
Messer v-0.95 (June 2000)

See copyright at the end of the document!

Thank you for trying Messer (Memo Session Sound Recorder) 
- application for scheduled sound recording using your PC.

0. Instalation
1. General usage and program overview
   - Manual recording 
   - Scheduled recording
   - Previewing recorded files
2. Using session manager (scheduler)
3. Scheduler context menu
4. Recording monitor and options during the recording
5. Options and configuration
6. Runtime errors
7. Future plans 
8. Authors, copyrights, etc.
9. Whats new ?

Any comment and questions should be sent to:
Darek Sieradzki <dsier@pmp.com.pl>; http://www.dago.pmp.com.pl/

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0. Installation.

Uninstall previously installed version (run uninst???.exe form Messer's
directory), then run messer-v04-setup.exe. 

Optionally[*] download lame_enc.dll and bladeenc.dll (see links at 
http://www.dago.pmp.com.pl/messer/) and put them into windows/system 
directory or into directory in which messer.exe is installed.

[*] you'll need at least one to use built in mp3 compresion support
and on-the-fly encoding (for on-the-fly encoding lame_enc.dll is 
recommended, since it is much faster).

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1. General usage.

Program combines simple sound recorder with scheduler, thus allows you
to start and end your recording at specified time. A few extensions
were added to allow process recorded file with external application 
and/or shut down computer after recording (and processing) is done.

Program can run in two modes (described below in details):
- manual, when scheduler isn't running, and application works as 
  normal, simple sound recording software
- automatic, with scheduler enabled, when application looks forward for
  scheduled jobs ("sessions") and automatically starts/stops recording.

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1.1.  Manual recording

When one disables scheduler (by clicking clock icon on application bar 
- it becomes grayed when mouse pointer isn't over it) button "Record" 
on "Recording monitor" folder (and in menu available by right-clicking 
on application recording indicator) becomes enabled. Simply press this 
button to record sound. 

When "Default wave files location" in option is left blank you'll be 
prompted for location and name, otherwise recording starts immediately 
(for description how filename and sound properties are chosen when 
recording manually see point 4.).

Recording can be paused (then resumed) and stopped at any moment. No 
further processing is done on wave file.

Sound properities (channels, sampling rate and size and compression) 
for manual sessions is set under "Configuration" folder)

Note: mp3 encoding is really cpu-eating operation, so your computer 
must be fast to be able to do this and produce mp3 file on-the-fly 
without gaps. Try using lame_enc.dll rather than bladeenc.dll, since 
Lame is much faster. You may also try disable recording monitor during
on-the-fly encoding.

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1.2.  Scheduled recording.

When scheduler is enabled it waits for nearest session start and then
recording automatically begins.  If program fails to open file in given 
location it tries to open file in "default wave files location" (see 
options and configuration).

Scheduled recording can be paused or stopped as manual recording, by 
pressing proper buttons. Otherwise it is stopped automatically at 
planned moment. 

After recording is done Messer can  do the following actions (if 
enabled and planned in scheduler):

- normalize recorded wavefile (eg maximize peak level value)
- process just recorded wave/mp3 file with external application (or 
  just in fact run any program user tell him to run) and then keep or 
  delete wave/mp3 file. This can be used for example to automatically
  compress sound with mp3 codec or other method to save your disk 
  space. 
- encode recorded wave in mp3 format using freeware BladeEnc.dll or 
  Lame_Enc.dll encoding library. 
- Shut down the computer. 

NOTES:
- normalizing, post-recording command and shutdown are NOT performed 
  if you stop scheduled session manually.
- If "delete wave file after session" is checked it IS performed even 
  if your post-command fails (so, be careful - you may loose your 
  recording)

If no shutdown is planned application simply waits for next scheduled 
session.

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1.3.  Previewing recorded files

Double-click choosen session in scheduler list to start playing 
wavefile if avialable, or right click chosen session and select "play"
from context menu. Double click again (or unselect "play") to stop.
[Note: previewing works only with PCM wave files]

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2.  Using session manager (scheduler)

To add session:
- Click "Session manager" folder (available when Messer is not 
  recording)
- Enter session parameters (day and time session starts, day and time 
  session end, filename where recorded sound should be stored)
- Check option "shutdown computer after session" if you want your 
  computer to be shutdown when recording is done.
- Click "more" to set other  options (if you need to)
- if file should be normalized after recording check option "Normalize"
  and enter level of your choice (from -90 to 0 dB) [this option is
  avialable only if destination is a PCM wave file]
- If file should be processed after recording enter "post-command".  
  NOTE: Every % (percent) in your command will be replaced with 
  name of the recorded file, without extension. 
- File can be also processed with supported free bladeenc.dll or 
  lame_enc.dll mp3 encoding  library (simply click [mp3] button near 
  post-command entry and choose needed bitrate) [this option is 
  avialable only if destination is a PCM wave file]
- Check option "delete destination file after command" (if needed)
- Choose properties (number of channels, sample size and rate) of sound 
- If destination is an mp3 file - choose compresion
- If you want to go back to main options click "back"
- Click "Add" - your parameters will be checked and (if no errors 
  occurs) added to scheduler. If any error occurs a popup window with 
  description will show up and session won't be added.

