KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q89986: Windows Sound System Supports Audio Written for Windows 3.1

Article: Q89986
Product(s): Miscellaneous Windows Products
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 13-JUN-2001

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows Sound System, versions 1.0, 1.0a, 2.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

Windows Sound System supports Windows-based applications that have built-in
sound and conform to the Windows 3.1 Software Development Kit (SDK).

MORE INFORMATION
================

Windows Sound System supports Windows software that uses waveform (.WAV) and
MIDI (.MID or .RMI) audio written for Windows 3.1 or Windows with Multimedia
Extensions 1.0. Windows Sound System supports MS-DOS-based software written for
Adlib or Sound Blaster cards only. Sound Blaster support requires configuration
through Windows Control Panel or by running the GAMECNFG.EXE program that comes
with Windows Sound System 2.0.

Windows Sound System uses installable device drivers for wave-out, wave-in,
MIDI-out, and auxiliary audio. Windows-based software can access all these types
using standard Windows 3.1 audio API calls.

The following restrictions apply to the wave-in and wave-out API support:

- Simultaneous record and playback of audio is not possible with the current
  driver (version 1.0).

- Only mono/stereo playback is possible.

- Only 16/8-bit linear PCM playback is possible without the use of the Audio
  Compression Manager (ACM) module. (Mu-law and A-law are not supported in
  version 1.0).

- The following sampling rates are directly supported by the board. Other ones
  can be achieved through the ACM module:

     5510, 6620, 8000, 9600, 11025, 16000, 18900, 22050, 27420,
     32000, 33075, 37800, 44100, 48000

The following restrictions apply to the MIDI-out support:

- Only 12 simultaneous voices (including drums) are supported.

- The patches are General MIDI compliant.

- Each voice is either entirely on the left, right, or both channels; there is
  no fading.

- The only MIDI messages used are:

  Note on/off
  Program change
  Pitch bend
  Balance
  Volume level

Additional query words: 1.00

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWinSoundSysSearch kbWinSoundSys100 kbWinSoundSys100a kbWinSoundSys200

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.