GUS Daily Digest Sat, 23 Apr 94 9:37 PST Volume 12: Issue 23 Today's Topics: Bad review of the GUS CD ROM cable for GUS and Darksun Game lockup gravis E-Mail GUS & PAS together GUS and Stealth Pro GUS Daily Digest V12 #21 (2 msgs) GUS Daily Digest V12 #22 (2 msgs) Hocus Pokus Media Player - OK, so it does after all Mega-Em noises... Radio Ads stacker 4 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: Sat, 23 Apr 94 13:36:10 EET DST From: s106275@ee.tut.fi (Saari Anssi) Subject: Re: Bad review of the GUS >Thu, 21 Apr 94 19:51:23 EST Greg writes: >Please note that this is a magazine dedicated to windows and all tests >were done in the Windows environment. The tests were performed >using the recording applet bundled with each sound card. That's where they went wrong, I'd say. What recording applet does the GUS include? I don't know of any, so maybe there was some new alpha software with the `GUS MAX'? Or maybe they used USS8 in a dos window... I don't understand why when testing hardware the same software isn't used for all cards. Is someone interested in pointing this out to them? Anssi ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 13:23:00 -0500 (EST) From: DINESH@VAX2.CONCORDIA.CA Subject: CD ROM cable for GUS and Hello everyone, I know that thesequestion was probably asked before. I just got a Panasonic CD ROM, but the cable for the audio that comes came with it does not fit on the GUS. I was told to remove the comes plastic socket from the cable and plug each wire independently. However, I don't have any instructions on the order which these wires goes in. Can anyone HELP PLEASE. I would like to know the GRAVIS 16bit daughter card. WHat is it used for. Can I connect my CD ROM directly to the daughter card and then to the GUS thus eliminatig the CD controller card? THanks you all ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 15:41:44 -0600 (MDT) From: Brian Novak Subject: Darksun I was playing Darksun this week, all was going fine until I fought a large group of ratmen in the sewers. Suddenly the god-awfullest screeching, hissing, and popping came out of the speakers. I had to unplug them, finish the fight, save the game and exit. Is there someithing I'm missing? I used the GUS general midi support, nothing special done. My settings are 240 DMA5 IRQ5 (I think-I'm not at home). I also have a Audio16 SB-clone that came with my 486/66 from Quantex at the default settings. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks E-mail me at briann@pmafire.inel.gov TTFN - Ta Ta For Now, Brian:-> Do *NOT* read this sign under penalty of law. Section 32.4.3.2.a.b par.3 YES, this means you *DOGBREATH*. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Apr 94 23:42:23 -0400 From: DMCATEER@loyalistc.on.ca Subject: Game lockup This question might have been answered previously but I'm a newbie so please forgive me. Native support games like Doom and Raptor have been locking up on me with the sounds going into a little fit. Findcard detected a device conflict which I solved by disabling the game port on my controller card(local bus) which I though would solve it but didn't. The card is configured at 220,5,5,7,5 I've read about possible problems with IRQ7 but I was running Raptor under IRQ 11 and had lockups. What are the prob. with IRQ7 anyways? I've also detected gremlins occasionally in Windoze with my Com2 port - Windoze not being able to open the com port or bad communication at the port itself. A cold reboot usually solves this but I suspect my GUS is causing a little confusion on the mother board some how. I'm running a 486DX-33, 4mb ram, 1mb on the GUS. Init ver.2.18 All sound files (midi etc.) play without a hitch. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated. Dave Mc. (newbie novice learning fast 8-) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Apr 94 00:55:54 -0500 From: jfulmer@databank.com (John Fulmer) Subject: gravis E-Mail Does anyone know the current E-mail address for the Tech at Gravis? I have tried tech@gravis.com but it keeps bouncing. Is there a newer address? Thanks jf --- John Fulmer | "I find it in-ter-es-ting, Micom Computer Systems | A noun's a person, place, Lawrence, Ks. | or thing..." --- ------------------------------ Date: 22-APR-1994 23:41:17.54 From: Richard Wyckoff Subject: GUS & PAS together The usually impeccably accurate Phat wrote: >You can't use the GUS for SB emulation when you have a PAS in the same >machine as the PAS itself has SB hardware. Well, you can with a real SB, and I would imagine, unless there's something REALLY bizarre about a PAS, then you can with a PAS. I've been using an SB along with my GUS on and off for a year now (after giving up on trying to use the GUS alone), and I can run any GUS software just fine, including SBOS, and most SB software as well. I realize this has been posted to the digest a few times in the past, but it's worth reiterating since it works so well for me: Make sure you set the jumpers on