Ultrasound Daily Digest Thu, 9 Sep 93 :46 MDT Volume 6: Issue 8 Today's Topics: AIL confusion... FC_PANIC using GUS? General Midi question GUS/Mitsumi/Toolworks Encyclopedia GUSDELAY v0.2 uploaded to epas Microsoft Arcade and GUS ORDERING FROM GRAVIS. Origin address Return to Zork Seal Team with Ultramid !! So I wrote a Farandole... Ultramid TSR 1.02 ... bug? Ultrasound Daily Digest V6 #7 (2 msgs) Where in Berlin is the MIDI connector box 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: 7-SEP-1993 22:16:26.70 From: Richard Wyckoff Subject: AIL confusion... Message-ID: <01H2OLSV2W8W8ZF826@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU> Gunnar Swanson, this is the second time (if I've counted correctly) that you've called the AIL drivers 'Not native GUS' - Well, slap me on the griddle and call me a flapjack if'n software that uses GUS 16-bit instruments and all 32 GUS voices (if you want) as well as playing game samples ain't native mode! OK, AIL drivers do not allow software companies to include their own instruments, OK, AIL drivers only support one channel of digitized sound, but nonetheless, they support the GUS as it is described on the box - 32 Voice 16-bit sample playback/General MIDI compliant. We're NEVER going to see 32-voice music using custom instruments and multiple sample channels until there are other soundcards that can do these things as well, or the GUS becomes the #1 selling soundcard - be realistic, would you fill your game distribution disks with 16-bit samples for *just one soundcard*? Would you make use of 4 channels of sound effects which would have to be mixed by the CPU for the other lame cards out there? AIL drivers, unlike SBOS, take advantage of the unique abilities of the GUS, producing beautiful music on the games that use them - But AIL can't be GUS-specific - this is a commercial product, remember, designed to save game designers development time while simultaneously allowing everyone to get the most out of their soundcard. The only game I know of to make an attempt at native GUS support was Zone 66, and 8-bit faux-techno music just don't cut it for me - the multiple channels of sound effects, on the other hand, were nice, but they did not play an integral role in gameplay. 7th Guest, on the other hand, blows me away with AIL drivers (until it locks up, but that's another story). So let's hear no more AIL slagging - these drivers (or MegaEm) do for me what the GUS was supposed to do - make awesome music, instead of FM crap that doesn't even approach DX7 quality... -- RWYCKOFF /Richard Wyckoff\ CATULLUS @EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU / aka Catullus \ @PELICAN.CON.WESLEYAN.EDU "Sage of the Labyrinth, Knight of the High Odiamor" /- Robert Anton Wilson\ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 12:04:37 CDT From: Jon Holt Subject: FC_PANIC using GUS? Message-ID: <9309081705.AA06426@camax01> I finally got around to grabbing some of the demo stuff from wuarchive. However, I can't get FC_PANIC to work with my GUS. I tried resetting the GUS to defaults, no soap. What's the scoop with this demo? Nice artwork on Zone 66. -- Jonathan Holt V "There is pleasure in being in a ship beaten about by CAMAX Systems, Inc. V a storm, when we are sure that it will not founder." holt@camax.com V -Pascal ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 08 Sep 1993 09:54:24 +0000 From: Clarke Brunt Subject: Re: General Midi question Message-ID: <009723B6.98FDD6C1.23054@lsl.co.uk> > There is a midi file in many of the popular midi file > respositories named "ad.mid". If play this file using > WinJammer 2.24 I notice a distinct percussive sound (a > cowbell) during the introductory portion of the piece. If I > play this using Microsoft mediaplayer the cow-bell is > missing (also if I play it with Mycroft's Surfin' jukebox). My guess would be Media Player and Mycroft used output via MIDI Mapper using the default GUS setup which has channels 11-16 disabled. Media Player has no choice but to use MIDI Mapper, I don't know whether the Mycroft program offers a choice, but WinJammer certainly allows selection of GUS MIDI Synth directly, which would not have any channels disabled. