Ultrasound Daily Digest Thu, 30 Oct 92 Volume 1 : Issue 4 Today's Topics: Comments from Gravis... Digest Admin. EA shipping. Excellent Gravis Tech Support! hello. My Gravis Questions... to newsletter Ultrasound Daily Digest V1 #3 (2 msgs) Digest Address: ultrasound@dsd.es.com To post to tomorrow's digest. Request Server Address: ultrasound-request@dsd.es.com To subscribe, unsubscribe, and request files. Owner Address: ultrasound-owner@dsd.es.com To contact a human if the server has troubles. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 14:07:23 MST From: ddebry@itchy (David DeBry) Message-Id: <9210292107.AA05402@itchy> Subject: Comments from Gravis... To: Ultrasound Daily Digest I just got this message from Gravis. I thought you all might want to know of alternate routes to get in touch with them. (Of course, we still want you to tell us what they say to you! :) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Greetings, I'm sorry for the lengthly delay in this reply. I've been away on vaction since Oct. 16 Thank you for your interest and help with the information on Internet and USENET. We are very aware of the increased aware ness and interest in UltraSound from the users of these systems and have taken steps to address thisin a more appropriate manner than routing email through CompuServe. Advanced Gravis now has a representative on Internet. His name is Chris Yuzik and he can be contacted at . Chris will be happy to answerany product information questions you might have. Technical questions should be directed to our CompuServe support forum, our Gravis BBS or our Tech Support phone line. ...CompuServe, type at any main (!) prompt. ...Gravis BBS, (604) 431-5927 ...Tech Support phone, (604) 431-1807 Thanks again for all your help ;-) +++ Ron H. +++ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ -- \\\ "Hello, I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not." \\\ \\\ - Chevy Chase in Weekend Update, "Saturday Night Live" \\\ \\\ \\\ \\ ddebry@dsd.es.com \ debry@peruvian.utah.edu \ Email either address. \\ \\\ David DeBry \\ `finger debry@peruvian.utah.edu` for contact info. \\\ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 19:01:40 MST From: ddebry@itchy (David DeBry) Message-Id: <9210300201.AA07043@itchy> Subject: Digest Admin. To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Two matters of business, really quickly: 1] The text files for the server are up. Here's the help file from the server so you can know how to request what you want: ====================================================================== Ultrasound Request Server ========================= Thanks for using the Ultrasound Request Server! Here's a list of the current commands you can use here: %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% add-to-list Add your name to the mailing list. remove-from-list Remove your name from the mailing list. card-review A compilation of several different reviews of the card by members of the mailing list. It also covers many problems in getting the card going, and how to get past them. THIS FILE IS A MUST FOR ALL SUBSCRIBERS TO THE LIST!!! (44k) gravis-talks One of the members of the list carries on occasional question/answer sessions with a contact at Gravis. This is the results of those talks. (11k) midi-connector Instructions on how to build your own MIDI adapter for the Ultrasound, instead of buying a high-priced retail one. midi-demo This is a MIDI file contributed by Yuri Lee. Lzh'ed and uuencoded for mailing. (22k) wavetable An explanation of Wavetable Synthesis, the technology behind the UltraSound's synthesizer. (4k) undigest C source code for "undigestifying" the digests. There is also a hook in Emacs to do this. (6k) %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% To use the server, just put your command in the subject line of your message. Don't put anything else in your message, and only one command per mail request. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% If you don't see what you want here, you have a few choices: 1] Post to the digest asking for what you want. 2] Post to news asking for what you want. 3] Peruse the various FTP sites for what you want. When you do find it, PLEASE SEND IT HERE! (Specifically, send it to ultrasound-owner@dsd.es.com.) I'll put it up on the request server for everyone. That way everybody doesn't have to spend their time repeating your actions. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ************************************************************************ IMPORTANT NOTE: Just because you received this file, it does not necessarily mean that you are on the mailing list! (You can tell if you're on the list if you've been receiving digests every night.) To subscribe, you must send an add-to-list command, and the server will respond and let you know you have been added! If you don't know if you are on the list or not, please feel free to write to the owner address below, and ask. We'll respond ASAP. ************************************************************************ %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% The addresses that you can mail that are associated with the list are: ultrasound@dsd.es.com - General line. All people on the list will hear you when your messageis echoed in the next digest issue. ultrasound-request@dsd.es.com - Automated request line. Use this line to join or abandon the Digest. Also, it can be used to request files from the Mail Server. ultrasound-owner@dsd.es.com - Direct line specifically to the owners of the list. Please send all problems you are having with the list to this address. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% please, Please, PLEASE send me anything you think should go up on this server. Text files, music files, etc., etc., ad nauseum. Chances are that someone else out there could really use what you've got, and vice versa. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Thanks again for using the Ultrasound Request Server! ====================================================================== 2] Sorry to all you folks who got that chain letter in your digest yesterday. I had no idea it was in there... the digest builds itself late at night when I'm (supposed to be) sleeping. It wasn't sent by anyone on the list. Probably just some idiot reading news and deciding to be annoying. Enjoy! -- \\\ "He'll probably be in... the Zen Room." \\\ \\\ - Dr. Frank N. Furter, "Rocky Horror Picture Show" \\\ \\\ \\\ \\ ddebry@dsd.es.com \ debry@peruvian.utah.edu \ Email either address. \\ \\\ David DeBry \\ `finger debry@peruvian.utah.edu` for contact info. \\\ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 7:41:58 PST From: aktang@sdcc13.UCSD.EDU (I should be studying) Message-Id: <9210291541.AA26605@sdcc13.UCSD.EDU> Subject: EA shipping. To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Any new info on when EA is shipping the second shipment? Last time I called (yesterday (Tuesday)), they still had no idea when it was coming in. I don't feel like calling anymore, because I'm afraid of getting the samne 'ol answers. Does anyone have a GUS coexisting with a MIDI card? I had my soundblaster living with my PC-MIDI card (at IRQ's 7 and 5 respecitively), but it sounds like the GUS has a requirement for 2 IRQs, and I'm afraid of running out. If anyone has success/horror stories, please respond so I'm (semi-)ready when it's time to install my GUS. Anthony Tang aktang@sdcc13.ucsd.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 16:29:58 MST From: Stuart Yoshida Message-Id: <9210292329.AA26506@elektra.fc.hp.com> Subject: Excellent Gravis Tech Support! To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Today I received a call from Alan Alvarez of Gravis Technical Support. I'd sent him mail concerning the Gravis Ultrasound Windows drivers, and he emailed me a reply (thanks!) and then followed it up with a phone call. The interesting part is that I don't even own a GUS yet! Now *that's* service :-). Seriously, though, it was a very nice gesture on the part of Gravis, and I'm *definitely* looking forward to receiving my GUS. Alan demo'ed the GUS over the phone, and even with the poor audio quality of phone lines I could tell that this card has awesome potential (especially at the price I paid of $132 from Telemart)! He also gave me the inside scoop on the GUS patch-loading mystery. Apprently there are only a handful of programs that use the MME MCI extensions that are available for patch loading of wavetable cards. This is understandable since the GUS is the first affordable one for Windows. The bottom line is this: under Windows, unless the sequencer program you use has built-in smarts to load patches into the GUS, you have to rely on the Media Player applet to load patches into the GUS's memory. Once the patch is loaded, then you can access them with your favorite MIDI application. But not to worry, Gravis is working on a Windows applet called Patch Loader that (surprise, surpise!) will load any patch you so desire. It will also demo the patch for you so you can decide if you want to keep it. Gravis is also nearing release of the General MIDI patch set (yeah, yeah, any day now :-). Things are getting exciting! Now where's my GUS?! :-) :-) :-) -- Stuart Yoshida Internet: yoshida@elektra.fc.hp.com Voice: (303) 229-2324 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 15:57:49 -0500 From: reznick@acf3.NYU.EDU (Daniel Reznick) Message-Id: <9210292057.AA25910@acf3.NYU.EDU> Subject: hello. To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Hi. I just received my Ultrasound yesterday, (FINALLY!) and have a few questions. 1> The MIDI Files are amazing. Is there any Shareware availible on the net to produce/sequence/whatever-you-call-it files of this sort? I have WinJammer, but it doesn't work with the current version of the Win 3.1 Ultrasound driver. Gravis says this will be fixed when the new drivers are released, but who wants to wait? 2> Are there any .MOD players out there that sound decent? I only have found WinMod, some german or finnish (I'm not sure which I just can't read it) program which produces output that sounds HORRIBLE, especially when compared to the Midi demos. 