Ultrasound Daily Digest Thu, 12 Nov 92 Volume 1 : Issue 17 Today's Topics: answers Getting the word out Gripes concerning Gravis GUS and NT Impressions on the GUS quick questions Really getting frustrated with EA/Gravis There's one in every bunch... Ultrasound Daily Digest V1 #16 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. FTP Site #1: ftp epas.utoronto.ca (/pub/pc/ultrasound) Digest back issues, mirror of request server Many thanks to Adam Iles: adam@epas.utoronto.ca ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 21:51:11 PST From: mtichy@sfu.ca Message-Id: <9211120551.AA06259@fraser.sfu.ca> Subject: answers To: Ultrasound Daily Digest I also haven't been able to get some mid files to play with all the instruments when using media player in windows. For example the awsome drums in yelowros.mid don't play at all. I've set up everything as Chris has suggested. Installed everything from scratch. Put midmap.cfg in the proper windows directory and I don't get any path load errors. Falcon 3.0 sounds fine on my GUS. > 2) Does anyone else have problems with loud screechy/staticy > "speech"? No. > music from demos like Vectdemo and Unreal? For me, Vectdemo > hangs > > after the title screen, while Unreal goes through the graphics > > fine, but I get no music/sound. I'm not sure if it's the result > of No, I've only had limited success with those two. Unreal doesn't work at all as you've already found out. Vectordemo I was able to get running when I set IRQ to 2, dma to 7, GF1 irq to 11 and port to 220h. With these settings I also had to run a tdtintro and then run the vectordemo to get it to work. I think the problem is with the way the demo's autodetect the SB. > successful as we know it can (and should) be, I think we should do > all we can > to ensure everyone else out in net-land hears about our product. > Bandwidth > regarding the GUS has just about dropped to nil in the > comp.ibm.pc.soundcard > return. group, and I don't think that will help sell GUS's to > potential Usenet customers in the future. I agree completely but no one listens. > How many people out there is having problems running Windows 3.1 > after > loading SBOS? How many people have no problem at all? I have had problems. It'll play the opening chimes and then give tons of crappy static. I also can't exit properly after that. By the way, I've been able to play mods and mids at the same time with the GUS in windows 3.1. I use Winmod PRO and the media player. The gus mixer controls the volume for the MOD files only. I also set the mod player to 22Khz playback with 4 31K dma buffers. Sometimes I get a little static though. > The following is occuring 50% of the time when I attempt to > load the > sbos driver: > Parity check 2 > 00000(s) On my 286 I used to get the same error. I thought it was the memory I added on. I then took my gus, grounded myself and then made sure the memory chips on it were properly in place. I reinstalled it and the parity errors went away. Please be very careful if you are trying this because you could easily wreck your gus. Get a professional or a wrist strap or something first. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 0:25:23 MST From: ddebry@itchy (Dave DeBry) Message-Id: <9211120725.AA11951@itchy> Subject: Getting the word out To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Ok, folks, I've heard your cries. Yes, it is important to get the information from this list out onto news. I agree wholeheartedly. In fact, I agree so much that I'd be happy to set something up from this end to get the info out to news. I'll set it so that the digest gets posted to news every night, or the server compiles digests for a week and then puts them all out on the net Saturday night (I like this idea)... HOWEVER: I need suggestions for the best method. There have been several arguments against posting all the digests to news. In fact, I've heard a lot of argument about what we *shouldn't* do. Now I'd like to hear ideas on what we *SHOULD* do. I'll do my best to get whatever you readers want done... just let me know WHAT you want done so I can do it! - Ultrasound Daily Digest Administrator -- Dave ddebry@ debry@ \ DeBry dsd. peruvian. | "This calls for my hydrocorrosive croutons!" es. cs.utah. | - Powdered Toast Man com edu / ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 08:08:31 -0600 From: Michael J Stumpf Message-Id: <9211111408.AA06098@tamsun.tamu.edu> Subject: Gripes concerning Gravis To: Ultrasound Daily Digest I must speak my mind on this subject: Everybody is cheweinging out Gravis for lying about the orders.. to me it seems that Gravis is being the only honest one. You guys say that these companies are all blaming it on Gravis.. think about this, doesn't that make sense for them to do. Gravis quoted me a time for delivery of mine, and it got here early. It seems to me that these distributors are the ones lying to you.. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 09:24:53 PST From: paulh@odetics.com (Paul Hodgetts) Message-Id: <9211111724.AA05449@venus.odetics.com> Subject: GUS and NT To: Ultrasound Daily Digest I realize not many people have GUSs yet, but has anyone tried it under Windows NT (as a SoundBlaster)? If I understand correctly, it requires a TSR and/or driver to support it under Windows 3.1, but can this work under NT where there is no underlying DOS support for TSRs? I'd hate to buy a GUS and not be able to use it under NT which I have installed for development. Paul ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | Paul R. Hodgetts | email: paulh@odetics.com | | Odetics Inc., Broadcast Division | uunet!odetics.com!paulh | | 1515 S. Manchester Ave. | phone: (714) 774-2200 ext 3793 | | Anaheim, CA, USA 92802-2907 | fax: (714) 535-8532 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | Disclaimer: Odetics is not responsible for anything I say or do! | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 17:37:49 CST From: ken@batman.austin.ibm.com (Ken Goach) Message-Id: <9211112337.AA08537@batman.austin.ibm.com> Subject: