ANY-maze Help > The ANY-maze reference > The Protocol page > The elements of a protocol > Inputs and outputs > Speakers > An introduction to speakers

An introduction to speakers

Introduction

Using speakers connected to an I/O device or soundcard, ANY-maze can play various sounds, including white noise, tones, and (for some devices) sound files. Additionally, both the volume and duration of playback can be controlled.

Altering playback during a test

In a simple scenario, ANY-maze can be set up to play a sound throughout a test, but its real power comes from the fact that you can control audio playback dynamically as a test progresses. What's more, as this ability is based on procedures, playback can change depending on what the animal is actually doing.

For example, you could set up a speaker to play a different pitch tone when the animal is in each zone of your apparatus and you could alter the volume of the tone so it becomes louder the longer the animal remains in the zone. Not very useful perhaps, but it serves to illustrate the flexibility available.

Connecting a speaker

For a speaker to be used by ANY-maze, it must be connected to some sort of I/O device such as the ANY-maze interface (AMi). This means that you not only need to include a Speaker in your protocol, but you must also include the I/O device the speaker is connected to.

Note that you can also use any Soundcards connected to your computer as I/O devices, giving you access to their speakers.

To allow you to use a soundcard as an I/O device, you'll need to enable it using the Set up devices option on the I/O page.

See also:

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ANY-maze help topic T0202