Ultrasound Daily Digest Sun Jul 11 00:07 Volume 4: Issue 40 Today's Topics: 2.06 Disks - Windows Installation Problem a few things (as usual) Cubase with the GUS? Drum patches Edit Patch Grayed - Answer (WAY) GUS & Flashback How do I configure GUS for Ultima7 pt1? Links 386 Pro & GUS SB-compatible card to use alongside GUS Ultima7 & AIL Ultrasound Daily Digest V4 #39 WinCD with the GUS 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, 10 Jul 93 13:52:57 +0100 From: T.Walker@swansea.ac.uk Subject: 2.06 Disks - Windows Installation Problem Message-ID: <5677.9307101252@pygmy.swan.ac.uk> Apologies if this has already been aired in past digests. When I got my 2.06 disks, I removed all traces of the V1.22 Ultrasound software from my hard drive - including editing out any mention in win.ini, system.ini, control.ini, autoexec.bat and config.sys. The installation went fine until it got to the Windows installation, when it halted with an error FATAL ERROR AT SCRIPT LINE 343 Unable to open destination file after the Gravis bitmap had appeared. I thought it was probbaly due to some problem with the old software interfering, so I thought no more of it and installed the Windows stuff manually. However, I bought a larger hard drive a week ago, and reinstalled DRDOS 6.0, Windows 3.1 and then the Ultrasound software from new. The same thing happened when the installation got to Windows, same error etc. This time there was no old software to interfere - so what's the problem? I looked in the winsetup.inf file that's in the ultrasnd directory, and made some changes to see what I could find out. By adding lines like SetTopLineTo Got to this point (#1) I could trace the execution of the windows installer program. I worked out that it was unable to work out the location of the system.ini file - the variables [WinDrvPath1], [WinDrvPath2], [SysPath] and [ConPath] were all being set to c:\ (I used SetTopLineTo [WinDrvPath1] etc. to work this out). So I altered the lines where the installer searches for system.ini etc. to give the explicit paths, e.g. [SysPath]= c:\windows\system.ini. Then the installer worked fine. I have no idea why the installer couldn't locate system.ini (but note it didn't stop and say it couldn't find it), unless it's a problem with DRDOS 6.0. I'm also using SuperPCKwik disk cache (supplied with DRDOS). Any ideas? Tim Walker. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 93 20:26:25 GMT From: mike@batpad.org (Mike Batchelor) Subject: a few things (as usual) Message-ID: In your message you write: > From: pccmoddan@aol.com > Subject: a few things (as usual) > > Secondly, to say that the UltraSound may have no future is naive. The card > has a decent-sized established user base, which has proven to be one of the > most religious-like followings of any product in this industry. There are a > number of software developers who *really* like the UltraSound, and are > supporting it right now. And with the AIL drivers available for the GUS the > others have little excuse for lack of GUS support. > > This card hasn't been out terribly long, and for a product that takes a > completely new and dynamic approach to the sound issue, it is doing extremely > well. I agree completely. I used to have a SB Pro, the documentation was marginal, the software barely adequate, nothing to write home about. On the other hand, the quality of the GUS software is very good to superb, and the documentation - while not exhaustive - is complete, well organized and easy to understand. The card has all the features that the mainstream competitors lack - like a line out! I got rid of my SB Pro because anything I plugged into the amplified out sounded like crap, even headphones - I never got a hum-free signal from the thing. Then there is the volume control on the backplane of the SB Pro - very awkward. I could go on and on... I was especially impressed with the GUS Install - it tells you when and what files it is going to modify, it tells you what it is going to change, and it tells you the names of the backup files it makes. Contrast this with the usual run-of-the-mill install program that does things without asking or telling you (like DOS 6 and Windows Setup). Gravis did it right the first time, and I applaud that. I wish all Installs were as smooth and painless. One thing is certain - new GUS users will definitely get a good first impression. -- /////////////////////////////// ////// Mike Batchelor //////// ////// mike@batpad.org //////// //// Mar Vista, California //// /////////////////////////////// ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1993 22:44:15 -0400 (EDT) From: dionf@ERE.UMontreal.CA (Francois Dion) Subject: Cubase with the GUS? Message-ID: <9307110244.AA24024@brise.ERE.UMontreal.CA> Anybody got any sound at all out of Cubase? Even with all the patches loaded, i cant get anything from the GUS. The setup is set for multimedia windows. 