When playing a recording using Windows Media Player, or Real Player, the window shows some pretty space-y images. Do those images have anything to do with the sound and harmonics that's going on? (Is it like seeing the aura of the music!! :o) Or are they just randomly generated by the software?

As best as I can figure out, some of them are related to the music and some aren't. If you look at the bottom of the screen, there's a little arrow you can click to get to the next "visualization." The ones involving the bars or the scope seem to change in relation to what's going on musically. Some of the others cloud-looking like ones don't seem very systematic to me.

It's the kind of thing where you can find yourself mesmerized and realize that 30 minutes just went by....

They are called "skins" and you can change them.

Thanks, Monica and Hunky!

I guess you could play the music through a real O-scope to see if it matches.

Actually I have switched my setting to just the boring "corporate" image: 2 static 1/8 notes. This way, I am not tempted to stare at the hypnotic images, like Monica does!!

Those things remind me of the organ light boxes from the 70's. There were two styles available -- the cheaper ones lit up randomly, and the more expensive ones pulsed different lights based on the music -- more bass, and the red light was on more, and the highs got the blue light really going.

Sounds like training software for synaesthesia to me ....

Yup, that's one reason why I far prefer iTunes; you don't have to use the visualizations unless you want to.