Audio seems overly complicated :(

Audio seems overly complicated :(

bamccaig

Member #7,536

July 2006

Edgar Reynaldo said:

Piano.zip has the source, media, and binary I made that shows this.

Thanks. That is working much better in Windows (assuming by Piano.zip you meant BCPiano.zip). I haven't tried playing with the driver options in Linux yet.

The source code in the zip appears to be the fancy, low-level version. Did the original version work too?

Quote:

Attached is your second program, with the modifications I mentioned.

It appears all you changed was the depth and then hard-coded filenames instead of generating them. I assume is should also work with the default voice and mixer, but did you try it?

Quote:

So it seems you can still attach sample instances to the mixer created by al_reserve_samples, regardless of the number of instances you reserve. I used al_reserve_samples(1) and attached multiple sample instances and they all played without distortion or dropping out.

My guess without trying to make sense of the code is that al_reserve_samples() is setting up a pool of a fixed size based on what you specify, and it automatically will use that to allocate instances from. As far as I've come across, I don't know of a limitation to the number of things that can be attached to a mixer. Though I'm also not sure if there are quality or performance limitations as a result. I assume there must be, or again, a "simple" API that hides all of these shenanigans should be braindead simple to wire up..

--
I mean the best with what I say. It doesn't always sound that way.

Edgar Reynaldo

Major Reynaldo

May 2007

bamccaig said:

assuming by Piano.zip you meant BCPiano.zip

No, I meant Piano.zip, the link was broken. It's fixed now. That contains the first modified version you used.

bamccaig said:

I assume is should also work with the default voice and mixer, but did you try it?

Yes, it worked fine.

bamccaig said:

a "simple" API that hides all of these shenanigans should be braindead simple to wire up..

I want to know what exactly you mean. Write out the function prototypes you would expect a "simple" API to have.

Eagle and Allegro 5 binaries | Older Allegro 4 and 5 binaries | Allegro 5 compile guide
King Piccolo will make it so Then I could just flip it with some sweet, sweet matrix math. In either case, I’ll ride this wagon until the wheels fall off. Thanks to those that keep it running

Izual

Member #2,756

September 2002

bamccaig, here is my edited version of your piano using VOICE / MIXER / SAMPLE INSTANCES:

ZIP with source and all files here.

