How to Download and Install the Beatnik Player

This tutorial includes examples of MIDI files converted to .rmf files being played by the Beatnik player. You will not be able to hear them and see how it works unless you download the player.

Requirements: Beatnik will not run with Microsoft Internet Explorer or versions of Netscape Navigator prior to 3.0. A Pentium PC with at least 90MHz processor and Microsoft DirectSound 2.0 or higher installed. Macintosh requirements are a PowerPC with Netscape 3.0 or higher and SoundManager 3.1 or higher installed.

FOR MACS

1. Download the free Beatnik Player and follow the install instructions.
2. Make sure Netscape Navigator is closed before you double-click the Beatnik Player Active Installer icon.
3. The installer will ask you for the location of your Netscape Plug-ins folder, which resides in the same directory as your copy of Netscape Navigator.
4. After the installation is complete, you may launch Netscape Navigator. You'll know it worked if you see the Beatnik folder and BeatnikPPC in the Netscape Plug-ins folder.
5. In Netscape's Edit menu, choose Preferences and select Application under the Navigator Category in the menu on the left. You are now ready to assign the Beatnik Player as the application that will handle a certain type of file.
6. To play the examples on Angry Coffee you only need an audio/.rmf description in your browser's preferences, with the Beatnik Player application (plug-in) under Handled By, because we have already converted all our original audio into the .rmf format. The installer may automatically do this for you, so the process mentioned in the Coffeebreak below is an option rather than a requirement to continue this specific tutorial.
7. Now try playing the examples of MIDI files converted to .rmf files. If it doesn't work, see the troubleshooting guide in the installation documentation.