Play Any Size Sound, Music or Song on the Apple IIgs in Stereo with OverSampler 11/27/99 Copyright © 1999 by Charles T. 'Dr. Tom' Turley and GS WorldView This article is freeware and may be distributed by anybody without any restrictions, providing the information contents are not modified. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Converting a digitized sound, music and song file of any size, type and format from other computer platforms, that you can play on your Apple IIgs is very possible and has already been done as far back as 1997. I would conclude that the author of OverSampler also made such file conversions for testing the program before it's release in 1992. Playing large to very large size digitized sounds, music and songs on your Apple IIgs has been possible ever sence the release of the Oversampler IIgs desktop application program written and released as a freeware by Andre Horstsmann on April 23, 1992. It was made available from the "Ground" Apple2 ftp site on May 13, 1992. The first five ShrinkIt archives of full music and songs for playing on an Apple IIgs with the Oversampler program were uploaded to the "Ground" Apple2 ftp site by Scott Gamon, from May to December of 1997. The very first archive was named "streamsound.shk" and it was uploaded in May, 1997. The title of this song is "Superstar" by The Carpenters. It unshrinks to a IIgs raw binary file of 5.7 MB's. The second was uploaded in August, 1997. That archive is named shebelievesinme.shk and it unshrinks to a song file "She Believes In Me" by Kenny Rogers. All five archives with their file size and upload date are referenced below with the current URL's for public access and download. ftp://128.255.21.234/2/apple2/apple16/Music/Songs/becausexmas.shk (File: 6,140K - Date: 12/18/97) ftp://128.255.21.234/2/apple2/apple16/Music/Songs/candle97.shk (File: 4,738K - Date: 11/7/97) ftp://128.255.21.234/2/apple2/apple16/Music/Songs/joeletaxi.shk (File: 4,234K - Date: 9/4/97) ftp://128.255.21.234/2/apple2/apple16/Music/Songs/shebelievesinme.shk (File: 4,655K - Date: 8/5/97) ftp://128.255.21.234/2/apple2/apple16/Music/Songs/streamsound.shk (File: 4,342K - Date: 5/24/97) Each of the archives have a text file included with them that outlines the information on their conversion to the IIgs, how best to play each, the system and memory needed, etc. I've included all five of these text files in the GS WorldView Nov99 folder noted below, for you to read. http://www.grin.net/~cturley/gsezine/GS.WorldView/Nov99/Sound.and.Music/ From reviewing the text files of each, I conclude these five converted song files were all either digitized directly from a tape deck into the IIgs, processed, sampled and then saved as mono sound files, changed in their file type and assigned the proper play rate for Oversampler and/or ported from a PC. The text files don't really make it all that clear just how each of them were actually done. The author who did these song file conversions to the IIgs, never actually gives his full and actual identity in the text file. But, with some research efforts to satisfy my own information needs, I've been able to clearly identify the person who made the archive uploads as Scott G. (Scott Gamon). The uploads originated from Southern California. Having had past contact with Scott Gamon, who attended UCLA there's no doubt in my mind that he both uploaded and made the file conversions. A well written and easy to follow, detailed method of converting and porting MP3 music and sound files from the PC platform to play with Oversampler on the IIgs, just recently became available. Supertimer posted to the CSA2 Usenet newsgroup a detailed review of a step by step process for converting the MP3 files from a PC to a IIgs for playing with Oversampler. And, I've included his fine article titled: "Digital Audio Revolution IIGS (MP3 how-to for IIGS)" in the above GS WorldView Nov99 issue folder also. See the referenced information for his posted article below. Subject: Digital Audio Revolution IIGS (MP3 how-to for IIGS) From: supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Date: 15 Nov 1999 08:38:23 GMT Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Message-ID: <19991115033823.04155.00001198@ng-xb1.aol.com> The text file of his CSA2 post referenced above is available to read within the following URL folder: http://www.grin.net/~cturley/gsezine/GS.WorldView/Nov99/Sound.and.Music/ Referenced text file name to read from within the above noted URL folder is listed below. Digital_Audio_Revolution_IIGS.txt I'd suggest any PC users that care to try such sound, music and song conversions from their PC to use with the IIgs (and/or it's emulators that properly support IIgs sound and ensoniq emulation), read this informative article by Supertimer and give it a try. It certainly shows in clear, step by step and easy to follow and understand a well written outline what the IIgs is able to present with these PC ported and converted sound, music and song files when they are played with Oversampler. http://www.grin.net/~cturley/gsezine/GS.WorldView/Nov99/Sound.and.Music/ Also note misc. information about MP3 music; links, FAQ's, etc. available from the above noted URL folder should prove of interest to those desiring detailed information on MP3 files, FAQ's, etc. Referenced html document file name to load and view with your desired web browser application from within the above noted URL folder, listed below. MP3musicOnTheIIgs.htm Outline on My Conversion Methods I only use Mac PPC's in my