Sound, Music & MIDI Collection 2/SMMVOL2.bin/DOS/CDPLAY/CDAUDIO.ZIP/CD-AUDIO.DOC

Text File | 1994-01-14 | 23.8 KB | 479 lines

                             CD-AUDIO PLAYER VERSION 1.10
       Copyright (c) 1994,1995 by Country Closet Software  All Rights Reserved



        INTRODUCTION: WHY CD-AUDIO PLAYER?

             With the increasing popularity of CD-ROM drives in home and
        business computers, many computers have a CD-ROM drive either
        installed in them when sold, or have one installed after the sale.

             The CD-ROM drive opens many new possibilities to the user.  You
        can access volummes of data, enjoy real-time audio/video
        presentations, entertain and educate with the new interactive discs,
        and more.

             Yet another possibility arises when you aren't using your
        computer's CD-ROM drive for programs.  You can use your CD-ROM drive
        to play audio (music) CD discs - even while running other programs on
        your computer!

             For a while now, users of the Microsoft Windows(tm) operating
        system have known this possibility, because they could open a window
        with an audio player program while running other programs.

             However, users of DOS have not been so fortunate - until now!

             Some CD-ROM players ship with DOS software to play audio CD
        discs, but this software is often added to the other software that
        comes with the drive as an afterthought.  It's usually cryptic,
        difficult to use, (and worse) written ONLY for the CD-ROM drive you
        just purchased.  If you rely on it and upgrade to a different drive
        later, the software will probably not work with your new drive!

             CD-Audio Player from Country Closet Software will allow you to
        insert an audio (music) disc into your CD-ROM player, start playing
        it, then continue to use your computer to run other, non CD-ROM based
        software while the disc you've selected continues to play!

             Alternatively, CD-Audio Player can remain on your screen and
        present you with a control panel similar to that found on your home CD
        player, allowing you to interactively play audio CDs.

             CD-Audio Player was written specifically to be compatible with as
        many CD-ROM drives as possible.  If you later upgrade, CD-Audio Player
        will continue to work with your new hardware.  The only requirement
        that CD-Audio Player has is that your drive must use the MSCDEX.EXE
        program version 2.10 or greater.

             Please refer to APPENDIX A (Troubleshooting) for details on how
        to determine what MSCDEX version you have and how to upgrade if
        necessary.





        INSTALLING CD-AUDIO PLAYER:

             If you downloaded CD-Audio Player from a BBS, the Internet, or
        another online service it probably came in a compressed (ZIP) format,
        and you've already successfully extracted the files.

             On a CD-ROM or floppy diskette, it may come either compressed or
        uncompressed.  The fact that you're reading this document indicates
        that you have the files in a ready-to-use format.

             Simply copy the CD-Audio Player program (CD-AUDIO.EXE) to your
        hard drive.  I recommend putting it in a directory that's listed in
        your PATH statement (like your DOS directory) so that you can start up
        the CD-Audio Player easily and quickly.

        RUNNING CD-AUDIO PLAYER:

             To start the program, change to the directory you installed it in
        (if you didn't follow my advice to put it in a directory in your PATH
        statement) and type:

                  cd-player

        and press the Enter key.  One of two things will then happen:

             (1) If you have an audio CD disc inserted in your drive, CD-Audio
             Player will begin playing the music on the disc; or

             (2) If there is no disc in the drive or the disc there is not an
             audio CD disc, CD-Audio Player will beep and print a message on
             the screen asking you to insert an audio disc.  CD-Audio Player
             will then wait five (5) seconds, then attempt to start playing
             music again.

        WHEN YOU DON'T WANT THE CD-AUDIO PLAYER TO REMAIN ON-SCREEN:

             Once you hear music coming from your speakers or headphones
        (whichever you have connected to your system), you can then either use
        your mouse to click on the 'EXIT' button or press the 'E' key to exit
        the CD-Audio program.

             Exiting the program will NOT stop the music - it will continue to
        play in the background as you continue to use your computer until the
        end of the audio disc is reached.

             That's all well and fine if you want to listen to the entire
        audio disc, but what if there's one song on the disc that you don't
        want to listen to?  Easy enough to fix!  Just re-start the CD-Audio
        Player program.

             Notice that it takes a moment to update itself as to where you're
        at on the disc, then displays the current song number and location.
        Either use your mouse to click the 'Next' button or press the 'N' key.
        CD-Audio Player then skips to the next track and resumes playing the
        disc.  You may then click the 'Exit' key with your mouse or press the
        'E' key to exit the program, and the music will continue to play.





             Want to hear the last song again?  No problem!  Re-start the CD-
        Audio Player program, then either click the 'Last' button or press the
        'L' key.  When the song starts playing, click 'Exit' or press the 'E'
        key to exit, and your music continues to play.

