Documentation KinTools 0.2.0

                  KinTools 0.2.0 huts@2005

1. Introduction
2. Intallation and Audio Setup
3. Playing Demo
    3.1 Demo Audio File
    3.2 Demo Live (ReWire)
    3.3 Demo Reason (ReWire)
4. Getting Started
    4.1 The KinTools Interface
    4.2 The Bar Control
    4.3 The Arranger View
        4.3.1 Editing in the Arranger View
        4.3.2 Writing in the Arranger View
        4.3.3 Deleting in the Arranger View
    4.4 The Boxes View
5. DSP
6. Configuration
7. ReWire
8. Audio Files
9. Cues
10. Space Windows
11. Audio Input/Output
12. Record
13. Folders
14. Bank
15. Menu Comands
16. Shorctus
17. Contacts

1. Introduction

    KinTool is a tool that allows the sound to be moved in a MULTIPHONIC SONORIC SPACE.
    It is basically a sequencer where "spatial events" are written. These spatial events trigger a sound mixer that will make us perceive the movement of sound in space. Events are the basic building blocks of KinTools.

    The spatial event does not depend on the configuration (audio output through the loudspeakers), so the same information is useful for all of the spatial configurations. The different configurations allow between 4 and 13 loudspeakers (5.1 and 7.1 included). To learn more about... Configuration

    The sound source comes from:
    1- Kin_File: It is the way to listen to files previously recorded with KinTools. To learn more about... Audio Files
    2- Mono_File: 12 mono audio files. To learn more about... Audio Files
    3- ReWire: The sound source comes from outside via ReWire (Propellerhead software). KinTools works as MASTER and the external programme as SLAVE. To learn more about... ReWire

2. Intallation and Audio Setup

Before you install KinTools, make sure your computer fulfills these minimum requirements:

Macintosh System Requirements
    Macintosh G4 or faster.
    256 MB of RAM or more.
    Mac OS 10.2.3 or later.
    Sound card with at least 4 outs.

PC System Requirements
    P III (Pentium 4 is better)
    256 MB of RAM or more.
    Windows XP.
   Sound card with at least 4 outs.

    To install the KinTools software, first read the ReadMe file.

    When you first install KinTools you will have to set the Audio Preferences and Configuration:
        - Open the DSP windows (menu->DSP Status). From the Driver pop-up menu, choose the type of driver you would like to use. To learn more about ... DSP.
        - Open the Configuration windows (menu->Configuration). From the "Output" pop-up menu, choose the configuration "in->out" and test your Audio system "Test Audio Channels" by clicking on different audio channels (If everything is correctly installed, you should hear it through the loudspeakers).
        - Finally from the "Output" pop-up menu, choose the configuration of loudspeakers you would like to use. To learn more about ... Configuration.

3. Playing Demo

    Firstly, to view audio signals and spatial movements you can:
    Open the I/O windows (menu->I/O) to view input or output of the audio signal.
    Open the Space windows (menu->Space) to view the spatial movements of the sound.
    And then:

Demo Audio File

Open the "Demo File" bank (menu->file->open) in the "Bank" folder.
Click on ">" (play) in Control Bar.
    If it does not sound, notice the output configuration of the loudspeakers, the bank uses a configuration 5.1 by default.

Demo Live (ReWire)

You must have Live application.
Open the "Demo Live" bank (menu->file->open) in the "Bank" folder.
Launch the Live application and open any file of Live.
Click on ">" (play) in Control Bar, or play in Live set.
To learn more about... ReWire
    If it does not sound, notice the output configuration of the loudspeakers, the bank uses a configuration 5.1 by default.

    In order to listen to all the tracks that you have in Live you must send each track by a Bus.
Example:
    Track 1: Masters (out) - pan L (it sends by channel 1 to KinTools)
    Track 2: Masters (out) - pan R (it sends by channel 2 to KinTools)
    Track 3: Bus 3/4 (out) - pan L (it sends by channel 3 to KinTools)
    Track 4: Bus 3/4 (out) - pan R (it sends by channel 4 to KinTools)

Demo Reason (ReWire)

You must have Reason application.
Open the "Demo Reason" bank (menu->file->open) in the "Bank" folder.
Launch the Reason application and open any file of Reason.
Click on ">" (play) in Control Bar, or play in Reason.
To learn more about... ReWire
    If it does not sound, notice the output configuration of the loudspeakers, the bank uses a configuration 5.1 by default.

    In order to listen to all the tracks that you have in Reason you must send each track by a Bus (Audio Out).

    (Windows) If your audio is crackling or there are glitches in it, you may want to try increasing the latency setting. To learn more about ... DSP.

