GUS Daily Digest Wed, 18 May 94 9:37 PST Volume 13: Issue 17 Today's Topics: Daily Digest V13 #16 Gravis Profits (or losses) GUS Daily Digest V13 #13 GUS Daily Digest V13 #14 GUS Daily Digest V13 #16 Hard Drive Caching HP Vectra problems with GUS MIDI Questions (3 msgs) propats? RTZ ZORK ZORK ZORK Ultramid 1.08 w/-c switch 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: Wed, 18 May 94 8:02:01 CDT From: Daniel A Nielsen Subject: Daily Digest V13 #16 Well Digest Vol 13 #16 is hosed on EPAS. This seems to be becoming a monthly event. Could this be fixed or could the same kind soul that sent me the last one that this happened to, send this one to me also? thanks dan ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 May 94 19:44:55 EDT From: Greg Subject: Gravis Profits (or losses) For those interested, the following is Advanced Gravis' corporate report as shown in numerous Canadian newspapers on Tuesday (yesterday). 3 months to Jan. 31 1994 Year Ago Revenue $9,046,993 $5,960,171 Net Profit (95,889) 387,775 Year to Jan.31, 1994 Revenue $23,675,496 $13,869,574 Net Profit (776,941) 607,570 SOURCE: GLOBE AND MAIL Lets hope Gravis can recover from its $700,000 loss and become a profitable company. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 22:13:49 CST From: mcavity@PANAM1.PANAM.EDU Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V13 #13 belive it or not windoze may be our salvattion.. with the new way of handdling video more games will work under windoze wich means generic sound interface which mean the ddont have to write specificly for out card.. [though that would be better..] Mcavity.. just a though ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 May 1994 09:54:14 EST From: "Mike Loux" Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V13 #14 > Well I think I've finally figured out what you need to do to get Return > to Zork to run properly. Here goes,... > > 1. Get a copy of the Version 1.1 update. Check carefully because there > is a different update for the floppy and CD ROM versions. The 1.1 > version uses EMS/XMS automatically so you get an extra 64 KB of > conventional memory. With the 1.0 version I found I had to have > about 624 KB of free RAM just to run the game. Okay, I got the new patch and set it up all nice and neat. One thing I noticed is that since SBOS is a batch file, you have to stick a CALL in front of the line in RTZ.BAT that turns SBOS off. Either than or remove it completely. I chose to stick a CALL in front of the line. If you don't, it will switch to SBOS.BAT and then quit. Whoops. Anyway, I installed the patch, and while things seem to run smoother, the game still locks up frequently when I switch screens (i.e move to another location). This is a royal pain in the neck and I am getting ready to throw the whole thing through the nearest window. I'm running RTZ (floppy version) on an AMI BIOS 386/40 (home brew) machine, on a PLUS 105MB 9ms HardCard. I'm not sure what revision my GUS is, but it's got the standard 256k and little else. I'm using the ULTRAMID that came with RTZ. Anyone else manage to fix their RTZ problems? I want to keep playing because the game is really nice, but I'm getting sick of replaying scenes because I didn't save it at the right time, and I hate having to save the game on every other move, fercrissakes. Especially when it comes to going back through places I've already been and want to run through real quick (i.e. the forest maze, etc.) > > 2. If you don't have a VOICEOOH.PAT file in ULTRASND\MIDI you'll keep > getting "Divide Error" messages (at least that's what kept > happening to me). I merely copied DOO.PAT to VOICEOOH.PAT and the > Divide Error messages went away. Haven't run into this error message at all. Then again, could be that it hangs before I can see it. I haven't checked my directory for this patch, but if it comes with the standard install disks, then I'll assume I have it. I've got the latest driver files from GUS0039 and GUS0040, installed on top of GUS0038, so I should be ok. Any takers? much obliged, -Mikus -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Michael J. Loux Jr. PC-LAN E-Mail Administrator/Postmaster University of Connecticut Computer Center; ISS work ph. (203) 486-1406 Pegasus Mail Administrator ID: mloux@rm42.ucc.uconn.edu Chronos Mail/List Server Postmaster ID: mloux@chronos.ucc.uconn.edu US Snail: 5A Carlton Rd, Storrs, CT 06268-2504, home ph. (203) 429-8320 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The only thing that hurts more than paying income tax is not having to pay income tax. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 May 94 09:55:01 +0300 From: Yossi Oren Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V13 #16 >Date: Mon, 16 May 94 17:55:53 -0400 >From: davej@ferry.polymer.uakron.edu (Dave Jiang) >Subject: Program GUS > >Does anyone know where I can get some info on how to program the GUS? thx! The GUS software development kit (SDK) is free and available from EPAS and other places - look for GUSDK210.ZIP (1.2MB or so). If you want to start small, check out the UltraMID API - it does almost anything and doesn't need much effort to implement. There's also a programmers' list full of people who could tell you more - check the end of this message for info. Yossi. +---+-----------------------------------------------------------+---+---+ | = | Yossi Oren, Al-Daf Technological Mercenaries. [diet .sig] | v | ^ | +---+-----------------------------------------------++----------+---+--+| |LIOREN1@weizmann.weizmann.ac.il (or just @weizmann)||GUS-sound that's || |The people are with the Golan Heights! ||worth hearing! || +===================================================++=================++ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 16:01:45 -0400 (EDT) From: "Out of it..." Subject: Hard Drive Caching OK, got Arena, but.... The game needs: 1) EMS 2) A mouse 3) 600k to run Since the programmers were too narrow-minded to consider the performance hit that a 16MEG (!!) data file entails, I now need a cache- right now it runs slower than a Formula One car in the pits. Since Lord Gates and His merry minions decided that SMARTDRV.EXE would take up 24K, there's no way to get ULTRAMID, SMARTDRV, EMM386, and the mouse driver stuffed and still get the 600k. Does anybody have any caches that take up less space? I know, I could use OS/2 (YES! It runs MUCH FASTER!!) BUT.....the program generated illegal instructions on occaision, and, curiously, no music with ULTRAMID, just digital effects. Incidentally, this also happened with Seawolf, another game that provides it's own customized ULTRAMID.EXE. HELP! +--------------------------------------------------------------+---------------+ |"Sometimes I try to beat other people's achievements but on |JK Salzmann | | occasions I find it's better to beat my achievements. That |JKS4675@RIT.EDU| | can give me more satisfaction. I don't feel happy if I am +---------------+ | comfortable. Something inside me pushes me when I get comfortable. | | It makes me go further and want to keep pushing" - Ayrton Senna, 1960-1994 | +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 May 94 18:41:08 BST From: "D.Morris" (SST Student) Subject: HP Vectra problems with GUS Hello, I have just a couple of niggling small problems, any suggested solutions greatly appreciated, both pretty specific to HP Vectra U series machines - I suppose. 1) Does anyone have a .CFG file for the GUS to enter into the EISA System Admin. Utility?(Done this by hand for time being, but would be nice to have *proper* thing). Works OK at the moment. 2) There doesn't seem to be enough room in the cut out of the Vectra case to allow a standard 3.5mm jack to reach through to the Line In socket, as the the body of the jack (and hence ground plate) fouls on the case. {PLEASE excuse following sad diagram ;-) } 3 2 1 __________________ This is supposed to be back of Vectra, showing last | three slots, Vertical and horizontal lines supposed ~~~ to be cut out of case where connectors fit in, with ~~~ just the bottom two sockets *shown*. The "o" is supposed to be where the pin of the jack _ | fits, with the other symbols supposed to be the area / \ | onto which the body of the jack mates. < o > | \ / | - | _ | / \ | < o > | __________________| - Has anyone met a similar problem, or know of a jack whose base is only a tiny bit larger than the diameter of the pin (at least for the first 7mm-ish till it clears the case? Thanks, Daniel **************************** DanielM@tees.ac.uk ****************************** | | | "A court case in June will decide if the sidelfeld road in Southern Bavaria | | will be closed to motorcycles for a two week test period from July 1st. If | | a drop in the motorcycle accident rate is shown in that period,the road ban | | will become permanent" - From recent FEM press release. | | -*- Eurocracy, a scourge worse than Admin. -*- | | | ***Daniel Morris - Division of Computer Engineering - University of Teesside*** ------------------------------ Date: 17 May 94 22:10:58 EDT From: "Eric Bell, Howling Dog Systems" <71333.2166@CompuServe.COM> Subject: MIDI Questions Young J. Koh If you are going to stick with Windows MIDI software, buy a GUS MIDI box or a Sound Galaxy MIDI cable, which costs about $15 and is compatible, I've heard. It'll work cleanly with MIDI software under Windows and save you a bundle compared to a stand alone MIDI interface. In DOS, no guara If you have to get a MIDI interface, get one from Music Quest. Eric ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 May 1994 20:32:50 AEST+1000 From: Andrew MCDONALD Subject: Re: MIDI questions > From: jntyk@rs733.gsfc.nasa.gov (Young Koh) > Subject: MIDI questions > I have a gus with 1024k mem. > I