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: Sat, 10 Jul 1993 22:46:50 -0400 (EDT) From: dionf@ERE.UMontreal.CA (Francois Dion) Subject: Drum patches Message-ID: <9307110246.AA24105@brise.ERE.UMontreal.CA> I am still looking for a way to construct drumkits without changing the root note in the patch. If somebody has done this, i'd like to know. 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: 10 Jul 93 10:43:43 EDT From: "Eric Bell, Howling Dog Systems" <71333.2166@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Edit Patch Grayed - Answer (WAY) Message-ID: <930710144342_71333.2166_DHQ30-1@CompuServe.COM> > From Afzal Ballim > Subject PowerChords - Edit Patch Grayed - Answer (NOT) > I'm getting a grayed edit patch button on occassions EVEN > when I am doing melody! > -Afzal Afzal, I had another look at this. Do you have 'Numeric Patch Mapping' selected? There will be an edit box beside 'Patch:' to enter the numeric patch if this is true. Since the GUS driver supports General MIDI, you should use General MIDI Patch Mapping (which is the default). To change this, select 'Options' from the main menu, then 'MIDI...'. Eric Bell, Howling Dog Systems ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1993 09:16:29 -0300 (ADT) From: Shadow Of Fear Subject: GUS & Flashback Message-ID: Andre Jakobs: Hi, I have Flashback too and could make it work. The music is so-so, but the digital sounds are mostly important. You hear them 80% of the game. Only SBOS 2.0B8 and 2.0B9 works okay with Flashback. Music isn't very good and sometimes out of tune. You can also hear cracks and pops with the music, but I could live with that. The music is only for the animations scenes and there are no digital sound during thos scenes. But for the digital stuff during the game, TURN UP THE VOLUME!!! And at maximum! :) No switches required. John Smith said that SBOS 2.0B10 was for Flashback. I tried it. The music is excellent this time, but the digital sounds are totally waisted. I prefer to have nice sounds than have nice music on this game. Marc Y. Paulin /-----------------------------------------------------------------\ | Fidonet: 1:255/32.0 Internet: markus@info.umoncton.ca | | 1:255/33.0 Talk: markus@clement.info.umoncton.ca | \--------------+------------------------------+-------------------/ | Gravis Ultrasound forever!!! | +------------------------------+ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1993 02:29:51 -0700 From: George Hepker Subject: How do I configure GUS for Ultima7 pt1? Message-ID: <199307100929.AA20210@sandstorm.berkeley.edu> Thanks to everyone for giving me places to find a GUS. I found Aroma Computers in Sunnyvale has a good selection. I purchased a PAS16 and a GUS. The GUS simply blows away the PAS for quality of sound! But I'd like to get the GUS to simulate an LAPC-1, Ive seen the MT32 files but I don't know if their related? I want to get the most out of this card especially for games. Thanks for your help, George Henry Hepker VI georgehh@ocf.berkeley.edu ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1993 22:11:22 -0600 (MDT) From: jdrichar@nyx.cs.du.edu (David Richards) Subject: Links 386 Pro & GUS Message-ID: <9307110411.AA10360@nyx.cs.du.edu> Could anyone that has gotten these two to work together please tell me how?? Trying to get it to run on a 386SX-20 with 4 megs of ram, GUS settings 220,7,7,11,5.. Any help would be appreciated. Dave jdrichar@nyx.cs.du.edu ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 93 11:02:02 GMT From: mike@batpad.org (Mike Batchelor) Subject: SB-compatible card to use alongside GUS Message-ID: Well, I've just about given up on SBOS. When it works, it works very well. More than half the games I've tried have worked without a hitch. But the ones that don't work straightaway, usually aren't going to sound very well once I find the SBOS switches that they need. Or the game will halt when a digitized sound is played. SBOS does a very good job of emulating a SB in software, but I can't help but think that this approach is just going to have some limitations that can only be overcome by getting the real hardware. So - I am now shopping for a SB compatible card to install alongside the GUS. I hve a few questions: What clone cards have audio line out? I have already ruled out a real SB, since they have only amplified out. This sounds like $h!