GUS Daily Digest Thu, 1 Dec 94 9:37 PST Volume 17: Issue 1 Today's Topics: Advent Christmas program Can safely use Adaptec 1542B w/ GUS, Megaem, SBOS. Does "Rise of the Robots" work with GUS? Flashback and Dune II gppiano.pat GUS Daily Digest V16 #30 (8 msgs) help on how to get some games working. Here we go again... HMI drivers New Games New PC-box; hangin' GUS Soundcard Reviews in PC World UFO/XCOM, is it native or what? WARCRAFT AND AIL 3.0 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, 30 Nov 94 22:19:35 CST From: cowles@hydra.convex.com (John Cowles) Subject: Advent Christmas program I have uploaded ADVENT.ZIP to epas. It is a program which produces an Advent Calendar on your screen and has a different Christmas Carol (midi) for each day of Advent. The zip file includes a patchmanager '.pcf' file for playing the carols on your GUS. Enjoy! John -- John Cowles cowles@hydra.convex.com CompuServe: 72074,451 Convex Computer Corp. 214 497 4375 3000 Waterview Pkwy Richardson, Tx. 75080 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 13:43:26 -0600 (CST) From: lance@mpd.tandem.com (Lance Hartmann) Subject: Can safely use Adaptec 1542B w/ GUS, Megaem, SBOS. Previously: > Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 11:03:12 GMT > From: Clarke Brunt > Subject: Re: GUS and Adaptec 1542b SCSI controller > > >I have an Adaptec 1542B SCSI controller and a Ultrasound. The 1542B > >is my boot device, and, while the card has strappable I/O addresses, > >the BIOS ROM is hard coded to use address 330. This conflicts with > >one of the address on the Ultrasound, and causes problems (Sound > >Blaster emulation doesn't work.) > > Is this right? Does a BIOS really use an IO address? I though that a > BIOS was likely to occupy a block of high numbered addresses somewhere > bwtween 640k and 1M. Or do I misunderstand - perhaps you mean that > you can move the card away from 330, but then the BIOS refuses to > use it? Perhaps Adaptec can supply a new BIOS ROM to plug in. > > Anyway the problem is that 330 is the standard > address for some Roland contraption that you are trying to emulate, > so if you can't shift the SCSI card away from there, then you have > then danger of attempts to access your SCSI devices being intercepted > by the emulation program. Don't know about SBOS, but I thought the docs > for megaem discussed this, and that there was some kind of switch so > that it could attempt to distinguish between the uses of the same > address. There were also dire warnings about danger to the data on > your HD! 1) Megaem has worked just fine cooperating with my Adaptec 1542B. Just remember to specify the whatever-flag (don't have my doc w/ me here). I've had no problems whatsoever with this in the past, though I must admit that I haven't tried this with the latest versions of Megaem. Fortunately, the few games I've purchased have native GUS support. 2) SBOS (SoundBlaster emulation) has no I/O conflict problems with the default 1542B addresses. 3) Adaptec does (at least they once did) offer an alternative ROM with a different base address. I believe if you have access to an EPROM burner, you can even download the image from their BBS to make your own. Again, I didn't have to do this at all for Megaem support. your mileage may, of course, vary..... Lance Hartmann (lance@mpd.tandem.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- All opinions, viewpoints, etc. expressed herein are all mine -- not Tandem's. ============================================================================ ------------------------------ Date: 30 Nov 94 17:53:46 EST From: Jonathan Clark <100410.3324@compuserve.com> Subject: Does "Rise of the Robots" work with GUS? Message-ID: <941130225346_100410.3324_BHG64-2@CompuServe.COM> The header says all - Does "RotR" wirk with the GUS? I'd like to know before I shell out! Also - is the "Directors cut" any different to the basic game (except the price, obviously!) ------------------------------- Jonny Clark - Belfast ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Dec 1994 14:40:17 +0100 From: mogens beltoft Subject: Flashback and Dune II I'm not exactly satisfied with the sound in Flaskback (I'm using Megaem), so could anyone please help me with the configuration, or other possibilities. And when I read the glist it suggested me to find the AIL patch for Dune II ?? What is the filename and where do I find it, and what do I do?? //// mbel92@control.auc.dk (o o) Mogens Beltoft -------------------oOO--(_)--OOo------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 