GUS Daily Digest Sun, 12 Mar 95 9:37 PST Volume 20: Issue 12 Today's Topics: ADPCM sound, ACE again, recording quality, Pmode megaem, NNITO Clarification on proposed theory Dark Forces and GUS GUS Daily Digest V20 #11 GUS Max hangs WFW 3.11 Internet Phone and a Cheap Mike Long live the GUS Mike won't work. motorola 680x0 has no dsp Recording Studio Bonus Pak Problem SB and Gravis together update to daily digest archives on epas 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, 11 Mar 1995 19:54:36 +0000 (GMT) From: Sam Subject: ADPCM sound, ACE again, recording quality, Pmode megaem, NNITO > demo for no sound at all, it still does not run. So the full version > works with the GUS naitively? Any clue if they will make patches to do > the same with tie fighter or their other games (without emulating cards)? Shouldn't think so. I don't have tie fighter but X-Wing works fine with megaem, sounds really good - much better than an sb anyway, I guess not as good as a roland - so I don't know what you're complaining about :) As far as I remember music worked on the tie fighter demo as well. > > For just playing them, sound drivers which do this (CODECs) come > > with MicroSoft CD products, such as Encarta and Dangerous Creatures. > > Possibly these drivers might be available on ftp.microsoft.com - they > > sound like the sort of thing you wouldn't be expected to pay for. > > I believe MS Video for Windows includes these drivers--but I can't get > them to work! Try as I might, I can't play a compressed file under > Windows with MSVideo installed (version 1.1?). Our Control Panel has a new icon installed, in addition to the system sounds one and the drivers one, (it's called sound something-or-other) which lets you choose which sound thingy to use. Have you tried this? It was causing problems at one point. It changed Sound Recorder to default to 16-bit all the time, which made the display go wrong, so I simply turned off the compression or whatever it was and things worked again. > Subject: solution to GUS-recording problems (perhaps) > > Some one complained about noisy sound digitizing/recording. > These are basics, but by experience, you can get these wrong anyway. We have a standard GUS (8-bit) which USED to sound really good when recording. I could tell the difference between 44 khz 8 bit recording of a CD and 16 bit realthing, but only just. However now it is really noisy (and has been for some time). It's an older GUS so there aren't any volume controls etc, and the noise occurs from either microphone input (with a microphone :> ) or the line in. (oh yeah, turning the output off when recording doesn't make any difference either.) It seems to us that the noise started when we installed a new internal modem - is this possible? > Subject: Ultrsound ACE > > Could someone either send me specs/info about the ACE or point me to where I > could find this info? A friend of mine is considering buying one, and would > like more info on it. All I could tell him was the it was Ultrasound compatible > and supposedly desgined to work well with other sound cards. It's a 512k Gus, using GusMax memory though, with no cdrom interfaces, joystick / midi ports, or recording facilities. If you want to see the press release, it's ACE.TXT on the ftp sites. (Or if you happen to have Imphobia #9, it's on there as well). > Hi, > Could anyone please tell me wether there will ever be a way of getting the > GUS to work with DOS4GW games. I can't get sound out of more than 50% of my Gravis are supposed to be releasing a protected-mode (DOS4GW-compatible) version of MegaEm. In fact they were supposed to release it end December. I think we heard from someone with an alpha version, so it isn't vapourware, but possibly they are having problems making it work with different games, computer systems, etc. (I didn't think this was possible anyway, so I'm not surprised they are having trouble). Sam --> Home Page <-- ** Go on, try it! ** --> http://www.dur.ac.uk/~d405ua <-- --> Latest Feature: BUGFIX: realtime fractalzoom in 3K (486/P5).. <-- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Mar 1995 00:34:19 -0500 From: rwyckoff@biddeford.com (Richard Wyckoff) Subject: Clarification on proposed theory In regards to Bryan's message about GM-compatible arranged music, it's my opinion that the benefits of compatibility of the GM standard are far outweighed by the horrible variation in patchsets on GM sound cards. I think that GM has far more applicability with professional MIDI devices such as keyboards and sound modules, as the effort to make affordable soundcards seems to usually mean that patchsets are thrown together without the amount of care a synth manufacturer would use for a product aimed at musicians. In my last message it might have seemed like I was saying that MIDI compatibility should be dropped altogether - but I really only meant the GM patch standard. I find (and I'm sure many game composers find) that MIDI sequencers are MUCH easier to use than any of the .MOD-style editors. Most large game companies create original music for each project, rather than use libraries of GM tunes - I have a feeling that if they were given the choice between using the GM patchset or another standardized method which would allow them total freedom in instrument choice for their MIDI files, they would often go with the latter. And in many cases where the GM set *is* appropriate for a project, they could almost certainly record the music on professional GM gear and include it as 16-bit canned audio and get a much better sound than using the GM patches on any of today's low-to-mid-range soundcards. Richard Wyckoff -- Please register this product now to avoid uninterrupted use. