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Audio Player for Early Macs

napabar

Well-known member
Does anybody know of audio software that will play on a Mac 512K? I know there were a few, but everything I've found seems to have higher system requirements than the 512K can handle (either RAM, System version, or Processor). I'm looking for something that could play either an AIFF file or WAV, preferably.

Thanks!

 

PowerPup

Well-known member
The only thing I can think of at this moment is QuickTime 2/3.

Oh, there's also SoundEffect 0.9.2. Which is a sound editor. It supports the snd and aiff formats.

 

H3NRY

Well-known member
Sorry. There are a number of sound programs for early Macs, but neither WAV nor AIFF files existed back then. The early Macs used 8-bit mono 11 or 22 KHz sound files in either boot sound format or Mac Recorder format mostly. WAV and AIFF are both 16 or 24 bits, usually 48 KHz sample rate. An AIFF sound could be downsampled on a modern Mac and saved in one of the old 8-bit formats, but I don't know whether Sound Edit or some such can do it or not. Also because of the small storage on floppy disks, sounds were limited to a few seconds per disk. About the longest sound file would be something like the ever-popular "I'm sorry, Dave, I can't do that."

Look for an early version of Sound Edit, or SoundPlay.

 

Scott Baret

Well-known member
I'm not sure if it would run on 4.1, but Kaboom Factory may be an option. I *think* it runs on System 6.

Kaboom Factory was a simple sound editing program that shipped with the Kaboom sound package (which also included tons of sounds and a control panel). Off the top of my head, I think it plays AIFF and WAV, but I'm not 100% certain, as I haven't used the program in a long time.

 

Mac128

Well-known member
Of course Scott, System 6 will not run on a stock 512K. H3NRY has proposed the best solution.

 

napabar

Well-known member
Of course Scott, System 6 will not run on a stock 512K. H3NRY has proposed the best solution.

Mac128, you mentioned before there was MIDI software for the Mac 128K/512K? Any suggestions on the playback of MIDI files on a 128/512?

 

Mac128

Well-known member
Napbar, the most commonly available today, MOTU's Performer will work on at least a 512K. MacMIDI by Musicworks would work on both. So will MIDI Composer, by Assimilation, Inc. There may be others published later that will also work, but those were the contemporaries.

 

Mac128

Well-known member
Opcodes MIDIMAC released in 1986 might work on the 512K as well. Doubtful it would run on the 128K though.

 
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