4. Getting Started

4.1 The KinTools Interface

    KinTools's interface has been designed to be simple in appearance and intuitive in use. The main KinTools windows are composed of three areas:
    The Control Bar contains global controls for tempo and clock division, tape deck-like transport, and system monitoring.
    The Arrangement view allows you to write, delete and edit spatial events.
    The Boxes allow you to view and edit the spatial events in detail with all the parameters.

4.2 The Control Bar

Transport

The Song Position indicators lets you know where you are in the Arrangement by supplying you with bars and 10 beats (KinTools always works with 10 beats). You can also click and drag on the Song Position field or type a value directly into it to go to any point in the Arrangement.
The " > " and " O " (play, stop) work just like the corresponding buttons on a tape recorder.

Loop Indicator

The Loop Indicator section of the Control Bar allows you to turn the Loop function on/off and change the Loop Position.
The position of the loop (L and R) is also used for the commands (Put
Time, Cut Time and Paste)

Tempo and Time Signature

    You can change the tempo by clicking and dragging up or down on the tempo field, or by double-clicking in the field and typing in a value.
    To the right of the tempo field is the time signature control. You can use this to specify the number of beats per bar and the length of beats. This information is to ReWire and Sound File tempo. Take into account that KinTools always works with 10 beats.
    Immediately to right of time signature are two buttons to clear or write Tempo and Signature events. You must always record any change in order to achieve an effect.

4.3 Arranger View

Overview

The Overview shows you a miniaturized bird's-eye view and the entire of the Arrangement from the beginning to end.
The orange rectangular outline represents the part of the Arrangement that is displayed in the Track Display below. You can jump to new song position by clicking anywhere on the Overview. The present time is marked by a thin vertical line that scrolls across the Overview.

Open/close (Boxes Windows) and (Arranger Wiev)

See Event in Boxes

To see the events in the screen when KinTools is playing.

Mouse position Ch/compas/beat

Start Marker

The Start Marker, the vertical line, allows you to set the point at which the Arrangement starts playing.

Solo/Mute

It affect the audio, as I/O

The Track Display

    The Track Display shows you a time-based overview of your spatial events. There are four different colors with different purposes:
    Blue: normal event.
    Green: random event.
    Red: normal event is selected.
    Pink: random event is selected.

4.3.1 Editing in the Arranger View

Edit is selected

Selecting one Event

    Click on an event box to select the entire event. The selected event properties can then be viewed and changed in the Boxes. Click on an event box and drag the event to another position within the same track, or to another track. You can reduce and increase the length of an event with the mouse cursor by clicking and dragging near the end of the event.

Selecting Events

    In the Arranger View, there are a number of editing methods available for making changes to the selected events.
    Most editing in the Arrange View is selection-based. Making a change is a two-step process:
    1- Select a point in time, an event or several events.
    2- Do something with the selection:

    Cut: removes the selected events from the arrangement.
    Copy: makes a copy of the selected events
    Paste: pastes the copied material in a section of time (position L of Loop).
    Boxes: You can change the properties of all events you have selected.

You can do other operations:

Cut Time: cuts a selection of time (position L and R of Loop) from the Arrangement, thereby moving any event on either side of the cut area closer together in the timeline. This command essentially reduces the length of your Arrangement by whatever amount of time you have cut.
Put Time: put a selection of time (position L and R of Loop) into the Arrangement, thereby increasing its overall duration by the length of time you have copied.

4.3.2 Writing in the Arranger View

Choose "Write" and click into Arranger to create new events in the window. Each new event is drawn as a horizontal straight-line segment on the xy grid by clicking and dragging the mouse. The event will have the default properties that appear in Boxes.

4.3.3 Deleting in the Arranger View

Choose "Delete" and click into one event in Arranger to clear it, or "Clear All" to clear all events.

4.4 The Boxes View

    In Boxes is where you write and change the events properties.

In essence, a event stores:

    1. A spatial position where we place the sound which is defined by the following parameters: Az(x), Dis(y) and El(z).
    2. The duration of the process: Moving from the current spatial position to a new one defined by the parameter Dur.
    3. A way to go to new spatial position: in a straight line or describing a circumference.
    4. Random: All the parameters can be trigger randomly.

Track, Position, Position in Timeline

    - Choose the track
    - "<" Go-select to previous event, "O" restore-select this event, ">" go-select to next event.
    - Current compass and beats (always 10 beats). You can click and choose other position.

Zoom and Radius

- Zoom lens to increase or diminish the physic size that we visualized
in the "Writer of Azimuth and Distance". See down.
- Radius of the circle in meters, it has an effect in the bellow space windows.

Write, Clear

    Click on the "Write" to record:
        - New event, if is a new position.
      - Changes of one event, if it existed.
        - Changes the properties of a group of events if they are selected.

    Click on the "Delete" to clear current event or a group of events if they are selected.

