MELODY MASTER
#############

MELODY MASTER  is a high perfor-
mance learning tool that's easy, educational
and most of all... fun! Join the electronic rev-
olution and let your own musical creativity
come to life!
State-of-the-art technology now
makes it possible for you to read music, rec-
ognize notes by ear and create anything you
can hear. Try to compose a hit song! Play an
old favorite! Watch your musical dreams take
shape and sound!
You don't have to be a musical whiz to
use and enjoy MELODY MASTER. All you
need is a little imagination. We'll show you
how to make MELODY MASTER  put the
music in you!

Setting Up
----------
* Make sure the console power cord is plugged into a
  120 volt AC 60 cycle electrical outlet.

* Check to be sure the plug for the built-in control panel
  is firmly seated in the control panel outlet on the right.

* Plug the Vectrex Light Pen into the outlet marked
  '2nd PLAYER' (to the left of where the control panel is
  plugged in).

* MAKE SURE THE CONSOLE IS TURNED OFF BE-
  FORE INSERTING THE CARTRIDGE. Insert the MEL-
  ODY MASTER cartridge into the cartridge slot with
  the label side up. Be sure it is firmly inserted to the
  guideline marked on the cartridge.

* Turn the OFF/ON/VOLUME CONTROL to the ON posi-
  tion (clockwise). You will see the Vectrex title for a few
  seconds, then the MELODY MASTER name.

* Adjust the volume control to the desired listening level.

IMPORTANT:

* Adjust the BRIGHTNESS CONTROL (on the back of
  the console) so that the white dot in the center of the
  screen just barely disappears. If the brightness is too
  dim, the Light Pen will not provide maximum
  performance.

Your First Music Lesson
-----------------------
You can enjoy Melody Master even if you don't know
anything about music. Here are all the basic definitions
and the information you'll need to get started on your
musical adventures with Melody Master.
What is a note? Musical notes are symbols for particu-
lar tones or pitches created by sound vibrations For ex-
ample, the note "A" above middle "C" on the piano
vibrates 440 times per second. Higher tones vibrate
faster than lower tones.
What is a key? Musically a key refers to the tonal center
or tonic or root note of a song, depending on the mel-
ody The key is designated by a letter corresponding to
a note. The key of "C" is the most common key
What are musical staffs? For the sake of convenience,
music is written on staffs. The upper staff is the treble
clef symbolized by the symbol at the left of the
staff. In the treble clef the notes written ON the lines are
E, G, B, D and F ("Every Good Boy Deserves Favor")
The notes written in the spaces between the lines are
F, A, C and E ("FACE").

In the bass clef symbolized by the symbol at the
left of the staff, the notes written ON the lines are G, B,
D, F and A, while the notes written between the lines are
A, C, E and G. You'll notice sometimes notes extend
above and below the staffs. The bass clef was created
to make it easier for musicians to read notes that would
have been written so far below the treble clef it would
have been difficult for the players to tell the notes apart.

What is the value of a note? This refers to how LONG
a particular note is played. MELODY MASTER's rhythm
section is built around sixteenth notes. In other words, in
the time it takes a whole note, symbolized by to be
played-there are sixteen drumbeats. Half notes
are equal to eight drumbeats, quarter notes to four
drumbeats, eighth notes to two drumbeats and
sixteenth notes are the equivalent of one drumbeat
each.
What is a rest? Musical rests symbolize periods of
silence. Whole, half, quarter and eighth rests have the
same values as their respective notes.
What is an octave? In Melody Master an octave refers
to the eight note distance between one "C" note and the
next higher or lower "C" MELODY MASTER has a four
octave range, corresponding to octaves 2, 3, 4 and 5 on
the piano The "C" in octave 4 is commonly known as
"middle C" (i.e., the middle note on a piano).

Melody Master Range/Four Octaves
Piano Range/88 Notes

What are sharps and flats? Sharps # refer to notes
a half-tone HIGHER than the nearest whole tone. Flats
b refer to notes a half-tone LOWER than the nearest
whole tone.