conversions. As soon as I was enlightened with the ability of the IIgs to play such large sound, music and song files with limited RAM memory, using the Oversampler program, I promptly downloaded and listened to a couple of the song files from Ground, shortly after they were made available. After hearing them on my IIgs, I decided I'd give it a try the first chance I had to do so. Well, I've waited for over two years now to have the programs, computers and the time to work and experiment with such sound, music and song file conversions. I don't use the same processing and steps that SuperTimer outlined in his own "Digital Audio Revolution IIGS (MP3 how-to for IIGS)" posted article covering the methods used with the PC platform. I've developed my own methods with such file conversions on the Mac PPC, with months of trial and error - to discover the best way for me to retain the stereo, clarity and quality of each when playing them on the IIgs with Oversampler. Perhaps I'll explore the outlined file conversion processing methods that Supertimer covered and relates in his posted article and see if any improvements result as they apply with my future efforts using the Mac PPC platform. During the past few months, using Mac PPC's with QuickTime Pro, I've been able to convert MP3, MPEG, AIFF, MIDI, AVI, QT Movie and Audio CD Sound Track file formats to IIgs binary files in stereo and other enhanced soundscape coding also, that can be played as such with Oversampler. Comparing them to the native and original files sound on the Mac PPC, I'd have to say they are very close in quality and clearity, in most all respects. Indeed, as both Supertimer related in his posted article on MP3 file conversions from the PC to the IIgs and the author of the first five converted IIgs song files made available from our Apple2 Ground site also suggested in a few of the text files, concerning the potentials with the IIgs, so many amazing programs have been developed, ported and released for the IIgs and its users to have and enjoy during the past few years, it seems like nearly anything is possible if the effort and desire is put into it. I'd very much like to also see somebody develop and release a IIgs MP3 decoder, converter and player. I've no doubt it's possible to do. This remains as yet another possibility for the Apple IIgs. We shall just have to wait, hope and see what the future brings, I guess. Until such happens, we just have to be satisfied with the sound, music and song file conversions made available to play with Oversampler. If anybody has any favorite sound, music or song they would like to have converted to listen to with Oversampler on the IIgs send me an email request. If I've got it available to convert, I'll sure give it my best effort. So far, I've converted and archived in ShrinkIt (SHK) file format, about 100 MB's of sound, music and song files to play on the IIgs with Oversampler. I've made a few of them available from specific Apple II and IIgs ftp and websites for public access and download during the past month. The very first port of an MP3 music file, I converted for use with the IIgs and Oversampler can be downloaded from the following ftp site URL. ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/incoming/OS.E1.SHK I've still got lot's more to upload as my time and ability permits. There's many MB's of these converted files archived and available for public download. As more become available during the balance of this year, you can find them all from this ftp and website folder URL's. ftp://tarnover.dyndns.org/cabi/Music.and.Sound/OVERSAMPLER.MUSIC.FILES/ http://tarnover.dyndns.org/cabi/Music.and.Sound/OVERSAMPLER.MUSIC.FILES/ That site and folder will be the official place for IIgs users to access for downloads any MP3, audio CD track, MIDI or any other type of sound, music and song file Apple IIgs conversions, I'll be making all of them available - in their proper file type and correct play rate (or information on such for the user to set) for playing them with the Oversampler IIgs application. New ShrinkIt archives of such additions should appear here each day, as my time and abilities allows. So, if you want to listen to them as they are made available, check the folders contents often. Also included in the same folder is a GS Turbo Boot disk archive 'GS.TURBO' available in both DiskCopy 4.2 image file format and ShrinkIt disk archive (SDK). The converted sound, music and song files are all in stereo. As noted in their information text files, some have SurroundSound, SRS encoding, enhanced stereo panning, Holophonics or Roland Sound Space (RSS) dimensional processing. For best results with listening to these converted IIgs sound, music and song files, after unshrinking them to the proper size and type of media storage device connected and accessable to your IIgs, you should play them with the Oversampler application only, using the GS Turbo boot disk and a IIgs stereo card with it's output feed to any good stereo amplifier system that has a high quality set of 'Over-the-Ear' electrostatic headphones. To perceive any added dimensional encoding with any of these files, such as those with SRS, RSS or Holophopnic dimensional soundscape enhancement encoding, I also suggest you use a stereo amplifier system that has sound enhancement built in, such as Dolby SurroundSound or Sound Retreival System (SRS) abilities, for your final sound output and listening device. The following gives the exact method, processing steps and all of the programs I used