Though your Macintosh internal speaker is adequate for listening to CyberSynthｪ, to fully enjoy the high-quality sounds that CyberSynth provides, we recommend connecting your computer to an external sound system. You can do this very easily by connecting the sound output port of your Macintosh to your home stereo system or a pair of powered speakers. This type of setup will provide much higher fidelity sound.
Audio Connections
The Macintosh sound output port accepts a standard stereo miniplug jack (the type used to attach headphones to a portable tape player). In fact, if you own a pair of stereo miniplug headphones, you can connect these directly to your computerﾕs sound output port for private listening.
To connect the sound output port to your home stereo, self-powered multimedia speakers, or a mixing console, an adapter cable is required. Specifically, you need a stereo 1/8-inch mini TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) plug to dual RCA plugs adapter cable, available at most stereo and electronic supply stores.
Important: Turn the volume level of your sound system all the way down for now, until the software is configured.
Audio Hardware Setup
Connect the sound output port of the Macintosh to the line-level input of your sound system. Some multimedia speakers have built-in amplifiers. In this case, plug the Macintosh output directly into the multimedia speaker inputs.
Sound Manager Setup (IMPORTANT!)
Because CyberSynth relies on the Sound Manager software to deliver its output to the Macintosh sound output port (or internal speaker), it is critical that this portion of the software be set up correctly for maximum fidelity and system CPU performance.
Important: Before proceeding, make sure your speaker system is turned down all the way for now.
To set up the Sound Manager:
1. Open the Sound control panel.
Do this by opening the Control Panels folder from the Apple Menu, then opening the Sound control panel icon. Alternatively, if you are using System 7.5 or later, launch CyberSynth by choosing CyberSynth from the Control Panels hierarchical menu.
2. Choose Volumes from the Sound control panel pull-down menu.
3. Drag the slider bar for built-in volume all the way up to maximum.
This window sets the master output volume for the Macintosh sound system. Because this is a digital volume control, volume is lowered by ﾒdropping bits,ﾓ resulting in more noise. Leave the volume all the way up for maximum signal-to-noise fidelity.
4. Carefully turn up the volume of your speaker system.
Click on the volume slider bar (while itﾕs at its maximum) repeatedly to trigger the system alert sound while adjusting your speaker system volume to a comfortable listening level.
5. Choose Sound Out from the pull-down menu.
The Sound Out window, similar to the one shown in the following figure, appears. The window pictured here may not look like your screen, depending on your Macintosh model.
6. Choose the resolution for audio output.
Using the Rate pull-down menu and the radio buttons, select 22.050kHz, 16-bit Stereo (if available). 68040-based Macintoshes may only allow 8-bit output. In any case, use the highest size setting, and the rate closest to 22.050kHz that your Macintosh model allows.
7. Choose Alert Sounds from the pull-down menu.
This window sets the volume for system alert sounds. It is independent of the Sound Out master volume control.
8. Set the volume for the system alert sounds.
Because you probably donﾕt want your Macintosh blasting a warning beep at the same volume as the music output, this control should be considerably less than the maximum. Typical settings for this control are between 10 and 30 percent of the maximum.
9. Close the Sound control panel.
Your Sound Manager setup is now complete. You wonﾕt need to change these settings again.
Sound Control Panel Key Items
The Volumes slider must always remain at the maximum setting for best fidelity; use your speaker system to control listening levels. Set the Sound Out resolutions to 22.050kHz, 16-bit stereo if your Macintosh model allows. Use the Alert Sounds volume slider to control system beep levels (not the Volumes master output level slider, which should always be at the maximum). The Alert Sounds volume slider should stay at least less than half of the Volumes master output level slider.
