Ultrasound Daily Digest Wed, 21 Apr 1993 Volume 3 : Issue 21 Today's Topics: 2 new patches for GUS [GUS] and Monster Bash! [GUS] Programming a simple sampleplayer for large samples Alone in the Dark problems Dead mouse in windows Finale & Windows 3.1 games & dblspace Gus & Cakewalk for Windoze GUS in DOS BOX Last Attempt (a promise) Links 386 w/GUS misunderstanding on DOS BOX News reader host Ok, maybe I am stupid, but COMANCHE IS WORKING!! OS/2 drivers Ultrasound Daily Digest V3 #16 UW I with SBOS 2.04 WINJAMMER - MIDI files too big 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: Tue, 20 Apr 93 11:34:02 CDT From: eason@ncrnd3.StPaul.NCR.COM (Dale Eason) Subject: Re: 2 new patches for GUS Message-ID: <9304201634.AA15505@ncrnd3.StPaul.NCR.COM> Any one interested in pipe organ voices for the GUS can find two pat files included in the gusorg.exe file at epas. They are princ8.pat and bourd4.pat which are samples of an 8 foot principal and 4 foot bourdon. The samples were first made using uss8. Since that made them 8 bit samples and a little bit noisy, I then used my own sound analyzer based on Csound's hetro analysis to resynthasyze them to 16 bits. Dale Eason ------------------------------ Date: 19 Apr 1993 23:11:54 -0400 From: ensor@cs.utk.edu (Neal Ensor) Subject: [GUS] and Monster Bash! Message-ID: <1qvplqINN213@duncan.cs.utk.edu> ReprintFrom: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard Anyone else have trouble getting this new Apogee creation to work properly with the GUS? I've tried several settings, and each time I get most of the way through the first level (or any level..) using Soundblaster effects, it will hit a point that it starts a sound, then never stops... This produces a nasty lockup effect, from which I must reboot. Anybody having any luck with it? I get the soundtrack just fine, but I'd like those digitized effects (I mean, the PC speaker just isn't the same! :) ) Is this one of those where an older version of SBOS is in order? (Using 2.04). Any help would be appreciated... My setup is as follows: 386DX/40MHz, 16 megs RAM, using DOS 6.0 with EMM386 EMS drivers. Using SBOS version 2.04. Neal Ensor ensor@cs.utk.edu BTW: Anyone heard about any upcoming support from Apogee, Epic, or Id for the GUS? Maybe if we bug them enough... ^_^ ------------------------------ Date: 21 Apr 93 01:31:50 From: jao@cc.tut.fi (Aula Janne) Subject: [GUS] Programming a simple sampleplayer for large samples Message-ID: ReprintFrom: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard,comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.GUS I need to be able to play very large (maybe 10 Megs) stereo samples (sampled at slow frequency, ~10000 Hz) with a Gravis. I have studied the docs (and the sources) in wuarchive.wustl.edu, and came up with a few questions about using Gus's memory as a double buffer for the incoming sample. But first, is this kind of thing possible to do with the technical data (and knowledge?) *available* in the net? I think I must rely 100% on the net.wisdom as the SDK just seems too hard to get. Can't help to wonder what is the marketing strategy Gravis is applying.. Anyway, Double buffering would be an easy one, if there just existed an exact way to determine when the card has played the buffer till the end. Polling the byte location every 1/(10000 Hz) seconds feels rude not mention the trouble of filling the second buffer in a timer interrupt handler. Is there a way to force GUS to make an IRQ after reaching the end of a voice sample? That would solve the problem nicely. IO-based writing into GUS's memory should be more than enough for a stereo sample at 10000Hz, but does there exists any info on the issue of DMA transfers into the gus's memory? It should really be rather simple, all the GUS needs to know is where to put the data DMAC feeds in.. Comments? Hints? Sources? Please do mail. The deadline.. :-) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 93 10:38:34 CST From: Richard Tamura Subject: Re: Alone in the Dark problems Message-ID: <9304201038.A11015@okway.okstate.edu> I was getting weird sound in Alone in the Dark. One option is to choose no DMA as Marcus said... However, this slows down the game noticeably when there's digitized sound on my DX2-66. The game works fine for me when I boot up with QEMM with the stealth feature disabled. If you are not using QEMM, then please ignore this! :) Seeya, - Richard ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 93 10:32:35 EDT From: amix@gvls2.VFL.Paramax.COM (Andy Mix) Subject: Dead mouse in windows Message-ID: <9304201432.AA06323@gvls2.VFL.Paramax.COM> About 1/3 