Beatnik Audio Engine - Revision history

Fusoxide at 17:07, 20 December 2024

2024-12-20T17:07:43Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:07, 20 December 2024
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	'''Beatnik Audio Engine''' (BAE), previously known as '''SoundMusicSys''' and later '''Headspace Audio Engine''', is a software synthesizer developed by Beatnik. Its soundbanks are stored in the proprietary Headspace Sound Bank (.hsb) format. It supports various formats, including Rich Music Format (.rmf, Beatnik's proprietary MIDI-based format with support for audio samples), MIDI, WAV, AIFF, MP3, SD2, and AU.<ref name=Beatnik/>		'''Beatnik Audio Engine''' (BAE), previously known as '''SoundMusicSys''' and later '''Headspace Audio Engine''', is a software synthesizer developed by Beatnik. Its soundbanks are stored in the proprietary Headspace Sound Bank (.hsb) format. It supports various formats, including Rich Music Format (.rmf, Beatnik's proprietary MIDI-based format with support for audio samples), MIDI, WAV, AIFF, MP3, SD2, and AU.<ref name=Beatnik/>

	The engine features 64-voice polyphony by default. Soundbanks include three banks comprising 128 instruments: Bank 0 ([[General MIDI]]), Bank 1 (Beatnik Special) features unique patches designed by Beatnik, and Bank 2 (Custom) can be used by the user for custom instruments. It also includes support for reverb and chorus effects.<ref name=Beatnik/> '''Beatnik Editor''' is Beatnik's software used for authoring music with BAE.		The engine features 64-voice polyphony by default. Soundbanks can include up to three banks comprising 128 instruments: Bank 0 ([[General MIDI]]), Bank 1 (Beatnik Special) features unique patches designed by Beatnik, and Bank 2 (Custom) can be used by the user for custom instruments. It also includes support for reverb and chorus effects.<ref name=Beatnik/> '''Beatnik Editor''' is Beatnik's software used for authoring music with BAE.

	BAE was originally developed by Steve Hales and Jim Nitchals at the video game company Halestorm in 1991, under the name SoundMusicSys. It was used in several Mac video games to play MIDIs, using their own custom samples. As it was not released standalone publicly, it does not have a built-in soundbank. Hales and Nitchals transferred the technology to Igor's Software Labs (aka IgorLabs), and a more sophisticated version of SoundMusicSys was shipped on WebTV devices in 1996 as well as BeOS. Following this, Beatnik (then known as Headspace) acquired the engine, renamed it to Headspace Audio Engine (and subsequently Beatnik Audio Engine) and launched it as a browser plug-in named Beatnik Player. It was also included in Java Runtime Environment.		BAE was originally developed by Steve Hales and Jim Nitchals at the video game company Halestorm in 1991, under the name SoundMusicSys. It was used in several Mac video games to play MIDIs, using their own custom samples. As it was not released standalone publicly, it does not have a built-in soundbank. Hales and Nitchals transferred the technology to Igor's Software Labs (aka IgorLabs), and a more sophisticated version of SoundMusicSys was shipped on WebTV devices in 1996 as well as BeOS. Following this, Beatnik (then known as Headspace) acquired the engine, renamed it to Headspace Audio Engine (and subsequently Beatnik Audio Engine) and launched it as a browser plug-in named Beatnik Player. It was also included in Java Runtime Environment.
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	===Patches / Patches111 / Patches300===		===Patches / Patches111 / Patches300===
	There are at least four versions of this bank. Patches is the default soundbank included with Beatnik Editor 2.x and Player 2.x, later versions of Java 2 Runtime Environment, and as one of three banks in later versions of BeOS. It is a compressed version of the 1.2 MB soundbank Patches111, which appears in Beatnik Editor 1.x and Player 1.x. Patches300 (also known as patchesp or Bitheadz), a 7.5 MB soundbank based on Patches111, also shipped in a later version of BeOS. A further compressed version of Patches appears on WebTV Plus, AOLTV, and MSN TV devices.		There are at least four versions of this bank. Patches is the default soundbank included with Beatnik Editor 2.x and Player 2.x, later versions of Java 2 Runtime Environment, and as one of three banks in later versions of BeOS. It is a compressed version of the 1.2 MB soundbank Patches111, which appears in Beatnik Editor 1.x and Player 1.x. Patches300 (also known as patchesp or Bitheadz), a 7.5 MB soundbank based on Patches111, also shipped in a later version of BeOS. This version has entirely new samples for piano and some percussion. A further compressed version of Patches appears on WebTV Plus, AOLTV, and MSN TV devices.

