Using the 'java.sound.*' libraries and classes

Question

Hello,
I am a complete noob to Java. So please forgive me if I seem a little stupid in the things I ask.
I would like to know which development kit I should download to be able to gain access to the 'java.sound.*' and midi libraries and classes.
I downloaded the Java SE 6 SDK but I could get access to these classes.
I use JCreator as my compiler and I kept getting an error along the lines of 'java.sound.* package does not exist'. I have tried compiling the code with NetBeans and also wiuth Eclipse and I still have no luck and I get the same message. I am guessing the compiler is not the problem and it is the SDK as I can access other classes such as javax.swing and java.awt etc.
If you could give me a link to the relevant SDK and maybe a good compiler, it would be greatly appreciated.
Also I am using Windows XP and Windows Vista so if you could provide me with support for either of these operating systems then that would be great.
Thank You
Lee

Answer 1

Here's the code for an SSCCE (Small Self Contained Compilable Example) of a working java sound application. If you don't provide a file name, It does expect you to have a wave file of Ballroom Blitz in your javatest directory, but doesn't everybody?
To build and run it do:
javac -cp . SoundPlayer.java
java -cp . SoundPlayer  yourWaveFile.wav  
import java.io.*;
import javax.sound.sampled.*;
import javax.sound.sampled.DataLine.*;
public class SoundPlayer implements LineListener
     private float bufTime;
     private File soundFile;
     private SourceDataLine line;
     private AudioInputStream stream;
     private AudioFormat format;
     private Info info;
     private boolean opened;
     private int frameSize;
     private long frames;
     private int bufFrames;
     private int bufsize;
     private boolean running;
     private boolean shutdown;
     private long firstFrame, lastFrame;
     private float frameRate;
     private long currentFrame;
     private float currentTime;
     private Thread playThread;
     // constructor, take a path to an audio file
     public SoundPlayer(String path)
          this(path, 2);     // use 2 second buffer
     // or a path and a buffer size
     public SoundPlayer(String path, float bt)
          this(new File(path),bt);
     public SoundPlayer(File sf)
          this(sf, 2);  // use 2 second buffer
     public SoundPlayer(File sf, float bt)
          bufTime = bt;          // seconds per buffer
          soundFile = sf;
          openSound();
     private void openSound()
          System.out.println("Opening file"+soundFile.getName());
          try
               firstFrame = 0;
               currentFrame = 0;
               shutdown = false;
               running = false;
               stream=AudioSystem.getAudioInputStream(soundFile);
               format=stream.getFormat();
               if(format.getEncoding() != AudioFormat.Encoding.PCM_SIGNED)
                    System.out.println("Converting Audio stream format");
                    stream = AudioSystem.getAudioInputStream(AudioFormat.Encoding.PCM_SIGNED,stream);
                    format = stream.getFormat();
               frameSize = format.getFrameSize();
               frames = stream.getFrameLength();
               lastFrame = frames;
               frameRate = format.getFrameRate();
               bufFrames = (int)(frameRate*bufTime);
               bufsize = frameSize * bufFrames;
               System.out.println("frameRate="+frameRate);
               System.out.println("frames="+frames+" frameSize="+frameSize+" bufFrames="+bufFrames+" bufsize="+bufsize);
               info=new Info(SourceDataLine.class,format,bufsize);
               line = (SourceDataLine)AudioSystem.getLine(info);
               line.addLineListener(this);
               line.open(format,bufsize);
               opened = true;
          catch(Exception e)
               e.printStackTrace();
     public void stop()
          System.out.println ("Stopping");
          if(running)
               running = false;
               shutdown = true;
               if(playThread != null)
                    playThread.interrupt();
                    try{playThread.join();}
                    catch(Exception e){e.printStackTrace();}
          if (opened) close();
     private void close()
          System.out.println("close line");
          line.close();
          try{stream.close();}catch(Exception e){}
          line.removeLineListener(this);
          opened = false;
     // set the start and stop time
     public void setTimes(float t0, float tz)
          currentTime = t0;
          firstFrame = (long)(frameRate*t0);
          if(tz > 0)
               lastFrame = (long)(frameRate*tz);
          else lastFrame = frames;
          if(lastFrame > frames)lastFrame = frames;
          if(firstFrame > lastFrame)firstFrame = lastFrame;
     public void playAsync(float start, float end)
          setTimes(start,end);
          playAsync();
