Programming Sound Cards

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Programming Sound Cards / Programming Sound Cards.iso / sound_01 / readme.com (.txt) < prev next >

Wrap

Graham's TXT2COM | 1995-01-01 | 28.4 KB | 445 lines

~1E ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ ─┬─ ┬ ┬ ┌─┐ ┌─┐ ┌─┐ ┌─┐ ─┬─ ┬ ┬ ┌─┐ ─┬─ ┬ ┬ ┌─┐ ┌─┐ ┌─┐ ┌┬┐ █ █ │ ├─┤ ├─ ├─ │ │ ├┬┘ │ └┬┘════ ├─ │ │┌┘ ├─ ├┬┘ ├─┘ │││ █ █ ┴ ┴ ┴ └── ┴ └─┘ ┴└ ┴ ┴ ┴ ─┴─ └┘ └── ┴└ ┴ ┴ ┴ █ █ ┌┬┐ ┬ ┬ ┌─┐ ─┬─ ┌─┐ ┌─┐ ┌─┐ ┌┬┐ ┌─┐ ┌─┐ ┌┐┌ ┬ ┬ █ █ │││ │ │ └─┐ │ │ │ │ │ │││ ├─┘ ├─┤ │││ └┬┘ █ █ ┴ ┴ └─┘ └─┘ ─┴─ └── └── └─┘ ┴ ┴ ┴ ┴ ┴ ┴└┘ ┴ █ █ ┬─┐ ─┬─ ┌─┐ ─┬─ ─┬─ ┌─┐ ┬ ┌┬┐ ┬ ┬ ┌─┐ ─┬─ ┌─┐ ┌┐ ┌─┐ ┬ ┬ █ █ │ │ │ │─┐ │ │ ├─┤ │ │││ │ │ └─┐ │ │ ├┴┐ │ │ └/┐ █ █ ┴─┘ ─┴─ └─┘ ─┴─ ┴ ┴ ┴ └── ┴ ┴ └─┘ └─┘ ─┴─ └── └─┘ └─┘ ┴ ┴ █ █ █ █ F1 - A LETTER TO OUR FRIENDS. █ █ F2 - A QUICK TUTORIAL ON USING PLAY1.EXE. █ █ F3 - A LIST OF THE OTHER MUSICBOX PROGRAMS. █ █ F4 - HOW TO USE THE MUSICBOX ORDER FORM. █ █ █ ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ ~1E ~#1 Dear PC Friend, Some time ago my good friend, Orlando Dare of DareWare, Inc., suggested that we should start building a library of Creative Music Files (music files with a "CMF" file extension) for use in our combined Multi-Media work. Working with CMF files can be a lot of fun. It can also be a lot of work. At this time, we have collected 1,796 ROL(tm) files, converting many of these to the Sound Blaster(tm) CMF format. We have also reviewed an additional 1,210 CMF Files, bringing the total number of files used to create The MusicBox Series to a hefty 3,006. (My eyes and ears have callouses on'em.) A considerable amount of time has been spent in reviewing, converting, listening to, timing and compiling these files into usable categories. More time has been spent in creating the Music Box format that I have used, and in coding literally thousands of lines of batch-file code to use as a "driver" for the Music Box. (As an example, there are 6,729 separate lines of batch-file instructions involved in the creation of the original RAGTIME1 "driver" file used in 45RPM-01.) For those of you who may wonder, all of the graphics and sound manipulation programs required for The 45 RPM Music Company's Music Box program are available as "Show Maker" (basic-level presentations) and as Multi-Media Maker (professional level). Both of these programs are ShareWare and are available through DareWare, Incorporated. (You'll find the address at the end of this little letter, if you're interested.) The primary stereo sound driver program used is PLAY1.EXE. SHOW-PCX.COM was used to put the graphics on-screen; CLEAR.COM to take it off. GTEXT.COM and GTEXT1.COM allows us to overlay graphics screens with text for the menues. The one thing for which I can take no credit (or blame) is the music, itself. In a way, that's what has made all of this worthwhile. Many of these files were created by talented amateur musicians. Not a few of them were obviously the work of skilled professionals. Herein lies the problem. Thusfar, after a rigorous search, I have been unable to find a single ROL or CMF file with any form of identification included in the header. It's easy enough to do. In fact, if you use any good "reader" program like Vernon Buerg's LIST program, you will find that many of the CMF files have a message that reads "Converted to CMF Format by The 45 RPM Music Company" imbedded in the file header. DareWare, Incorporated, The 45 RPM Music Company, its owners, employees and co-workers take no responsibility whatsoever for the quality or usability of the music programs contained herein. As many of the files were created by amateur musicians, it is likely that you will occasionally find a "flat" or "sour" note here and there. It happens. However, in reviewing the thousands of music files acquired for this series, I have tried my best to "weed out" the more flagrant examples