Q121036: MAC Musical Instruments: README Contents
Article: Q121036
Product(s): Microsoft Home Multimedia Titles
Version(s): MACINTOSH:1.0
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s):
Last Modified: 08-NOV-2001
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Musical Instruments for the Macintosh, version 1.0
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The following information is the contents of the Musical Instruments README
file contained on the Musical Instruments for the Macintosh CD:
Microsoft Musical Instruments Version 1.0 README File
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This README File contains information on the following topics:
1. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR RUNNING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
What you need to run Musical Instruments
2. MEMORY USE
Musical Instruments memory usage;
making it run on low-memory machines
3. PERFORMANCE
Tips on what to do if Musical Instruments is running slowly
4. SCREEN SIZES AND COLOR CONFIGURATION
What makes Musical Instruments look best
5. SOUND PROBLEMS
Common problems playing sounds, and how to fix them
6. PRINTING AND COPYING
How to print and copy Musical Instruments screens
7. DEMONSTRATION MODE
How to make Musical Instruments run a slide show
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1. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR RUNNING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
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To install and run Musical Instruments you need:
- a Macintosh computer with a Macintosh-compatible color monitor
- System 6.0.7 or later
- 4 MB of memory
- at least 1 MB of available hard disk space
- a CD-ROM drive
You can choose to run Musical Instruments directly from the compact
disc or install it onto your hard disk. Installing the program makes it
load a little faster, but uses space on the hard disk. The sounds and
pictures remain on the CD, so you still need to insert the compact disc
to use Musical Instruments.
If you run the Installer, it will add any necessary files to your
System Folder. It will also copy the Musical Instruments program files
to a new folder on your hard disk.
If you run Musical Instruments from the compact disc, you may need to
drag certain files from the System Files folder on the CD into your
System Folder if they are not already installed. Musical Instruments
needs these files (QuickTime is the most important) to play sounds.
When you run Musical Instruments from the compact disc, if it cannot
find these files, it will prompt you to run the Installer.
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2. MEMORY USE
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Musical Instruments needs a reasonably large amount of your computer's
system memory (RAM) to display pictures and play sounds. It should run
on any Macintosh with 4 MB (4,096K) of memory. Most users will not
have problems, but if you have only 4MB of memory and your system
software is large (you have a lot of files in your System Folder), you
may need to adjust memory usage to make Musical Instruments run
properly. Here are more details on doing this:
Musical Instruments is pre-set to a preferred memory size of 2,500K and
a minimum memory size of 1,500K. The program will take up to 2,500K
memory if it is available, but use less if it is not. If there is not
2,500K of memory available, you may see a message like
There is not enough memory to open "Microsoft Musical
Instruments" (2,500K needed, 1,960K available). Do you
want to open it using the available memory?
You should click OK, and Musical Instruments will run using the
available memory. If there is less than 1,500K available, the system
may give you a message like
The application "Microsoft Musical Instruments" could
not be opened (2,500K needed, 1,230 available)...
You will be returned to the Finder. You can do two things to fix this:
A) Free up more system memory for it, and B) set Musical Instruments to
use even less memory. Try to free up system memory first.
A) TRY TO FREE UP SYSTEM MEMORY
Here are some suggestions:
- Run only one application at a time. If other applications are
running, close them, then start Musical Instruments again.
- If Musical Instruments asks to change mode, choose "Switch
mode" and it will select the best display mode for your
computer.
- Check the amount of memory being used by your system
software. System software and accessories can occupy
memory and slow performance. The "About this Macintosh..."
box shows how much memory your computer has and how much
is being used by the system. (To see this, return to the desktop,
select the Apple menu at top left of the menu bar, and choose
the first menu item, "About This Macintosh...". In System 6,
this box is called "About the Finder..."). If, for example, the
dialog box displays
Total Memory 4,096K
System Software 3,500K
this indicates that you have 4,096K of RAM, but the Macintosh
is using nearly all of it for its operating system. In this case,
a number of applications will have problems running. Any
applications that are currently running will be listed.
You may be able to reduce the amount of memory used by the
system. The process for doing this differs depending on
whether you are running System 7 or System 6; refer to your
Macintosh documentation if you are not familiar with how to
do this. (The upper-right corner of the "About..." box, described
above, tells you which version of the system you are running).
You may have system files that you do not need, such as printer
drivers for printers you don't have. Under System 6 these files
are in the System Folder; under System 7 they are in the
Extensions folder inside the System Folder. In either case,
taking these files out of your System Folder will save memory.
If you remove any files to free memory, make sure to store
them somewhere else on your hard disk or on a backup disk so
that you can put them back if you need them later.
You may have many fonts or Desk Accessories (Apple menu
items or DAs) installed, and removing those you are not using
will also save memory. Under System 7 you can simply remove
them from the Fonts or Control Panels folder; under System 6
you must use the Font/DA Mover to remove them, as described
in your Macintosh documentation from Apple Computer. A
number of desktop accessories such as animated screen savers,
desk pictures, startup sounds and other INITs occupy memory
and slow the system down. If you have any of these, experiment
with moving them out of the System Folder. Always save
anything you take out of the System Folder! Then restart the
computer and check the "About This Macintosh..." box to see if
system memory is reduced.
B) ASK MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS TO USE LESS MEMORY
If you still have problems, you can attempt to give Musical Instruments
less memory than the minimum 1,500K specified, setting it as low as
1,024K (1 megabyte). Musical Instruments will never run with less than
1 megabyte of memory. Performance problems may result from doing this:
for example, not all sounds will play or windows be displayed.