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 26 Mar 94 15:06:45 From: musicman@werple.mira.net.au Subject: Dark Forces and GUS I too have Dark Forces and have being playing it for a few days now with NO problems with GUS slowing down the game!.. I suspect that the warning in the readme file is there to protect Lucas Arts if for some reason slow down did occur at least they could then turn around and say "hey did you read the warning in the readme file".. Has anyone out there actually had any slow down with GUS support?? Cya Anthony ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 13:33:11 -0700 From: deand@worldgate.edmonton.ab.ca (Dean Drolet) Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V20 #11 In Digest V20 #11 Reginald Atkins wrote: >1st don't buy from TC computers if they tell you the NMI is enabled > it is probably a lie to sell components. I am sure that you will find most "techs" at computer stores to be very un-informed and will tell you anything that you WANT to hear. >2nd don't get Award BIOS it is total shit! I really have to disagree with you on this one. I have been using Award BIOS' for nearly a year now and I have NOT seen any problems whatsoever. As a matter of fact, I really like the Award BIOS over the AMI BIOS' that I have used over the years. It is just as configurable and its auto-config option works a little better for performance tweaking than AMI's BIOS. But this is still all very Chipset dependant. Why not buy the ASUS MB SV2GX/4 WITH Award BIOS and SiS471 chipset and see how happy your GUS will be. It also supports 5 or 3.3V CPUs. I also saw a 23% performance increase with just the MB alone over my old one. NMI is also enabled on this MB. Just a few thoughts. PS: Award BIOS' is now the main BIOS manufacturer that is on most of the new high end MBs being shipped now. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------- deand@worldgate.edmonton.ab.ca | You can't expect to wield supreme executive power R3204@nait.ab.ca | just because some watery tart threw a sword at dean.drolet@traider.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca | you. - Dennis from Monty Python's Holy Grail --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Mar 1995 12:28:01 +0100 (MET) From: Martin Olsson Subject: GUS Max hangs WFW 3.11 Message-ID: I've had a problem with my GUS Max ever sisnce I upgraded to Windows for Workgroups 3.11. The problem has ocurred on two different machines (my old 486 Dx 33 with an American Megatrends BIOS and my new AMD 486 DX2/80 with an AMI BIOS) so I don't think the problem is with my computer. This is the problem: when I use the setup program that came with the GUS disks (I've tried all versions from 3.53 to 3.59 including GUS0048 and GUS0047) the windows installation seems to work fine, but when I start windows it hangs the computer after the logo screen. The mouse stops, and the keyboard locks up. The only solution there is to the problem is to remove the CODEC_BASE=32c (I've tried all other settings as well) from the SYSTEM.INI file, thus disabling 16bit recording. Does anybody have any ideas? I am getting a tad irrate at not being able to use the Max for high quality sampling under windows. Is there a hardware problem with my card? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- You want a glimpse of Martin Olsson Poetry, music the future? marols@ulmo.stud.slu.se programming, education Imagine a boot Ringgatan 37 A layout, publishing, art repeatedly stepping 752 63 Uppsala, SWEDEN photography, theatre on a face. tel: 46(0)18-555626 get in touch ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Mar 95 14:03 PST From: ksoule@mobius.net (Kent E. Soule) Subject: Internet Phone and a Cheap Mike I need to set up my GUS (rev 3.7) to use Internet Phone. After some research, it appears that I need a dynamic mike with a preferred impedance of 500 ohms; and a reverse splitter (to channel a single mike into both the L & R channels). Am told that Radio Shack offers a mike meeting these specs for about $12. Comments, cautions or suggestions, please. Kent ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Kent E. Soule San Francisco Voice: (415) 771-2659 FAX: (415) 771-1603 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Mar 1995 09:58:58 GMT From: ct91@cityscape.co.uk (Damian Scully) Subject: Long live the GUS Thanks to everyone who