BY MICHAEL FOREMAN
Although Microsoft and a couple of other large companies seem awfully keen for you to play your digital music on their software, it's worth looking beyond the obvious choices in MP3 player programs.
One of the hallmarks of a tried and trusted player is the availability of "plug-ins," add-ons that can let the player do more than play music.
In this regard Winamp, which is available for free without any spyware, adware or security strings attached, is a clear leader in its field.
Visit the plug-ins section of the Winamp site, and you will find add-ons that provide audio effects like cross-fades, and allow the program to play DivX videos, non-MP3 music formats, or even games.
My favourite is G-Force, a visualisation plug-in that produces a colourful graphic display that takes its cues from the audio signal in real time. Of course, Microsoft's Windows Media Player provides visualisation capabilities too, but they are very pale in comparison with this program.
G-Force does work better with some forms of music than others. For example, electronic music seems to deliver better results than classical pieces, but at its best, G-Force fools you into thinking you are watching an animated film that has been created especially for that piece of music.
One moment you are watching an amplitude wave rotating like a radar screen, leaving a purple glow in its wake, the next the screen seems to explode with multicoloured pyrotechnics.
G-Force looks great when it is in full screen mode on any monitor, but to get the most from it you could try using an LCD projector. I hooked up the excellent VPL-CX10 projector, kindly lent by Sony, and was blown away by the results.
Pointed towards a wall in my living room, the effect rivalled some nightclubs. Of course, at a suggested price of $12,750 including GST, the VPL-CX10 was a little out of my price range, but perhaps a similar projector could be hired for a weekend.
Links:
Winamp
Free software MP3 players can be just as fancy
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