Windows 98 Installation & Configuration Handbook

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- 15 -

Installing Sound and MIDI Cards


by Rob Tidrow

Examining the Windows 98 Multimedia Environment

Microsoft markets Windows 98 as the premiere operating system for handling multimedia files and applications. Although this is probably an overstatement, Windows 98's multimedia support improves upon several multimedia features first introduced in Windows 95 and is a tremendous improvement over the way in which MS-DOS and Windows 3.1 ran multimedia applications.

Windows 98 includes the following multimedia features:

To take advantage of these capabilities, you need to make sure that your computer is equipped with the right multimedia hardware devices.

Purchasing a Multimedia System

Many of the personal computers you purchase at retail outlets and computer stores and through mail-order catalogs are fully equipped to handle much of your multimedia needs. You should look for a computer that passes the Multimedia Personal Computer (MPC 3) specification devised by the Multimedia PC Marketing Group. By following the MPC 3 specification, you can feel comfortable that your PC can run most multimedia applications and games available on the market.


See The MPC Home Page at http://www.spa.org/mpc/default.htm

If you want to run applications and files that include sound, video, and animation, you need the following to pass the MPC 3 specification:


NOTE: As an optional component for your multimedia computer, you also might want to invest in a joystick. This is true especially if you purchase games such as Flight Simulator. Two affordable yet advanced joysticks are the Microsoft SideWinder Pro 3D and Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro joysticks.

As technologies expand and new capabilities are added to applications and games, you might look to upgrade your system to meet the needs of the newer programs. One example of this is with the type of processor you purchase. Although MPC 3 specifies a Pentium 75, you should look for a system that has a Pentium 266 or higher to play back high-end MPEG video and 3D animations.

What to look for in sound cards for your PC is determined by your needs and your budget. In general, the better the sound quality you need, the higher the price of the sound card and speaker system. For situations in which you want to listen to simple sound events in education or general software titles, sound files you download from the Internet, or other situations in which sound quality is not a major concern, you usually can find sound systems that cost less than $100 to satisfy your needs. In many cases, when you purchase a new PC, it comes equipped with a low-end sound card and speakers. This type of system is ideal for most end users.

If you want high-quality sound cards and speakers, your investment will be higher. A typical sound card that is considered high quality is 16-bit, offers CD-quality audio (that is, it sounds like a CD you play back using an audio CD player), provides 3D wraparound sound, and supports Windows 98 Plug-and-Play features. It also has high-quality speakers, which usually are rated at 10 to 40 watts per channel and have separate volume, bass, and treble controls.

The following are some general points to consider when purchasing a sound system for Windows 98:

As you purchase a multimedia system, you also might want to look for devices that support Microsoft's DirectX technology, which is discussed in the following section.

Reviewing Windows 98's DirectX 5 Features

Microsoft's DirectX technology is an API that provides applications (such as games) with direct access to your computer's hardware. This enables the application to take advantage of hardware accelerators. If hardware accelerators are not available, DirectX can emulate hardware accelerators to provide a robust multimedia environment. Windows 95 was the first platform to support DirectX.


NOTE: Initially, DirectX was distributed as part of the Microsoft Games Software Development Kit (SDK) to programmers interested in designing advanced games and animation titles. With the release of DirectX version 2 in mid-1996, DirectX is was being distributed as its own SDK by Microsoft. Recently, Microsoft released DirectX 5.

The components of DirectX are described in the following list:

To take advantage of DirectX technologies, you need to purchase or acquire applications that support DirectX. One way to see whether you have DirectX components installed on your system is to search for these dynamic link libraries (DLLs) in your Windows\System folder: DVIDEO.DLL, DDRAW.DLL, and DSOUND.DLL.

Adding a Sound Card

If your PC comes equipped with a sound card that is functioning properly under Windows 95, the card should work under Windows 98. If you need to add a new sound card or replace the one currently installed, you'll need to install it using the Add New Hardware Wizard or let Windows auto-detect it if the card is Plug and Play compatible. To learn how to install a sound card, read Chapter 5, "Installing and Configuring New Hardware and Software."

Updating Sound Card Drivers

At times, you might need to update or change the device driver installed for your sound card. To do this, you can use the Device Manager.


NOTE: Windows 98 doesn't work with all the different sound cards on the market. If you have drivers that come from the component manufacturer, the Device Manager might not properly recognize the board.