(Note that "E" and "F" as well as "B" and "C" are only a
half-tone apart to begin with, which is why there are no E
sharps, F flats, B sharps or C flats.)
As you may have noticed, the black keys on a piano
border two different whole tones. So what are they
sharps or flats? The answer is BOTH. The note between
"C" and "D" is EITHER "C sharp", symbolized by C # or
"D flat" symbolized by Db. Whether they're called "C
sharp" or "D flat" is, again, a matter of musical conve-
nience. The important thing to remember is that they are
the exact same pitch. (NOTE: For convenience, Melody
Master shows only sharps, not flats.)

"C" Chromatic Scale/One Octave

...

How To Begin
------------
Now that you know the basics of music, you're ready to
begin your music adventures. After the Vectrex overture,
a Menu with two selections will appear on the screen.

To make a selection, point the Light Pen at the appro-
priate word and your desired mode will begin. (NOTE:
When pointing the Light Pen at a word, move the pen
across the word slowly until your selection is registered.)

Game Mode
---------
This mode allows you to play two different games, both
designed to help you recognize musical notes. When
you select GAME, a second Menu appears:

GAME 1 is for visual note recognition. GAME 2 is for
audible note recognition.
Again, point the Light Pen at the appropriate word.

The 'Select Key' screen will now
appear. You can decide the key in
which you wish to play the game
by aiming the Light Pen at the
appropriate note on the keyboard.
Then press Button 1 on the control
panel This enters the key and
you're now ready to play
You will see the Songman play a single note, which
will travel along the staff. When the keyboard appears at
the bottom of the screen, aim the Light Pen at the same
note on the keyboard that you think was just played.
Keep the pen aimed at the note until the note appears
on the staff. Be sure to aim the Light Pen only at the note
you want. A careless aim may cause the Light Pen to
pick up a stray (wrong) note.
If you are right, the Songman will reappear and play
the same first note, followed by a second note. When
the keyboard reappears, aim the Light Pen at the first
note until it appears on the staff then do the same for
the second note. If you are again correct, the Songman
will add another note and the game will continue in this
manner until you make an error.
If you make an error the Songman will tell you whether
the note you selected was LOW or HIGH and will begin
the game all over again. Your score, which will be shown
in the upper right hand corner of the screen, is the total
number of notes correctly identified in succession
If you get 10 notes right in succession, you automati-
cally get a "second chance" bonus. For example, let's
say you get 12 notes right and the thirteenth note wrong.
You will get a second chance at trying the same 13-note
series. If you miss again, the Songman will start the
game over. You get a similar bonus at 20 notes, at 30
notes and so on up to 100 notes. (100 notes is the Song-
man's limit.) To exit the game at any time, press Button 4.

Game 2
------
This game is a little tougher because
you will only hear the notes played
by the Songman, but you will not
see them travel along the staff.
Otherwise, the game is played the
same as GAME 1. To exit the game
at any time, press Button 4.

Music Mode
----------
This mode allows you to write and play your own music
in two-part harmony (called 'voices') plus a rhythm sec-
tion (snare drum and cymbal). We're going to take one
step at a time and walk you through some simple exer-
cises. After you've learned the basics, the rest is entirely
up to you. Ready? The world of music is at your
fingertips!
When you select MUSIC, a second Menu appears:

...

Aiming the light pen at the word "EXIT" will take you
back to this menu:

...

Let's start by composing a basic melody. We'll do this on
VOICE 1. Point the Light Pen at 'VOICE 1' and the screen
will now read:

...

This shows that VOICE 1 is turned "off." To activate this
voice (i.e., turn it "on"), and to select the characteristics
of the voice, aim the light pen at 'OFF' and the screen
changes to:

...

Pointing the light pen at "EXIT" takes you back to:

...

By pointing the light pen at the word LOUD, you
can change it to SOFT Pointing the pen at PIANO will
change it to FLUTE. You can also change back
to LOUD or PIANO by aiming the pen at SOFT or
FLUTE, respectively.
When you have selected your desired characteristics
for VOICE 1, point the Light Pen at 'COMPOSE'. The
screen will change to a pair of musical staffs and a part
of the keyboard.

