Ultrasound Daily Digest Tue, 2 Mar 93 Volume 2 : Issue 58 Today's Topics: [GUS] New SDK's (2 msgs) [GUS] SBOS 1.37b C libraries for the GUS GUS: Please help! GUS Development GUS SBOS1.37b and Xwing midi & Gravis Midi connector diagram. Origin support for GUS OS/2, Xwing Demo, Dune ][, etc. SBOS 1.37B Sbos 137b stereo recording? Ultrasound FTP Site - Update on new directories UNIX device driver for GUS wavetable: the finding of the holy grail Whacker Tracker XWing and SBOS 1.37b Information about the UltraSound Daily Digest (such as mail addresses, request servers, ftp sites, etc., etc.) can be found at the end of the Digest. *** HEY!!! *** Before you ask a question, *** READ THE FAQ ***. It's available on the request server and the ftp sites, or check the newsgroup archives. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1993 21:29:37 GMT From: bjornhk@dhhalden.no (BJORN HAAVARD KLEVEN) Message-Id: Subject: [GUS] New SDK's To: Ultrasound Daily Digest In article phr@telebit.com (Paul Rubin) writes: >From: phr@telebit.com (Paul Rubin) >Subject: Re: [GUS] New SDK's >Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1993 17:48:31 GMT > - The current low-level version will be re-released, with manuals, > better documentation and much improved tools (e.g. the patch-editor) > as well as 3D-routines. This SDK will be available WITHOUT the > developer having to sign any non-disclosure agreement. It is said to > be out in 2-3 weeks. > > - The source code for the library-files of this SDK will also be > available to some developers, requiring them to sign an extensive > and much more specific non-disclosure agreement than the current one. > >I can't tell if this is an improvement over the old situation or not. >Does the new SDK include enough documentation to do your own low-level >programming or is it just black-box library routines? The latter don't >do you a bit of good if you're not running under DOS (or something >compatible). The latter is the source code of the C-libraries included in the first. Although I haven't seen the new kit (not many people have, actually), I do presume that there will be sufficent documentation of the source code to low- level programming. At least, this is what the developers have wanted the most so far. -=* Bjorn :: bjornhk@dhhalden.no ACCESS DATA :: TEL: (+47)-9-17 50 48/61-97 311 FAX: 61-97 312 BBS: 61-97 945 300-14400 bps, 24 hrs ------------------------------ Date: 26 Feb 93 06:25:52 GMT From: dionf@ERE.UMontreal.CA (Francois Dion) Message-Id: <1993Feb26.062552.21911@cc.umontreal.ca> Subject: [GUS] New SDK's To: Ultrasound Daily Digest In article morgan@dl5000.bc.edu (Morgan Stair) writes: > > Does the new SDK include enough documentation to do your own low-level > programming or is it just black-box library routines? >It also doesn't let you write device drivers for distribution with >GNU-ish copyleft software :( There go my hopes for Linux ): The info in ultradox 2.0 by renaissance is more than enough to write a driver for linux. I have worked for a company to develop a unix driver for the Gravis Ultrasound. Basically it only playback raw audio, is beta and is copyrighted. The project is on hold for now regarding the recording part, but should be done at some point. It is a part of a telecom package that runs under DOS, windows and Unix (more to come). The source is available to the clients who buy the telecom system to compile a driver for whatever unix they have, but cannot be distributed, so my hands are tied. However, several people have contacted me about writing a 386bsd or linux driver. I can guide these people, but wont write (cannot for legal reasons) a driver. If you or anybody is interested to be part of the "team that brought the GUS to every Unix user" then raise your voice. Ciao, -- Francois Dion ' _ _ _ CISM (_) (_) _) FM Montreal , Canada Email: CISM@ERE.UMontreal.CA (_) / . _) 10000 Watts Telephone no: (514) 343-7511 _______________________________________________________________________________ Audio-C-DJ-Fractals-Future-Label-Multimedia-Music-Radio-Rave-Video-VR-Volvo-... ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1993 04:05:31 GMT From: ptran@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca (Phat H Tran) Message-Id: Subject: [GUS] SBOS 1.37b To: Ultrasound Daily Digest I've just tried out the latest verion of SBOS (1.37b--found on epas), and although there are areas of great improvement, I'm afraid that I will have to continue using SBOS 1.20. The FM emulation has improved A LOT in this version over previous ones. The FM sounds and music have much more bass than they used to. Falcon 3.0 actually sounds very good with SBOS now! Similarly, the music in Gods and Ultima Underworld 2 improved as well. As someone mentioned earlier, you actually hear water instead of an annoying buzz when you swim in UW2, and there is no longer the squeaky sneaker syndrome in Gods. However, the digital sound problems I encountered in 1.22 and 1.23 (which very few others seem to have experienced, making me feel very lonely) are not resolved in 1.37b. The digital sound effects don't stop when they're supposed to, but instead loop or ramble on into other areas of the soundcard's RAM. This problem does not occur with SBOS 1.20! Because they can't handle digital sounds properly, SBOS 1.37b, 1.23, and 1.22 are of no use to me. I'm content with 1.20, but wish I can also hear the improved FM of the latest SBOS. Also, the -x3 option on any version of SBOS halts my computer. Since I don't have any games that require that option, it's not much of a problem at the moment, but it would be comforting to know that the option will work when I do buy a game that needs it. And since I'm the only one I know who has to stick with SBOS 1.20, I get the feeling that it's time for me to replace my MB. I really don't have the money to do so, so I hope Gravis will release another SBOS that likes my system. Phat. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Feb 1993 21:59:43 -0500 From: jyanowit@mtholyoke.edu (Jason Yanowitz) Message-Id: <1mru6v$p2j@slab.mtholyoke.edu> Subject: C libraries for the GUS To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Having recently read ultradox pt1 and pt2, and not knowing assembly (And not currently having the time to learn it, though I realize it's not that complex) I was curious whether there were c libraries anyone has/is putting together to facilitate programming? Or is that what the GUS SDK is? I don't believe this intrudes into the realm of a FAQ, if so, my apologies. Jason "hoping linux GUS support comes out to facilitate my move to linux" Yanowitz -- Jason Yanowitz | PGP 2.0 key available via fingering and email. jyanowit@orixa.mtholyoke.edu | PGP key fingerprint: 0F D1 7C A1 A3 1F B7 26 B6 27 4A CE 1A 6D 91 6B "A pox on Columbus" -- Bernstein, in the movie _Hester Street_ (Go see it!) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1993 19:20:37 EST From: Matthew E. Bernold Message-Id: <93055.192037MEB117@psuvm.psu.edu> Subject: GUS: Please help! To: Ultrasound Daily Digest In article <1993Feb23.231938.5206@news.columbia.edu>, jrl8@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (James R Lendino) says: > >PLAYMIDI and GUSMOD both work fine, though GUSMOD can't play >AXELF.MOD at all where my SB could. When I switch to >16 bit DMA, playmidi is dead without OPTIFIX. > This is not as big a problem as it seems. GUSMOD cannot handle 15-voice .MOD files, only the newer 31 voice variant. GUSMOD 2.10 will handle 15 voice .MOD files. If you want to hear a 15-voice .MOD file with GUSMOD now, just grab yourself a copy of MODEDIT. If you load a .MOD file into MODEDIT, and then save it, it will be saved as a 31-voice .MOD which GUSMOD can now read. Good luck, Matthew E. Bernold MEB117@PSUVM.PSU.EDU <> meb@haydn.psu.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1993 21:37:04 GMT From: bjornhk@dhhalden.no (BJORN HAAVARD KLEVEN) Message-Id: Subject: GUS Development To: Ultrasound Daily Digest >3) I'm considering purchasing the GUS programmer's development kit. Has > anyone had any experience with it. How helpful is it for writing your own > software or does it just duplicate existing public information and > utilities? How much does it cost and what strings are attached? Soon, there will be an improved SDK released, with low-level C-routine libraries. This will require no non-disclosure agreement to be signed. I don't know the price, but the current SDK