to, listen to and convert them all with the Mac PPC and Apple IIgs and/or Apple IIgs emulator. Not all of the conversions used every program and sound enhancement I've outlined and listed. But, I thought I should list all the programs and options I did use with a few of the sound, music and song file conversions, on both the Mac and IIgs - so that others that want to give such conversions, sound file enhancements and modifications a try, would have the information to use with such efforts. Every sound, music and song file conversion was saved with the final step with a Mac PPC and the Mac QuickTime Pro Player application as a sound track wave file. Leaving each file so saved with the suffix of (.wav). That file type on the Mac would be...a QuickTime Player Document with the following file Signature info. File type: WAVE Creator: TVOD On the Mac, the MacOS finder uses this information to launch and draw the files icons), to permit the QuickTime Player application to identify it, load and play it accordingly. On the Apple IIgs, it's GS/OS finder would identify the file as an unknown file type ($00). The file type need not be changed for Oversampler to see it, load it and play it. I've tried changing the original file to just about every file type listed for the IIgs and observed no improvement by doing such. For files that I've left in their original Mac file types - to allow their use with both the Mac and IIgs, with respect to using the file on the Apple IIgs, depending on the assigned sampling rate of each converted file as saved with its bit value of either 16 or 8 bits, a proper play rate and Oversampler program frequency setting needs to be assigned to it, in order to allow Oversampler to play it with the closest speed accuracy with its sound presentation. You can either determine this play rate, which is the Oversampler programs Frequency value setting - by reading the text file I've included with each or by making such a setting and adjustment from within the Oversampler program after you load the (.wav) file, manually, while listening to it - until you find the Frequency setting and play rate - you like best With other file conversions that I made a file type change to as either binary or text for use with only the IIgs, I've set the aux. value for each of these according to my own correct listening perception on the IIgs with the Oversampler application. Concerning any binary and/or text file type, that I've changed their file types to - for use with only the IIgs, I've found that the most accurate play rate and the most common Frequency rate I favored within the Oversampler program for each of the 8 bit files - sampled at 11.025 Khz was around 420 (file aux. value being $01A2 or close to that). I've saved most of the converted sound, music and song files as 8 bit with their sampling rate of 11.025 Khz - to permit the smallest size for the file while at the same time - retaining the best possible sound quality it can present for its play use on either a Mac and/or IIgs - when played them with the proper application for each computer platform. I could (and have) saved some converted files in 16 bit with greater sampling rates and you will note their increased file size with very little observed sound quality improvement, if any at all IMHO. These few such converted files (some of the first few that I released) often sound choppy, with noise static, skip or stutter can be present when playing them. And, they also require a higher play rate - that some IIgs systems running the Oversampler program at their stock CPU speed - simply can't handle properly. In a few cases the user may even get a message from the Oversampler program telling them the rate is to great for the machine to handle. They will also very often require the user to set the Oversampler program Oversampling pull down Menu option to 2-times for proper sound listening to be obtained. In some cases the user may even need to set Oversampler from stereo to mono or even to internal in order to allow your IIgs to handle the higher play rate needed with such 16 bit file conversions that hae higher sampling rates. Thus, all of my sound, music and song file conversions are now saved as 8 bit stereo with a sampling rate of 11.025 Khz. They all have been left in their original Mac file type format and have no aux. value added to them. A text file with each gives the user my own correct perceived play rate, that I derived when listening to each with Oversampler on both a REAL IIgs with a stock speed CPU and also with the Mac PPC - Apple IIgs emulator "Bernie ][ the Rescue" with normal settings as close to a stock IIgs for sound and CPU speed as possible. Using each converted files INFO text file - the user can use the play rate I noted by setting the Frequency to that number, within the Oversampler program before playing that file or you can specify your own desired play rate in the same way within the Oversampler program to suit your own individual listening mode and play rate. That's all up to the individual listener with their own listening quality and needs. For Mac Users Only None of any of this is needed for playing the converted file on a Mac (if the file type and format had no changes made to it). For those of you desiring to play these converted files on your Mac - if you don't have the required Mac QuickTime system bundle (version 4.0) with its QuickTime Player application, to load and play the file, please send me an email and I'll be glad to advise you where and how to obtain the