Sounder is a small system extension (Init) that allows you to control the volume level of your Mac. By using the hotkeys listed below you can raise or lower the volume at any time.
Unlike the Next computer which has up and down volume control keys right on the keyboard, the Mac requires you to open a control panel to affect a change. This is a pain if you are in the middle of an application and have to stop what you are doing to change the volume. It's particularly annoying if you are playing a game, listening to music files (Amiga mod files, etc.), or doing multimedia work.
The Mac's Sound Control Panel forever remembers the last volume level that was set. This might be a problem if you raised the volume during the day, forgot to lower it, and then booted the computer late at night. The Mac's power on sound is almost loud enough to wake everyone in the house, but at high volume that Ren and Stimpy sample in your Startup Items folder is certain to.
Essentially Sounder does two things. It provides instant keyboard access to the volume level of your Mac. And it purposely does not save this information to PRAM (non-volatile system parameter memory). The Mac will always power up with the selected default volume level that you have set via the Sound Control Panel.
Sounder does not use fancy graphic gadgets or beep sounds to indicate that it is working. It simply flashes the menu bar to let you know that the volume is changing. This is plenty of feedback for a relatively small task like changing the volume. By using the menu flash as feedback Sounder is fast enough to hotkey to the highest or lowest end of the Mac's volume spectrum in moments letting you to get back to the task at hand.
System Requirements
Sounder has been implemented for System 7 or greater. It may work just fine with earlier versions, but it has not been tested on anything below 7.0.
It has no special requirements and takes up less than 2k of memory once loaded. It has proven to be robust on a number of Mac systems and is compatible with however many inits and control panels you may boot up with.
Installation
Drag the Sounder init into your System Folder and click OK when you are asked if you want to place it in the Extensions Folder. Sounder will become operational after the next startup.
Operation
Press the Command (Apple) key and the Option key, and use the Up/Down cursor keys to raise or lower the volume. Each press of the cursor key changes the volume level by one on the scale of zero through seven (like the Sound Control Panel).
The menu bar blinks twice in rapid succession if you have changed to a valid volume setting. When the zero volume level is reached the menu bar flashes just once with a slightly longer duration. If you try to raise the volume past seven, no further menu flashing occurs. This is an indication that you are already at the maximum volume setting.
Once again, the changes you make with Sounder are purposely not saved to PRAM. Use your Sound Control Panel to set the volume level that you would like the Mac to have the next time it is powered up.
One word of caution. When they are run, the Chooser, Mouse Control Panel, Keyboard Control Panel, and of course the Sound Control Panel, all rewrite the structure SysParams to Parameter RAM. Part of SysParams structure contains volume level information. Therefore if you have changed the level with Sounder and later opened one of these control panels, the new volume level will now become the default level upon power up. This will occur whenever any application or control panel rewrites PRAM. I haven't come across any applications that do this, but it is possible that a communications type of program may do so. This is because serial port parameters, along with volume level, mouse speed settings and keyboard repeat values, are all stored in PRAM.
Commercial
Sounder is free. Use it as you like and distribute it freely. But please do not modify any files and always distribute this instruction document along with the init.
Sounder was designed from the start to be a small single-minded utility program. As such there are no provisions for changing the hotkeys or rewriting PRAM.
If you would like to use a different set of hotkeys, want to use your system beep sound instead of the menu flash, or wish to have Sounder save the volume you have selected as the power up default, I have a solution. Call it CustomWare if you like (oh no, not another 'ware' word). Send your registration fee of $10, and your list of requested changes from those mentioned above, and I will send you the latest distribution version and your customized version on a Mac 800k floppy disk.
Send to:
Andy Barbolla
210 Burman Wood Drive
Hampton, VA 23666
For emailing bug reports, etc.:
CompuServe ID: 73107,1177
America Online: AndyB 00
Disclaimer
Sounder has been thoroughly tested and has been in use for some time on a number of systems without any problems. However, I cannot be held responsible for any system problems that have resulted from the use of this software. Having said that, Sounder is a robust init and should not cause you or your system any discomfort.
