Roland Corporation VSC-MP1 Owner's Manual

Owner's Manual

DO NOT play a CD-ROM disc on a conventional audio CD player. The resulting sound may be of a level that could cause permanent hearing loss.Damage to speakers or other system components may result.

Å°IMPORTANT NOTES

ÅúUnfortunately, it may be impossible to restore the contents of data that was stored device (e.g., hard disk) and / or in another MIDI device (e.g., a sequencer) once it has been lost. Roland Corporation assumes no liability concerning such loss of data. ÅúTo avoid disturbing your neighbors, try to keep the unit’s volume at reasonable levels. You may prefer to use headphones, so you do not need to be concerned about those around you (especially when it is late at night). ÅúAvoid touching or scratching the shiny underside (encoded surface) of the disc. Damaged or dirty CD-ROM discs may not be read properly. Keep your discs clean using a commercially available CD cleaner. ÅúUnauthorized duplication, reproduction, hiring, and lending prohibited. ÅúBefore you open the included CD-ROM, you must read the "license agreement." Opening the CD-ROM will be taken to mean your acceptance of the license agreement. ÅúUse of the song data of the CD-ROM supplied with this product for any purpose other than private, personal enjoyment without the permission of the copyright holder is prohibited by law. Additionally, this data must not be copied, nor used in a secondary copyrighted work without the permission of the copyright holder.

GM 2 / General MIDI 2

The upwardly compatible General MIDI 2 ( ) recommendations pick up where the original General MIDI left off, offering enhanced expressive capabilities, and even greater compatibility.

Issues that were not covered by the original General MIDI recommendations, such as how sounds are to be edited, and how effects should be handled, have now been precisely defined. Moreover, the available sounds have been expanded. General MIDI 2 compliant sound generators are capable of reliably playing back music files that carry either the General MIDI or General MIDI 2 logo. In some cases, the conventional form of General MIDI, which does not include the new enhancements, is referred to as "General MIDI 1" as a way of distinguishing it from General MIDI 2.

GS format

The GS Format ( ) is Roland's set of specifications for standardizing the performance of sound generating devices. In addition to including support for everything defined by the General MIDI, the highly compatible

GS Format additionally offers an expanded number of sounds, provides for the editing of sounds, and spells out many details for a wide range of extra features, including effects such as reverb and chorus. Designed with the future in mind, the GS Format can readily include new sounds and support new hardware features when they arrive.

* GS ( ) is a registered trademark of Roland Corporation. * Microsoft, Windows, DirectX and DirectSound are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

* Windows® Me is known officially as: “Microsoft® Windows® Millennium Edition operating system.” * Windows® 98 is known officially as: “Microsoft® Windows® 98 operating system.” * Windows 2000® is known officially as: “Microsoft® Windows 2000® operating system.” * DirectX® is known officially as: “Microsoft® DirectX® application programming interface.”

* DirectSound® is known officially as: “Microsof t® DirectSound® application programming interface.” * Screen shots reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation. * Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

* Mac OS is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. * MIDI Manager is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. * OMS is a registered trademark of Opcode Systems, Inc. * Studio Vision Pro and Vision are trademarks of Opcode Systems, Inc. * FreeMIDI is a trademark of Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. * VST is a trademark of Steinberg Soft- und Hardware GmbH. * All product names mentioned in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. * In the interest of product improvement, the specifications and/or contents of this package are subject to change without

prior notice.

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the Virtual Sound Canvas Multi-Pack (subsequently referred to as the VSC multi-pack). The VSC multi-pack is a package containing software synthesizers that run on Windows Me/2000/98 and on MacOS 8.5/8.6/9 series. Since the package contains both a stand-alone version with MIDI data playback functionality, and a plug-in version that features enhanced compatibility with sequencer software, you can use this software for a wide range of purposes, ranging from creating songs to listening to MIDI data.

This manual explains the information you need to know in order to install and use the VSC multi-pack. Please be sure to read it.

Explanations of terms, etc.

Points you need to be aware of

The screen shots printed in this manual are taken from Windows Me and MacOS 9.1, but the software will also run correctly on Windows 98/2000 and MacOS 8.5/8.6/9 series.

Windows Users........................................6

Software installation................................................................7

Installing the software.........................................................................................................7

Uninstalling the software..................................................................................................14

Using the stand-alone version..............................................15

Listening to the demo songs.............................................................................................15

Converting song data to an audio file.............................................................................16

Operations in each window .............................................................................................18

Using VSC as a sound generator from within other software ....................................24

Using the plug-in version (DXi/VST Instruments)...............26

VSC Panel............................................................................................................................26

Settings window.................................................................................................................27

Macintosh Users.....................................29

Software installation..............................................................30

Installing the software.......................................................................................................30

Using the stand-alone version..............................................32

Listening to the demo songs.............................................................................................32

Converting song data to an audio file.............................................................................33

Make settings for the audio file that will be saved .......................................................34

Operations in each window .............................................................................................36

Using VSC as a sound generator from within other software ....................................42

Using the plug-in version (VST Instruments)......................46

VSC Panel............................................................................................................................46

Settings window.................................................................................................................47

Troubleshooting ..................................... 49

Troubleshooting for the stand-alone version (Windows)..50 Troubleshooting for the stand-alone version (Macintosh) 53

Troubleshooting for the plug-in version (Windows/Macintosh)... 58

Features of the VSC multi-pack

The VSC multi-pack includes the following software.

Stand-alone version

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Virtual Sound Canvas 3 (Windows/Macintosh)

This is a "software synthesizer" that allows you to play back MIDI data using only your personal computer. You can use a broad range of 256 sounds + 9 drum sets in GM2 mode, and 902 sounds + 26 drum sets in GS mode. In addition, this software supports 16 parts and a maximum of 128 voices, for MIDI performances of all styles of music.

The stand-alone version provides convenient functions like the following:

- Audio File Conversion function that lets you convert a MIDI file into an audio file (Windows: WAV/Macintosh: AIFF). (p. 16, p. 33)

- A Player window that not only lets you play MIDI data, but also allows you to modify the tempo and key. You can also create and save lists of your favorite songs.

- The software can be used as a MIDI sound generator even from a MIDI application that does not support DXi or VST. (p. 24, p. 42)

Plug-in version

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Virtual Sound Canvas DXi (Windows)

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Virtual Sound Canvas VST Instruments (Windows / Macintosh)

This is a plug-in type software synthesizer that is based on Virtual Sound Canvas 3, and supports DirectX Instruments (DXi/ Windows) and VST Instruments (Windows/Macintosh). It operates seamlessly with any host application that supports DXi or VST Instruments.

In order to use Virtual Sound Canvas DXi, you will need software (a host application) that supports DXi.

In order to use Virtual Sound Canvas VST, you will need software (a host application) that supports VST Instruments.

Windows Users