MPXPLAY Audio Player v1.47 by PDSoft If You find a bug, first of all read the 'known bugs' section below, if the bug isn't there, please write it to me with these informations: -your hardware (CPU,RAM,Soundcard) -your operating system (DOS,Win95/98) -your command line options (i.e. mpxplay.exe -pva -cf -@ playlist.m3u) -description (what did you do, and what did the program do, when you found it) (i.e. keyboard operations) I never can test the program totally. Sometimes a modification caues a new bug. If a function doesn't work properly (but it worked in the previous version(s)), please write it to me... Known bugs and limits: - OGG : sometimes freeze, some buffer clear bugs (at seeking) - MPC : - only Streamversion 7 is implemented/supported - seeking problems (sometimes the seeking fails, and the playing stops or skips to the next song) - AC3 : I still work on it ... (I'm not satisfied with the sound quality) - CDW : - doesn't work on every CD-ROMs (only on those, witch can ripp (grab) audio tracks) - the door open/close also doesn't work on every drives - there's no sync buffer -> possible read bugs (clicks & pops) - doesn't work under WIN95/98 - problems with mixed mode CDs (data+audio) - mixer: - the program may crash in some cases, if there is too much difference between the input (file) and output (soundcard) freq (limited static pcm buffer) - soundcard routines: - if you play 48khz files with original SB16 card (witch cannot play 48k) use '-of 44100' option - soundcard IRQ works below 8 only (3-7) (set the IRQ to 5, then it will work) - MIDAS: - uses more CPU (requires Pentium?) - -bp,-bl,-ddma options dont't work - ESS,WSS,MIDAS plays only in active window under WIN95/98 (SB16,GUS in background too) - crossfade: - cannot do between files with different freqency (i.e.: 22khz->44khz) or channel number (stereo->mono) - sometimes doesn't work (i.e. at fullbuffer (-bl) and at large prebuffer (-bbn 500)) - increased volume + limiter = non-linear fade-out and fade-in - drive scan (-ds or *.*\*.*) on substed drives under Win9x - FILE: Mpxplay can't play very short files in some cases (shorter than 0.5 sec) - -cl and -cm work at mp3 files only - program doesn't support MPEG 2.0 and 2.5 (16,22,24,8,11,12khz) in Layer II (MP2) - -idl + 'J' - the SBpro compatible cards: - sound with 8 bits & 22khz only (bad quality) - use more CPU (freq conversion 44->22khz) - maximum number of playlist entries is: in normal mode: 1024 (left side,directory browser), 9999 (right side,playlist) in doombox mode: 9999 (left side/playlist), 1024 (right side/doombox queue) (max. playlist size: 40*9999 = 400kbyte) Plans (don't request them): - configurable LCD display - support of more soundcards (maybe other Mpxplay users also can help in this) - Win9x and Linux versions (far plans) Additional informations: -LCD-DISPLAY: -you can configure the LCD in the MPXPLAY.INI (LCDlptport,LCDtype,LCDlines,LCDrows) -enable the LCD with the LCDlines variable (1 or 2 supported only) -only LCDtype 1 and 4 are tested (sould work) -you can find more hardware and software infos on my homepage -software routines are not finished yet (under construction) -SOUND CARD SETTINGS: The program usually can autodetect the card if you don't set the environment variable, and it sets the master and voice mixer channels to 90% (if it's bellow 