GUS Daily Digest Fri, 25 Mar 94 12:59 PST Volume 11: Issue 49 Today's Topics: 16 bit recording Daughter Card AVI Slowdown with GUS CGW and GUS/ Gus and NHL hockey Chicago GUS + TigerSoftware GUS and Cubase GUS CDROMS GUS Daily Digest V11 #40 GUS Daily Digest V11 #43 GUS Daily Digest V11 #44 GUS Daily Digest V11 #45 Novell DOS 7 good for GUS? Problem with QG4 in Windows Stealth and GUS 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: Fri, 25 Mar 1994 11:22:00 -0500 From: "mark (m.) ng" Subject: 16 bit recording Daughter Card Just like to say... AFter waiting for a year of false starts, finally I've recieved 16 bit recording. Well, recordings done with tape sounded good, USS16 is more stable then uss8, haven't try CD recordings yet. I have one complaint, I have a rev 2.2 Ultrasound Card, according to the manual, I might have to bend some capacitors around so the daughter card.... Well That's a slight understatement, the J1 connector connected fine, but the other for, I assume for the amplifiers were near impoossible to connect. At best they were half in the connector, so the only soluction was to either drill another hole on the board to put another fastener, or to use something to compress the 'sandwiched' boards together. Now drilling was not po0ssible, since ther GUS had no space for another hole. So I used Plastic ties to secure it. Question: Is surface mount technology more expensive? and by how much... on the gus, there are two mother-capacitors which made the daughter card bend so that it was not connecting to the amp-in / out connectors. could have helped here. Well the package came with the following: 16 bit daughter card 1 - registeration card 1 - 16 bit recording option installation guide 1 - Bonus software User's Guide : UltraStudio (USS16) Wave Lite by: Turtle Beach, this is a cut down version of Turtle Tools's Wave Editor. Patch Maker Lite 2 - 3 1/2 diskettes. new windows driver for 16 bit recording in windows (yes!) new Ultrasound Mixer for windows. Next thing I hope this is that there will be an addemum to the GUS SDK library for the 16 sound option, The 16 bit option requires a separte base address and a Codec DMA and a Codec IRQ... 16 bit recording supports four formats, No Compression, ADPCM, u-law, a-law. MC Ng ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Mar 94 19:32:18 EST From: "Christophe Wentling" Subject: AVI Slowdown with GUS I have heard a couple people talk about the fact that the GUS slows down multi-media operations. I have noticed this on my IBM 486DLC40. The slowdown is terrible. I actually use my thunderboard for windows now, as with the GUS, any Windows movies are slow. I have noticed in general that the GUS doesn't seem to handle any DAC stuff very well, always seems to slow stuff down a bit. Does anybody have any advice? I have followed Phat's advice to use an 8bit DMA port on the GUS, and have fooled with Cashe sizes, etc. with no diiference. Like I said, the difference when I use the Thunderboard it is much better. Thanks Christopher Wentling (cwentlin@kentvm.kent.edu) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Mar 94 17:24:27 EST From: Greg Subject: CGW and GUS/ Gus and NHL hockey I sent a letter to CGW regarding the sound article on tuesday. I received a reply that the letter would be given to the editorial department. If I receive another reply, I will post it to the digest. As for NHL Hockey, I use SBOS -o4 and this seems to improve the sound. However, the sound still is a little fuzzy. Also, you can use megaem with emm386 and NHL hockey if before the end of the period, or before you press escape, you use the Control S command to turn off the sound. One you resume play, you can use Control S to reactivate the sound. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Mar 94 15:49:07 -0500 From: davej@ferry.polymer.uakron.edu (Dave Jiang) Subject: Chicago Has anyone heard anything about if Gravis is going to support GUS for Chicago (Windows 4.0) ? I'm just curious... David Jiang ------------------------------------------------------------------ email : davej@eby.polymer.uakron.edu phone: (513) 435-6227 usmail: 207 Carters Grove Rd. FAX : (513) 435-6227 Centerville, OH 45459 U.S.A. ------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Mar 1994 12:37 EST From: 155722937@UCIS.VILL.EDU (LIFE IS A GREAT ADVENTURE) Subject: GUS + TigerSoftware Well, here in the latest TigerSoftware catalog, they have a special on the gravis. "Start with the Gravis Ultrasound Card, add the Gravis MIDI Adapter, top it off with the Roland CS-10 Stereo Speaker System. And you have one great sonic sensation for any PC!" - TigerSoftware - $299.90 Harald van der Kam 155722937@ucis.vill.