It's the fun and easy way to explore the amazing world of sounds on your Macintosh computer.
Remember: The best way to learn all of Ultra Recorder's features is to experiment. Ultra Recorder supports System 7.5's drag and drop capabilities. Just drag and drop a file or folder over Ultra Recorder's window to begin playing, or command drop a file or folder over Ultra Recorder's window to convert all the sounds in the file. Ultra Recorder supports version 2.1 and later of QuickTime's built in compression, including the exciting IMA 4:1 sound format. Try making your own Startup AIFF Sound to be played in the background while your computer starts up. Imagine having a song from your favorite CD playing while your computer starts up. All you have to do is use Ultra Recorder's powerful conversion abilities to convert the sound track from your favorite CD to a Startup AIFF Sound file. Once converted, Startup AIFF Sounds support custom icons that allow you to display your own, custom icon while your system is starting up. Startup and Self Playing AIFF Sound files can be used royalty free. This means you can use the files created by Ultra Recorder any way you wish. Feel free to upload them to your favorite Online Service. Please do not upload any Startup or Self Playing AIFF Sound files that contain copyrighted material.
Note: To access all of Ultra Recorder's features, I recommend installing QuickTime 2.5 or later. It can be found at the following WEB site:
http://www.quicktime.apple.com/qt25.hqx
For more information about QuickTime, visit Apple's web site:
http://www.quicktime.apple.com
Ultra Recorder's Web page is at: http://members.aol.com/EJC3
Introduction
Welcome to Ultra Recorder. It's the fun and easy way to explore the amazing world of sounds on your Macintosh computer.
What Ultra Recorder Can Do
Ultra Recorder can play and convert sounds stored in a variety of sound formats (see appendix A for a full list). Ultra Recorder features disk based sound manipulation. You can play and convert all supported sound formats directly from your disk drive. This means, while manipulating sound files, you will never see another out of memory error again! Ultra Recorder can open sounds inside folders, disks, and it will even resolve aliases. Just drag a folder, disk, or alias over Ultra Recorder's icon, and it will play all the sounds inside. Ultra Recorder also supports the new Drag Manager (part of System 7.5), which allows you to drag and drop a folder, disk, or alias over Ultra Recorder's windows, and the sound will begin to play.
Ultra Recorder has a state of the art recording interface (not the old fashioned Record Dialog Box that System 7 uses). It even allows the recording of sounds in the background. Ultra Recorder customizes its own menus to meet the features of the sound device you are recording from. Use Ultra Recorder to unlock your sound device's full potential! Ultra Recorder can also record sounds in a variety of sound formats (see appendix A for the full list of sound formats Ultra Recorder can record to). If your hardware supports it, Ultra Recorder lets you record all but System 7 sound files directly to your disk. This means that you can record for as long as you have disk space available.
Ultra Recorder introduces two new types of sound files: Self Playing AIFF Sound Files and Startup AIFF Sound Files. The Self Playing AIFF Sound File allows everyone the ability to play AIFF Sound Files as easily as System 7 Sound Files with all the advantages of AIFF Sound Files. The Self Playing AIFF Sound File is an application bundled with an AIFF Sound File, similar to what self extracting archives are. With a Self Playing AIFF Sound file you can distribute your sound files without fear of a person not having the application to play it. Ultra Recorder also lets you specify whether you want the sound to play either in the background or in the foreground with your own message displayed while it's playing. The Startup AIFF Sound File is a small extension bundled with an AIFF Sound File that allows you to have an AIFF Sound File play in the background at startup while all your extensions load. Try Both formats today! Developers: Please contact me if to wish to include these new formats in your applications. My E-Mail address is EJC3@aol.com.
You should have received the following:
• An application called Ultra Recorder 2.3
• An application called Ultra Recorder Help 2.3
• Two demenstration sound files
• Important Internet bookmarks
• A Register program that allows for registration using Kagi
• This Read Me File
If anything is missing please contact me at EJC3@Kagi.com. or at the following address:
EJ Campbell
EJ Enterprises
55 Washington Ave.
Basking Ridge NJ, 07920
Note: If Ultra Recorder's icons fail to show up, or if Ultra Recorder’s icon doesn't accept some types of sounds dragged over it, there most likely is something missing from your computers desktop database. Try rebuilding your desktop by holding the 'Command' and 'Option' keys down while your computer starts up, or download Save A BNDL by Michael S. Engber. It allows you to add Ultra Recorder's icon to the desktop file without rebuilding the desktop.
