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+CHIMEPLAY and CHIMEPLAYAUTO - Sugar Activity/Linux version - Notes
+Art Hunkins
+abhunkin@uncg.edu
+www.arthunkins.com
+
+
+Working with User Soundfiles
+
+The ChimePlay utility series includes ChimePlay (requiring a MIDI
+controller) and ChimePlayAuto (which is self-performing and needs no
+MIDI device). Both can handle mono or stereo soundfiles, up to 8
+chime or bell samples and a single optional background loop. The
+files can be of any sample rate and a variety of uncompressed formats
+including WAV and AIFF; also Ogg/Vorbis, but not MP3. The Ogg/Vorbis
+format is only possible when the Sugar version is later than 0.84;
+this excludes the original XO-1 and SoaS (Sugar-on-a-Stick)
+Strawberry.
+
+*However*, the ogg vorbis format (which is written by later versions
+of the Record activity) *can* be used by SoaS (Strawberry) 0.84 if
+libsndfile is updated. This can be done while connected to the
+internet by issuing the following commands in the Terminal:
+  su <Enter>
+  yum update libsndfile <Enter>
+Neither the XO-1.5, nor XO-1 upgraded to Sugar 0.84 require this mod.
+
+Students are encouraged to create their own soundfiles, especially to
+make their own windchime or bell collections. (This is the primary
+intent behind these utilities.) The two 6-chime sets included here
+are from the St. Francis Prayer Center in Stoneville, NC (USA). Set
+one consists of recordings of chimes located under an interior cupola
+opposite the Chapel. The second is a set found on the patio of the
+Center's main building. Soundin.1 through soundin.6 and background
+loop soundin.0 comprise set one (the inside set); soundin.11 through
+soundin.16 and ambient loop soundin.10 are set two (the outside
+chimes). Soundin.7, 8, 17 and 18 are dummy samples that complete the
+possible sets of 8. The optional ambient loops can help mask and
+"homogenize" unwanted noise that may be present in the samples.
+
+These samples were created with a high-quality handheld digital
+recorder (at 44100Hz sample rate stereo, uncompressed WAV) using its
+built-in mike. Sounds were then selected, edited and looped in
+Audacity (see below). It was important to record all sounds in the
+same environment and at the same level. An ambient background loop
+of the location helped mask unwanted noise (as did the high pass
+filter effect available in Audacity - cutoff frequency = 661Hz).
+
+The natural vehicle for soundfile creation is the Record activity.
+This activity is fairly simple and straightforward; the only problem
+is that many versions of it do not work with various incarnations of
+Sugar. The following pairings of Record with Sugar seem to work
+reliably: v86 with XO-1.5 and XO-1 upgraded to Sugar 0.84, Sugar-on-
+a-Stick Strawberry (0.84) and Blueberry (0.86). Sugar 0.86 and above
+(as of 3/2012) are compatible with Record v90, including XO's
+updated to at least 0.90. Please note that Record prior to v74
+(except for v61-64) produce ogg *speex* files; these files are
+incompatible with ChimePlay. Though the Record activity produces
+mono files only, at 16000Hz, such samples are nevertheless quite
+useable.
+
+Soundfiles must be moved into the folder where this file resides,
+and be renamed soundin.0 or soundin.10 (for the background loop) and
+soundin.1 or soundin.11 through soundin.8 or .18 (for the samples).
+Rename them in the Journal (where Record deposits its files), then
+click/drag samples to an external USB stick.
+
+Unfortunately, no other Sugar activity (including TimeLapse,
+ShowNTell, and most importantly, Etoys) produces soundfiles useable
+by ChimePlay. Either they write files other than Ogg Vorbis or wav,
+or are restricted to Sugar 0.82.
+
+More advanced users may wish to record their soundfiles on some other
+system, and copy the files to a USB drive with an appropriate
+soundin.x filename. Then recopy the samples (in the Terminal, from
+the ChimePlay.activity folder) to their new location.
+[cp /media/USBname/soundin.x soundin.x]
+
+Otherwise, adventurous users may run the fine Audacity application to
+record and edit. (Happily, none of the limitations of the Record
+activity apply here.) In the Terminal, connected to the web, enter:
+  su <Enter>
+  yum import audacity <Enter>
+  ...
+  audacity <Enter>
+(you are now running Audacity from the Terminal).
+
+When you are finished recording and editing (including auditioning
+the background loop in loop mode), pay particular attention to making
+the loop point as inconspicuous as possible), "Export" the file in
+wav or ogg vorbis format, saving it to a USB drive with appropriate
+filename (soundin.x). It can then be copied to your
+ChimePlay.activity folder. Since your chime/bell sets are on a
+USB drive they can easily be shared with other students.
+
+
+MIDI Controller Hints (ChimePlay only)
+
+Important: The controller must be attached AFTER boot, and BEFORE
+the MIDI version is selected. It is assumed that the controller is a
+USB device.
+
+ChimePlay was specifically designed for minimal (8-9 key) velocity-
+sensitive MIDI keyboards, preferably those with 1 or 2 additional
+sliders or modulation wheels (rotary knobs are OK, but not as easy to
+work with). Suggested inexpensive USB models: Alesis Q25, Akai LPK25
+(no sliders/knobs), Korg nanoKey (no sliders/knobs and rather flimsy
+construction), M-audio O2, and M-audio Oxygen8.
+
+The Korg nanoKontrol is an adequate, if not ideal mini-controller for
+ChimePlay; unfortunately, its numerous buttons, which can issue MIDI
+note data (it has no pads or keys), are not velocity-sensitive. One of
+its four "Scenes" must be significantly reprogrammed by the Korg
+Kontrol Editor to function with ChimePlay. Though it has a multitude
+of programmable sliders and knobs, unfortunately the buttons are not
+laid out well for ChimePlay performance.
+
+
+No Sound - Sample Rate Issues
+
+On a few systems, e.g. the Intel Classmate PC, the specified sr
+(sample rate) of 44100 may not produce audio. Substitute a rate of
+48000 (or, if necessary, 32000) toward the beginning of each .csd
+file, using a text editor. (The sample rate, sr, is specified on
+line 24 of ChimePlay.csd, and line 19 of ChimePlayAuto.csd.)
+
+
+Audio Glitching/Breakup
+
+If you get audio glitching, open Sugar's Control Panel, and turn off
+Extreme power management (under Power) or Wireless radio (under
+Network). A more drastic solution is to reduce textural density
+(fewer chimes, fewer chimes ringing simultaneously). It is also
+possible to lower the sample rate to 32000 or even 24000 (see above).
+
+Stereo headphones (an inexpensive set will work fine) or external
+amplifier/speaker system are highly recommended. Speakers built into
+computers are fairly worthless musically.
+
+
+Resizing the Font
+
+The font display of this activity can be resized in csndsugui.py,
+using any text editor. Further instructions are found toward the
+beginning of csndsugui.py. (Simply change the value of the "resize"
+variable (= 0), plus or minus.)
+
+
+Further relevent items of interest may be found in the document
+ChimePlay.txt on the author's website. (It is the text file
+associated with the *all-platform* non-Sugar version of ChimePlay.)