Noatikl User Guide

» contents

The User Interface

< back | next >

Creating your first file

►From the Noatikl menu, select File -> New.

This presents you with a window, containing a table showing a single row which shows you a default Voice in your new Noatikl composition. It will look something like this!

Noatikl file editor window

Objects and Parameters

There are various object types that you can edit with Noatikl, including Voices. You can view these by selecting an item from the list down the left-hand side of the window.

You can add Voices (or other musical objects) within the table, so that each row represents a different Voice, and each column represents a different attribute of that Voice.

There are many parameters (attributes) for all objects, including Voices, and you will see that for some objects there are many available views of data!

►You can press the Play button if you want to hear the default piece play! Note: you might first need to set-up a MIDI device through which to render your music. See the Noatikl FAQ for more info...

File Window

The File Window contains Play, Stop and other buttons and combo boxes. It also contains a table where you can view and edit the objects that make-up your Noatikl composition.

You can add Voices (or other musical objects) within the table, so that each row represents a different Voice, and each column represents a different attribute of that Voice. Use the menu items to add, delete and copy voices and other objects.

There are many attributes for Voices and other objects, and you can choose to display related attributes/parameters of any object type. You choose the set of Objects and Parameter attributes to look at via the Object/Parameter View list box.

  • New - creates a new file for editing; select the template file that you want to use as the basis for your new file, via the dialog that is presented to you. Which templates get listed, depends on which template packs you have got installed on your computer. You can get new template packs from the Noatikl store!

    File New Template Selector
  • Open... - browse your computer for a file to open.
  • Close - close the currently open file .
  • Save - save your file with its current name in its current folder location.
  • Save As... - save your file with a new name or folder location.
  • Recent Files - open from a list of your recently accessed Noatikl files
  • Quit - quit noatikl.

 

Edit menu

Use the Edit menu items to copy and paste object parameters. The menu items available under Edit are as follows:

  • Add - adds-in a new default object of the currently viewed type
  • Cut - cuts the currently focused object
  • Copy - copies the currently focused object
  • Copy Parameter - copies the currenly focused parameter
  • Paste - pastes in the most recently copied or cut object or parameter
  • Delete - deletes the currently focused object
  • Default Parameter - restores the currently focused parameter to its default value
  • Default Column - restores all parameters in the currently focused column to their defaults
  • Default Row - restores all parameters in the currently focused row to their defaults

Control menu

Use the Control menu items to play tracks and solo and mute voices. The menu items available under Control are as follows:

  • Play / Stop - starts or stops the piece playing (you can also use the Ctrl+Spacebar shortcut)
  • Solo Voice - solos the selected voice
  • Unmute All Voices - unmutes all voices
  • Mute All Voices - mutes all voices

Tools menu

Use the Tools menu items to access integrated helper utilities. The menu items currently available under Tools are as follows:

  • MIDI File Cooker - launches a utility to capture (as fast they can be generated!) a user configurable number of takes to sequentially numbered MIDI files.

    Noatikl MIDI File Cooker dialog
    • Start/Stop - starts off/stops the "cooking" process (make sure you have a Noatikl file loaded, and have set the number of "Files to Create" and "Record MIDI files to folder" below).
    • Close - closes the utility.
    • Files to Create - use the slider to select a number from 1-100 (or double click the number field to enter a number).
    • Double click the field "Record MIDI files to folder" and enter the path you require.
    • Recorded Files - tells you how many MIDI files have just been recorded.
    • Recorded - tells you the total size of the MIDI files that have just been cooked.
    Important note: when cooking a MIDI file, the tempo comes from the Piece Tempo parameters; not from any host sequencer!
  • Noatikl Script Window - displays the Noatikl script window, the use of which will be extended and documented in further Noatikl updates (as appropriate).

Options menu

Use the Options menu to select various options which govern the way that Noatikl works. These include the following:

  • Noatikl Preferences... -

    Noatikl preferences dialog
    • adjust the timer resolution used by Noatikl when Noatikl interacts with MIDI output devices (such as IAC ports or MIDI Yoke ports). The default timer resolution is 10 milliseconds, and you can reduce this all the way down to 1 millisecond if your machine is fast enough and if you need that sort of accuracy.
    • enable automatic recording (when played) of your Noatikl piece to a MIDI file - select the tick box to enable this, and double click the field "Record MIDI files to folder" to enter the path you require.
      • Note: You wouldn't want to set the auto-record toggle button if you were using Noatikl for an installation!
      • Note: when auto-capturing a recording through this preferences setting, where the tempo comes from depends on what configuration you are currently using:
        - Noatikl Plug-in: the tempo comes from the host
        - Noatikl Standalone synced to host:, the tempo comes from the host
        - Noatikl Standalone unsynced: Noatikl provides its own tempo from the from the Piece Tempo parameters
  • Reset Column Widths - resets the column widths for every parameter, to their default values.
  • Use Tabbed Windows - use tabbed windows for each Noatikl piece.
  • Use Floating Windows - use a floating window for each Noatikl piece.
  • Use Native Window Title Bar - changes the look of the title bar between a more Mac or Windows feel.

