All Windows/Play, Rhythms and Bounce/Bounce/Metronome Bouncing Ball (Ctrl 219)
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Controls Common to Many Windows
Metronome Bouncing Ball
Shows balls bouncing under gravity, useful as a visual metronome...
You see this tip when you hover the mouse over the title bar of the Gravity Bounce window or any of the buttons which bring it up. You can hover the mouse over the bouncing balls themselves to see a tip about how to click to add / remove beats to the bar etc.
This graphic shows balls bouncing under gravity. The way they bounce is similar to the motion of a conductor's hand marking out beats. It's also similar to the motion of your hands when drumming. This helps you to hit the beat very precisely. You should play the note when the ball hits the bottom of the window.
To play use the Play Bounce button in the main window. You can work with this window purely visually without the sound. To hear sound as well use the Play Sound button in the main window.
There are many options for displaying the bouncing balls - see Bounce Preferences (Ctrl + 220) and Type of Ball etc (Ctrl + 221) which you can also get to using the Rhythm drop menu of this window.
Synchronisation of the sound with the visual bounce
You may find that the sound lags behind the visuals on some systems, normally by a fixed amount - every note will sound perhaps a tenth of a second after the bounce - this delay is called "latency". This is especially likely if you use the Microsoft GS Wavetable synth, which can have a latency of up to a fifth of a second (even on a fast computer).
You may well see a choice of devices in the Out menu for Bounce Metronome - if so then see if you can choose the one which is most in time with the visuals. If you have a soundcard then normally you can find a device with a small acceptable latency of one or two milliseconds.
If this doesn't solve the problem, you can set a delay for the visuals in Bounce Preferences (Ctrl + 220) to match the delay you get for the played notes.
How to get here
The Metronome Bouncing Ball in the Bs2 menu in the main window, or Ctrl + 219
How to use this window
For details see the tool tip help for the bouncing balls visuals itself - just hover the mouse over the bouncing balls display (rather than its title measure).
BouncingBall
Shows balls bouncing in time with the rhythm, and various controls you can use to adjust the rhythm...
Quick start for the Bouncing Balls controls
LEFT CLICK ON THE GRAY SEMICIRCLES to Show / hide the blocks and the parts adjustments.
LEFT or RIGHT CLICK on BLOCKS to ADJUST INDIVIDUAL BEATS, e.g. to skip beats, accent beats, or change volumes. Hover the mouse over a beat for more information.
You can also LEFT CLICK on the main display to restart the bar. This only works if the balls are bouncing silently. When the sound is playing the bouncing balls always synchronise with the sound.
You see this tip when you hover the mouse over the bouncing balls themselves. hover the mouse over the title bar of Metronome Bouncing Ball (Ctrl + 219) for background information.
More Details
The gray semi-circles to left and right can be used to show the beats for each part as blocks below the bouncing balls - and to show controls you can use to adjust the individual parts in the rhythm.
Each row of shaded blocks shows one of the parts. For instance 6/8 has three parts. One of the parts plays the six beats to a bar (as quavers). Another part plays two beats to the bar, so that you can hear the middle beat clearly. Another part plays the bar beat.
Each row is the same colour hue as its bouncing ball, though lighter in shade. In each row, the blocks show the individual beats in the rhythm, and the size of each block shows the duration of the beat. The blocks are all done with the first beat of the bar to the left, and last beat to the right (and shown reversed when the balls bounce from right to left).
If you have the display set up so that all the balls bounce together then the balls for each part bounce on the divisions between the beats. However you may have the balls bouncing in opposite directions for polyrhythms like 3 with 4 / 4. If you have a setup like that and also beats varying in size, then the balls may not bounce on the divisions between beats for all the parts.
How to use the blocks to adjust the rhythm
You can LEFT CLICK on a beat to SKIP it, or to adjust the timing of individual beats. You can RIGHT CLICK to ACCENT it, and MIDDLE CLICK or SHIFT + CLICK to adjust the volumes. For more details hover the mouse over the blocks.
Tap out rhythm
You can RIGHT CLICK on any of the parts, to tap out an entire new rhythm. The last click ends the bar so for instance to tap out a bar with four beats, tap four times for your rhythm, then add a fifth tap for the start of the next bar.
Right click on the part you want to adjust the rhythm for - as the rhythm is used for the currently highlighted part.
Another way to tap out an entire rhythm is to use the SPACE BAR on your keyboard. Again, right click on the desired part first to choose the part to set the rhythm for.
