---
name: "qplay"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "hxtools"
version: "20231224-2+b2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/qplay"
---

# qplay(1)

convert QBASIC play strings to PCM

## Name

qplay — convert QBASIC play strings to PCM

## Syntax

**qplay** \[**-i** *part*\] \[**-q** *part*\] \[**-r** *rate*\] \[*file*...\] **\| aplay -f dat -c 1**

## Description

qplay will convert QBASIC-style strings for its "PLAY" command to linear 16-bit raw PCM. Normally, you will be wanting to pipe it into a raw PCM player like [**aplay**(1)](/aplay/1.md) to actually output it to a sound device. Be sure to lower the volume beforehand to avoid nasty surprises that come with square waves. By default, bsvplay will mix 1:1 square:sine waves to give a medium tone hardness.

## Options

- **-q** *part*

  Part to mix square waves in (default: 1.0)

- **-i** *part*

  Part to mix sine waves in (default: 1.0). If **-q2 -i1** is specified for example, the final PCM output will consist of 2/3\*squarepcm + 1/3\*sinpcm.

- **-r** *rate*

  PCM sample rate (default: 48000 Hz)

## File format / PLAY statements

The file format qplay expects is of course not BASIC, but raw PLAY command strings. Lines that start with a leading hash mark ('**#**') are ignored.

Commands are case insensitive and whitespace is mostly ignored. The original QBasic manpage is slightly incorrect; below is what qplay supports.

### Octave commands

- **o***n*

  Sets the current octave. There are seven octaves, *n* = 0-6.

- **\>**

  Increases octave by 1. The upper octave limit in QBasic was 6; qplay has a limit of 9.

- **\<**

  Decreases octave by 1. Octave cannot drop below 0.

### Tone commands

- **A** - **G**

  Plays a note in the range A-G. The number sign (**#**) or the plus sign (**+**) after a note specifies sharp; a minus sign (**-**) specifies flat. **N** *n* Plays note *n*. The range for *n* is 0-84 (in the seven possible octaves, there are 84 notes); *n* = 0 means a rest.

### Suffixes

- **#** or **+**

  Follows a specified note and turns it into a sharp.

- **-**

  Follows a specified note and turns it into a flat.

### Duration commands

- **L** *n*

  Sets the length of each note. L4 is a quarter note, L1 is a whole note, etc. The range for *n* is 1-64. The length may also follow the note when a change of length only is desired for a particualr note. For example, A16 can be equivalent to L16A.

- **MN**

  Sets "music normal" so that each note will play 7/8 of the time determined by the length (L).

- **ML**

  Sets "music legato" so that each note will play the full period set by lengt (L).

- **MS**

  Sets "music staccato" so that each note will play 3/4 of the time determined by the length (L).

### Tempo commands

- **P** *n*

  Specifies a pause, ranging from 1-64. This option corresponds to the length of each note, set with L n. **T** *n* Sets the "tempo", or the number of L4 quarter notes in one minute. The range for n is 32-255. The default for n is 120.

- **.**

  A period after a note causes the note to play 3/2 times the length determined by L (length) times T (tempo).  The period has the same meaning as in a musical score. Multiple periods can appear after a note. Each period adds a length equal to one-half the length of the previous period. For example, the command **A.** plays 1 + 1/2, or 3/2 times the length, and **A..** plays 1 + 1/2 + 1/4, or 7/4 times the length.  Periods can appear after a pause (P). In this case, the pause length is scaled in the same way notes are scaled.

### Variables

- **X(***var***)**

  Play the string in the variable *var*.

Variable definitions in qplay syntax are for example:

```
	$var = "CDEF";
```

and they must stand on a single line.

## Examples

```
	echo "L16O2CDEFGAB>CDEFGAB>L4C" | qplay - | aplay -fdat -c1
```

will play a tone ladder.

## See also

[**aplay**(1)](/aplay/1.md), [**bsvplay**(1)](/bsvplay/1.md), [**hxtools**(7)](/hxtools/7.md)