Ultrasound Daily Digest Thu Aug 5 00:07 Volume 5: Issue 4 Today's Topics: Annoying exponential velocity responce AVI / MPEG problems with GUS audio output DUNE2AIL & GUS Grand Piano Realism - is it attainable GUS/Windows Startup Delay GUS in August Damark Is there anything wrong with the PUPDATE.EXE file in GUSAIL10.ZIP Is this the right address? MEGA-EM FTP? ReRe:Hey you programmer types.. do this. Spectrum analyser Ultrasound and Windows startup ? Ultrasound Daily Digest V5 #3 (3 msgs) windows delay win nt drviers os2 2.1 drivers 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: Wed, 04 Aug 93 18:00:41 EDT From: Raphael Pungin Subject: Annoying exponential velocity responce Message-ID: <9308042209.AA09628@orca.es.com> I've had the GUS for couple of weeks. I do like its sound quality more than my SB PRO. However I am disappointed in one feature of the GUS - exponential velocity responce. Although it might be good if you use GUS together with a MIDI keyboard while playing it. However standard MIDI files do not sound correctly. Some instruments are very quiet and some are really loud. Most general MIDI files are written for a linear velocity synths. All of them sound much better on my MIDI keyboard than on the GUS as far as volumes of instruments. I hope Gravis releases a new driver that would convert the velocities of MIDI files to match exponential responce of the GUS. I hate to have to use something like VMAP to convert my MIDI files which sound great on synths other than the GUS. __________________________________________________________________ / ___ ___ )( Computer Science, Univ. of Rhode Island, USA / / /__/ /__/ () iqm221@uriacc.uri.edu, pungin@cs.uri.edu, / / /\APHAEL / UNGIN )( br326@cleveland.freenet.edu _______________/ \________________________________________________________________/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1993 20:43:18 +0300 (EET DST) From: pate@clinet.fi (Pasi Haatanen) Subject: AVI / MPEG problems with GUS audio output Message-ID: <9308041743.AA26089@clinet.fi> I was wondering, if anyone has solution to the problem, occuring with MPEG animations and sound. The animation goes on smoothly, but the sound just cuts all the time. The strange thing is, that with v1.xx software, MPG animations with audio worked just fine, while all AVI animations had that "audio-cut'n'pop" problem. Now, after switching to v2.xx software and drivers, all AVI animations work just fine with clear and smooth audio/video output, but now all MPG animations with sound have that very annoying "soundcut" effect. I'm currently using 386DX/40 + 387/40, 16Mb memory, GUS, SpeedStar 24X, UltraStor 12F with 800mb hard disks, scsi qic-20 streamer and mitsumi cdrom. I think the problem is in the windows drivers, as this same thing happens on my friend's 486DX/50 with GUS, 340mb atid and Stealth 24 Hmm .. do you have any ideas or fixes for this ??? hmm ? Just wondering, if no else has discovered this "bug" ?? -- Pasi Haatanen pate@clinet.fi BBS / FAX (G.3) C.all.US for Emannankuja 4D15 Fidonet .. 2:220/610 +358-0-547-1935 *UltraSound* SF-01670 VANTAA SbcNet .. 14:1500/610 V.32Bis/V.42bis utils /files FINLAND, EUROPE! RfNet ...... 73:103/2 operating 24H/d DOS/WIN/OS-2 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1993 19:18:49 -0700 From: Eric N. Liao Subject: DUNE2AIL & GUS Message-ID: <199308050218.AA12784@aerospace.aero.org> Never mind, I figured it out. Apparently, the SFX are handled by something other than the AIL drivers. I found out a way to eliminate the "muting" in DUNE2's music (using ULTRAMID & GUSAIL) The PUTGF1.EXE alters the cfg file so that it looks like this... B6 A8 A9 A3 A1 A6 A4 A5 00 BB Roland SCC1 for music and SFX, SBPRO for DIGITAL However, you can change it into this... B6 A8 AC A3 A1 A6 A4 A5 00 BE (This normally would be SCC1-music, PCspkr-SFX, SBPro-Digital, however instead it's GF1-music, PCspkr-SFX, GF1-digital!) Now, the digital sfx and music come out of the gravis...while some sounds come out of the PC speaker! Perhaps someone else already figured this out, but I thought I might repost since someone might have the same question. Anyway, by altering the 3rd byte, you COULD disable the PCspkr by changing AC to A0. (A0 selects NONE for sound-effects) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 