About Kagi
Registration is extremely easy! It only takes a couple of minutes. Ultra Recorder features electronic Registration via Kagi Registration Services. You can register electronically through a modem, through the mail, through the Internet, or through fax. Once regestered, Ultra Recorder will instantly enable all currently locked features, and you will never have to see this message again! Register today by opening the Register program or registering inside Ultra Recorder!
ShareWare/CollegeWare Fees
My ShareWare/CollegeWare fee is only 20$. All registered users will be registered for Ultra Recorder for life, and will receive a code from Kagi to unlock all of Ultra Recorder's features. All Registered users will no longer have to click on the 'Not Yet' button before starting up, your name will appear in a title screen, and all of the features of Self Playing AIFF Files will be customizable by you. Simply choose 'Register…' from the registration menu, to access Ultra Recorder's Online ordering system. Thanks!
In Addtion to basic registration, Ultra Recorder also offers the following registration options:
1- 7 single user licenses, $20 per user or $25 w/ updates via disk
A Site License costs $150 (roughly equal to 8 users) and covers all locations for your organization within a 160
kilometer radius of your site (100 miles). One big advantage of a Site License is that you do not need to keep track of
how many people at your site are using the software.
A World-Wide License costs $300 and it covers all locations for your organization on the planet earth.
What's changed from 2.2.1 to 2.3? Released:Novemeber 2nd, 1997
Ultra Recorder now supports QuickTime sound compression. With QuickTime 2.1 and later installed, Ultra Recorder can tap into the power of QuickTime. While converting sounds, Ultra Recorder can use QuickTime to compress the sounds, change their format, sample rate, sample size, and the number of channels. By choosing QuickTime, Ultra Recorder is assured of compatibility in the future, and as QuickTime is upgraded, Ultra Recorder will have access to new features instantaneously.
-- New anti-aliased interface.
-- PowerPC native.
-- Runs faster than before.
-- Rewritten Startup AIFF Sound manager extension
-- Now PowerPC compatible
-- No more messy assembly language
-- QuickTime 2.1 and 2.5 savvy
-- Compatible with System 7.5.5
-- New registration methods:
-- Now supports registration via Kagi Registration
Services.
-- Supports registering by credit card.
-- Register by fax, e-mail, regular mail, or via the Internet.
-- More registration options, including site-licenses and e-mail
notification of upgrades.
-- Added ability to record into Window's WAV format
-- More robust sound conversion routines.
-- Handles disk space more efficiently.
-- Bug free.
-- Now supports the conversion of sounds to Window's WAV sound
format.
-- Converted and Recorded System 7 sound files can now be dragged
and dropped over the System folder to instantly add it the list of
available Beep sounds.
-- Uses features of QuickTime 2.1 and later
-- Can convert UNIX u-law and MIDI sound files into any sound
format Ultra Recorder supports.
-- Can record QuickTime sound only movies
-- Can change a sound's sample rate, number of channels, and
sample size
-- Supports QuickTime compression.
-- Allows compression of sounds while converting them.
-- Supports new IMA 4:1 sound format.
-- Reduces 16-Bit sound data by 75% without loss of
quality.
-- Requires QuickTime 2.1 or later.
-- Intelligent suffix addition and deletion.
-- Smart naming, to reduce annoying error messages
-- Will properly number duplicate sounds.
-- Redesigned 'Now Recording…' window
-- New scrolling history of past sound levels.
-- Increased size of sound level indicator.
-- Added clipping warning.
-- Improved 'Now Playing…' window's interface
-- Removed memory leaks while handling sound resources
-- Fixed bug that prevented recording of AIFF sound files on some
computers.
-- Updated Self-Playing AIFF sound file's interface and code
-- New 'Simple Player' Self-Playing AIFF sound format
-- Limited interface, meaning small file size.
-- Ability to automatically put itself in the background at launch.
-- Extensive beta testing using outside beta-testers.
-- Many other minor bugs fixed.
-- If you downloaded 2.2.1 you want 2.3!
What's changed from 2.2 to 2.2.1? Released: September 7, 1995
-- Fixed a major bug that caused the conversion of sound
resources to crash on some Macintosh's.
-- Background Self Playing AIFF format is now bug free. You
can now switch to the Self Playing application by using the
application menu and stop the sound.
-- Foreground Self Playing AIFF format now displays the
correct icon all the time.
-- Startup AIFF Sound Files no longer display garbled error
messages.
-- Selecting a folder to save an AIFF sound before recording now
works correctly.
-- In the 'Now Recording' dialog box, the Play-Through control is
now dimmed when not supported.
-- The play-through level now returns to it's previous state, after
closing the 'Now Recording' dialog box.
-- Play-through now defaults to off.
-- Extensive beta testing on a Power Macintosh w/ RamDoubler
installed to assure trouble free operation.
