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!SoundCon
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1996-09-03
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S o u n d C o n
=================
version 1.61, 24-02-95
by Rick Hudson
This software is FreeWare. It must only be distrubuted in its original form
and there must be no charge for it (except possibly for covering media
costs). No part of this application (including the PlaySample module) may be
distributed separately from SoundCon without my prior permission.
Contents
========
1 Summary
2 Other documentation
3 Supported formats
4 Using SoundCon
4.1 Loading a sample
4.2 Changing the interpretation
4.3 Listening to the sample
4.3.1 Controlling playback
4.3.2 Volume
4.3.3 Mono-echo mode
4.3.4 Section mode
4.3.5 Looping mode
4.4 Converting the sample to another format
4.4.1 Options
4.5 Preferences
4.5.1 Default conversion format
4.5.2 Default raw interpretation
4.5.3 Auto actions on load
4.5.4 File naming
4.5.5 Sound configuration
4.5.6 General options
4.6 Queue processing
4.6.1 Loading the queue
4.6.2 Loading a queued sample
4.6.3 Batch conversion
4.6.4 The queue menu
4.7 Using SoundCon with ArcWeb
5 History/Future
6 Problems?
7 Acknowledgements
1. Summary
==========
SoundCon is an application for basic sound sample format conversion on the
Archimedes. It can read and write samples in a variety of formats common on
various computer platforms and can directly playback most the formats it can
read (without converting it first). An important feature of SoundCon is that
all processing and playback is done from disc meaning that the only memory
required is for the application itself and there is no limit to the sample
size.
As of version 1.40 SoundCon can respond to render requests from ArcWeb so
that WWW sounds can be played by just clicking on them.
See the version history in the !SoundCon.Docs.HistFuture file for a summary
of changes and additions to this version.
2. Other documentation
======================
The Docs directory within !SoundCon contains further information on the
PlaySample module, the various sound formats supported, version history and
possible/probable future developments. The Formats file contains format
descriptions, what sub-formats are and aren't supported, limitations of them
and which ones can be played without conversion.
Interactive help is supported. Theoretically, you should be able to stop
reading this now and use that.
3. Supported formats
====================
Major formats sub-formats
Audio IFF 8/16 bit, mono/stereo
Armadeus n/a (8 bit mono signed linear)
ARMovie 8/16 bit, (un)signed linear, VIDC, mono/stereo
Sun Audio 8 bit A/µ-law, 8 bit lin, 16 bit lin, mono/stereo
AudioWorks 8/16 bit (un)signed, A/µ-law, VIDC, mono/stereo
Datavox 8/16 bit (un)signed, µ-law, VIDC, mono/stereo
IFF/8SVX n/a (8 bit mono signed linear)
Psion S3a n/a (8 bit mono A-law 8kHz)
VOC n/a (8 bit mono unsigned linear)
Voice modules 4 volume modes, fixed/var frequency, voice/transient
RIFF WAVE 8/16 bit PCM, A/µ-law, MS/DVI ADPCM, mono/stereo
Raw data 8/16 bit, (un)signed lin, A/µ-law, VIDC, mono/stereo
For more information on these formats see the file Docs.Formats which
describes in more details what the formats can support and what the menu
sub-options do.
=================
4. Using SoundCon
=================
4.1 Loading a sample
=====================
SoundCon is sample converter so it can't do anything until you give a
sample. Drag a file onto the icon bar icon or any of it's windows to 'open'
the sample. The settings of the preferences may cause some actions to happen
automatically at this point (see later) but the default is not do anything
except open the sample information window (click select on the icon bar icon
to open it if you need to). This window displays information about the file
loaded. If the format is not recognised (or a recognisable format is
unsupported - WAVEs have several such formats) then an error message is
reported and sample is loaded as raw data.
4.2 Changing the interpretation
================================
Recognised formats will not usually have to be fiddled with but raw data
will probably have to have the interpretation of the data changed to make
it sound right - this is largely a trial and error process.
At the bottom of the sample info window (click on Toggle Size or scroll
down) there is the interpretation format and frequency - use the pop-up
menus to change these. The format selections are summarised by interactive
help (if your version of RISC OS isn't too old) and described in more detail
in the file Docs.Formats.
The interpretation frequency sets how many sample frames per second to
assume. A sample frame is the samples on all channels at any given point and
so frames per second means samples per channel per second. The menu provides
a list of common frequencies as well as a writable entry for other
frequencies.
4.3 Listening to the sample
============================
The playback control window can be opened by clicking Adjust on the icon bar
icon or by selecting the menu item in the sample info window or icon bar
menus. The sample will be played based on the format and frequency set in the
Interpret As section of the sample info window. An exception to this are
samples that cannot be interpreted as raw data by SoundCon (ADPCM and
Audioworks formats) which can only be played in their original format.
Note that the ADPCM play routines are quite CPU intensive (since they
decompress on the fly) and the sound quality will probably suffer when
interrupts are used heavily (eg lots of disc activity).
4.3.1 Controlling playback
The CD-style buttons control the playback and their use should is as follows:
o Stop. Stop a sample playing and reset the position to the start.
> Play. Start playing a sample. Also unpauses if paused.
|| Pause. Stop playing but retain the current position. Click again to
resume playback.
<< Rewind. Move the position back by 1/100th of the sample length and
return to play or pause as appropriate. If sample is stopped then
pause mode is entered. Holding the button down
>> Cue. As rewind but move forward 1/100th of the sample length.
|<< Previous sample. If the play position is near or at the beginning and
the queue pointer is not on the first entry then the previous sample
is loaded. If the play position is *not* near the beginning then it
rewinds to the start.
>>| If the queue pointer is not at the end of the queue then the next
queued item is loaded.
The slider marking the sample progress can be dragged around as an
alternative to setting the sample position with the cue and rewind buttons.
Play or pause is resumed as appropriate. If the sample has not been started
then pause mode is entered.
4.3.2 Volume
The volume slider on the right controls the volume and the speaker button
(top button) toggles the speaker on and off. If the volume is changed or the
speaker toggled from another application then SoundCon updates the volume
slider and speaker button automatically. Note though that the volume is
independant of the normal system volume so other system-volume controllers
will have no effect.
The percentage above the volume slider shows the volume that will be used
when the slider is pushed right to the top. If you click on it, it will
switch between 100% and 200%; the latter mode allowing a sample to be
amplified. Distortion due to clipping will occur if the sample is amplified
too much.
The writable icon box beside the volume slider is the numeric setting of the
volume. You can type in a value here to set the volume if you wish.
4.3.3 Mono-echo mode
Mono samples can be played with a