of off-key music, keeping what I personally believe to be Only The Best For You. Now, we come to another problem. I have a fairly extensive knowledge of music, be it classical, ragtime, piano boogie, rock & roll, easy listenin' or what-have-you. However, there are simply too many files involved for me to be able to accurately name more than half of them. Therefor, I have not tried to name many of the songs, concertos, symphonies or what-have-you in the Music Box series. The Music Box series is designed primarily as a means of distributing as many usable CMF files to users of Multi-Media presentation programs as we can. As they are designed to be a tool for use in the creation of custom Multi-Media presentations, we feel that the needs of our users is best met by spending our time looking for newer, better music than in worrying about what this or that song is called. We have created a document called the RUNTIME#.DOC (where the "#" is the number of the file. 45RPM-03, mentioned above, includes RUNTIME3.DOC.) The RUNTIME#.DOC contains information for people who wish to use these CMF files for their personal, custom Multi-Media Presentations. Each song in the group has been timed to the 100ths of a second and that run-time length has been written in the document. I have also left space for you to write the name of the songs in the group beside the FILENAME. If you know the names of many of the song files and would like to share, the RUNTIME#.DOC has had printer page-breaks added. Use any text editor to write in the names, print it out and send it along to us and receive a gift of bonus software. I will take whatever information I receive and add it to the RUNTIME#.DOC files for future users. If you are one of those persons that has purchased the VALUE-PACK (All of the current Music Box series programs for $99.95) or the SUPER VALUE PACK (All of the current Music Box series programs plus a Sound Blaster audio card for $199.95) you may notice that some songs have been duplicated in several categories. The reason for this is simple. Some songs do not fit into a single category. As an example, LIEBESTRAUM may be considered as Classical or as "Easy Listenin' Music". The same may be said for The Moonlight Sonata, Ave Maria (Classical, Easy Listenin' and Religious) and for a number of other musical pieces. Each set in the Music Box series contains approximately 100 CMF files (±), the custom Music Box, a custom-programmed "play-all" program, PLAY1.EXE and the graphics and driver programs. Some sets may contain less than 100 CMF files. In this, we are bound by the availability of material. We can only put as many CMF files of a particular category as are available at the time. Fill out the enclosed Mailing List form and we will try to keep you informed of additions being made to various sets. For those of you who plan to use our Music Box series files for your own custom presentation programs, you will find that there may be several different renditions of the same songs included in the series. As an example, there are several versions of the theme song for the movie, "Beverly Hills Cop" as well as for the TV series, "Hill Street Blues." I have included *=all=* usable copies of these songs for two very good reasons. First, you may find that the run-time lengths of the various versions of the song may differ. This allows you to pick and choose the version that most closely fits your presentation needs. Secondly, both the beat and the instrumentation may vary from one version to another. You get to pick and choose the version you like best or the one that suits your needs most closely. The 45 RPM Music Company, and its affiliates, Beacon Hill House (Digital Electronic) Publishers, and DareWare, Inc. are always looking for more high quality ROL or CMF music files. If you are a skilled professional musician or talented amateur and you do work in these formats, drop us