93 16:39:08 -0700 From: peter@netcom.com (Peter Davies) Subject: Grand Piano Realism - is it attainable Message-ID: <9308042339.AA02653@netcom5.netcom.com> Hi, I have a specific request regarding the Gravis UltraSound card. Here goes.... the GUS Acoustic Grand Piano patch file provides us with a great sound but it is not as good as that wonderful $2500 Yamaha Electric Piano at the Music Store down the road. Why is this? Could the GUS Acoustic Grand Piano sound a lot better? I would like to understand what limits the quality of a particular sound. Is it that the original sample was poor? Is it that there are too few samples within the patch file and that each sample is required to cover a wider than optimum range of notes? Is it the patch size limit of 64kb dictated by the driver? Or is there something fundamental about the way the GUS board actually does the D-to-A transformation that will always give us "good" but not "great" sound? I notice that I am much happier with the realism if I play a gm midi solo piano file than if I "mess around" on my keyboard controller with the Acoustic Grand Piano patch loaded and get to hear a single note sustained a little longer than would be heard in a midi piano solo. It is the dissatisfaction with sustained notes that lead me to ask if the loop points could be re-done. Now there, that was the clue to show I am now out of my depth. I'd appreciate hearing any comments addressing this issue. I got the GUS to have fun. I'm having fun. regards peter@netcom.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 93 05:42:55 PDT From: deraud@power.amasd.anatcp.rockwell.com (Robert Lee DeRaud) Subject: GUS/Windows Startup Delay Message-ID: <9308041242.AA27956@power.amasd.anatcp.rockwell.com> The good news is that the delay is independent of startup sound(s). The bad news is that the driver is doing SOMETHING out in the patch directory (...\ultrasnd\midi): it's fairly obvious on my machine since the GUS stuff is the ONLY Windows-related files on the second (D:) drive and the sound of the drive is quite different from C:. There is about 4-5 seconds of D:-drive disk access during startup. As to WHAT it's doing, I'm clueless: I don't think it's actually loading patches, since I still have to do that manually regardless of MIDIMapper settings, but it might be checking the files from the ultrasnd.ini list. This would explain why you have to restart Windows to get a change in ultrasnd.ini to take effect. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1993 10:38:56 -0800 From: ASHLEY Subject: GUS in August Damark Message-ID: <01H1CET1VWRQ8WZ95M@BIIVAX.DP.BECKMAN.COM> FYI I just noticed the GUS in this months DAMARK catalogue. I'd been looking to see if it would show up since there were some noises a while back about a GUS/cd-rom package supposed to be available from them. They are selling the GUS/chuck Yeager/joystick combo, unspecified RAM amount, for $199. Not quite good enough to make it appealing over the standard package. Ashley parish daparish@biivax.dp.beckman.com .___ ! o/ ! "You're not just another electronic mechanism, Data" :Geordie LaForge | ! "Thankyou, >\ ! and you're not just another biological organism, Geordie" : Data ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1993 08:18:17 +0800 (SST) From: none Subject: Is there anything wrong with the PUPDATE.EXE file in GUSAIL10.ZIP Message-ID: hi When I tried to update my .pat files using the pupdate.exe file, error messages were displayed stating files not found. After running the file, all my .pat files became .pa1 files and there isn't any .pat files (updated by pupdate.exe) in my directory. Hope you could enlighten me on this subject. Thanks Directory of pupdate.exe file is d:\gus\ail\pupdate.exe Directory of .pat files is c:\ultrasnd\midi\*.pat Chris ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 93 17:22:14 GMT From: "Bjarni R. Einarsson" Subject: Is this the right address? Message-ID: <199308041722.RAA03726@blesi.os.is> Hi yall.. I bought myself a GUS card recently.. and I want to register it. I have heard mention of an address change that caused a lot of mix-ups.. Is this the correct address? If not, then what is? Thanx.. Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. 