-- Can now drag files onto the 'Now Playing' Dialog Box.
-- Online Help has been updated.
-- When converting sounds from a file that has multiple
sounds, and a duplicate is found, Ultra Recorder will now begin
numbering the duplicate sounds starting from 2.
-- Many other minor bugs fixed.
-- My address has been changed.
-- If you downloaded 2.2 you want 2.2.1!
What's changed from 2.1 to 2.2? Released: June 23, 1995
Ultra Recorder now has the ability to convert existing sound files into all the formats Ultra Recorder supports. Ultra Recorder can convert AIFF, AIFF-C, System 7 Sound Files, QuickTime Movies, Window's WAV, Sound Tracks on CD's, and SoundEdit™ Sound Files, to any of the formats Ultra Recorder supports. Ultra Recorder's powerful conversion algorithms can convert any size sound regardless of the amount of memory allocated to Ultra Recorder.
-- Added sound conversion features allowing you to convert any
sound Ultra Recorder supports to wide variety of sound formats.
-- A lot of bug fixes.
-- Ultra Recorder supports the new Drag Manager (part of System 7.5).
Just drag an drop any file, folder, or disk onto Ultra Recorder's main
or iconized window to begin playing (holding the command key while
dragging will convert the file).
-- Ultra Recorder has been tested on more types of Macintosh's to
assure greater stability.
-- Added a new more '3-D' type interface.
-- Ultra Recorder now opens all windows based on the location of
Ultra Recorder's main window.
-- Online Help now works properly even without the Plugs folder.
-- Online Help has been updated.
-- Plugs folder now works properly.
-- Fixed a bug in which the compression menu wouldn't work
properly.
-- The "Play Current Sound' button now remembers any type of
sound Ultra Recorder has played or recorded.
-- Fixed a bug that froze the computer when playing some types of
sounds.
-- Can now play and convert more types of SoundEdit™ sound files.
SoundEdit™ sound files are no longer limited by available memory.
-- Added an 'Option' button to the 'Now Recording' dialog box that
on some Macintosh's allows you control special features of the
Sound Input Device.
-- Playing sounds in the 'Now Recording' dialog box now works
properly.
-- Fixed several bugs in the 'Now Recording' dialog box. Now handles
low disk space, and plays sounds correctly.
-- Fixed a bug in which the order form would not display properly
after being printed.
-- Several cosmetic changes were made to the 'Name AIFF Sound'
dialog box. Now displays the volume the Self Playing AIFF File
will play at. All text edit boxes are lined up correctly.
-- Fixed several spelling mistakes in the order form.
-- The 'Iconize' button has been changed to 'Convert'.
-- Changed the 'Convert AIFF File…' menu item to 'Edit an Existing
AIFF File…' to better reflect the item's true purpose.
-- Added the 'Convert A File…' menu item to access Ultra Recorder's
conversion features.
-- All text from Ultra Recorder is now contained inside 'STR#'
resources. This means Ultra Recorder can now be customized
for different languages.
-- Unregistered users will not be able to save their preferences.
-- Unregistered users will only be able to use Ultra Recorder for twenty
minutes at a time. Please Register!
What's changed from 2.0b to 2.1? Released: January 23, 1995
-- A lot of bug fixes.
-- Added extensive Online Help from within the help menu in
Ultra Recorder. Covers every feature of Ultra Recorder.
-- Sound Input Device menu now works properly.
-- Added menus to control number of channels and sample size.
-- Ultra Recorder now adjusts its menus to the features of the
Sound Input Device you are recording from. This means that
on capable Macintoshes you can record 44khz 16-Bit CD quality
stereo sound from within Ultra Recorder!
-- Compression menu now capable of adding new compression
types on the fly.
-- Recording times are now more accurate in Record Dialog Box than
before.
-- Now works with the AudioSpectrum 16 (full feature support),
and other non-Apple devices.
-- With the new Sound Manager the main system volume has no
effect on what the play back volume is. You can keep the
system volume at 1 and still play sounds as loud as if the
system volume was at 7.
-- Added MOD playing support.
-- Added a plugs folder to hold files that aren't absolutely
necessary for Ultra Recorder to run, but add features to Ultra
Recorder.
-- Plugs folder is compatible with any Sound-Trecker compatible
Plug.
-- Display Order Form now looks better.
What's changed from 2.0 to 2.0b?
-- Hundreds of bug fixes. This version should never have been
released.
-- WAV support
-- Stabilized the program
-- Took out the Convert File menu item.
-- Added the Convert AIFF File menu item.
-- Added recording to Self Playing AIFF Sound Files and
