ArtWorks ClipArt 1/CLIPART.iso/demos/audioworks/_readme

Text File | 1993-10-05 | 7.9 KB | 200 lines

AudioWorks (DEMO version)
=========================

This is a prerelease demo version of the AudioWorks Digital Sample
editor package.

In the directory "DemoSample" are a few demonstration samples to play with.
They are mostly 8 bit, Logarithmic, 20833 samples/second. Some of the
samples are also stereo. A few of the samples also demonstrate repeat loops.
In the directory '$.ProfSample' you will find versions of these samples,
plus many more in 16-bit Linear Signed 44100 samples/second format.

This file includes information to help you familiarise yourself with the
program, as well as some important notes.


Features
========

Its features include:

  * Editing and playback of mono and stereo samples of the following types
      8, 12 and 16 bit Linear Signed
      8, 12 and 16 bit Linear Unsigned
      8 bit VIDC Logarithmic
      8 bit ╡Law Logarithmic

  * Loading/Importing of samples in the following file formats
      AudioWorks native format
      DataVox
      Armadeus
      SoundSynth
      Tracker samples
      Unpacked Digital Symphony samples
      Creative Voice File (.VOC)
      Sun audio (.snd/.au)
      NeXT audio (.snd/.au)
      Microsoft WAVE (.WAV)
      IFF 8SVX
      Raw (headerless) data

    Samples may also be extracted from
      Acorn replay movies (Soundtrack extracted)
      Tracker music files (Any instrument(s) may be extracted)
      SoundTracker/ProTracker music files (Any instruments may be extracted)

    Most formats are automatically recognised from the file content, so
    are correctly loaded even if the file type is incorrectly set.

  * Saving/Exporting data in a variety of formats including
      AudioWorks native format
      DataVox
      Armadeus
      Microsoft WAVE
      Raw data
    NOTE that saving has been disabled in this demo version
    Further exporters may be present in the release version

  * Editing of up to 48 samples concurrently.

  * Fully multitasking operation - all effects operate in the background,
    and effects may be applied to multiple samples at once.
    Up to 8 samples may be played simultaneously
    Each sample includes a play cursor to show what is playing.

  * Works under RISC OS 2 and 3. Supports extra RISC OS 3 features.

  * Multitasking Spectrum Analysis and Oscilloscope display windows.

  * Interactive Scale View dialogue, and various display options.

  * Keyboard for playing instrument samples at different pitches (by
    clicking on the 'piano keyboard' display or typing on the computer
    keyboard)

  * Powerful cut/copy/paste operation (see "Paste Options" from the "Edit"
    submenu) including mixing operations.

  * Editing of stereo samples as either a single entity or as two separate
    channels.

  * Amplitude envelope and pitch bend facilities (disabled on the demo
    version)

  * Buffered playback system minimises the amount of memory 'lost' to
    module area fragmentation (a major disadvantage of most other sound
    editing/playback software)


Modifications
=============

This demo version has been specially modified in the following ways:

  * Some features have been disabled, most notably file saving

  * A splash screen is shown for 5 seconds on start up to remind users that
    this is a demo version

  * A separate utility is supplied with the release version for setting
    sound system configuration, and for playing samples directly from disc.
    The utility is not supplied with this demo.

  * The demo version represents the prerelease state. Some options will
    change in the release version. New options will be added. Some common
    features that you might expect might be missing from this demo version,
    but should be present in the release version.


Using the program
=================

The program works much like any other RISC OS application. Here are some
hints and tips to help you get to grips with it.

At the top of each sample window is a tool bar with icons similar to the
buttons on a tape recorder - stop, pause, play, record. These all work just
as you would expect them to work if they were on a tape recorder.

You can open the Spectrum and Oscilloscope windows (from the icon bar menu)
to "see" the samples playing. Note that these windows can be full-sized (by
clicking on the icon in the top right corner of the window) to double the
display size, though this will slow down the update rate.

To the right of these icons is an auto-repeat button. Samples may include
a repeat loop, (which is shown as a grey background behind the sample
display). Normally, when you play the sample it is played once from start to
finish.

However, if you click the auto-repeat button on, the repeat loop will be
included in playback (which will now not cease until you click the stop
button).

To the right of the auto-repeat button is a progress display (usually blank)
which will show
  * Samples selected, during a selection drag operation
  * Progress (percentage-completed) of any effect you are applying

The main portion of the window is the sample display. Click MENU here to
pop up the main menu, or you can select a portion of the sample by dragging
with select (or adjust). A single select click will deselect the selection,
while a shift-click will select the entire sound sample.

Explore the menu. Points to note are:

  * Paste options affect the way in which paste works, so check them before
    you try pasting or you may be surprised!

  * The clipboard (if any) can be shown and edited like any other
    sample - On the "Edit" submenu there is a 'show clipboard' option.
    The clipboard can also be wiped to save memory if you no longer need it.

  * On the "Display" menu, Dots/Lines/Bars/Outline give different display
    formats (try them and see!), While "Zoom In" will Scale the view so
    that the selected region of the sample fills the window.

  * The Effect "Envelope" is disabled in this version of the program

  * The "Alter" window ("Alter" from the iconbar menu, or from the
    "Utilities" submenu of the main menu) can be used to change the sample
    format and playback rate (even DURING playback).

  * Bring up the preferences, ("Preferences", from the icon-bar menu).
    This shows a sequence of icons, each a preference category - click the
    category of your choice to edit the preferences...

    NOTE that you will need to copy !AudioDemo onto your own disc, and run it
    from there if you wish to save the preference options (which is necessary
    for the following case...)

      Display
        Choose "Outline font", click OK, and then save the preferences by
        clicking "Save" in the main preference window. Now quit AudioWorks
        and re-run it, and so long as the font "Trinity.Medium" is available,
        your windows should all look much nicer. (Note that due to the way
        in which the WIMP works, it is currently not feasible to have outline
        fonts in window titlebars). Experts may also like to try editing
        the file "!AudioDemo.Resources.UK.FontNames" - note that if either
        font named is not found, system font will be used instead.


NOTES
=====

  * This program is still undergoing development, and is likely to change
    to some extent before the release version.

  * Some of the supplied samples in '$.ProfSample' are large, and will only
    be loadable on machines with at least 4MB of memory. Even on 4MB
    machines, it may be necessary for you to quit all other applications and
    put all available memory into the Task Display's "Next" slot in order to
    load the larger samples. Smaller versions optimised for standard systems
    are available in the 'DemoSample' directory.

  * Due to the way in which the RISC OS sound system works, it is not
    advisable to use several sound-using applications together at once.
    AudioWorks goes to considerable lengths to ensure that everything works
    OK, but other programs can crash or behave strangely if any other
    application tries to use the sound system in a non-standard manner.