GUS Daily Digest Mon, 27 Mar 95 9:37 PST Volume 20: Issue 27 Today's Topics: creating banks with bankmanager Dark Forces - NE1 get any sound? Driver Developement Information. Error when playing MIDI files in Cakewalk... GUS Daily Digest V20 #26 (4 msgs) GusMAX - play and record??? lost digest Pops and squeaks RAM/3D SOUND score printing Ultrasound compared with AWE v3.53 + norton desktop v3.0 Windows + QEMM + GusMax hangups 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: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 13:12:45 +0200 (MET DST) From: ralam@cs.vu.nl (Lam RA) Subject: creating banks with bankmanager Hello out there, Is it possible to have banks (for patchmanager under windows) that will map a patch to multiple instruments without it being loaded into memory several times. I tried this, making an bank with all instruments using the same patch, and I ran out of memory (I got one Mb on boardmemory). And if that is possible, is there anyone out there that already has a good melodic and drum bank that can be loaded into memory both together at the same time? The reason I'm asking is because I still can't get any music out of Kings Quest VII. The only way you can hear anything is if you preload some patches with patchmanager, but I don't know which ones. Someone suggested that I get the new windows drivers, but that didn't improve the music (And KQVII still keeps on crashing) Thanks Remco Lam ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 17:28:45 -0500 From: RonHall@aol.com Subject: Dark Forces - NE1 get any sound? Has anyone gotten ANY sound from Dark Forces CD? The setup sound works fine, but I get NO sound in the game.. if you get sound from that game, please post how you did, and what you used, thanks. RonHall@aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 12:42:31 +0000 () From: "Eric M. Busalacchi" Subject: Driver Developement Information. Message-ID: I am looking to develope a GUS driver for NeXTSTEP 3.3. Can someone please help me get the information on the GUS that I will need to do this? Thanks in advance! -- Eric M. Busalacchi emb@herman.tiac.net - Big brother is watching the net.. -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: 2.6.2 mQBtAy9wT60AAAEDANXELDU41nUeIgahsO1l7+j4e++B2mq7Z4/xIPI80VsVI3lc nyEk9CnnxN7R7ZXw4WNyzBDiGVERe+CWiUHAc+Vr8PF/QpmqgvC3L5OBim0/4RY0 zurH/2OSHMiDcWqmXQAFEbQoRXJpYyBNLiBCdXNhbGFjY2hpIDxlbWJAaGVybWFu LnRpYWMubmV0Pg== =qEpQ -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 09:37:25 GMT From: Clarke Brunt Subject: Re: Error when playing MIDI files in Cakewalk... >I just added an upgrade chip for my Max but I am still having some >problems when I play MIDI songs through Cakewalk Pro (2.0). For many of >the songs (larger ones), I get an error saying that there is no memory >available for any more patches. It is always the drums that get left >out. Still sounds like it has got to do with the old problem of Program Change events on channel 10. CakeWalk would respond to these by trying to cache a melodic patch on channel 10, and the GUS windows driver would refuse, leading CakeWalk to believe that you were out of memory. Alternatively, it could be trying to cache drum patches on some channel other than 10. I don't have CakeWalk Pro, but is there somewhere in it to specify that drums are on 10, and 10 only? ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 23:45:32 -0500 (EST) From: Buddy Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V20 #26 > From: dpenick@eden.com (David Penick) > Subject: Play multiple signals w/out mixing > > Is the GUS capable of playing multiple stereo signals > simultaneously without mixing? > > Alternatively, I could use 4 different soundcards at one time. > Anybody ever tried this? Which soundcards? How many? Which Just don't try more than one of any particular card. Someone once asked if more than one GUS could be used at once (something I had considered) and the answer was that the software simply cannot distinguish between two cards and send different info to each. Kevin ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 9:46:05 +0400 (EET-DST) From: MICASSO Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V20 #26 Date sent: 27-MAR-1995 09:40:58 > >In MIDISoft Recording Session, there is an entry where you select the >instrument for a track that says "Bank Number". When I enter the number >of the bank I want, it still plays using the default bank set in Patch >Manager. Yeah, Why doesn't Recording Session change the banks? My version plays only 0-banks (default banks). Is there any better manual or helpfile for Midifier? -- Micasso ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Mar 95 08:27:19 EST From: RICK_SCHREIBER_at_TPPEP@smtpgw.lcp.com Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V20 #26 > Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 20:00:33 -0500 From: Art Iraidnakov > Subject: 95 and GUS > Could someone please tell me what the best way to setup Windows 95 > and the GUS are? I am running the Final Beta and and didnt know > what drivers I should install. Thanks.. Art - I installed the final beta and it used my autoexec.bat and config.sys to determine the drivers automatically. I didn't have to do anything for it to work fine. Now, SCSI drivers, that's a different story :( - Rick Schreiber rick_schreiber_at_tppep@smtpgw.lcp.com (I hate my email address) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 09:53 -0500 From: DANTONIO@PROCESS.COM (Momentary Language, Sexual Situations) Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V20 #26 >Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 23:48:33 -0800 (PST) >From: Marty Danko -Khertz- >Subject: PLEASE HELP ME! >I am unable to "SUBSCRIBE" to the Ultrasound digest. I have tried putting >subscribe in the text, and in the subjext lines. If you could, please put >me on the list. What address did you send to? This is the correct one: > To (un)subscribe or get help: DDA ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 09:47:29 GMT From: Clarke Brunt Subject: Re: GusMAX - play and record??? >I seem to be having trouble understanding what the use is for different >play and record DMA channel settings (in Windows GUS config). When I am >in Cakewalk, for example, I can record on one Midi channel while others >are playing back. I have a feeling, though, that this "play and record" >thing is not MIDI related.... or is it? > >In other words, what does it do? Also, what does changing the buffer >size do?-- (N.B. all this is only relevant to Windows) MIDI is nothing to do with it. MIDI 'channels' are merely part of the MIDI data, and are interpreted by the drivers, not the hardware. DMA (direct memory access) allows the GUS to transfer data to/from main memory without processor intervention. You need to use two separate channels if you want to play and record waveform data at the same time. The buffer size is the size of the DMA transfers (and also controls how much of the GUS RAM is reserved for the buffers - too large can prevent you from loading v. large MIDI patches). Check out free memory in PatchMan even when no patches are loaded. To reduce GUS RAM usage for buffers, you have to select the 'fixed buffer size' (or whatever it is called) option in the driver setup, otherwise it reserves the maximum amount, but then lets you choose how much of it to use without restarting Windows. Small buffer size seems to avoid jerky playback of video (.avi) files, but I have sometimes had problems with WAV playback with very small buffers. If you have a problem, then try changing the size, otherwise leave well alone. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Mar 95 11:31:33-010 From: amfg@cic.teleco.ulpgc.es (Angel Fern'andez Gonz'alez) Subject: lost digest I would be very grateful if someone could mail me the digest from the 21 to 27 of march. Thanks in advance. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Mar 95 09:06:27 BST From: dwj@kid01pml.icl.co.uk (Dave Johnson) Subject: Pops and squeaks Dear All, A couple of months ago, I started hearing high pitched squeals in the music of TIE Fighter. It didn't happen all the time, but once it had started (generally a few minutes into the game) it was there until I quit to DOS. I thought that this might be a problem with TIE, but now I have heard the same thing with DOOM (or DOOMII, can't remember which - could be both) but not as frequently. This weekend I bought Dark Forces (WOW!), which also starts to squeak at me after a while. Ok, this is getting serious - it's time to consult the rest of you GUSsers. Does anyone else have the same problem / know a way of fixing it? Should I revert to my old GUS software? Setup ----- AMD 486DX @ 40MHz 8Mbytes RAM Mitsumi 4x CD-ROM Drive (acquired after problem started) 512k GUS MAX using latest drivers Addr 220 Play/Record DMA 6/7 GUS/MIDI IRQ 7/5 Thanks, Dave ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 25 Mar 95 20:18:00 +0100 From: nuno.neves@skyship.alce.pt (NUNO NEVES) Subject: RAM/3D SOUND Sorry for asking something you're probably tired to hear... I'm searching a GUS, but since they come with 512KB,I'd like to order the DRAMs at the same time. I've heard that the Max uses different chips, so which chips should I get to upgrade the normal GUS to 1MB? Just 2 more questions, what's the latest version of the normal GUS (3.7?), and is it true that Gravis had to remove the 3-D sound effects from recent cards because it was some other companie's technology? Thx