GUS Daily Digest Mon, 24 Jan 94 0:07 Volume 10: Issue 24 Today's Topics: Chipsets yet again... DMA problems dos4gw DOS4GW Conflict DOS4GW Problems & GUS0036.ZIP - Solutions GUS CD-ROM interface, OS/2, and MEI CD-ROM drive. Joystick Y-adapter Memory speed... New MCS stuffs? NHL Hockey and SBOS 3.7b no voices! QEMM w/Stealth, Ftp info, and Megaem w/Xwing trouble in PatchMaker lite heaven :) Ultrasound Internet Archives News - New Files Validated - Jan 23, 94 Standard Info: - Meta-info about the GUS can be found at the end of the Digest. - Before you ask a question, please READ THE FAQ. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 23 Jan 1994 21:02:08 -0400 (EDT) From: Roger Frederi Clark Subject: Chipsets yet again... I've seen some posts recently about this subject, and I have a couple of questions that some guru might be able to answer out there. Ever since I purchased the GUS(15 months ago) and found out about 8 vs. 16 bit DMA, I've been trying to get a 16-bit DMA to work because it's purportedly faster(yes, I'm a speed-freak). Yesterday I tried once again. In SETGUS, I change DMA from 3 to 5,6,or 7, go to test, and "On board parity error". I know about the problem with the Opti chipsets, but my chips advertise UMC on them. Specifically, part numbers UM82C481AF, UM82C482AF, and UM82C206AF. On a post a couple of days ago, I noticed the "82C206" part of the last chip number as being suspect. Does that mean 16-bit DMA is out for me too even without Opti? If so, then explain this one. The "On-board parity error" occurs with DOS 6.2, HIMEM, EMM386(NOEMS), on a 486DX50 with 16megs. For some reason I decide to turn off EMM386 and try. SETGUS once again, this time, it checks the 16-bit DMA of 5,6, or 7 and reports "passed". I try to run something in dos, like "midi1mb.bat", and the screen goes blank and starts outputting the "Playing..." to my printer!!!! Then I try it out in Windows. All the settings change to the new DMA and windows reboots fine. I go to play a wav and my computer does a COLD REBOOT AUTOMATICALLY(like pushing the reset button). Can anyone explain this to me? Thanks for allowing me the bandwidth.. Roger Clark | /\ helios@strauss.udel.edu |/^^\ o "I'd rather be biking." University of Delaware | \ J\. Chemistry (and others) | \__O_<_O_______________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 01:09:58 -0500 (EST) From: "K.S. Holly" Subject: DMA problems Oh, one other thing.... I spent ALL &%&$#^%$ DAY on Saturday trying to set my GUS on to a 16 bit DMA channel. I couldn't do it and I don't expect to find any magical solution but maybe someone can tell me what it is that almost drove me to breaking the %$*#&@ GUS over my knee!!!!!! I have a SB 2.0 in my machine ( 220, IRQ 7, DMA 1), a GUS (240, DMA 3, IRQ 5 & 7) and a tape controller (300-301, IRQ 2, DMA 2) On it's own I could get the GUS to work fine with DMA 5 or 7. Even with the SB 2.0 I could get it to work with DMA 7 but as soon as I put the tape controller back in I couldn't get the GUS to work with anything other than DMA 3. I was able to get the GUS to work on DMA 5 WITH the controller but WITHOUT the SB 2.0! I tried all kinds of different irq's on the controller and tried DMA 3 instead of 2 but to no avail. Why am I having this problem from a board that doesn't even come close to using a 16 bit channel? There shouldn't be any conflict at all should there? What exactly are the advantages of using 16 bit DMA instead of 8 anyway? Kevin ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 23 Jan 1994 19:30:25 -0700 From: Tam Ignatius Ying S Subject: dos4gw Hi all, Many people out there just don't know why games with dos4gw can't run with gus. Though many of you know why i'd like to post again why (sorry for not-so-related topic!) to new comers. Dos4GW is an extender program for Watcom C/++ compiler which can produce a program accessing more memory, thus breaking the 1MB barrier. To do this DOS4GW must take over control of the PC using 32-bit protected mode. However, megaem also do its emulation using protected mode, so caused a conflict