40%), but it's better (faster starting), if You do this before start the program. Use an environment variable to configure the PORT,IRQ and DMA values. (of course you must change the port, irq & dma numbers to your configuration) 1. SB16: SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 (port,irq,dma,hidma) 2. ESS : SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 3. WSS : SET ULTRA16=530,1,5,0,0 (port,dma,irq,cardtype,dma2) 4. GUS : SET ULTRASND=240,5,5,5,5 (port,dma1,dma2,irq1,irq2) 5.SBpro: SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4 (port,irq,dma,cardtype) (the ESS and WSS cards don't use IRQ, correct setting of IRQ is not required) If the playing starts, but it runs very fast (4x-10x faster) or it plays a short block of music, after that it stops, then your DMA (or the IRQ) value is incorrect. Try the -sct option, maybe it shows the correct value(s). Mpxplay detects the 0,1,3,5,6,7 DMA channels only, if you use a different one, you must configure it manually (with the environment variable). -PLAYLIST usage: -you can create a playlist: - under DOS with the DIR /B/ON *.MP3 > PLAYLIST.M3U command - with Mpxplay: MPXPLAY.EXE d:\*.*\*.* -@s playlist.m3u or: MPXPLAY.EXE -ds c -@s playlist.m3u or: MPXPLAY.EXE -ds c -@s playlist.m3u *.mp3 -EXTENDED PLAYLIST (faster file info loading -> program starts playing faster): -create: MPXPLAY.EXE -@sx EXTLIST.MXU PLAYLIST.M3U or: MPXPLAY.EXE -@sx EXTLIST.MXU d:\*.*\*.* -use (load): MPXPLAY.EXE EXTLIST.MXU or: MPXPLAY.EXE -ig EXTLIST.MXU PLAYLIST.M3U - You can use sub-list(s) in extended playlist on this way: (you have to write these lines manually into the mxu list) ('°' '±' '²'chars are ascii 176,177,178) -M3U sub-list: D:\AUDIOMP3\PLAYLIST.M3U°[sub-list]±²00000000 -MXU sub-list: D:\AUDIOMP3\EXTLIST.MXU°[sub-list]±²00000000 -Edit (modify) ID3 TAGS in MP3 files: make a text file with this form (max.12 chars filename+2space+artist:title): filenam1.MP3 artist1:title1 filenam2.MP3 artist2:title2 filenam3.MP3 artist3:title3 name it to !FILES and run my program with these options: MPXPLAY.EXE -iw !FILES -@ playlist.m3u (the listfile is same like playlist file, but with artist & title) and the program will append this ID3 info(s) (artist & title) to the end of mp3 file(s). -FRAMES: Mpxplay handles the files in frames. 1 frame usually 4608 pcm bytes. (1 sec = ca. 38 frames)(depends on the freq of file) -CD-WAV : the cd-wav support is not a simple audio CD player, this is a real time Digital Audio Copy (it reads the cda sectors and writes them to the sound card), because of this you can use crossfade, speed control, auto volume correction and surround on audio CDs! (recommended to use -bp) -USING MPXPLAY - WITHOUT HARDDISK: I haven't tested it, try -db option - WITHOUT VGA CARD: I also haven't tested it, try -f0 option -LESS CPU USAGE: the program uses less cpu time without spectrum analiser, volume correction, surround, soundlimit and volume meter use this for slow CPUs: mpxplay.exe -sl 0 -ddma -f0 -v -bl -bni -@ playlist.m3u -SOUNDLIMIT: cuts (don't write to the output) the signal below "soundlimit" it doesn't play (only decode) while, and it finishes the play (exit or step to next song in playlist) in last 400 frame when volume is bellow or equal to soundlimit. Set it to 50 for disco, 10 for classical music, 1 to cut at 'digital noise' and 0 to disable soundlimit checking. -VERBOSE: in verbose mode (-v) you get more informations (header info:layer,bitrate,etc., ,ID3tag info:artist,title,year,...)