HP Vectra VL6 7 User manual

English
Online Guide
Date: 1997
Using
Sound
on
Your PC

How to use this online guide
2English
How to use this online guide
Click underlined red text to go to the topic indicated.
Underlined red text is text that is “linked” to another topic
in the guide.
Click the Go Back button in the toolbar to go back to your
previous place in the guide.
Click the Next Page button in the toolbar to go to the next
page in the guide.
Click the Previous Page button in the toolbar to go to the
previous page in the guide.
Click the First Page button in the toolbar to go to the
opening screen of the guide.
Click a bookmark name (to the left of the screen) to go to
the topic corresponding to that bookmark. Click the small
triangle to the left of the bookmark to hide or show
subordinate bookmarks.
Topic
Sound Board Connectors
CD Audio Connector
Sound Board Settings
Windows 3.11 System

Contents
English 3
How to use this online guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Using Sound on Your PC
Why Do I Need Sound? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Running the Audio Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Testing Your Audio Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
If You Are Running Windows NT 3.51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
If You Are Running Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
If You Are Running OS/2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
If You Are Running Windows 3.11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Solving Problems with Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Connecting Audio Devices to the Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Connecting a MIDI Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Setting Up and Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Upgrading to Wave Table Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Uninstalled Audio Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Sound Board Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
AUX In Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
CD Audio Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Internal Speaker Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Multimedia Control Panel Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Multimedia Control Panel Microphone Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Telephone Answering Device Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

4English
Sound Board Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Viewing the Software Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Windows 3.11 and MS-DOS System File Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Environment Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
CD-ROM Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Notice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Using Sound on Your PC
This guide tells you how to get the most out of your computer’s sound
system. It tells you what you can do with the audio programs, and how
to solve any problems.

Using Sound on Your PC
Why Do I Need Sound?
6English
Why Do I Need Sound?
Sound is an essential element in multimedia computing. But just what is
“multimedia computing”, and what can you do with it?
With the popular Sound Blaster compatible product in your PC, you can:
❒run training applications that use speech and music
❒use presentation software to create and run promotional or information displays
❒use multimedia applications, such as games and encyclopedias, that use sound
either on your PC or from the Internet

English 7
Using Sound on Your PC
Why Do I Need Sound?
Furthermore, using the standard audio software on your computer, you can:
❒record speech or music (as “wave files”) and embed these sounds in other
programs (this is useful for creating training programs)
❒play music CDs or MIDI files on your computer (MIDI files are a way of storing
music, especially music created by keyboard instruments)
❒record, play, and edit pieces of music or sound (stored as wave files)

Using Sound on Your PC
Running the Audio Programs
8English
Running the Audio Programs
Your HP Vectra PC has full audio capability. The sound board’s features can be used
by any other application that supports standard PC audio capability.
For example, you can add computer software for creating your own multimedia
business presentations and training programs, building in voice-over, graphics, and
audio enhancements.
So that you have complete control of the audio input to these applications, your
computer includes several audio software tools. Follow the appropriate section for
your own operating system, described next.
NOTE The output volume may initially be set to zero in the audio software. If you don’t hear
any sound, adjust the volume using the audio software.
Starting the Audio
Programs Under
Windows NT 3.51
1Open the Accessories group. You’ll see the following audio programs:
WARNING If using a headphone for testing your sound board, do not connect the headphone
to the SPK output. Refer to “Connecting Audio Devices to the Rear Panel” on page
16 for further details.
CD Player For playing music CDs. This program gives you the normal hi-fi display to show
number of tracks, elapsed playing time, and so on.
Media Player To play MIDI files, music CDs, or sound files. The MIDI player makes use of the
sound board’s built-in synthesizer.
Sound Recorder To record sounds from various sources as wave files.
Volume Control To control the input and output volumes of the other players and sound
recorder.

