Copyright: Player Help File Copyright ® 1993 TASsoft
Citation: This Is Copyright (c) 1993 TASsoft, All Rights Reserved


Player Help Index
Player       [image]       Version 2.1

Written By Tim Tschirner & Christoph Sundergeld, Copyright © 1993 TASsoft

Player is a sound player for Microsoft Windows 3.1 or higher. It can handle all the types and formats of Wave files that your sound card is capable playing of. There are no limitations to the length of  the Wave file to be played. You are now able to play Wave files by simply doubleclicking them in the File Manager.This allows greater flexibility for organizing and playing sounds. For example, you can now install all of your sounds in a Program Manager group and play sounds of unlimited length when Windows starts up.

Player has special Pro AudioSpectrum 16 support. It now becomes possible to play back two Wave files at the same time! This feature works together with Looper and a lot of other programs.

Requirements

Installation

Operating

Installing Wave Files In A Program Manager Group

Registering The Wave Utilities

Updating From A Previous Version

Comments

Special Note For Pro AudioSpectrum 16 Owners

Legal Disclaimer And Notes

Version History And Improvements


Requirements

The following things are required to let Player run successfully on your system:

Hardware Requirements:

286 or better PC with at least 1 Megabyte of RAM

VGA or better graphics hardware

A sound card that is capable of playing back digitized audio files (Player does NOT work with Microsoft's SPEAKER.DRV)

Software Requirements:

Microsoft Windows 3.1 or higher  or  Microsoft Windows with Multimedia Extensions

BWCC.DLL in your WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory


Installation

The installation process is simple.

Copy PLAYER.EXE and PLAYER.HLP to any directory of your choice, for example C:\WINDOWS\WAVEUTIL.

If you haven't already done so, copy BWCC.DLL to your WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.

After that install PLAYER.EXE in any of your existing Program Manager groups, for example in the Windows Applications group.

You should also assign the directory where you store your Wave files as the working directory by using the FILE...PROPERTIES menu from the Program Manager.

Then load File Manager and select a .WAV file.Choose FILE...ASSOCIATE from the File Manager menu. The ASSOCIATE Dialog Box now appears. Click in the ASSOCIATE WITH... Text Box and enter the full path to PLAYER.EXE (e.g C:\WINDOWS\WAVEUTIL\PLAYER.EXE).

Then click the OK button. That's All!

Now doubleclicking a .WAV document in the File Manager plays it immediately.

(Note: The registration reminder will disappear if you register Player.)


Operating

You can use Player in several ways:

The first one is to doubleclick a Wave file in the File Manager after successfully installing Player.  But that's not all!

If you start Player without a Wave file, it will come up with a Dialog Box in which you can see the Version Number and the Copyright Notice. This Dialog Box has three Buttons on it, OK, LOAD and HELP.

You can close the Dialog Box by selecting the OK Button.

If you click the LOAD Buttton, a File Open Dialog will appear in which you can select the Wave file Player shall process.

By clicking the HELP Button, you can access this Help file.

You can also install Wave files in a Program Manager Group.

By installing a Wave file in the Autostart Group it becomes possible to play a sound of unlimited length when Windows starts up! Normally this isn't possible because of the way Windows plays the system sounds.

If you want to install a Wave file in your Autostart Group, you must first set the Windows Startup Sound to <NONE> in the Control Panel. Then simply drag a Wave file from the File Manager to the Autostart group.

If you use Norton Desktop For Windows 2.0 or later as your Windows Shell, you can make use of Player's new feature to play back several Wave files after another. Just drag PLAYER.EXE on your desktop so that it appears as an icon. Then select several Wave files in a drive window or the File Manager and drag them onto Player's icon on the desktop and they will be played after another.


Installing Wave Files In A Program Manager Group

If you would like to have all your Wave files installed in a Program Manager group, just size the Program Manager and File Manager so that they are both visible and side-by-side.

Create a new group in the Program Manager and name that new group Wave Files. Click On FILE...NEW in the Program Manager's menu. The NEW PROGRAM OBJECT Dialog Box now appears.

Click on the PROGRAM GROUP radio button in this Dialog Box, and then click on the OK button. The PROGRAM GROUP PROPERTIES Dialog Box now appears.

Type Wave Files into the DESCRIPTION: Text Box. Then click the OK button.

In the File Manager, select all of your Wave files. The easiest way to do this may be to use the FILE...SEARCH menu from the File Manager menu. After doing so, choose the SELECT... command. Now that the .WAV files are selected, drag the files from the File Manager into the new Program Manager group. That's it!

Now doubleclicking the Player icons in the Wave Files group will play the associated sounds. If you like, you can give the sounds better descriptions or different icons by using the FILE...PROPERTIES menu from the Program Manager.


