 ___________
 MP3PM v0.60
 ===========

Author:  Dean Lamper, (c) 1998


 _________________________
 Introduction / Disclaimer
 =========================

Mp3pM is a PM shell for producing MP3 files. These files provide sound at
CD quality and require MUCH less space (at 128 kbps it is normal to get
12-times smaller mp3 file than the input wav file).

Mp3pM currently supports L3enc for OS/2 from Fraunhofer, NewTerra encode
from NewTerra, ToMPG v3.0 (converted with Win32-OS2) from Xing and
BladeEncoder v0.60 for encoding. To better understand Mp3pM read the
manual for each encoder.

Encoders are availabe from hobbes archive, etc.. and also from me if
you cannot find them anywhere else.

Mp3pM is still under development. This is public beta release so expect
unexpected. I can not and do not guarantee anything will work or that it
will not blow up your system.

Please let me know what you think of my work. Are you happy with planned
supported encoders? Know some other? The future of this program depends
on your feedback. Any mail is very welcomed.


I can be contacted via e-mail:
   dean.lamper@kiss.uni-lj.si

The latest version is usually available on my homepage:
   http://www.kiss.uni-lj.si/~k4fe0470

There is also a FAQ available at my homepage with FGA about Mp3pM.
Check there to see if your question has already been answered. If you
think it was not then feel free to e-mail me.

 ____________
 Installation
 ============

Make a directory for Mp3pM and unzip the files in there. You can
run the install.cmd to create a desktop objects for Mp3pM or just
run the exe file.

If you want to do anything usefull with this program you need at
least one supported encoder and Leech to grab CD-tracks.

When you first run the program, you will be presented with the
settings window. Take a walk through all pages and set everything
as you desire.

The Temp path is where tracks from CD will be kept. You should have
a lot of free space there, if you are going to grab tracks. Note that
five minute CD-track takes about 55 MBytes of space!


 _____
 Notes
 =====

You should also register l3enc for os/2 to make it stop asking for
registration code. In it's archive there is register.inf which contains
registration code. When you start l3enc from command line it requests
this code. If it resides on HPFS volume it will generate a special file
named l3encregister.inf and register itself, on FAT partittions the
registration will fail. But you can nevertheless use it with Mp3pM
(without problems related to this).

As from this version, New Terra encode is also supported. It is only
layer-1 and layer-2 encoder, but it is supposed to be much faster than
l3enc on a pentium class machine. So, if it is not gold it is silver....

And also, ToMPG support is finally here! You wanted it, here it is!
Because of Win32-OS2 is still in its earlly stage, so if you encounter
anything strange please report the problem and try to be as specific as
you can.

Unexpected BladeEncoder is also supported!


 ___________
 Using Mp3pM
 ===========

When the main window apeares there are two (and a half) ways to get
things done. Through pull-down or pop-up menus and speed keys and buttons.
Click with right button to bring up the pop-up menu. There are various
options to play with. The same you get from pull-down menu. You can also
double click with the mouse over the left black window to add a file to
Encoding List.

There are some switches you can play with. If some file does not want
to encode you may try some other combination of switches. Read l3enc
manual. Note that l3enc doesn't like windows wav files...
At the begining of such encoded wav file a pop is heared.
Use "Strip WAV header switch" to avoid this.

If you are grabbing CD-tracks be sure that RAW OutPut check-box in
Leech settings is checked, so you wont need to strip wav header to avoid
that click at the beginning of mp3s ...

If you are encoding whole CD be sure to mark "Erase files after encoding"
check box or you'll need about 1 GB of free space to do it ;-)

For now all selected files have same switches!

Then push Run button and all selected files will be compresed...
(or they should be if there is any justice in this world...)


 _____
 To Do
 =====
      - GET RID OF BUGS!
          (still a lot to do on this one)
      - properly working CD-eject button
      - support for some other CD-grabber,
        (alfons planned in version 0.61)
      - pipes
      - !! auto convert all files in selected dir (half way done...)
      - simultaneous CD-ripping and encoding
      - a kind of auto-mode to always look somewhere and automatically
        encode found stuff if it is not yet encoded
      - support for mp3enc 3.0 for NT/W95 converted to OS/2 with pe2lx.exe
      - support for l3enc for DOS (maybe ...)
      - support for OS2enc (maybe ...)
      - multiple file selection
          (still far away, do not know how to do this via system 
          ( file-open dialog, any suggestion? )
          ( Partionally done with adding filtered dir contents)
      - status reporting (came closer)
      - autodetecting incoming files (wav-raw,little-big endian)
      - fix priority settings
      - visual fixes
      - ???  (your suggestions - I WANT THEM!!!)


 ___________
 Legal stuff
 ===========

L3enc.exe:      copyright 1994 FraunHofer-IIS
encode.exe:     copyright NewTerra SoftWare
tompg.exe:      copyright 1995-1997 Xing Technology Corporation
                 (status of this program is unknow to me)
leech.exe:      copyright Mads Orbesen Troest & Sirius Sybernetics      :-)
bladeenc.exe:   copyright 1998 Tord Jansson


Mp3pM is currently click-ware (trial). This means that if you want to be
legal user you have to jump to my homepage and click the banner you find
there. By this action you are paying me 20 cents for the software and it
costs you only a few seconds of internet connection.

This program may NOT be sold in any way or reverse engenered WITHOUT
contacting me first at above addres.

Please let me know what you think of my work...

                                                                       Dean Lamper
