Chapter 19

Audio Plug-Ins


CONTENTS

Adding sound files, background music, speeches, or just plain-old-fashioned ramblings to your Web site is a relatively painless task when using the right software. This chapter will familiarize you with a variety of ActiveX controls and plug-ins available for the delivery of audio on the Internet.

Crescendo ActiveX Control

The Crescendo ActiveX control is ideal for playing MIDI music online. It has a CD-like control panel and a digital counter. This plug-in requires no special server. The HTML document will have <EMBED> tag pointing to the audio file which will be loaded and the HTML file using the HTTP server. The Crescendo Plug-in is available for free download over the Internet.

Source

Vendor Information:

LiveUpDate
http://www.liveupdate.com

Figure 19.1 : Crescendo ActiveX control

Properties of ActiveX Control

Table 19.1  Properties of Crescendo ActiveX Control

PropertyDescription
AutoStart Determines if the audio file starts playing automatically
bgcolorSets the background color for the control using RGB values
ClassIDSets the class ID for the <OBJECT>
CodeBaseDescribes the Version of the ActiveX control to be used and activates the auto install of upgrades. The current CODEBASE="ftp://ftp1.liveupdate.com/labtech/beta
/cplus/cres.cab#Version=2,2,0,6"
specifies the version number to use. If you have an older one, the auto installer will install the more recent one on your computer
HeightHeight of the control
IDRefers to the current <OBJECT> name
LoopDescribes the loop behavior
Param NameDetermines the relative attribute "Song" and location of file VALUE= "filename.mid"
txtcolorSets the RGB color values for the song counter
WidthWidth of the control

Methods of Crescendo ActiveX Control

Table 19.2  Methods of Crescendo

MethodDescription
AboutBoxDisplays a dialog box that describes the Crescendo ActiveX control
Fast ForwardAdvances the play position of the file
PausePauses the Audio file playback at the current position
PlayStarts the audio playback
RewindRewinds the audio playback
Rewind to StartCauses the Crescendo control to restart the audio playback from the beginning of the file

Event of Crescendo ActiveX Control

Table 19.3  Event of Crescendo

MethodDescription
Automatic UpdateActivates when the user opens a page using the Crescendo control

Example

Add the following code to your HTML files, replacing VALUE="yourmidfile.mid" with the filename of your Crescendo audio file.


Listing 19.1  Object-In The Crescendo control

<HTML>

<BODY>

<H1>Crescendo Control</H1>

<P>The contents of the page.</P>

<OBJECT ID=Crescendo

CLASSID="clsid:0FC6Bf2B-E16A-AB23-0080AD08A326"

HEIGHT=55

WIDTH=200

CODEBASE=ftp://ftp1.liveupdate.com/labtech/beta/cplus/cres.cab#Version2,2,0,6">

<PARAM NAME="Song" VALUE="yourmidfile.mid">

</OBJECT>

</BODY>

</HTML>


NOTE
The code in Listing 19.1 comes from the Crescendo ActiveX Authoring page accessible from the Crescendo's home page at http://www.liveupdate.com/. Be sure to check this page for more on ActiveX authoring for Crescendo.

EchoSpeech Plug-In

Echo Speech Corporation offers two distinct Internet audio products: EchoSpeech and EchoSpeech Broadcast. The EchoSpeech Plug-in allows continuous streaming at connections as low as 14.4Kbps. This is one of the most accessible audio plug-ins available on the Net, featuring low speed connection and processor requirements.

TIP
EchoSpeech will work on a 486SX-33 using a 14.4Kbps modem.
Compression ratio is 18.5:1.

EchoSpeech users can download a compressed EchoSpeech File and listen to the site in just a few seconds. The EchoSpeech Plug-in, Encoder, and Server are available for free download over the Internet.

Source

Vendor Information:

Echo Speech Corporation
http://www.EchoSpeech.com/
6460 Via Real
Carpinteria, CA 93013
(805) 684-4593

Figure 19.2 : The EchoSpeech icon appears when a file can be heard by clicking the icon

Properties of EchoSpeech Plug-In

There are no properties available for EchoSpeech since there is no user interface. The plug-in runs unseen in the background. 

Methods of EchoSpeech Plug-In

There are no methods available for EchoSpeech since there is no user interface. The plug-in runs unseen in the background. 