Registering
Registering The Wave Utilities

The Wave Utilities are Shareware. Please pass a copy to your friends and upload them to your favourite BBS. You are encouraged to use them for 2 weeks, but after that period you must either register or delete them. When you register, you will receive the latest versions of Looper and Player which do not contain the registration reminders plus you will get a lot of Waveformat audio files for free.

The registration fee is $10 (U.S. funds). Sorry, but we do not accept cheques. To register, print out the file REGISTER.FRM, fill it out, put it together with the $10 into an envelope and send it one of the addresses below.

As soon as your order reaches us, we will mail you your individual registered versions of Looper and Player. We will fill up the remaining space on the diskette with Wave files. Make sure that you specify the diskette type on which you want to receive the files and the specifications the Wave files shall have.

If you have an E-Mail address that can be accessed from the Internet, we can also send you your registered version to that address via uuencoded E-Mail. Using this method will get you your registered copies much faster than using the normal mail.

If you're already a registered user of The Wave Utilities see Updating From A Previous Version.

Send the Registration Form to one of these addresses:

1) TASsoft

      c/o

      Tim Tschirner

      Clarenstr. 19

      W-4900 Herford

      Germany

2) TASsoft

      c/o

      Christoph Sundergeld

      Beckhausstr. 175

      W-4800 Bielefeld 1

      Germany


Updating
Updating From A Previous Version

If you're already a registered user of The Wave Utilities, you can get Version 2.1 for only $5 (U.S. funds).

If we can send you the files via uuencoded E-Mail the update fee is only $3 (U.S. funds).

To update print out the file REGISTER.FRM, fill it out, put it together with the money into an envelope and send it back to us. Remember to check the Update Box!

Please Note: When you update your copies, you will NOT get Wave files along with your registered copies of The Wave Utilities 2.1.

For addresses and more details see Registering The Wave Utilities.


Comments

We would really like to hear your comments on Looper and Player!

Feel free to let us know any comments, questions, problems or bugs!

You can contact us at the following Internet E-Mail addresses:

1) Tim Tschirner

     ittschir@techfak.uni-bielefeld.de

2) Christoph Sundergeld

     icsunder@techfak.uni-bielefeld.de


Special Note For Pro AudioSpectrum 16 Owners

If you have a Pro AudioSpectrum 16 sound card installed in your system, you can use it's special feature to play back two Wave files at the same time together with The Wave Utilities. To do that, you must have a second wave device driver installed under Windows. If you do not know if this is the case, you can find it out by looking at your SYSTEM.INI file which is located in the Windows directory. Start the Notepad, load SYSTEM.INI and look for the [drivers] entry. It should look like this:

[drivers]

timer=timer.drv

midimapper=midimap.drv

MIDI=opl3.drv

MIDI1=mvproaud.drv

Wave=mvproaud.drv

Wave1=sbwave.drv

Aux=mvproaud.drv

Mixer=mvmixer.drv

If your [drivers] entry in the SYSTEM.INI does not contain the Wave1=sbwave.drv entry, close the notepad and exit Windows. Copy sbwave.drv from the Pro AudioSpectrum 16 Windows Driver Disk to your WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. Then add the Wave1=sbwave.drv line to your SYSTEM.INI manually. After that save the SYSTEM.INI file and restart Windows. Then go into the Control Panel and setup the SndBlaster Compatible Wave Audio driver in the Driver Applet to match your correct Sound Blaster part IRQ and DMA selections. If you didn't change the Jumper on your PAS-16 the IRQ setting is 5 and the DMA setting is 1.

(Please note: If you use Pro AudioSpectrum Windows Drivers earlier than V1.42 the name of the second wave device driver is tbwave.drv. We strongly recommend that you get the latest version of the Windows drivers.)

It is also necessary that you associate .WAV Files with Player. If you set up everything correctly, you can use the PAS-16's special feature with a lot of programs.

Here are some examples:

Example 1:

Doubleclick a Wave file in the File Manager. While it's being played back, doubleclick another Wave file and it will be played back together with the first one.

Example 2:

Start Looper, drag a file on it's icon so that it will be played continuously. While it's being looped, you can doubleclick on a Wave file in the File Manager and it will be played back simultaneously.

Example 3:

Start the Pocket Recorder, load a Wave file and play it back. While it's being played back, you can doubleclick on a Wave file in the File Manager and it will be played back at the same time. If you have Pocket Recorder 2.1 or above you can also use it's new feature. To do so, start the Pocket Recorder, minimize it so that it appears as an icon on the desktop. Now drag a Wave file from the File Manager onto the Pocket Recorder icon and it will be played back. While it's being played back, you can doubleclick on a Wave file in the File Manager and it will be played at the same time. You can also drag multiple files onto the Pocket Recorder's icon, they will be played back one after another.