Azimud and Distance writer

Click and draw from inside to outside a new spatial position:
    - Only one click and so, one position.
    - Click and draw to the right side, you’ve chosen an area where sound can be moved.
    - Click and draw to the left side, you’ve chosen the whole circle where sound can be moved.

    The thickness of the arc represents the Distance (meters) of the sound from the centre.

    If the random options isn’t checked Distance will use as default value the low one.

    If the random options isn’t checked Azimud will use as default value the first one.

Viewing Azimud and Distance

The arc you draw in Azimud and Distance Writer is visualiced here. Azimud in degrees and Distance in metres.

Way and Random

Way X has three parameters:
    - up: go to the new position in a straight line.
    - middle: go to the new position by the LEFT side, while keeping the distance it describes a circumference.
    - down: go to the new position by the RIGHT side, while keeping the distance it describes a circumference.
If the random isn’t checked, only one value must be checked.

Way Y has two parameters:
    - up: go to the new position in a straight line.
    - down: go to the new position by the HIGH part, while keeping the distance it describes a circumference. Your loudspeakers must be above in your in your configuration.
If the random options isn’t checked, only one value must be checked.

    Random: check boxes and the parameter will work randomly.

    The events in KinTools can perform one action or perform actions automatically at random. If a random action is checked (the event will appear green in the Arranger) KinTools will trigger automatically until another event arrives in the timeline.

Duration and Elevation

    Click and draw. Shift-clicking extends the range instead of replacing it.
    Duration in beats (10 beats per compass)
    Elevation in meters.
    If the random isn't checked the low value is the current value.

Viewing Azimud, Distance, Elevation, Duration, X and Y

These parameters display the current spatial action.

5. DSP Status

All global audio parameters in KinTools are displayed in the DSP Status windows

This pop-up menu turn the audio on and off.

    This pop-up menu allows you to view and select an audio driver:

    None: This setting shuts off KinTools audio processing

    Core Audio: This is the default audio driver for KinTools on Macintosh.

    ad_mme or ad_directsound: (Windows only) On Windows, KinTools loads the MME driver by default. If your hardware supports DirectSound, it should also appear as an option on the pop-up menu.
    Both MME and Directsound drivers include settings for Thread Priority and Latency.
If your audio is crackling or there are glitches in it, you may want to try increasing the latency setting. This has the disadvantage of making your audio feel less responsive in real time, but it will allow the audio driver more time to work on the extra audio demands you have placed on it.
    If your system is slow in other areas—such as screen redrawing or general timing accuracy—you may wish to decrease the thread priority of the audio driver.

    ASIO: (Windows only) If you have a third-party audio interface which supports ASIO.
    Only one audio driver can be selected at any given time. KinTools saves the settings for each audio driver separately and will recall the last used audio driver when you restart it.

You can set the audio sampling rate with the Sampling Rate pop-up menu, if the audio card allows it.
For full-range audio, the recommended sampling rate is 44.1 kHz. If your computer is struggling at 44.1 kHz, you should try a lower rate.

    The I/O Vector Size may have an effect on latency and overall performance. A smaller vector size may reduce the inherent delay between audio input and audio output

    The Signal Vector Size is how many audio samples KinTools calculates at a time. This can be less than or equal to the I/O Vector Size, BUT NOT MORE.

    We recommend setting the I/O vector size to 128 samples.

On = audio processes have a priority over graphic processes.
Overdrive generally improves timing accuracy, but there may be exceptions, and some third-party software may not work properly when Overdrive is enabled.

On = Only for Mac G4 (Altivec). It processes 4 samples on one instruction.

Limit of the percentage used from the CPU

Configure audio devices.

I/O Mappings are saved for each audio driver.

6. Configuration

In these windows you can set all parameters of input source, loudspeakers and test your system.

    - Tracks: choose the number of tracks you want to work with.

    - Input: Audio input
        Kin_File: One audio file. 13 signal outlets maximum.
        Mono_File: 12 mono audio files.
        ReWire: It works as Master. 12 channels. more... ReWire

    - Output: Audio Output. Configuration of loudspeakers.
         E.g.: 6-4 = 6 loudspeakers down, 4 loudspeakers above.
         E.g.: 5.1 st = 5 loudspeakers down.
         .1 = subwoofer.
         st = 2 loudspeakers (stereo).

        E.g.: in->out = One KinTools Audio File.

Estimation of cpu utilization.

%20picts/

KinTools divides the loudspeakers configuration in two levels: the listener level and another level at a specific height (4-20 mts)
It is advisable that the loudspeakers at a specific height have a radius smaller than the loudspeakers at the listeners level.

Loudspeakers listener’s level and channel.

Loudspeakers at specific height and channel.