want to hook up my Yamaha synthesizer. > Ok, should I buy Gravis' midi interface kit or > buy Roland's MPU-401 midi card? > First of all, will those 2 cards work together? In dos? in windoze? > -- > Young J. Koh NASA Goddard Space Flight Center > jntyk@rs733.gsfc.nasa.gov Greenbelt, MD > > ------------------------------ Howdy Folks.... =|:-) I have a Roland MPU-IPC-T interface box which is connected to my Yamaha keyboard. It and the Ultrasound are getting along just fine :-) In Windoze you can record from the midi source using Midisoft Session and Power Chords, and you can play your patches in Patch Manager thru midi also. It's pretty ( () () |_ . I don't have any dos applications which do this, nor do I need any. Compare prices between the gus midi adapter and a mpu interface. Just get the cheaper one, unless you have a dos midi program which insists on an mpu compatibile interface. And if you get the ultrasound adapter,you'll save an expansion slot :-) Hope this helps, Andrew. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ___ __ __ _____ ______ ______ _ _ _ / | \ | | _ \| _ \| ___| \ / \ / | Andrew McDonald / /| | \| | | \ | |_) | |___| | Engineering I / - | | | | | /| ___| | Monash University / /| | |\ | |_/ | |\ \| |___| /\ | Melbourne Australia /__/ |__|__| \__|_____/|__| \__|______|\__/ \__/ ANDREWM@halls1.cc.monash.edu.au The UltraSound card from Advanced Gravis : "Once you hear, you'll see" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 May 94 08:43:49 EDT From: "Burns Fisher, VMS Engineering 18-May-1994 0847" Subject: Re: MIDI questions >Here is my first post, so bear with me. Welcome! >I want to hook up my Yamaha synthesizer. > >Ok, should I buy Gravis' midi interface kit or >buy Roland's MPU-401 midi card? > >First of all, will those 2 cards work together? In dos? in windoze? Yes, no problem. I have a GUS and an MPU-401 clone. The GUS MIDI is not really 401-compatible, so it does not conflict. Well, let me put it this way...I don't USE the GUS MIDI out. I don't know if you could use it together with the 401. But if you don't buy the GUS MIDI box and just use the synth, there is no conflict. As to which one to buy. The answer is "It depends". First, let's define a term. By "401" I really mean "Roland MPU401 or Clone". I don't know if you can get a real Roland card anymore, but you can certainly get a MusicQuest PC MIDI card which is compatible for around $100. So anyway, obviously the 401 is a bit more expensive. What it will buy you is 100% compatiblity with any DOS programs that you might have which use the 401. Do you have any? Most non-game MIDI applications have moved to Windows, and for games, don't you want to use your GUS (via native, SBOS, or MegaEm)? Would a game be able to support your Yamaha synth anyway? Probably not unless the Y is General Midi. On the other hand if you want to use music applications like PowerChords, Cakewalk, MusicProse, etc etc, these all run under windows (or at least the most-promoted version does). Under windows, it does not matter which interface you have, since Windows supplies the driver. I guess the other thing to factor into the equation is that if you get a 401, you need an extra slot and a few more watts of power out of your computer. The watts are probably not a big deal, but the slot may be. Summary: Spend the extra 50 or 60 bucks on the 401 if you have the $ and the slots and want to be 100% sure of compatibility with all DOS programs. Otherwise, get the GUS midi box and make sure your music software runs under windows. Burns ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 May 1994 15:11:40 MET-1 From: "Juhasz Norbert" Subject: propats? Hi GUSers, Please tell me what are propats exactly? Thanks in advance. Norbert Juhasz. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 17:03:03 -0700 (PDT) From: Duncan Sutherland Subject: RTZ ZORK ZORK ZORK Well, I tried all the suggestions I got about the Return to Zork CD (ie: load the drivers low, get the new patch, chnage midi irq to 12) and it still doesn't work. If I get past picking up the rock at the start of the valley, then it will definitely lock up when ever I try to save - and it looks like such a good game - hmmmmm, any other thoughts? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 23:35:00 -0400 From: jason.wong@canrem.com (Jason Wong) Subject: Ultramid 1.08 w/-c switch I can't seem to get UltraMID v1.08 to work with the -c switch. The game gives me no music whatsoever. I can't stand not using the -c switch because that means the game pauses before it plays any music. I'm forced to use v1.05 right now. I heard that Gravis was going to update all their drivers soon (like SBOS, UltraMID, and Mega-EM) -- any word on this? Thanks. ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 ------------------------------ End of GUS Daily Digest V13 #17 *******************************