the SB to port 220, IRQ 7 (if you have a printer or your IRQ 7 doesn't work, sorry...). Set the GUS's jumpers to put it at any other port you can use. Don't forget to set your BLASTER environment variable to A220 I7 D1 T1, and set your ULTRASND environment variable (either by hand, or through the install software) to use the correct port and different IRQs. Mine is: ULTRASND=210,7,7,11,5. The reason to put the SB on 220 and 7 is that a lot of those new games that do hardware checking to confirm sound cards (an INCREDIBLY annoying trend, IMHO), will check for the SB on 220 and 7 first, and if you had the GUS on 220 and 7 and the SB on something else, then the install routines would probably crash, unless you ran SBOS of course. Now if you decide you want to run SBOS for a game instead of using your real Soundblaster (once or twice a game has refused to recognize my truly ancient SB, even on the default hardware setup), then run SBOS, change your BLASTER environment variable to match your GUS port and SB IRQ, and then try running the game. Normally, though, if you have some SB or hardware SB clone in your machine and you can run it at 220 and 7, you'll never have to mess with SBOS. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Apr 94 1:51:36 BST From: g.gene@ic.ac.uk Subject: GUS and Stealth Pro >Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 17:12:39 -0700 (PDT) >From: Shane Conder >Subject: Diamond Stealth Pro and GUS > >Somone in the #20 digest (mcavity@panam1.panam.edu) mention, kinda to the >side, that the GUS did not work with the Diamond Stealth Pro. >Is this a known fact? If so why? > >Could the person who stated this please explain in a little more detail. > >A friend of mine wants a GUS and has that video card. > >Shane [saconder@sq.olympus.net] Actually Shane, I have a Stealth Pro VLB with 1 MEG VRAM and a GUS v2.4 and havent experienced any problems.....I have an ordinary VESA BUS 486 -33DX machine with a VEGA motherboard.... Eugene [geg@ee.ic.ac.uk] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 14:18:04 -0400 (EDT) From: Phat H Tran Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V12 #21 > Date: Wed, 20 Apr 94 09:45:54 PST > From: bnielsen@cclink.logicon.com (Nielsen, Bill) > Subject: Installing GUS and Gateway sound card together > > I am attempting to get the GUS and the Gateway sound card (a SB > compatible manufactured by Aztec using default settings: IRQ 5, port > 220, DMA 1) to work on my computer together, a Gateway P5-60. When > the GUS is just plugged in, even with no drivers or environment > variables installed, all DOS SB applications I have tried with the > Gateway card fail. For example, Rebel Assault will lock up while the > game is loading and DOOM runs with no sound (I realize both of these > games have GUS support, but that's not the point.) They work fine > when the GUS is unplugged. Windows sound works, however, with both > cards plugged in. Do I have to choose one card or the other, or does > anybody have a work around. You _have_ to run ultrinit 2.18 or later before the GUS will coexist with the SB. Without running ultrinit, the GUS' Adlib ports will conflict with the SB's, and there's no telling what sort of state the GUS is in (if it's not stable, then a port access to its address by a game to determine if you have a soundcard can cause a machine lockup). Also, you didn't say if you've set the GUS' address jumpers. Note that the GUS' base address is set by hardware, not by ultrinit, and that it defaults to 220h, where your SB is on. To use both your GUS and your SB in the same machine, do the following: 1. Place the SB on 220h, IRQ 5 (its DMA is fixed at 1). 2. Place the GUS around these settings. Set the address jumpers to 240h (as an example--if 240h is taken, try 210h, etc.), then set _both_ DMAs (go to the advanced setup, not just custom) to the same channel (e.g. 5 or 7), and finally set the IRQs to 11 and 12 (if they're free). 3. Use ultrinit 2.18 or later. > Date: Thu, 21 Apr 94 11:12:59 BST > From: n9151919@eng.hud.ac.uk (MR. M.D.NEWSHOLME) > Subject: ultima8 > > Is there a way to get sound from ultima8 using gus. Grab u8gus2.zip from Epas. It will give you native GUS music, but since U8 uses custom internal drivers for the digital audio, you won't get any sound effects unless you have an SB coresiding in your machine. Phat. