---
name: "maplay-ulaw"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "maplay"
version: "1.2-3"
release: "Debian 1.3 (Bo)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/maplay"
---

# maplay-ulaw(1)

play a layer I or layer II MPEG audio stream

Part of [maplay(1)](/maplay/1.md).

## NAME

maplay, maplay-ulaw - play a layer I or layer II MPEG audio stream

## SYNOPSIS

**maplay** \[-v\] \[-s\] \[-l\] \[-r\] \[-us\] \[-uh\] \[-ul\] \[-amd\] \[-c\] \[-f  *ushort* \]  *filename*

**maplay-ulaw** \[-v\] \[-s\] \[-l\] \[-r\] \[-us\] \[-uh\] \[-ul\] \[-amd\] \[-c\] \[-f  *ushort* \]  *filename*

## DESCRIPTION

The *maplay* program decodes layer I and layer II MPEG audio streams and plays them using a CD-quality audio device.  It supports all modes, which are single channel, stereo, joint stereo and dual channel, and all bitrates except free mode.

The *maplay-ulaw* program decodes layer I and layer II MPEG audio streams and converts them to 8 bit u-law samples at a rate of 8 kHz, no matter what frequency the stream uses.

## OPTIONS

- *filename*

  filename of a MPEG audio stream or - for stdin

- *-h*

  short help

- *-v*

  **verbose mode -** Returns information about the stream, like mode, bitrate, and copyright.

- *-s*

  **stdout mode -** Decodes the stream to stdout.  The created output contains 16 bit signed PCM samples.  The output of the *maplay-ulaw* program consists of 8 bit u-law samples at a 8 kHz rate.  If the stream is in stereo mode, the samples of both channels are interleaved, the sample for the left channel first.

- *-l*

  Decodes (and plays) the left channel of stereo streams only.  This option halves the required CPU time.

- *-r*

  Same as *-l ,* but decodes the right channel only

- *-ul*

  This option is available on machines with the dbri device and sends the audio output to the line out jack.

- *-amd*

  Forces maplay to treat /dev/audio as an amd device.  Use it if your SPARC clone has an amd device, but maplay doesn't recognize it.  This option may also be used on a machine with a dbri device, because the dbri device can also produce u-law output.

- *-c*

  Reports filter range violations to stderr.  Sometimes PCM values calculated by the synthesis filter exceed the 16 bit boundary and must be mapped to these boundaries.

- *-f ushort*

  Use this scalefactor instead of the default value 32768 for the synthesis filter.  Range violations can be reduced or eliminated with this option, but lower scalefactor values reduce the signal-to-noise ratio, too.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 Tobias Bading

## AUTHOR

Tobias Bading, Berlin University of Technology

## DEBIAN MAINTAINER

Brian Mays  \<brian@debian.org\>