Then use Ctrl + SPACE to switch on the SPACE BAR RHYTHM TAPS. Then tap out the rhythm. Use CTRL + SPACE to switch the taps off again when finished
How to play your rhythm back at speed
To play your rhythm at the speed you tapped it, set the beats tempo in the main window to 60 beats per minute. Set it faster than that, or slower. if you want it speeded up or slowed down.
Parts adjustments
You can ue the diamonds, circles and rectangles to the left of the bouncing ball display to hide any of the bouncing balls, change the instrument for a part, or silence any of the parts.
You can use the triangles to the right to vary the number of beats in each part or the number of parts.
To find out what one of those controls does - just hover the mouse over it.
How the blocks work for scripted additive rhythms
These rhythms show up as separate measures along the bottom of the window, one after another, with only one of them highlighted.
With these rhythms, you can click to select one of the measures of the rhythm - this lets you change between the sections of the script manually.
These rhythms are made automatically by Bounce Metronome by creating a script for Tune Script (Ctrl + 171). Because the rhythm is scripted, you can't adjust the beat timings by hand for these rhythms, at least not permanently. If you do adjust the individual beats (for instance using Beats volumes and times (Ctrl + 76)) then the next time that bar is played the script will just set the beats back to the way they were before.
However you can play these rhythms with swing.
You can also make your own scripted rhythms with skipped beats or using any of the other features of Bounce Metronome using Tune Script (Ctrl + 171) - explore auto script in that window.
For instance, one way to do it, if you switch on auto script and then play the rhythm slowly until the script highlight reaches the bar you want to adjust, you can then adjust the beats using Beats volumes and times (Ctrl + 76) as normal and your changes will be added into the script at that point.
Number of parts in the rhythm (Alt + S)
How many parts to set or number of parts to play in fractal tune
Select a Part to adjust (Alt + A)
Choose which part to adjust the beats for
Beats per bar for part %d (Alt + B)
Beats As Text (Ctrl + 77)
Adjust individual beats as numbers - also in the PRO metronome - adjust the amount of the lilt or swing...
For a more natural feel and a more lively rhythm. Or with a stronger level of swing, use to practise rhythms that require swing, such as Jazz rhythms, Scottish folk music etc...
Non Melodic Percussion (Ctrl + 21)
Non melodic percussion (Keyboard users - use Alt a second time to get to menu)...
Use this menu to change the instrument for the currently highlighted parts in Show All Parts (Ctrl + 9).
Select an instrument from the menu or enter its name into the text box.
If you want to use the same instrument for all the parts in the Parts window, switch on the Select for all parts check box .
SILENCED - Play sound for part %d (Alt + L)
mSilence or enable the selected part(s)...
You can use this for instance to mute some of the parts so that you can listen to other ones to hear more clearly exactly what they are doing.
Rarely used feature - Ctrl + click to erase
This feature is not needed for Bounce Metronome Pro.
Hold Ctrl key down while you press this button to erase the part. Any notes for an erased part are played on the next available part. This feature is not likely to be used much except for backwards compatibility
You may need to erase part 10 for backwards compatibility when you play an old 2.4 tune in Bounce Metronome 3.0 or later - though this should be done automatically when the tune is opened.
If you want part 10 to play a miscellany of percussion, as would happen in Bounce Metronome 2.4 if it wasn't erased, then select the drum set into it from the non melodic percussion menu.
Details:
In Bounce Metronome 2.4 and early Bounce Metronome 3.0 betas, part 10 was used only for non melodic percussion instruments. So tunes that needed a melodic tenth part had part 10 erased, so that the notes would be played on part 11 instead.
In Bounce Metronome 3.0, part 10 (or whatever you choose as the non melodic input part) is non melodic percussion for midi input only.This means that when you play notes on part 10 from midi in then they select non melodic percussion instruments according to the note number played, as is usual in General Midi non melodic percussion.
Within Bounce Metronome itself, for Bounce Metronome 3.0, any instrument can now be selected into part 10.
It doesn't matter if on the output side of things, the midi output channel 10 is set aside to play non melodic percussion. The notes for part 10 will automatically be remapped to melodic channels as necessary.
First Highlighted Part - Properties (Ctrl + 176)
Set all the properties for the highlighted part in one go - instrument to play, volume, pitch, stereo pan position, other controllers etc...
This gives a detailed overview of all the settings for one of the parts in the Parts window. Shown for the currently highlighted part, or the first highlighted if there are several parts highlighted there.
How to show the bouncing balls
Choose how to show the bouncing balls as shapes, beat numbers, beat number words, lyrics...
