/* Sludgeon (v.0.99002)
    by 8CYLINDER
    README Revision date 009.002.2004 
    This README pertains to version 1.0 and earlier 
    See  Sludgeon2_README.txt for information on
    later versions */

This version of Sludgeon and this README are always available at: 
http://rhinoplex.org/8cylinder


Summary:
Sludgeon is a program that generates melodies on a Gameboy using an Arpeggio-style 
interface.  It can be run on any real Gameboy and/or Gameboy emulator.  Other Gameboy 
sound programs, namely Nanoloop and LSDJ, are excellent, powerful programs.  However, 
both require a great deal of time and button presses just to get any sounds and even 
more time and button presses to make significant pattern and parameter changes.  Sludgeon 
was created as a way to quickly generate, play, and modify melodies, particularly for live
performances.  

Sludgeon was coded in C and compiled with GBDK.  Development of Sludgeon 1.0 has stopped.  
See the README for version 2.0 and higher for information on the latest versions.


Instructions:
Sludgeon can play a pattern of notes.  This pattern is controlled by paramters in 
2 screens: Bars and Settings.  Press Select to switch between these screens.

- Bars 
The pattern of notes is set in the Bars screen.  By default, all notes are muted.  
Pressing Start causes sound to start.  Pressing Start while sound is playing causes the
sound to stop and the Play Arrow to reset to the first note in Bar 1.  Pressing Left or 
Right causes the Selection Arrow to select one of the 8 visible Note Sliders or the Bar 
Selector.  If the Selection Arrow is under a Note Slider, pressing Up or Down causes the 
value of the Note Slider to go up or down.  If the Selection Arrow is under the Bar 
Selector, pressing Up or Down cycles through the bars (up to the maximum of 8 bars).

- Settings
The meta-controls for the pattern of notes are in the Settings screen:

--- TMPO: a somewhat close approximation of beats per minute.
--- WAVE: the sound can be set to 1 of 4 different configurations of a square waveform.
--- OCTV: sets the octave the note pattern will be played in.
--- BAR#: the number of bars to play.  This parameter dictates how many bars are actually 
played.  Play starts from Bar 1 to whatever this value is set to.  Once the last note in 
this bar is played, the Play Arrow goes back to the beginning of Bar 1 and continues 
playing (ie, loops).  There is a maximum of 8 bars.
---- PHSE: gain LFO (phase is a bit of a misnomer).  The sound can be made to slowly fade 
in and out as each bar is played.  At 0% (the default) the volume doesn't change.  At 50%,
the volume will fade out and back in over the course of 4 notes (50% of a bar).  At 100%, 
the volume will fade out and back in over the course of 8 notes (100% of a bar).
---- ENV: envelope.  At FWD, the default, the envelope starts at full volume and drops to 
silence.  At REV, the envelope starts at silence and progresses to full volume.  The REV 
setting vaguely resembles the effect of a record playing backwards.

-- Randomizers
The values and states of every Note Slider can be randomly set by pressing the A button 
when the Selection Arrow is under one of the 3 Randomizer parameters.  Once a randomizer 
is actuated, there is no way to undo the action:

--- NTE: notes.  This randomly sets the values of every Note Slider.
--- MTE: mute.  This randomly toggles the mute for each Note Slider on or off.
--- TIE: ties.  This randomly toggles the Note Tie for each Note Slider on or off.

-- Additional Note
Pressing Left and Right causes the Selection Arrow to select a parameter.  Pressing Up or
Down changes the value of the currently selected parameter.  Normally, values increase or 
decrease by 1.  However, while the TMPO parameter is selected, holding A and pressing Up 
or Down changes the value in increments of 20.