replied to my letter regarding DOS4GW and the GUS. I now love my GUS again as almost all of my games work with it. The PMODE program works brilliantly, and every GUS user should get a copy. While I'm here, what is this 'ACE' that I keep hearing about. ||||||| ( o o ) | \_/ Damian Scully ct91@cityscape.co.uk ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 14:26:38 -0500 From: rstenson@panix.com (Rick Stenson) Subject: Mike won't work. I cannot get my mike to work with any application, Windows or otherwise. Have enabled input in Ultramix, checked mike on other equipment. It is plugged into correct port. etc.. Any hints anyone?? Respond via e-mail also please. Thanks. *********************************** rstenson@panix.com [Rick Stenson] Very funny Scotty... Now beam down my Damn Clothes!! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 18:33:24 -0500 (EST) From: gt0074b@prism.gatech.edu Subject: motorola 680x0 has no dsp >From: Bryan Maher >Subject: New Standards, Existing Standards... > ... > >Yes, a new standard of multi-channel hardware assisted mixing would be nice >but in general, most people who try to change standards fail. The Amiga, like >the Mac's, use Motorola CPU's which have integrated DSP capabilities. It is >natural for them to use this functionality for their sound output. Even >today, Pentiums can not do signal processing as well as a 68040 let alone a >PowerPC. No offense, but that's rubbish. The motorola 680x0 line of processors do not have integrated DSP capability. The only advantage that the Motorola CPUs have are slightly faster floating point units when compared to the same generation of Intel x86 CPUs. The Pentium has vastly improved floating point, though. The reason the Amiga used 4-channel hardware mixing was because it had a custom audio chip, much like the GUS's GF1 DSP. If the sound card manufacturers standardize on the Interwave, the move towards MOD-style music will be even greater than it is now. I hope Gravis isn't the only one that uses the Interwave, because I as others am very dissatisfied with the current majority of DAC+FM sound card garbage. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 17:47:08 -0600 From: scannon@mail.utexas.edu (Steve Cannon) Subject: Recording Studio Bonus Pak Problem I am having a problem getting the Recording Studio bonus pack software that comes bundled with the GUS to record from my MIDI keyboard. I used to have this working flawlessly on a 386/33 but I recently bought a Micron P90 with Windows for Workgroups preinstalled. Now, I can use Patch Manager to load the patches without any problems but when I run the Recording Studio and attempt to record my keystrokes from the keyboard, nothing is recorded. I have checked the settings for drivers and Windows 3.1 Multimedia is selected. However, when I exit this section, it tells me I have no drivers installed. But in the Control Panel Drivers section, the Gravis is there! Funny thing, everything else seems to work OK. Can anyone give me some enlightenment on what might be wrong? Regards, Steve Cannon ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 22:58:14 -0600 (CST) From: Reginald Atkins Subject: SB and Gravis together Message-ID: Someone wrote about getting a SB or SB Pro and a Gravis together..... 1st Give the SB(Pro) 220 hex, Dma 1, and irq 7....all standard soundblaster defaults...I bought a SB because of the motherboard and it is picky. 2nd Get the Gravis off any SB compatible base addreses (thats anything except 220 and 240) I use 210, give the Gravis Dma of 3 and it keeps its irq of 11. This enables me to use the gravis with all my GUS games (Doom and Heretic), and enables me to use Megaem (with SB support of megaem disabled, since there's a real SB in there) and the SB picks up anything that is not native GUS or will not work with Megaem. that appears to work for me. Good luck. Reg. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 17:29:46 -0600 (CST) From: rwright@dhostwo.convex.com (Randy Wright) Subject: update to daily digest archives on epas I have updated the tar image of daily digest archives on epas (/pub/pc/ultrasound/submit/daily.tar) to include some missing issues that have been located. Thanks to Erik (chief@lysator.liu.se) for the following issues: vol-04/15 vol-12/11 vol-15/11 vol-16/28 This means that volumes 4, 12, 15, and 16 are now complete, to the best of my knowledge - at least there are no missing issue numbers in the volumes. These GUS Daily Digest volumes are still missing the following issues - but it's possible none were ever issued with these numbers: vol-03/{03,32} vol-08/02 vol-11/{47,48} vol-14/{02,03,04} vol-17/{17,18,21} If anyone can supply any of these issues, please let me know; I will continue to update the daily digest archive with any supplied issues. -- Randy Wright Usmail: Convex Computers Phone: (214) 497-4868 3000 Waterview Pky. Email: rwright@convex.com P.O. Box 833851 Richardson, TX 75083-3851 ------------------------------ End of GUS Daily Digest V20 #12 *******************************