What's New

The following items summarize the most important changes in ArtSong™ 6:

• Scripting

ArtSong™ 6 provides a complete script development and runtime environment for both Pascal and Basic scripts with syntax-sensitive source-code editors (keyword highlighting), integrated debugging, and a large library of built-in objects and functions. ArtSong’s scripting capabilities offer a powerful general-purpose solution for note generation, filtering, editing, and analysis.

• MIDI Controllers

MIDI Controller components can now be associated with Track components for generating, saving, or loading MIDI files containing MIDI controllers or any MIDI channel-voice message.

• Tonal Pitch Probability

Tonal compositions can set a pitch-generation probability for each individual pitch-class. This capability allows addition of varying degrees of chromaticity to tonal compositions and/or greater emphasis on certain pitches for modal composition.

• Full Pitch-Range Chord and Scale Definitions

Scale and Chord resources can now be defined and applied over the full 1- to 10-octave MIDI pitch range. Chords defined within a 1-octave range will be repeated each octave, chords defined over a 2-octave range will be applied every two octaves, etc.

• Single-Note Editor

A Single-Note Editor has been added for editing of individual Track component note events.

• Multilevel Redo

A multilevel REDO capability has been added to the existing UNDO command for project composing and editing changes.

• Track Component Changes

Several new composition variables have been added.

The ‘arpeggiation’ and ‘rhythm string’ features of the track component have been moved the Arpeggio and Rhythm Algorithms respectively.

• New ‘Default-ON’ and ‘Default-OFF’ layers group components

The ‘Layers Group’ component has been replaced by two new components that use events to either turn off (Default ON) or turn on (Default OFF) composition within the group.

• New Algorithms

  • Several algorithms for Integral Serial composition including ‘Serial Form’, ‘Serial Texture’, and ‘Serial Algorithm’ component have been added.

  • A new ‘Serial Pitch’ algorithm replaces the 12-tone algorithm and allows both a horizontal tone-row (melody) and a vertical tone-row (chords) to be defined; each application of a row can have associated transforms.

  • An ‘Evolving Scales’ algorithm which randomly selects and varies pitchs has been added to create constant subtle changes to background harmonies.

  • A ‘motive-group’ grid algorithm, analogous to the ‘chaos-mapper’ algorithm, that manipulates note groups rather than individual notes.

• Enhanced Algorithms

Several important changes have been made to existing algorithms:

• The note-pattern algorithms now allow for optional assignment of a note-generation probability to each individual pattern-note,

• New distribution types, including an 1/f and logistic distribution, have been added to the ‘Random’ algorithm,

• Additional transformational options added to the canon, theme, and rhythm algorithms

• Multiple Time Signatures

Projects can now display multiple time signatures.

• BASE 37 Coefficient strings

Coefficient strings, such as used for serial, rhythm, or attack strings, are now all represented as BASE 37; 0,1…9,A,B,…Z (where 0 = 0 and Z = 36). Several support functions for generating and transforming these strings has been added.