Events of EchoSpeech Plug-In

There are no events available for EchoSpeech since there is no user interface. The plug-in runs unseen in the background. 

Example

NOTE
The EchoSpeech plug-in will decode files that were created and compressed using the EchoSpeech coder. This plug-in uses HTTP servers.


Listing 19.2  Embed Code for EchoSpeech

<HTML>

<BODY>

<EMBED SRC="yourfile.es" img src="echo.gif">

<P>Click the echoSpeech Icon to play an EchoSpeech audio file</P>

</BODY>

</HTML>


EchoSpeech Real Time Broadcast

Remember when you were a kid and you wanted to run your own radio station? Well maybe not, but with the EchoSpeech Real Time Broadcast plug-in, you can listen to the attempts of those who did. As with EchoSpeech, the Real Time Broadcast version can deliver a smooth multimedia-quality audio presentation over a 14.4 modem.

The EchoSpeech Real Time Broadcast will deliver quality sounds over the Internet in full duplex if you are using a 28.8-or-faster modem. You can have a telephone-like conversation with someone else on the Internet/intranet. The EchoSpeech Broadcast plug-in is available for free download over the Internet.

Source

Vendor Information:

Echo Speech Corporation
http://www.EchoSpeech.com/
6460 Via Real
Carpinteria, CA 90313
(805) 684-4593

Properties of EchoSpeech Real Time Broadcast

There are no properties available for EchoSpeech Broadcast since there is no user interface. The plug-in runs unseen in the background. 

Methods of EchoSpeech Real Time Broadcast

There are no methods available for EchoSpeech Broadcast since there is no user interface. The plug-in runs unseen in the background. 

Events of EchoSpeech Real Time Broadcast

There are no events available for EchoSpeech Broadcast since there is no user interface. The plug-in runs unseen in the background. 

Example

NOTE
The EchoSpeech Real Time Broadcast plug-in will only decode files that were created and compressed using the EchoSpeech coder and served through the EchoSpeech Real Time Server.


Listing 19.3  Embed Code for EchoSpeech

<HTML>

<BODY>

<EMBED SRC="yourfile.es" >

<P>Click the echoSpeech Icon to play an EchoSpeech audio file</P>

</BODY>

</HTML>


Koan ActiveX Control

Koan, similar to Crescendo and EchoSpeech, uses lower compression rates and requires no special server. Koan will load the audio file and play it without any prompting from you. A rather special feature of Koan is that it can use sound fonts for the audio files. The Koan ActiveX control is available for free download over the Internet.

Source

Vendor Information:

Sseyo, Inc.
http://www.sseyo.com/
Pyramid House
(011)44 1344 712017
(011)44 1344 712005 fax

Figure 19.3 : Koan ActiveX control

Properties of Koan ActiveX Control

Table 19.4  Properties of Koan ActiveX Control

PropertyDescription
autostartDetermines if the audio file starts automatically when the page is loaded
embedTells the browser to load the item included (audio file) using the properties that are included in the embed tag
HeightSets the height
WidthSets the width

Methods of Koan ActiveX Control

This control has no methods.

Events of Koan ActiveX Control

This control has no events.

Example


Listing 19.4  Embed Koan Audio files-Instant playback

<EMBED SRC="yourmidfile.skp" height=32 width=32 autostart=true>



Listing 19.5  Koan ActiveX-Script Required

<HTML>

<HEAD>



<SCRIPT Language="VBScript">

Sub MyOnLoad

  parent.sitemus1.KoanAX.KoanFile = "http://www.sseyo.com/images/gmjun3t2.skp"

end sub



Sub MyOnUnload

  parent.sitemus1.KoanAX.KoanStop()

end sub



Sub OnBtnStart

 parent.sitemus1.KoanAX.KoanPlay()

End Sub



Sub OnBtnStop

 parent.sitemus1.KoanAX.KoanStop()

End Sub

</SCRIPT>



<SCRIPT for="BtnStart" event="onClick" language="VBScript">

  rem Handle the click event !

  OnBtnStart()

</SCRIPT>



<SCRIPT for="BtnStop" event="onClick" language="VBScript">

  rem Handle the click event !