a line and let us know. We are currently working on several projects that could make a pleasant addition to your bank account. Inquiries may be sent to ~1fThe 45 RPM Music Company, c/o DareWare, Inc. // 3005 Glenmore Ave. // Baltimore, MD 21214. ~1a Press F2 for a quick tutorial on how to use PLAY.EXE in your own Mutli-Media programs. Press F3 to go to a list of all current programs in the Music Box series. ~1e ~#2 ┬ ┬ ┌─┐ ─┬─ ┌┐┌ ┌─┐ ┌─┐ ┬ ┌─┐ ┬ ┬ ┌─┐ ┬ ┬ ┌─┐ │ │ └─┐ │ │││ │─┐ ├─┘ │ ├─┤ └┬┘ ├─ └/┐ ├─ └─┘ └─┘ ─┴─ ┴└┘ └─┘ ┴ └── ┴ ┴ ┴ ▀ └── ┴ ┴ └── ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ┌─┐ ┌─┐ ┬ ┬ ─┬─ ┌─┐ ┬┌─ ─┬─ ┬ ┬ ─┬─ ┌─┐ ┌─┐ ─┬─ ┌─┐ ┬ ├─┤ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├┴┐ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├┬┘ │ ├─┤ │ ┴ ┴ └┼┘ └─┘ ─┴─ └── ┴ └ ┴ └─┘ ┴ └─┘ ┴└ ─┴─ ┴ ┴ └── If you purchased any one of the MUSICBOX Series of programs, you now have a fully registered copy of PLAY1.EXE by DareWare, Incorporated. If, on the other hand, you have downloaded the ShareWare (fully operational) version of MUSICBOX, you have the ShareWare version, PLAY.EXE. Both programs work about the same except that the ShareWare version (PLAY.EXE) will prompt you with a reminder that you COULD be enjoying the fully registered version of this fine program (without the "nag screens.") Just what does PLAY.EXE and PLAY1.EXE do ? If you are creating your own multi-media presentation (or, if you just like to create music and graphics combinations), you may have noticed that many programs that play multi-media music files rely on additional "driver" programs (such as the Sound Blaster(tm) SBFMDRV.COM) in order to function properly. This is because these programs are designed to work with specific music or sound files with specific (or compatible) audio cards. And ... what happens if you slip your program into a PC that doesn't have a compatible sound card ... or no sound card at all ? =ZIP= in the sound department and your graphics screens will be overlaid with lots of not-so-neat ERROR CODES, ruining the appearance of your display. PLAY and PLAY1 were designed to function with Sound Blaster(tm), Media Vision(tm), AdLib(tm) and a number of other audio cards without the need for any external driver programs. Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done with the music files. These are designed to be stereophonic and can have as many as sixteen separate sound tracks*. However, if you are using PLAY or PLAY1 in a PC with an incompatible audio card or no card at all, PLAY and PLAY1 will automatically redirect VOC files to your PC Speaker with no error codes. Aha ! You noticed the little asterisk on the word "tracks", above, did you ? Well, here's your Trivia Quiz for today. Who invented the concept of Stereophonic Recording ? Why ? Give up ? The animator/film producer, Walter Elias ("Walt") Disney, is generally credited with coming up with the idea for a workable stereophonic sound system. Why ? He needed a system of recording the full richness of symphony music for his movie production, Fantasia (1940). He and his technicians worked out a system that (basically) employed 16 separate recorders linked together to record the symphony music for that film. To this day, most major recording studios still use the 16-track system. Now, back to business. The uses of PLAY and PLAY1 are simplicity, itself. If you are using a graphics presentation program, you need to put your graphics on-screen FIRST. Then, use the command, "PLAY1 FILENAME.CMF" That's just about all there is to it. While this current version of PLAY1 *=does=* eliminate the need for external driver files like SBFMDRV.COM, it does have a few limitations. Some of these can be overcome. Others, we're working on. #1: PLAY1.EXE does not work in the "background mode" (yet.) That is to say, you can't use the PLAY1 command and then have all sorts of graphics popping around on the