(use it for -f0,-ff or -fl) -TEST MODE: in test mode (-t) the program write the output nowhere and you can test the speed of your computer and my program. You get the the results in the end of running. Index value must be above 100% to play properly audio (MP3) files. -DISPLAYMODE configuration in mpxplay.ini: (default: 126=64+32+16+8+4+2; -fl: 2; -fl -v: 6=2+4; -fe -fs : 14=8+4+2) (bit)(add the number to Displaymode variable) 0 no display 0. +1 only frame counter is displayed (use it with -f0 (0) & -v (+4) only) 1. +2 timepos is displayed 2. +4 id3info & header are displayed (verbose mode) 3. +8 use fullscreen 4. +16 fullscreen editor disabled 5. +32 spectrum analiser enabled 6. +64 use (change display to) 50 lines mode (else use the initial resolution) -DESKTOPMODE configuration (default: 1+2+8+16+32+64+128+256+512=1019): 0. +1 show song position line (....) 1. +2 show playlist position line (....) 2. +4 reserved (not used) 3. +8 show playlist editor elevator () 4. +16 vertical editor sides (else horizontal) 5. +32 show filename with fullpath at the top of the editor 6. +64 show fulltime (in bottom right corner) 7. +128 show songtimes in editor 8. +256 show songnumbers in editor 9. +512 show drive letters in editor 10. +1024 always show filenames in editor (with artist:title) 11. +2048 follow browser (via mouse) in editor 12. +4096 shift playlist entry up or down by mouse (drag & move) (otherwise scroll editorside) -I have an Intel PII processor, so I can optimize for this cpu only Speed test results: (test: mpxplay.exe -t -ff -sl 0 file.mp3 ; play: mpxplay.exe -fl -bl file.mp3) On Intel Celeron 300A (4.5*66.6) with PC100 SDRAM and ASUS BX mainboard MPXPLAY 1.46: MP3: index:2620% CPU:4% (128kbit,MsStereo) MP2: index:3358% CPU:3% (256kbit,Stereo) OGG: index:1043% CPU:8-10% (128kbit,Stereo)(depends on the used encoder version too) DOSAMP 0.8: MP3: CPU:9.1% MP2: CPU:8.8% XTC-PLAY 0.97c: MP3: CPU:10-11% MP2: CPU: 9-10% Speed comparsion of different computers with different versions of Mpxplay (index values of MP3 speed tests) CPU: 486DX2 AMDDX4 AMD5x86 Pentium PPRO PII Mhz: 66 100 133 100 200 300 ver 1.46 2620 ver 1.45 2589 ver 1.44 2635 ver 1.43 1750 2620 ver 1.42 175.8 423.3 1639 2502 ver 1.41 174.4 411.8 1619 2489 ver 1.40 93.3 134.1 173.7 418.3 1636 2485 ver 1.39 89.9 125.0 163.4 383.4 1504 2298 ver 1.38 89.1 123.7 - 376.7 1499 2284 ver 1.37 84.3 117.9 - - 1410 2166 ver 1.36 84.3 117.3 162.0 339.8 1401 2156 ver 1.35 85.6 119.9 156.9 342.2 1369 2074 ver 1.34 84.0 - 155.0 326.3 1283 2033 ver 1.33 84.5 118.4 155.2 327.3 1275 2024 ver 1.32 84.7 118.8 154.8 329.3 1279 2024 ver 1.31 119.0 152.6 329.5 1365 2104 ver 1.30 118.3 152.7 326.2 1275 2009 ver 1.29 117.1 151.7 302.6 1106 1729 ver 1.28 115.7 - - 1170 1786 ver 1.27 - - - - asm bug ver 1.26 111.1 142.5 277.5 1000 1530 ver 1.25 110.7 142.7 280.4 1049 1617 ver 1.24 108.8 141.0 277.5 1037 1588 ver 1.21 138.8 269.8 1010 1542 ver 1.20 137.0 263.8 980 1477 ver 1.10 137.7 265.6 968 1458 ver 1.00 137.7 263.9 973 1462 ver 0.07 139.0 275.5 1002 1531 ver 0.06 139.2 276.0 1003 1530 ver 0.05 134.3 247.9 823 1154 ver 0.04 134.3 246.7 823 1158 ver 0.03 134.3 247.4 828 1173 original: 819