  OnBtnStop()

</SCRIPT>

</HEAD>

<OBJECT

TYPE="application/x-oleobject"

CLASSID="clsid:984926A3-2D0D-11D0-Bf10-444553540000"

height=32

width=32

ID=KoanAX>

</OBJECT>

</BODY></HTML>



Listing 19.6  Embed MIDI files-Instant playback

<HTML>

<HEAD><TITLE>MIDI EXAMPLE<TITLE></HEAD>

<BODY>

<EMBED SRC="yourmidfile.mid" height=32 width=32 autostart=true>

<P>A MIDI file will automatically be loaded, and begin playing, when you load 

                                              this document.</P>

</BODY>

</HTML> 


MidPlug

MidPlug, by Yamaha, has a built-in Soft Synthesizer with many GM-compatible voices, reverb, and drum kits. The high quality compact MIDI audio files are set up for maximum efficiency and speed on the Web. Although no extra equipment is required to use this plug-in, the option is available for adding an XG sound module or a daughtercard. The MidPlug plug-in is available for free download over the Internet.

Source

Vendor Information:

Yamaha
http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/xg/html/

Figure 19.4 : MidPlug

Properties of MidPlug

Table 19.5  Properties of MidPlug

PropertyDescription
autostartDetermines if the audio file is played when the page is loaded
heightSets the height of the control
paneldetermines the color scheme to use for the Control Panel
repeatSets the repeat value
textprovides alternative text in the display section of the control panel
widthSets the width of the control

Methods of MidPlug

Table 19.6  Methods of MidPlug

MethodDescription
AboutboxDisplays a dialog box that contains information about MidPlug
displayDisplays the name of the current selection
informationGoes to the MidPlug home page
initializeAutomatically initializes the tone generator
MIDIMapperOpens the MIDI mapper
pausePauses the playback at the current position
playBegins playback
synthesizerSetupOpens the SGMP Driver control panel
stopStops playback of audio file
tempoDownDecreases the tempo level
tempoResetResets the tempo level
tempoUpIncreases the tempo level
volumeDownDecreases the volume level
volumeUpIncreases the volume level
SGMPDriverDisplays all MIDI drivers available

Events of MidPlug

This control has no events.

Example


Listing 19.7  Embed-In The MidPlug Control

<HTML>

<HEAD><TITLE>MIDI EXAMPLE<TITLE></HEAD>

<BODY>

<EMBED SRC="yourfile.mid"	<!- location of MIDPLUG file ->

HEIGHT=40

WIDTH=150

PANEL=0          <!-- 0/light  1/dark -->

AUTOSTART=true     <!-- true/start false/wait for user action.-->

REPEAT=true        <!-- true/loop false/no-loop -->

TEXT=your message!>      <!-- text replaces midi file name -->

<P>A MIDIPLUG file will automatically be loaded, and begin playing,

                                  when you load this document.</P>

</BODY>

</HTML>


RapidTransit Player

RapidTransit uses a proprietary technology called Adaptive Wavelets Transform (AWT) to achieve Hi-Fi music/CD-quality sound at very high compression rates. The RapidTransit Player decompresses the files and passes the decompressed audio file to your operating systems audio feature-Media Player in Windows 95- to play. The RapidTransit Plug-in is available for free download over the Internet.

Source

Vendor Information

FastMan, Inc.
http://www.monsterbit.com/rapidtransit/
1613 Capitol of Texas Hwy. S.
Austin, TX 78748
(512) 328-9088

Properties of RapidTransit

There are no properties available for RapidTransit since there is no user interface. This plug-in is a download-and-play type. 

Methods of RapidTransit

There are no methods available for RapidTransit since there is no user interface. This plug-in is a download-and-play type. 

Events of RapidTransit

There are no events available for RapidTransit since there is no user interface. This plug-in is a download-and-play type. 

Example


Listing 19.8  Embed Code for RapidTransit

<EMBED SRC="yourfile.1cc" >


RealAudio Player 3.0

RealAudio Player 3.0 is ideal for the 28.8 modem or faster-ISDN and LAN-connections. You can expect to receive near-stereo sound at 28.8 and near-CD quality using the faster connections. The RealAudio .ra .ram files can be served through the RealAudio Server, which makes the audio a streaming Audio file downloaded in packets as they are required. RealAudio files can also be delivered through the HTTP server.