#SelectExpand
   1#include <allegro5/allegro.h>
   2#include <allegro5/allegro_acodec.h>
   3#include <allegro5/allegro_audio.h>
   4#include <allegro5/allegro_font.h>
   5#include <allegro5/allegro_ttf.h>
   6#include <stdio.h>
   7#include <stdlib.h>
   8
   9#define notes_length ( sizeof( note_s ) / sizeof( ALLEGRO_SAMPLE * ) )
  10
  11#define say_center(w, h, text) \
      (al_draw_text(musicals, white, w, h, ALLEGRO_ALIGN_CENTRE, text)) 
  13
  14void play_note( ALLEGRO_SAMPLE_INSTANCE *si )
  15{
  /*
  Setting position just to skip the silence at the start of the notes.
  Why 32000 ? Because it sounds just right to me. Try more or less and see.
  */
  al_set_sample_instance_position( si, 32000 );
  al_set_sample_instance_playing( si, true );
  22}
  23
  24static const char abcdefg[] = "abcdefg";
  25
  26int main(int argc, char * argv[])
  27{
  char tmp[8] = "       ";
  int i = 0, l = -1;
  int status = 0;
  ALLEGRO_COLOR black, white;
  ALLEGRO_DISPLAY * display = NULL;
  ALLEGRO_EVENT_QUEUE * event_queue = NULL;
  ALLEGRO_FONT * musicals = NULL;
  ALLEGRO_TIMEOUT timeout;
  ALLEGRO_VOICE *voice = NULL;
  ALLEGRO_MIXER *mixer = NULL;
  ALLEGRO_SAMPLE *note_s[ 7 ] = { 0 };
  ALLEGRO_SAMPLE_INSTANCE *note_si[ 7 ] = { 0 };
  40
  if (!al_init())
  {
      fprintf(stderr, "al_init failed\n");
      goto error;
  }
  if (!al_install_keyboard())
  {
      fprintf(stderr, "al_install_keyboard failed\n");
      goto error;
  }
  if (!al_install_audio())
  {
      fprintf(stderr, "al_install_audio failed\n");
      goto error;
  }
  if (!al_init_acodec_addon())
  {
      fprintf(stderr, "al_init_acodec_addon failed\n");
      goto error;
  }
  if (!al_init_font_addon())
  {
      fprintf(stderr, "al_init_font_addon failed\n");
      goto error;
  }
  if (!al_init_ttf_addon())
  {
      fprintf(stderr, "al_init_ttf_addon failed\n");
      goto error;
  }
  display = al_create_display(1440, 900);
  if (display == NULL)
  {
      fprintf(stderr, "al_create_display failed\n");
      goto error;
  }
  event_queue = al_create_event_queue();
  if (event_queue == NULL)
  {
      fprintf(stderr, "al_create_event_queue failed\n");
      goto error;
  }
  83
  /* Setup sound: */
  voice = al_create_voice( 44100,
                           ALLEGRO_AUDIO_DEPTH_INT16,
                           ALLEGRO_CHANNEL_CONF_2 );
  if( !voice )
  {
      fprintf(stderr, "al_create_voice failed\n");
      goto error;
  }
  mixer = al_create_mixer( 44100,
                           ALLEGRO_AUDIO_DEPTH_INT16,
                           ALLEGRO_CHANNEL_CONF_2 );
  if( !mixer )
  {
      fprintf(stderr, "al_create_mixer failed\n");
      goto error;
  }
  al_attach_mixer_to_voice( mixer, voice );
 102
  /* Load note samples: */
  for( i=0, l=notes_length; i<l; i++ )
  {
      char filename[22] = "media/Piano.ff.A3.ogg";
      filename[15] = 'A' + i;
      if (filename[15] > 'B')
      {
          filename[16] = '4';
      }
      note_s[ i ] = al_load_sample( filename );
      if( note_s[ i ] == NULL )
      {
          fprintf(stderr, "al_load_sample %s failed\n", filename);
          goto error;
      }
 118
      /* Create our sample instances: */
      note_si[ i ] = al_create_sample_instance( note_s[ i ] );
      if( note_si[ i ] == NULL )
      {
          fprintf( stderr, "al_create_sample_instance %s failed\n", filename );
          goto error;
      }
      /* And attach them to the mixer: */
      al_attach_sample_instance_to_mixer( note_si[ i ], mixer );
  }
 129
  musicals = al_load_ttf_font("musicals.ttf", 72, 0);
  if (musicals == NULL)
  {
      fprintf(stderr, "al_load_ttf_font failed\n");
      goto error;
  }
  al_register_event_source(event_queue, al_get_display_event_source(display));
  al_register_event_source(event_queue, al_get_keyboard_event_source());
  black = al_map_rgb(0, 0, 0);
  white = al_map_rgb(255, 255, 255);
  al_init_timeout( &timeout, 0.06);
 141
  while (1)
  {
      int w = al_get_display_width(display);
      int h = al_get_display_height(display);
      ALLEGRO_EVENT ev;
      if (al_wait_for_event_until(event_queue, &ev, &timeout) )
      {
          switch (ev.type)
          {
          case ALLEGRO_EVENT_DISPLAY_CLOSE:
              goto clean;
              break;
          case ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_DOWN:
              if (ev.keyboard.keycode >= ALLEGRO_KEY_A && ev.keyboard.keycode <= ALLEGRO_KEY_G)
              {
                  i = ev.keyboard.keycode - ALLEGRO_KEY_A;
                  tmp[ i ] = abcdefg[ i ];
 159
                  play_note( note_si[ i ] );
              }
              else
              {
                  switch (ev.keyboard.keycode)
                  {
                  case ALLEGRO_KEY_ESCAPE:
                  case ALLEGRO_KEY_Q:
                      goto clean;
                  }
              }
              break;
          case ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_UP:
              if (ev.keyboard.keycode >= ALLEGRO_KEY_A && ev.keyboard.keycode <= ALLEGRO_KEY_G)
              {
                  i = ev.keyboard.keycode - ALLEGRO_KEY_A;
 176
                  tmp[ i ] = ' ' ;
                  /*
                  Uncomment to make the sample instance stop playing on
                  key up event. Does not sound good to me:
                  */
                  /*
                  al_set_sample_instance_playing( note_si[ i ], false );
                  */
              }
              break;
          }
      }
      al_clear_to_color(black);
 190
      say_center(w / 2.0, h / 2.0, "abcdefg ABCDEFG");
      say_center(w / 2.0, h / 2.0 + 100, tmp);
 193
      al_flip_display();
  }
 196clean:
  for ( i=0, l=notes_length; i<l; i++ )
  {
      if( note_si[ i ] )
          al_destroy_sample_instance( note_si[ i ] );
      if( note_s[ i ] )
          al_destroy_sample( note_s[ i ] );
  }
 204
  if (musicals) al_destroy_font(musicals);
 206
  if( mixer ) al_destroy_mixer( mixer );
  if( voice ) al_destroy_voice( voice );
 209
  if (event_queue) al_destroy_event_queue(event_queue);
  if (display) al_destroy_display(display);
  return status;
 213error:
  status = 1;
  goto clean;
 216}

bamccaig

Member #7,536

July 2006

Thanks. I think Edgar and I already accomplished that. What remains is for me to test whether it's the data files or the driver causing my issue. I haven't had time to do that yet.. So bump..