Configure using Type of Ball etc (Ctrl + 221)
IThe disks, stars and polygons give variations in the visual appearance. The stars and polygons can be set to tumble in time with the rhythm and land on points (or land on the edges) or tumble at a fixed tempo.
You can use the beat numbers or number words to count the beats. Configured in the LABELS section of {{w233]]
To show the lyrics for a song choose Lyrics, then edit the drop list and add your lyric to the list. The preset droplist of lyrics includes lullabies and nursery rhymes. The lyrics are only shown for parts with the right number of beats per bar. Other parts are shown as beat numbers.
Showing two styles of bouncing ball at once
In the More version of Type of Ball etc (Ctrl + 221) you can show two styles of bouncing ball at once - choose the option "Show some rhythm parts as" and then set which parts you want to show in the alternative style.
Bounce Patterns
Choose how you want the balls to bounce...
You can set the balls to bounce in many different ways - which of these is best for you depends on how you use the metronome. For details for each option see below (after the Intro).
Intro
You can configure each of these options in detail using Bounce Patterns (Ctrl + 227)
SPECIAL NOTE FOR POLYRHYTHMS such as 3/4 played simultaneously with 4/4. Normally the balls bounce in opposite directions with these rhythms. To bounce in the same direction, unselect "Bounce in opposite directions for polyrhythms" in Bounce Patterns (Ctrl + 227). (Makes no difference for conducting patterns.)
Bounce back and forth, and left to right
ADVANTAGES: These options let you see the position in the bar very easily, and you can easily anticipate the moment of the bounce, which makes it easier to synchronise with the rhythm.
SPECIAL NOTE for the bounce left to right: to make the bounces smooth and continuous, the ball bounces back right to left on the last beat. You can also switch this off in Bounce Patterns (Ctrl + 227) or set it to bounce back on the first beat instead of the last beat.
Bounce - conducting patterns
ADVANTAGES The conducting patterns are especially suitable for a silent metronome. They have evolved over a long period of time to indicate rhythms clearly and crisply, and to help you to anticipate the moment of the beat.
Conducting patterns used here
The bounce patterns used here are the ones recommended by Brock McElheran - see:
McElheran, Brock. "Conducting Technique for Beginners and Professionals ", 1989, New York and Oxford, OUP
In all conducting patterns, you raise the baton high on the last beat of the bar. This is called the up-beat. Then it is dropped vertically to emphasize the first beat of the bar, called the down beat. So you raise the baton high BEFORE the first beat.
This helps you to see where you are in the bar and to anticipate the first beat before it happens.
This style of conducting uses an "invisible horizontal plane" as recommended by Brock McElheran because it makes it easier for performers to anticipate the moment of the beat (particularly if seated to one side of the conductor).
You play the note at the moment when the baton bounces off the "invisible horizontal plane".
Other patterns could be added later
As for the particular pattern - e.g. 3 4 1 2 for 4/4, different conductors may use slightly different bounce patterns.
An alternative for 4/4 is 3 1 4 2 i.e. the conductor's baton bounces over the position of the down beat twice, from 2 to 3 and then back again from 3 to 4.
In the future I plan to add an option to let the user enter their own custom patterns such as 3 1 4 2 etc. Also, to make it as flexible as possible, I will add an option to conduct a bar yourself using the mouse - then record the movements of the mouse and play them back - perhaps simultaneously hitting a key on the keyboard with your other hand so that the program knows exactly when all the beats should be played. This would be fairly easy to program. You could also conduct several measures you want repeated, and hit another keyboard key to indicate the start of each bar.
Let me know if you are keen to see this feature implemented
Do be sure to let me know if you would like this idea implemented, or have any other requests, or suggestions for the future. I listen to your ideas and often features in the program arise from user requests. Contact support@bouncemetronome.com
Bounce inside and outside an oval
ADVANTAGES these options let you see the position in the bar easily and also makes it very easy to see if the rhythm is swung, especially whether the middle beat of the bar is slightly to one side or other of the centre.
With all these patterns, the bounces help us to anticipate the beats
It may also help that we are very familiar with bouncing balls and how they move.
Bouncing balls were used for the "Car-Tunes" movies - for some of the early silent movies, and some of the very first movies with sound. These movies show a bouncing ball bouncing on the lyrics of the tune. This helps the audience sing along with the words shown on the screen:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Car-Tunes
Lyrics for bouncing ball (Ctrl + 230)
Show ball bouncing on the lyrics as for the Song Car Tunes in early movies...