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Apr 94 19:13:13 PDT From: jason@cheshire.oxy.edu (Jason Fudenberg) Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V12 #21 Shane Conder writes: > Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 17:12:39 -0700 (PDT) > From: Shane Conder > Subject: Diamond Stealth Pro and GUS > > Somone in the #20 digest (mcavity@panam1.panam.edu) mention, kinda to the > side, that the GUS did not work with the Diamond Stealth Pro. > > Is this a known fact? If so why? > > Could the person who stated this please explain in a little more detail. > > A friend of mine wants a GUS and has that video card. > > Shane [saconder@sq.olympus.net] Don't know about the GUS, but I was talking to a guy today who does tech support at MediaVision (ProAudio Spectrum) and he said some large percentage of his calls right now are people with the Diamond Stealth Pro card, which he says will not work with the PAS. I think he said something about a patch from the Diamond etc. vendor, but don't remember for sure. --Sharon (writing as jason@cheshire.oxy.edu) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Apr 94 14:47:06 CDT From: Han-jung Kim Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V12 #22 the card will be out today. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Apr 1994 00:42:11 -0400 (EDT) From: Phat H Tran Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V12 #22 > Date: Thu, 21 Apr 1994 15:06:30 CST > From: mcavity@PANAM1.PANAM.EDU > Subject: 32channel doom @ stealth pro.. > > To : The wise and wonderful Phat: Is that condescension I detect? :) > Well If you look at my message i did state that all 32 channels would probably > never be used.. but I do know that after installing a meg there was some > improvemt on doom with the gun and the I pumped the sound all the way up to 32 > and I got much improvemet in the sound [i had drum beats befor but not a quick > repeat beat bump-bump-bump verry fast.. I had one thunk.] I realy belive that If you mean the drums at the beginning, they are part of the MIDI score, and the only possible effect that a higher number of channels can have on the music is to steal voices away from the music (a detrimental effect). I didn't find any difference in the drums at the start with 4 sound channels versus 32 or 99. > the doom sound engin is just mixing more sounds..Things do not cut out like > they did before. infact NOTHING ever cuts out anymore for me...I hear the > chainsaw while bumping into a wall with monsters attacking at the same time.. I agree that fewer sounds cut out if one increases the channel count above 4, but the end result is not very dramatic. Certainly, one shouldn't be proclaiming that setting the number to 32 gives GUS users 32 channels of digital sounds without any evidence to suggest that this is the case while there is technical reasons to believe why it would not be the case. > realy ! I'm not joking! I -PERSONALY- have no more sound cut outs in large > fights.. and i'm on a 386-40 [soon to be overclocked... ;-) where that da## > 100mhz crystal...] Anyway I get a definate improvement so the rest is up to > you... I dont think it is the gus, I think it is the doom sound engine mixing. The DOOM mixing engine uses the GUS hardware to mix the channels. However, no sounds are cached on the GUS, requiring that the digital samples be DMAed to the card each time they are played. Increasing the number of sound channels will increase the DMA overhead on the I/O bus, and this can have a negative effect on the graphics routines. This is one of the reasons why "32 channels" seems so absurd. I don't mean to defuse the enjoyment of users playing DOOM with more than 4 channels; I just want people to be a little more realistic and not get too carried away with the hype. > Mcavity@p > Date: Thu, 21 Apr 94 19:51:23 EST > From: Greg > Subject: Bad review of the GUS > > The May 1994 issue of Windows Sources Magazine does not rate > the GUS very highly. The magazine performed 3 recording and > playback tests, including frequency response at 44khz, total > harmonic distortion and signal to noise ratio. Although the > article claimed it was testing the GUS MAX, I believe that they > were testing the GUS with the 16 bit daughterboard (unless the > GUS MAX is really a GUS with the daughterboard). A GUS with the 16-bit DB would not score poorly on SNR, THD, etc. either. They must have been recording with the GF1's 8-bit ADC. > The following is what the magazine had to say about the GUS (MAX): > ----------- > "Pros- Comprehensive software bundle > Cons- Instrument Samples need 5.5MB of hard disk space > The Gravis Ultrasound MAX, from Advanced Gravis ($249), follows > some trends and bucks others. Like its rivals, it records 16-bit > sound, but it uses its own GF1 synthesizer. And instead of storing > digital samples in ROM, it stores the waveform patches on disk and > loads them into its on-board RAM as needed. It is also the only sound > board reviewed that uses a daughterboard to perform its 16bit waveform > recording; without it you can only record at 8 bits. Unfortunately, That's the regular Ultrasound. The Max does not use a DB for its 16-bit recording. > its poor signal-to-noise ratio resulted in audible distorion and > hum during recording tests. Although the test unit was a preproduction > model, the problem resulting from its design is likely to remain. On Ha! I've heard the 16-bit DB months before its release and it does not have "audible distortion and hum"! The only criticism that I can lay on the pre-release DB was that it had