You are not signed in.  Sign In  Search: Go About Rob Birdwell Musical Blog of Rob Birdwell Photo Galleries Copyright and Legal Privacy Feedback / Support Contact Subscribe to our Mailing List Portrait (2007) Highway Robbery Two Voices CD Releases Real Trumpet (Volume 1) Licks on Demand (Audio Loops) Virtual Trumpet Software All Products Music Contracting Services Licks On Demand (Audio Loops) Personal Song Service Personal Jingle Service Send A Musical Message RSS Feeds and Web Services Oliver! Anything Goes Callisto 5 Magdalena The Wizard of Oz Fiddler on the Roof Ragtime Media Lounge XTET The Blowholes Bird From Mars Composer Tools Corvallis Art Beat Community Theatre Real Trumpet Virtual Trumpet Licks On Demand (Audio Loops) Great Trumpet Players History of the Trumpet Trumpet Fingering Chart BirdwellMusic.com RSS Feed Musical Blog of Rob Birdwell News Gigs and Events Calendar Photo Galleries Message Board Discussion Forums Musical Blog of Rob Birdwell RSS Subscription Feeds Subscribe to our Mailing List Site Map Home Products Services Music Trumpet Content Members Search

Virtual Trumpet Help

The Virtual Trumpet is actually an instrument in itself. Like any instrument, you must first "pay some dues" (and I'm not referring to any registration fee) if you want to sound good.  Fortunately, you'll be sounding good right away with Virtual Trumpet!

Familiarize yourself with the input interface (any standard keyboard with a mouse).  The most common key combinations you'll use will be the number pad keys 1, 2, and 3 (these represent the three valves on a trumpet) and the number keys 1 through 8 (and here I'm referring to the number keys with the corresponding !@#$%^&* characters) - these number keys function to shift you through the eight "range pivot positions."  The higher the number, the higher you are in terms of note range on the instrument.

Get to know the fingerings trumpet players use by referencing the Fingering Chart (enable it from the "Options" dialog).  Not only does this chart show you the fingerings for the full and extended range of the Trumpet, it also shows you what "Position" (a "Virtual Trumpet" concept) you you need to be in to play a given series of notes:

Here are the keyboard/mouse combinations used to play the Virtual Trumpet:

• NUM LOCK key must be ON
• NUM PAD keys 1, 2, 3 work the valves
• NUM PAD key 4 will RAISE current note half step
• NUM PAD key 5 will LOWER current note half step
• NUM PAD ENTER key will replay current note
• F6 key will toggle current note octave up, if possible, otherwise down (NUM PAD 6 optional)
• LEFT MOUSE click on form or buttons will replay current note, if any
• Eight buttons represent the "range pivot positions" - each position can play a series of notes
• Mouse focus on a range pivot button shifts to the fingered/open note in that position
• NUMERIC KEYS 1 thru 8 can be used to shift range positions (non-num pad keys)
• ESCAPE or DEL keys will stop note from playing
• Display of asterix (*) indicates valve combination not valid in current position
• Most "false" fingerings (e.g., 3rd valve to play E, A, etc.) are supported
• F1=Help, F2=Options, F3= TogglesMute/Open, F4=Pause/Play Mode, F5=Lick Manager

Here are some tips, tricks and other fun things to try with Virtual Trumpet:

• Click the "Options" button, then click the "MIDI" tab and select some different patches for your "Open" and "Mute" sounds.  All the General MIDI sounds are available.  Now you can play Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, Skakuhachi, et al., using Trumpet fingerings!

• Create a "Lick" using Virtual Trumpet's "Lick Editor" (select "Edit" or double click on the "Lick" from the "Lick Manager") and share it with others (Export the Lick) on the Virtual Trumpet Community site.  If your lick is really hot, send it to me - I'd love to hear it !

• Use "Virtual Trumpet" in your next studio recording - select a cool Harmony that works well with a cool "Lick", combined with Virtual Trumpet's MIDI and Audio playback features, then process the playback with some external audio gear and bingo!  In only a couple minutes you've got your self a horn section playing on your track.  Convert your "Lick" to a stereo .WAV file and use it in Cakewalk or any other sequencer that supports audio playback.

