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author | Live System User <liveuser@localhost.localdomain> | 2011-10-07 02:19:35 (GMT) |
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committer | Live System User <liveuser@localhost.localdomain> | 2011-10-07 02:19:35 (GMT) |
commit | 63b30b57ae2d4c82b43311a8d6ff0288c4480518 (patch) | |
tree | af63c5f5c20db6466a0cc54505b204cb7267cfbc /SamplePlayReadMe.txt |
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diff --git a/SamplePlayReadMe.txt b/SamplePlayReadMe.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d6cef8e --- /dev/null +++ b/SamplePlayReadMe.txt @@ -0,0 +1,154 @@ +SAMPLEPLAY - Sugar Activity/Linux version - Notes +Art Hunkins +abhunkin@uncg.edu +www.arthunkins.com + + +Working with User Soundfiles/Objects + +The SamplePlay utility series includes SamplePlay (requiring a +MIDI controller) and SamplePlayASC (performed on the ASCII keyboard +alone). Both can handle mono or stereo soundfiles, and up to 25 +samples and a single 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 nature soundscapes. (This is the primary intent +behind these utilities. The 25 bird samples and background loop +included here are collectively called OISEAUX ORDINAIRES, in honor of +the French composer Olivier Messiaen, his fascination with nature - +especially unique bird calls, and his piano composition, Oiseaux +Exotiques.) + +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 9/2011) 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 SamplePlay. + +Soundfiles must be moved into the folder where this file resides, +and be renamed soundin.0 (for the background loop) and soundin.1 +through soundin.25 (for the samples). Alternatively, and more +practically, however, user soundfiles may be loaded/imported from the +Journal (Sugar 0.84 and later). In this case, only wav and ogg/vorbis +formats are allowed. + +Unfortunately, no other Sugar activity (including TimeLapse, +ShowNTell, and most importantly, Etoys) produces soundfiles useable +by SamplePlay. Either they write files other than Ogg Vorbis or wav, +are restricted to Sugar 0.82, or their output is inaccessible to the +Journal and other activities (the case with Etoys). + +More advanced users may wish to record their soundfiles on some other +system, and import their wav or ogg vorbis files into the Journal via +a USB drive. (Display USB contents in Journal view, and drag your +file onto the Journal icon.) + +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. +Exit audacity. In the Journal, display the contents of your USB drive, +and drag your newly-recorded file onto the Journal icon. It is now +ready to import into SamplePlay. + +It may be of interest that Oiseaux Ordinaires (the default soundfile +collection in SamplePlay) was recorded on the front stoop of the +author's home in Burlington, North Carolina, USA - early on a series +of summer mornings. He used a hand-held digital recorder, then +selected, edited and looped his sounds in Audacity. 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 extraneous sounds +(for example, rumble and traffic noise). Use of the low-cut filter +option within SamplePlay also aided "homogenization." + + +MIDI Controller Hints (SamplePlay 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. + +SamplePlay was specifically designed for two-octave or more (25+ key) +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 +SamplePlay; its 18 (not 25) buttons are not velocity-sensitive (it has +no pads or keys), and one of its four "Scenes" must be significantly +reprogrammed by the Korg Kontrol Editor to function with SamplePlay. +Though it has a multitude of programmable sliders and knobs, +unfortunately the buttons are not laid out well for SamplePlay +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. + + +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). Reducing the Sample Rate to 32000 or even 24000 may be +necessary. A more drastic solution is to reduce textural density. + +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 +SamplePlay.txt on the author's website. (It is the text file +associated with the *all-platform* non-Sugar version of SamplePlay.) +With respect to this document, it is perhaps worth noting one +difference between the Sugar and non-Sugar versions of +SamplePlayASC: the key that triggers the background loop in the +Sugar version is "`" (to the left of numeral 1); in the all-platform +version it is the ENTER key. + +Also, please be aware of one significant option available in +SamplePlay but not in SamplePlayASC: the "play sample only as long +as key is pressed" option. (In the ASC version, samples are always +played for their full duration, unless the "replace" function is +enabled.) |