16:14:04 -0700 (MST) From: Ignatius Tam Subject: gppiano.pat Hi guys, i found a message in epas that someone need an upload of the grand piano patch from the gus exp. cd. i would upload it if it's distributable, but i've to make sure if i can then i would do it. pls mail me: tam@cs.ualberta.ca -iGnatius ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Nov 94 13:57:01 EST From: Phil Longstaff Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V16 #30 GUS Server wrote: > Date: Tue, 29 Nov 1994 17:54:22 -0500 > From: Christian Brideau > Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V16 #29 > Message-ID: <9411291754.aa12380@macdonald.revcan.ca> > > Vince, you should REALLY do somthing about those idiots who post the > entire digest again and again and again... I didn't read it entirely > because it was getting on my nerves. And with a 2400 bps modem, you > can understand why. > > Chris > ------------------------------ > > Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 10:54:01 GMT > From: Clarke Brunt > Subject: Re: Reading data from a CD ROM > > Wow! 180k of Digest including 7 (unless I lost count) copies of previous > Digests. I think it's a record. Glad I don't subscribe to this on my > dial-up account - can anyone with knowledge of mail headers arrange > that these bounces are lost, rather than re-mailed - perhaps have the > Digest sent out from a different address than the submission address? I don't like that idea because it makes it more difficult to reply. To generate this, I just hit the 'r' key, deleted the parts I didn't need (that is what the bozos^H^H^H^H^Hpeople who resubmit the whole digest need to do), and typed this in. Quite simple, really. Phil -- Phil Longstaff, Motorola ISG, Mississauga Ontario ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 16:43:13 -0500 From: GravisTech@aol.com Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V16 #30 >How do you connect the CD audio cable to the GUS if it (connector) has only >three plugs (after cover is removed from connector) which correspond to >right, ground, and left. _________________________________________________ The >>Connectiosn on the GUS go as follows: 4 pin Left Gnd. Gnd. Right (Note: The two gnds are connected on the board) 3 pin >>Left Gnd. Right You just need to make sure that your audio form the cd-rom is going to these connectors on the appropriate pins, if you need a connector to accomplish this..use a power connecter (extension) from a 3.5 floppy drive. Gravistech@aol.com Advanced Gravis Technology ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Nov 94 15:58:25 CST From: cowles@hydra.convex.com (John Cowles) Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V16 #30 Clark Brunt writes: >> >I have an Adaptec 1542B SCSI controller and a Ultrasound. The 1542B >> >is my boot device, and, while the card has strappable I/O addresses, >> >the BIOS ROM is hard coded to use address 330. This conflicts with >> >one of the address on the Ultrasound, and causes problems (Sound >> >Blaster emulation doesn't work.) >> >> Is this right? Does a BIOS really use an IO address? I though that a >> BIOS was likely to occupy a block of high numbered addresses somewhere >> bwtween 640k and 1M. Or do I misunderstand - perhaps you mean that >> you can move the card away from 330, but then the BIOS refuses to >> use it? Perhaps Adaptec can supply a new BIOS ROM to plug in. >> >> Anyway the problem is that 330 is the standard >> address for some Roland contraption that you are trying to emulate, >> so if you can't shift the SCSI card away from there, then you have >> then danger of attempts to access your SCSI devices being intercepted >> by the emulation program. Don't know about SBOS, but I thought the docs >> for megaem discussed this, and that there was some kind of switch so >> that it could attempt to distinguish between the uses of the same >> address. There were also dire warnings about danger to the data on >> your HD! >> The 1542B uses 330 as it's i/o port. Unfortunately, that address is hard-coded into the rom bios as well. Adaptec lets you download a set of microcode with another address in the bios, you you have to burn your own eproms to use it. Alternativly, you can get the microcode already loaded into an eprom from them (for $$$). OR, you can upgrade to the 1542C, which has a programmable i/o port, OR you can do what I I do, and change the MPU-401 emulation stuff to address 310. I have no problem with any of the GUS functions using this. John -- John Cowles cowles@hydra.convex.com