Compose Melody
--------------
Now you're ready to compose! The key will automatically
be in "C" (You can compose in different keys, as de-
scribed later in the "SELECT KEY" section.)
You can select notes from four octaves. To choose
your octave, move the joystick on the control panel to
the left or right to scan up or down the keyboard, re-
spectively. The number on the upper left hand side of
the keyboard shows you in which of these four octaves
you're playing.
When you begin, Melody Master will automatically
register a middle "C" note and notes will automatically
be eighth notes. You can change that note to any
other simply by aiming the pen at the note on the key-
board that you wish to be the first note of your melody.
When you select a note from the keyboard, it will appear
on the right side of the appropriate staff.
When you are sure you have the note you want, press
Button 3 to enter or "lock in" the note. Continue to add
notes in this manner until your melody is complete.
(Don't forget to press Button 3 after your last note to en-
ter that note into the memory.)
For practice, try entering this simple melody (all in
eighth notes) into VOICE 1:

Voice 1 (Octave 4)
...

Play Melody
-----------
When you have finished entering your melody you can
play it back. First press Button 4 to take you to the
menu. Then point the Light Pen at the word 'PLAY'. Your
melody will play through once.

Add Harmony
-----------
You can now add a second musical phrase on VOICE 2.
Aim the Light Pen at the word 'EXIT' to get you back to
the menu. Then point the Light Pen at 'VOICE 2' and fol-
low the same steps as for VOICE 1.

For practice, try entering this simple harmony all in
eighth notes, into VOICE 2:

Voice 2 (Octave 3)
...

When you have entered all the notes you desire on
VOICE 2, you can play back both VOICE 1 and VOICE 2
by pressing Button 4 and aiming the Light Pen at 'PLAY'.

Add Rhythm
----------
Now you're ready to add rhythm. Aim the Light Pen at
the word "EXIT" to get back to the menu. Then point the
pen at the word 'RHYTHM'. Turn the rhythm on by aiming
the Light Pen at the word 'OFF' and use the Light Pen to
choose between a 'LOUD' or 'SOFT' rhythm track. Then
point the pen at the word 'COMPOSE'.

Because your rhythm track will be automatically
placed in a continuous loop, it is not necessary to write
a rhythm track that's the exact same length as your mel-
ody AII you have to do is enter a short rhythmic phrase
(i.e., a "beat") and let the automatic Loop take over.
Press Button 1 and you get a cymbal sound. Press
Button 2 and you get a snare drum sound. Button 3
gives you rests. AII these actions occur as sixteenth
notes. (In other words, there are 16 beats of cymbals/
drums/rests for every whoIe note.)
For practice, try entering the following simple beat
into the RHYTHM track:
CYMBAL REST DRUM REST
(Button 1) (Button 3) (Button 2) (Button 3)
...

Once you've entered the rhythm track, press Button 4
to get to the menu. Then aim the Light Pen at the word
'PLAY' and your entire composition will play back as de-
sired. To stop the music, press Button 4 again.

Select Key
----------
You may wish to compose a song in a key other than
"C" (The key will automatically be in "C" unless you wish
to change it.) To change the key aim the Light Pen at
the letter 'M' (for Menu) found in the middle of the
screen. This gives you the following menu:

...

Aim the Light Pen at the word 'KEY' and the 'Select
Key' screen will appear Point the Light Pen at the note
on the keyboard that corresponds to the key you desire
and press Button 1. This enters the key and takes you
back to the screen with the staffs and partial keyboard.
The key will be shown in the upper left hand corner of
the screen. (The 'ERASE' and 'LOOP' functions are ex-
plained later)

Note Values & Rests
-------------------
Most songs have a variety of note values and rests
rather than just eighth notes that we used in the simple
example above. While you are composing your song,
you can change the value of the note (i.e., how long the
note plays) or make it a rest (no sound for a period of
time) by aiming the Light Pen at the note sign found
in the middle of the screen. The keyboard will disappear
and a series of symbols will take its place.