English 9
Using Sound on Your PC
Running the Audio Programs
Starting the Audio
Programs Under
Windows95 and
Windows NT4.0
1Click the Start button on the taskbar.
2Select Programs Accessories Multimedia.
You’ll see a selection of audio programs:
Starting the Audio
Programs Under
OS/2
1Open the Multimedia folder. You’ll see a CD player, a MIDI player, Digital Audio
for recording and playing sound files, and a volume control. For complete
information on using these modules, open the Multimedia book located in the
Information folder.
Starting the Audio
Programs Under
Windows 3.11
1With Windows running, open the Accessories program group by double-clicking
on its icon .
2Double-click on the Sound Recorder program icon to record, play, and edit wave
files, or on Media Player to play sound or MIDI files, audio CDs, or video clips.
CD Player For playing music CDs. This program gives you the normal hi-fi display to show
number of tracks, elapsed playing time, and so on.
Media Player To play either MIDI files or music CDs. The MIDI player makes use of the sound
board’s built-in synthesizer.
Sound Recorder To record sounds from various sources as wave files.
Volume Control To control the input and output volumes of the other players and sound
recorder.

Using Sound on Your PC
Testing Your Audio Setup
10 English
Testing Your Audio Setup
For Windows NT operating systems and Windows 95, set Mixer bars to mid range
before beginning tests.
If You Are Running Windows NT 3.51
Your system includes sample wave and MIDI files that you can play to check that
your audio system works.
1Open the Accessories group and start Media Player.
2Open the Device menu in Media Player and select either Sound to play a wave file
or MIDI Sequencer to play a MIDI file.
3In the Open window, locate and select a file, then click the Open button.
You can find the files used by the operating system in:
c:\Windows
4Select a file and click OK.
5Click the Media Player start button to play the sound.
6To adjust the volume of the sound, start the Volume Control program in the
Accessories group.
If You Are Running Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0
There are many sample wave and MIDI files on your computer which you can play to
check that your audio system works.
1Click the Start button on the taskbar.
2Select Programs Accessories Multimedia Media Player.
3Open the Device menu in Media Player and select either Sound to play a wave file
or MIDI Sequencer to play a MIDI file.
4In the Open window, locate and select a file, then click the Open button.
You can find the files used by the operating system in:
c:\Winnt\Media for Windows NT.
c:\Windows\Media for Windows 95.

English 11
Using Sound on Your PC
Testing Your Audio Setup
If not all the sounds are offered, you can install them in the Multimedia dialog
box as described on page 22.
5To play the file, click the Play button
6To adjust the volume of the sound, click the speaker symbol in the right
corner of the taskbar (or select Volume Control from the Media Player’s Device
menu) and adjust the volume. Or double-click the speaker symbol to display
separate mixer controls.
If you don’t hear anything, refer to “Solving Problems with Sound” on page 12.
If You Are Running OS/2
1Open the Multimedia folder and double-click on the Sound icon.
2Play one of the wave (*.wav) or MIDI (*.mid) files contained in the
c:\mmos2\sounds directory.
If You Are Running Windows 3.11
Your system includes sample wave and MIDI files that you can play to check that
your audio system works.
1Open the Accessories program group and start Media Player.
2From the File menu, select Open.
3Look for a wave file (*.wav) or MIDI music file (*.mid or *.rmi) in either the
c:\windows directory or in c:\MMP16VA\utility. Select the file and click OK.
4Click the Media Player start button to play the sound.
You can also run a program called DIAGNOSE to test the sound board settings and
play some sample wave files. To run the program:
1Exit from Windows or open an MS-DOS window.
2At the DOS prompt, type c:\MMP16VA\utility\diagnose.
If you receive an error message indicating that the ISA Configuration Manager
needs to be installed, this means that the MPU401 Midi or Audio are
configured Disabled. Refer to “Viewing the Software Settings Under Windows
3.11” on page 29 for information on how to change the settings.