             Need to pause the music so you can answer the phone?  Easy!  Re-
        start the CD-Audio Player Program and use your mouse to click on the
        'Pause' button or press the 'P' key, and the music will remain paused
        until you click another mouse button or press any key.  Then either
        click the 'Exit' button with your mouse or press the 'E' key.

             You may find it more convenient to keep the CD-Audio Player on
        the screen, especially if you're one of those people who loves to play
        with the buttons, skipping and re-playing songs.  If so, read on
        because the next section of the manual will satisfy your wants and
        needs.

        WHEN YOU WANT THE CD-AUDIO PLAYER TO REMAIN ON THE SCREEN:

             To interactively play CD audio discs, start the CD Audio Player
        program as discussed earlier.  The following display will appear on
        your screen:

      ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
      │                     CD-Audio Player Version 1.10                     │
      │                                                                      │
      │ Copyright 1994,1995 by Country Closet Software  All Rights Reserved  │
      │                     UNREGISTERED EVALUATION COPY                     │
      │                                                                      │
      │                                                                      │
      │                                   Song            Disc               │
      │       Playing Track  1 of 10     Played  0:01    Played  0:01        │
      │                                  Length  1:17    Length 42:14        │
      │                                                                      │
      │        ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐        │
      │        │  PAUSE   │  │Next Track│  │Last Track│  │   EXIT   │        │
      │        └──────────┘  └──────────┘  └──────────┘  └──────────┘        │
      │                                                                      │
      │    F1-Help  E-Exit   N-Next Track   L-Last Track   P-Pause/Resume    │
      └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

             At this point, music will begin to play on your system, and you
        may use the control buttons or the keyboard as you would on your home
        CD player.  If a mouse is installed on your system, a mouse cursor (a
        block-shaped character) will appear next to the 'PAUSE' button and you
        may use the mouse to click the control buttons.

             'PAUSE' or 'P' will pause the music playing, and prompt you to
             press any key to continue.  At this point, pressing a keyboard
             key or clicking a mouse button will resume playing music.

             'Next Track' or 'N' will immediately move to the next available
             music track on the disc and begin playing there.  If you are on
             the last track of the disc it will be ignored.





             'Last Track' or 'L' will immediately move to the previous music
             track and begin playing there.  If you are on the first track
             of the disc it will be ignored.

             'EXIT' or 'E' will exit the program leaving music playing in
             the background.

             A convenience 'Shell to DOS' command is also supported.  Simply
        press the 'D' key at any time to temporarily exit the CD-Audio player
        and use another DOS program.

             Since CD-Audio Player takes little memory to operate, you can
        often run all your programs from this DOS shell.  However, very large
        programs or those that require all available memory to operate
        properly may not run using this function.

             The primary reason I included the 'Shell to DOS' command is so
        that you may use the utility that came with your sound card or
        multimedia package to adjust listening volume if necessary.  But don't
        let yourself be limited to this single use - it should come in very
        handy!  When you want to return to the CD-Audio Player, type the word
        'exit' (without the quote marks) and press ENTER.

             Also supported is a help key.  Pressing F1 will bring up a help
        screen, which will disappear when you press any other key.

             Pressing F2 or clicking your right mouse button will bring up a
        reminder screen about shareware and the need to register CD-Audio
        Player if you intend to continue using it.  Pressing any key will make
        this screen disappear.

        ABOUT SHAREWARE, CD-AUDIO PLAYER, AND WHY YOU SHOULD REGISTER:

             CD-Audio Player from Country Closet Software is not FREE
        software.  It is being marketed as shareware, also known as 'Try
        Before You Buy' or 'User-Supported' software.

             Shareware is not a kind of software, rather it is a marketing
        method.  By putting a program like CD-Audio Player into the shareware
        market and making it easily available to users to evaluate, you get
        the chance to try it before spending your hard-earned cash.

             You are allowed to evaluate (try) CD-Audio Player for a period of
        thirty (30) days.  By then you should have a good idea whether or not
        you intend to continue using it.  If you've found it useful during
        that period, or intend to continue using it beyond the thirty (30) day
        evaluation period, then registration (payment) to Country Closet
        Software is required for continued use.

             The CD-Audio Player program is offered fully functional, so that
        you can try every function available before paying for it.  You should
        NOT assume that this means that you don't have to pay for it - that's
        why the "UNREGISTERED EVALUATION COPY" message appears when it's run.