and megaem becomes inactive. Using sbos is an alternative but since sbos is 16-bit program there will be unwanted slowdowns. The current alternative is to support gus natively (that's why we've asked game companies many many times) like Doom, which also uses dos4gw. Another way is to wait for the new 32-bit Ultramid, which will be due out in one week or so (according to Phat), then many new games can be supported, like Simcity 2000, new Sierra games, etc. Like it or not, I personally think that Ultramid is the ultimate way to support the GUS since game developers are lazy, they don't want to support natively any new card out there... Hope this helps (correct me if anything is wrong) - Ignatius ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 23 Jan 94 00:03:58 PST From: chrism@huey.nic.bc.ca (Chris Mackay) Subject: Re: DOS4GW Conflict > Date: Sat, 22 Jan 1994 12:24:33 -0500 (EST) > > From: Chris M Durfy > > Subject: Dos4GW Conflict. > > > Anyone out there in Gus land understand why I can't play any games > that involve the use of Dos4GW? I don't know if it is sound card > conflict , or hardware, cuz if it is other-wise software related , > I don't get it! Im running Dos 6.2, Qemm 7.3 w/ stealth and > doublespace. Diamond speedstar 24x 486DX 50! I have never got ten > Comanche, Syndicate, Mortal KOmbat, plus much more often lately. > No one see ms to understand whats up, can anyone out there give me > a hand? Thanks. I would immediately start to suspect the stealth option in QEMM 7.3. I had nothing but problems with Stealth. Take the stealth out, I think by editing your config.sys by taking I think the :P off the end of the QEMM statement. My second suspicion would be Doublespace. Hope this helps. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 23 Jan 1994 15:20 EDT From: GILMOUR@BINAH.CC.BRANDEIS.EDU Subject: DOS4GW Problems & GUS0036.ZIP - Solutions Chris M Durfy writes: CH> Anyone out there in Gus land understand why I can't play any CH> games that involve the use of Dos4GW? I don't know if it CH> is sound card conflict, or hardware, cuz if it is CH> other-wise software related, I don't get it! I'm running Dos CH> 6.2, Qemm 7.3 w/ stealth and doublespace. Diamond speed- CH> star 24x 486DX 50! I have never gotten Comanche, Syndicate, CH> Mortal KOmbat, plus much more often lately. No one seems to CH> understand whats up, can anyone out there give me a hand? CH> Thanks. CH> CH> Chris I believe your problem is that DOS4GW does not allow the use of IRQs >7. Try changing your autoexec.bat to read "SET ULTRASND=220,1,1,7,7". This is what the problem with DOOM was, which also uses DOS4GW. Hope it works! Also Gary Robert Veduccio writes: CH> Where is the new SBOS? The file GUS0036.ZIP was supposed to CH> be on EPAS. Where is it now? You'll find it on EPAS under /submit/gravis.bbs/gus0036.zip -Jeff ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 1:22:24 -0500 (EST) From: JEFFREY J SKUBICK <29664453T@SERVAX.FIU.EDU> Subject: GUS CD-ROM interface, OS/2, and MEI CD-ROM drive. I just got the new MEI catalog a few days ago & have been thinking about buying their $187.97 doublespeed CD-ROM drive. According to the AD, it works with the CD port on the Soundblaster Pro/16/16 ASP/16 ASP MultiCD. With this in mind, I have two questions: 1) Do the GUS CD-ROM card and drivers work under OS/2 (obviously the sound card doesn't work and there's no Windows Multimedia or MMPM/2 support, but it's MANDATORY that I at least be able to treat it like a big floppy and can at least copy files off of the ftp-os2 CD-ROM). 