This is a shareware demo of a 7-savvy, drag-and-drop program that is growing larger and more powerful by the day. If you register this 1.0 shareware version now by sending $20 to the address shown, you will get on our mailing list and learn about exciting upgrade paths immediately (you might even see your favorite new features implemented!)—and you’ll get source code for the INIT version of our startup-sound player (AIFF StartupSound INIT, available on America Online).
System Requirements
AIFF Recorder 1.0 requires System 6.0.7 or higher. (To record, you will also need a microphone and a Mac with a mike jack in the back, obviously.) The play-from-disk (and record-to-disk) Sound Manager routines on which AIFF Recorder relies DO NOT exist prior to System 6.0.7. You will get a “failure dialog” (not a bomb) if you try to run this program under a pre-6.0.7 System.
MultiFinder partition: AIFF Recorder needs at least 120K to run (150K recommended). This is true no matter how big (or how small) the sound files are that you're using. What matters here isn't total RAM, but whether or not you've got 150K to spare -- which just about everyone does (even PowerBook owners).
Why AIFF? (Why Not 'snd '?)
Other programs, notably HyperCard 2.0, let you record sounds and play them back, but such programs suffer some serious limitations: First, they create 'snd ' resources, which are limited to approximately 20 seconds in duration. (And even at that short duration, a great deal of RAM is required. HyperCard, for example, won't run in less than roughly a megabyte of memory.) In addition, most programs that play 'snd ' resources (including Finder!) do so in a 'synchronous' manner -- that is, they tie up the machine’s processor totally, until sound play is finished. (You can’t go back to your work, insert diskettes, launch programs, etc., until the sound stops playing.)
AIFF Recorder overcomes these limitations because it records straight to
your hard disk in Audio Interchange File Format. There is no limitation on a sound’s duration. The limit is how much hard disk space you have!
Also, AIFF Recorder plays sounds back 'asynchronously' -- you can continue working in another program (under MultiFinder) while playback occurs.
A third important limitation overcome by AIFF Recorder is the important one of RAM (memory): You’ll notice that AIFF Recorder itself is a very small program, and requires only 150K of memory under MultiFinder . . . no matter HOW BIG the sound file you wish to play back! Now, almost everyone has 150K of memory to spare, which means it really is practical to stick AIFF Recorder in your Apple menu (under System 7) and have instant music at your command all the time! (Of course, you don't HAVE to record music. In fact, we know one user who keeps the sound of a ringing phone on disk, ready to play in the background at any moment . . .)
Features
AIFF Recorder gives you the ability to record and play back hi-fidelity (22kHz) sounds of any length (limited only by hard disk size), with playback occurring asynchronously. You can “step out” of the program while sound is playing and switch over to other programs, continue working on documents, etc., without interrupting the audio playback. If you NEED to interrupt the audio, however, you can do so by first bringing AIFF Recorder to the foreground (i.e., step back into the program) and typing Command-Period. Typing Command-Q interrupts any currently-playing sound and causes the program to quit.
While sound is playing, you can adjust the volume with the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys. You can also adjust playback speed (just like a turntable!) by use of the Right Arrow and Left Arrow keys. (Left Arrow slows down the sound; Right Arrow speeds it up again.)
Files written to disk by AIFF Recorder are of type 'AIFF'. Accordingly, AIFF Recorder can play back any Audio Interchange Format File (compressed or not), whether the file in question was created by this program or not, as long as the file’s Finder type is 'AIFF.'
We will add looping (repeat playback) to the list of features very soon, along with DDL (digital delay). Compression exists already (if you can find it) -- all the more reason to send in your $25 NOW!
System 7 Awareness
AIFF Recorder handles certain core Apple Events, so that (as a very basic example) if you drag one or more sound files to the AIFF Recorder icon and "drop" them on top of the program, AIFF Recorder will launch and play each of the AIFF files. Note that the drag-and-drop feature works ONLY when running under System 7. AIFF Recorder will satisfactorily run under 6.0.7, but you will not be able to drag-and-drop!
A Reminder
You may copy and distribute AIFF Recorder as you wish, but only if you co-distribute this ReadMe document (and maintain all shareware/copyright notices intact). If you decide to keep this program on your hard disk longer than 48 hours, please REGISTER by sending $20 along with your name/address (and any AIFF files you want us to hear!) to Rita or Kas Thomas at P.O. Box 625, Old Greenwich, CT 06870. AppleLink: THOMAS.KAS. America Online: MIRACLE3.