             To register your copy of CD-Audio Player, print and fill in the
        registration form (CD-AUDIO.REG) and send it along a check or money
        order in the amount of US$20, plus the applicable shipping and
        handling fee:

                  US$5 for orders from the United States, Canada and Mexico
                  US$10 for orders elsewhere in the world

             Send your form and check or money order (PLEASE, NO CASH!) to:

                  Country Closet Software
                  777 S. Roth Street
                  Norfolk #4
                  Reed City  MI  49677

             Your registered copy of the software, on 3-1/2" diskette (unless
        specified otherwise!) will be shipped within two weeks of receipt of
        your registration payment.  The registered copy will be branded with
        YOUR NAME, or the NAME OF YOUR CHOICE, to uniquely identify it as
        yours.  (Please note that this copy of the software, branded with your
        name, should NOT be shared freely with others.  It belongs to YOU!)

             You will also be eligible to purchase the 'Professional' versions
        of CD-Audio Player for DOS and Windows at a 50% discount when they
        become available on April 1st, 1995.  These products will both include
        a graphical interface and the ability to store information about each
        audio disc you own - including 'play lists' so you will listen only to
        the songs that YOU want to hear on each disc.

             In addition, Country Closet Software offers special discounts and
        promotional offers from time to time, and your registration payment
        will qualify you for these special offers.

        LEGAL STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION:

        THIS SOFTWARE AND MANUAL ARE PROVIDED FOR EVALUATION ONLY, ON AN "AS
        IS" BASIS.  COUNTRY CLOSET SOFTWARE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES RELATING
        TO THIS SOFTWARE, WHETHER EXPRESSED  OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
        LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
        PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  NEITHER COUNTRY CLOSET SOFTWARE NOR ANYONE ELSE
        WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION, OR DELIVERY OF THIS
        SOFTWARE SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR
        INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH
        SOFTWARE, EVEN IF COUNTRY CLOSET SOFTWARE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
        POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR CLAIMS.  THE PERSON USING THE SOFTWARE
        BEARS ALL RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE.

        This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Michigan
        and shall inure to the benefit of Country Closet Software and any
        successors, administrators, heirs and assigns. Any action or
        proceeding brought by  either party against the other arising out of
        or related to this agreement shall be brought only in a STATE or
        FEDERAL COURT of competent jurisdiction located in Kent County, MI.
        The parties hereby consent to in personam jurisdiction of said courts.





        TRIAL USE LICENSE

        CD-Audio Player is NOT a public domain program.  It is copyrighted by
        Country Closet Software.  This software and accompanying documentation
        are protected by United States copyright law and also by international
        treaty provisions.

        Country Closet Software grants you a limited license to use this
        software for evaluation purposes for a period not to exceed thirty
        days.  If you continue using this software after the thirty-day
        evaluation period, you MUST make a registration payment to Country
        Closet Software.

        You may not use, copy, rent, lease, sell, modify, decompile,
        disassemble, otherwise reverse engineer, or transfer the licensed
        program except as provided in this agreement.  Any such unauthorized
        use shall result in immediate and automatic termination of this
        license.

        All rights not expressly granted here are reserved to Country Closet
        Software.

        LIMITED DISTRIBUTION LICENSE

        The following may distribute CD-Audio Player, completely unaltered,
        without further permission: End-users who provide single copies to
        others for their home trial; and ASP BBS, Vendor and User Group
        Members in good standing; for other cases or to distribute in modified
        form, you must consult the attached data record, which is hereby
        incorporated by reference.  Any distribution satisfying all the
        distribution requirements expressed in that data record is hereby
        authorized.

        Permission to distribute the CD-Audio Player package is not
        transferable, assignable, saleable, or franchisable.  Each vendor
        wishing to distribute the package must independently satisfy the terms
        of this limited distribution license.

        U.S. Government Information:  Use, duplication, or disclosure by the
        U.S. Government of the computer software and documentation in this
        package shall be subject to the restricted rights applicable to
        commercial computer software as set forth in subdivision (b)(3)(ii) of
        the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at
        252.227-7013 (DFARS 52.227-7013).  The Contractor/manufacturer is
        Country Closet Software, 777 S. Roth St, Norfolk #4, Reed City  MI
        49677-9801  USA.

        Country Closet Software may revoke any permissions granted here, by
        notifying you in writing.  All rights not expressly granted here are
        reserved to Country Closet Software.





        APPENDIX A - TROUBLESHOOTING CD-AUDIO PLAYER

        Please refer to the list of PROBLEMS listed below before trying to
        call for support.  This list will probably solve every common problem
        that can occur when using CD-Audio Player.