2) Is the GUS CD-ROM port pin compatible with the Soundblaster Pro/16's? They -do- sell an extra interface, but I'd prefer to make my life easier and use the GUS interface if possible. actually, there is also a third question relating to the card: 3) Does the GUS CD-ROM daughtercard require an IRQ, and if so, can it use IRQs 9-16? I have absolutely no lower IRQs free (until I got OS/2, I never realized just how many manufacturers are too cheap to support the high IRQs. It doesn't help that a lot of DOS games are too brain dead to use high IRQs either, forcing me to keep the GUS on IRQ 5 even though it can easily handle IRQ 11. Things like this bring back bad memories of having an Amiga 3000 and trying to run games that got mad if you had a hard drive, a non-68000, a second floppy, or more than 512k. #define bitch_and_gripe off ) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 00:33:00 -0500 (EST) From: "K.S. Holly" Subject: Joystick Y-adapter Can someone please verify something for me? I had a defective y-cable so I took it apart with the idea that I would re-wire it so that it would work with my GUS. In taking it apart, the male connector was completely severed from the two female ends so I don't know which wires came off of which pins. I have the schematic for a standard y-adapter (thanks Saari!) and I know that the GUS uses pins 12 and 15 for midi transmission. So, my two questions are: 1) Can I go ahead and substitute ANY ground and +5VDC pins for the ones that the GUS uses for midi (this is presumably why a standard cable won't work with the GUS)? All together there are 4 +5VDC pins and 3 grounds on the male connector. One of each is used by the GUS for midi. That leaves me with one extra ground and two extra +5VDC pins to use for Joystick 2. Can I use ANY +5VDC and ground pins (except 12 and 15)? I assume that they all come from the same sources. 2) Also, do I assume that pinouts for the female ends of the y-cable are the same as the joystick 1 pinouts on the male end (i.e. pins 1-7)? This would mean that in order to wire joystick 2 I would use the same configuration as on joystick 1 at the female end but wire them to pins 9-15 at the male end instead. Is any of this making sense? :-) I hope that someone knows what I mean. I'm pretty sure that I'm right but when it comes to hard wiring, I want to be sure..... Kevin ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 10:46:20 +1100 (EST) From: Charlie Brady Subject: Re: Memory speed... On Fri, 21 Jan 1994, GUS Server wrote: > > Date: Thu, 20 Jan 1994 17:01:36 -0500 (EST) > From: Phat H Tran > Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V10 #20 > > > Date: Wed, 19 Jan 1994 23:12:50 -0600 (CST) > > From: Fitzgerald Jr Steele > > Subject: DRAM chips > > > > 1) Is it ok to get a faster chip? They sold 70ns chips for the same > > price. Would the faster chip give better performance? > > Yes, it's okay. No, they won't improve performance. > > > Date: Thu, 20 Jan 94 10:12:41 MST > From: shannon@physics.Arizona.EDU (Shannon Miller) > Subject: Reply to Faster Memory and Memory Prices > > I upgraded by GUS to 1MB as soon as I got it. I went with a local retailer > for memory, and it ran me around $45 to go from 256K to 1MB. > > The faster memory, the better! Just make sure it's at least as fast as > the memory the card came with, and make sure that each bank has the same > speed of memory (i.e. each row of two chips must be filled with two > identicle chips). Otherwise, the faster the chip, the better the > performance! > No, faster memory does not give you better performance - Tran is right. Faster memory is better to buy if the price is right however, because you might one day use the memory in something else - a video card, for instance. You can always use faster memory where slow memory will do, but not the other way around. Charlie Brady * (W) charlieb@tplrd.tpl.oz.au * (H) charlieb@budge.apana.org.au "Make it as simple as possible - | Tel: (02) 413 6838 ____Telectronics__| /\__ but no simpler" Einstein, A | Fax: (02) 413 6868 Pacing Systems \/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 01:22:41 -0500 From: KWAN RICHARD SIK YIU Subject: New MCS stuffs? Have anybody tried the new programs from Animotion (the company that produce MCS Stereo)? I saw the ads from Windows Source, saying that one of their new prog called MCS SoundTrak supported Q-sound, I want to know it supports Q-sounds of GUS or SB16. I hope anyone can help me to clear this up! Thanks in advance! ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 23 Jan 1994 11:43:01 -0800 (PST) From: Stephen Lee Subject: NHL Hockey and SBOS 3.7b no voices! I can't seem to get nhl hockey to work with the new sbos even with the -04 parameter. I'm using megaem with the mt-32 option and the music is great but no digital voices. I'm using QEMM and a smartdrv. Is there anything I should do? Stephen. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 01:46:01 -0500 (EST) From: gt7039a@prism.gatech.edu Subject: QEMM w/Stealth, Ftp info, and Megaem w/Xwing To the person with the DOS4GW problem: I have heard of some problems with the QEMM Stealth mode and DOS4GW elsewhere, though I cannot verify it... anyone else can? The new GUS drivers and Mega-em may have been moved off of archive.epas due to the fact that epas underwent a major restructuring and now I believe only accepts new submissions... As for X-wing, there are two things to do to improve the game: 1) Turn digital sounds on instead of off. This gets rid of the annoying ringwhistle for the lasers. 2) Get an x-wing replacement patch set to help improve the sounds. Last I heard, epas did have this... ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 23 Jan 94 02:47:31 PST From: chrism@huey.nic.bc.ca (Chris Mackay) Subject: trouble in PatchMaker lite heaven :) I just installed PatchMaker Lite 1.10(PML), and the new Ultrasound drivers to support it. I've had no problems at all with them so far regarding playing MIDI files and such. However, I have started to look into PML and I am trying to make my own patches. But when I drag the violin.wav into the piano and want to loop it, it comes up with these two error messages: "Error 8 loading patch parameters" and immediately following, "Returned wave parameters differ." I'm stumped as to how to fix the problem. Any ideas?? Thanks in advance.... ------------------------------ Date: 23 Jan 94 14:42 -0800 From: Thomas Wong Subject: Ultrasound Internet Archives News - New Files Validated - Jan 23, 94 GRAVIS ULTRASOUND INTERNET ARCHIVES NEWS ============================================================================== FTP Sites Archive Directories --------- ------------------- Main N.American Site: archive.orst.edu pub/packages/gravis wuarchive.wustl.edu systems/ibmpc/ultrasound Main Asian Site: nctuccca.edu.tw PC/ultrasound European Callers ONLY: theoris.rz.uni-konstanz.de pub/sound/gus Submissions: archive.epas.utoronto.ca pub/pc/ultrasound/submit Newly Validated Files: archive.epas.utoronto.ca pub/pc/ultrasound Mirrors: garbo.uwasa.fi mirror/ultrasound MailServer For Archive Access: Email to ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well everyeone, it's finally done.... The new format for EPAS has finally been setup and you should find the following validated files in the appropriate directories. Please note the new header above for a complete list of our Internet services. Please allow 24 hours for the other (not EPAS) sites to mirror the new validated files. There are some very nice pieces of work this time around. Check out most of the files if you can. But anyways, what you've all been waiting for... Files validated for the Ultrasound Internet Archives, dated Jan 23, 94 (well, actually validated Dec 28 but problems prevented me from releasing them as you all know)...... ____________________________________________________________________________ Subdirectory: ..../demo byteb4.zip - The Byte Before Christmas demo by JL Enterprises (GUS) motion2.zip - Motion demo by Avalanche (GUS) unreal11.zip - Unreal Ver 1.1 from Future Crew (GUS) Subdirectory: ..../info 3d.txt - Update of 3D info file dae10.txt - Freeware/Shareware Digital Audio Editors glist.zip - G_LIST, dated 12-06-93, games/demos compatible with Ultrasound grndloop.txt - Info on fixing noise problems on Ultrasound jp5_jp7.txt - Info on Jumper (JP5 + JP7) modifications and specs midi4css.txt - Info on creating 4 channel surround sound with midi midifile.zip - Midi file format description Subdirectory: ..../game doom11pt.zip - Patch to upgrade DOOM version 0.99+ to 1.1 doom1_1a.zip - DOOM version 1.1, supports Ultrasound doom1_1b.zip / doomex.zip - Extracts single data files from Doom doomgus.txt - Info for running DOOM 1.0 on Ultrasound lolp111a.zip - Land of Lore patch to version 1.11a lolsound.zip - Land or Lore patch for multiple soundcards moo_gus.zip - Master of Orion patch for Ultrasound tetrisp.a01 - Tetris Pro, cool SVGA tetris with Ultrasound support tetrisp.arj / Subdirectory: ..../gravis/patch ultrajoy.exe - Update to Gravis' Ultrajoy program umid106a.zip - Ultramid Ver 1.06a, from GUS SDK 2.10 gus0036.zip - SBOS 3.7B2 Subdirectory: ..../gravis/util midfir76.zip - Gravis' Midifier turns GUS into general midi sound module pmak110.zip - Patch Maker Lite Ver 1.10 gusdk210.zip - GUS SDK 2.10 megem202.zip - Mega-Em 2.02 Subdirectory: ..../misc mc1upd6.zip - Music Chart #1 by Snowman of Digitial Infinity Subdirectory: ..../util/dos brainwav.zip - Wave, Brainwave synchronization voice file maker cool131.zip - Cool Edit 1.31 waveform editor Subdirectory: ..../sound/669/files faces.zip, fascinat.zip, get_bent.669, ignoranc.zip, stop10.zip, waves.zip Subdirectory: ..../sound/669/util tc669132.lzh - Update to TC669, 669 player, Ver 1.32 Subdirectory: ..../sound/midi/files bach_p2.zip (GM), ggvol01.zip (GUS), gjblues1.zip (GUS), hwboatgm.zip (GM), hwtechgm.zip (GM), nausicaa.zip (GUS), ultima7.zip (MT32), zorgcoll.zip (GUS) xinspace.zip (One of best midi files around + demo) Subdirectory: ..../sound/midi/util midiband.zip - Midiband Ver 1.0 player shows instruments playing on screen Subdirectory: ..../sound/misc bussis3m.zip - S3M file drknss3m.zip - S3M file fishs3m.zip - S3M file iplay10b.zip - Intertia Player Ver 1.00 beta, multi format player for GUS juker30.zip - Midi + wav jukebox for Win 3.1 with advanced features metal023.zip - Metal Ver 0.2pl3, multi channel multi format trakker for GUS Subdirectory: ..../sound/mod/files comein.zip, freeze.zip, lost_s_d.lha, meltdown.zip, opticmod.zip, predator.zip journey1.zip, journey2.zip (Check out these 2 includes neat graphics interface) Subdirectory: ..../sound/mod/util dmp278.zip - Update of Dual Module Player, version 2.78 gp15-pas.zip - Gusplay V1.5 using UltraDox V1 source code in B/T Pascal mikmod2.arj - Mikmod ver 0.2 + source for writing Mod player using GUS SDK 2.01 mod4win.zip - Mod4win Ver 1.02, mod player for Win 3.1 modman16.zip - Modman Ver 1.6, front end interface to mod players pt4gus06.zip - ProTracker Ver 0.6 for Ultrasound tumodu36.zip - Modutils Ver 3.6, Mod utilities Subdirectory: ..../sound/patches/files bosen_l.zip Subdirectory: ..../sound/patches/util mod2pat.zip - Convert many mod formats to Ultrasound patches Subdirectory: ..../sound/wav/files c_and_c.zip, cyboman.zip Notes: ====== b5th-1.zip - Can't unzip. Please re-upload. buzzmod1.zip - Can't unzip. Please re-upload. HYPERK.LZH - Can't unzip or lha extract. Please re-upload. HYPERK.ZIP / ultralin.arj - Can't arj extract. Please re-upload. md-mtlty.zip - Both soundblaster only & can't get to work with SBOS or Mega-Em mega-098.arj / Can anyone confirm it works on a GUS? merrylit.zip - Corrupt midi file? Can't play on any midi player. opticnrv.zip - neat graphics but no sound and nothing to do with Ultrasound soundbug.zip - Please send problems to Gravis, shouldn't be archived here Comments: ========= Well here we are. A new batch of new files validated. Sorry for the slowness of this current validation but due to problems with wuarchive, then came Xmas and New Year then problems with wuarchive and epas, well, I'm glad I finally had it done. As you can see above, the number of files ain't small. Anyways, the first thing I'll be doing is a _small_ reorganizing of one directory. sound/misc is getting huge so I think I'll create sound subdirectories for ULT and S3M files and sort those out. Have a gander at the latest files above. We have quite a few files well worth looking at above. A couple of really good programs/games. Looks like Ultrasound support is getting not only the quantity now, but also quality... Happy GUSing..... Thomas. ------------------------------ End of GUS Daily Digest V10 #24 *******************************