+ when plugged into anything - even headphones (I had a real SB Pro before the GUS, but sold it for this reason). Not to mention the volume control is on the backplane of the card, a real inconvenience. Once I get the second card, is there anything I need to be aware of? I am assuming that since the GUS is working as well as it does with SBOS now, that setting the SB-clone to the same settings (SB defaults, actually) will work also. As I understand it, the SB IRQ you set in setgus is used only by SBOS - no SBOS, no conflict between the GUS and a SB-clone. I am wondering if there is going to be a conflict between the MIDI on the SB clone and the GUS MIDI, though. What about Windows drivers? How is this best set up? Also, how can I best mix the digitized SB sound with GUS music output? Two line outs, can they simply be mixed with a simple mixing board (like Radio Shack sells)? Or is there an even simpler way of doing it (like plugging the SB line out into the GUS line in)? ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 93 00:28:05 PDT From: jason.lin@pro-palmtree.socal.com (Jason Lin) Subject: Ultima7 & AIL Message-ID: I've heard a few people claimed to have success in using the GUS AIL drivers with Ultima 77. All I want to know is HOW! -=Jason Lin=- --- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- = Jason Lin Internet: jason.lin@pro-palmtree.socal.com = - izzyvu9@mvs.oac.ucla.edu - = ~Captain Goodnight~ Bitnet: izzyvu9@uclamvs.bitnet = - +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ - = "I told you to leave my sister alone!" = -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 93 12:48:12 EDT From: Phat H Tran Subject: Re: Ultrasound Daily Digest V4 #39 Message-ID: <9307101648.AA09325@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca> > Date: Fri, 9 Jul 93 22:49 GMT > From: EXT0012@VAX2.QUEENS-BELFAST.AC.UK > Subject: Alone in the Dark & C-MO queries. > Message-ID: <9307092158.AA18748@orca.es.com> > > Hi all. > > I know I'm slightly behind the times here, but could someone shed some > light on using the GUS with "Alone in the Dark"? > > I've tried every combination of SBOS (2.08 & 2.0B9) switches I can think > of, but to no avail. The only way I can get anything is to set it up as ADLIB > for music and PC squeaker for sound effects - not ideal. > Alone in the Dark worked fine for me. I used SBOS 1.20, my GUS was on 220,7,7,12,5, and I chose SB DMA in the game's setup. > ] Date: Fri, 9 Jul 93 01:44:56 +0300 > ] From: tjakobs@mswe.dnet.ms.philips.nl (THEO_JAKOBS TEL.62667) > ] Subject: trouble with gus > ] Message-ID: <9307082244.AA14774@muxgw1.ms.philips.nl> > ] > ] Hi... > ] > ] I recently have purchased me a GUS, but since the time i put the thing > ] in the computer till the time i'm writing this i have not really > ] enjoyed the card. > ] > ] I've got some problems: > ] [...] > ] 2. > ] SBOS......... well i don't know what everybody's talking about, but > ] this SBOS......... well i really can't say this is a SB emulator, > ] because i can't get it to work with almost every game.. like prince of > ] persia 2, it is really a terrible noise that it provides, and after > ] the first spoken line(of the story) it stops saying anything, but i > ] still hear that awfull music(the SB is much much much better), or > ] Alone in the dark... i start SBOS 2.10, and i select the SB(with DMA), > ] but when the first graphix should appear, the com- puter just freezes > ] up... > ] Sounds like you might need SBOS 1.20 (which is on one of the Ultrasound ftp sites). The SBOSes after 1.23 don't work well at all on certain computers with flakey DMA (eg. mine), while SBOS 1.20 tends to do well on almost anything. I use 1.20 exclusively, and it hasn't failed me yet. Also, try yanking out your Multi-I/O card and test SBOS 2.10 again. Everything works perfectly for me if I do that, but then I'd be short a mouse and a printer. > ] 3. > ] Because of the trouble i have with SBOS, i would like to know why i > ] can't use my SOUNDBLASTER (compatible) in my computer.. when i select > ] another DMA,IRQ and baseadress this should work(or not?).. > ] You will need to remove