Using Sound on Your PC
Solving Problems with Sound
12 English
Solving Problems with Sound
No sound when
running any
applications
If you can’t hear any sound at all, try playing one of the sample wave or MIDI files on
your system, as described in “Testing Your Audio Setup” on page 10. If you then
hear sound, the problem lies with the application you were running or with the file
you were originally trying to play. If the sample files also give no sound, check your
system connections for the following:
•Your headset or headphones must not be connected directly to the CD-ROM
drive, but to the LINE OUT and MIC sockets on the rear panel. (Refer to the
connection information on page 16.) If your headset has a volume control, make
sure it’s turned up to a suitable level.
•If you have unpowered speakers, they should be connected to the SPK socket on
the rear panel. Also ensure that the speakers are turned on.
•If you’re using an external amplifier or amplified speakers, make sure it’s
connected to the LINE OUT socket on the rear panel, and the volume set to mid
point or lower.
Next, check that the output volume is not set to zero:
•Windows NT 3.51 users: Start the Volume Control program in the Accessories
group.
•Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 users: Display the Volume Control window by
double-clicking the speaker symbol in the right corner of the taskbar (or
select Volume Control from within the application). Check the level both for the
overall Volume Control and for the particular device you are playing, for example
MIDI. Check also that the device has not been muted—the Mute checkbox should
be clear.
•OS/2: Start the volume control program in the Multimedia folder.
Absence of sound can also be caused by a hardware conflict. Hardware conflicts
occur when two or more peripheral devices compete for the same system resources.
Conflicts between your sound board and another peripheral device might be due to
the settings of the I/O addresses, IRQ line, or DMA channel. To resolve the conflict,
change the settings either of your sound board or of the other peripheral board in
your system. Refer to“Sound Board Settings” on page 27.

English 13
Using Sound on Your PC
Solving Problems with Sound
Check for the presence of two jumper blocks on the Multimedia Control Panel
Connector on the sound board—refer to page 25 for details.
The PC fails to boot
with the sound board
installed
Check that the board is correctly installed in the accessory slot. Turn off the power
and reinstall the board. Check that the selected I/O addresses, IRQs, and DMA
channels do not conflict with those used by other accessories in your PC. To check,
refer to “Viewing the Software Settings” on page 28.
The sound board does
not work properly
OS/2 users: Check if the Sound Blaster Pro device driver is installed. If it is, then
remove the following lines:
aC:\CONFIG.SYS file
Device=C:\MMOS2\SBP2D2.SYS 1 1 5 220 4 /N:SBAUD1$
Device=C:\MMOS2\AUDIOVDD.SYS SBAUD1&
bC:\MMOS2\MMPM2.INI file
[Drivers]
Waveaudio = IBMWAVESB01
Sequencer = IBMSEQSB01
Ampmix = IBMAMPMIXSB01
When the above lines have been removed, and the system rebooted, you can then
re-install the Sound Galaxy Sound Card Device Driver. To do this, follow the
instructions in the section “Installing the Sound Board Driver” in Installing Your
Multimedia Sound Kit guide.
ErrorMessage “Outof
environment space”
Windows 3.11 users: The environment space is used up. Add the statement SHELL=
C:COMMAND.COM /E:512 /P to the CONFIG.SYS file. /E defines a new size for the
environment space. You can choose a higher value if the environment size is already
512 bytes. (Usually, the next value is 1024 bytes.) For more information on the
above statement, refer to your MS-DOS manual.
The volume is too low The sound board has two output sockets, LINE OUT and SPK. LINE OUT is a low-
distortion output that cannot drive (without amplification) low-impedance devices
such as speakers. SPK can drive low-impedance devices but has slightly more
distortion. If you plug low-impedance devices into the LINE OUT socket, the volume
will be low.

Using Sound on Your PC
Solving Problems with Sound
14 English
WARNING You are reminded that it is highly recommended that you do not connect
headphones to the SPK socket.
Audio input from the
microphone is too
low, or no audio at all
Check that the microphone level is not set low in the volume control program. Check
that the microphone specifications meet the requirements of the 16-bit sound board.
Speaker volume
control does not work
Install if necessary, or, if there are already batteries installed try replacing them.
Distorted audio
output
Check that the master and source mixers (of the volume control program) are not
set to the maximum. These controls should be set to around 75% of their maximum
values.
MIDI files cannot be
played
Check the MIDI mapping:
•Under Windows NT 3.51, open the Control Panel in the Main program group, and
start MIDI Mapper. To direct all output through the computer’s sound board,
choose FM Synth.
•Under Windows NT 4.0, open the Control Panel and select Multimedia. Click the
MIDI tab and configure the MIDI output. To direct all output through the
computer’s sound board, click Single instrument and select FM Synth.
•Under Windows 95, open the Control Panel and select Multimedia. Click the MIDI
tab and configure the MIDI output. To direct all output through the computer’s
sound board, click Single instrument and select Internal OPL2/OPL3 FM
Synthesis.
•Under OS/2, open the Multimedia folder and double-click the Multimedia Setup
icon. Click the MIDI tab and, on the Options page, select the MIDI device type and
channels.
•Under Windows 3.11, open the Control Panel in the Main program group, and start
MIDI Mapper. To direct all output through the computer’s sound board, choose FM
Synth.

