 BGMUSIC                Background Music, by Guy T. Rice                BGMUSIC

Version 1.0 documentation

     This program lets you play music or some digitized sound in the background
while you are using an Apple IIgs program.  Since it is an NDA, it will only
work with programs that use the standard IIgs desktop interface.  It can play
any digitized sound file.  You can create these digitized files with an MDIdeas
SuperSonic Digitizer, or with a Future Sound digitizer, or whatever.

How to set it up:

     First of all, there's a program called BGMUSIC.  This program must be
copied into your DESK.ACCS directory, which is inside your SYSTEM folder.
It doesn't matter what position it takes in the catalog.  Personally, I always
keep my desk accessories alphabetized.

     Secondly, you will need a digitized sound file.  Put this into your
DESK.ACCS directory, and rename it MUSIC.  Digitize whatever music you like
best.  You should probably digitize as slowly as possible, as you don't want
to use up too much memory.  (Memory used by BGMUSIC cannot be used by your
program.  However, if you run out of memory, you can click the Close box for
BGMUSIC.  This will release all the memory BGMUSIC was using immediately.)

     Finally, there is a program called AUXSET.  You can put that program
anywhere you want, it doesn't matter.  When you change sound files, you may
have to run this program.  It modifies the playback rate of the sound file by
changing it's "auxtype" field.  If a file is digitized at a different rate,
then it must be played back at a different rate.  This program can also be
used to configure STARTSOUND and SYSBEEP as well as BGMUSIC.

     When you run AUXSET, it will ask for the pathname of the file you wish to
modify.  You should type something like this:

/HARD.DISK/SYSTEM/DESK.ACCS/MUSIC

Replacing "HARD.DISK" with whatever the name of your hard drive it.

A note on digitizing for BGMUSIC:

     Since loading sound files takes time, I would suggest digitizing sounds
at the slowest possible rate, so that they take up the least amount of space
and can be loaded quickly.  The quality of the sound goes down, however, when
you digitize slowly.  Its a tradeoff, but I think it's best to speed up the
boot process by slowing down the digitizing rate.

     If you are using the MDIdeas SuperSonic Digitizer, and the new Sound Edit
program, go into the "Preferances" section before digitizing.  Set the
Playback rate to 40, and the Digitizing rate to 34.  Then click "Okay".  This
will result in the most compact sound files.

     Oh, also, don't pack the resulting sound file when saving it.  Leave it
unpacked.  And make sure the file's playback rate is set at 200.  (Note, the
playback rate used by BGMUSIC is on a different scale than that of Sound
Edit.  To be specific, the BGMUSIC playback rate is the parameter passed to
the Sound Manager toolset as playback rate.)  Run AUXSET to set this.

Macintosh and other sound files:

     When playing back files digitized on a Macintosh, a playback rate of 450
has worked best for me so far.  If that doesn't work, 200, 300, and 400 also
are good bets.

     Finally, if you figure out how to use sound files from any place I
haven't mentioned, let me know.  I don't know if any other computers use the
same kind of files as Apple IIgs and Macintosh, but I'd love to hear from
anyone who does.  My GEnie mail address is GUYRICE, and my Post Office address
is given below.

Final notes:

     This software is completely public domain.  You are not OBLIGATED to send
any money at all.  However, you are NOT RESTRICTED from doing so, either.  If
you really liked this program, STARTPIC, STARTSOUND, SYSBEEP, or any other
public domain programs I have written, and feel you need to show your
appreciation to me somehow, my address is:

Guy T. Rice
P.O. Box 13036
Dinkytown Station
Minneapolis, MN 55414
