ftp.nice.ch/pub/next/audio/inspector/MMSoundsInspector.2.4.README

This is the README for MMSoundsInspector.2.4.NIHS.b.tar.gz [Download] [Browse] [Up]

MMSoundsInspector v 2.4


MMSoundsInspector is a replacement for NEXTSTEP's Workspace inspector for .snd files: however, in addition to .snd, it also recognises .au, .aiff and .wav formats.


Caveat emptor

This Inspector has been tested and no significant problems found (see bugs section).  Note however that a malfunction in a Workspace Inspector can cause your system to crash.  You use this Inspector entirely at your own risk.



Installation

To use the Inspector, simply copy the MMSoundsInspector.bundle directory into /LocalApps or ~/Apps and then either in Workspace click Update Viewers (Command-u), or log out then in again.

When you select a .snd, .wav, .aiff or .au file in Workspace and inspect it using the Contents Inspector (Command-2), you should see the MMSoundsInspector.  It will display details of the sound being inspected, such as sampling rate and number of samples, just as the standard Sound Inspector.  If the sound is not readable an error message will be displayed in the info TextField.


Listening to the file

If you press the "Play" button the sound will be converted into a NeXT-style sound file, and if the conversion is successful, displayed in the SoundView and played.
The sampling rate of the converted signal can be set using the pull-down menu.
Playing files at a lower sampling rate than the original will save on memory requirements, but note that, particularly in the case of playing back at 8012 Hz, there may also be significant deterioration in sound quality.  See also Bugs below.

Note that if you change the sampling frequency using the pull-down menu, any currently converted sound will be lost (from the Inspector, not disk): this is to avoid the possibility of a sound being resampled several times, which results in deterioration in sound quality.


Saving the file

Clicking the "Save As" button will first convert and load the sound if it has not already been loaded.  A standard NEXTSTEP Save panel will then appear and you can save the file as you would any other document.


Bugs

NEXTSTEP does not properly support playback of some sampling rates; furthermore there is a bug in the playback of several 11kHz format and 8kHz 8-bit linear format files, which will result in their being played at double speed.  For most consistent results setting the sampling rate to 22050Hz is recommended.

Playback of ADPCM compressed .au files is not currently supported.


Credits

The source code for the conversion routines was originally derived from the "sox" public domain utility, created and maintained by Lance Norskog.


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Please report any bugs or suggestions to me:

mmalcolm crawford

posn.	research facilitator
where	institute for language speech and hearing
	sheffield university
	west court
	2 mappin street
	sheffield s1 4dt
	england

vox	(+44) 114 282 5269
fax	(+44) 114 278 0972
email	m.crawford@dcs.shef.ac.uk
	NeXTMail, SunMail, MIME welcome
http://www.dcs.shef.ac.uk/




These are the contents of the former NiCE NeXT User Group NeXTSTEP/OpenStep software archive, currently hosted by Netfuture.ch.