CompuServe: 72074,451 Convex Computer Corp. 214 497 4375 3000 Waterview Pkwy Richardson, Tx. 75080 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Dec 1994 01:12:49 -0330 From: Aaron Cameron Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V16 #30 > Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 11:23:06 GMT > From: Clarke Brunt > Subject: Re: GUS MAX and Gateway 2000 > > >I am almost sure that I am going to get a Gateway 2000 P4D-66, the > >regular desktop (that is, non-tower) system. But before I do, I have two > >questions: > >1) Will my GUS MAX fit? > >2) Is the double speed CD-ROM it comes with compatible with the GUS MAX? > > The P4D-66 claims to have 4 ISA slots (don't know whether 8/16 bit). > The old GUS was a large card - nearly full length - but possibly later > models are smaller. In any case, surely there must be several slots in Nope. The GUS is the longest card I've ever seen, right up to the current versions. I have a GUSMAX, and it makes even my 32bit VLB video card look like a halfsize modem card. I have 5 ISA and 3 VLB slots, and the GUS will only fit into 2 out of the lot, as the architecture of my MB ain't the best. Still, if you have a standard layout MB, you _SHOULD_ be able to squeeze the GUS in with a little patience, a shoehorn, and a little rearrangement of your current card layout. AC /---------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | *** ***** WELCOME TO MY WORLD! | | ***** *********** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | ** ** ***** *** It's really not that bad... | | *** *** **** once you get used to it! | | *********** **** | | ************* ***** *** ---------> Aaron Cameron <--------- | | **** **** *********** Memorial University of Newfoundland | | ***** ***** ***** ---> acameron@europa.cs.mun.ca <--- | \---------------------------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Nov 94 20:29:54 GMT From: nguyen (NGUYEN Francois ) Subject: help on how to get some games working. i need help on getting wc3 demo myst (the demo works ok, not the commercial version) megarace under a killing moon demo cd to work with the gus max. Thanx \|/ (o o) _____________oOO__(_)__OOo_______________ Francois Nguyen: nguyen@eerie.fr er424@cleveland.Freenet.Edu nguyen@axposf.pa.dec.com -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: 2.2 mQA9Ai7Hj9AAAAEBgM+1c9RFaEJXAYr19VVucS7rsWwzK7xl5khExD5Ulm0C8IWr LJ9OlQY/oJhblWW+ywAFEbQhRnJhbmNvaXMgTmd1eWVuIDxuZ3V5ZW5AZWVyaWUu ZnI+ =Jtwd -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- ------------------------------ Date: 30 Nov 94 17:37:08 EST From: Jonathan Clark <100410.3324@compuserve.com> Subject: Here we go again... Message-ID: <941130223707_100410.3324_BHG63-1@CompuServe.COM> Oh look! another HUGE edition of the digest! And I didn't read it. Wanna know why? 'cos I didn't want to the spend $3.95 Compuserve were charging just to download a mail message! Any chance of a pocket-size summary of yesterdays digest?! ------------------------------- Jonny Clark - Belfast ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 16:47:27 -0500 From: GravisTech@aol.com Subject: Re: HMI drivers >> My understanding is that the various HMI drivers for the >>various supported sound cards and 'compiled' into the .386 >>files, but also somehow compiled into the games also. >>Therefore, it's not possible to just copy around HMI*.386 >>files from game-to-game to pick up the working GUS ones. >>Is this true? This is true, the HMI drivers hav eot be incorporated (compiled into the game by the manufacturer) the are not like a patch to be inserted into the drectory etc. So unless they use them when compiling the game.. you and I are stuck with out the awesome gus sounds in the game. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Dec 1994 16:54:43 +1100 (EST) From: Anthony Thompson Subject: New Games I just picked up some new CD games: Magic Carpet - NO GUS Support Relentless -Little Big Adventure - GUS native Ecstatica - Gus Native All are very good games. As a few people have already pointed out Magic Carpet doesnt have GUS support its a shame as its excellent (you can play it in 3D -glasses supplied). If you are doing some christmas software shopping these three a worth every cent! Anthony ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 11:49:32 -0600 (CST) From: Jarrod Loewen Subject: New PC-box; hangin' GUS Hey all! I hope someone can help me, as I've tried everything I can think of to resolve this myself. The problem is that my gus now hangs occasionally in my new