1790 Midway Lane Bellingham, WA 98226 U.S.A. Replies by E-mail are preferred.. thanx in advance. ______________________________________________ ___________________ / \ / \ ( "Shee, you guys are so unhip its a wonder your O Bjarni R. Einarsson ) ( bums don't fall off!" -- Zaphod Beeblebrox O - - bre@os.is - - ) \______________________________________________/ \___________________/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 93 15:47:18 CDT From: Robert Schmanski Subject: MEGA-EM FTP? Message-ID: <9308042047.AA07628@mixcom.mixcom.com> Hi, I've heard about the "mega-em" emulator. It's a Roland MT-32 emulator for the GUS, right? I have a couple of questions: First, how does it work, second, how well does it work (ie how comaptible is it), third, who makes it and how is it distributed (commercial, shareware, freeware), and finally, if it is shareware or freeware, where can I get it (ftp possibly?) I have looked at the lists on wuarchive and have not seen it. Thanks. -- Bob Schmanski Email Adress: Robert.Schmanski@mixcom.com or: bschmans@solaria.mil.wi.us ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 93 20:58:23 MST From: enigma@indirect.com (Andrew John Sherwood) Subject: ReRe:Hey you programmer types.. do this. Message-ID: <9308050358.AA26728@indirect.com> >From: Gavin > >>impster@umcc.umich.edu (Charles Budensiek) writes..... > >>Wouldn't it be neat if someone would program a spectrum analyzer thing so >>we can see a nifty graphical display whilst playing a CD via the CD audio >>input on the GUS. Windoze code would be best. :) > >I just love dreamers, but even on a fast 486DX you couldn't do it real time, it >takes a coupla seconds just to do an FFT on a .WAV file. However, dream >on,that's where the good ideas come from. Actually, you CAN do it.. Its quite simple, I did it myself, albeit for the SoundBlaster.. I made a little modification as well.. Instead of plotting in boring bars, I plot frequency on the x-axis and volume on the y-axis... its TOTALLY tripping.. especially when you get good bass.. The problems you mention about FFT on a WAV aren't problems, otherwise the 2 or 3 MOD players that do REAL spectrum analyzer wouldn't be working very well.. ;) What it is VERY difficult to so is take the sound the GUS OUTPUTS and spec.analyze it.. analyzing the INCOMING signal via digi-in/CD-in/mic-in is easy. As for source.. sorry campers, I lost it when my HD crashed a while back.. I still have the original EXE for the SB if anyone is interested. eNigma "Number 28..... The naughty bits of an ant." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 93 11:37:20 +0200 From: rogan@concave.cs.wits.ac.za (Rogan Alan Hastings Dawes) Subject: Spectrum analyser Message-ID: <9308040937.AA00406@concave.cs.wits.ac.za> I don't know if this is correct, but Mark Cox, the guy who wrote ModPlay, and various other sound programs claims to have a genuine analyser in one of his programs that I have. Naturally, the time taken would depend on the resolution of the sound, he was just playing MODs I can look up the exact text, but I think that was what he claimed. -- Rogan Dawes - University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa rogan@concave.cs.wits.ac.za ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1993 14:23:51 +0000 From: Clarke Brunt Subject: Re: Ultrasound and Windows startup ? Message-ID: <0097085B.7152B761.18128@lsl.co.uk> Two recent posts... >> I'm sure that everyone of you has noticed that if you use >> Ultrasound in Windows, it will slow the startup of Windows >> significantly... > I see no slowdown when Windoze starts up. My guess is that > you are using a Midi Mapper setup to "preload" patches for > non-patch-caching apps; if this is the case, change it to > the normal "Ultrasound" settings and see if this helps. This cannot be the reason. The MIDI Mapper setups *cannot* preload patches by themselves - they merely provide the correct mappings so that if you load the patches by some other means (e.g. using Patchman and the supplied .MID file for each setup), then every GM patch select will at least come up with a instrument vaguely similar to what was actually requested. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1993 07:49:46 -0600 From: craigman@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Craig Anderson) Subject: Re: Ultrasound Daily Digest V5 #3 Message-ID: <9308041250.AA04276@casbah.acns.nwu.edu> I've just looked at a GUS, and enjoyed it a lot. However, I have lots of questions which the salesperson was unable/unwilling to answer: I'm looking for serious sound editing/sampling capabilities and midi sequencing. I know the GUS doesn't support MIDI scripting, but it does play midi sequences, right? What is the deal with the sound source? I know the FAQ says something about the wavetables, but (as mentioned in the faq) it's still a bit confusing. The guy at the store was telling me that the 128 "polyphony" sounds (and the 30-odd percussion sounds) that the GUS has on board come from a Roland digitally sampled chip which Roland uses on one of their keyboards. Am I to understand that the GUS has these samples AND is capable of *.wav conversion as well? Is it possible to dump new digitized samples onto my harddrive and use them in a sequencing program with GUS (say, from an E-Mu card, DAT, or e-prom)? What type of MUSIC software can I get with the GUS? i.e. What, if anything, comes bundled besides professor panzar, or whatever? Has Gravis released the 16-bit stereo 44kHz upgrade yet? Anyone try it? Lastly, If you've had experience with Turtle Beach's snazzy expensive crem-de-la-motherboard, how do you think it compares with Gus? ######################## ## Craig ## A Man of Mission ## Anderson ######################## ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1993 10:36:37 +0930 (CST) From: Gavin Subject: Re: Ultrasound Daily Digest V5 #3 Message-ID: <930805103637.10356@hfrd.dsto.gov.au> >Subject: Megaem - is it worth $50 cdn? >IMHO, this software, considering it is still bugridden, and is not >compatible with a variety of games, is definatly not worth $50. It is not >worth $30. I would pay $15-20. Anyone else feel it is overpriced? I read a mesage from the author saying you should hold off registering it until the bugs are worked out, probably when version 1.0 is released. Also he is reviewing his pricing. Version 9b removes the time limitation for now. Having said all that, it's a great bit of software and he deserves to be encouraged. >From: Greg Chung >cause of any delay. (Also, I know that the GUS driver reads in the >patch.cfg file. It might even verify the existence of those files, Yes it does seem to do that , but why? And how can we stop it? This may be one for the Gravis techs to answer. Windows startup is so slow now that I'm considering having 2 sets of .ini files ie. with/without GUS. On a 'I love my GUS' note, I played 'eve of the war' from best_of.zip on my MT32 and guess what, it runs out of partials thus missing notes, but the GUS doesn't , making the GUS superior for playing complex music. IMHO the sound quality is on a par even when the MT32 isn't being overloaded. Gavin. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1993 12:04:12 -0600 (CST) From: LARSEN@Meena.CC.URegina.CA Subject: windows delay Message-ID: <01H1CHXHIHZ6AJNAM7@Meena.CC.URegina.CA> The Ultrasound driver verifies the existence of every patch file. Try deleting one -- you'll get an error message. Bryan ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Aug 1993 19:10:36 -0500 (CDT) From: Pawlo P Prawdiuk-1 Subject: win nt drviers os2 2.1 drivers Message-ID: Now I have ordered win NT when It will come I don't know. I don't know who will and will not have drivers, I however belive that if WIN NT drivers don't ship everyone is going to be very angry. Os/2 Also deserves thier drivers, yet I would hope that gravis actually has different divisions for doing the hard coding for the different platforms. As a programer myself I don't see why they have not released any drivers for OS/2 and this is disapointing because I would also like to run and OS/2 Machine in my office. And of course a GUS is my sound card of choice. Gravis. What is the hold up? You probably should get some outside help in programing some drivers, (not to say you are bad programers) But time is a wasting and you definetly don't gain customers by letting things go for so long. - praw0002@student.tc.umn.edu - - Thanks. Paul Prawdiuk - ------------------------------ End of Ultrasound Daily Digest V5 #4 ************************************