Learning ActionScript 3.0, 2nd Edition

Chapter 11. Sound

IN THIS CHAPTER

ActionScript Sound Architecture

Internal and External Sounds

Playing, Stopping, and Pausing Sounds

Buffering Sounds

Changing Sound Volume and Pan

Reading ID3 Metadata from MP3 Sounds

Visualizing Sound Data

Visualizing Microphone Input

Recording, Playing, and Saving Microphone Input

What’s Next?

As the ActionScript language has evolved, it’s interesting to see how far its sound capabilities have come. Although many audio and ActionScript experts alike will say that many issues still must be overcome before the Flash Platform truly conquers sound, few will deny that the current audio features far surpass anything available in ActionScript before.

As of Flash Player 9 you can control multiple discrete channels of audio, gain direct access to the bytes of data that make up the actual sound file, process that data in several ways, and visualize its content. Flash Player 10 adds the ability to extract data from audio files, generate sound from scratch, save audio files, record microphone input without a server, and more.

If you want to be inspired before beginning your journey into ActionScript sound control, visit http://www.audiotool.com and play with the incredibly impressive Audiotool. This amazing project replicates a feature-rich electronic music studio and allows you to pick from many sound synthesizers, process them through a host of effects, sequence them in a near infinite number of ways, and even save and share your compositions with others.

Make no mistake: ...