to 1/2 of the time when I start up windows, I have no mouse; no hourglass cursor and then no arrow. I have to F to exit windows and restart again. Next time it's fine. This seemed to coincide with loading the 2.01 disks window driver. I do not have DOS 6.0 yet, so I can't blame the problem on that. Someone else had mentioned this problem a while ago, but I never saw anything more about it. Anybody else seeing this or have any clues? -Andy ------------------------------ Date: 21 Apr 1993 10:17:21 +1000 From: PHTH1@cc.newcastle.edu.au Subject: Finale & Windows 3.1 Message-ID: <01GX9PJGNQIQ8WYC49@cc.newcastle.edu.au> For those of you like me who want a good but affordable combination of music software and soundcard, Finale version 2.2 now supports Windows multimedia extensions. This, of course, means that it will drive the GUS. This means you can now obtain sound from Finale without an MPU401 interface. Tony ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1993 04:27:36 -0600 (CST) From: "Neil D. Danylczuk" Subject: games & dblspace Message-ID: I have seen and heard about a lot of problems with game compatibility and dblspace. The strangest thing is that the problems seem to be erratic. Some days the game will work on a compressed volume, some days it won't. I have seen this and heard about this with numerous titles. All the ones that I've personally seen are games that store their files in a compressed form to begin with. This is an emerging problem that has yet to be defined or solved. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1993 00:19:44 EDT From: Hard On The Beaver Subject: Gus & Cakewalk for Windoze Message-ID: <0096B563.1FE835E0.1162@ualr.edu> Has anyone gotten the GUS to work with CakeWalk For windoze? If so please post a detailed description of exactly wht you did and what settings you used! Thanks, Jacuqe Andre' Bussey ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1993 04:25:49 -0600 (CST) From: "Neil D. Danylczuk" Subject: GUS in DOS BOX Message-ID: The problem with SBOS in a Windows DOS Box is well known to the techs, and John Smith has told me that Forte will have a fix for the problem in the next SBOS, due end of April. In the meantime, just remove SBOS before starting Windows. (SBOS -F) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Apr 93 03:08:44 +0200 From: chief@lysator.liu.se Subject: Last Attempt (a promise) Message-ID: <9304210108.AA01775@ruben.lysator.liu.se> So, no help for this poor old fella' with his NEW SET OF DISKS INSTALLATION problems, huh? Not even from Mr. John 'Gravis' Smith? (I gave up after that 7th try, in case anyone wondered). SETUP and ULTRINIT still doesn't work. Still locks my computer. Well well well.. not to worry, I use the old v1.22 disks instead, until I can put my hands on a working SoundBlaster 16 or something. I can always use the Ensoniq chip for something else. A few views on the new .MID pack for the GUS 2.01 disks though - STRIVING: Everything runs smooth on all channels Except for the 1st one. The Piano sounds Really flakey around C7. Like it was another sound in fact. BIKES : Terrible! What *are* those sounds? I can't listen to it. And I can't believe it's supposed to sound like this! TECHNO78: Is the Trumpet really the 'main' instrument in this tune? A-BRIDGE: Can someone tell me what sound Channel 09 is supposed to be? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Erik ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1993 04:38:37 -0600 (CST) From: "Neil D. Danylczuk" Subject: Links 386 w/GUS Message-ID: The following is a message I saw by Scott Hawley regarding exactly how to run Links 386 with the GUS. Since he wrote this, Links 1.08 and DOS 6.0 have come out, though. Keep that in mind. The suggestions are very useful anyway. Someone might want to add this to the FAQ? ::::::::: Links 386 Pro (Access Software) UltraSound Setup Version You must be using Links 386 Pro version 1.05 or newer. Version 1.05 fixes some with the sound. To find out your version #, type LINKS386 /V from the directory. Version 1.05 can be found on most bulletin board systems by calling Access Software Directly (1-800-793-8324). Memory Links 386 Pro comes with it's own memory manager. Access Software does not using QEMM with Links 386 Pro. It has been our experience that Links 386 Pro works best without any expanded memory driver, including EMM386.EXE. Conclusion: Don't use EMM386.EXE (or any other expanded memory driver)! According to Access Software, you must use the HIMEM.SYS driver that comes with 5.0 (not the one that comes with Windows 3.1). If you use the driver that comes with Windows 