To update a sound card driver, follow these steps:

1. Choose Start, Settings, Control Panel and double-click the System icon. The System Properties dialog box appears.

2.
Select the Device Manager tab.

3.
Click plus sign (+) next to Sound, Video, and Game Controllers.

4.
Double-click the sound card you want to modify. The Properties dialog box for the sound card appears.

5.
Select the Driver page, as shown in Figure 15.1.

FIG. 15.1 Use the Driver page to update sound card drivers.

6. Click Update Driver. The Update Device Driver Wizard appears, as shown in Figure 15.2. Work through this wizard as explained in Chapter 5, "Installing and Configuring New Hardware and Software."

FIG. 15.2 The Update Device Driver Wizard walks you through installing a new sound card driver.

Setting System Sounds

When using Windows, you might want to assign sounds to specific events. Or, you might want to use a predefined set of sounds that were placed on your system when you installed Windows 98. If you've made a personalized group of event sounds, you might want to save the configuration or delete an old set of sounds you don't use anymore. In the next few sections, you'll learn how to perform these tasks confidently.

Specifying Event Sounds

Windows knows when certain events occur while you use your computer. It knows when you open or close a program, for example. You can specify a sound to play when these events occur.

To begin configuring event sounds, do the following:

1. Choose Start, Settings, Control Panel.

2.
Double-click the Sounds icon. The Sounds Properties dialog box appears, containing the Sounds page, as shown in Figure 15.3. In the upper half of the screen, you see the list of events to which you can assign sounds. You can tell whether an event has a sound assigned to it, because it has a speaker icon to the left of the event name.

FIG. 15.3 The Sounds Properties dialog box enables you to assign sounds to an event.


NOTE: When you installed Windows, a default set of sounds and events was chosen for you.
3. Choose an event from the list--the Asterisk event, for example. You'll notice that several things happen, as shown in Figure 15.4. Working from left to right, the name of the sound (Chord, in this example) is placed in the Name drop-down list box, the Browse and Details buttons are enabled, the Preview window shows the sound's icon, and the Play button is enabled (it looks like the Play button on a VCR remote control).

4.
To listen to this sound, click the Play button. If you like the sound, play it again! Then, select other events in the list and listen to their assigned sounds until you find one you want to change.

5.
You can assign a WAV file to the selected event in three ways. First, you can click the down arrow at the end of the Name drop-down list box to display a list of available sounds. Scroll through the list and select one of the sounds. To preview what your current selection sounds like, click the Play button again.


NOTE: The sounds in the Name drop-down list reside in the WINDOWS\MEDIA folder.

FIG. 15.4 If you've selected an event with a sound, the controls in the middle of the window become enabled.

The second method requires using the Browse button to assign a sound. After you click the button, the Browse dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 15.5. The title of the dialog box matches the name of the event with which you're working. By default, browsing begins in the WINDOWS\MEDIA folder. If you find the name of a sound interesting, highlight it (don't double-click). If you double-click the name of the sound, it is assigned immediately to the event. Because you can't undo this change unless you cancel all the changes you've made so far, just select the name of the sound.

Notice the set of preview buttons at the bottom of the Browse dialog box. These buttons enable you to preview the sounds while you browse. After you highlight the sound you want to use, click OK. The name of the sound is placed in the Name drop-down list box of the Sounds Properties dialog box.

FIG. 15.5 You can preview a sound in the Browse dialog box by clicking the preview buttons at the bottom of the window.

The third method is to type the exact location and file name of the sound in the Name drop-down list box.

6.
Sometimes, sounds have extra information that provides useful details. If you like a particular set of sounds and want more, these details sometimes contain the name and address of who to contact to obtain similarly styled sounds. You can view these details for the current sound by clicking Details.

Figure 15.6 shows the copyright, media-length, and audio-format data in the Properties dialog box. If more detailed information is available, the Other Information group box becomes visible at the bottom of the dialog box. Select an item in the lefthand box to display its details in the right-hand box. Click OK to close the sound file's Properties dialog box.

FIG. 15.6 You can view the copyright, media length, audio format, and other details of a sound file.

7. To immediately apply the change you made to the event, click Apply in the Sounds Properties dialog box.


NOTE: You can repeat the preceding steps to change other events' sounds without clicking Apply between each change. Windows temporarily remembers all your changes until you're ready to save them.
8. If you decide you like the new combination of sounds, click OK to save them and close the Sounds Control Panel. If you aren't sure what changes you've made or don't like what you created, click Cancel to restore the event sounds to the state they were in the last time you clicked Apply.