To update session:
- Click session you want to update in scheduler window
- Edit session parameters (as described in "add session")
- Click "update"

To delete session:
- Click session you want to delete in scheduler window
- Click "delete" (or press delete key) and confirm deletion in popup 
  window that shows up.

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3.  Scheduler context menu

Right click selected session in scheduler list to pop up context menu 
with following options:

- delete session  
  allowing you to delete session from scheduler

- start this session now  
  allowing to adjust session start time that reording immedietely 
  begins. This option is enabled only for nearest avialable session, 
  and last unfinished session.

- toggle shutdown
  allowing to change (yes <-> no) shutdown option for session

- toggle delete 
  as above for delete option

The followin options are avialable only if session's destination file 
exists:

- play 
  plays the wavefile (for other formats - opens file in external 
  player configured in system)

- maximize peak 
  normalizes wavefile peak level to 0 dB

- mp3 encode 
  encodes wavefile to mp3 compressed format, using BladeEnc.dll or 
  Lame_enc.dll library

- run command 
  runs any command on recorded wavefile (this submenu consists of all
  commands used previously in post-recording option)

- delete file 
  removes file from disk (note: file IS NOT moved to Trash, but 
  immedietely removed)

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4.  Recording monitor and options during the recording

A few controls allows you to monitor recording level (during and before 
recording), recorded file length and time left to session end. 

Recording level monitor can be disabled/enabled by (un)checking 
checkbox on "Recording monitor" folder. 
In "Options" menu you can disable post-commands(*), computer shutdown 
or  even tell application to ignore session end. If so, such events 
won't  be executed even if they were planned in scheduler.

Messer has also a little built in sound mixer, allowing you to adjust 
recording level. It's really primitive - has only one slider (a white 
dot on recording level display) which is connected with choosen 
playback or record source. Click right mouse button on slider ("white 
dot") and choose which source do you want to adjust, then drag slider 
to change level. Mixer doesn't support muting, changing sources, 
balance, equalization etc. 

A thin indicator below (over "total recorded" caption) shows current
CPU in percent (this can be useful while compressing cound on-the-fly; 
if CPU usage is 100% most of the time, and is not consumed by other 
applications then your PC is probably too slow for selected 
compression)

(*) note that this also disables normalizing and deleting 

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5.  Options and configuration

Choose "Options and configuration"  folder and follow detailed 
instructions there.

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6. Runtime errors

Application tries to catch all of the errors during recording. If an 
error occurs the error icon shows up on "Recording monitor" folder - 
move mouse over it to see error description, double click to hide it. 

If log file is enabled (see point 4) errors are also stored there.

System errors (exceptions) are also displayed that way, but not stored 
in logfile.

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7. Future plans

In fact Messer is already doing his job, so I don't think any changes 
are necessery. But if I find enought time maybe I'll try: 

- write a serious help file
- add support for ACM
- improve built-in sound mixer 
- improve normalization (allowing to set not only peak value, but 
  loudness too)
- improve scheduler (allowing everyday sessions etc.) 
- "localize" application

And, of course I'm opened for any suggestions from users :-) 

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8. Authors, copyrights, etc.

Messer - application for scheduled sound recording on PC  2000 by 
Dariusz Sieradzki 
The software (Messer) is provided "as is". In no event shall the 
author, be liable for any consequential, special, incidental or 
indirect damages of any kind arising out of the delivery, performance 
or use of this software. 

Program was written by Darek Sieradzki . All elements (program and 
documentation) are owned by program's author. 

Messer is a postcardware. You can download and use it, without any fee. 
If you like it and going to use it frequently - simply take a nice 
postcard, adress it to: 

Dariusz Sieradzki
ul. Motorowa 2 m. 8
04-035 Warszawa
Poland.

stick a stamp and send :-) That's all what is required to obtain "full 
licence" :-) 

If you'd like to include it in your shareware cd-rom or as add-on to 
some  commercial product - contact me first at <dsier@pmp.com.pl>. 

BladeEnc.dll is copyrighted to Tord Jansson <tord.jansson@swipnet.se>. 
For more information (and latest updates) check www page at 
http://bladeenc.mp3.no/ 

Lame_Enc.dll is provided under LGPL licence. For source code, latest
updates and more information see http://www.sulaco.org/mp3/
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9. What's new ?

v 0.95 (June 2000) :

* full LameEnc options support (including VBR encoding) 
  (memset(&beConfig,0,sizeof(BE_CONFIG)) before setting parameters
  seems to fix the problem :-))
* sound level meter working more "smoothly"
* fixed bug in on-the-fly mp3 compression using BladeEnc 
* total time estimation added to progress popup
* id3 tag added for built in mp3 compression
* external files dropped from explorer on Messer's window can be 
  processed using supported mp3 compression libraries, or by any 
  other "post-command" style command 
* tiny interface fixes/improovements as usual

v 0.94 (May 2000):

* support for Lame_Enc.dll mp3 compression (limited for now, because of
  some software problems)
* on-the-fly mp3 compression, allowing user to store recorded sound 
  directly into mp3 file (without any temporary wav files)
* CPU load meter (allows to watch cpu usage while recording, 
  useful expecially during cpu-consuming on-the-fly mp3 encoding.
* switching Messer from normal to high priority when recording
* nasty bug in scheduler fixed (were causing some memory faults which 
  may cause running session never stop)
* other tiny changes/improovements

v 0.93 (April/May 2000): first version avialable on-line.

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