screen while the sound file is playing. However, as you have seen in the menu screens for MUSICBOX, you *=can=* put your graphics on-screen and *=then=* use PLAY1. In that way, it is the graphics that is more-or-less in the background and the two are then compatible. #2: Sometimes, in creating a MIDI, a WAV or a CMF File, the program being used imbeds codes in the music file. Many of the audio driver programs, like PLAY1, tend to want to put that stuff on-screen while the music is playing. That creates two problems. FIRST, is screws up any graphics that you might already have on-screen. SECOND: Your PC may identify these extraneous data lines appearing on-screen as some form of error code. The result is that the program locks up. "So, Genius," your asking, "How do we fix it ?" The answer is simple. You just don't want that stuff popping up on-screen, that's all. That means that you have to redirect it. We do it automatically in the MUSICBOX programs by redirecting it to a file called MUSICBOX.CFG. To keep MUSICBOX.CFG from growing and growing and growing every time we use it, the last (exit) line of the programs reads "COPY MUSICBOX.BAK MUSICBOX.CFG." (MUSICBOX.BAK is a small file that is 47 bytes in length. The copy sequence over-writes MUSICBOX.CFG.) The way we re-direct these unwanted bits of screen data is by changing the ordinary PLAY1 command line to something that looks like this: PLAY1 FILENAME.CMF >MUSICBOX.CFG That little "greater than" symbol ( > ) is what does the trick. It re-directs the extraneous screen data, writing it to the file, MUSICBOX.CFG. Then, when you exit the program, MUSICBOX.BAK is copied over it. (You could just as easily use an exit line in your driver batch file that deletes MUSICBOX.CFG. I prefer not to. You may call your catch-all file anything you want. I use MUSICBOX.CFG to help me remember all of the files I have to use to make the programs work for you.) Now, if you purchased the MUSICBOX program from a commercial source, be sure to fill out the registration card enclosed in the packet. That's the only way we have of knowing that you are a Registered Owner of the program. In doing so, you become part of our mailing list so that we can tell you when other great programs are being produced. The MUSICBOX Series was produced using Multi-Media graphics and audio programs produced by DAREWARE, INC. and included in the DAREWARE program, MULTI-MEDIA MAKER. To simplify things, I am asking that all correspondence, orders and what-not concerning The MUSICBOX Series be directed to ~1bDAREWARE, INC. // ATTN: THE 45 RPM MUSIC COMPANY // 3005 Glenmore Ave. // Baltimore, MD 21214.~1e If you have any questions about The MUSICBOX Series, you may either write or call DareWare, Inc. at 1-800-DARE-929 (ask for Mr. Orlando Dare.) He will redirect specific inquiries concerning The MUSICBOX Series to me. He is also available for inquiries concerning MULTI-MEDIA MAKER, ABC TALK, 123 TALK, SHOW-MAKER and a host of other Multi-Media and Educational Programs. A SPECIAL NOTE: Look for the file, RUNTIME#.DOC, (where the # is the number of the file [i.e. for 45RPM-01, look for RUNTIME1.DOC.]) Be sure to print this out as it gives the run-time lengths, measured in 1/100ths of a second, for each CMF File. If your printer is capable of printing ASCII Graphics characters (like Alt-186 ║), you should have no problem. If not, load a program like PRN256.COM first as RUNTIME#.DOC is set up in a "form" format with separator lines. If you still have problems, print RUNTIME#.TXT, in which all of the ASCII graphics characters have been replaced with regular text characters. ~#3 ~1A ╥─┐ ╥ ╓─╖ ╥ ╓╥╖ ╓─╖ ╖ ╥╥╖ ╖ ╖ ╓─╖ ╥ ╓─╖ ╥─╖ ╥ ╖ ╥─╖ ╓─╖ ║ │ ║ ║─╥ ║ ║ ╟─╢ ║ ║║║ ║ ║ ╙─╖ ║ ║ ╟─ ║ ║ ╟─ ╙─╖ ╨─┘ ╨ ╙─╜ ╨ ╙ ╙ ╙ ╙─╜ ╙╙╙ ╙─╜ ╙─╜ ╨ ╙─╜ ╙ ╨ ╙─╜ ╨─╜ ╙─╜ ~1FRAGTIME, PIANO BOOGIE & OLDIES & GOODIES {120 FILES}: ~1EHere are some fine samples of ragtime music by the acknowledged