English 15
Using Sound on Your PC
Solving Problems with Sound
Humming noise If the power grounding of your audio components is inadequate, a humming noise
may be generated. This may happen if your PC is connected to a hi-fi system. Plug
all devices into adjacent power outlets (outlets within 5 cm / 2 inches of each other),
or use line filters.
The PC hangs while
recording
Uncompressed digital audio can eventually fill your hard disk. For example, one
minute of stereo sound recorded at a resolution of 44 kHz will occupy about 10.5 MB.
Before recording, check that there is enough free space on your hard disk.
Data compression can reduce the space required. The Windows Sound System
ADPCM mode reduces the space required by a factor of at least 2. More advanced
algorithms reduce these requirements by a factor of up to 10. The A-law and µ-law
hardware compression used by the sound board enables the sampling of sound at a
resolution of 16-bits, but it generates the same quantity of data as an 8-bit sample.
When recording sound with the Sound Recorder, for example, you can select the
compression mode to use.
While using a MIDI
instrument, there is
an echo, or the
keyboard notes sound
“heavy”, or you can
play only half the
notes
Many different symptoms, depending on how your MIDI keyboard instrument
behaves, can arise from your sequencer program accepting notes from your
keyboard and feeding them straight back to the keyboard synthesizer. The result is
that your keyboard synthesizer tries to play the same note twice, with unpredictable
results. There are two possible solutions:
•Either disable the MIDI Thru capability of your sequencer program (refer to the
program’s documentation);
•Or turn “Local Control Off” at your keyboard instrument. Refer to your keyboard’s
documentation on how to do this. Alternatively, simply turning on your keyboard
before starting your sequencer program may correct the problem.
The MIDI keyboard
makes no sound
If you have been playing your keyboard through a sequencer program on your
computer, it is possible that the sequencer has turned “Local Control Off” on your
keyboard. This avoids duplication of notes. Refer to your keyboard’s documentation
for instruction on how to turn Local Control On.

Using Sound on Your PC
Connecting Audio Devices to the Rear Panel
16 English
Connecting Audio Devices to the Rear Panel
You can connect external speakers, a microphone, or other audio devices to your
computer’s rear panel.
Do not connect headphones to the socket on the CD-ROM drive, as this lets you
hear output only from music CDs. Through the rear panel socket you will hear
sounds from training presentations, MIDI music files, any other audio software, and
music CDs too. To test your audio setup, refer to “Testing Your Audio Setup” on
page 10.
WARNING Before connecting the headphones or speakers, always turn the volume down to
avoid discomfort from unexpected noise or static. Listening to loud sounds for
prolonged periods of time may permanently damage your hearing. Before putting
on the headphones, place them around your neck and turn the volume down. When
you put on the headphones, slowly increase the volume until you find a
comfortable listening level. When you can hear comfortably and clearly, without
distortion, leave the volume control in that position.
Details of what each socket is for are given below.
LINE IN Connect devices such as a cassette, DAT, or Minidisc player for
playback and recording.
MIC Connect a microphone for voice input.
LINE OUT Bypass the sound board’s internal amplifier to connect powered
speakers, an external amplifier for audio output, or a recording
device (tape deck) or stereo headphones.
SPK Connect speakers for audio output from the board’s built-in power
amplifier; adjust the volume from within the software, or from the
multimedia control panel if this feature is on your computer.

English 17
Using Sound on Your PC
Connecting Audio Devices to the Rear Panel
WARNING The SPK socket is for a highly amplified output and is therefore not suitable for
connecting headphones.
•You can use the LINE OUT socket for headphones with limited power
output.
•You can use the LINE OUT socket with amplified speakers which have a
dedicated headphone socket for this purpose.
•If your computer has an HP multimedia control panel (situated at the
front of the computer), it is recommended that you use this dedicated
headphone output.
MIDI/GAME Connect a joystick (for game software) or MIDI instrument. The
MIDI port is disabled by default. You will have to enable this port if
you wish to use it with a MIDI.
There are also several internal connectors located on the sound board itself.
Information on these is given on page 23.

