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1993-01-11
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VOC THING
-=-=-=-=-=-
Copyright (c) 1992 Melvin Douglas All Rights Reserved
Recorder/Player for VOC Format Sound Files
for use with a
Sound Blaster Sound Card
Version 1.2 January 1993
Shareware
FAX (516)-533-2633
Purpose: RECORDS and PLAYS VOC (Voice) Sound Files for Sound Blaster Owners.
-----------
LEGAL STUFF:
-----------
VOC THING software is hereafter referred to as VOC THING or VT.
Users of VT must accept this disclaimer of warranty:
"VOC THING IS SUPPLIED AS IS. THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES,
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND OF FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. THE AUTHOR ASSUMES NO
LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES, DIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL, WHICH MAY RESULT FROM
THE USE OF VOC THING."
VT IS A "SHAREWARE PROGRAM" AND IS PROVIDED AT NO CHARGE TO THE USER
FOR EVALUATION. FEEL FREE TO SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS, BUT PLEASE DO
NOT GIVE IT AWAY ALTERED OR AS PART OF ANOTHER SYSTEM. THE ESSENCE OF
"USER-SUPPORTED" SOFTWARE IS TO PROVIDE PERSONAL COMPUTER USERS WITH
QUALITY SOFTWARE WITHOUT HIGH PRICES, AND YET TO PROVIDE INCENTIVE FOR
PROGRAMMERS TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP NEW PRODUCTS. IF YOU FIND THIS
PROGRAM USEFUL AND FIND THAT YOU ARE USING VOC THING AND CONTINUE TO
USE VOC THING AFTER A 21 DAY TRIAL PERIOD, YOU MUST MAKE A REGISTRATION
PAYMENT OF $9.00 U.S DOLLARS.
To register this copy, print and complete the REGISTER.FRM file
and send it along with the registration fee of $9 directly to:
Melvin Douglas
Post Office Box 141
Uniondale, New York
11553-0141
Sound Blaster is a registered trademark of Creative Labs Inc.
PKZIP and PKUNZIP are registered trademarks of PKWARE Inc.
QuickBasic is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp.
PROGRAM FILES:
-------------
VT.EXE - Voc Thing program
VT.DOC - Voc Thing documentation
REGISTER.FRM - Registration form
FILE_ID.DIZ - BBS file description text
VENDOR.DOC - Vendor distribution agreement
*.VOC - Several VOC files
In case you don't read any further, note that you may use any key on
the command line as a switch to bypass the opening screen: i.e., "VT
X". Additionally, you may type "VT REC" to go directly to RECORD
MODE, or VT filename.VOC, where "filename.voc" is a voice file that you
want to play from the command line (Use of the extension is OPTIONAL).
If playing sounds from a compressed (.ZIP) file, then you must indicate
the compressed file name i.e., VT MYVOCS.ZIP (extension is MANDATORY)
and PKUNZIP must be in your PATH or in the current directory. Your ZIP
file must be in the current directory.
---------------------
HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS:
---------------------
o An IBM PC/XT/AT/386/486 or true "compatible" running
MS-DOS or PC-DOS 3.x or later.
o 640K Conventional Memory.
o CGA/EGA/VGA Video Adaptor.
o One floppy disk drive and a hard drive.
o A Sound Blaster Sound board.
o A Microphone or other device for recording.
NOTE: No "drivers" are required to run VT.
--> Configure your system so that you free up the maximum amount of
memory for recording sessions.
--> All ZIP/VOC/SAV files are assumed to be in the current directory.
Active Play/Record Controls are as follows:
------------------------------------------
- Pause sound.
- Continue sound from a paused state.
- Skip the current sound.
- Cancel sound play mode and return to the Main Menu.
- Cancel sound play mode and return to the File Selection Window.
- Record up to a 30 second sound file.
- Review a recorded sound file.
- Save or Load a Play Session.
- Save and Play your own voice files.
--------------------
COMMAND LINE OPTIONS:
--------------------
As mentioned earlier, any single alphanumeric character on the command line
will allow you to bypass the opening screen ie., "vt z", where "z" may be
any printable letter or number. Type "vt rec" to access the Record Mode.