Example 4:

Drag a Wave file onto the Looper icon and let it play in the background. Then start the Pocket Recorder, load a Wave file and play it back. If you have Pocket Recorder 2.1 or above you can also use it's new feature to have even more fun with Looper! To do so, start Looper and drag a Wave file on it's icon. Then start the Pocket Recorder, minimize it so that it appears as an icon on the desktop. Now drag a Wave file from the File Manager onto the Pocket Recorder icon and it will be played back while Looper doesn't stop it's playback.You can also drag multiple files onto the Pocket Recorder's icon, they will be played back one after another.

This feature does also work with WinMOD, WinMod PRO and a lot of other programs!

If you have a fast computer you can also play a MIDI file in the background using the Media Player while Looper and Player are both playing Wave files.


Legal Disclaimer And Notices

This package (consisting of the LOOPER and PLAYER programs and associated documentation) is Copyright © 1993 by TASsoft. The software and the documentation were written by Tim Tschirner and Christoph Sundergeld (further referred to as 'The Authors'). All rights reserved. It is provided 'as is' without representation or warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including without limitation, any representations or endorsements regarding the use of, the results of, or performance of; its appropriateness, accuracy, reliability, or currentness. The entire risk as to the use of this package is assumed by the user. In no event will the authors or TASsoft be liable for any damages, direct, indirect, incidental or consequential, resulting from any defect in the package, even if the authors or TASsoft have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Any and all use of this package, for any purpose, with no regard to the legality of such use or purpose, is the complete and sole responsibility of the user. All terms are subject to change without notice. This disclaimer shall supersede any verbal or written statement to the contrary. Should any part or parts of this disclaimer be deemed unlawful or unapplicable, the remainder shall continue to apply. If you do not accept these terms, you must cease using this package immediately.

This package is offered as 'Shareware'. Shareware is defined as a software package that is copyrighted, and which you may not reverse-engineer or otherwise modify, but which you may distribute freely. You are encouraged to use LOOPER or PLAYER for 2 weeks. After that period you must either register or stop using them. With the registration you will receive the latest versions of the software that do not contain the registration reminders plus you will get a lot of Waveformat audio files to use with LOOPER and PLAYER free.

Vendors approved by the ASP (Association of Shareware Professionals) are granted permission to distribute this package for a fee without prior written permission. All other vendors must contact us for further information.

Windows and Windows With Multimedia Extensions are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation.

Norton Desktop For Windows is a registered trademark of the Symantec Corporation.

Sound Blaster is a registered trademark of Creative Labs.

Pro AudioSpectrum 16 and Pocket Recorder are registered trademarks of Media Vision, Inc.


Version History
Version History And Improvements

Version 2.1          Released March 23, 1993

new look by using Borland's Windows Custom Controls

Player now accepts multiple Wave files as the command line parameter which is very useful for Norton Desktop For Windows users

added a Help file

the registration reminder has now a help button, with which the user can get more information on how to register

when Player is started without a command line parameter, it comes up with a new dialog window from which the user can access the new Help file or invoke a File Open Dialog

Version 2.0          Released March 03, 1993

small bug fix

Version 1.1          Released January 27, 1993

completely new playing algorithm

Player can now process Wave files of any length (even Gigabyte files)

added support for sound cards that are capable of playing back two Wave files at the same time (e.g. the Pro AudioSpectrum 16)

Version 1.0          Released January 19, 1993

initial release


The file BWCC.DLL is a freely distributable Dynamic Link Library which is Copyright (c) 1991-1993 by Borland International.

It is included in this archive and it is absolutely necessary that you copy it to your WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory as Player will not run without it!

If you already have a copy of it in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory you should only keep the one with the latest date.


The current version number of the Pro AudioSpectrum Windows Drivers is 1.44. You can get the latest drivers directly from Media Vision, from their forum on CompuServe or from their BBS. The file to download is WIN144.ZIP.

If you have Internet access, you can download them via anonymous ftp from the PAS ftp site, FTP.UWP.EDU. The file is called PASW144.ARJ and is located in the pub\msdos\proaudio directory.


Looper is also part of The Wave Utilities 2.1. To get more information on Looper, consult the file LOOPER.HLP.

You should have received LOOPER.EXE and LOOPER.HLP with this package.


When playing back two Wave files at the same time on a Pro AudioSpectrum 16 one of these two files must be a Wave file that can be played back by a standard Sound Blaster sound card, which means it must not exceed 22.050 KHz, 8 Bits, Mono.


The current version number of Pocket Recorder is 2.1. The latest version is always available with the Pro AudioSpectrum Windows Drivers.

Version 2.1 is also available from the Media Vision BBS as PREC.ZIP.