Generally Helpful Software presents:
Audio Strip GH

Author: Glenn R. Howes (grhowes@kagi.com)
Version: 1.4 beta 3 USA
Price: Basic package free. Premium modules $10 US
Date: 8/23/97

Audio Strip GH is a collection of Control Strip modules for the Macintosh which implements the basic functionality of an audio CD player. Because of the modular design combined with the always present Control Strip, Audio Strip has several advantages over a traditional stand alone player application:

• When the Control Strip is open, the audio controls and displays are front most and not obscured by overlapping windows.
• No waiting while the player application launches.
• Choose the controls you most want, making your personalized CD player incredibly tiny (a single icon button) or just compact.

Requirements:

• A MacOS™ capable computer.
• A CD ROM drive.
• System 7.1 or greater.
• The Control Strip software or a compatible product.

Registering:

Much of Audio Strip GH is free, but some of the more useful modules are held back as encryptionware; if you want them you will need to register your copy of Audio Strip GH in order to get the password to unlock them. Registering is done through Kagi Shareware Services either by running the Register program which came with this package or by visiting the online registration site for either normal or secure transactions. Once you get the password, run the Premium Modules.sea application. Please do not give the password or the un-encrypted modules to anyone.

What you get for free:

• CD Omni GH
  • Select tracks to play from menu.
  • Quick click play, pause, continue.
  • Eject. Not just Audio CDs.
  • Auto-play.
  • Play random track programs.
  • Play personalized track programs.
  • Change loudness.
  • Save preferred loudness.
• CD Eject GH
  • One click putting away of CDs. Not just audio CDs.
• CD Volume GH
  • Change loudness of playback.
  • Change loudness of either left or right channel.
  • Save preferred loudness.

What you get for $10:

• CD Omni GH 2
  • Everything CD Omni GH gives you.
  • Display loudness.
  • Display current track.
  • Display playback time.
  • Display program indicator.
• CD Next GH
  • One click playing of next track.
  • Hold for cycling forwards through tracks.
• CD Last GH
  • One click playing of current track.
  • Hold for cycling backwards through tracks.
• CD FFwd GH
  • Click and hold to fast forward through the boring stuff.
• CD FRev GH
  • Click and hold to fast reverse back to the interesting stuff.

Installation:

• Install Control Strip onto your machine. Control Strip used to be limited to Powerbooks, but no longer. It can now be installed onto desktop machines. You might have to do a Custom Install from your MacOS CD. If all else fails, try Extensions Strip, it's what I use.
• Drag those modules you want into the Control Strip Modules folder inside your System Folder.
• You can use the Finder to duplicate modules if you want to:
  • Control more than one CD Drive at the same time.
  • Have one CD Volume GH module control the left stereo channel while another controls the right stereo channel.
• Restart.
• If all goes well, and there is an available compatible CD ROM drive, the modules you placed in the Control Strip Modules folder will appear in the Control Strip Strip.
• Hold down the Command key and click on each module on the strip to configure each modules preferences. At a minimum, you can choose which drive the module is to control.

Configuration of Preference Menus (Command Click):

• All modules.
  • Choose which drive to control, either one on one of the SCSI busses or a single ATA bus drive. The internal drive in a Powerbook and some low end desktops will be an ATA drive. External drives and most internal drives will be SCSI.
• CD Omni GH
  • Auto Play CD. When an audio CD is inserted, the module will start playing it right away. If you use this option, you might want to go to the QuickTime control panel and turn off it's version of the same feature.
  • Auto Repeat CD. When the end of the CD (or program) is reached, play will start again from the beginning.
  • Auto Put Away CD. If Auto Repeat CD is not selected, the disk will be ejected and dismounted when the end of the CD (or program) is reached.
  • Use Program. If you have entered a track program using the AppleCD Audio Player, the module will play using the input sequence.
  • Play Tracks Randomly. Play the tracks of the disk (or program) in a random order.
  • Save Startup Loudness. Every time you restart the machine, the module will automatically change the audio sound level of the CD drive to the level present when this item is selected.
• CD Omni GH 2
  • All the preferences from CD Omni GH
  • Time Left in Track, Time Left in CD/Prg, Time Into Track, or Time Into CD/Prg. These are the time information that the module can display.
  • 1 Second Ticks, 2 Second Ticks, or 5 Second Ticks. This is the frequency at which the module should update its display. The less frequently, the less CPU time it uses up.
• CD Volume GH
  • Save Startup Loudness. Every time you restart the machine, the module will automatically change the audio sound level of the CD drive to the level present when this item is selected. Same as CD Omni GH Above
  • Control Both Channels, Control Right Channel, or Control Left Channel. If you are interested in changing the balance of the sound from right to left, you can change one sound channel at a time. See duplication above.

Usage:

The modules have three sets of behaviors. The behavior associated with quickly clicking and releasing on the module button, the behavior when the button is clicked and released within the button, and the behavior associated with clicking and holding or dragging on the module button.

• Quick click behavior
  • CD Omni GH/CD Omni GH 2. Toggle between Playing and Pausing.
  • CD Next GH. Play the track after the currently playing track either sequentially or next in the program.
  • CD Last GH. Start playing the current track again.
• Click and release behavior
  • CD Eject GH. Eject the CD (or empty tray) and dismount the volume.
• Click and hold behavior
  • CD Omni GH/CD Omni GH 2
    • No modifier keys. Choose whether to play a track from a list, to put away the disk, to pause (or continue) or to stop.
    • Shift key. Same as above, but toggles between using a track program or not.
    • Control key. Choose a sound level from a graphical menu.
  • CD Volume GH. Choose a sound level from a graphical menu.
  • CD Next GH. Cycle through the tracks in the disk (or program).
  • CD Last GH. Cycle backwards through the tracks in the disk (or program).
  • CD FFwd GH. Scan forward through the disk.
  • CD FRev GH. Scan backwards through the disk. (Might not work with track programs.)

Feedback/Bug Reports/New Features/Hyperbolic kudos:

Send e-mail to Glenn at grhowes@kagi.com. Wherever he is, it should reach him.

Other programs you might find of use (all free):

• InCDius GH. A utility to download track names from the internet cddb database. Save yourself some time.
• AudioCDgh. An AppleScript extension to give you script control over your audio CD player.
• Remote Remote. A standalone, scriptable CD Player.

Warranty:

There is no warranty. Any damage or data loss due to the use of this package is the user's problem, and is not the responsibility of Glenn Howes or Generally Helpful Software. Refunds will be considered on a case by case basis.

Written in:

C using CodeWarrior Pro.

Thanks to:

• My registered users from all over the world. From Japan to Brazil.
• My beta testers, especially Troy Gaul whose kept with me as he's migrated from Iowa to Cupertino to White Bear Lake (I'm probably missing some stops).
• Christopher Li for putting together the Japanese translation.
• The good folks of St. Pious the X Grade School in Billings, MT, where I went to 1st through 3rd grade. I hope you are still in business.