When you install other programs, more events are listed as those programs make their events known to Windows, giving you an even more personalized audio environment.

Selecting Sound Schemes

Sometimes, setting individual sounds for each Windows event can take more time than you have to spend. Or, you might have taken the time to carefully craft a set of event sounds you want to preserve for special occasions or holidays. But right now, you don't want sounds for a national holiday every day of the year. With Windows 98, you can pick a predefined sound scheme. You also can find schemes from various online sources.

To begin working with sound schemes, follow these steps:

1. Open the Sounds Properties dialog box. Here, you can use the Schemes drop-down list box to select, save, and delete sound schemes.

2.
Open the Schemes drop-down list.

3.
Pick an intriguing, favorite, or personal scheme name.


NOTE: If a dialog box pops up asking whether you want to save the previous scheme, you should choose Yes to save your current sound scheme, No to not save your scheme, or Cancel to stop selecting a new sound scheme. If you choose Yes, name the scheme so that it can appear in the Schemes drop-down list box.
4. Click OK in the Sound Properties dialog box.

Saving Sound Schemes

If you created your own set of event sound settings or modified an existing one, you should save it for future use. You can do this by following these steps:

1. Display the Sounds Properties dialog box and click Save As in the Schemes group box. The Save Scheme As dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 15.7.

FIG. 15.7 The Save Scheme As dialog box enables you to name your group of event sounds.

2. Enter a name for the scheme of event sounds defined in the Sound Properties Events list. If you use the same name as an existing scheme, a dialog box appears, asking you to confirm your decision to replace the existing scheme.


TIP: You cannot use the name Windows Default for a new sound scheme. This name is reserved for the default scheme installed under Windows.

After you complete these steps, you can click OK to close the Sound Properties dialog box.

Deleting a Sound Scheme

If you want to delete a configuration of event sounds, you can do so by following these steps:

1. Display the Sounds Properties dialog box and locate the scheme you want to remove by opening the Schemes drop-down list box.

2.
Click Delete in the Schemes group box. A confirmation box appears, asking you to confirm your decision to replace the existing scheme.


NOTE: Deleting the scheme does not delete the actual WAV file; it just deletes the connection between the event and the sound it plays.

After you complete these steps, you can click OK to close the Sound Properties dialog box.

Using Desktop Themes

One of the optional components you can install under Windows 98 is the Desktop Themes component. Desktop Themes is a set of pointers, sound events, wallpaper, and other items you can use to dress up Windows. To use Desktop Themes, you need to run the Add/Remove Programs applet and install the Desktop Themes components. You then double-click the Desktop Themes icon in the Control Panel to display the Desktop Themes window, as shown in Figure 15.8.

FIG. 15.8 Use Desktop Themes to add additional sound events to Windows.

In the Desktop Themes window, select a theme from the Theme drop-down list box. Next, click Pointers, Sounds, and so on... to display the Preview window for the theme you choose. Select the Sounds tab to preview the sound associated with a Windows event. Select the event and click the Play button next to the icon at the bottom of the tab. Click OK.

If you don't want to use the sound events for this theme, deselect the Sound Events check box in the Settings area of the Desktop Themes window.

Click OK to set up the desktop theme of your choice. You then can return to the Sounds Properties dialog box to preview or change a system event setting, as you learned in "Specifying Event Sounds," earlier in this chapter.

To remove the theme, open the Desktop Themes window and select Windows Default or another theme from the Theme drop-down list box. Click OK.

Setting Audio Volume Levels

While using your computer, you might notice that your volume is too loud or too soft. Your CD-ROM drive, sound card, and MIDI instrument (usually part of your sound card) are all sources of the sounds and music. It's not unlikely that one of them is much louder or softer than the rest. In the next two sections, you'll look at adjusting the master volume for Windows audio and adjusting each sound source's volume.

Controlling Volume with the Taskbar Volume Control

If you need to adjust the overall volume of sound coming out of your computer, use the taskbar speaker icon for quick and easy volume changes.

If the yellow sound icon does not appear on your taskbar, use the following steps to enable the taskbar speaker icon:

1. Choose Start, Settings, Control Panel.

2.
Double-click the Multimedia icon. The Multimedia Properties dialog box appears with the Audio page selected by default, as shown in Figure 15.9. Place a check mark in the Show Volume Control on the Taskbar check box. Selecting this option displays the volume control icon in the taskbar.