3.1, then Links will probably crash. Links Configuration Once you have your computer's memory set up as above, and you have installed Links 386 Pro version 1.05, you are ready to begin. You must delete the configuration file in the LINKS386 subdirectory called LINKS386.CFG. SBOS Because Links 386 Pro "looks for" a specific version of the Sound Blaster card, you must run SBOS with the -X2 option. Example: SBOS -X2 Running Links Links must be run with the /S option, which eliminates possible device conflicts with sound cards. Example: LINKS386 /S or GOLF /S. You should then go to the "Options" menu and select "Sound Options." Choose the Sound Blaster option. At this point, Links should set up (by itself) for DMA channel 1, and interrupt 7. You should change this to whatever is listed for the "I" option in your SET BLASTER= line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, usually 5. Try "pressing" the TEST SOUND button on the screen. You should hear sound. Try several to make sure your system is set up correctly. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1993 15:32:29 -0400 From: Michael C Irvin Subject: misunderstanding on DOS BOX Message-ID: <93Apr20.153231edt.14349-4@smith.crayola.cs.psu.edu> > From: Michael C Irvin > Subject: Patch errors! > Message-ID: <93Apr18.131936edt.14343-3@smith.crayola.cs.psu.edu> > > I recently read that someone was having problems in windows dealing with > patch errors. I, too, when trying to start up a DOS BOX get the > following error: > > "error on load of patch library(C:\ULTRASND\SBOS\sboslib.sbs)" > [...] Anybody who's having the above error: why not just remove SBOS before you start Windows? SBOS can't run in a Windows DOS box anyhow. In fact, it disables itself when you start up Windows and reactivates when you exit. --- I've been getting a lot of responses telling me that SBOS doesn't work under a DOS BOX. I understand this point. My problem is that I am merely starting up a DOS BOX. I should be able to do that right?!? I know that if I wanted to play DUNE II, I wouldn't be able to hear any sound using SBOS. As a matter of fact, I did this once to kill time while I was using Procomm Plus to Download some stuff. My problem is NOW when I go to just open the DOS BOX, I get this error! Just like you said, SBOS disables itself when entering windows which shouldn't make SBOS the guilty party. The reason I am making a point about all of this is that I *LIKE* to use the DOS BOX for certain things. I also do a lot of FTPing and downloading which I need to be in windows and I just can't quit and come back. So...now does anyone have any ideas? I may reinstall my ultrasound software with 2.05 sometime and see if I get the same error. BTW, has anyone heard if gravis is writting an SBOS that *WILL* work under a DOS BOX? (Just curious...) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 93 11:05:11 EST From: Matthew Spewak Subject: News reader host Message-ID: <930420.110511.9179@walnut.prs.k12.nj.us> This is not really related to the ultrasound specificly, but to posting on the comp.pc.soundcard newsgroup. I don't have a very good host for news reader and was wondering if someone could e-mail me with a list of hosts that would enable me to read and post to all news groups. Sorry to use GUS digest for this, but its the only way I can post to hundreds of users. Thanks, Matt ------------------------------ Date: 20 Apr 1993 20:45:09 -0400 (EDT) From: PSANTUCCI@DESIRE.WRIGHT.EDU Subject: Ok, maybe I am stupid, but COMANCHE IS WORKING!! Message-ID: <01GX8X97AODU005N3L@DESIRE.WRIGHT.EDU> Me again. IT WORKS!! However, I'm not sure why, as it seems to be something we tried before. Here's the AutoExec.Bat: path c:\dos;c:\ultrasnd;c:\ultrasnd\sbos SET ULTRASND=220,1,1,2,5 C:\ULTRASND\ULTRINIT ULTRAJOY 16 SET ULTRADIR=C:\ULTRASND SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T1 prompt $p$g c: cd \apps\dosapps\games\comanche CONFIG.SYS is unchanged from last post. Folks, I know I said I tried this one. I have witnesses prepared to swear such under oath. We are also prepared to swear that all testing was performed waaaay after our bedtimes, so maybe I documented incorrectly the full set of procedures we tried. Regarless, it works now, and play is much better with sound. Much. Thanks to all you saintly ppl. Carpe Piscum, Patman ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1993 13:04:24 EST From: "Joseph Mckinnon" Subject: OS/2 drivers Message-ID: <2bd4b9b9.josephm@tmxbris.mhs.oz.au> Hi, I'am from Australia, and would like to know several things. 