has been sold for $100. Hopefully, the price for this new version will be a lot lower. > >4) I would like to hook up my MIDI keyboard to my GUS but don't have the MIDI > adapter. Before I decided to get the GUS, I noticed an adapter schematic > was posted by someone on the net, but I didn't pay enough attention at the > time. If some kind soul has this, could you please send it to me or tell > me where it might be archived. Nobody has the MIDI-connector box for the GUS, simply because it hasn't been released yet - release date is set to April 1st. However, you can make one quite simply by replacing the 6N136-chip of the Sound Blaster MIDI connector kit (the one included with most SB Pro's), with an 6N138 or -9, and solder a resistor between pins 5-7 and one between pins 6-8. -=* Bjorn :: bjornhk@dhhalden.no ACCESS DATA :: TEL: (+47)-9-17 50 48/61-97 311 FAX: 61-97 312 BBS: 61-97 945 300-14400 bps, 24 hrs ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1993 11:31:56 -0500 (EST) From: treason@gnu.ai.mit.edu Message-Id: <9303011632.AA13249@spiff.gnu.ai.mit.edu> Subject: GUS SBOS1.37b and Xwing To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Well, I just bought my copy of xwing and was very happy to find out that the exe version of sbos 1.23 works very well with it. I use the default card settings, no switches, and DO NOT load the sys driver. When the music is turned off AND lowered greatly in volume (the music and some of the explosions are fm sound) things work great hardly any lag, and I only have a 386/25(uncached) and even have my disk stacked! None the less I thought this was very good. Next, I saw the new 1.37b on epas, and said 'great, here's what I have been waiting for!'. Well, I was wrong. The thing is really awful. With any setting I could not get xwing to even recognise the GUS let alone play music through it. When I loaded the sys driver in my config.sys and ran the exe to get sound, 386 to the max gave me an exception error(I have 6.02), which NEVER happens unless I play around with my command interpreter or with the hma handles or similar. I know xwing is a new game, and maybe gravis hasnt had time to test it yet, but their methods of accessing the card cant be much different than those that wre used previously in ther games. Why would 1.23 work, and 1.37b not work? Another annoying thing, is that they once again released a very small list of supported software and what switches to use with them. They must have tested other software! Use this knowledge to help out the product man! I love my GUS, but the thing is, without docs, it is USELESS. People on the net have been supporting the card. Follow their lead and help the GUS owners out. Yes, its a beta, and yes, it has more development, so follow through. This sounds like a bitch, and perhaps it is...I just want what I payed for. treason@gnu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1993 08:23 MST From: Dustin Caldwell Message-Id: <9303011525.AA25114@u.cc.utah.edu> Subject: midi & Gravis To: Ultrasound Daily Digest First off, I'd like to thank john.smith@gravis.com for all the feedback that he has been giving from gravis. I think it is great to get info from the source. I got my GUS for christmas, and it worked great right out of the box. Granted, I don't have many games, but the ones I do have work perfectly with the gravis. I upgraded to 1Meg, and still 'nary a problem. However, I am trying to get my syth hooked up to the GUS via the game controller/midi port. I built the connector box posted to the list by Remek Lipinski, but have yet to get it to work (windows or DOS midi out/in stuff). I really don't know if it is the connector box (I have tested it many times to be sure I followed the schematic exactly) or the way I have configured the GUS. In windows, I can get my GUS to work with media player (sound coming from GUS) when I use the Ultrasound midi and synth driver. Since there is an 'ultrasound midi port' driver, I assumed that if I used it, the calls would go to my keyboard instead being played by the GUS. Well, Still no go. If anybody has any secrets, please let me know. Oh, one other thing. I was looking at two schematics, the one from Remek Lipinski, and one that was forwarded to the list by Dion Francois. They both use the same opto-isolator chip (6N138) but have different connections. I went with Remek's because Dion's was really for a SoundBlaster(which should be compatible anyway). Anyway, does anyone have the exact pinout for the game controller/midi port on the GUS, and a pinout of the standard MIDI 5 pin din connector? I would mucho appreciate it. Thanks, Dustin Caldwell dustin@gse.utah.edu or dustin@ed.gse.utah.edu or dcaldwel@peruvian.utah.