FIG. 15.9 The Multimedia Properties dialog box enables you to turn on the taskbar volume control.

3. Click OK to save the new setting and close the Multimedia Properties dialog box.


TROUBLESHOOTING: I can't seem to find the Multimedia Control Panel or the Audio page in the Multimedia Properties dialog box. What's wrong? Either you don't have a sound card installed in your computer, or Windows 98 did not recognize it. Read Chapter 5, "Installing and Configuring New Hardware and Software," for instructions on setting up your sound card in Windows 98.

Now that the speaker icon is visible, you'll be able to learn how to adjust the volume or quickly mute the audio level.

To adjust or mute the master volume, use these steps:

1. Click the speaker icon. The Volume Control Panel appears with a vertical slider, as shown in Figure 15.10.

FIG. 15.10 The taskbar's Volume Control Panel appears after you click the taskbar speaker icon.

2. Drag the slider up or down to adjust the master volume accordingly. If you need to mute the volume, enable the Mute check box to instantly mute every source of audio on your computer.


NOTE: If you mute the volume, notice how the speaker icon changes to a speaker icon covered by a red circle with a line through it.
3. To close the Volume Control Panel, click anywhere else on the desktop except on the Volume panel.


TROUBLESHOOTING: I try to play video with sound, and it isn't synchronized. What's wrong? You might have a computer that isn't fast enough. You can try to improve performance and add RAM, but if you have an older, slower processor and a relatively slow hard drive, you might need to think about upgrading to a new PC with fast video capabilities built in. Many new PC lines are including MPEG boards to enhance the playback of digital video and audio.

Controlling Volume with the Volume Control Dialog Box

While using Windows 98, you might have noticed that one source of sound is louder or softer than the rest. Or, a particular sound source might not be producing any sound. In this section, you'll learn how to access individual sound source volumes and adjust them by following these steps:

1. Verify that the yellow taskbar speaker icon is visible. If it isn't, see the preceding section, "Controlling Volume with the Taskbar Volume Control."

2.
Double-click the speaker icon. The Volume Control dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 15.11. Your Volume Control dialog box might have different controls and features, depending on the capabilities of your sound card. Also, different controls appear, depending on the mixer properties you have selected.

FIG. 15.11 The Volume Control dialog box gives you access to each sound source.

3. Choose Op_tions, Properties to change which mixer properties are displayed. The Properties dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 15.12. In this dialog box, you select the device you want to adjust, such as your sound card or other audio device, from the Mixer Device drop-down list box.

FIG. 15.12 The Properties dialog box enables you to change which controls appear on the Volume Control dialog box.

4. In the Adjust Volume For area, select the type of sound you want to control, including Playback, Recording, and Other. Other includes sound card-specific controls, such as Voice Commands.

5.
Select the controls for the type of sound in the Show the Following Volume Controls list box. These controls differ, depending on the type of sound you chose in step 4.

6.
Click OK to save your settings. You return to the Volume Control dialog box.

7.
On the Volume Control dialog box, the leftmost slider and Mute All check box is the same as the Volume Control Panel that is displayed after you single-click the speaker icon in the taskbar. To the right of this slider, each column is a control dedicated to each sound source. Each column has Balance and Volume sliders and Mute check boxes. If your sound card supports stereo audio, a left-right balance slider appears above each vertical slider that supports stereo. By causing selected pairs of sound sources to play long segments of sound, you can adjust the vertical sliders correspondingly.

8.
After you make your adjustments, choose Op_tions, Exit to close the Volume Control dialog box and save your settings.

Changing Audio Device Settings

At times, you might need to change the configuration settings assigned to a multimedia device, such as if you want to shut off an audio device. You can change such device settings via the Multimedia Control Panel. Follow these steps to change settings on your sound card:

1. Choose Start, Settings, Control Panel, and double-click the Multimedia icon. The Multimedia Properties dialog box appears.

2.
Select the Devices page, as shown in Figure 15.13.

FIG. 15.13 You can change multimedia device settings by selecting the component from the Multimedia Devices list.

3. Click the plus sign next to the Audio Devices item.

4.
Select the device you want from the resulting list and click Properties. The General page of your sound card's Properties dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 15.14. Set the following options:

5. Click OK twice.

FIG. 15.14 You can modify device settings for your sound card by using the General page.

