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1992-04-17
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==============================
BLASTER Master v5.0
for the Sound Blaster
and compatibles
Copyright (C) by Gary Maddox
==============================
BLASTER Master is for serious PC soundcard enthusiasts interested in
getting the most from their PC audio card. One of the great features
of the Sound Blaster and other PC audio cards is the ability to sample
sound and play it back. BLASTER Master is a tool kit for working with
Sound Blaster type VOC files, .WAV files and .SND files. BLASTER Master
includes many features available on Digital Audio Workstations costing
many thousands of dollars. BLASTER Master requires EGA/VGA graphics, a
mouse, a hard disk and preferably a fast PC. Unregistered versions will
only process a 25 second sound file. The registered version will process
any size sound file.
OVERVIEW:
--------
This program is a very fast EGA/VGA graphic editor to help you tailor your
sound files. Useless and noisy sample data at the beginning and endings of
VOC files can be quickly removed. Sections from within the sample can be
saved as a new sample file. The entire sample is displayed and a grid is
drawn that divides the sample into seconds to aid in selecting the "cut
points". A zero-crossing/phase approximation method is used to select the
bytes that are displayed to help in choosing the "cleanest" points for pro-
cessing. Where needed, cross-fading is applyed to splice points.
Function keys F1 - F7 changes the pallettes used to control the colors used
to display the screen. During playback, a pulsing index line displays the
position of the file being played. The various digital processes can be sel-
ected using the mouse or in most cases, ALT+the first letter of the option
can be used. Example: ALT-P will select to "PLAY" the currently selected
sound file. (ALT-P means hold down the ALT key and press the "P" together)
NOTE: BLASTER Master will function without a soundcard being present, but
the PLAY, RECORD and SCOPE functions will be disabled.
SELECTING A SOUND FILE:
----------------------
If a sound file is not specified when starting the editor, a file selection
dialog box will appear. The current path can be changed by selecting the
right selection box and selecting a new path. From this dialog box, you can
PLAY the sound file, RECORD a new sound file, DELETE an unwanted sound file,
ACCEPT the file to process or CANCEL the program and return to DOS. Choosing
the PLAY option to Audition a file will also display useful information about
the file. The various options can be selected using the mouse or in most
cases, ALT+the first letter of the option can be used. Files can be selected
by double-clicking your mouse. If you accept a sound file that is multi-
blocked, BLASTER Master will allow you the option of removing the blocks and
converting to a RAW VOC file.
IMPORTING A SOUND FILE:
----------------------
Choosing this option from the File Selection Dialog Box will allow
importing .WAV, .NTI, .8SV and .SND format files into BLASTER Master.
A .WAV file is the Microsoft Multi-Media format and is supported by the
Pro Audio Spectrum and the ATI Stereo F/X sound cards and others. SND
files are completely raw wave data files that do not include any header
information. NTI files are Amiga sample files as used by Tetra Compositor.
VOC type files can also be saved in these three formats. 8SV is the
extension normally used for Amiga IFF sound files. You can import Amiga
IFF sound files, but you can not save a file in Amiga IFF format currently.
RECORDING A SOUND FILE:
----------------------
Selecting RECORD from the File Selection Dialog Box displays the Record
Dialog Box. Enter the name of the VOC file you wish to record. NOTE: If
you specify a VOC file that already exists, it will be OVER WRITTEN. Using
a mouse, select the sample rate to use when recording (13,000-4000 if
using a Sound Blaster, 44,000-4000 if you are using a Sound Blaster Pro).
The higher the sample rate, the better the file will sound. When using the
various digital processes, a higher sample rate will also produce a much
better sounding file. The SCOPE selection button will display a graphic
scope that is very useful for setting the volume of the device you are
recording directly from. Select the RECORD button to begin recording.
Press the ESC key to stop recording. Your file will be displayed on the
Editor screen for modifying.
NOTE: Sound Blaster Pro users will also be given options for selecting
the recording input source, input filter selection and MONO or
STEREO recording.
