Importing and Exporting Your Sounds with the Beatnik Editor or Convertor

OK. Now that you have your sound file edited down it's time to use the tools that Beatnik provides. It will not only convert your media file type into the proprietary .rmf format, but apply the audio compression format of your choice as well. For this example we are going to choose the MP3 format.

1. If you haven't done it yet, go down to the Toolbox below and download the Beatnik Editor for Macintosh or the Beatnik Converter for your PC. Follow the instructions and install the program onto your computer.
2. You must start a new session, then name it and save it to the desired location on your hard drive.
3. After you have the program open and you've started a new session, go up to the File menu and drag down to Import. Choose the audio file that you want to import into the Beatnik Editor. Your sound file is now a sample that should appear in the Samples window.
4. If you double-click on the sample in the Samples window this great informational window will pop up that shows the file's current sample rate, sample length, bit size, compression used (if any), file size, and loop start and loop end -- just like any digital sampler. Note that this sample is only at a 11025kHz sample rate, a low quality, small file-size choice that's not our first preference. But equally important is the fact that the dialog in this particular sound file will make you laugh.
5. Go up to the Samples menu and choose the Compression option. This is where you choose your compression type. Your options are lossless Beatnik, Sun ulaw & alaw, or the popular MP3 compression format (variable choices of 32K bit to 320K bit encoding). Your new compressed sound file should show up in the samples window. You should have a mono, 16-bit 22kHz sample (or smaller) that is now compressed.
6. Now that you have your sound file in your Samples window you need to import a single event Type 1 General MIDI file to actually trigger the sample. You need to find the "parts" folder in the Beatnik Editor (or Editor Pro) application folder. Pick the appropriate length for your sample. We chose 03SecSample.mid for our example.
7. Next we have to link our MIDI file (or user song) to our sample. Go up the windows menu and choose Instruments. Go to bank 3, User Instrument .
8. While you're looking at Bank 3 in the Instruments window, go ahead and name your instrument. Hit enter and then double-click on the instrument that you just added and named. You should be looking at the the Keymap for your new instrument.
9. In the Keymap window, check the Edit keymap ranges box and hit the Add button under the "Sample used by zone" box. Choose your custom sample, which you imported back in step #3.
10. Still in the Keymap window, press the Link button to link Zone 1 to your sample. Also go up to the ">" arrow in the upper left corner of the window and drag it up. This is the sample volume level and should be set to 195%. Hit the OK button.
11. Now go back to the User Songs window and highlight the file that you imported in step #6. Go to the File menu and choose Export RMF. In the window that comes up make sure only your custom instrument is highlighted, press OK, and save to the appropriate place on your computer's hard drive.