Older versions of RealAudio work fine with a 14.4 modem connection. The RealAudio Player 2.0 information site is accessible from www.realaudio.com; go there to find out more about version 2.

NOTE
RealAudio with HTTP  If the RealAudio server is not being used, you will have to do a few things so you can listen to the audio file. Once the RealAudio file downloads to your hard drive:
  • Use the browser's File to select Open File
  • Locate the RealAudio file and click OK.
The RealAudio player will open and play the audio file. You can still control the RealAudio Player panel using this method. The RealAudio plug-in is available for free download over the Internet.

Figure 19.5 : RealAudio

Source

Vendor Information:

Progressive Networks
http://www.realaudio.com

Properties of RealAudio Player 3.0

There are no properties available for RealAudio. 

Methods of RealAudio Player 3.0

Table 19.7  Methods of RealAudio

MethodDescription
elapsedTimeDisplays the elapsed time for the current selection
forwardFast forwards the audio file
play/pauseStarts or pauses playback
positionSliderJumps to any position in the audio file
rewindRewinds the clip
statusBarDisplays the current status of the audio file
stereoIndicatorDetermines if the file being played is mono or stereo
stopStops the playback
volumeControlControls the volume level

Events of Real Audio Player 3.0

There are no events available for RealAudio. 

Example

Using .ram META files with the RealAudio Server

First, create your META file which has a .ram extension. In the META file, you place the URL for the RealAudio .ra file


pnm://www.yourhost.com/yourfile.ra

Now put a hyperlink in your HTML file that will call up the .ram file when the user clicks it.


<A HREF="yourfile.ram" >

<IMG SRC="/pics/ralogo.gif" align=left></a>

Using the RealAudio logo makes it easier for the user to identify and activate the audio file.

Using .ram META files Without the RealAudio Server

You must use the RealAudio Server. You can work around not having the server by linking to someone else's .ram file and server.


<A HREF="http://www.realaudio.com/hello1.ram" >

<IMG SRC="/pics/ralogo.gif" align=left></a>

Shockwave Audio

Shockwave is a commercial development program. The player plug-in is available for free download from the Macromedia Web site for anyone wishing to take advantage of sites using Shockwave technology. Before downloading, consider connecting at a minimum of 28.8. Using Shockwave with a slower connection is known to cause systems to crash.

Source

Vendor Information:

Macromedia, Incorporated
http://www.macromedia.com
600 Townsend St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 252-2000
(415) 626-0554 fax
Macromedia Europe (UK & Benelux)
Pyramid House
East Hampstead Road
Bracknell
Berkshire
RG12 1NS England, UK
44 1 344 458 600
44 1 344 458 666 fax

Figure 19.6 : Shockwave Audio player

Properties of Shockwave Audio

Table 19.8  Properties of Shockwave Audio Player

PropertyDescription
swPreLoadTimeTo permit a portion of the song to be preloaded, you must specify the exact amount of playing time in seconds. This has nothing to do with the wait time for the download, but an "amount" of the SWA file to preload. The default preload time is three seconds.
SwTextSpecifies what text to include in the text area of the Shockwave Audio Player. The default is "Audio Streaming Over the Internet."
sw1Debugger, the default is off. It is recommended by Macromedia that you leave the debugger on its default setting.
sw2Options are 1 & 0. Option 1 tells Shockwave to begin playing the audio file automatically. Use option 0 if you want the playback to begin only after the user has pressed play.
sw3(0/1) When the user clicks the Shockwave logo of the player, option 0 causes the audio to play or stop, and option 1 (the default setting) causes the audio to play or pause.
sw4(0/1) Only necessary if you wish to have an infinite loop. Option 0 (the default setting) causes the file to play once and quit at the end of the single loop, and option 1 causes the file to loop.

Methods of Shockwave Audio

Shockwave Audio has no methods.

Events of Shockwave Audio

Shockwave Audio has no events.