3> Has anyone got ANY sequencing program to work? I have a copy of Whacker- Tracker, but it won't recognize the Ultrasound as a Soundblaster, no matter what options I feed into SBOS. I seem to remember someone saying that they know the CodeBlasters, and Ultrasound support is forthcomming for Whacker Tracker. Anyone know anything about this? 4> I just went back and re-read the first issue of the Digest that I received, from perhaps 5 or 6 days ago, and it has a bunch of stuff from someone named "Dion" who seems to know pretty well what he is doing. He mentioned that MIDI In doesn't work, "because gravis says so." Does this mean I can't hook up my keyboard with a proper connector and play away? Is there any projected time for having this fixed? Writing music was one of the main reasons I got this thing.. I'm new to soundcards, the Ultrasound being my first, so please excuse my ignorance. Thanks. Daniel Reznick reznick@acf3.nyu.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 20:46:57 MST From: kdorff@NMSU.Edu Message-Id: <9210300348.AA10723@NMSU.Edu> Subject: My Gravis To: Ultrasound Daily Digest I just received my Gravis Developers Toolkit + Ultrasound card today. Installation. Pretty seamless (took a while). "Setup" bombed with QEMM, so I took it out, ran out, put it back it (QEMM) and everything appears to work fine. Any questions, you can mail me. Kevin ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 17:44:33 MET From: Tri-Genius Message-Id: <9210291644.AA29863@orca.es.com> Subject: Questions... To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Ciao! I've read about you inside NetNews, and I realized You've got a GUS... Nice: I'm waiting for the Ultrasound since May, but here in Italy it hasn't been thrown on the market yet. I spoke with Raffaella Ettore months ago, and after I kept speaking with Logitech Italia in the person of Mr.Altichieri, who has always been very kind to me, but, being a sales Director, couldn't know too much technical infos. Unluckly I could never spoke with someone really knowing the GUS... I saw a working GUS in SMAU fair 3 weeks ago , but I couldn't have any infos nor I could test it (sigh!), because Logitek people told me not to touch the PC with the soundcard, 'cos they were afraid of viruses... Stupid people! How to get viruses out of their safe programs??? So I only heard a sample of Midi file, but it didn't impress me... I had a SB, then I bought a SB Pro and I sold it right for buying a GUS, but after months spent waiting for nothing I bought another SB Pro (this time v.2.0 , and note that I've bought it for about 160$ and I sold my old one for 270$... 8-)) . Now I'm waiting to sell even this SB Pro2 (for more than 160$) and buy a GUS. Sorry if I've bored you.... I own a 386dx-33Mhz : 1. Does the SBOS emulating TSR slow down my PC a lot? 2. Memory used by TSR? 3. Emulating a SB Pro2? 4. Is Midi cable included? 5. Windows 3.1 drivers and OS/2 ? 6. Do you know about sw made right for the GUS (excluding those given when you buy the board...), something like MOD players, sequencers, games (ludic and stupid question, but sometimes I like even to play with my PC... I will always thank Origin for WingCommander 1&2 !!!) ? 7. Now I use to program my SB Pro with Turbo Pascal 6 libraries: do exist any for the GUS? Thanx a lot if you'll be able to answer any of my answers (and thanx even if if you won't). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cheers from: /\ /**\ Gianluca Meardi - JLM --------****-------- Non Omnes Omnia Possumus G.E.M. Software \***** TRI ******/ Conabimur Nos Engineering \** GENIUS **/ / ********** \ Internet address: /**/ \****/ \**\ ser645@cdc835.cdc.polimi.it / \/ \ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1992 09:06:09 -0500 (EST) From: "Adam K. Rixey" Message-Id: <720367569.9767.0@unix3.andrew.cmu.edu> Subject: to newsletter To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Well, I finally received my Gravis from Electronic Arts the other day. However, I've missed a couple issues of the digest when this may have been discussed - how do you get the Windows Midi Mapper working with the Ultrasound? I've tried, but so far to no avail. And, to the guy who was making the list of programs that work with SBOS: Cosmo's Adventure by Apogee works Keen 4, Goodbye Galaxy by Apogee works [sounds are actually better] Kiloblaster by Epic MegaGames works, but experiences slowdown when the digitized sounds are used Blaster Master did not work right Fishtro did not work [seemed to play all the sounds in the card's memory followed by a loud "crash" noise and then silence] That was all that was on my hard drive. . . - AkR - ar2w@andrew.cmu.edu ___ Art is anything you can get away with. - Marshal McLuhan ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 3:27:19 CST From: cowles@hydra.convex.com (John Cowles) Message-Id: <9210290927.AA02317@hydra.convex.com> Subject: Ultrasound Daily Digest V1 #3 To: Ultrasound Daily Digest What kind of garbage was at the end of the digest? Were you aware of what went out? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 11:04:18 -0500 From: schles@server.cs.jhu.edu Message-Id: <9210291603.AA28937@orca.es.com> Subject: Ultrasound Daily Digest V1 #3 To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Please folks - don't send chain letters to the digest. I don't need the disk space being used for that. And chain letters ARE prohibited on the machines hhere at jhu. - Phil ------------------------------ End of Ultrasound Daily Digest V1 #4 ******************************