Marine Aquarium 3 Rumors and Speculation

[patscarr]

Just briefly running through my own collection of classical MP3s while watching MA, these really work well. Plus, these are all familiar to everyone. Maybe not all the titles, but definitely all the tunes.

Beethoven - Fur Elise
Beethoven - Minuet in G
Bizet - Habanera
Boccherini - Menuet String Quintet
Chopin - Minute Waltz
Chopin - Nocturne
Debussy - Clair De Lune
Grieg - Morgenstimmung (Morning Mood) from- Peer Gynt Suite No. 1
Handel - Water Music, Suite No. 2 in D
Mendelssohn - Spring Song
Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 26
Mozart - Piano Sonata No. 5
Mozart - Piano Sonata No. 15 in C Major
Mozart - Symphony No. 40, 1st movement
Mozart - The Marriage of Figaro - Overture
Pachelbel - Canon in D
Ravel - Bolero
Strauss - an der schonen blauen donau(Blue Danube)
Tchaikovsky - nutcracker ballet suite - dance of the mirlitons
Tchaikovsky - nutcracker ballet suite - dance of the sugar-plum fairy
Tchaikovsky - nutcracker ballet suite - flower waltz

[cjmaddy]

There's hope for you yet, Patrick!

[Marian Nichols]

Well I kinda like to have 'Blue Suede Shoes.'
Marian ducks and runs.

[patscarr]

Thanks Cliff.

I see Jim's idea though. It'd be cool to have a song called "The Aquarium" playing while his aquarium was showing. But seriously, listen to it. It's right out of one of the Harry Potter movies, and everyone will think Jim ripped them off.

[cjmaddy]

I've got to agree with pat on this one. I've nothing against Carnival of the Animals and Saint-Saens, but that's too melancholy for my liking. It doesn't suite MA3 at all IMO, - sorry! ... It worked for Harry Potter, but I don't think it would work here.

I've recommended this a few times before, but if you want an appropriate tune for a screensaver, then try 'The Blue Danube' with the Sharks' 'Ray O'light' tank filled with Manta Rays!

[Jim Sachs]

Saint-Saens' piece has always been one of my favorites, but I can see how it might not everyone's cup of tea. Most of Pat's list would work pretty well, but the most important thing is to find a public-domain performance. Even though all the music on that list is public-domain, the performaces are usually copyrighted.

[cjmaddy]

Better start getting well in with someone here...

[Jim Sachs]

Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk to them.

[johnblommers]

Originally posted by Jim Sachs:

I believe m4p uses a proprietary decoder to play copy-protected iTunes files.  

That would be Apple's proprietary codec for "protected" content which is an AAC codec + special trappings. My sense is that you'd have to use the QuickTime APIs to play back protected content. Wouldn't Windows Media also have the same properties and issues anyway? Given the popularity of iTunes, it might be far easier for you to control iTunes via messages that some have used to advantage.

[Wizwad]

Originally posted by patscarr:

Are you thinking of having that song as the default? I just listened to it for the first time, and it doesn't really remind me of an aquarium. It sounds like something from Harry Potter actually.  

I think it's the version that's the problem, not the piece. I think this piece of music is lovely and perfectly suited to the simulation - just not this particular version.

Don't get me wrong, I like this rendition, but as you say, Pat, it's too 'Harry Potter'. The original full orchestral version (i.e. no synths, etc) of the Carnival of the Animals Aquarium sounds much more appropriate to our purpose and a *lot* of people will be familiar with it; also, I'm betting, they'll find it just as appropriate as I do.

[Jim Sachs]

I think I'll probably go with a nice relaxing MIDI track for the default. It's a lot more space-efficient than an MP3 file.

[ESHIREY]

Will you be able to still use your own music? Reason I ask is that kind of music is not my cup of tea.

[patscarr]

Originally posted by Wizwad:

I think it's the version that's the problem, not the piece.  

I think you are right, Mark. I only listened to one version. Perhaps a nice classical piano version would sound much better.

[Jim Sachs]

Ed - yes, that's the whole idea behind the "patscarr" feature.