To set Musical Instruments to use less memory, you must install the
program onto your hard disk. After running the Installer from the
CD-ROM disc, return to the desktop, select the Musical Instruments icon
in the Musical Instruments folder, and choose Get Info from the File
menu in the Finder. The exact form of the information is different in
Systems 6 and 7, but all versions have a box at the bottom right in
which you can change the preferred amount of memory Musical Instruments
should use.
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3. PERFORMANCE
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If Musical Instruments seems to be running slowly or gives you
interrupted sounds, there are a number of things which may help. Here
are the main things to check.
If you are running on a Macintosh with low memory you may have
problems--check the previous section, MEMORY USE. If your computer has
more than 4 megabytes of memory, you can set Musical Instruments to use
more. To do this, you must install the program onto your hard disk.
After running the Installer from the CD-ROM disc, return to the
desktop, select the Musical Instruments icon in the Musical Instruments
folder, and choose Get Info from the File menu in the Finder. The exact
form of the information is different in Systems 6 and 7, but all
versions have a box in the lower-right corner of the Get Info box, in
which you can change the preferred amount of memory Musical Instruments
should use. Giving Musical Instruments up to 3,500K memory can improve
performance.
If your Macintosh is running in Virtual Memory mode, you may find that
sounds are interrupted. When Virtual Memory is turned on, sounds are
sometimes placed on the hard disk rather than into true RAM. For best
performance, turn off Virtual Memory. To do this in System 7, bring up
the Memory control panel, choose the Virtual Memory Off option, and
then restart the computer. Virtual Memory is not available in System 6.
If you are using an old or slow CD-ROM drive, it may be not be able to
supply audio information to the Macintosh at the speed required by
QuickTime. This problem cannot be fixed. If you suspect a problem with
your CD drive, ensure that it is properly terminated. If you do not
understand SCSI termination, read your Macintosh or CD-ROM drive
documentation, or ask your Apple dealer. Drives must be internally
terminated or have a SCSI terminator plugged in.
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4. SCREEN SIZES AND COLOR CONFIGURATION
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When Musical Instruments starts, it checks your monitor and displays
the images as best it can on your Macintosh. If your setup can be
adjusted to make Musical Instruments run better, the program will
prompt you to do so.
Musical Instruments will run on a 12" or 13" monitor, as found on a
Macintosh LC or Performa; the program will also run on all larger
monitors. Musical Instruments looks best in 256 colors (8-bit mode),
although it can run in 16 colors (4-bit mode). If your monitor is set
to 16 colors or less, but is capable of running in 256 colors, Musical
Instruments will offer to change the monitor setup for you, in order to
display the highest-quality images. Using more than 256 colors (16-bit
or 24-bit mode) will not improve the images and will slightly slow down
display. If you are using one of these modes, Musical Instruments will
prompt you to switch to 256 colors. Running Musical Instruments in
another mode will cause no damage, but will not provide the best
performance.
Musical Instruments is not designed to run in black and white.
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5. SOUND PROBLEMS
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If you do not hear any sound at all, make sure that you have QuickTime
in your System Folder or run the Installer from the Musical Instruments
CD. After adding system files, you may need to choose Restart from the
Special menu to make them active.
Sound may be inaudible if the sound level is turned down. To set the
sound level, use the Sound control panel, and experiment with the
speaker volume setting until you get a comfortable sound level. If you
set the sound level to maximum, you may get sound distortion just as
you would on a stereo system.
If your Macintosh is running in Virtual Memory mode, you may find that
sounds are interrupted. When Virtual Memory is turned on, sounds are
sometimes placed on the hard disk rather than into real RAM. For best
performance, turn off Virtual Memory. To do this in System 7, bring up
the Memory control panel, choose the Virtual Memory Off option, and
then restart the computer. Virtual Memory is not available in System 6.
Macintosh computers have built-in speakers. The speakers vary in
quality and loudness depending on which Macintosh you have. The quality
has improved in later models, so a Quadra will give you better sound
quality than an early Mac II.
If you have a sound card installed in your Macintosh, you will get
high-quality sound. Musical Instruments sounds are recorded in 16-bit
audio, and playback quality is adjusted to your Macintosh capability.
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6. PRINTING AND COPYING
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The screens in Musical Instruments are stored and displayed as large
color pictures, which are optimized for best screen reproduction rather
than for print reproduction. You can, however, print screen images,
which will be of the same quality as a screen shot made with a
screen-capture function.
If you have only a black-and-white printer, Musical Instruments will
not print very well. Musical Instruments can print better grayscale
images--if you have a laser printer, choose the Color/grayscale option
for better quality. You can also print in color if you have a color
printer. Depending on the type of printer you have, printing a picture
may take several minutes. Because the pictures can be quite large, you
may have difficulty copying or printing in low-memory conditions. In
this case, close all other applications and then try again.
The Print and Copy commands affect only the active window.
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7. DEMONSTRATION MODE
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Musical Instruments has a demonstration mode that begins an automatic
random "slide show" when the computer has been idle for a certain period.
To activate demonstration mode, hold down the Shift key while you click
the Random button. This displays a dialog box. Check the "Start random
automatically" box and specify the number of idle minutes that must
elapse before starting the slide show, then click OK.
To stop the slide show and use Musical Instruments at any time, move
the mouse or press a key.
Demonstration mode will remain active until you turn it off: to do
this, hold down Shift again and click the Random button, clear the
"Start random automatically" box in the dialog box, and then click OK.
Additional query words: 1994multi media multimedia multi-media mmtitles
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Keywords :
Technology : kbHWMAC kbOSMAC kbHomeProdSearch kbZNotKeyword kbMusicalInstMac
Version : MACINTOSH:1.0
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