Play

The Play button starts you playing. You only see this button when the file is stopped! You will only see this button for Noatikl standalone; for the plug-in variants of Noatikl, play/stop is controlled directly by your DAW's transport controls.

Note: you might first need to set-up a MIDI device through which to render your music. See the Noatikl FAQ for more info...

Note: if you have Sync? selected, then playback won't start making any sounds until the sequencer that you are listening to has the play button pressed on its own transport control. In this case, you must first press Play before Noatikl can respond to events from your sequencer's transport control!

When the piece is playing, you will see various interesting properties get displayed in the Playback group:

  • Tempo - this shows the current Piece tempo. If you are using one of the Noatikl Plug-in variants, then this value will be the value that is forced by the sequencer host in which Noatikl is running.
  • Percent - the approximate elapsed Noatikl Piece position, relative to the Piece Duration.
  • Elapsed - the elapsed time in Measures:Beats:Ticks format (MBT).Note that if you are using of of the Noatikl Plug-in variants, then this value might be up to a bar ahead of the value displayed by your sequencer's transport control; this is because Noatikl composes ahead according to a latency dictated by the behaviour of your host sequencer.

Stop

The Stop button stops you playing. You only see this button when the file is playing! You will only see this button for Noatikl standalone; for the plug-in variants of Noatikl, play/stop is controlled directly by your DAW's transport controls.

MIDI Output

  • Whichever variant of Noatikl you use, you will need to specify the MIDI output device to which Noatikl sends its MIDI data.
  • Standalone:
    • Windows – use a MIDI output device; use MIDI Yoke if you want to route data from Noatikl to your DAW!
    • Mac: select an IAC port, and maybe use MIDI Pipe by SubtleSoft to render your audio data!
  • Plugin: In general, use the "Sequencer MIDI Pipeline" option.
    • Audio Unit (AU): See listed IAC Driver Bus 1 (this assumes you have configured the IAC as outlined above) and perhaps some other devices.
    • VST:
      • Mac: See "Sequencer MIDI Pipeline" followed by Mac - IAC Driver Bus 1
      • Windows: Use Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth or perhaps some other MIDI output devices such as MIDI Yoke channels.
    • MIDI Plug-in: both MIDI effect plug-ins list the same options as you get for the VST. You probably want to select the Sequencer MIDI pipeline option though you can use one of the other options should you so wish!

If you are running within Cubase SE 3 or other sequencers which do not support MIDI routing from one VST to another then you must select any value other than "Sequencer MIDI Pipeline" (otherwise you will just hear silence!).

If you are using Reaper, or some other VST Host which allows MIDI data to be routed from one VST into another one, then you may select any of the available options though you are most likely to want to select the "Sequencer MIDI Pipeline" option.

MIDI Input

You can tell Noatikl to listen-out for incoming MIDI data on the specified port. Noatikl can use incoming MIDI information for various purposes, including synchronisation and we even hope that one day you'll be able to operate Noatikl as a hyper-instrument through Listening Voices!

  • Sync? - if this is selected, then playback won't start making any sounds until the sequencer that you are listening to has the play button pressed on its own transport control. In this case, you must first press Play before Noatikl can respond to events from your sequencer's transport control!
  • Listen? - This is provided to protect against MIDI feedback, which can occur with some sequencers, noatably Logic (which will by default present all data output to a port, as an input to all other ports!)! If Listen? is ticked or if Noatikl is using the Plug-in internal sequencer pipeline, then:
    • MIDI events from the MIDI input will be passed-through to noatikl
    • the MIDI Input trigger scripts will respond to MIDI input
    • listening voices will compose where appropriate
    • all note on/off events presented at the input will reach the output.
    • Noatikl will try to harmonize with incoming MIDI note data.
    If this is not selected and if Noatikl is not using the internal sequencer pipeline, then:
    • MIDI events from the MIDI input will not be passed-through to noatikl
    • the MIDI Input trigger scripts will not respond
    • listening voices will not compose
    • the only events that will be passed through to Noatikl will be MIDI Sync events
    • Noatikl will not try to harmonize with incoming MIDI note data.

Noatikl 1.5, Logic and midi feedback

From v 1.5 Noatikl now listens to incoming midi data to allow you to create dynamic hyperinstruments.

In order to use this feature in the standalone version of Noatikl, Logic users are advised to take the following steps to eliminate the risk of midi feedback!

© 2008 Intermorphic Ltd. All rights reserved.