Listing 19.9  Shockwave Audio Player

<HTML> 

<HEAD> 

<TITLE>the SWA Player</TITLE> 

</HEAD> 

<BODY BGCOLOR="#666666"> 

<!----Shockwave Audio Player HTML----> 

<center> 

<embed 

width=416 

height=32 

SRC="http://audio.server.com/player.dcr" 

sw1=off 

swURL="http://audio.server.com/classic.swa" 

swTEXT="Audio Streaming Over the Internet" 

swPreLoadTime=3 

sw2=0 

sw3=1 

sw4=0> 

<!----sw1= debugger, sw2= Autoplay, sw3= LogoMode, sw4=Autoloop----> 

</center>

</BODY> 

</HTML>


NOTE
You can find out more information about using the Shockwave Audio Player from the Macromedia Developers site:
http://www.macromedia.com/support/technotes/shockwave/developer/

Talker plug-in (for the Mac)

Talker is an Apple plug-in designed to allow users the opportunity to "have their say" on the Net. It is a very simple text-to-voice application. To use it, simply create a text file containing your message, save it with a .talk extension, and, using the HTML <EMBED> tag, point to the location of the .talk file. The Talker plug-in is available for free download over the Internet.

Source

Vendor Information:

MVP Solutions
http://www.mvpsolutions.com/

Figure 19.7 : The Talker icon tells users there is a talker file available

Properties of Talker plug-in

There are no properties available for Talker since there is no user interface. The plug-in runs unseen in the background. 

Methods of Talker plug-in

There are no methods available for Talker since there is no user interface. The plug-in runs unseen in the background. 

Events of Talker plug-in

There are no events available for Talker since there is no user interface. The plug-in runs unseen in the background. 

Example


Listing 19.10  Embed-Talker

<HTML>

<HEAD><TITLE>MIDI EXAMPLE<TITLE></HEAD>

<BODY>

<EMBED SRC="yourfile1.talk"

HEIGHT=40

WIDTH=150>

</BODY>

</HTML> 


ToolVox Plug-In

As a powerful little program with a compression ratio of up to 53:1, this plug-in offers one of the fastest real-time download streaming rates. It works on your existing HTTP server, so you don't need to worry about downloading and installing a special server. The ToolVox plug-in is available for free download over the Internet.

Source

Vendor Information:

VoxWare
http://www.voxware.com/
305 College Road East
Princeton, NJ 08540
(609) 514-4100 / (888)TOOLVOX
(609) 514-4101 fax

Figure 19.8 : ToolVox

Properties of ToolVox Plug-In

Table 19.9  Properties of ToolVox

PropertyDescription
heightSets the height of the control
widthSets the width

Methods of ToolVox Plug-In

Table 19.10  Methods of ToolVox

MethodDescription
pause/playStarts or pauses playback
positionMoves to another spot forward or back in the clip
rewindRewinds the audio file
speedChanges the speed of the audio file

Events of ToolVox Plug-In

This plug-in has no events.

TrueSpeech Plug-In

The TrueSpeech plug-in is automatically loaded when you install the TrueSpeech Player. The TrueSpeech plug-in is available for free download over the Internet.

Source

Vendor Information:

DSP Group, Inc.
http://www.dspg.com/
3120 Scott Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95054-3317
(408) 986-4300
(408) 986-4323 fax

Figure 19.9 : True Speech

Properties of TrueSpeech Plug-In

This plug-in has no properties.

Methods of TrueSpeech Plug-In

Table 19.11  Methods of TrueSpeech

MethodDescription
forwardFast forwards the audio file
play/pauseStarts or pauses playback
rewindRewinds the clip
stopStops the playback

Events of TrueSpeech Plug-In

This plug-in has no events.

Example


<HTML>

<HEAD><TITLE>MIDI EXAMPLE<TITLE></HEAD>

<BODY>

<a href="sounds/welcome.tsp"><img src=" images/TS.gif "></a>

</BODY>

</HTML>

Figure 19.10 : Web Tracks

WebTracks Plug-In

WebTracks uses a proprietary music compression format. It will begin playing Web pages immediately when you reach a Web site that has WebTracks files included. In addition to the WebTracks files, it will also play MIDI files. The WebTracks plug-in is available for free download over the Internet.

Source

Vendor Information:

WildCat Canyon Software
http://www.wildcat.com/

Properties of WebTracks Plug-In

This plug-in has no properties.

Methods of WebTracks Plug-In

This plug-in has no methods.

Events of WebTracks Plug-In

This plug-in has no events.