			All four versions of the bank include the three supported banks, featuring the same instruments but sometimes with lower quality samples or different samples altogether. While Banks 0 and 1 are read-only, Bank 2 features 128 empty instruments that can be edited by the user, either using custom or built-in samples. These custom instruments can be included in RMF files, so the same instruments will play regardless of whatever soundbank the engine is using.

	====Beatnik Special sound set====		====Beatnik Special sound set====

Fusoxide: using module infobox for now

2024-12-20T14:16:35Z

using module infobox for now

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:16, 20 December 2024
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	'''Beatnik Audio Engine''' (BAE), previously known as '''SoundMusicSys''' and later '''Headspace Audio Engine''', is a software synthesizer developed by Beatnik. Its soundbanks are stored in the proprietary Headspace Sound Bank (.hsb) format. It supports various formats, including Rich Music Format (.rmf, Beatnik's proprietary MIDI-based format with support for audio samples), MIDI, WAV, AIFF, MP3, SD2, and AU.<ref name=Beatnik~~>Beatnik Editor 2.1 User's Guide.<~~/~~ref~~>		{{Infobox module
			\| name = Beatnik Audio Engine
			\| type = Software synthesizer
			\| manufacturer = Beatnik
			\| releasedate = 1991 (SoundMusicSys)<br>1997 (Beatnik Audio Engine)
			\| standards = [[General MIDI]]<ref name=Beatnik>Beatnik Editor 2.1 User's Guide.</ref>
			\| maxpoly = 64
			\| numparts = 16
			\| numpresets = '''384 (total)'''<br>128 (General MIDI)<br>128 (Beatnik Special)<br>128 (Custom)
			\| drumpresets = '''3 (total)'''
			\| effects = Reverb, Chorus
			\| successor = [[miniBAE]]
			}}

			'''Beatnik Audio Engine''' (BAE), previously known as '''SoundMusicSys''' and later '''Headspace Audio Engine''', is a software synthesizer developed by Beatnik. Its soundbanks are stored in the proprietary Headspace Sound Bank (.hsb) format. It supports various formats, including Rich Music Format (.rmf, Beatnik's proprietary MIDI-based format with support for audio samples), MIDI, WAV, AIFF, MP3, SD2, and AU.<ref name=Beatnik/>

	The engine features 64-voice polyphony by default. Soundbanks include three banks comprising 128 instruments: Bank 0 ([[General MIDI]]), Bank 1 (Beatnik Special) features unique patches designed by Beatnik, and Bank 2 (Custom) can be used by the user for custom instruments. It also includes support for reverb and chorus effects.<ref name=Beatnik/> '''Beatnik Editor''' is Beatnik's software used for authoring music with BAE.		The engine features 64-voice polyphony by default. Soundbanks include three banks comprising 128 instruments: Bank 0 ([[General MIDI]]), Bank 1 (Beatnik Special) features unique patches designed by Beatnik, and Bank 2 (Custom) can be used by the user for custom instruments. It also includes support for reverb and chorus effects.<ref name=Beatnik/> '''Beatnik Editor''' is Beatnik's software used for authoring music with BAE.

	BAE was originally developed by Steve Hales and Jim Nitchals at the video game company Halestorm in 1991, under the name SoundMusicSys. It was used in several Mac video games to play MIDIs, using their own custom samples. Hales and Nitchals transferred the technology to Igor's Software Labs (aka IgorLabs), and a more sophisticated version of SoundMusicSys was shipped on WebTV devices in 1996 as well as BeOS. Following this, Beatnik (then known as Headspace) acquired the engine, renamed it to Headspace Audio Engine (and subsequently Beatnik Audio Engine) and launched it as a browser plug-in named Beatnik Player. It was also included in Java Runtime Environment.		BAE was originally developed by Steve Hales and Jim Nitchals at the video game company Halestorm in 1991, under the name SoundMusicSys. It was used in several Mac video games to play MIDIs, using their own custom samples. As it was not released standalone publicly, it does not have a built-in soundbank. Hales and Nitchals transferred the technology to Igor's Software Labs (aka IgorLabs), and a more sophisticated version of SoundMusicSys was shipped on WebTV devices in 1996 as well as BeOS. Following this, Beatnik (then known as Headspace) acquired the engine, renamed it to Headspace Audio Engine (and subsequently Beatnik Audio Engine) and launched it as a browser plug-in named Beatnik Player. It was also included in Java Runtime Environment.