Choose the device Rewire. It is active if “Input Rewire” has been chosen.
more... ReWire

Crossover frequency

Radio: distance in meters, among loudspeakers at listeners level.
Limit: audible limit of sound (moving out of the radius)

Taking into account that the configuration of 5.1 system has different degrees.

    Test your audio system by clicking on different audio channels

7. ReWire

    Any ReWire-capable applications installed on your computer will show up as possible inputs. This allows you to directly pipe audio from open ReWire applications into KinTools.
    KinTools works as MASTER and the external programme as SLAVE. Maximum 12 channels.

THE CONNECTION PROCCES MASTER-SLAVE MUST BE DONE BY FOLLOWING THE NEXT STEPS:

    1- First launch KinTools.
    2- Open Device (menu/configuration, Input "ReWire" and ReWire Device "the slave programme" has to be activated).
    3- Launch the slave application.

When you are finished, you also need to quit the applications in a special order:

    1- First quit the slave application.
    2- Then quit KinTools.

    In order to send each audio track of the slave program to KinTools;
    Example in Live:
    Track 1: Masters (out) - pan L (it sends by channel 1 to KinTools)
    Track 2: Masters (out) - pan R (it sends by channel 2 to KinTools)
    Track 3: Bus 3/4 (out) - pan L (it sends by channel 3 to KinTools)
    Track 4: Bus 3/4 (out) - pan R (it sends by channel 4 to KinTools)

8. Audio Files

    KinTools supports the following audio files: AIFF, WAV, NeXT/Sun, Sound Designer II (only Mac)

    IMPORTANT:

    Taking into account that the audio files are recorded in a specific TEMPO.
To fix a tempo as initial reference for all the files of a bank:
    1- Set the wanted tempo and beat.
    2- Save as…: record the bank.
    3- Open: open the bank.

To work with Mono File or Kin File you choose in input ... Configuration

    Every file is an independent audio track

Mono File

    Open: you can load 12 audio mono files.
    Startat: starting point of the audio on milliseconds.
    Close: clear the current file.

Kin File

    You usually use this to listen to audio files you have recorded with KinTools.
    Open: you can load one audio file, with a maximum of 13 signal outlets .
    ch: it shows the number of channels of a polyphonic audio file.
    close: clear the current file.

9. Cues

    New: create a Cue in the current beat
    clear: erase the current cue.
    Clear all: all is cleared

10. Space Windows

    In this window you view the spatial movements of the sound in the space.
    Internal circle: sound visualization inside de physical space (among loudspeakers) defined by the “radius” (Menu/Configuration).
    Zoom and mute only affect the visualization.

11. Audio Input/Output

Level and volume adjustment in decibels (-99/157).
s/m: solo and mute.

Choose to visualize the audio input and output levels.

12. Record

Steps to follow:

    Click play/stop on the recording.
    KinTools records one Polyphonic Audio File. After recording it, change the configuration to listen to it and …more... Audio Files

    KinTools can record the following audio file types: AIFF, WAV.
    The number of channels is chosen while the configuration is performed.

13. Folders

    Bank: In this folder you save your bank. In a bank you save all events, configurations and parameters of your work.

    Sound: In this folder you must save your Audio files. THIS IS IMPORTANT, because KinTools search in this folder when it loads one bank that has audio files.

14. Bank

    Bank "Untitled" keeps the configuration by default (File/New). You can change the configuration by default: you can open a new project (File/New), set the wanted configuration and save it (File/Save).

    Bank "temp.kntb": KinTools does a backup of your work every 10 minute.

    (Windos) You can associate a Bank of KinTools so that when click in the Bank opens KinTools and the Bank was loaded directly. Click in the document (Demo for example) and chooses KinTools so that it opens it.

    In Macintosh this option comes by default.

15. Menu Comands

The File Menu

New             Open a bank with the default adjustments
Open            Open a bank of KinTools
Save             Save the current bank of KinTools
Save As...    Open the browser to save the current bank of KinTools
Open As... Open a bank of KinTools 0.1

The Edit Menu

Undo            Nothing
Redo          Nothing
Copy           Copy the contens of Status Windows
Cut            Cut the contens of Status Windows
Paste         Pastes the contens of clipboard
Clear Nothing

KinTools prints the errors that can occur in "Status Widows". You can cut and paste the contents
to send for support.

16. Shorctus

On the keyboart the key:
    - "space" = play/stop
    - "<-" ; go-select to previous event (Boxes).
    - "->" ; restore-select this event (Boxes).
    - "^" ; go-select to next event (Boxes).
    - "Borrar" ; clear current event or a group of events if they are selected.

17. Contacts

www.kineticsoundsystem.com
support@kineticsoundsystem.com
bugs@kineticsoundsystem.com
suggestion@kineticsoundsystem.com

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