dudes... -NN- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Mar 95 8:32:29 PST From: David Burton Subject: score printing Another option to Midisoft Studio for printing scores is Procyon Pro. I think the results are better than Studio's. David Burton ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 16:24:10 AEST-1000 From: Andrew McDonald Subject: Ultrasound compared with AWE > Date: Wed, 22 Mar 95 13:34:00 +0100 > From: nuno.neves@skyship.alce.pt (NUNO NEVES) > Subject: GUS > I'd like some comments of a vet user, good aspects, bad aspects. > I have an old SB 2.0, works great for the SFX, I don't need more, but > FM is not pleasant at all, so a GUS would be nice for the music. > I want a GUS, but lots of people say I should pick a AWE32 > "So the GUS is good, but it is not supported, so it's useless! Also, > you really have to expand it to 1MB or it sucks" Hi there. I have an Ultrasound and love it :) but recently a friend purchased an AWE-32. Now i was fairly open-minded about it, i thought that creative labs might have actually produced a decent card. That was until i heard it! I was very interested to compare the sound quality with the Ultrasound so, I listened to STRIVING.mid on both cards and in my subjective opinion, the ultrasound version sounds "clearer", and IMHO the piano sounds better on the Gus. But that's not the main reason why i would recommend the UltraSound. I'm not really a computer-gamer, but i would guess that there a lot more games that have native support for Ultrasound, than for the AWE. I know of plenty of demos that support either FM or GUS, or GUS only, and hardly any i've seen have wavetable support for AWE. But even that's not the main reason why i would recommend the ultrasound. :) Is there an AWE ftp directory? Is the awe as easy to program as the gus? is there a free sdk? how much shareware and pd software is written for the awe? Can you download patches, updates and beta releases of new-tuff from Creative-Labs? (my friend doesn't even have a MOD player for it, apart from the mix-it-all-into-one- channel-and-sound-really-fuzzy kind). :) As far as i know, the software bundled with the Ultrasound is HEAPS better than what you get with the awe. It looks like just the same software as the SB16, but with wavetable capability on the midi player. I couldn't see anything on there to compose midi at all! (the ultrasound comes with Power-Chords and Recording-Session, two pretty good programs). I can't really think of why anyone would buy an AWE ahead of the Ultrasound. IT's not even cheaper, in fact it's more expensive. (well it is here in Australia anyway). Well actually there is one possible reason. If you really *must* have 100% compatibility with old games, instead of 90% (?) compatibility using SBOS and Mega-emm, then POSSIBLY take a quick peek at the AWE. But considering you already have a Sound Blaster you could use both cards? I'm not sure how hard that is, but apparently quite a few people do that. by the way, if you get a chance to see the UltraSound experience cd before you decide, i think it would influence your decision ;) May the best card win :) see ya later! - AndrewMAC __ __ \ \/ / Andrew McDonald THE \ / FILES Engineering II --- / \ ----- Monash University /_/\_\ Melbourne AUSTRALIA ------------------------------- THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE... ANDREWM@halls1.cc.monash.edu.au -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Mar 95 13:49:32 BST From: J.Screaton@sheffield.ac.uk (James Screaton) Subject: Re: v3.53 + norton desktop v3.0 You need to upgrade to get these to work together. I'm still on v3.56 of the software, and this works fine for me. It would be nice if there was a list available of the enhancements for each version (did one of these get done once?) James ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 17:43:50 -0700 (PDT) From: Doug Whittier Subject: Windows + QEMM + GusMax hangups Hi all! I've got a GusMax, and am trying to run it with Win 3.11. I've had it all working perfectly for some time, but recently I tried hooking up QEMM 7.0, and Windows refused to load until I removed the Gus-modified portions of win.ini, system.ini and control.ini, and deleted midimap.cfg entirely. Now some time ago, there was some discussion of a QEMM switch, something like vmi:pentium or some variation of that, which might help. Anybody know what that switch was? Or maybe someone else has had similar problems and cured them another way... BTW - I also have an SBPRO in my system, and I've gotten both to work together in games quite cleanly. It's the addition of QEMM that has prompted the glitches. Thanx! Doug Whittier ------------------------------ End of GUS Daily Digest V20 #27 *******************************