ultrinit.sys from your config.sys if you want to use your SB alongside your GUS. For certain games, you will also need to load SBOS, and then unload it (-f option) before the SB will be recognized. > ] Date: Wed, 07 Jul 93 12:45:05 -0400 > ] From: "Momentary language, sexual situations" > ] Subject: Re: Ultrasound Daily Digest V4 #35 > ] Message-ID: <9307071645.AA02521@magick.tay2.dec.com> > ] > ] > Bah, give it time. The GUS is still pretty new, and most stores don't > ] > even carry it. If programmers were to start supporting every piece of > ] > hardware that came out, they'd spend all their time writing device > ] > drivers. Even if a program is 100 times better, it still has to find > ] > its place in the market. > ] > ] The last thing anything has in the PC world is time. I've seen support for > ] Aria-based cards and the Microsoft Sound System, yet these same programs > ] don't support the GUS. Now that the AIL drivers are done, I think support > ] will blossom, but "give it time" is a quick route to death in the PC biz... > ] You've seen support for Aria cards? Where? The funny thing is that the Aria Miles drivers are bigger than the GUS' (in file size, according to the list of .adv files in GUSAIL*.ZIP). I think that the Aria's MIDI .adv was 44k, while the GUS' was 10k, and Ultramid 31k. (These are the file sizes, not the amount of memory the drivers take up. I know that Ultramid allocates another 20k once loaded.) With the inferior sound quality, smaller potential, and probably smaller user base, I'd be annoyed if the Arias get support faster than the GUS. Any early support may be due to the fact that the Arias had Miles drivers several months before the GUS. > ] Date: Thu, 8 Jul 93 10:42:04 -0700 > ] From: winston@Cadence.COM (Winston S Worrell) > ] Subject: Re: Ultrasound Daily Digest V4 #37 Xwing now works > ] Message-ID: <9307081742.AA01110@cds653> [..] > ] > ] I now have the problem whre the screen freezes/jumps/locks when I fire., > ] any way around that one? > ] Turn off the music during the missions. > Date: Fri, 09 Jul 1993 10:19:42 EDT > From: vince@jsrvx2.ucsf.edu > Subject: Help with GUS and Xwing > Message-ID: <0096F3CB.06FC3120.1086@jsrvx2.ucsf.edu> > > Fellow GUSers! > I just picked up a gus a week ago, and it sounds terrific! I plugged it in, > played with the stuff that came with it, and tried a couple of mod players. When I > first installed the gus, I used the defaults, and most of the players worked. My > favorite mp219b played mods perfectly, but didn't display. The picture would flash > on the display just before the menu returned if I aborted a mod while it was playing. > > Now ,however, it doesn't work anymore :( it plays too slowly. Anyone know whats happening? > I bet if I can figure this one out, I can figure out why Xwing locks up in Soundblaster > mode, but works in adlib mode. > Only play MODs on your GUS using a native GUS MOD player, such as GUSMOD. You'll get superior sound and negligible CPU load. Trash mp219b! Regarding lock ups in X-Wing... I haven't had any. Check to see that your blaster environment is set accordingly, and try changing the SB/MIDI interrupt on your GUS. My SB/MIDI int is 5. Phat. P.S. I (a Canadian) received my update disks yesterday (July 9). So hang in there, citizens of the Great Multicultural North. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 93 11:06:51 GMT From: mike@batpad.org (Mike Batchelor) Subject: WinCD with the GUS Message-ID: I'll be getting a CDROM drive next week or so, probably a Mitsumi. I'm probably going to pick up WinCD along with 7th Guest as my first CDROM titles. Has anyone used WinCD with this combination? I see the GUS has a CDROM audio input on it - is there any special adapter needed? Any problem with this combination? -- /////////////////////////////// ////// Mike Batchelor //////// ////// mike@batpad.org //////// //// Mar Vista, California //// /////////////////////////////// ------------------------------ Date: (null) From: (null) What other considerations are there? Two boards that I might consider are the Thunderboard, and the ATI Stereo/FX. Does anyone know if these meet my criteria? (maybe this is better posted to c.s.i.soundcard) -- /////////////////////////////// ////// Mike Batchelor //////// ////// mike@batpad.org //////// //// Mar Vista, California //// /////////////////////////////// ------------------------------ End of Ultrasound Daily Digest V4 #40 *************************************