EDITING A SOUND FILE:
--------------------
To select a section of the sound file to be removed, saved, heard or
zoomed, position the mouse cursor over the graph at the first desired cut
point and press the LEFT mouse button. Position the mouse cursor again
over the second cut point and press the LEFT button. Once a section has
been marked with the blue box, you can HEAR that section, CUT it from the
sample or SAVE it as a new file. The ZOOM option will display the marked
section across the screen and allow you to select a new block from the
zoomed area. You can zoom the file until the resolution reaches 1:1. The
current resolution is displayed just above the options selection box. By
using the ZOOM feature, you should be able to edit sound files with
surgical precision. The MOVE option allows the selected block to be moved
to a new section of the same file. The COPY option (Vanishing Menu only)
will move a copy of the selected block to a new section of the same file.
SETTING A MARKER:
----------------
Sometimes it is desirable to pre-select a point in the soundfile. Using
the right mouse button will place a white arrow on the blue bar just below
the sound file grid.
TOOLS:
-----
There are special process that operate on a block of data. Selecting the
TOOLS button pops up a selection menu for special block functions:
LOOP:
----
This allows the block to be repeated upto 10 times. This can be used to
add a Max Headroom type stutter to the file.
MUTE:
----
This replaces the block with silence bytes. Very usefull for removing
glitches and other un-desirable noises without effecting the playback
time.
REVERSE:
-------
This reverses the block to playback backwards.
PITCH:
-----
This changes the pitch of the block. The Pitch can be either lowered or
raised. This function effects the playback time.
ECHO:
----
This adds echo to the block. The parameters are the same as the Echo
function for whole files.
VOLUME:
------
This adjusts the playback volume of the block. The parameters are the
same as the Volume function for whole files.
NOTE: The editor program should work on all single block compressed data.
This does not include silence encoding. The graphic representation
of the sound data will not be accurate. The time display should be
very close.
SPECIAL PROCESSES:
-----------------
BLASTER Master includes several special digital processes to modify your
sound files. The special processes supported are: SCOPE, ECHO, REVERSE,
INSERT, FAST, SLOW, RATE, VOLUME, PITCH, PACK, FADE and MIXER. All of the
processes are not displayed at the same time on the Wave Edit screen. Sel-
ecting the MORE button will display the next set of options. The various
options can be selected using the mouse or in most cases, ALT+the first
letter of the option can be used. EXAMPLE: ALT-E will select to "ECHO" the
currently selected sound file. (ALT-E means hold down the ALT key and press
the "E" key simultaneously) The NEW button can be used to select a new file
when in the Editor screen or to un-mark a block when in the Cut/Save/Zoom
screen.
A list of the special processes are described in detail below:
SCOPE:
-----
This process graphically displays sample input real-time. Speak into a
microphone and see what your voice looks like or play music directly into
the Sound Blaster. This program works particularly well on faster machines.
This is also an excellent way to check the quality of your system. With
no sound input, you should see a straight, flat line that is exactly even
with the white line on the sound file grid. Any spikes you see are noise.
Any key will cancel the scope and return you back to the editor.
ECHO:
----
This process adds echo or delay to a VOC file to give it a richer,
fuller sound. It is also great for adding special effects. Two para-
meters are used to determine the type of echo desired. The number of
milliseconds before the echo starts sets the "size" of the effect.
Delays of 60-100 sound like a large room. Larger delays, upto 200
milliseconds, will sound like a cavern or canyon. The second parameter
is the mixture, i.e., how loud should the echo be mixed in. This also
has an effect on the type of echo desired. A 30-60% mixture will sound
more realistic than using a higher volume for the delayed sounds.
How the echo will repeat can be changed by selecting either INFINITE
or FINITE.
REVERSE:
-------
This process reverses the playback of a VOC file. It is effectively
the same as playing a tape backwards. See for yourself if "number 9"
says "turn me on, dead man" backwards. (for older Beatles fans) This
is a great tool for televangelists to search for those pesky satanic
references in rock & roll songs! Did you know that the famous Tarzan
yell sounds the same backwards as forwards? Try it.
INSERT:
------
This process will allow a another sound file to be inserted into the
sound file being edited. Selecting INSERT will once again bring up the
File Select Dialog Box. From here, you can select a VOC file, RECORD a
new sound file or CANCEL the INSERT process and return to the Edit screen.
Once a VOC file for insertion is selected, use the mouse to select the
point in the original sound file to INSERT the new sound file. If the
sample rate of the new sound file does not match the original file, the
sample rate will be adjusted to blend in correctly. Care should be used to
select a new sound file that is not packed, contains silence compression
or is a multi-block file. The resulting sound file will not be usable.
