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Batukeitor docs

Features

Built-in score player

Play / loop / stop buttons can be found in the interface.

You can:

  • Play the entire score.
  • Play the score starting from any section.
  • Play a single section in loop mode to practice.

screenshot

screenshot

Mute instruments

When practicing, you can mute your own instrument and practice with a virtual version of the rest of instruments :)

screenshot

Minimap

A quick view of the structure of the score. screenshot

Simple score editor

Change scores on the fly and hear the result.

(changes can not be saved... sorry!) screenshot

Individual instrument volume control

screenshot

Configurable instruments/tracks

  • 12 configurable instrument tracks with the default pack:
    • DD: Diretor
    • AP: Apito
    • CH: Chocalho
    • AG: Agogô
    • CC: Cincerro
    • CV: Claves
    • TB: Tamborim
    • RP: Repenique
    • CX: Caixa
    • S3: Surdo 3ª
    • S2: Surdo 2ª
    • S1: Surdo 1ª
  • Extra track for Metrónomo (not editable in scores).
  • Not limited to 12 instruments/tracks, you can add as many as your computer can handle.
  • Multiple tracks can be created for each instruments (i.e. 2 different Caixa tracks).
  • New instrument packs can be created and shared amongst crews.

The instruments.yml in the instruments pack allows you to set as many different instruments/tracks and sounds for each instrument as you wish:

instruments:

  CH:
    name: "Chocalho"
    samples:
      "X": "CH_hi.mp3"
      "-": "CH_lo.mp3"
      ".": "CH_lo2.mp3"

  AG:
    name: "Agogô"
    samples:
      "X": "AG_hi.mp3"
      "-": "AG_lo.mp3"

  TB:
    name: "Tamborim"
    samples:
      "X": "TB_hi.mp3"
      "-": "TB_lo.mp3"

  RP:
    name: "Repenique"
    samples:
      "X": "RP_Drumstick_Center.mp3"
      "x": "RP_Drumstick_Edge.mp3"
      "-": "RP_Open_palm.mp3"
      ".": "RP_Closed_palm.mp3"

Please see the instruments docs for more details on instruments.

Easy-to-write scores

Batukeitor scores are formatted as YAML text files for easy editing.

As an example, this fraction of a score file corresponds to 8 beats for an agogô and 3 surdos:

      #   "1---2---3---4---1---2---3---4---"
      AG: "X - X - X- -X - X - X - X- -X - "
      S3: "X X     XX X    X X  X XXX X    "
      S2: "    X       X       X       X   "
      S1: "X       X       X       X       "

Each character corresponds to an eighth note:

  • Where a space is found, no sound will be played.
  • Where a character is found, the corresponding sample for its instrument will be played.

Note there can be multiple different sounds for an instrument. As an example, the repenique has 4 different sounds in the default configuration:

  • X: Drumstick on center
  • x: Drumstick on edge
  • -: Open palm
  • .: Closed palm

The scores allow you to write all independent sections of a song and then define how you will combine them to build the full song:

score:
  intro
  base base base base
  base base base variation
  base base base base
  base base base variation
  end

sections:

  intro:
    tracks:
      #   "1---2---3---4---1---2---3---4---"
      S3: "X   X   X  X  X X     X XXXXXXXX"
      S2: "X   X   X  X  X X     X         "
      S1: "X   X   X  X  X X     X         "

  base:
    tracks:
      #   "1---2---3---4---"
      S3: "  X XXXXXXXXX   "
      S2: "    X       X   "
      S1: "X       X       "

  variation:
    tracks:
      #   "1---2---3---4---"
      S3: "X       XX      "
      S2: "X     X X       "
      S1: "X       X       "

  end:
    tracks:
      #   "1---2---3---4---"
      S3: "X               "
      S2: "X               "
      S1: "X               "

Please note that these scores are simplified, see the Batukeitor YAML score format for more details on scores.

Unlimited number of crews

If you want to manage scores for different crews, just add more crew packs into your data/crews folder, configure them and have each crew own their scores.

You can even provide custom links for crews such as http://mysite.com/tools/batukeitor/?crew=batuqueiros

Please see the crew packs docs for more details on crews.

Easy hosting

No special software is required to host this app (pure HTML/css/js).

You can even create a new folder in your existing web space and install Batukeitor in there :)

Limitations

  • Audio timing is not always perfect (the app is meant for students, not for an audio studio).
  • Current audio samples are not the nicest (but you can change them!).
  • Due to the fixed time nature of the score files, triplets are not available.
  • Time resolution is limited to eighth notes: while sometimes limiting for the repenique and some embelishments, it keeps the scores easy to write/read.
  • Very simple section/score editor.
  • No possibility to save scores in the current editor.
  • Only one combination of sections (song) per score is allowed.
  • No time/volume dynamics available in scores.

About the editor limitations

I know... maybe some day I can make a graphical interface...

In the meanwhile you can use the great MestreJS app to play around with beats until you get what you want to write. Check it out, it's awesome!

The saving scores thing... I might not do this one. It would need some additional software for database, user authentication and so on... I would rather keep this simple :)