--
I mean the best with what I say. It doesn't always sound that way.

Niunio

Member #1,975

March 2002

Sorry for the late answer but:

Edgar Reynaldo said:

This is why nothing ever gets done. I hope somebody updated the docs for me...

You're right, but I'm Spanish and English is quite bad when I try to explain complex things (it really is); that's why I don do it.

Anyway I have to read again this thread carefully to see if I learn more.

-----------------
Current projects: Allegro.pas | MinGRo

Edgar Reynaldo

Major Reynaldo

May 2007

Bump so Eric can try out the piano program.

Eric Johnson

Member #14,841

January 2013

Thanks for the bump. It's a cool little piano program. I'm on Linux, so I had to run it in Wine. It's probably just a Wine issue, but it took about a second between the time I pressed a key and the time the sound began. I'll try it in Windows when I get the chance.

bamccaig

Member #7,536

July 2006

Eric, you could also just try building the program yourself in Linux. I would appreciate somebody else testing in Linux anyway to report their results.

--
I mean the best with what I say. It doesn't always sound that way.

Eric Johnson

Member #14,841

January 2013

Done. I built it from Piano.zip, but nothing happened when I pressed the keys. Then I tried Izual's edit and it worked. It works flawlessly without delay, so the audio issues were Wine's fault.

AramisL

Member #16,723

August 2017

Hi bamccaig, as Edgar mentioned, as my little doubt too, have you noticed that the keyboards have hardware limitations?

I mean, it depends on the builder of your keyboard HOW MANY buttons can be pressed at a time, it is called buffer keyboard and this is related with memory and bus in the hardware (and I dont know if OS too, that's why audio cards does exists, aren't they?)

my little grand of sand

bamccaig

Member #7,536

July 2006

I am using a DAS KEYBOARD so my keyboard should support N-key input. But yes, for other keyboards it could certainly be a limitation. As far as "tracker" goes, it's just an experiment to see what I can accomplish, and gain some experience with Allegro audio. And if something fun for me comes out of it even better. I'm already surprised with the little bit of attention it has gotten so perhaps a featureful program would even attract other attention.

--
I mean the best with what I say. It doesn't always sound that way.

Izual

Member #2,756

September 2002

@Eric: The delay in the sound is propably not Wines fault. The samples contain about a second of silence at the start.

This line in my edit: al_set_sample_instance_position( si, 32000 ); skips about a second of that silence and makes it sounds about right.

And one more thing. When you use al_set_sample_instance_playing( sample_instance, true ); more then once on one sample instance, it will not start playing the sample form the start. I will just keep playing.
To achieve the effect of playing the sample again you either stop the sample first or just set the sample position to desired location. Like in my bam's piano edit.

The sample instance position is reset to the start ( 0 ) when it is finished playing or when it is stopped.

Eric Johnson

Member #14,841

January 2013

Izual said:

@Eric: The delay in the sound is propably not Wines fault. The samples contain about a second of silence at the start.

Oh that's it then. I do know I've had audio issues with Wine in the past though.

GullRaDriel

Member #3,861

September 2003

Bump 8-)

"Code is like shit - it only smells if it is not yours"
Allegro Wiki, full of examples and articles !!

Michael Weiss

Member #223

April 2000

Just thought I'd add my two cents here.

I have used the old allegro 4 sound routine and have just ported to the new
allegro 5 ones.

I had no problems, except for a small misunderstanding when I tried to hook
two mixers up to a voice and only one would work. After troubleshooting and
RTFMing some more I found by design you are only supposed to connect one mixer
to a voice.

So now a have voice -> mixer -> two other mixers.

One of them I have connected to all my sound effects and the other one is
for the background music.

I personally do not think the api is overly complicated. I read the comments
from Edgar asking if anyone had any specific suggestions on how the api or
documentation could be improved, I thought about it, and it seems like
exactly what is needed to get the job done.

Just my two cents worth...