You will also see the word 'DOT'. Adding a dot to the
note you choose increases the length of this note by half
of its original value. For example, a dotted quarter note
is the same length as three eighth notes. (MELODY
MASTER does not allow you to dot a sixteenth note.) You
can add the dot to a note by aiming the pen at the word
'DOT' You can remove the dot from the note by aiming
the pen at the word "DOT" again. There is no need to
dot a rest.
Choose the value of the note or rest by aiming the
Light Pen at the appropriate symbol. If you want to
change the note itself to a different note, press Button 1
to return the keyboard to the bottom of the screen and
then aim the pen at the new note. When you're sure you
have the note or rest you want, press Button 3. This en-
ters or "locks in" the note or rest and moves it slightly to
the left on the staff.
Note: After the first note of your tune is entered, you
will see an eighth rest (symbol) on the staff. You
can automatically enter the rest simply by pressing But-
ton 3, or you can change the rest to any note or any
other rest by following the instructions above.
Continue to add notes or rests in this manner until
your melody is complete. (Don't forget to press Button 3
each time to enter your notes or rests.)

Editing
-------
If you feel you've made a mistake while entering your
composition or simply change your mind, aim the Light
Pen at the word "EXIT". Then point the Light Pen at
VOICE 1 or VOICE 2 - whichever you wish to change.
Then aim the Light Pen at the word "EDIT" Each time
you press Button 3 your composition will appear on the
screen one note at a time.
To change a note, point the Light Pen at the desired
new note. You can also change the value of the note or
change it to a rest by entering the mode and fol-
lowing the same procedure as when you entered the
note-or rest-the first time through. Press Button 3 to
enter the new note and move it along the staff.
When you're in the edit mode, aiming the Light Pen at
the letter "M" found in the middle of the screen will give
you the "Edit" Menu:

...

Erase
-----
This function appears in both the EDIT mode and in the
COMPOSE mode, Aiming the Light Pen at the word
"ERASE" will give you the "Erase" Menu:

...

If you change your mind and decide not to erase any-
thing, aim the pen at the word "EXIT" which takes you
back to the staffs and keyboard screen.
To erase everything you've entered on VOICE 1,
VOICE 2 or RHYTHM, aim the pen at the appropriate
word, which will take you to that particular track and
show that it is "OFF". To erase all tracks, point the pen at
the word "ALL" which will then disappear Then point the
pen at "EXIT" to get to the menu.

Key.
----
Aiming the Light Pen at the word "KEY" will produce the
"Select Key" screen, which we've discussed earlier.

Delete
------
If you want to remove a note from your composition, you
must first use the "Edit" mode-the staffs and keyboard
screen-to arrive at the note you wish to delete. For ex-
ample, say you have a five-note melody and you wish to
change this to a four-note melody by removing the sec-
ond note in the series.
When this note appears at the right side of the staff
point the Light Pen at the letter "M" found in the middle of
the screen. This gives you the "Edit" Menu. Now aim the
Light Pen at the word "DELETE" and the unwanted note
will vanish. The next note in your composition will then
appear at the right side of the staff and you can con-
tinue to edit.

Insert
------
If you want to add an extra note to your composition, you
must first use the "Edit" mode-the staffs and keyboard
screen-to arrive at the note immediately preceeding
the note you wish to insert. For example, say you have a
four-note melody and you wish to change this to a five-
note melody by adding a new note between the second
and third notes you already have.
When the second note appears at the right side of
the staff, point the Light Pen at the letter "M" found in the
middle of the screen. This gives you the "Edit" Menu.
Now aim the Light Pen at the word "INSERT" and a new
note will appear This new note will be the same as the
note which preceeded it. If you want to alter the tone or
value of this new note, you can do this now in the normal
manner before pressing Button 3 to enter the new note
into the memory.

Editing Rhythm
--------------
If you make a mistake while entering your rhythm track or
simply change your mind, correct the situation by point-
ing the Light Pen at the word "EXIT" and return to the
menu. Then aim the Light Pen at the word "RHYTHM"
This gives you the "RHYTHM" Menu. Aim the Light Pen
at the word "COMPOSE" and start over. Your initial
rhythm track will be automatically erased as you com-
pose over it.

