This is Amuc - the Amsterdam Music Composer, version 1.7

Last updated: jan 10, 2009

Latest version of this software is available from Amuc's home page: http://members.chello.nl/w.boeke/amuc/index.html It is also at sourceforge: https://sourceforge.net/projects/amuc however there it is updated less frequently.

Compiling

Should pose no problems on any modern Linux system. First run: ./configure

This very basic configure script only tests whether the library and include files for x11, alsa, xft, cairo and jack are present on your system.

Then issue: make

Four programs will be created: in directory src: amuc, in src-abcm2ps: abcm2ps (to create human-readable scores in postscript), in src-wav2score: wav2score (to create score files from audio), in src-tr-sco: tr-sco (to modify score files).

Located in the src directory is a tune called 'dance'. After successful compilation you can try it: ./amuc dance.scr

To hear the tune, click the 'play' button at the right.

If you start the app with option -h, you'll get a short usage message.

Install

To install Amuc, type (as root): make install This will copy: To /usr/bin: amuc, abcm2ps, wav2score, tr-sco. To /usr/share/amuc: monosynth-patches (patches for the mono synthesizers), chords-and-scales (for the 'chords' window). To /usr/share/amuc/samples: wave files (for the sampled instruments), To /usr/share/amuc/doc: amuc-man.html + pictures To /usr/share/man/man1: amuc.1

The executables also can be installed using symlinks. In this case issue command: make links

If the program is started for the first time, then a configuration file .amucrc will be created in your home directory. You can modify it, it will be read when you start Amuc the next time.

No C++ compiler?

Without a compiler and development libraries you won't come very far. For Ubuntu you can install them by: sudo aptitude install \ build-essential libasound2-dev libx11-dev libfreetype6-dev libxft-dev

Demo's

In the tunes directory there are some more demo's:

rising.scr - featuring sampled percussion how-low.scr - featuring builtin instruments how-synth.scr - featuring mono synthesizers org-concerto.scr - first part of Haendel's organ concerto opus 4, nr 4

Creating a Debian package

Read the README file in directory 'debian'.

Source files

The following C++ files form the main program, amuc. src/amuc.cpp - the main program src/str.cpp - general string handling src/x-widgets.cpp - the gui components src/sound.cpp - everything to create sound src/dump-wav.cpp - WAVE file creation src/midi-out.cpp - MIDI file creation src/read-wav.cpp - read wave files for sampled instruments src/snd-interface.cpp - interface to alsa sound drivers and jack deamon src/midi-keyb.cpp - interface for MIDI keyboard, read from /dev/midi src/midi-in.cpp - to read MIDI files src/chords.cpp - the chords window The following files are GPL'ed: physical-mod.cpp - physical models for sampled instruments src-abcm2ps/.cpp - files for lib abc2ps.a and program abcm2ps mono-synth.cpp - mono synthesizer src-wav2score/.cpp - create score from wave file

Documentation

The doc directory contains a manual, file amuc-man.html. This can also be accessed via the 'Help' menu.

Postscript output

Beautiful traditional scores can be printed from generated postscript files. Also output in ABC format is provided, which can be edited if needed, and translated to postscript by abcm2ps (in directory src-abcm2ps). Abcm2ps is a C++ port from a clever program (abcm2ps, version abcm2ps-3.7.21) made by Michael Methfessel. Three text files provide information about features, keywords etc. General information about ABC notation can be found at: http://staffweb.cms.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc/

Default settings for abcm2ps are built-in, see file: src-abcm2ps/format.cpp.

Connecting a USB MIDI keyboard

Modern Linux distribution have built-in support for many MIDI keyboards. They can be accessed e.g. via /dev/midi1. To check this, look if such a file exists after you switched on a MIDI keyboard. To check whether MIDI messages are transferred, try cat /dev/midi1 Then output should appear on the screen when you play some notes.

Also a connection via Jack is possible. This choice can be made in the ~/.amucrc configuration file.

Modification history

NB! This app is updated now and then (to add a feature or to remove a bug), but doesn't get a new version number each time.

Version 1.7 - last update: febr 2009 - Wav2score: options modified. - Code has been adapted to the newest gcc compiler (version 4.3.2) which is very strict regarding type checking. - Mono-synth: modified controls, modified patch-control string (but older patches stil work). - Support for Jack. - 'libusb' connection with Midi keyboard omitted, connection via Jack provided. - Anti-aliased graphics. - Options -trh etc. handled by new app: tr-sco.

Version 1.6 - last update: july 2008 Version 1.5 - last update: nov 2007 Version 1.4 - july 2007 Version 1.3 - dec 2006 Version 1.2 - jan 2006 Version 1.1 - sept 2005 Version 1.0 - april 2005

Good luck.

Wouter Boeke w.boeke@chello.nl