     // play the sound asynchronously */
     public void playAsync()
          System.out.println("Play async");
          if(!opened)openSound();
          if(opened && !running)
               playThread = new Thread(new Runnable(){public void run(){play();}});
               playThread.start();
     public void play(float start, float end)
          setTimes(start,end);
          play();
     // play the sound in the calling thread
     public void play()
          if(!opened)openSound();
          if(opened && !running)
               running = true;
               int writeSize = frameSize*bufFrames/2; // amount we write at a time
               byte buf[] = new byte[writeSize];     // our io buffer
               int len;
               long framesRemaining = lastFrame-firstFrame;
               int framesRead;
               currentFrame=firstFrame;
               System.out.println("playing file, firstFrame="+firstFrame+" lastFrame="+lastFrame);
               try
                    line.start();
                    if(firstFrame > 0)
                         long sa = firstFrame * frameSize;
                         System.out.println("Skipping "+firstFrame+" frames="+sa+" bytes");
                         while(sa > 0)sa -= stream.skip(sa);
                    while (running && framesRemaining > 0)
                         len = stream.read(buf,0,writeSize); // read our block
                         if(len > 0)
                              framesRead = len/frameSize;
                              framesRemaining -= framesRead;
                              currentTime = currentFrame/frameRate;
                              if(currentTime < 0)throw(new Exception("time too low"));
                              System.out.println("time="+currentTime+" writing "+len+" bytes");
                              line.write(buf,0,len);
                              currentFrame+=framesRead;
                         else framesRemaining = 0;
                    if(running)
                         line.drain();                     // let it play out
                         while(line.isActive() && running)
                              System.out.println("line active");
                              Thread.sleep(100);
                         shutdown = true;
                    running = false;
               catch(Exception e)
                    e.printStackTrace();
                    shutdown = true;
                    running = false;
               if(shutdown)
                    close();
     // return current time relative to start of sound
     public float getTime()
          return ((float)line.getMicrosecondPosition())/1000000;
     // return total time
     public float getLength()
          return (float)frames / frameRate;
     // stop the sound playback, return time in seconds
     public float  pause()
          running = false;
          line.stop();
          return getTime();
     public void update(LineEvent le)
          System.out.println("Line event"+le.toString());
     // play a short simple PCM encoded clip
     public static void playShortClip(String fnm)
          java.applet.AudioClip clip=null;
          try
               java.io.File file = new java.io.File(fnm);     // get a file for the name provided
               if(file.exists())                    // only try to use a real file
                    clip = java.applet.Applet.newAudioClip(file.toURL()); // get the audio clip
               else
                    System.out.println("file="+fnm+" not found");
          catch(Exception e)
               System.out.println("Error building audio clip from file="+fnm);
               e.printStackTrace();
          if(clip != null)     // we may not actually have a clip
               final java.applet.AudioClip rclip = clip;
               new Thread
               (new Runnable()
                         public void run()
                              rclip.play();
               ).start();
     public boolean isOpened()
          return opened;
     public boolean isRunning()
          return running;
    public void showControls() {
        Control [] controls = line.getControls();
        for (Control c :controls) {
            System.out.println(c.toString());
    public void setGain(float gain) {
        FloatControl g = (FloatControl) line.getControl(FloatControl.Type.MASTER_GAIN);
        g.setValue(gain);
    public static void main(String [] args) {
        float gain = 0;
        String file = "c:\\javatest\\BallroomBlitz.wav";
          for(String arg : args) {
            for(int i = 0; i < arg.length(); i++) {
                char c  = arg.charAt(i);
                if (c == '-') {
                    gain -= 1;
                } else if (c == '+') {
                    gain += 1;
                } else {
                         file = arg;
        SoundPlayer sp = new SoundPlayer(file);
        sp.showControls();
        System.out.println("setting gain to " + gain);
        sp.setGain(gain);
        sp.play();
}