	During 1999-2000, an optimized version of BAE was created for devices such as mobile phones, known as [[miniBAE]]; this first shipped on the Nokia 3510, released in 2002. A rewritten version called [[mobileBAE]] was released in 2002. Instead of HSB and RMF, it uses the more standard Downloadable Sounds (.dls) format for banks, and Extensible Music Format (.xmf) respectively.		During 1999-2000, an optimized version of BAE was created for devices such as mobile phones, known as [[miniBAE]]; this first shipped on the Nokia 3510, released in 2002. A rewritten version called [[mobileBAE]] was released in 2002. Instead of HSB and RMF, it uses the more standard Downloadable Sounds (.dls) format for banks, and Extensible Music Format (.xmf) respectively.

Fusoxide: /* Patches / Patches111 / Patches300 */

2024-12-19T20:22:07Z

Patches / Patches111 / Patches300

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 There are at least four versions of this bank. Patches is the default soundbank included with Beatnik Editor 2.x and Player 2.x, later versions of Java 2 Runtime Environment, and as one of three banks in later versions of BeOS. It is a compressed version of the 1.2 MB soundbank Patches111, which appears in Beatnik Editor 1.x and Player 1.x. Patches300 (also known as patchesp or Bitheadz), a 7.5 MB soundbank based on Patches111, also shipped in a later version of BeOS. A further compressed version of Patches appears on WebTV Plus, AOLTV, and MSN TV devices.
-====Bank 1 sound set====
+====Beatnik Special sound set====
-The following patches are included in Bank 1 of all versions of the soundbank. Although many of these correlate with the corresponding instruments in General MIDI, others deviate.
+The following patches are included in Bank 1 (Beatnik Special) of all versions of the soundbank. Although many of these correlate with the corresponding instruments in General MIDI, others deviate.
 <div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap;">
@@ Line 359: / Line 359: @@
 </div>
 ===big_synth / soundbank-min / soundbank-mid===

Fusoxide: info about soundbanks - some details might be incorrect or fuzzy, but i tried

2024-12-19T19:06:40Z

info about soundbanks - some details might be incorrect or fuzzy, but i tried

Show changes

Fusoxide: a start. I'd like to document the Bank 1 patches and effects info later for example

2024-12-19T17:11:17Z

a start. I'd like to document the Bank 1 patches and effects info later for example

New page

'''Beatnik Audio Engine''' (BAE), previously known as '''SoundMusicSys''' and later '''Headspace Audio Engine''', is a software synthesizer developed by Beatnik. Its soundbanks are stored in the proprietary Headspace Sound Bank (.hsb) format. It supports various formats, including Rich Music Format (.rmf, Beatnik's proprietary MIDI-based format with support for audio samples), MIDI, WAV, AIFF, MP3, SD2, and AU.<ref name=Beatnik>Beatnik Editor 2.1 User's Guide.</ref>

The engine features 64-voice polyphony by default. Soundbanks include three banks comprising 128 instruments: Bank 0 ([[General MIDI]]), Bank 1 (Beatnik Special) features unique patches designed by Beatnik, and Bank 2 (Custom) can be used by the user for custom instruments. It also includes support for reverb and chorus effects.<ref name=Beatnik/> '''Beatnik Editor''' is Beatnik's software used for authoring music with BAE.

BAE was originally developed by Steve Hales and Jim Nitchals at the video game company Halestorm in 1991, under the name SoundMusicSys. It was used in several Mac video games to play MIDIs, using their own custom samples. Hales and Nitchals transferred the technology to Igor's Software Labs (aka IgorLabs), and a more sophisticated version of SoundMusicSys was shipped on WebTV devices in 1996. Following this, Beatnik (then known as Headspace) acquired the engine, renamed it to Headspace Audio Engine (and subsequently Beatnik Audio Engine) and launched it as a browser plug-in named Beatnik Player.

During 1999-2000, an optimized version of BAE was created for devices such as mobile phones, known as [[miniBAE]]; this first shipped on the Nokia 3510, released in 2002. A rewritten version called [[mobileBAE]] was released in 2002. Instead of HSB and RMF, it uses the more standard Downloadable Sounds (.dls) format for banks, and Extensible Music Format (.xmf) respectively.

== External links ==
*[https://github.com/zefie/BeatnikProject2019 BeatnikProject2019]
*[http://onj3.andrelouis.com/phonetones/Software%20and%20Soundbanks/Software/Beatnik%20Editor.zip Beatnik Editor 2.1]

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Beatnik]]
[[Category:General MIDI devices]]