Alf / Apple Music synthesiser

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The ALF Apple Music Synthesizer (AMS) is an easy to use peripheral which allows you to program music into an Apple II computer using standard musical notation. The ALF kit includes the synthesizer board (plugs into any peripheral slot), exceptional quality software, and an extensive user manual. Sophisticated Music Entry Program Sheet music is easily entered using the Apple game paddles. The high-resolution ENTRY program features the familiar music staff with a "menu" of musical items listed beneath it (note lengths, rests, edit commands, accidentals, etc.). One game paddle moves a cursor up and down the music staff and is used to select the note pitch; the second paddle chooses from the menu items (note length, etc.).

With the ALF hi-res ENTRY program, you won't have to use cryptic codes to select note parameters. As you program sheet music with ENTRY, measure bars are inserted automatically (and note values are tied over the bar where necessary). Key signatures are also automatic - you don't have to keep writing in every sharp or flat! Three monophonic, individual parts can be programmed with each ALF Music Synthesizer. Two boards are required for stereo. A total of three synthesizers can be used simultaneously for a maximum of nine voices. By controling the envelope (or shape) of each voice, many different instrumental sounds can be simulated.

Eight-octave Range

The ALF Music Synthesizer has a pitch range of eight octaves-a wider range than a grand piano The ALF can also play semitones - "blues notes" or the pitches in between the keyboard notes of a piano, (The pitch range is from 27.5 to 55,000 Hertz, well beyond the limits of human hearing.) Tuning accurancy is virtually perfect within two cents of pitch value.

Every parameter of the ENTRY program can be changed again and again during a musical piece. For example, you can make changes in key, time signature, volume, and timbre (envelope). Parts can be ditied at any time, also. Notes can be added or deleted, note length can be changed, as well as pitch, volume ect. You can save songs on either cassette or disk, and play them back using either ENTRY or PLAY, The playback speed is adjusted with one of the game paddles, and can be varied during the playback, if you wish to change the overall tempo.

Colorful Playback Display

The ALF Music Synthesizer features a 16-color low-res graphic display during song playback. Each musical part is represented on a stylized piano "keyboard"- the intensity of the note determines the color, and the pitch is shown in relation to "middle C". The ALF Music Synthesizer requires the use of an external audio amplifier. Stereo programming is possible with the use of two or three synthesizer boards.

The Alf software includes the ENTRY and PLAY programs, sample songs, an introduction to "envelope shaping", and demonstrations of advanced uses of the synthesiser