Master of Ragtime, Scott Joplin. The file contains The Maple Leaf Rag, The Entertainer (used as the theme for the movie, "The Sting"), Ain't Misbehavin' Rag, Cataracts, Cascades and many, many more. Also "Because," "Over the Rainbow" and other old favorites. ~1A 45RPM-01........................................................... $14.95* ~1FHOLIDAY & RELIGIOUS MUSIC {106 FILES}: ~1E"Our Father," "Ave Maria," "Tell It On The Mountain," "Adeste Fideles," "Jingle Bells," "Here Come Santa Claus," and many, many more beautiful renditions of timeless favorites. ~1a 45RPM-02........................................................... $14.95* ~1FCLASSICAL MUSIC, Volume 1 {100 FILES}: ~1EMusic by Beethoven, Haydn, Bach, and many others. Talented amateur and skilled professional musicians have given you hours of listening pleasure. ~1A 45RPM-03........................................................... $14.95* ~1FCLASSICAL MUSIC, Volume 2 {99 FILES}:~1E More beautiful music by the masters. You don't want to miss having both files in your collection. ~1A 45RPM-04............................................................$14.95* ~1FROCK & ROLL (Mostly '50s and '60s Music), JAZZ and THE BLUES {104 FILES}:~1E Surf Music, the Beatles, and much more of the music that set our hearts poundin' in the '50s and '60s. ~1a 45RPM-05........................................................... $14.95* ~1FPOPULAR, Volume 1 {120 FILES}: ~1E "Killing Me Softly," "Puff, the Magic Dragon," "Laura," "Misty," "Piano Man," "Ebbtide," "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay," "Green, Green Grass of Home," King of the Road," and many more. ~1a 45RPM-06........................................................... $14.95* ~1FPOPULAR, Volume 2 {120 FILES}: ~1E"Groovy Kind of Love," "Blue Tango," "Bo Jangles," Born Free" and many more. ~1a 45RPM-07........................................................... $14.95* ~1FEASY LISTENIN' MUSIC {130 FILES}: ~1E"Moonlight Sonata," "Liebestraum," "Alley Cat," "Dawn Mist," "Snow Flakes," "Memories," "Tumblin' Tumbleweeds" and more. ~1a 45RPM-08........................................................... $14.95* ~1fTV/MOVIE THEMES AND SHOW TUNES {110 FILES}: ~1e"Mame," "Exodus," "The Magnificent 7," "Never On Sunday," "76 Trombones," "Beverly Hills Cop," "Do Re Mi," "Batman" (TV and Movie themes), "Leia's Theme" (Star Wars), "Hill Street Blues," "Ghost Busters" and more. ~1a 45RPM-09........................................................... $14.95* ~1fMUSICAL EFFECTS {120 FILES}: ~1eA collection of musical pieces designed to create a mood or effect in your Multi-Media Presentations. ~1a 45RPM-10........................................................... $14.95* ~1fVALUE PACK {965 FILES !}:~1e Get All 10 Music Box sets in the series at one time and ~9f$AVE $494.55. ~1e The Value Pack is ONLY $99.95 PLUS $5.00 POSTAGE/HANDLING. Buy all 10 sets separately and you'd pay $149.50. THIS MAKES A PERFECT BIRTHDAY, CHRISTMAS OR HOLIDAY GIFT ! ~1a VALUPACK.......................................................... $99.95** ~1fSUPER VALUE PACK [1300 FILES + SOUND BLASTER(tm) AUDIO CARD]: ~1eThe Super Value Pack contains everything you'd find in the Value Pack (above) ~9fPLUS~1e a Sound Blaster(tm) audio card valued at over $149.95. You save an additional $50.00 ! ~1a SUPRVALU......................................................... $199.95** ~9f* NOTE:~1e Prices listed do not include shipping and handling for mail order purchases. Add $3.00 Postage/Handling per disk. ~9f** NOTE:~1e Postage and handling fees for the VALUPACK are $10.00 per order. Postage and handling for the SUPRVALU Pack are $20.00. All VALUPACK and SUPRVALU Orders are shipped via UPS. ~#4 ~1fTO ORDER, AT THE DOS PROMPT, TYPE "ORDER" [Enter]. WE HAVE INCLUDED A SMALL WORD PROCESSOR AND BUILT-IN ORDER FORM FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE MUSICBOX SERIES. ~1e