Looping
-------
MELODY MASTER is also capable of creating a musical
loop (i e., a multi-note phrase that repeats indefinitely).
For example, let's say you've entered a four-note musical
phrase on VOICE 1. (Remember you must press Button
3 to enter the fourth note before going any further) In-
stead of pressing Button 4, aim the Light Pen at the let-
ter "M" found in the middle of the screen. This takes you
back to the "COMPOSE" Menu. Now point the Light Pen
at the word "LOOP" This will cause your four-note
phrase to repeat and repeat and repeat... (To stop the
music, press Button 4.)

On/Off Options
--------------
While composing or editing, and during playback, you
can select which tracks you would like to be "ON" or
"OFF." You can also change the characteristics of the
tracks (Loud or Soft, for example).
For example, let's say you've composed a melody on
VOICE 1 but want to turn that voice "OFF" while you
compose harmony on VOICE 2. To switch VOICE 1 "Off",
simply point the Light Pen at "EXIT" to get back to the
menu.

Then, aim the pen at "VOICE 1" When the screen dis-
plays VOICE 1's characteristics, turn the voice "OFF" by
pointing the pen at the word "On" Then aim the pen at
the word "EXIT" to get back to the Menu.

Then aim the pen at VOICE 2 and compose as de-
scribed earlier.

Let's Try A Complete Song!
--------------------------
Now that you know all the features built into Melody
Master you can compose a more interesting tune! Try
the following song -"She'll Be Comin' Round the Moun-
tain.' It includes many different note values and rests on
several octaves. It's even in the key of "F", so don't forget
to follow the "SELECT KEY" instruction before you begin
composing. Don't forget, if you make any mistakes, you
can correct them in the "EDIT" mode. Have fun!

...

A Few Things To Keep In Mind...
-------------------------------
* MELODY MASTER stores up to 130 commands on
  each track. If you attempt to enter 131, the word "OVER-
  FLOW" will flash on the screen for few seconds. The
  screen will then return to the last several notes or rests
  you entered. If this happens, you can either press Button
  4 and you'll return to VOICE 1/NOlCE 2/RHYTHM menu,
  or you can put your composition into a loop, as de-
  scribed earlier You will not lose the information you've
  entered.

* MELODY MASTER does not store your compositions
  indefinitely. When you turn the unit off, everything in the
  system will be lost.

* Most importantly DO NOT REMOVE THE MELODY
  MASTER CARTRIDGE FROM THE CONSOLE WHILE
  THE UNIT IS STILL TURNED ON! Switch the unit off first.

* No matter how you choose to use your MELODY MAS-
  TER, have fun!

90 Day Limited Warranty
-----------------------
This Video Game Cartridge is warranted by General Consumer Elec-
tronics, Inc. to the original consumer purchaser in the U.S.A. for a pe-
riod of 90 days from the original purchase date under normal use and
service against defective workmanship and materials. ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES ARE ALSO LIMITED IN DURATION TO THE NINETY (90)
DAY PERIOD FROM THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE DATE. SOME STATES
DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WAR-
RANTY LASTS. SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO
YOU.

This warranty is void if the GCE Video Game Cartridge has been
damaged by accident, unreasonable use, neglect, misuse, abuse, im-
proper service, modification, subject to commercial use or other
causes not arising out of defects in workmanship or materials and is
limited to electronic and mechanical parts contained in the cartridge.

GENERAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS, INC. SHALL NOT BE LIA-
BLE FOR LOSS OF USE OF THE VIDEO GAME CARTRIDGE OR
OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL COSTS. EXPENSES OR
DAMAGES INCURRED BY THE PURCHASER RESULTING FROM
BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES ON THE
VIDEO GAME CARTRIDGE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EX-
CLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES. SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSIION MAY NOT
APPLY TO YOU

During the warranty period, if found to be defective due to work-
manship or materials, the GCE Video Game Cartridge will at the option
of Gneral Consumer Electronics, Inc. be repaired or replaced with a
new or reconditioned GCE Video Game Cartridge without charge for
parts or labor when returned by Purchaser with proof of purchase
date, shipped prepaid to General Consumer Electronics, Inc. at the fol-
lowing address:

 General Consumer Electronics Inc.
 233 Wilshire Boulevard
 Santa Monica, California 90401

In the event that your GCE Video Game Cartridge is replaced, the
warranty on the replacement will be ninety (90) days from the date of
its return to you.
