other forms of automation control let s look at a basic example of how these automators can be used Look at figure 18 Here we can see that two messages have been created on our automator board Both messages are going to same destination a module named mFilterShaper717 Remember that we saw this automation name in figure 12 and we saw the Filter Shaper as an example of parameter numbers in figure 13 In this theoretical situation we are going to Page 36 automate the change of parameters 3 and 5 in our demonstration module by triggering the first group Let s explore the settings for the first message We are going to change the value for parameter 3 volume Beginning in silence a start value of 0 we are going to move to full volume and then boost it just a little farther an end value of 1 3 This change is going to happen over four seconds pretty quickly We ve set the parameter to
58. when the automation begins If you wanted your volume to start at 0 or silence you should set the start value to 0 End Value The other end of the ramp is its destination value If we want to bring our volume up from silence to full volume we set the End Value to 1 0 or just 1 Ramp Time The amount of time it takes for the automation to move from the Start Value to the End Value All time in The Altogether is measured in milliseconds 1000 milliseconds 1 second If we want to turn up the volume over 5 seconds we will set our ramp time to 5000 Mode This provides three options for how the automation will function a One Off The automation moves from the Start Value to the End Value and will stop there b Loop After the automation reaches it s End Value it will snap back to the Start Value and begin the ramp again continuing until the loop is toggled off c Ping Pong Once the End Value is reached the automation will send the parameter back in the direction of the Start Value causing the parameter to ping pong back and forth between the two values This will continue until the loop is toggled off Group Number Automation messages are collected into one of eight groups The group number is where you select which group this particular message will be associated with Next This parameter is an optional additional to allow you to chain automation messages together Selecting another group number or the same group number
59. your pedal board clicking the save patch button will open a save dialogue box where you can name your board and choose the save location for your file When the save dialogue opens another dialogue window will open asking you to name your board Naming your boards should help you keep track of them as your project grows Once a board has been saved the buttons to add modules will be removed from the board Effects may still be swapped out parameters may be changed and the board may be re saved but no new modules can be added Important Although it s not required it is strongly recommended that pedal boards be saved in the Saved Boards subfolder of Project Files in the Altogether folder on your computer Loading a saved board is as simple as clicking the Load Board File from the System Board or from the menu bar Page 16 Important There s currently a big bug in the save load structure but it s easy to avoid Every module MUST have something loaded into it in order for a file to save successfully If you find that a saved board won t load it may be because you saved it with blank modules in them This problem will be resolved in a future update Page 17 5_Using Effects Each module effect has a unique function and a unique design to go with it Although it may look overwhelming at first there is a general workflow that each effect has in common Let s look at this workflow now to help y

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