computer. I've got a rev. 3.7 card w/ 1meg ram and running the 3.56 install disks. Playmidi & iplay are guarenteed to hang almost immediately, Doom2 hangs occasionally while all gravis windows apps run perfectly fine. I don't think I've hung the machine running any other games. I've tried every conceivable port/irq/dma configuration, I've tried both slots the gus' length is restricted to (one vlb, one isa), I've sacrificed small animals and danced nekid in the moonlight.... nothing has made any impact. My machine is a 486dx2-66 w/ 8 megs ram. UMC8498F & UMC8496F chipset and Phoenix bios. Cirrus logic vlb video card w/ 1meg, UMC PT-626 vlb ide i/o card and usr sportster14.4 all share the box with my gus. Hard drive is a fujitsu and I've got a single generic 3.5" drive. I'd be most grateful is someone would offer me a clue. thanks, --jj -- - -- Jarrod J. Loewen -- Systems Operator -- University of Manitoba -- - -- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 17:02:16 -0800 (PST) From: Stephen Thomas Brindle Subject: Re: Soundcard Reviews in PC World > Date: Tue, 29 Nov 1994 13:07:44 -0500 (EST) > From: "Christopher M. DiPierro" > Subject: Soundcard Reviews in PC World > > I was just wondering if anyone else saw the soundcard reviews in PC > World's December 1994 issue. They review the GUS Max, along with the > AWE32 and a few others. While the review is perhaps one of the better > comparisons I've seen done in a magazine to date, I think they brushed > past some key issues. > > First of all, they seem to use ROM based samples (used on certain cards) > and disk based RAM designs (like the GUS's) almost interchangably. This > doesn't fully show the expandibility of the GUS and other cards based on > the same design. > > Second, they mentioned briefly the DSP which they say increases the > card's speed. However, I think they spent too little time on it. > Nowhere is it noted that the GUS (and perhaps other cards) use as little > as 3% CPU time for high quality sound, and that other cards can use much > more. Also related to this, the little chart they have of features fails > to mention which cards support compression (and what types). Also, > although unrelated to the DSP, but left off the chart is the maximum RAM > each card is expandable to. > > Finally, although they listed signal-to-noise ratios for all of the > cards, it would have been nice for them to show the roll-off charts for > all the boards, not just the Turtle Beach (best in this category) and the > Toptek (worst in this category). > > Well, like I said, the review was overall good, but somewhat lacking in > my opinion...anyone else care to comment? You made some good points. I think you should write to PC World and point them out. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Stephen Thomas Brindle |"I have made this letter longer than usual, because ------------------------|I lack the time to make it short." Ethereal Dragon | -Blaise Pascal -==(UDIC)==- | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Dec 1994 14:08:31 +0200 (EET) From: Otto T Hyvarinen Subject: UFO/XCOM, is it native or what? I think no one has asked this before: UFO from MicroProse should have native GUS sounds, but if we = choose them the game locks up every time the ground combat begins. So we = can watch the intro and shoot one ufo down, but when we send men to the= crash site only mouse pointer appears and the machine hangs. Actually yo= u cannot even run ultrinit.exe after booting or the game hangs. We have tried this on my friend's machine and mine. PS I seem to have lost the G-list address. Please e-mail. Tha= nks. --=20 " Miehen mitta miehen varsi ei ole miehen mielt=E4 p=E4=E4ss=E4 << Otto Hy= v=E4rinen, miel on viety, p=E4=E4 j=E4tetty ohyvarin@= kruuna.helsinki.fi >>=20 aivot otsasta otettu. " ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 21:29:02 -0500 From: AdvGravis@aol.com Subject: Re: WARCRAFT AND AIL 3.0 Just to give you all an update regarding AIL 3.0.... We will release the drivers in a couple of weeks. Although we have working drivers that work fine with Warcraft and the PGA GOLF from EA, we are modifying the drivers so that you will not have to use UltraMID. Our programming team is aware that you are waiting, and is hard at work on it. The reason we are waiting is so that only one version of the driver is released. We want to avoid releasing various versions (or patches) and have one complete system for ya. Bryan ------------------------------ End of GUS Daily Digest V17 #1 ******************************