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+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.)