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Mar 93 11:34:56 CST From: eason@ncrnd3.StPaul.NCR.COM (Dale Eason) Message-Id: <9303011734.AA02076@ncrnd3.StPaul.NCR.COM> Subject: Midi connector diagram. To: Ultrasound Daily Digest To those who built the midi adapter but cannot get it to work. Mine works fine. The diagram was made looking at the connector from the connector side. Not the wire side. I don't have the diagram with me but.. I think midi pins are numbered looking from the connector side as follows: 2 5 4 3 1 If this does not work the swap 4 and 5, thats where the signals are. Dale Eason eason@ncrnd3.stpaul.ncr.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Mar 93 12:27:59 PST From: dedmunds@sfu.ca Message-Id: <9303012028.AA16961@selkirk.sfu.ca> Subject: Origin support for GUS To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Just got this response from Origin regarding GUS support: Probably in the future, but not in any of this coming year's releases. Music code is usually implemented at the very beginning of a design, and currently the standards reside with the Soundblaster and Roland. Wayne ORIGIN Systems / Marketing Damn. Darran Edmundson dedmunds@sfu.ca ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1993 15:38:59 ??? From: DEATH BEFORE DISCO Message-Id: <01GVARLWTX5U91W0B3@ritvax.isc.rit.edu> Subject: OS/2, Xwing Demo, Dune ][, etc. To: Ultrasound Daily Digest 1) OS/2 support for the GUS was supposedly going to be done. Where it is is anybody's guess. I think we should BURY the software support with REAL, PAPER mail until we get results. Interesting how the 3D stuff is taking priority over the OS/2 driver. Probably because the 3D will sell more cards..."Gee, this is neat" kind of stuff. Gravis should keep in mind that their biggest competitors such as PAS-16 and SB support OS/2 right now. Incidentally, OS/2 2.1 is supposed to have MMPM/2 included. The audio support for OS/2 is (no surprises here, Mr. Gates) superior to Windoze 3.1. 2) Does the Xwing demo only run on SBOS 1.21?? I can't get it to run with SB support on 1.22 (I only get ADLIB). Yes, I've given it 4MB EMS and 12 MB XMS. 3) Dune II works perfectly with SBOS 1.21 amd 1.22. If the game hangs "after 20 minutes" something else is suspect. I'd consider calling Westwood or Virgin (or Microsoft...A patch is included with their newest bluffware, craftily called Windows NT ;-p ). Just kidding about the NT support. 4) Has anybody gotten SBOS to run in DOS sessions in OS/2? Would using a disk image help? Please e-mail response. Thanks! ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 01 Mar 93 12:04:51 From: john.smith@gravis.com Message-Id: <9303011204.A0427wk@gravis.com> Subject: SBOS 1.37B To: Ultrasound Daily Digest It seems SBOS 1.37B is turning up on BBS's around the world. This is a month old beta version which DOES CONTAIN PROBLEMS. We are currently on V1.4B2. Since V1.37B was not a release copy we will not be supporting it. Use it at your own risk. Many things have changed in SBOS over the last month including better sound and compatibility. Thank you for your attention. John ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1993 22:28:57 -0500 (EST) From: "Adam K. Rixey" Message-Id: <731042937.8809.0@unix11.andrew.cmu.edu> Subject: Sbos 137b To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Has anybody gotten this to work correctly? I've tried it with QEMM, Emm386, and no expanded memory and so far nothing's worked (admittedly, the only things on my harddrive with SB/adlib sound right now are Ultima Underworld 2 and Llamatron). Llamatron doesn't have any of the digitized sounds, and the best I've gotten out of UW2 is an automatic system reboot when I run it (with QEMM). The worst from UW2 was total system lock-up followed by the infamous Parity Errors - my first this year! Unless somebody suggests something soon, I'm scrapping this one for 1.20 again. And yes, I've tried about a zillion different system configurations and several option switches. . . - AkR - ar2w@andrew.cmu.edu ___ Hey, kids, now there's a free shoggoth in every box of Sugar Coated Cthooloops! ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1993 21:08:09 -0700 From: Thunder-Thumbs Message-Id: <199303020408.AA26311@spot.Colorado.EDU> Subject: stereo recording? To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Hi, can someone tell me the equipment I'd need to sample in stereo with two monophonic dynamic mikes? I have a y-adapter that has two STEREO inputs and one stereo output, but it doesn't work that way. I'd like it to recognize one mike as left and the other as right. Is there such a y-adapter? Thanks, Curt ------------------------------ Date: 26 Feb 1993 20:15:56 GMT From: twong@civil.ubc.ca (Thomas Wong) Message-Id: <1mltpsINN74j@iskut.ucs.ubc.ca> Subject: Ultrasound FTP Site - Update on new directories To: Ultrasound Daily Digest GRAVIS ULTRASOUND FTP SITES NEWS ========================================================================== Ftp Site: archive.epas.utornto.ca Directory: pub/pc/ultrasound wuarchive.wustl.edu systems/msdos/ultrasound -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just to give you all an update on where I'm at with the new directory structure. Ever since the harddrive crash on archive.epas.utoronto.ca, I haven't been able to logon and I'm trying to "fix" the situation. So until I can get on to move things around, the directories will not be changing. But I will give you all a fair bit of warning before I start moving things around. Thomas. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Mar 93 12:29:42 MST From: ddebry@itchy (Dave DeBry) Message-Id: <9303011929.AA24176@itchy> Subject: UNIX device driver for GUS To: Ultrasound Daily Digest There have been several requests for a *IX device driver for the GUS. Well, now that I have become thoroughly disgusted with MS-DOS and Windows, I'd have to agree. The only thing keeping from formatting my hard drive and installing Linux or bsd386 or some other such system is my GUS. So... I'm willing to get cracking on the *IX device driver for GUS. Is there anyone out there who is interested in helping out? I'm not asking for beta testers; what we need now are coders. I'm willing to set up a small reflector mailing list for the people working on it. Mail me if you'd like to help out. To The Folks At Gravis: Perhaps you could find it in your hearts to donate a developer's toolkit to the Ultrasound Daily Digest in behalf of this effort? :) -- Dave ddebry@ debry@ \ DeBry dsd. peruvian. | Regnant populi. (The people rule.) es. cs.utah. | Pregnant ropuli. (The snake will soon lay eggs.) com edu / ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Mar 93 0:00:12 EST From: dionf@ERE.UMontreal.CA (Francois Dion) Message-Id: <9303020500.AA11409@brise.ERE.UMontreal.CA> Subject: wavetable: the finding of the holy grail To: Ultrasound Daily Digest Ok, it will probably require a revision (spelling etc...) and i have probably left some info out which should be added, so send me any comments, questions etc... so that i can cut half the traffic on comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard. I have sent it to Dave to be included in the FAQ, and i am also putting it on epas... Gravis Ultrasound audio synthesis --------------------------------- It is easier to find the Holy Grail than to find a text describing precisely what synthesis method the GUS uses, so it's time i take a shot at it. The GUS uses the third generation of wavetable synthesis, so before i start explaining it, i'll talk about the first two generations first. The first generation of wavetable synthesis was actually a digitally controlled analog oscillator(s) where parameters controlling the waveform were kept in memory. The MT-32 (and lots of Roland synths), the curtis based synths and some others are directly derived from this concept. The second generation of wavetable synthesis uses a digital oscillator, with the waveform held in