You can also play a single voice file directly from the command line by
typing the filename i.e., VT FUNNY.VOC will play the voice file with the
name FUNNY.VOC and return to DOS upon completion. The ".VOC" extension is
optional but if an extension is used, it must be ".VOC".
For Those Who Own And Are Familiar With PKZIP/PKUNZIP
You may play sound files that have been compressed with the PKZIP
compression utility program. To play a "Zipped" file, specify the
compressed filename on the command line i.e., "vt rocknrol.zip". Note that
you MUST include the file extension of ".ZIP" with the filename. You MUST
have PKUNZIP in your PATH statment or in the same directory that VOC THING
is in. The compressed ZIP file must be in the current directory.
---------------------
FILE SELECTION WINDOW:
---------------------
You may invoke the File Selection Window by typing ALT + V. A listing of
VOC files will be displayed if they are present in the current directory.
-----------------------
FILE SELECTION COMMANDS: ALT + V Activate File Selection Window
-----------------------
NOTE: YOU MUST "TAG" A FILE IN ORDER TO PLAY IT (Right Arrow Key).
i.e., TAG IT BEFORE PRESSING ENTER TO PLAY IT.
Tag one file at a time by pressing the RIGHT ARROW key, or <Shift> RIGHT
ARROW key. Unshifted, the highlighted bar will move down one file after
each tag. Shifted, it will move up one file. Un-tag is exactly the same
except using the LEFT ARROW key.
<Num Lock> will produce the same effect as <Shift> Left or Right arrows.
Tag all files using (Ctrl> RIGHT ARROW, and un-tag all files with <Ctrl>
LEFT ARROW.
Pressing RETURN after selecting files will immediately begin the Play mode
and sound will start. If you press Escape after making a selection(s), the
selected files will be abandoned and you will be returned to the main menu.
Additionally, if you press RETURN without selecting any files, you will be
returned to the main menu.
----------
SORT FILES:
----------
Sorting is easy, just pick a number (as follows):
1 = Sort by filename.
2 = Sort by file size.
3 = Sort by file date.
-----------
TOGGLE SAVE: ALT + S
-----------
After selecting voice files from the File Selection Window, VT will ask you
if you wish to save these sounds to a master disk file (Session File), so
that you may replay them later in exactly the same order.
If you do not wish to be asked this question each time you make selections,
then press "Alt+S" to turn the "Save Request" question OFF. You may toggle
it ON or Off from the main menu as often as desired.
If the above command is "ON", and you respond by pressing "Y" (for YES)
when asked to save your session, a File SAVE screen will appear prompting
you for a filename for the session to be saved. Enter a filename of up to
8 characters but do NOT include any file extension. VT will automatically
add an extension of ".SAV" to all saved sessions. You will be advised if
the file already exists to avoid overwriting other files.
After the file has been successfully saved, your current selections will
begin playing immediately.
If you do not wish to save the current session, you may press "N" (NO), or
simply press the ENTER KEY since "NO" is the default choice. If you are
already in the File Save screen and change your mind, you may press ESCape.
-------------
LOAD SESSION: (ALT + L)
-------------
To play a saved session, start VT then press ESCape to exit from the File
Window, then type ALT+L. A File Window entitled "Session(s)" will appear
with a list of all of your session filenames. To select a session file ,
simply move the highlight bar using the Up or Down Arrow keys and then
press ENTER. VT will load that session and begin PLAY immediately.
When you press ALT + L, VT will first search the current directory to make
certain that there are Session Files on your disk. If none are found, VT
will pop up an advisory message.
CAUTION: REGARDING THE FILENAMES THAT ARE STORED WITHIN YOUR "SESSION"
FILE: IF ANY OF THE FILES ARE MISSING, VOC THING SHOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE
THE PROBLEM AND CONTINUE. HOWEVER ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, SO IF THE PROGRAM
STALLS, CHECK FOR MISSING FILES. IF VOC THING IS ABLE TO HANDLE THE
FILENAME ERROR, OBVIOUSLY YOU WILL NOT HEAR THE MISSING SELECTION(S), BUT
THE STATUS WINDOW WILL DISPLAY A "FILENAME MISSING" MESSAGE AND PLAY WILL
CONTINUE WITH THE NEXT SELECTION IN THE QUEUE IF ANY.
