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Mastering VAST

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User's Guide

Basic things you need to know to get going

VP works much like the hardware interface. Use your instincts and you will be right 90% of the time.

1. If you haven't done so already, see Getting Started with VASTprogrammer.
2. The VP interface is based on the familiar native Kurzweil hardware interface, with some notable differences described below.
   



3. VP uses an on-demand fetching algorithm; that is, data is fetched from the Kurzweil only when it is required (not when you first start editing an object, for example). Clicking on a screen generally fetches and caches the data for that screen. As the data is fetched it is cached internal to the program. VP uses this cache whenever possible to increase UI responsiveness. This information is stored in a file (known as a .vpo file) so that the next time this object is edited the information is retrieved very quickly (without doing a data fetch from the Kurzweil).

 

 

 

 

4. Screens have hotspots. Clicking on a hotspot navigates the Kurzweil to the proper page and fetches the data, or uses data from the data cache if possible. Fetching data over Sysex is relatively slow, so it is done as little as possible by VP, but be patient the first time you access a page.

 

 

 

 



5. You can type into the type-in area at any time and VP will send either the equivalent text or number of keystrokes to the Kurzweil, depending on what is appropriate at the moment. It is very intuitive; just try it!
   



6. Of course, you can rename objects by typing in the name when using the Kurzweil's "Name" function for an object. When you press <Enter> the name is sent to the Kurzweil. You should immediately see the new name on the screen. Press <Enter> a second time to confirm the change and make it permanent (or <Cancel> if you want, of course). The same is true for filenames and other names throughout the interface.
   
7. Double-clicking on hotspots invokes "Edit"... use your instincts just like the hardware interface.
8. If you have a mouse wheel you can use it to Inc/Dec the value in the selected hotspot. If you don't, you can hold down the SHIFT key and click on the right or left end of the selected hotspot to Inc/Dec values in the identical manner.



9. If goofy things seem to start happening (if you, VP or the Kurzweil gets confused), you can use Sync , and VP will try to get everyone synced-up. If this doesn't help then check your Kurzweil to make sure that it doesn't need rebooted. We're trying to get rid of "goofy" behavior so let me know if you see something consistently.

 

 

10. You can use the Aud checkbox to enable audition mode, in which VP will sound notes each time you edit a parameter. VP transmits this on Channel 1 so if you set the LocalKbdCh parameter on the MIDIMide:RECEIVE page, VP will sound the audition note on the currently selected Program or Setup.

 

 

 



11. There are many commands that can be typed into the type-in area almost anytime. These commands perform infrequently used, but often very important functions. These are described in the remaining sections of the User's Guide.