SLOW:
----
This process extends the time domain without effecting the frequency
domain... in plain english, you can re-sample a VOC file that will
play back at approximately 1/2 speed without effecting the pitch.
This function will double the size of the original sound file.
Imagine you are a guitar player and want to learn the latest white
hot guitar licks from Joe Satriani or Eric Johnson... SLOW makes
listening and learning MUCH easier! It is also very useful for
muti-media presentations. Sound files with sample rates above 12khz
produce a more natural sound.
FAST:
----
I couldn't have a "slow down" process without a "speed up" one too.
Unlike SLOW, FAST includes a "slider" for selecting how much of a speed
increase is desired. This function will decrease the size of the original
sound file accordingly. Like SLOW, sound files with higher sample rates
produce better results.
RATE:
----
This process allows a VOC file created with a high sample rate to be
"down" sampled to a lower sample rate. Some PC's have problems playing
VOC files with the higher sample rates, this is a way to change the
sample rate to something more compatible with your PC. It is also a
good way to make files smaller without the degradation associated with
compression. A VOC file recorded at 12,000Hz+ down-sampled to 8000Hz
will probably sound better than if it had been originally recorded at
the slower rate. Sound files originally sampled on the MAC at 22,000Hz
can be down-sampled to 12,000Hz or less with almost no loss in clarity.
This process is also capable of "up" sampling, although you WILL NOT
gain any noticable resolution. Approximating the "missing" byte is just
not the same as having the original bytes in all cases.
VOLUME:
------
This process can either increase or decrease the amplitude of VOC files.
One way to get a very clean sample is to make your sample at a fairly low
volume and then re-sample up to a higher volume. The Sound Blaster has a
tendency to introduce distortion as you increase the volume used for
sampling. This works very well for sampling directly from a CD or tape
deck. Enter either "I" to Increase the volume or "D" to Decrease the
volume. The numeric value entered next will determine the amount of change
in the resulting file.
When increasing the volume, values of 10-50 will have a subtle effect on
the resulting sound file. Values of 50-200+ will have a more dramatic
effect.
When decreasing the volume, values of 1-99 will cause the resulting file
to have volume of approximately the percent of the number entered. Entering
"50" will produce a sound file that is only 50% as loud as the original.
If a value greater than 100 is entered, the effect will be to INCREASE the
volume, even though DECREASE was selected.
MIXER:
-----
This process blends two VOC files into a single sample. There is also a
volume mix parameter that controls how loud the mixed in sample will be.
The volume mix can be a number between 1 and 100. 50 to 60 is often a very
good mixing level. You can also select the point within your original
file to begin mixing. Choose the farthest point to your left to start at
the beginning of your file. The Mixer is a great way to add special effects
to your sound files. This process does not try to adjust the sample rates
if the two files are different.
PACK/UNPACK:
-----------
These processes will either pack or unpack a sound file, depending on its
current state. The previous functions only work on unpacked files and a
great many of the available file come packed. Once unpacked, all of the
special BLASTER Master features can be applied.
PITCH:
-----
This process alters the sample rate value contained within the VOC file.
Raising or lower the pitch can be accomplished by selecting the slider.
Altering the pitch will also effect the playback time, but not the size
of the file.
FADE:
----
This process allows the begining and ending of a sound file to fade in or
fade out in volume. When choosing this function, you can choose the amount
of time to fade in and fade out. Either times can not exceed 1/2 of the
total time of the sound file. If for instance, you wish to only fade out a
sound file, use zero as the fade in time. When combining multiple files, a
little fading can make the switch between sounds less abrupt. This can be
especially effective when one sound file has alot of background noise and
the joining sound file does not.
USING THE VANISHING MENU:
------------------------
While editing a sound file, moving the mouse cursor to the top of the
screen or holding the SHIFT key, will reveal a drop down menu bar. All
of the button functions are available from the Vanishing Menu. Many
other useful functions are also available:
FILE MENU:
---------
SAVE:
Save the current sound file. If the current sound file is UNTITLED,
you will be prompted for a file name.
SAVE AS...:
Save the current sound file by a new name.
QUIT:
Quit to DOS immediately. If the current sound file is UNTITLED, you
will be prompted for a file name.
OPTIONS MENU:
------------
LOOP PLAY ON/OFF:
Choosing this option causes playback to be single or looped.