        If all else fails, then you may contact Country Closet Software for
        technical support.  BE FOREWARNED - I work full-time as a paramedic on
        a small, rural EMS service.  I may be unable to return faxes or phone
        calls for several days at a time, but do generally return electronic
        mail messages within 24 hours.  You MUST provide the following
        information:

        Computer brand, CPU brand and clock speed

        CD-ROM drive manufacturer's name and model number

        Version number for the drivers that came with your drive, ESPECIALLY
        the VERSION NUMBER of the MSCDEX.EXE driver

        EXACT MESSAGE(S) that appear on your screen, or the behavior that
        leads you to believe that the software is not functioning correctly

        CONTACTING COUNTRY CLOSET SOFTWARE FOR SUPPORT:

        ELECTRONIC MAIL - I PREFER that you use Email to contact me, and give
        the highest priority to EMAIL requests for support:

        Internet:      [e-mail]
        CompuServe:    Rich Harper [76670,110]

        FAX - If you don't have access to CompuServe or the Internet, you may
        send a fax to [phone] to request support.

        U.S. MAIL - If all else fails, send a letter to:

             COUNTRY CLOSET SOFTWARE
             ATTN: CUSTOMER SUPPORT
             777 S. ROTH STREET, NORFOLK #4
             REED CITY  MI  49677  USA

        Please either provide a fax or Email address to reply to in your
        letter if at all possible.

        Country Closet Software reserves the right to limit service provided
        to non-registered users.  We must give first preference to those who
        have supported us.  Voice calls for support will NOT be accepted from
        unregistered users, and we apologize in advance for this limitation.





             COMMON PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS WHEN USING CD-AUDIO PLAYER:

        PROBLEM - MESSAGE APPEARS SAYING NO CD-ROM DRIVES INSTALLED OR
        MSCDEX NOT INSTALLED

             This means that either you don't have a CD-ROM drive installed in
        your system, or that a program other than MSCDEX is providing access
        to the drive.  If you do indeed have a CD-ROM drive installed, check
        with the drive manufacturer for the availability of upgraded driver
        software to try to fix this problem.

        PROBLEM - MESSAGE APPEARS SAYING MSCDEX VERSION LESS THAN 2.10
        IS INSTALLED, UPGRADE NEEDED.

             This means that your CD-ROM drive is properly installed but that
        the version of MSCDEX is too old to support audio (music) CD disc
        functions.  Contact your drive manufacturer for an updated version of
        MSCDEX.EXE if you're running DOS 5.x or 6.x - if you have DOS 4.x
        installed on your system, you need to contact Microsoft Inc. for the
        'patched' version of MSCDEX 2.10 that will operate with DOS 4.x and
        allow audio functions.

             You should also check your DOS directory on your hard drive, as
        DOS versions above 5.0 ship with the proper MSCDEX.EXE device driver
        in that directory.  Try using that version of MSCDEX instead of the
        one that came with your CD-ROM drive.

        PROBLEM - COMPUTER BEEPS, ASKS FOR AN AUDIO DISC

             This means that the disc currently in the CD-ROM drive is not an
        audio (music) disc.  Remove the disc in the drive and replace it with
        an audio disc.  The beeping and message should disappear within five
        seconds.

             If a known good audio (music) disc is inserted and this message
        appears, then your CD-ROM drive may not support playing audio (music)
        data.  Contact the drive manufacturer for details on how to correct
        the problem.  Sometimes a software update for your drive will correct
        this error.

        PROBLEM - NO MUSIC IS HEARD AT ALL

             Look at the CD-Audio Player screen.  If the Song Played and Disc
        Played aren't counting up - that is, they are remaining at 00:00 then
        you need to check the following:

             (1) Is there an audio (music) disc inserted in the drive?
             (2) Is the drive door closed?
             (3) Does your CD-ROM drive support audio (music) discs?

             If the Song Played and Disc Played counters are counting up (each
        second, the display increases by one second) then you need to check
        the following:





             (1) Is the volume on your CD-ROM drive turned up?
             (2) If your CD-ROM drive is connected to a sound card:
                  (a) Is the connection tight?
                  (b) Is the sound card volume turned up?

        PROBLEM - MUSIC PLAYS ERRATICALLY OR STARTS AND STOPS DURING PLAY

             This generally indicates a problem with either the CD-ROM drive
        hardware or software that came with the drive.  You need to contact
        the drive manufacturer for assistance in solving this problem.

             Another possible cause of this problem may be that another
        program running under a multitasking system (such as DesqView or
        Microsoft Windows) may be attempting to access the CD-ROM drive while
        the CD-Audio Player program is using it.

        PROBLEM - OTHER PROGRAMS DISPLAY THE MESSAGE:
        'CDR101 - Drive Not Ready'

             Actually, this is not really a problem.  This means that another
        program is trying to use the CD-ROM drive, but CD-Audio Player has
        taken control.

             If you need to use the program that gives you the 'CDR101' error
        message, then eject the audio disc, insert the disc that the other
        program needs and press the 'R' key so that the other program will try
        to re-read the disc.

        << END OF DOCUMENTATION FILE - CD-PLAYER.DOC >>