The ball bounces on the lyrics. The shadow helps you to anticipate the next beat exactly. The red highlight shows the word you are singing now, and the next word to sing is highlighted in blue. The metronome plays the beats of the rhythm as the ball bounces.
Lyrics
The preset list has lullabies and nursery rhymes most for 4/4 time...
The lyrics are only shown for parts with the right number of beats per bar. Other parts are shown as beat numbers. When you change rhythm, automatically selects a lyric to fit the current bar if available.
Most of the preset lyrics are suitable for a metronome at 4/4 (4 and 1 beats to a measure)). Some are sutiable for 6/8 or 2/4.
To edit use the Edit Lyrcs drop list button. Or use Edit Lyric and Lyrics Options (Ctrl + 231)
In the future I'll update this so that you can edit the text directly in Bounce Metronome itself - and also easily add your lyric to the drop list - and also have separate files for different lists of lyrics, e.g. you could have separate lists for nursery rhymes, and lullabies or whatever.
Some day I plan to add an option to enter the melody lines as well, probably in abc notation, so that Bounce Metronome can play the tunes for the lyrics.
Subdiv.
Switch on to Count Subdivisions e.g. 1 & 2 & or 1 & a 2 & a etc. - Choose how to count them in How to Count the Beats (Ctrl + 246)...
Subdiv. - DROP LIST
Select whether you want to show conducting patterns for the parts with most beats, least beats, or a selected part...
The ones with most beats are usually the smallest subdivisions and hte ones with least beats the main beats of hte rhythm.
May show a bouncing ball for bar beat parts as well - does that ifI you have Show bar beat ball selected.
For more about this feature and to see how it works, see Conducting Patterns (Ctrl + 247).
This feature is most likely to be used for the conducting patterns. However, you can also use it along with the Show Now buttons in Conducting Patterns (Ctrl + 247) for bounce back and forth, inside oval etc. as well.
Why is this option needed?
Basically it is to reduce visual clutter. Conducting patterns are a bit hard to follow if you have batons for several beats per bar bouncing simultaneously.
It is usually reasonably easy to follow a display with several balls bouncing on each other as they are all bouncing together. Even if you set it to bounce as polyrhythms in opposite directions, still reasonably easy to follow.
But it gets more confusing if you have conducting patterns on top of each other with different numbers of beats for each one because the patterns are often very different depending on the numbers of beats in the bar.
So for the conducting patterns, Bounce Metronome usually auto hides all except one of the patterns. For polyrhythms with subdivisions it auto hides all except one pattern in each of the various independent rhythms involved. E.g. 3:4 both parts with 2 subdivisions, then either conducts the 3 and the 4, or the 3 with 2 subdivisions and the 4 with 2 subdivisions.
When and where do you see this drop list
This drop list is normally hidden in the bouncing balls windows. It is shown if you select conducting patterns.
It is always visible in Conducting Patterns (Ctrl + 247) . This lets you use it manually for the other bounce patterns such as bounce back and forth - using the Show Now button.
It is only auto selected for conducting patterns. I can add an option to auto select for the other (non conductor) bounce patterns as well if anyone needs it - contact me if interested.
Override
When you make a new time signature based rhythm, your selection here can get overriden by another automatic option in the same window: "Show time signature beats per bar parts instead if up to date".
Reason for doing it like this - for some time signatures then the part with most or least beats may not be a good way to find the beats per bar for the time signature.
Particularly that's the case for special polyrhythms with mixed note types set to all tick in lock step so that they all have the same number of beats per bar - which you can do using "Adjust all to same crotchet size and vary bar size to fit" button in Combine Rhythms (Ctrl + 217) in the Polyrhythms with MIXED note types metronome.
In that case all the parts have the same number of beats, and the parts are distinguished instead using Beats Per Measure for Counting System (Ctrl + 248)
Subdiv.
Selected part to show conducting patterns for...
If this is a bar beat and you have the bar beat ball hidden, then finds first non bar beat part.
Of largest
If you want to use the same counting system for e.g. quarter and quavers leave this switched on...
Example. Say you have 4/4 with 4 subdivisions and also 2 subdivisions. With this switched on then the 2 subdivisions get counted as 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & while the 4 subdivisions get counted as (say) 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a . (details depending on the system you use for counting subdivisions)
When switched off then the 4 subdivsions get counted as subdivisions of the 2 subdivisions so as 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & i.e. counting quavers rather than crotchets.
So usually best to leave this switched on.
If you need some more complicated system, you can override all this using Beats Per Measure for Counting System (Ctrl + 248) to say exactly how you want to count each individual part in your rhythm.
