Date   : Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:36:37 +0100
From   : rick@... (Rick Murray)
Subject: BASIC V/VI SOUND command?

Muzer wrote:

> However, I can only seem to get SOUND 1,x,x,x to work  [...]
> It must be possible to do multi-channel sound from within BASIC - so
> does anyone know how? Or is it really not possible?

Try
   VOICES <x>
where <x> is the number of sound channels you want.

Something I dimly recall from the WimpTracker days is that more voices 
equals less overall amplitude. This may have been a fault of VIDC1, or 
of WimpTracker... or maybe it is a real 'problem'? In any case, I would 
suggest only assigning as many voices as you actually need.

There are several different styles of beep - WaveSynth, StringLib, 
Percussion... you can use the VOICE <channel>, <name> command to set this.

BASIC V gives a lot of help if you ask. HELP VOICE and HELP VOICES if 
you need more info.
You can also set the stereo balance (HELP STEREO) and the SOUND command 
can take a microbeat offset for sounds hat can be scheduled rather than 
starting immediately (HELP SOUND, HELP TEMPO, HELP BEAT, HELP BEATS).


If you require better and more complex handling of sounds, I would 
recommend the Sound_xxx SWIs. Your best bet is a PDF copy of the PRMs 
(Programmers Reference Manuals). If you don't have, or cannot obtain, 
then the next place to look is !StrongHelp (or my own StrawHelp for 
browsing under Windows) plus the OS manual. Then look under the Sound 
options.


The sudden.recoil.org site appears to be down or gone, so you can get a 
RISC OS copy of StrongHelp from Arcade BBS at:
   ftp://arcade.demon.co.uk/data/090000/090850/090899

StrawHelp (for Windows) is at:
   http://www.heyrick.co.uk/software/strawhelp/

And as the sudden recoil site is not responding, I've stashed a copy of 
two manuals that may be useful. The file extension is for StrawHelp as I 
copied these off my PC, you'll need to leave or remove this and set the 
filetype accordingly (&3D6) under RISC OS.
   http://www.heyrick.co.uk/software/strawhelp/BASIC.3d6
   http://www.heyrick.co.uk/software/strawhelp/OS.3d6


Best wishes,

Rick.

-- 
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