(Document written April 1994, by Michael Smith.) Transferring the files ---------------------- These files are binary files! Remember to set ftp to binary mode before transferring them (many ftp clients will do this for you automatically). Using these files ----------------- EXTRACTING THE FILES: The files are stored in zip archives, using the so-called "Deflation" compression method. Many PC/Windows users will already have programs to extract the files from these. For those who don't, and for users of different platforms, have a look for an implementation of unzip version 5.1 for your platform. These are available from ftp.uu.net as shown below, but you can also use archie (if you know how) to locate copies closer to you. Mac ---> ftp.uu.net:pub/archiving/zip/MAC/mac-unzip-51.hqx sumex-aim.stanford.edu:/info-mac/util/unzip-201.hqx DOS ---> ftp.uu.net:pub/archiving/zip/MSDOS/unzip51x.exe Unix ---> ftp.uu.net:pub/archiving/zip/unzip51.tar.Z CONVERTING THE FILES: The sound files themselves are in the Windows WAV format. Hopefully Windows users will have no trouble using them. I believe a useful tool for converting to other PC/DOS formats as well as Unix formats is Sox, which is available from a number of places. I haven't used it but I heard that it works well. Here is a brief extract from its manual page, listing the formats it can handle: Currently, raw (no header) binary and textual data, IRCAM Sound Files, Sound Blaster, SPARC .AU (w/header), Mac HCOM, PC/DOS .SOU, Sndtool, and Sounder, NeXT .SND, Windows 3.1 RIFF/WAV, Turtle Beach .SMP, CD-R, and Apple/SGI AIFF and 8SVX formats are supported. Sox can be found at (among others): Unix ---> ftp.psi.com:/radio/sox7.tar.Z DOS ---> syrinx.umd.edu:/rush/msdos/sox7dos.zip pdq.coe.montana.edu:/tmp/useful/sox7dos.zip Mac users should get hold of either Sound Extractor or Brian's Sound Tool. These are available from Info-Mac and Umich (or better still, go to a mirror site nearer to you): sumex-aim.stanford.edu:/info-mac/snd/util/brians-sound-tool-13.hqx sumex-aim.stanford.edu:/info-mac/snd/util/sound-converter-utilities.hqx Sampling -------- All the sampling was done using the standard sound facilities of a Macintosh Centris 650. The mono sound output port of a video recorder was attached to the microphone input port of the Mac using an attenuating adaptor from Tandy/Radio Shack (this is needed since there is a much stronger signal from a sound output port on video/hi-fi than from a microphone). The program used was Sample Editor, which records sounds and stores them as AIFF files. This program was also used to trim the samples and then normalise them. Brian's Sound Tool (BST) was used to batch convert the files to Macintosh System 7 sound format. For the benefit of PC/Windoze users, I then used BST to batch convert them to Windows WAV files, and created zip archives of these. Mac users can simply decode these zip files (using UnZip) and then convert them back to Mac sounds using BST (and then give them decent names!). This whole process does not seem to result in any degradation. Listing of sounds ----------------- Here is a list of the sounds is the various zip archives. The names listed here are the original Mac file names, since they are more descriptive; the actual filenames in the zip archives are 8.3 filenames automatically generated by BST, and I didn't bother trying to choose better ones. All the sounds are in WAV format. The Orac and Zen collections were generated by someone else (I've no idea who) and I found them on an ftp site somewhere, sometime long ago. I've converted them from their Mac format to WAV format to include them here. The Blakes 7 Theme was already on the ftp site, but here is a zipped WAV version of it. B7theme.zip: Blakes 7 Theme Avon.zip: a little difficult to miss applause astute mind demonstrably did you say something? nothing was further seen before shut up Tarrant so much trouble wit Misc.zip: communicator (short) counting yourself depend on it don't bet on that enjoying this for a dead man immutable certainty never realised rough analogy that is correct what action do you wish taken wild surmise Tape20.zip: advised don't make me leave it failed you have the information hip deep humble capacities I am checking, kindly wait I built it, it's a sculpture I think I'm ready incapable no good deed spare time stay out of my way we won't meet again Tape21.zip: delegation end of opening theme frivolous one go off and die somewhere kick the living quartz out shouldn't have asked Tarzian warg strangler transport me to safety Tape23.zip: gloating I'll be back infallible kiss her quite right really is a corpse yes master your every desire Tape26.zip: any idiot draw lots I don't mean to interrupt I set all this up I wouldn't do that little room for error stand still take me for a fool you think you've found Blake Orac.zip: Orac circuits are full Orac free of ambiguity Orac instructions Orac knowledge infinite Orac petty affairs Orac state program Orac Switched on Orac the question is futile Zen.zip: Zen All data Zen confirmed Zen data requested Zen system status ---------------------------------/|-|--|-|--|--Michael-Smith------------------- Michael.Smith@maths.anu.edu.au /-| |\ | | | Mathematics (CMA) -------------------------------/--|-|-\|-|_/|--Australian-National-University--