EDITING THIS FILE IS NOT RECOMMENDED. IF YOU EDIT THE "XXXXXXXX.SAV" FILE
AND ALTER ANY OF IT'S ENTRIES, VOC THING MAY EXHIBIT UNPREDICTABLE BEHAVIOR
AT BEST OR MAY CRASH AND LOCK UP YOUR SYSTEM AT WORST.
COMMANDS AVAILABLE IN THE "PLAY" MODE
-------------------------------------
-------------
PAUSE Command: (P)
-------------
Pressing "P" will temporarily PAUSE the current sound. While PAUSE is
active, the CONTINUE command is highlighted and other commands will be
visually de-emphasized.
NOTE: Occasionally, when you select the PAUSE command, it may get stuck on
a sound that refuses to be silent. If this happens, use the "C" command to
CONTINUE and then use the "P" command again until the sound fades out.
----------------
CONTINUE Command: (C)
----------------
Pressing "C" will CONTINUE a sound, or reverse a PAUSE command. Sound will
resume playing from the point that it was PAUSED.
------------
SKIP Command: (S - or you may press the Spacebar)
------------
Pressing "S" will terminate the current sound and will PLAY THE NEXT sound
in the queue immediately. You may also use this command to move to the
next sound if the current file gets "stuck" or just stops playing (probably
a corrupt file). You may also press the SpaceBar to invoke this command.
The term "skip" in this instance means that the file was aborted during
play rather than actually "skipped over" before being heard.
You will notice a short delay as the next file is loaded for playing.
---------------------------
FILE WINDOW [EXIT] Command: (F)
---------------------------
Pressing "F" will terminate VT's Sound play mode and return you to the
FILE SELECTION WINDOW where you may select more files to play or execute
some other command from the main menu.
During play from a compressed (ZIP) file, pressing "F" will terminate the
program and return you to DOS.
------------
EXIT Command: (X - or you may press the Escape Key)
------------
Pressing "X" or Escape will shut down VT's sound play mode and return you
to the main menu. On the other hand, when the last file has been played,
VT will exit the Play Mode and return you to the main menu. At that point
the File Selection Window will pop-up automatically.
During Play from a compressed (ZIP) file, pressing "X" will terminate the
program and return you to DOS.
-------------------
ENDING THE PROGRAM: (ESC - from main menu)
-------------------
COMMANDS FOR RECORDING VOC FILES
--------------------------------
** NOTE:
Make certain that you give VT the MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF MEMORY that can be
made available before running it.
You may have to adjust your volume while in the RECORD MODE. Generally,
good speakers and a decent microphone will increase the quality of your
recordings. Thirty seconds may not seem like a lot of recording time
however, sound files consume a lot of memory and can get quite large
very quickly. The size of the buffer will be displayed during your
interaction to let you know how large the resulting file will be if you
save it. Increasing the TIME and the SAMPLE RATE will increase the
memory required for the sound data.
Prior to allowing the creation of a buffer, VT will calculate it's
expected size and compare the results with remaining memory (minus a 32k
safety-net). If the buffer will be too large for remaining memory, then
you will be advised via a pop up error message. You should reduce the
Sample Rate and/or the number of Seconds before trying again.
After recording your own sound files, you may wish to compress them or
otherwise manipulate them with the Sound Blaster VOXKIT or other
programs that came with your Sound Blaster package.
--------------------
RECORD MODE Command: ALT-R Activate Record Mode
--------------------
First, ensure that your Microphone is connected and ready or that your
alternate sound source is connected if you are not using a microphone.
From the Main Menu:
Press ALT-R to active Record Mode. You will be presented with the RECORDING
Control Screen. Follow these steps to record and replay a VOC file:
1 - Upon entering record mode, the "S" (Seconds) will be flashing
prompting you to press "S" to enter the "Time Select" mode. However,
if you wish you may change the Sample Rate FIRST by using the Up or
Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease the number of "Samples"
used.* Changes are in increments of 100. The Sampling Rate scale on
the bottom will slide left or right as you vary your selection.