standard QuickTime v4.0 to install on your Mac for such needs. I'd advise you to upgrade your standard QuickTime v4.0 to QuickTime Pro, if you want to do your own imports, exports, changes and saving of the QT files. I'll also be glad to advise anybody wanting information on how to upgrade to QuickTime Pro, if you email me asking for such information. If you want to load and play any of these QuickTime WAVE files without the luxury of using QuickTime, then I've included a small, fast and rather nifty freeware Mac application for such needs - developed by a good friend, a really fantastic Mac programmer and an original 1WSW team member - Kevin McMurtrie, who now works for Apple Computer. Note the reference of the archive name (Kevin's Fast Player.sit). It loads QT files faster than QT can, plays them smoothly and with a great sound quality too. The Stuffit archive is included in this folder for your download needs and use. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Programs for file conversions, sound enhancements and misc. modifications -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Encoders, Players, Rippers, Utilities and Add-ons AudioCatalyst BarbaBatch Fraunhofer MP3 Encoder Mpecker Drop Decoder MPEG Audio Creator mp3 encoder N2MP3 MVP SoundJam MP SWA Export Xtra Audioactive Audion GrayAmp MACAST MACAST Lite MPEG Audio Player QuickAmp QuickTime 4 SoundApp SurfTunes Vamp EZAmp MegaSeg MPlay mp3voodoo QuickMP3 SoundSpinner MP3 QuickTime SndSampler Track Thief AMPCaster BayTex Fiesta! BayTex Party! MacP3 MP3 Inspector MP3 Rage mp3 tool Realizer YA MP3 File Converter In case you want to try out any of the above Mac Mp3, sound, music converters, players and mdification applications, here's a one-stop website and its two URL's to download any of them: http://www.pure-mac.com/audio.html http://www.pure-mac.com/mp3.html The reason I've lncluded the above information for you is that I hope others will have the desire and motivation to also use their Mac to convert sound, music and songs for use and playing on the Apple IIgs. If you need any advise on any of these applications that require ungrades from their demo, trial versions and such to full function applications, email me with the title and exactly what you want concerning the title. I'll be glad to give you any advise on how to do it, that I have available to offfer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The main programs I use for Mac to IIgs sound, music and song conversions and playing... The Macintosh PPC The Apple IIgs _______________________ ____________________________ QuickTime Pro version 3 Universal Sound Editor v1.0 QuickTime Pro version 4 Disk Access v1.0 NDA SoundApp PPC v2.6.1 AudioZap v2.0 The Flipper Oversampler v1.0 Change Type/Creator v1.2 ShrinkIt IIgs v1.1 BBEdit Lite v4.6 TurbobootGS disk Bernie ][ the Rescue v2.0.1 PlayerPro v4.5.9 Should you have the need to test your IIgs conversion efforts and don't have a REAL IIgs handy to use but, DO have a Mac PPC to use and $35 to pay for the shareware fee - then you need "Bernie ][ the Rescue. You can download it from this URL: http://people.delphi.com/gudath/mirror/Packages/bernie251.sit.hqx and, if you also need the IIgs ROM image for use with Bernie, you can download it from this URL - take your pick from several IIgs ROM image archives from this folder: ftp://ftp.peanuts.org/Mirrors/MiscKit/apple2/roms You might also like to go to the main start directory of this ftp site, if you're into exploring almost any Apple related item, etc. and so on :) : ftp://ftp.peanuts.org/ File Conversion Outline, Methods and Steps The Macintosh PPC ----------------- Using QuickTime Pro, versions 3 and 4 - depending on which Mac PPC machine I was working on, I used the import option for the following sound, music and song file formats; AVI, MIDI, MPEG, MP3, Audio CD track, PC wave, PC QT Movie, AIFF and Mac QT Movie file. As mentioned above in the conversion processing outline, the final step to save all converted sound, music and song files in the QuickTime Player WAVE file format and type was done with the QuickTime Pro's Player application. Each file conversion was either loaded and/or imported with the QuickTime Pro's Player application, then saved and/or exported as required with the specific converted files type and original format. With some files importing was neccessary then saving them as either AIFF sound files or as QuickTime MoviePlayer document files first. Next, I loaded and/or imported that saved file with OuickTime Pro's Player application, assigning the bit and sampling rate of each and any other attribute modifications desired. The file is then saved as 8 bit stereo with a sampling rate of 11.025 Khz. AVI sound track files were first imported to DT Pro's Player and then saved as MIDI files were loaded with the QT Pro's Player, then saved as an AIFF file. Next that AIFF file was imported back to the QT Pro's Player and with the final conversion step, saved as a QT Player document - WAVE file. Audio CD tracks from a standard Audio/Music CD were imported with QT Pro's Player and reviewed with high quality, full sized (over the ear) style headphones, playing each from beginning to end, after changing them to 8 bit stereo with a sampling rate of 11.025 Khz. More to be presented in the year 2000 on all this. Until then....Cheers, Enjoy and Best Wishes, Tom -------------------------------------------- Charles T. 'Dr. Tom' Turley 115 Santa Clara St. Brisbane, CA 94005-1736 USA Voice: 415-468-1609 Email: cturley@grin.net