memory in it's basic form (one period usually). Para- meters to alter the oscillator behaviour are also in memory. I use the general term "memory" instead of RAM, because in some case it's actually ROM, FlashROM, PROM, EPROM, switches, buffers etc... The third generation of wavetable synthesis which can be found in two flavors (RAM or ROM) is based on the second generation, but uses bigger wavetables to hold the waveform (either in single period or multi period format) including this time the attack and release. In this section, i will focus only on the GUS implementation, which basically encompass all other implementations. Basically, what you have are 32 oscillators which can do the exact same thing, and be programmed separately and/or simultaneously. What the hardware can do without the operating system is not important here since we are looking at what the GUS can presently do (with some modifications to the OS, the GUS can do pretty much any synthesis method one can dream up), not what it would have done if the OS wasn't available. So in the GUS, you have some RAM (up to 1Mb) that holds 1, 2, 3, etc, wavetables which consist of a sampled (or soft-synthesised) waveform, some parameters and optionally a sampled attack and release. The GF1 chip (an asic based on the Ensoniq DOC-II chip) will then playback a waveform when triggered based on some parameters it is given, and on others it will fetch form the wavetable. I dont know if all parameters can be fetched from RAM by the GF1, nor if the GF1 can fetch some instructions from RAM, but by using the current OS built in the windows drivers or in the DOS library, this is what the GUS can use to synthesise music: sampled or envelopped attack in 8/16 bit, signed/unsigned format sampled waveform (anything! a period, or a several seconds sample) sampled or envelopped release with: velocity (volume) panning (balance) precise frequency playback rates (with frequency based antialiasing and oversampling) Up to here, it's sample playback. But there is more: Full vibrato (FM, depth, rate, sweep) full tremolo (AM, depth, rate, sweep) LFO forward, reverse, dual direction looping or no looping 6 point enveloppe tuning fractional endpoint And more recently: 3D (focal point 3D positioning) Also, reverb, flanger, phasing etc... could be easily implemented within the drivers (it can be done with a little work on the patches and/or midi time- stamp presently). Another thing that could be implemented is dynamic patch loading since the card supports it (i have done it). Last, it is far better to have a RAM wavetable synth than a ROM one, since you can upload your samples. Even sound canvas owners (and other synths too) complain that their ROM based GS synth lacks interesting drum and bass sounds, cannot play sound effects, and is not usable for dance and techno. Also you can have more space for each samples, because you always have only the samples you need in memory, so you can have better sampling rates and better waveforms. Ciao, -- Francois Dion ' _ _ _ CISM (_) (_) _) FM Montreal , Canada Email: CISM@ERE.UMontreal.CA (_) / . _) 10000 Watts Telephone no: (514) 343-7511 _______________________________________________________________________________ Audio-C-DJ-Fractals-Future-Label-Multimedia-Music-Radio-Rave-Video-VR-Volvo-... ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 01 Mar 1993 07:43:21 EST From: Hard On The Beaver Message-Id: <00968D8D.A57F7FE0.5640@ualr.edu> Subject: Whacker Tracker To: Ultrasound Daily Digest | From: IN%"ultrasound@dsd.es.com" "Ultrasound Daily Digest" 1-MAR-1993 02:15:14.39 | Subj: Ultrasound Daily Digest V2 #57 I am despirately looking for a composer for my GUS. Right now I have Whacker Tracker and no earthly IDEA how to use it! Could someone PLEASE help me!!!??!?!?!?! Jacque Bussey jabussey@ualr.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Mar 93 20:15:34 MST From: kdorff@NMSU.Edu Message-Id: <9303020315.AA13416@NMSU.Edu> Subject: XWing and SBOS 1.37b To: Ultrasound Daily Digest I got XWing to work flawlessly with my GUS with SBOS 1.22. Any idea how to make it work with 1.37b? Thanks mucho! Kevin ------------------------------ End of Ultrasound Daily Digest V2 #58 ******************************