• Combine Audio and MIDI sounds to get a sense of how the trumpet can be used "orchestrally." For example, combine the MIDI Flute patch with the audio "Harmon Mute" to get that "Quincy Jones" sound.

• Click any one of the eight range pivot position buttons, press the TAB key once, then hold it down.  This will cause the focus to shift to each position sequentially, creating a neat arppegiated affect.  This will also work with any valve combinations.  Do a SHIFT+TAB to go the other way. 

Virtual Trumpet - Options

General

Name	Description
Show Range Images	If checked, the range images will be displayed.
Show Fingerings	If checked, the valve fingerings will be displayed.
Show Note Names	If checked, the note name of the note being blown will be displayed.
Show Position Numbers	If checked, the current range position number (1-8) will be displayed.
Show Fingering Chart	If checked, the fingering chart form (floating dialog) will be displayed.
Output Mode	Available choices are:  MIDI Only, Audio Only, MIDI and Audio.  Only registered users can output Audio.
Default Mute	Available choices are:  Open and Harmon.  By default, Virtual Trumpet starts up with the "Open" (no mute) setting.
Enable Licks	If checked, and if a key is pressed that matches the Lick's hot key assignment, the lick with be played.  Otherwise, Lick's are muted.
Lick Manager	Click this button to launch the "Lick Manager" dialog.  This dialog allows you to edit and manage your "licks".  Power users can even create their own "Licks" using the "Lick Editor".  Licks can be imported and exported so you can share them with other Virtual Trumpet players!  NOTE:  You can define a Lick to play at startup (when Virtual Trumpet is launched) by including "(Startup)" in the name of the Lick (no quotes).  If more than one lick has the (Startup) tag in the Lick Name, the first one in the library will be played.  Licks cannot be previewed or played if the "Enable Licks" option is turned off.  You can create/import licks that have the same names.
Global Lick Tempo	"Licks" can have their own tempo, or they can use the "Global Tempo" defined here.
Check For Software Updates	Click this button periodically to check if there's an newer version of Virtual Trumpet.  Registered users can typically upgrade for FREE!

MIDI

Name	Description
Open Patch	Select from a list of General MIDI sounds (or "patches")
Mute Patch	Select from a list of General MIDI sounds (or "patches")
Transpose	Set the numbe of steps to transpose.  For example, to play the patch up an octave, you would set this to 12.  To play the patch down two octaves, set this to -24.
Velocity	Sets how loud the patch will play.  0 is totally silent, 127 is the maximum volume.
Harmony	Set the harmony or shape you want to play with the corresponding patch.  Harmony items have their own MIDI and Audio options.
MIDI Output Port	Select from the list of available MIDI output ports.  A "port" typically translates to what device will receive the MIDI output data transmitted by Virtual Trumpet.  A typical output port is "MIDI Mapper".
MIDI Channel	Select from the list of MIDI channels:  1-16.
MIDI Sustain	Select the number of milliseconds you want MIDI notes to be held.  1000ms is the same a 1 second.

Audio

Name	Description
Open Volume	Select a volume level (0-100) for the "Open" audio output.
Mute Volume	Select a volume level (0-100) for the "Mute" audio output.
Open Harmony	Set the harmony or shape you want to play with the "Open" audio.  Harmony items have their own MIDI and Audio options.
Mute Harmony	Set the harmony or shape you want to play with the "Mute" audio.  Harmony items have their own MIDI and Audio options.

Advanced

Name	Description
Pivot Timeout	Implements a pause when shifting between any position - higher values for slower shifting may make for cleaner output, but harder to play fast passages.
Valve Delay	A higher value will reduce "sloppy" valving - faster rate will allow faster play, but note output might be sloppier.
Articulation Rate	Affects the repeat rate - lower value will produce more notes (e.g., double and triple tonguing), higher rate similar to single tonguing.

This concludes the Help/Tutorial - I hope it has been helpful.  Be sure to register your copy of Virtual Trumpet!  By registering your copy, you have more features (play both audio and MIDI) and you are supporting future versions of the product - additionally, upgrades are FREE for registered users (for same generation versions, e.g., 1.x, 2.x, etc.).

If you have questions about anything at all concerning Virtual Trumpet, feel free to contact me.  It's my hope that you will enjoy playing the Virtual Trumpet, and that it may even encourage some to stick with or take up playing a real trumpet!