BEATMASTER V2.1                                                  UPDATES.TXT
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The BeatMaster shareware package is distributed on the Internet as part of
the Simtel archive which is mirrored on sites around the world.  It can also
be found in various other archives and bundled into CD-ROM collections.  The
very latest version of the program can always be obtained at the invaluable
Harmony Central website:

             http://www.harmony-central.com/Software/Dos/#seq


The filename has the format BMASTnnn.ZIP where nnn is a number indicating
the program version (eg. BeatMaster Version 2.11 is in BMAST211.ZIP).

The program is now very stable and does more or less everything I intended 
it to do.  The following describes some of the major changes made to the
package since its initial release (in reverse chronological order).



BeatMaster V2.1 Updates:  1 March 1998
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 * The registered version of BeatMaster now has no restriction on the size
   of each track in a sequence (the shareware version allows up to 64K).
   A single track may be any size, up to the limit of available memory.

 * BeatMaster's Help system is now fully context-sensitive.  Pressing the
   Help key (F1) while a menu option is highlighted gives you the help for
   that option.  If the menus are not open, Help gives you the text for the
   current view.  Press Alt-F1 at any time to call up the last help screen.

 * A utility program (HELPTEXT.COM) has been added to allow the Help files
   to be converted into ordinary DOS text files.

 * BeatMaster now supports the use of playlist files.  A selection of songs
   listed in a playlist can be loaded and played automatically.  There is
   also a 'Cycle' option which causes a playlist (or a single sequence) to
   repeat indefinitely.

 * An 'Undo' feature has been added to restore tracks modified accidently.

 * Events can now be sent before the initial controllers by using the 'dly'
   (delay) variable in TRACK VARIABLES VIEW.  Any events at the start of
   each track which are delayed before tick #0 (ie. using a negative delay)
   are transmitted as initial events before the initial controllers.  This
   allows things like system initialization events (such as 'XG On') to be
   transmitted before the MIDI channels are initialized.

 * The old default sysex file extension (.SXF) has been changed to .SYX to
   conform to more generally accepted usage.

 * The handler for the MIDI keyboard emulator (F10) is now more robust.

 * Track names can now be up to 64 characters long.

 * Sequence titles are supported.

 * A few other little bit and pieces have been sorted out.


BeatMaster V2.0 Updates:  20 February 1997
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 * The Help system has been radically overhauled and improved.  Help files
   now use a new enhanced-text format based (loosely) on HTML, the format
   used for the World Wide Web, to create hypertext links between related
   topics.

 * The external text configuration files used by the program have all been
   re-designed to conform to the Windows(tm) initialization file (.INI)
   format.

 * The computer keyboard can be now used to emulate a MIDI keyboard.

 * BeatMaster can now use the Sound Blaster(tm)'s on-board FM synthesizer.
   FM Instrument definitions can be loaded from .CMF or .IBK files and used
   just like ordinary program changes.

 * The sequencer can now transmit and respond to MIDI real-time events

 * The handling of incoming and outgoing MIDI data through the MIDI ports
   has been reorganized.

 * Many other little improvements have been made here and there.


BeatMaster V1.1 Updates:  26 September 1996
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 * The main difference between version 1.0 and version 1.1 is the major
   improvement in the functionality of block-manipulation operations.  The
   v1.0 options to 'Select' and 'Remove' events from a block are replaced
   by a 'view-dependent' block system in v1.1.  All block functions now only
   affect events of the type displayed by the current view.  This means, for
   example, you can copy just notes when in NOTE VIEW and controllers when
   in CONTROLLER VIEW.

 * Also on the Block menu, there is now the ability to select a range of
   event numbers in certain views (NOTE, CONTROLLER and KEY-AFTERTOUCH).
   The block options for modifying event values have also been expanded and
   simplified.

 * Events within the looping part of a track are now displayed as 'shadows'
   of the actual looped events, allowing you to see looped notes etc.

 * Multiple tracks can now be 'soloed' instead of just the one.

 * Options for loading and updating configuration files have been simplifed.

 * Automatic creation and update of a BeatMaster Options file (BEATMAST.CFG)
   to store and reload preferences (MIDI interfaces etc.).

 * Overall streamlining and enhancement of the entire program.  The menus
   have been tidied up by ensuring that options are available only when
   relevant to the current view. All code is now shorter and more efficient.


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BeatMaster V1.0 Released:  1 June 1996
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Copyright (c)1996-1998 by Eamonn F. Martin

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