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Mar 94 11:02:26 +0100 From: "rjones.NL" Subject: Re: GUS and Cubase cb@jet.uk (craige bevil) writes: > I'm having problems getting Cubase 1.1 to play the internal > synthesiser voices on my GUS. I loaded a MIDI file into Cubase and the > ensured that the settings on the Midi Mapper were set to Ultrasound > Synth Port but still no joy. I appreciate that Cubase might not load > the necessary patches into GUS patch RAM but I played the MIDI file > first with the media player and I assume that this indeed loads the > patches prior to it playing the file as I can hear the tune so I am > assuming that the patches are still in the GUS when I get round to > playing the file from Cubase. In your cubase setup, you should have MME drivers selected and nothing else. Then in the main window (track listing) - sorry I can't remember the actual names - in the output device column, you should be offered something like Ultrasound MIDI Synthesisor or Ultrasound MIDI Output Port. Choose the former. If you've already done all this, then further investigation would depend on whether or not the 'MIDI Out' light is on when the song is playing. Email me if you still have problems. Rod ------------------------------------------------------------------------- / Rod Jones. "Good decisions come from experience. \ ( Email: rjones@nl.oracle.com Experience comes from making bad decisions" ) \ - Mark Twain / ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Mar 94 18:07:36 GMT From: Simon@geordie.demon.co.uk (Simon Crute) Subject: Re: GUS CDROMS In message <199403222142.AA14532@gaia.ucs.orst.edu> GUS Server writes: > Most any CDROM will work with the GUS, since you only plug in the audio-out into > the CD-ROM audio-in jack, but you'll most likely discover that the cable that > comes with the drive won't fit the connector on the GUS (without bending the pins > in, and even with forcing, the plug will just barely go on a little). > Fortunately you can buy aftermarket cables in most stores that sell CDROMS today, > including Software Etc. and Best Buy. I've just got hold of a dony CDROM player, and the connector that came with it pluged straight into my GUS. No problems. I use the interface card supplied, cos I didn't know where to get a daughter board from. Now all I've got to do is get an small-> large power lead converter so I can use my tape streamer (and hence my floppy drive) again. -- Geordie ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Mar 1994 10:57:40 -0500 (EST) From: Phat H Tran Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V11 #40 > Date: Tue, 15 Mar 1994 13:04:38 -0500 (EST) > From: Phat H Tran > Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V11 #38 > [...] > > Date: Sun, 13 Mar 1994 21:05:49 +0000 (GMT) > > From: Toby > > Subject: Thanks Phat > > > > Thanks a lot for your comments but your suggestion concerning ultrajoy > > does not make sense. You say "the new ultrajoy in the GUS0041 file fixes > > the problem" Well the whole point of the post was to tell people that > > they DONT WORK!!!! The new ultrajoy does NOT fix it. I do not have the > > old ultrajoy, gus0041 wrote the new ultrajoy over the top of it! > > My point was that are you sure you're using the _new_ ultrajoy.exe in > gus0041? The install program does _not_ always correctly copy over > newer files (witness the ultrasnd.ini fiasco). If you've ftped an older > ultrajoy.exe (ftp does not preserve file time stamps) or have touched > its date in any way, install might not recognize your ultrajoy.exe as > being older than the one in gus0041 and thus not copy the new one on > top of it. I recall that the initialization bug in ultrajoy.exe has > been corrected in gus0041, so it shouldn't be giving you any difficulties. > If, in reality, the bug still exists, then Gravis should be notified. > I should check ultrajoy out myself, but my current hardware setup is > not like yours. So, if you can Restore ultrajoy.exe (using install.exe > on your gus0041 disk) to your \ultrasnd directory to ensure that it's > the latest one, then run it after ultrinit.exe to see if it hoses your > GUS, I'd appreciate it. I went and re-installed my 2.4 GUS and the ultrajoy.exe from gus0041.zip, and you were right, Toby. The ultrajoy.exe in gus0041.zip trashes the 2.4 GUS. However, I still recommend that the user let the install program do its installation unimpeded. Then, after the installation is complete, and if the user has a 2.4 (or earlier) GUS, he should remove ultrajoy.exe from his autoexec.bat or place it right before the ultrinit line (ultrinit will undo the damage done by ultrajoy). There is already a newer version of ultrajoy.exe that is 2.4-friendly, but it hasn't been released yet. > Date: Wed, 16 Mar 1994 08:24:41 -0800 (PST) > From: Rath > Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V11 #39 > > RE: DOOM DIGITAL SOUNDS > > YEAH! I'm not getting digital