On Thu, 7 May 1998, Colin Wood wrote:

> beep [frequency [volume [duration]]]
> 
> where the arguments are optional but must occur in the above order (sorry,
> I'm too lazy to add real parsing).  The frequency should a MIDI note
> value, I think (I couldn't identify one if I had to).  If not, higher
> numbers (like 3000) are lower frequency, and vice-versa.  I guess
> that really makes it the period, not the frequency....  Volumes range 
> from 0 to 255; higher values should wrap.  The duration is technically in
> 60th's of a second.  The default values are those used in ite.c for the
> console bell:

	"Higher" frequency, lower pitch. Just like when you pluck a
string, then shorten the string by a half, the note will sound an octave
higher. Or, so said Pythagoras. And just the same, cutting the
frequency in half raises the pitch an octave. So, 880 Hz would be the A
above middle C, and 440 Hz would be the A an octave higher than the 880 A.

> 
> 	frequency	1880
> 	volume		100
> 	duration	10
> 
> Personally, I find these defaults not all that nice (the tone generated in
> this way doesn't sound like the current code's beep on my IIci).  I think
> that 470,100,5 sounds better.  So, for part of this survey, I'd like to
> know what y'all think makes a good set of values.  For the other (and
> probably more important) part of this survey, please let me know if this
> _does not_ work on your sound hardware.  I expect this to work on all
> Mac's except for the AV Quadras.  If it should happen to work on these
> machines, please let me know.  BTW, by "work", I mean that it should
> produce clear, recognizable tones when run.  It shouldn't cough or stutter
> unless you have a lot of interrupt activity (like a disk sync) going on.
> Please let me know if you don't hear nice sounds at least in the range of
> 1-3000 or so.

	Apple's "Simple Beep" is 880 == "A" above "middle C" I matched
"beep" up against the "Simple Beep" that comes with MacOS, and besides the
effects (the beep decays towards the end, whereas Colin's beep is a
constant on then off) I found 880, xxx (I used 110), 15 came close to the
sound of the Simple Beep. That is, if you LIKE the Simple Beep ;-)

	And, it works just fine on my Q630, with standard sound hardware.
I would try it with my speakers, but they're on my Q900 and I'm currently
too lazy to unplug them and move them across the room ;-)
	
	How difficult would it be to get 16-bit sound working? Wouldn't it
be nice to have your Mac boot into NetBSD and emit a lovely, stereo sound
"Welcome to MacBSD" at boottime? ;-) Seeing as Apple probably would be
upset if someone stole their startup chime... But, who thinks that once
sound is working decently it might be cool to experiment with a
NetBSD/mac68k "startup chime"? ;-)

	Good job Colin and SUNAGAWA!

	Ryan

	P.S. The Q630 is a "clicker" too, with the current sound code.

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HELO... my name is rewt... you have SIGKILLed my father... prepare to vi!