Changing Audio Playback Settings

You can change the playback settings of your sound card by setting advanced properties for it. These properties include selecting the preferred speaker setup for your computer and setting performance controls.

To make these changes, use the following steps:

1. Choose Start, Settings, Control Panel, and double-click the Multimedia icon. The Multimedia Properties dialog box appears.

2.
Select the Audio page.

3.
In the Playback area, click Advanced Properties. The Advanced Audio Properties dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 15.15.

FIG. 15.15 Use the Advanced Audio Properties dialog box to change speaker and performance settings.

4. From the Speaker Setup drop-down list box, select the speaker or headphone setup that most closely matches yours. If your speakers are part of a laptop PC, for example, select Laptop Mono Speakers or Laptop Stereo Speakers.

5.
Select the Performance page, as shown in Figure 15.16.

FIG. 15.16 Use the Performance page to configure how Windows will play audio through your sound card.

6. Set the following playback performance settings:

7. Click OK.

Changing Sound Quality When Recording

You can change the sound quality of your recording reproduction depending on your needs. A presentation probably will require a better quality sound reproduction than something like a short voice file you would attach to an in-house email message to distribute to coworkers. To change the recording sound quality, do the following:

1. Choose Start, Settings, Control Panel, and double-click the Multimedia icon. The Multimedia Properties dialog box appears.

2.
In the Recording area of the Audio page, click Advanced Properties. The Advanced Audio Properties dialog box appears.

3.
Set the following recording performance settings:

4. Click OK twice.


TIP: The higher the quality of the sound file you record, the more disk space is required. If you have limited disk storage space, don't select the highest recording quality unless you really need it.


TROUBLESHOOTING: I hear hissing during the playback of a sound file. What's happening? The file might be recording in 8 bits and playing back in 16 bits. The 16-bit board doesn't realize that the 8-bit file isn't the same high quality as a 16-bit file, so playing the file with expectations of higher sound quality emphasizes the lower detail.

Installing and Configuring MIDI Cards in Windows 98

Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) sound allows your computer to create complex-sounding music without using large amounts of memory like WAV files do. MIDI stores the instructions to play the sounds, not the actual sounds themselves. Very often, computer games require a MIDI-compatible sound card. In order to enjoy the games to their fullest, you need to ensure that your MIDI sounds are configured correctly.

The MIDI card acts as a connection between the MIDI controller, such as a keyboard or guitar, and your PC. Also in that equation is a synthesizer, which actually generates the MIDI sounds. The MIDI can be part of a sound card, which is how most users will come to know about MIDI, or a separate interface card. Either way, without a MIDI, you can make use of an external controller for your MIDI recordings. If you have a sound board with a MIDI in the form of the MIDI/joystick port, you won't need a separate MIDI card.

Windows 98 greatly reduces the complexity of configuring MIDI sounds via the Multimedia Control Panel applet.


NOTE: This section and the following ones discuss the MPU-401 interface protocol. It is actually the MIDI "language" originally invented by Roland and now is virtually the de facto standard when it comes to MIDI use on the PC.

After you insert your new MIDI card and before you can configure it to use with Windows 98, you have to install it. Chapter 5 covers adding a new device to your computer.

Adding a MIDI Instrument

If you have a MIDI device that Windows 98 doesn't know about yet, you need to add its configuration and capabilities to the list of known MIDI instruments. Before you proceed, you need the instrument definition file (*.IDF) from the hardware manufacturer containing the definition of the device. For some MIDI cards, Windows installs an IDF file(s) when you install the card itself. Follow these steps:

1. Plug the instrument you plan to use with your MIDI card into a MIDI port.

2.
Choose Start, Settings, Control Panel, and double-click the Multimedia icon. The Multimedia Properties dialog box appears.

3.
Select the MIDI page, as shown in Figure 15.17.

FIG. 15.17 The MIDI page of the Multimedia Properties dialog box provides control over MIDI output and MIDI instruments.

4. Click Add New Instrument. The MIDI Instrument Installation Wizard opens, as shown in Figure 15.18.

FIG. 15.18 The MIDI Instrument Installation Wizard guides you through setting up a new MIDI instrument.

5. Select the MIDI port to which the new instrument is attached.

6.
Click Next. Select the type of MIDI instrument you're installing. If the type is not listed in the Instrument Definitions list, click Browse to locate an IDF on a disk.

