Audio(5)

NAME

Audio — audio tools available through HP VUE (OBSOLETED)

DESCRIPTION

This manpage describes the audio tools available through HP VUE for playing, recording, and editing sound. These include Audio Setup, Audio Security, Audio Editor, Audio Control Panel, Audio File and Data Formats, and Audio Library. Audio(5) also provides information on using other audio tools from the HP-UX command line.

Audio Setup Requirements

To use the audio tools, you need access to both audio client and server software. This software is part of HP-UX. The server requires a workstation or X station with Audio hardware.

Audio hardware is built into all Series 700 computers except the 720, 730, and 750; you can upgrade these models to become the 725, 735, or 755, which do have audio hardware. Note, older 705s (that is, 705s with the 8MB HP-UX) do not include audio software.

To use audio on an X station, you need either an HP ENVIZEX or ENTRIA X station that includes an audio accessory kit.

In most cases, you use the audio client and server software on one system. However, if you need the audio server running on a remote workstation or X station, see aserver(1M). The audio data files can reside on either system or a third system.

Audio Security

Audio is secured to allow access only to the user on the local workstation. If you need to allow remote systems to access audio on a workstation, see asecure(1M).

The Audio Editor

The Audio Editor is an OSF/Motif-based tool with play, record, and edit functions. The Editor displays a waveform that makes it easy to edit and play audio segments.

You can open an audio file, play it, look at its waveform, and use the waveform controls to edit the file. To set an output device, use the Audio Control Panel.

To record audio, first connect a microphone or other audio equipment that your system supports; perhaps a CD or tape player. To make the connections, see the Audio Editor online help ("Audio Editor Tasks" section) or your system owner's manual.

You can use the Editor to create and record an audio file.

To start the Editor from the General Toolbox, open the Media Toolbox and drop an audio file on the Audio Editor control or double-click the control.
To start the Editor in a terminal window, type the following:
/opt/audio/bin/audio_editor [pathname]

Online help is available through the Help menu in the upper-right hand corner of the Editor.

The Audio Control Panel

The Audio Control Panel is an OSF/Motif-based tool that you use to set the audio volume and choose the audio device for playback.

The volume control affects the play volume for any client system of this workstation or X station. The Audio Control Panel also includes a Stop button to stop the current play operation.

You can also use the Audio Control Panel to choose the device for playback, (headphones, built-in speaker, or device connected to Line Out, such as external speakers). This choice controls where audio is played when you double-click an audio file or use the Audio Editor to play a file. The default output device is the internal (built-in) speaker.

To start the Audio Control Panel from HP VUE, click on the Audio control in HP VUE Front Panel.
To start the Audio Control Panel in a terminal window, type the following:
/opt/audio/bin/AudioCP

If your system has Audio applications that were developed using an earlier version of Audio software, those applications may use the SPEAKER environment variable to determine their output devices. You can set the SPEAKER variable for all applications started by HP VUE by modifying the $HOME/.vueprofile file. The SPEAKER variable can be external (headphones, Line Out) or internal (built-in speaker).

To set the SPEAKER variable for a POSIX or Korn shell, enter:
SPEAKER=internal export speaker
To set the SPEAKER variable for a C shell, enter:
setenv SPEAKER internal

Audio File and Data Formats

Audio files supported contain uncompressed audio data in one of three file formats: generic, RIFF/Waveform, or raw. Each file also needs the correct filename extension. For the three file formats, the Audio Editor online help lists which data formats and filename extensions that apply.

The extension causes the appropriate icon to appear in the File Manager. To play audio files you can drag and drop the file icons onto the Audio Editor or Control Panel or double-click the icon.

If you need to add an extension to a filename, (or convert the file format) the /opt/audio/bin/convert command is recommended. See convert(1). However, you can instead rename the file to make it playable. Use this filename format:

filename.rate.data_type

The rate and data_type variables accept values defined for the -drate and -ddata options of convert. If needed, you can omit the rate variable. Use this filename format:

filename.data_type

Audio Library

HP-UX includes an Audio Library that was used to build the audio tools. If you have ordered and installed the User Environment Developer's Kit, you can use the Audio Library to create other audio applications.

The HP-UX Audio Library contains functions that C programs can use to manipulate audio. The functions interact with the Audio Server, enabling the application to record and play audio data files and convert audio data files from one format to another.

For more information about audio programming, refer to the manual Using the Audio Developer's Kit.

AUTHOR

The Audio Library, Audio Editor, and Audio Control Panel were developed by HP.