1. Electronic Arts in AUstralia, was the distrubutor for your GUS cards, but they have since dropped that line...Who is the Australian distrubutor now? 2. Are gravis working on OS/2 Multi-Media drivers? 3. And what are the latest DOS/WIN drivers for the cards? and where can I mail-ftp them from? Thanks. -- Regards, Joseph ============================================================================= Joseph Mckinnon Proteus/2. Ph#: 61-7-800-4447 Home of Joe's OS/2 Tips. E-mail: josephm@tmxbris.mhs.oz.au ============================================================================= ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 93 19:22:00 PDT From: GUIA@bldghsc.lan1.umanitoba.ca Subject: Ultrasound Daily Digest V3 #16 Message-ID: <2BD4AFE6@adminbldg.lan1.umanitoba.ca> i'm not sure how the OS/2 environment works in terms of negociating IRQ's for the printer, but if you have your printer on LPT1 and have the midi part of the gus working on IRQ7 there may be a conflict there: IRQ7 is reserved for LPT1, IRQ5 for LPT2, IRQ4 for COM3 or COM1, IRQ3 for COM4 or COM2, IRQ2 for the cascade to IRQ's 8 to 15, IRQ1 for keyboard, IRQ6 for i_don't_remember_what... meaning the only ones which you can use for midi are 3 to 5 or 7..... you have to search for one which is not being used and use that one... most computers don't have an LPT2 but may have some other card such as a scanner using IRQ5... you may have gotten this kind of information thirty messages ago or you may be someone who is more knowledgeable about computers than i (an easy task)... if so to either, appologies... if not, hope this helps ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Re-installed OS/2 on my new harddrive. 2. Installed the new Ultrasound software. IT WORKS! . . . . . . typed 'ultrinit' on the DOS prompt; got back to OS/2 window, copy prn; BANG, IT DOESN'T WORK... Hah hah, I got you bummer! lebeld@JSP.UMontreal.CA (o o) be here? In your room ... " - Depeche Mode ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 93 08:36:05 -0700 From: cliff@trifid.astro.ucla.edu Subject: UW I with SBOS 2.04 Message-ID: <9304201536.AA03388@trifid.astro.ucla.edu> A few days ago I posted to c.s.i.p.s about a problem I'm having trying to get digitized speech with UWI. I'm using SBOS 2.04 with DOS 6.0, no disk compression. I tried using both IRQ 5 and IRQ 7 running uwsound to change the game settings and testing the results. My ultrasound environment is usually set to 220,6,6,11,5 I've tried 220,1,1,11,5 220,1,1,11,7 220,6,6,11,7 I've changed the soundblaster environment to match the IRQ I was using at the time but with no luck. It always tells me that it detects a sound blaster for music but it never detects a sound blaster for speech. I just finished playing UW II with the same basic setup and had no problems. I tried enabling and disenabling smartdrv and the mouse driver. I've freed up to 620K before starting the game. One person responded that he had the same problem and went back to using SBOS 1.22. Is there an SBOS flag I can set? Is there an easy way of switching between SBOS versions without renaming dos directories? Thanks in advance... cliff ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Apr 93 12:26:52 EST From: adrianr@ecr.mu.oz.au (Adriano_Ennio RAIOLA) Subject: WINJAMMER - MIDI files too big Message-ID: <9304210226.7062@ecr.mu.oz.au> Gday legends.. OK, who has the midi file archives song1-5.lzh off epas? In particular the song3.lzh archive (since its the only one of the five Ive tried, its got C&C, Black Box and KLF on it!!!) ANYWAY, I try to load some of the mid's in winjammer, and since these mid files have been merged into one single track, most of them come up with the error message 'Cant load midi file, track 0 too big 98322 bytes' or something like that, though winjammer album player will play them, the trouble is most of the songs have the track number a bit stuffed, like some of the drum tracks arent on track 10, i know this by checking the midi files that WOULD load in winjammer PROBLEM: Aside from getting a new sequencer (are there any other shareware sequencers or sequencers of any type out there that will edit and save a mid file?) is there any other way to edit the track and split it so it can be loaded and played properly on a GUS???? thanks Gusser's -- | adrianr@ecr.mu.oz.au --------| Adrian -aka- Plugger | * * * * * | _/_\ | adrianr@mullian.ee.mu.oz.au -| What time is love? | *_* * *_ *_ | / OZ | | adrianr@mundil.cs.mu.oz.au --| I think its gonna be | * * * * * | \__-_/ | -- I want more accounts! ----| long, long time. | * * * * * | v ------------------------------ End of Ultrasound Daily Digest V3 #21 *************************************