SSEYO Koan Plus Fabulous ever-changing Mood Music from your computer ==================================================== You won’t believe your ears! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Koan Plus has been specially designed to let you play ever-changing and free-flowing harmonious background music, for use while you work or just to chill out to. As the Koan Music Engine composes its music in real time, whenever it plays it will be different - a real musical kaleidoscope; pieces can even include pre-set 'seed' melodies. Koan Plus comes with 10 Koan pieces for you to play(*), 10 MIDI file recordings of these pieces and 10 studio mastered mood music tracks, recorded whilst saving the Koan pieces output to the MIDI files above - giving you an hour of mood music on CD too! (*) The pieces Koan Plus plays are created in Koan Pro, the Koan authoring system. It’s non-intrusive...... ++++++++++++++++++++++++ There is enough to demand your attention these days, isn’t there? Everything under the sun seems to want your attention, and computer games are a good example of that. The music created by Koan Plus is non-intrusive and provides a soothing background in which you get on with your daily tasks. You could even say it is an ‘earsaver’. .....yet expressive, too ++++++++++++++++++++++++ It also sounds very natural and expressive, not at all like you would expect computer generated music to sound. We have created the product with just this in mind, to make the music expressive, subtle, ever-changing and intriguing and we think we have succeeded - and so do other people. All that said, Koan music is not meant to replace existing music but to extend the musical capabilities of your computer, allowing you to enjoy music in new and exciting ways. Copyright free music? Authors can relinquish their rights. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Koan Plus has a built in facility to allow recording of Koan piece outputs to a MIDI file. Authors can choose when they write a piece to allow you to make MIDI file recordings of it. They can also choose to waive any rights they may have to MIDI file or other recordings made of their piece (8 of the 10 pieces supplied with Koan Plus are supplied with this waiver)- this information is shown in the piece notes dialog (shown opposite). When you make a recording in this instance we believe you own the copyright to that recording(**) , so you can use it anywhere. Imagine you have a multimedia project you are working on. Maybe you just don’t have the time to first choose an appropriate piece of background music and then get the author’s consent to use it. Or maybe you know of a piece you like but you just don’t want the risk of ‘pinching’ that piece and getting caught later. Making MIDI file recordings of (rights waivered) Koan pieces takes away the worry and confusion over copyright - you record it, you own it. It is that easy. (**) Although SSEYO believes this to be the case it can provide no warranties whatsoever as to the legality of this statement and we recommend you seek a qualified legal opinion. Visually appealing Windows application ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Koan Plus is not just great ambient music news, it's a great looking application too. We have given you a number of modules so that you can easily load your pieces, put them into albums of your choice and then play them. Each piece has its own description that you can read, provided by the author. You can see the way the music changes with the Analyser module. Its bars move in time with the music, reflecting the changes as they happen; you can see the MIDI line usage or the range of notes that are used. Most importantly of all, where would I use it? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Koan Plus will come in handy for a number of things. Obviously it's a great looking addition to your Windows desktop! On a more serious note, most people don’t like complete silence all the time while they work or play. They certainly don’t always want to have a radio on - which can be quite distracting - or to hear those same old CDs time and time again. Instead, sometimes try having Koan music on in the background, it makes a great change. Also, use MIDI file recordings of the music for your own multimedia ventures. If your soundcard supports Text to Speech, try having it play while your computer talks to you for a completely new and exciting experience. Or, you may simply want to extend your use of your soundcard investment and make more use of it in new and exciting ways. Where to get more pieces for your Koan Plus software ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The pieces Koan Plus plays are created in Koan Pro, which is the Koan authoring system. SSEYO will be creating more pieces for your enjoyment and these should be available through the distributor from whom you purchased your Koan Plus software. Independent artists will also be releasing their own pieces and you should also be able to find an increasing number of try-before-you-buy Koan pieces on a number of bulletin boards. The other alternative is to buy a copy of Koan Pro and create your own! Please contact SSEYO for further information on distributors and product availability. Koan music ========== An unique new type of music +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Good music has traditionally been thought of as being pre-composed and completely pre-defined. Not so with Koan music. Koan music is created for you as you listen to it or have it playing. It will ebb and flow just like real music too, and this is because of the novel way we have designed it. Koan music is unique in its approach. For instance, the most commonly used method to create ‘generated’ music was developed by Mozart. He created a system of automatic composition which required the use of a fairly large set of (generally short) musical phrases of a fixed length. He would roll a dice to determine in which order he should string them together. The result was generally quite reasonable, but fairly limited in expression. Koan Plus does not use the ‘rolled dice’ principle at all to create its music. Koan ‘pieces’ instead can use over 80 specially designed variable controls which influence its music. The values of these controls are written into the Koan piece by its author, who created it with Koan Pro, and they change the notes and melodies played in many special ways. They are what allow the creation of music that it smooth, non-intrusive, and natural sounding. When you play back a Koan piece it interprets all the special information the author has crafted into the piece - there and then, just for you. The closest analogy to the Koan products is that of an Aeolian harp, where the wind ‘plucks’ its strings in an uncertain and changing manner, thus producing quite ‘ethereal’ music. Koan music can be ethereal or more down to earth, depending on what the author wants. Another comparison we would make of the Koan products would be that they could be seen as the aural equivalent of a log fire - and we all know how entrancing and calming it is to look into a glowing, burning fire. PC Requirements: ++++++++++++++++ Minimum (for non-rhythmic pieces - 5 included) · 386 DX 33MHz PC · 2Mb RAM · DOS 3.0 or later · Windows 3.1 · Mouse · 3.5" 1.44Mb floppy drive for installation · 2Mb free hard disk space · A PC sound card/MIDI interface with an installed Windows MIDI driver Strongly Recommended (for all pieces - 10 in total) · 486 33MHz PC (or greater) · 4Mb RAM · DOS 5.0 · Windows 3.1 · Mouse · 3.5" 1.44Mb floppy drive for installation · 3Mb free hard disk space · PC soundcard/ MIDI interface with MIDI Mapper support and with the best quality sound synthesizer - Wavetable or LA Included: +++++++++ Koan Plus software, 10 Koan pieces and 10 MIDI files, provided on a 3.5" HD floppy disk. 10 studio mastered mood music tracks, recorded whilst saving the Koan pieces output to the MIDI files above, provided on audio CD - plus a free bonus audio track. Price information: ++++++++++++++++++ Koan Plus is retailing at 29.78 pounds + VAT and Koan Pro (which is expected to be available in Jan 1995) will be 99 pounds + VAT. Note: Your software license covers you for all personal use of Koan Plus. However, Non-attended ‘live’ playing of Koan Plus software or its use for broadcast purposes requires a separate license. Please contact SSEYO for further information. Koan, SSEYO and the SSEYO Logo are all trademarks of SSEYO Ltd. Other products mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers. Specifications may change without notice. © Copyright 1994 SSEYO Ltd. All rights reserved. UK and Republic of Ireland Distributor details: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Koch Media East Street Farnham Surrey GU9 7XX UK Tel: 01252 714240 Fax: 01252 711121 For product availability elsewhere contact: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SSEYO Ltd, PO Box 29, Beaconsfield, Bucks, United Kingdom HP9 1EB Tel: +44 (0)1494 671257 Fax: +44 (0)1494 671258 Internet: koaninfo@sseyo.demon.co.uk Compuserve: 100317,302