7.
Click Next. Enter a name for the instrument. This name will appear below the MIDI port name on the MIDI page of the Multimedia Properties dialog box. A default name is supplied, but you might want to change it to help you identify the device.


TIP: A good way to identify your new instrument is by its make and model instead of its location. Instruments tend to be moved a lot, but the make and model don't change unless you upgrade your equipment.
8. Click Finish. This adds the new instrument to the MIDI Properties dialog box.

Selecting the MIDI Output Destination

After you define your instrument(s), you need to identify where the MIDI data should go. If you have only one instrument or an internal sound card that can receive MIDI data, follow these steps:

1. Open the Multimedia Properties dialog box and select the MIDI page.

2.
Select Single Instrument.


NOTE: The Custom Configure option is better left unselected unless you are a professional musician with MIDI experience. Adjusting MIDI channels to various MIDI-in and MIDI-out ports takes careful planning for all MIDI instruments involved. If you are experienced with MIDI, the MIDI Configuration dialog box is easier for you to use than almost any other computer MIDI interface.
3. Click OK to save your choice and close the Multimedia Properties dialog box.

Adjusting MIDI Card Volume Settings

Having installed your new MIDI card, you now can adjust its sound. You can adjust your MIDI card volume level via the Audio page in the Multimedia Properties dialog box. To adjust the playback and recording volume level, do the following:

1. Open the Multimedia Properties dialog box; the Audio page should be selected by default.

2.
Click the Volume Control button next to the Preferred Device drop-down list. The Volume Control dialog box appears.

3.
Adjust the slider control in the MIDI column of the Volume Control dialog box to your desired level.


TROUBLESHOOTING: I can't get MIDI files to play back properly. What can I do? This may happen for a number of reasons. To start with, check the card's resource settings, such as IRQ settings, to make sure they are configured correctly for your specific MIDI board. Then make sure the MIDI board is correctly identified in Device Manager.

Moving a MIDI Instrument to Another Board

You can move MIDI instruments between boards. You might want to do this, for example, if you have a choice of sound boards to output your MIDI playback.

To move an instrument between boards, follow these steps:

1. Open the Multimedia Properties dialog box and select the Devices page.

2.
Click the plus sign next to MIDI Devices and Instruments.

3.
From the ensuing list, click the plus sign next to the board to which your MIDI instrument is connected. See Figure 15.19.

FIG. 15.19 You use the Device page in Multimedia Properties to specify the MIDI instrument you want to move.

4. Click the instrument you want to move, and click Properties. The Properties dialog box for the selected MIDI instrument appears.

5.
From the MIDI instrument Properties dialog box, select the Details page, as shown in Figure 15.20.

FIG. 15.20 Using the External MIDI Instrument Properties dialog.

6. From the MIDI Port drop-down list, choose the name of the board to which you want to connect the instrument. If there are no other port choices in the MIDI Port drop-down list, you have only one board set up to which you can connect your instrument.

7.
Click OK to save your setting.

8.
You return to the Advanced page in Multimedia Properties; click OK.

9.
Plug your MIDI instrument into the new board you specify in step 6.

Removing a MIDI Instrument

If you no longer use a MIDI instrument, you can remove it from the MIDI page. To this, use the following steps:

1. Open the Multimedia Properties dialog box and select the Devices page.

2.
Click the plus sign next to MIDI Devices and Instruments.

3.
From the ensuing list, click the plus sign next to the board to which your MIDI instrument is connected.

4.
Click the instrument you want to delete, and click Properties. The Properties dialog box for the selected MIDI instrument appears.

5.
From the MIDI Instrument Properties dialog box, select the General page, as shown in Figure 15.21.

6.
Click Remove. The instrument is deleted and the Details page returns.

7.
Click OK.

FIG. 15.21 You can remove an instrument by using the General page.


TROUBLESHOOTING: There is hissing and distortion when I play MIDI files. How can I get rid of it? Interference might be coming from the power source or another card installed in your computer. Turn off your PC and move the MIDI board as far away from the power supply and other boards as possible. If you can, leave a few empty expansion slots between the MIDI board and the next card.


TROUBLESHOOTING: I've tried everything and still can't hear anything from my sound card. Could there be a problem with my speakers? How would I know? You can look at some of the following things to check on your speakers to get them to work with your sound card:



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