[drfish]

Originally posted by Jim Sachs:

I think I'll probably go with a nice relaxing MIDI track for the default. It's a lot more space-efficient than an MP3 file.  

Hooray for the MIDI, I was going to suggest that.

[Tiny Turtle]

Originally posted by johnblommers:

That would be Apple's proprietary codec for "protected" content which is an AAC codec + special trappings. My sense is that you'd have to use the QuickTime APIs to play back protected content. Wouldn't Windows Media also have the same properties and issues anyway? Given the popularity of iTunes, it might be far easier for you to control iTunes via messages that some have used to advantage.  

Seriously?! Are you suggesting everybody who wants to listen to music while watching MA3 should download iTunes or maybe Jim should bundle it? All 56+ MB of it – yeah, that'd make at least Apple and a lot of ISPs happy.

On the topic of "the popularity of iTunes" – you might or might not be aware of the fact that iTunes for Windows isn't especially well-written (like most of Apple's Windows programs) and popularity didn't exactly increase with their latest idea of constantly (as in can't be turned off) nagging iTunes users to download Safari (neither the fastest nor the best browser regardless what Apple claims) which I'm sure everybody will be very happy for and no complaints will be aimed at Jim for.

WMA playback was never an issue so you can't even play the "But M$ did the same" card.

/Tiny Worst This Year

P.S.
I 'm a dedicated iTunes user myself and enjoy it – on my Mac.

[johnblommers]

Originally posted by Tiny Turtle:

Seriously?! Are you suggesting everybody who wants to listen to music while watching MA3 should download iTunes or maybe Jim should bundle it? All 56+ MB of it – yeah, that'd make at least Apple and a lot of ISPs happy.  

Those who have purchased protected content from the ITMS will already have it, as will those who use iTunes on Windows. Those who don't use iTunes on Windows won't bother, for the reasons you cited.

Originally posted by Tiny Turtle:

WMA playback was never an issue so you can't even play the "But M$ did the same" card.  

We have unprotected WMA content, the abandoned PlayForSure DRM, and Zune DRM content, a worst bag than Apple's. Use the MS APIs and you play back their stuff, use QuickTime APIs and you can play back QuickTime content including ITMS content.

Me sense is that Jim is only going to go the MSFT route anyway unless it turns out that there is huge demand for QuickTime formats.

Originally posted by Tiny Turtle:

P.S.
I 'm a dedicated iTunes user myself and enjoy it – on my Mac.  

Me too! iTunes on Windows is a glacial experience, I don't know how people put up with it. Oh wait, they already put up with Windows ...

[Tiny Turtle]

Originally posted by johnblommers:

Those who have purchased protected content from the ITMS will already have it, as will those who use iTunes on Windows. Those who don't use iTunes on Windows won't bother, for the reasons you cited.  

Right. Didn't think of that. My bad.

Originally posted by johnblommers:

We have unprotected WMA content, the abandoned PlayForSure DRM, and Zune DRM content, a worst bag than Apple's. Use the MS APIs and you play back their stuff, use QuickTime APIs and you can play back QuickTime content including ITMS content.  

If you read what Jim wrote a couple of posts back WMA playback wasn't intended so it still doesn't matter that Microsoft is worse (I'm not saying if it is that or not).

Originally posted by johnblommers:

Me sense is that Jim is only going to go the MSFT route anyway unless it turns out that there is huge demand for QuickTime formats.  

Again, back up a bit and stop assuming everybody's bullying your precious Apple – Neither WMA or AAC playback is in.

Originally posted by johnblommers:

Me too! iTunes on Windows is a glacial experience, I don't know how people put up with it. Oh wait, they already put up with Windows ...  

Yeah, you're such a comedian.

[Wizwad]

Woooop! Wooooop! Thread hijack alert, thread hijack alert!

So, any idea yet as to which coral will be the first to receive animation treatment when the beta is ready? Or is all the work still concentrated on the proximity/collision detection routines for the fish to peck at - but not pass through - the coral? Oh, and the music player, of course.

[feldon34]

Yeah geez, I didn't need to see all that interchange.

Personally I think mp3 is enough.