a bit of hissing that reduced its SNR to about 75 dB. I haven't had a chance to try out the newest batch of 16-bit DB's that have been modified for 3.7 GUSes. *GASP* The early 16-bit DBs had horrible sound problems with the 3.7 GUSes... I wonder if that's what they were using... > the positive side, this board comes with software that outshines that > offered by most its rivals; and it's low cost. However, even its > excellent bundle isn't compensation enough- not when audio quality > counts." I have completely and utterly lost any faith I once had in popular computer journalism. Write to the magazine and tell them to get their act together. > Date: Thu, 21 Apr 94 15:48:34 EDT > From: jasonr@Newbridge.COM (Jason Rusmisel) > Subject: Trying out new patches > > Hi GUSsers: > > I've ftped a lot of new patches and I'm trying to find a way to try them out. > I would like to be able to compare two patches for example when replacing some > of the gravis patches. Is there a way to load up an arbitrary patch and play it; either in DOS or Windoze? Yes, with Patch Maker Lite. > A second question: > > How do I make use of the patch bank features I see mentioned in ultrasnd.ini? > I've made up new patch banks but I can't get any of the Windoze apps to > give me an option to switch banks. Can anyone give me some advice here too!? Currently, you have to edit bank 0 and the [Melodic Patches] and [Drum Patches] sections by hand (they all have to agree). Also, your patches have to be located in the /ultrasnd/midi directory. Phat. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Apr 94 19:59:00 -0800 From: chris.campbell@mag-net.com (Chris Campbell) Subject: Hocus Pokus > I just got word that Hocus Pocus from Apogee will be modified >and will now support the GUS, General MIDI, Roland, PAS-16, and more! >And, it will support EIGHT digital channels. The only drawback is they won't make their May 1st release date. Joe Sigler told me that it would mean I extra few weeks. For once I'm not complaining about a delay! Do you know if it will use the same drivers as Raptor, or better GUS drivers? I hope they put a apoligy in the HPHELP about what they said about the GUS:-D ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 23:00:14 -0400 (EDT) From: mikebat@netcom.com (Mike Batchelor) Subject: Re: Media Player - OK, so it does after all Not the GUS Server once wrote... $ $ ------------------------------ $ $ Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 09:25:30 -0500 $ From: Don Eller $ Subject: mplayer cannot play CD's????? $ $ I read the following in my Monday digest and could believe my eyes. $ "...Surprise! Media Player is not a CD ROM player, so it will never play $ music CDs, with any sound card. You want to get a separate program for $ that...." That was me, he said sheepishly. $ Huh, how did you ever come to this conclusion. Because until I read your message, it never has done so, on any PC I have used it on, including ones with CDs installed. $ I agree that you can get much $ nicer CD players for windows, but come on mplayer (both version 1 and 2) play $ CD's just fine. It utilizes MSCDEX and of course the driver MCI CD Audio must $ be installed (it comes with all version of windows). But is NOT installed during Windows installation unless MSCDEX is loaded *at that time*. I just checked. I had no CD drive at the time I installed Windows originally. And the MCI driver was not on my hard disk until a moment ago, when I went into the drivers panel and added it. It's on disk #4. Naturally, MPlayer never offered it as an option, even after I purchased my CD. Plenty of other Windows CD players work just fine without an MCI driver, so I never thought to look in control panel. $ Whoever wrote this must $ not have much experience with multi-media under Windows. Thankfully, I don't. $ Mplayer stands for $ multi-media player, not midi-player! Please try to get your facts straight $ before posting here and misleading people. I was misled as well. What, do you think I was trying to deliberately mislead the readers of this digest? Microsoft has done a far better job of that than I ever will. I will refrain from the rant I was just pondering about my experiences with attempting video teleconferencing under Windows. $ ------------------------------ $ $ Date: Tue, 19 Apr 1994 14:48:37 -0700 (PDT) $ From: Desolation $ Subject: Qemm 7.03 Problems $ $ I just got my new 486/33 motherboard and CPU and I can't seem to get $ MEGAEM to load anymore under Qemm 7.03. It keeps telling me there is a $ memory error. If I use emm386.exe, it loads fine, but Qemm isn't work $ (and it worked on my old machine just fine). Any suggestions? Try adding SH:N to your QEMM386 device. Perhaps your shadow RAM is close enough for QEMM to attempt to reclaim it, but not really a compatible chipset. I suggest this because you say you got a new motherboard, and that is when the problem started. If you can ftp to qdeck.com, pick up qemmflow.tec in the pub/technotes directory, or look in the troubleshooting section of the manual for a step-by-step procedure for finding solutions to problems like this. -- Mike Batchelor | UseLinuxUseLinuxUseLinuxUseLinuxUseLinuxUseLinuxUseLinux mikebat@netcom.com | xuniLesUxuniLesUxuniLesUxuniLesUxuniLesUxuniLesUxuniLesU ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Plug 'N' Play: A specification invented by Microsoft and Intel which enables a computer and its operating system to create hardware conflicts without user intervention. No more jumpers to misplace! The computer will misplace them for you. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Apr 94 16:55:00 -0800 From: chris.campbell@mag-net.com (Chris Campbell) Subject: Mega-Em >> Jayeson is now working for Gravis and the program is free! It >> supports Sound Blaster digital sound, and he is currentally working >> on a version that will work for protected mode games! >That'd be great! But just to be safe from major disappointments, is >this a rumour or something rather than fact? If not, how's the >situation with the program, and will it be priced as well as the >current version? ;) No, I am pleased to say it is not a rumor. Brian Rizzo, Advanced Gravis rep told me in the fidonet soundcards area that the protected mode mega-em is close to completion. Since Jayeson is working for Advanced Gravis, I assume it will be free from the GUS BBS, and Support BBS's or Gravis FTP sites (I have to call the BBS because I do not yet have FTP access) changing the subject, what do you think is the best tracker player for the GUS? My favorite is Inertia Player. I like it because it has great graphics (I love the spectrum analisis) excellent sound output, and ever runs great under Windows or OS/2! I used to use DMP, but I got fed up wasting time downloading v2.87-2.88, I mean how can he consider releasing something that dosen't even work? I only have one problem with Inertia Player, and that is that it dosen't work right with FAR's. I mailed the author about it and got a prompt reply that he has fixed it, and the next version will play .FAR's perfectally! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Apr 94 00:35:31 -0500 From: jfulmer@databank.com (John Fulmer) Subject: noises... >The final analysis: the gus windows drivers were messing things up pretty >badly. They didn't test as corrupt, so i'm a little concerned about it >happenning again in the near future. I'm hoping another release comes out >sometime soon. During that noisy season there were also a whole bunch of >lost sectors, cross-links, etc being generated. I hope the gus drivers >were an effect and not a cause. > Wow! What concerns me is the lost sectors, cross-links, etc. It ALMOST sounds like some kind of conflict between DOS and/or harware with the gus software/hardware. Or perhaps you were getting REALLY dirty power. But I would think that would give you a few more problems to the above. I wouldn't worry about it in the future. I may be that the old gus drivers were somehow mis-installed or just got a LITTLE corrupt, or that one of your cross link sectors fell on a portion of the gus software. Who knows? You might want to move the GUS to the slot farthest from your power supply, and perhaps a line filter for your power supply. You can usually pick a one out let power filter cheap ($5-10 US) from somewhere..... Chow, j. --- John Fulmer | "I find it in-ter-es-ting, Micom Computer Systems | A noun's a person, place, Lawrence, Ks. | or thing..." --- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Apr 1994 10:15:51 -0700 (PDT) From: "George A. Montemayor" Subject: Radio Ads Advanced Gravis sponsers the radio show, ON COMPUTERS, which airs every Sunday 10AM-1PM PST around the USA and around the world via United Arms Forces Network. The show use the GUS to play MIDI, MODS ,and WAVs (yes, they do say thay they use the GUS and DO LIKE IT) Gravis place their GUS radio ads during the show when they take a break. (This is where I first heard the GUS. Yep! I heard the GUS ad.) Oh ya, and how is their motto: "The Ultrasound card from Advanced Gravis. Once you hear, you'll see." -George ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Apr 94 13:18:12 BST From: n9151919@eng.hud.ac.uk (MR. M.D.NEWSHOLME) Subject: stacker 4 and gus i've just installed staker 4.0 and since then i've been having trouble with my gus. specidically megaem has stopped working with senenth guest. iwas wondering if this was due th the dpms stuff that stacker uses. Has nyone else had similar problems. secondly, i need a copy of u8gus.zip urgently but my sites ftp capablity is down at the moment and it is'nt on the mail server so could somen someone please mail me a copy, many thanks in advance. m.newsholme n9151919@uk.ac.hud.eng p.s. sorry about spelling i sending this mail from a p.c. with no backspace or delete/editting capablitys. ------------------------------ End of GUS Daily Digest V12 #23 *******************************