sounds in doom either. I thought it was > just something I did wrong, so i fiddled with it for a few moments, but > couldn't get it to work. All i heard were a few pops from where the > digital was SUPPOSED to be... Set both your GF1 and SB/MIDI IRQ to 7 or less (preferably less than 7). Doom doesn't properly support the high IRQs. > Date: Tue, 15 Mar 94 17:00:01 EST > From: Akintunde Omitowoju > Subject: MegaEm & Sound Blaster v1.05 > > Does anyone know if a new version of MegaEm has been released (since the > one found in the most recent upgrade ZIP files)? The latest one released is 2.03, I believe. > I have an SB v1.05 in my machine, and when I load up MegaEm with SB emulation > on, I don't get any sound from my GUS or my SB. Umm... what did you expect? Mega-Em does not work reliably when there's a real SB in the machine. > Also, are there any other GUS programming kits besides the GUSSDK201? Thanks! If you're looking for a higher-level SDK, look into the ultramid docs in gusdk201.zip. > Date: Tue, 15 Mar 1994 13:19:30 -0500 (EST) > From: E_PEISS@PAVO.CONCORDIA.CA > Subject: More on GUS and SB > > When reader the docs that came with my GUS it sounded like that a GUS and > SB would fry each other or crash if put in the same machine at the same time. > Are there any special settings you need??? No. Just make sure that the GUS and SB aren't using any IRQs, addresses, or DMAs in common. The GUS' SB DMA is fixed at 1, but it isn't used outside of SBOS, so if you don't put the GUS into SB emulation mode, the DMA won't clash with the SB's DMA. Also, be sure to use ultrinit 2.18 to resolve a conflict at the adlib ports. Phat. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Mar 1994 11:13:57 -0500 (EST) From: Phat H Tran Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V11 #43 > Date: Fri, 18 Mar 94 11:32:47 MEZ > From: hach@oracle.dwhl.de > Subject: cakewalk - not enough mem on your card? > > Hi, > > I just tested cakewalk (midi prg. for windows) with my GUS. > It's sure a great peace of software BUT, if I try to load a big midi file, > Cakewalk reports 'There's not enough memory on your soundcard to hold all > patches' I don't understand this, because I can play these Midi-Files > with playmidi from dos!? Cakewalk has a minor, but irritating, patch caching bug. To get around it, just delete all program changes from channel 10 and set its patch to none. You should then be able to play virtually any MIDI file. > Date: Fri, 18 Mar 94 12:00:36 MEZ > From: hach@oracle.dwhl.de > Subject: How to play all patches??? > > I've about 600 patches for my GUS, but how do I listen to all of them? > Patchmaker plays only 128 fixed instruments :(. And I don't want to edit > the *.ini each time I'm going to listen to a new patch! > Is there a program, that is able to play ALL patches I've got? Patchmaker plays any patch you load into it, not just from a selection of 128 fixed instruments. You must be thinking of Patch Manager. > Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 14:12:07 -0700 (MST) > From: > Subject: Want to use a MIDI keyboard with my GUS > > I bought my GUS forever ago (back when they first came out) and have > been using it quite sucessfully since day 1. > > Now I have decided I would like to hook up a MIDI keyboard to it > so I can make some music with it. Can anyone make recommendations > for me? I would like full size keys that are velocity sensetive. Music-related questions will garner a much better response if posed on the music digest instead of here. See the meta-info at the end of the general digest. Phat. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Mar 1994 13:00:31 -0500 (EST) From: Phat H Tran Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V11 #44 > Date: Sat, 19 Mar 1994 13:30:12 -0500 (EST) > From: V128NKGA@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu > Subject: A different MIDI in Windows problem ... > > Here's one more strange thing : when I load these silent midi's > into the Midisoft Session program (from the registered install disk), the > files load just fine with notes and everything. When I hit play, however, > I get silence ... even though the notes are being tracked (highlighted, > when they are supposed to be being played). When I choose a track, and > assign and instrument to it ... it plays! The problem with that MID is that it doesn't have program changes to assign instruments to the channels. It will play with PlayMIDI, which defaults every channel to Piano, but it won't play under Windows, which does not have a default instrument for the channels. > Date: Sat, 19 Mar 94 13:06:19 EST > From: Haroon Sheikh > Subject: Hiss in recordings > > Why is it that no matter what sampling frequency that I record at, I always > get a layer of hiss (noise) over the entire recording. I've tried