To set the number of seconds, type a number representing the number
of seconds you desire. For instance, type "8" if you want to make an
8 second recording. There is a 3 second minimum and a default
Maximum of 30 seconds. You may press the ENTER KEY TO ACCEPT THE
DEFAULT. Your choice will be displayed for verification.
2 - You will be advised to **TURN ON YOUR MICROPHONE if you have not
already done so. The prompt will ask you to press ENTER to begin
your recording session. Once you press the ENTER key, VOC THING will
transmit all sound from your microphone into a buffer for the
selected number of seconds determined in step 1 above.
3 - Upon completion of the recording session, you will be asked if
you want to REPLAY your recording to verify the content and quality.
You may replay it as many times as desired.
4 - After responding "N" (NO) to the Replay request, you will be
asked if you wish to save the sound data to a disk file. "N" (NO)
will return to the Record Mode. "Y" (YES) will display a File SAVE
screen which will prompt you to enter an 8 character (or less)
filename for the file. DO NOT INCLUDE AN EXTENSION. VT will
automatically add an extension of "VOC". The message window at the
bottom of the screen will advise you of any situation that may
require your attention.
5 - After your file has been saved as a "VOC" file, you may PLAY it
from the main menu by pressing ALT+V and "Tagging" it with the Right
Arrow key, and then press ENTER.
** Microphone, Device or other direct source of sound.
* See your Sound Blaster manual for more information on "Sampling" and
how it affects recordings. The Sampling Rate may be increased or
decreased in increments of 100 to a maximum of 12000 Hz. Note that
increasing the Recording Time and/or Sample Rate require a relative
increase in buffer memory.
During Record Mode, the following information is provided:
- The number of seconds you have selected.
- ReCrd: The number of Recordings you have completed.
- Sav: The number of Recordings you have saved to disk.
- The currently valid Sample Rate and the maximun Frequency.
- The size of the Buffer (your sound data).
- The amount of conventional memory available.
- The percent of memory in use.
- A dynamic display of the number of seconds elapsed while
Recording or during Play (or Replay), both numeric and graphic.
Press "ESCape" to return to the main menu from the Record Mode.
Pressing ESCape from the main menu will terminate VT and return you to the
DOS prompt (assuming the File Selection Window was not active). If the
File Selection Window is active, pressing ESCape 3 times will terminate VT,
and return you to the DOS prompt while displaying a low key shareware
screen and session time.
Errors and/or Problems
If a VOC file hangs your system then it may be that it was created
elsewhere and does not have a "header". You can add a "header" to the file
using your VOC-HDR program that came with your Sound Blaster. Also, the
file may not actually be a VOC file i.e., some other file with an extension
of VOC.
If a file is too large for your remaining memory, try compressing it with
VOXKIT which also came with your Sound Blaster. Select DATA-PACKING from
the VOXKIT main menu. When creating a file (recording), VOC THING will let
you tailor your Sampling Rate and Duration to control the resulting file
size. After saving the file, you may wish to use the VOXKIT program to
compress it since no compression is performed when a newley created VOC is
saved.
If a Zipped File is already on the current drive (as well as inside your ZIP
file), VOC THING will erase the copy on the disk first before proceeding to
expand the Zipped copy.
Version History
Version 1.0 = August 1992 Initial Release.
Version 1.1 = Added Record Sound feature. (12/92)
Added File/Session Save feature.
Version 1.2 = Enhanced Session Retrieval option. (1/93)
Memory Alert. Sampling-Rate Scale.
Play sounds from a compressed (ZIP) file.
Enhanced screens. Better documentation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Questions or problems? My direct FAX number is (516) 538-2633.
The latest version of VT may be found on the following bulletin boards:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1 - The Executive Network BBS, New York
914-667-4684 all baud speeds
---------------------------------------------------------------------
2 - The Invention Factory, New York
212-274-8930
3 - Computer Connection, Washington, D.C.
202-547-2008
4 - Vernon Buerg's BBS, Calif.
707-778-8944
5 - Gene Plant's BBS, Illinois
708-843-2772
6 - The SoundBlaster Digest BBS, Toronto
416-840-2485