CHIMEPLAY and CHIMEPLAYAUTO (2012) for realtime Csound5 Custom versions of SAMPLEPLAY for up to 8 mono/stereo chime or bell samples and one background loop, in a variety of uncompressed formats including WAV and AIFF; also Ogg/Vorbis (with Csound 5.10 or later) but not MP3. Files may have different sample rates. For all computer platforms. CHIMEPLAY requires a MIDI controller with up to 8 keys, buttons or pads (optionally velocity sensitive). Optionally, 1 additional key/button/pad and/or 1-3 MIDI knobs/sliders. CHIMEPLAYAUTO is self-performing and requires no MIDI device. Both versions may be performed from the command line, and in Windows only, from a standalone Lettuce executable (LChimePlay.exe/LChimePlayAuto.exe). Both Lettuce versions include a GUI to be run from the same directory as the (up to) 8 samples and loop (no Csound installation required; necessary Csound 5.10-equivalent files included). Art Hunkins abhunkin@uncg.edu http://www.arthunkins.com This distribution includes two sets of six chimes from the St. Francis Prayer Center in Stoneville, NC (USA). Set one consists of recordings of chimes located under an interior cupola opposite the Chapel. The second is a set found on the patio of the Center's main building. Soundin.1 through soundin.6 and background loop soundin.0 comprise set one (the inside set); soundin.11 through 16 and ambient loop soundin.10 are set two (the outside chimes). Soundin.7, 8, 17 and 18 are dummy samples that complete the possible sets of 8. The optional ambient loops can help mask and "homogenize" unwanted noise that may be present in the samples. These samples were created with a high-quality handheld digital recorder (at 44100Hz sample rate stereo, uncompressed WAV) using its built-in mike. Users are highly encouraged to record their own sets of up to 8 chimes or bells, and substitute them for the default sets. The free, cross-platform Audacity is an excellent audio editor. For a background loop, special attention should be paid to the loop point, so as to avoid any "click." Best results are obtained when all samples and loop are recorded in the same environment, with the same equipment, sample rate, and at the same level. (Only *loop* level can be varied within ChimePlay[Auto].) Chimes should be at least three seconds in duration, and of approximately the same length (though this is not mandatory). All the included chime samples have 10-second durations; they include the complete, or nearly complete ringtime. Also important: chime attack should be preceded by about 200 milleseconds of "silence." The "end state" of the sample is not crucial, as ChimePlay(Auto) imposes a two-second fade to zero prior at that point. The ambient noise level of both sets of chimes (including their background loops) was greatly attenuated by being processed through the high pass filter effect in Audacity 3.1. (Settings were either 6 or 12DB rolloff, with cutoff frequency 661Hz.) This was achieved without audible modification of the chimes themselves. All versions of ChimePlay(Auto) run on any Csound installation, v5.02 or higher (except for the Ogg/Vorbis limitation mentioned above). For Windows, the Lettuce executables require only the small set of Csound files included here. Place the executables, Csound files and your selected soundin.x files in a single directory, and run from there. The Lettuce versions offer a very nice GUI, as well as a helpful list of basic instructions. Though ChimePlay and ChimePlayAuto are cross-platform, their (see below) are initially set for Windows and Mac. For Linux, edit the CsOptions line (toward the beginning of the file - it starts with "-odac") in a text editor as follows: delete the semicolon at the start of the Linux line, and add one at the start of the Windows/Mac line. (Then resave the file.) CHIMEPLAY - the live-performance, MIDI option The number of MIDI keys/buttons/pads required depends primarily on how many samples (up to 8) you wish to trigger; one is required per sample. (The first key/button/pad triggers soundin.1[11]; the second, soundin.2[12], and so on - depending on the sample set selected.) A background loop requires either another (separate) key/button/pad or MIDI slider/knob (in the former case, loop fade time is specified). Additional optional sliders/knobs can control pan position and amplitude (these parameters can also be controlled randomly or via MIDI note velocity). The new settings always take effect with the following event. Of special interest is the option to fade out the chimes prior to their full length. (This applies to the chimes as a group; the three-second minimum on- time [as well as sample duration] is due to the fact that the above-mentioned two-second fadeout to zero still applies). If the sample is shorter than the option specifies, it fades out normally. RUNNING FROM THE COMMAND LINE: Before running ChimePlay or ChimePlayAuto (always run from the directory where both it and your soundfiles are located), view the beginning of ChimePlay(Auto) in a text editor. Of interest are the lines below - the ones beginning #define. Since you lack a GUI, these represent options you must manually select, and a way of indicating the settings for your MIDI controls. These variables (in CAPS) are all given suggested default values. Changing values is simply a question of replacing the number between the two #'s; just be sure not to leave any blank spaces. You also may need to edit several items in the line (just above the list of options): values for -odac (audio output device) and -M (MIDI device #). If the default values abort the run, View the console Output; it will indicate the active devices on your system. Pick the appropriate numbers, insert them and rerun. LETTUCE GUI'S (Windows only) The Lettuce GUI greatly facilitates the specification of performance presets for both of these utilities; no text editing is required. On-screen variables are the same as those listed for the command line. Users of the Lettuce GUI's may also need to set certain . Access to these options is through the menu bar (where Sample Rate too can be modified to correspond with the chime SRATE). Console Output is likewise viewable via this bar. PERFORMANCE SUGGESTIONS: In preparing for performance, it is important that any MIDI knobs/sliders be set to zero *prior to Csound start*; after start, reset controllers that need to be at other initial positions (move pan position to .5 - this setting will approximate the original recordings; you are, of course, free to experiment with alternatives). Then begin the performance. Maximum performance duration for both ChimePlay and ChimePlayAuto is 60 minutes. CHIMEPLAYAUTO - the self-performing (no MIDI) option With ChimePlayAuto, all variables are set prior to Csound start; performance is entirely automatic. The same parameters are available as for ChimePlay, but the "performance" options are only two: no control or random control. (Exceptions: loop fadein/fadeout time is specified, as is total duration.) The most important addition is a comprehensive set of timing variables for the random striking of the chimes/bells. For each chime, a minimum and maximum duration between repetitions of the same bell is specified (in seconds). One option is to specify the *same* value for min and max; this will cause the chime to strike at regular intervals. The auto-performance ends when the specified Duration elapses.