SAVE SCREEN COLORS:
Choosing this option saves the current screen colors. See the
sections below about Changing and Saving Default sceen colors
for more detail.
BLOCK PLAY ON/OFF (Block Edit Only)
Choosing this option will play either the whole sound file or
selected block. This function is not supported in ZOOM.
HELP:
----
Choosing this option displays a short help file that briefly
details the various functions.
You can access these menus quickly from the keyboard by using SHIFT
and the first letter of each option, i.e., Shift-F for FILE, Shift-H
for HELP, etc...
CHANGING SCREEN COLORS:
----------------------
BLASTER Master's graphic screen colors can be changed by pressing any of
the first 10 Function keys. A listing of the Function Keys and the colors
they effect are listed below:
F1 - Background
Default = Cyan
F2 - Wave, Fileselect Playbox
Default = Red
F3 - Time Grid
Default = Brown
F4 - File Info text, Hilited text, Vanishing Menu text
Default = White
F5 - Field labels, Vanishing Menu background, Dialog Box backgrounds
Default = Blue
F6 - Vanishing Menu Bar background, Pipe shading
Default = Bright Blue
F7 - Button Hilites, Pipe shading
Default = Bright Cyan
F8 - List Box Hilite, Fileselect Playbox text
Default = Yellow
F9 - Wave Tip Hilite
Default = Bright Red
F10 - Helter Skelter
Default = ????
If you have color VGA graphics, you can choose from 256 colors. EGA users
can choose from 64 separate colors. Keep in mind that the way certain
colors interact with each other should effect your color choices. A good
example is the way F4 and F5 interact. A poor choice of screen colors
here could result in unreadable dialog boxes and help screens.
SAVING SCREEN COLORS:
--------------------
Your current screen colors can be saved from the Options Menu available
from the Vanishing Menu. Choosing this option will save the colors in
a file named BMASTER.CFG. You can return to the Default screen colors
by renaming or deleting this file.
NOTE: When renaming BMASTER.CFG, always use the file extension .PAL.
future versions of BLASTER Master may include support for point
and click PAL file selection.
USING PAL FILES
---------------
I have included several small files with the file extension .PAL. These
are saved screen color files. To use a PAL file, copy it to BMASTER.CFG.
Example: COPY OLDMOVIE.PAL BMASTER.CFG
NOTE: Some PC's have peripheral cards that could conflict with the way
BLASTER Master scans for the Base Address. If when you try to run
BLASTER Master and you get the message "Scanning for Base Address"
and then it locks up, try setting this ENVIRONMENT parameter:
SET BMPORT=XXX
Where XXX is the Base Address of your Soundcard, i.e., SET BMPORT=220.
This should help in most cases when this problem occurs.
NOTE: It is possible that BLASTER Master might not correctly identify your
graphics interface. If BLASTER Master tells you you don't have EGA/VGA
graphics, and you know you do, try using the command line switch "/G".
This switch will force graphics mode and by-pass the interface check.
NOTE: BLASTER Master will use available EMS memory for screen manipulation.
Some EMS software might not be compatible. You can turn EMS use off
by using the command switch "/NOEMS".
REPORTING TROUBLE:
-----------------
If you find a bug, please report it in as much detail as possible so that
I can fix it in the next version. I need to know which specific function you
were using, where the VOC file originated from and the sample rate. If the
problem is hardware related, such as the video display or mouse functions,
please include information about the system you are using. Support beyond
that will only be given to registered users.
COMMON PROBLEMS:
---------------
ERROR 5 - This is a DOS error that means Illegal Function Call, which
could mean just about anything. The most common occurance of this
happens when you try to run BLASTER Master on a PC with a graphics
card that does not properly support 640x350x16 HI-RES EGA graphics
mode. If you get this error immediately after typing BMASTER, then
it is probably your graphics card. The only fix is to change your
graphics card.
MOUSE CURSOR ERASE SYNDROME - I have recently heard of 3 or 4 instances
of the mouse cursor seeming to erase the screen when it is moved. This
is a problem with your mouse driver. I only make calls to the Mouse API,
I don't re-paint the screen. Switching mouse drivers has fixed this in
every case so far.
ERROR 11 in line 918 - If you get this message at start up, then you
don't have enough available memory to run BLASTER Master. BLASTER
Master requires about 550K of RAM if you are not using EMS.