Impressions on the GUS To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Well, I got it installed in about 20 minutes. I had *no* problems at all - no conflicts, nothing. Worked great right out of the box! The MIDI files with it are pretty good - some are kinda corny and don't really use the card up to it's potential, but there are some good sounds. The piano is great, and there's a fretless bass on the latindnc track that sounds so real. The drums are good, too. I was kinda disappointed in the violin. The trumpets (and horns in general) are pretty good. The saxophones are the worst, second only to the bagpipes! ;-) All in all, most patches are great and usable. How can I create my own, though!? Games: Wolf-3D worked great. The door sounds were pretty loud, but I need to play with SBOS some. Thunder Hawk had the annoying habit of screwing up the drums. The combat sounds were kinda wimpy, too. Wing Commander was *so slow I thought I was on an 8086*! I need to play around with SBOS/my memory configuration. The music and sound effects are *fantastic*, but gameplay is turtle-slow! Tonight - I load Cakewalk. He he he... Ken P.S. What SBOS settings are ya'll using, especially for Wing Commander? Ken ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 18:19 EST From: MCI102@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Message-Id: <9211112318.AA09074@orca.es.com> Subject: quick questions To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Ok..now that I have my ultrasound...I have two quick questions for those few 'experienced' users. 1) I installed my ultrasound with little to no problems using the standard defaults concerning IRQ and DMA and the such. My first concern deals with the fact that when I try to play any of my games (with SBOS) I can not use the mouse at all. (the sound works fine) Would this problem be caused simply by an IRQ or DMA conflict with the mouse or...I am using a mouse that comes with the ATI Ultra which has it's own serial port for the mouse ...could this maybe have something to do with it. 2) The only other problem I had with the card after installing it was with the game Ultima VII. The music is fine, but in the intro when the face comes out of the screen and is to talk to you, it says the first half of the word 'avatar' and then quits. (although the music continues) My question is then...Is there some switch to SBOS to correct this or maybe does my card need the upgrade to 1Meg in order to support the sound and speech. (Can you tell I an fairly new at this? :)) On a sidenote...if one gets the chance to pick either an Adlib card or Soundblaster (or soundblaster pro), which is usually the better to choose? (or roland [others?]) Thanks in advance!!! Mike Irvin MCI102@psuvm.psu.edu ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 17:32:09 MST From: TSWANSON@MIS.ARIZONA.EDU (QUIS CUSTODIET IPSOS CUSTODES.) Message-Id: <921111173209.2340124f@MIS.ARIZONA.EDU> Subject: Really getting frustrated with EA/Gravis To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Chris Yuzik writes on 11/3/92: >We (Gravis) will be sending out the completion to EA's order in the >latter part of this week, and EA should receive it in the first couple >of days of next week. Hopefully, all who ordered from EA will receive >their cards shortly thereafter. Mark Harrison writes on 11/10/92: >First of all, I have some good news for some of you. I called EA today to >ask if they've gotten the GUS yet. The guy told me they just got some in >today (Nov 10) and that mine was being packaged up as we spoke. I ordered >mine around the beginning of September if that helps anyone. Well, I called today. First off, I ordered my Ultrasound on Aug. 14. The woman I talked to told me that they haven't gotten any Ultrasound in this week and so mine hasn't been shipped. I told her about Mark's information and about the report last week that Gravis had shipped all of EA's boards to EA. She just said something like "well, the mail's a funny thing." I wasn't amused. While I'm sick and tired of waiting for the damn board, I'm even more incensed by conflicting stories almost daily. If Mark gets his board from EA this week, EA will hear my wrath! If Mark doesn't get his board this week, I expect EA will hear his wrath. If EA is not getting their boards, I blame Gravis, but if EA is getting their boards but not shipping by date of order....OOOOH....I'd.....OOOH Arghh.... Losing my faith fast, Ted. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 7:33:09 EST From: iam@stiatl.salestech.com (Ian Mercado) Message-Id: <9211110733.AA06730@stiatl.salestech.com> Subject: There's one in every bunch... To: Ultrasound Daily Digest > Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 17:28:06 EST > From: timkwan@Athena.MIT.EDU > Message-Id: <9211102228.AA15437@marinara> > To: Ultrasound Daily Digest > > A couple of days ago I cancelled my order with Gravis and made an order > for the GUS with Disk=Count. They said I would be getting it in 2 or 3 days > at the most! Rejoice!! But when I called today, they said next week! > What the f**k is all this!?? I thought Gravis has made a large shipment to > Disk-Count. So WHEN will I get MY card? Is this really worth it? Can I > sue Gravis if I get ulcers? This is f**king pissing me off! I think I speak for all those who had to wait months to get their GUSses when I say to you, "" <-- Sound of a whiner, for the less clued. Ian ------------------------------ Date: 11 Nov 92 12:43:30 +0100 From: BJORNHK@dhhalden.no Message-Id: Subject: Ultrasound Daily Digest V1 #16 To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Well, this is the latest word from Gravis Sales Dept: All distributors' orders (except for one) are filled, so all the dealers should be getting them pretty soon. The problem might be slow distributors. -=* Bjorn :: bjornhk@sofus.dhhalden.no ACCESS DATA :: TEL: (+47)-9-17 50 48/61-97 791 FAX: 61-97 791 BBS: 61-97 304/97 945 ------------------------------ End of Ultrasound Daily Digest V1 #17 ******************************