E-Scape

Leon using E-Scape unaided, with 2 head-switches

Leon using E-Scape unaided, with 2 head-switches

E-Scape is a music software for performance and composition which has been developed by Drake Music in response to the needs of disabled musicians or students who cannot be catered for by other technology.

E-Scape can be used to compose music or to perform music in many different ways. You can write your own music, import MIDI files from the internet and arrange or perform these pieces. E-Scape can be operated by switches, or by MIDIcreator, Soundbeam, keyboards or drum pads.

In the right hands, E-Scape can be powerful and flexible in enabling a range of disabled users to compose and perform, individually or as part of a group. E-Scape can be used by anyone, whatever their level of physical ability, musical experience or computer experience.

E-Scape won the 'Community Award' at the National Computing Awards for Excellence 2001.

Finding out more

E-Scape can perhaps best be understood with examples of people using E-Scape.

People who have found that E-Scape suits their needs have been very pleased with how it has empowered them - you can see some users' responses.

To look at E-Scape in more detail, you can take a short visual tour of E-Scape (1.8MB Word document).

You can also download a demo version of the software (see below) or the 'Getting started' manual and tutorials.

E-Scape in use

E-Scape can be used in many areas, for example by individuals at home or in groups with teachers in a classroom.

A single disabled user can use E-Scape completely unaided, as the system is switch and menu driven, with guidance and prompting. Learners can start working with E-Scape at a beginner level and gain confidence from immediate results, then build up musical skills and knowledge gradually at their own pace. Users may write their own music compositions, load in MIDI files, or just transcribe written scores, which can then be performed live in a number of ways.

E-Scape can also be used within a group setting, with one or many people performing on E-Scape, integrated alongside other players - with E-Scape able to record, play back and edit group performances or group compositions.

All control, note input and performing can be done in many ways: switches (single switch, or two or more), computer keyboard, MIDI keyboard or drum pads, or other devices such as Soundbeam or MIDICreator, as well as the usual mouse or trackball.

E-Scape is used in Drake workshops and a number of other organisations and schools, and has been under regular development in the light of feedback received from users. As a charity whose interest is in fulfilling users' specific needs, Drake provides a perhaps unique level of responsiveness to user feedback.

Running E-Scape

E-Scape works on all versions of Windows, 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, and requires a minimum 64 MB memory.

You can use E-Scape with internal PC sounds, although a better quality soundcard or MIDI sound module is recommended, or you can use software instruments with E-Scape using MIDIYoke.

For example, Drake Music Scotland do live performing using the Garritan Stradavari Solo Violin - go to the 'Technology' link on their site - 4th item.

If you want to operate E-Scape using a MIDI instrument (eg keyboard, drum pads, MIDIcreator, Soundbeam) you will also need a MIDI interface.

If you want to use switches to control E-Scape, you will need a PC Switch Interface which connects into the keyboard port (PS/2 or USB), or a special PC keyboard which has switch sockets built in (eg 'Switchboard'). See the E-Scape 'Getting Started' manual, section 2.2.7 for more details.

Getting E-Scape PC

Issues and difficulties

With the resources available to Drake Music, E-Scape can not hope to compete with the range and sophistication of conventional sequencers, and users who are able to operate these systems - ie who can use the mouse or mouse emulators - will want to use them.

However, many users also like to use the unique features of E-Scape alongside other music software: for example you can do some basic note entry and editing in E-Scape and then export the file into another program for more advanced editing or arranging; you can also compose and arrange music in more advances sequencer system, then load into E-Scape for live performing using switches or MIDI devices.

Free version for old Macs with serial ports...

For anyone with a very old Apple Mac with serial ports, the old Mac version is available for free download (Zip file, 10.8MB). It can run on old 68040 machines, (e.g. Quadra), or on the faster of the PowerPC chips (604 best), or best, the early generation Mac G3s which had serial ports. Please note: E-Scape WILL run on any Mac up to OS 9.2, but it cannot access Quicktime intruments, and without a serial port you cannot connect to MIDI and hear music, as it uses the obsolete Apple MIDIManager (which doesn't support USB). But would be OK to try out how it works.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Danny Oppenheim at IBM Watson Research Center, NY for Smalltalk structures and code which enabled E-Scape to develop on the PC. Also thanks to William Walker for low-level MIDI functions on the original Mac version.