PERFORMANCE TIPS:
----------------
BLASTER Master works best on a very fast PC. That means a fast processor,
fast graphics and fast hard drive. I use mostly floating point operations
for accuracy. A Math Co-Processor speeds up most of the functions by as
much as 40%. Mixing two 50K files requires over 1,000,000 calculations
for example. A slow graphics card can cause wait states on your processor.
That bargain price VGA system may not be such a bargain if you saved $50
and slowed your PC down by 40-60% in graphics mode. BLASTER Master is
based on using "virtual memory", i.e., using your hard drive where ever
possible. This is slower but much more reliable and supports a wider
system base. It also easily supports HUGE file sizes. If you are lucky
enough to have several megabytes of RAM, try running from a RAM Disk or
at least use an extended/expanded memory Disk Cache. It makes a big
difference in performance. Disk fragmentation can also lessen performance,
regardless of what software you are running.
SUGGESTED READING:
-----------------
If you are interested in learning more about how BLASTER Master works, you
should read the following books:
"Principles of Digital Audio" by Ken C. Pohlmann
Howard W. Sams & Co., 1985, 1989 second edition
This is an excellent introduction to everything from fundamental
accoustic theory to the way compact disks work. Some chapters are
relatively easy to understand and others are definitely NOT for
the faint of heart.
"Musical Applications of Microprocessors" by Hal Chamberlin
Hayden Books, 1985, 1987 second edition
This is absolutely the best edition ever published in the field
of digital sound production and is universally considered a
classic. This book is 800 pages long and an understanding of
advanced mathmatics is required.
"Elements of Computer Music" by F. Richard Moore
Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1990
This is also an excellent source of information about digital
sound re-production. It is especially good for C programmers as
all of the examples are working C routines.
"An Introduction to Digital Signal Processing" by John H. Karl
Academic Press, Inc. 1989
This is a very good crash study course in DSP and assumes the
reader is familiar with higher mathmatics.
Distribution BBS Numbers:
------------------------
These BBS's should always have the latest release. BLASTER Master is also
available on hundreds of other BBS's around the world.
CompuServe GO MIDI Channel One 617 354-3137
Data Dimension 404 921-1186 America Online PC MUSIC
New Dimension 408 274-5550 Rusty & Eddy's 216 726-3589
User-to-User 214 492-6565 GEnie IBMPC
Music Connection 214 596-2827 EXEC-PC 414 789-4360
BLASTER Master is the result of many, many hours of programming, study and
experimentation (not to mention 6 years of college). If you find this program
to be interesting and of use to you, then please register BLASTER Master and
help support future development towards more applications of sound files. I
would like to take this opportunity to thank the individuals and institutions
that have already registered. Your support has made this version possible. As
long as you continue to support BLASTER Master, I will continue to release new
versions. All future updates are free. One registration will automatically
register future versions. Please mention the version number in your letter.
I would also like your telephone number and your computer system hardware.
I would also be interested in knowing which BBS you downloaded it from and
hearing any suggestions for future enhancements. Think of it this way, when
you register BLASTER Master, you aren't paying for the version you are cur-
rently using, you are helping to finance the next release. When I receive
your payment, I will send you your registration number and instructions on
installing it.
To Register, send $29.95 in US dollars to:
Gary Maddox
1901 Spring Creek #315
Plano, TX 75023
USA
Foreign orders mailed directly to me should include $5.00 for the extra
postage and PLEASE, send payment in US dollars only.
To Register in Germany, send 59 Deutche Marks plus handling fee to:
CDV
Ettlingerstr. 5
D-7500 Karlsruhe 1
Germany
I suggest you contact CDV to find out the current handling charges and to
obtain a catalog of their other excellent shareware offerings.
To Register in the U.K., send 16 pounds Sterling to:
Carl Ricketts
54 St. Anne's Road
Tankerton
Whitstable
Kent
CT5 2DR
England
You can drop me a line on Prodigy at KTSM62A, GEnie at G.MADDOX
or CompuServe at 76711,547.
Thank you for using my Sound Blaster software.
* Sound Blaster is a registered trademark of Creative Labs, Inc
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BLASTER Master Copyright (C) 1990,1991,1992 by Gary Maddox, all rights reserved
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------