all > combinations (11KHz to 44KHz, stereo/mono and 8-bit). The problem you're experiencing is the quantization noise inherent in 8-bit recordings, which is, at best, only 48 dB quieter than the loudest sound you can capture. Prof. Lipshitz (sp?) presented an excellent lecture on quantization noise (and what to do about it) yesterday evening. Perhaps you went? > Date: Sun, 20 Mar 1994 13:55:23 +0000 (GMT) > From: Toby > Subject: PCM or DSP > > I was reading in PCFormat that that the Ultrasnd uses DSP based wave > table as opposed to the more advanced PCM wave table. IS this correct? > In my understanding. DSP wavetable uses an oscillator and variouse > parameters to operate on a single wave form. Where as the GUS uses PCM > wave table ie. Similar oscillators and parameters but with actual PCM > sampled patches. Who is right me or PCF ? Excuse my language, but, fuck! The incompetence of these journalists never ceases to amaze me. The GUS _does_ do "PCM wave table", or sample playback, synthesis. The distinction they're trying to make is between "true wavetable", which uses mono-cyclic waveforms and processes them further to produce complicated sounds, and sample playback, which uses relatively large samples of the target sound. The GUS falls into the latter category (along with the Maui, WB, SCC-1, TB Multisound, etc.). What is the address of PCFormat? These guys need to be reprimanded for such sloppy work. Phat. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Mar 1994 12:51:02 -0500 (EST) From: Phat H Tran Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V11 #45 > Date: Mon, 21 Mar 1994 10:50:41 +0200 (METDST) > From: John Peter Jore > Subject: FS5 and Win-OS/2 > [...] > Also I can not get the windows software to work under OS/2 2.11's Windows. The > drivers say that I'm not running Windows in 386 Enhanched mode. All other > windows programs say I AM using 386 Enhanced mode. The GUS drivers are Win 3.1 virtual device drivers, and OS/2 currently does not support that kind of driver. > Date: Mon, 21 Mar 1994 10:48:59 -0600 > From: Sesterhenn Steven J > Subject: General MIDI set > > To all who know, > I bought my GUS in June of 1993, have rev2.4 and install disks > 2.06_. Does anyone know if this is the set that came with the full > General MIDI compliant set of patches? Someone mentioned that 2.06 The 2.06 disks contain the full GM set of patches. > did, and I thought I didn't get the whole set, but just a set large > enough to play the sample MID files that came with the card. I checked > the 2.06 disk updates on FTP and they are dated May 93. Does anyone > know for sure if I have them, or a way to check for that matter? Do a dir *.pat in your ultransd\midi directory. You should have around 188 or more patches. > Date: Mon, 21 Mar 1994 09:11:19 -0216 (GMT-2:16) > From: "J.Waghorn" > Subject: My MIDI won't come back :( > > Hi folks, > > Just a quickie > > Since I upgraded to Winslows 3.11 and GUS Install 3.1, I've lost the MIDI > in Windows. The .WAVs play fine, but I can't get .MIDs to play at > all. Delete ultrasnd.ini and re-run install.exe from your 3.1 disks to Restore ultrasnd.ini. Phat. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Mar 1994 09:18:48 MST From: "Dean C. Johnson" Subject: Novell DOS 7 good for GUS? Many months ago I remember reading that DR DOS 6 does not support some GUS software well. ( Is this correct?) Does anyone know if Novell DOS 7 supports GUS software well or not? -Thanks ------------------------------ Date: 25 Mar 94 11:13:14 EST From: "Eric Bell, Howling Dog Systems" <71333.2166@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Problem with QG4 in Windows > Problem with QG4 in Windows > Now, I'm having problems. I keep getting a "Cannot write to device AUX" > error every time I try to start the game. I'm using the version of the > windows drivers that came with Patchmaker. Someone has left some debugging calls in their code which write messages out to the AUX port (unless that is rerouted by use of DBWin or other program, which you likely will not have unless you are a developer). This is probably in the driver, could be in the game itself. Try getting different drivers. Eric ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Mar 94 11:43:31 CST From: bcorfman@conch.senod.uwf.edu (Brandon Corfman) Subject: Stealth and GUS I have a Stealth 24 ISA card (ver 1.11) and a GUS in my 386-33 getting along happily. My ULTRINIT settings are 260,3,3,11,11 if it helps any. I haven't changed anything on my Stealth since taking it out of the box. By the way, the beta Windows drivers for the Stealth (ST24B.EXE) located on Wuarchive are wonderful. Increased speed, mouse utils, virtual desktop stuff, etc, etc. Get 'em! ------------------------------ End of GUS Daily Digest V11 #49 *******************************