Using Sound on Your PC
Connecting a MIDI Keyboard
18 English
Connecting a MIDI Keyboard
By connecting a keyboard instrument to your computer, and running a sequencer
program on your computer to control your musical arrangements, you can create a
mini-recording studio.The keyboard instrument you use must have MIDI capability,
as most modern instruments do.
You store your arrangements in a MIDI file, which is like an orchestral score—it can
contain the sequence of notes for many different instruments, with information on
the pitch and duration of each note and the sort of instrument it should sound like.
Keyboard
Synthesizer
MIDI IN
MIDI OUT Rear
Panel
Sequencer
program
Track Name Loop Key Time Port Channel Patch Volume Size
1 Lead piano 1 0 0 2:External 1 Electric Piano ... 301
2 Harmony 1 0 0 1:SB16 2 Clarinet ... 295
3 Bass 2 15 2:External 3 Bass ... 175
4 Trombone 2 15 1:SB16 4 Trombone 85 260
5 Jug 2 15 1:SB16 5 Bottle blow ... 303
Each instrument is played
back on its own channel.
You can play back some
channels through your
sound board and some
through your keyboard
instrument.

English 19
Using Sound on Your PC
Connecting a MIDI Keyboard
Setting Up and Troubleshooting
Your keyboard, operating system settings, and sequencer program must all be set
up correctly so that you can record and play back music satisfactorily.
It’s difficult to give precise instructions here for setting up, as the steps depend on
your keyboard and on the music software you are running. For more specific
instructions, refer to the documentation that came with your keyboard and
software. Here are some general guidelines, however, that should help you get
started and solve some of the most common problems.
1Connect your keyboard instrument to the rear panel of your PC via a MIDI cable,
as shown on page 18.
2Direct your computer’s MIDI output to a playback device as follows:
Troubleshooting
Under Windows 95
and Windows NT 4.0
If you are running Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0:
aClick the Start button.
bSelect Settings Control Panel.
cDouble-click the Multimedia icon .
dIn the Multimedia Properties dialog box, click the MIDI tab.
•To play back all the channels through the same synthesizer, select Single
instrument.
❒If you are running Windows 95, select either Internal OPL2/OPL3 FM
Synthesis (to play back through the computer’s sound board) or HP
MPU-401 Device (to play back through your keyboard instrument).
❒If you are running Windows NT 4.0, select either FM Synth (to play back
through the computer’s sound board) or Midi Out (to play back through
your keyboard instrument).

Using Sound on Your PC
Connecting a MIDI Keyboard
20 English
If you have several MIDI instruments, select the particular instrument for
playback. (You can first set up each instrument with a distinct name by
clicking the Add New Instrument button and following the Wizard’s
instructions.)
•To divide the channels between synthesizers, select Custom configuration
and then click Configure. Then, select each channel in turn, click Change,
and select a synthesizer for that channel. By clicking Save as, you can save
your configuration with a particular name.
This configuration feature is often called a MIDI mapper, because it maps
the MIDI channels onto the synthesizers.
eClick OK to save your changes.
Troubleshooting
Under Windows 3.11
and Windows NT
3.51
If you are running Windows 3.11 or Windows NT 3.51:
aOpen the Control Panel from the Main program group.
bDouble-click the MIDI Mapper icon;
cIn the Name field, select either FM Synth to play back through the computer’s
sound board or MIDI Out to play back through your keyboard instrument. If
you want to divide the channels between the two, click New and specify an
output port for each channel.
NOTE The settings in your sequencer program (step 3) may override the settings in the
operating system (step 2).
3In your sequencer program, select all the potential MIDI devices you may use for
recording (input port) and playback (output port). Depending on your program,
these may be selectable through a Settings menu.
For example, select both FM Synth and MIDI Out if you intend to divide the
channels between the sound board and your keyboard instrument.