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 08:51:50 EDT From: "Burns Fisher, VMS Engineering 08-Sep-1993 0853" Subject: GUS/Mitsumi/Toolworks Encyclopedia Message-ID: <9309081251.AA29342@us2rmc.bb.dec.com> >I received Tookworks Multimedia Encyclopedia with my Mitsumi CD Rom drive >and cannot get it to work properly with the Ultrasound card. I can get >sound out of sound files, full motion vidio but cannot get it to play >sound/video at the same time. The software wants to see the sound card >driver before loading it's driver in the config.sys. Does anyone have a >suggestion on how to get this application to work correctly with the >Ultrasound card? >Thanks, >Jim O'Brien Hi Jim, I tried both the return address you supplied, and the one that appeared in the GUS digest, and am also mailing this to the digest. Sorry if you get two copies... I take it that you have the DOS version of Toolworks? One thing you could try is to get it changed for the Windows version. That works well for me. (The full motion video is a bit jerky, but I figure that is because of the speed of the CD drive). I have a couple ideas for the DOS version, though. The Mitsumi has three ways that you can set it up: DMA, Interrupt driven, and programmed IO. I started out with it set up for DMA, but discovered that Sherlock Holmes would not work properly with it set this way. It hung after a few seconds of simultaneous audio/video. Changing it to interrupt driven solved the problem completely. That might help in your case as well. You might also want to try the general midi simulator rather than SBOS, if the encyclopedia can deal with a Roland card. Good luck! Burns ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 08 Sep 1993 17:42:10 -0400 From: davidm@marcam.com (David MacMahon) Subject: GUSDELAY v0.2 uploaded to epas Message-ID: <9309082138.AA14042@ottawa.marcam.com> Hi, I have uploaded GUSDLY02.ZIP to archive.epas.utoronto.ca in the directory /pub/pc/ultrasound/submit. GUSDLY02.ZIP contains GUSDELAY.EXE v0.2 and GUSDELAY.TXT GUSDELAY.EXE is a program written by David MacMahon (me) that enables your GUS to record data and playback those same data after a delay. The delay can be soshort that you can't notice it, or it can be as long as the GUS' memory/samplerate will accommodate. It demonstrates (quite well) that simultaneous recording and playback is both possible and well within the realm of the GUSand the low level SDK. Version 0.2 supports stereo and allows you to record to disk while simultaneously sampling and playing back data. Dave David MacMahon Systems Administrator davidm@marcam.com <---New address, use this one davidm@opl.com <---Old address, don't use this one ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 16:06:19 EDT From: NABAHI NARIMANE MR Subject: Microsoft Arcade and GUS Message-ID: <9309082006.AA14421@nermel.EE.McGill.CA> Hi everybody! I just have a (minor?) problem with Microsoft Arcade and my wonderful S. It does not depend of the game I try: it always lock up my computer when more than 2 sounds are played (I think it's 2 but.... I don't know if it's the reason). Any idea? Thanks in advance. Xavier Rustom. -----> Montreal Quebec Canada. <------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 08 Sep 93 20:30:35 From: matthew.arbeid@gravis.com Subject: ORDERING FROM GRAVIS. Message-ID: <9309082030.A8754wk@gravis.com> Chris Cunningham said..."how do I order a GUS" >Would someone please send me the mailing address or phone number for >Gravis so I can order a GUS? >Have a nice day, Here's how to order from Advanced Gravis. You can mail your order in with a cheque or money order, or, if you're using a credit card you can either fax in your order ... or if you want, you can e-mail us. You should call (or e-mail) in first to check out the latest prices. Okay? ... oh, yea ... I'm having a nice day :-) Advanced Gravis, 101-3750 North Fraser Way, Burnaby, B.C. Canada V5J 5E9 Tel: +1 604 431-5020 Fax: +1 604 431-5155 BBS: +1 604 431-5927 email: sales@gravis.com Matthew Advanced Gravis Tech Support Group matthew@gravis.com --- ~ QMPro 1.0 05-8925 ~ Advanced Gravis...it's not just a job, it's an adventure. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 09:32:05 -0400 (EDT) From: Phat H Tran Subject: Origin address Message-ID: To the person who wanted Origin's address to ask about Shadow Caster: 76004.2612@compuserve.com The rep there has been quite helpful in the past. Also, the first two Ultima Underworlds used the AIL drivers, and work well with the GUS AIL and Ultramid. Hopefully, Shadow Caster will continue the tradition if it doesn't support the GUS outright. Phat. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 08 Sep 93 13:21:32 EDT From: pccmoddan@aol.com Subject: Return to Zork Message-ID: <9309081321.tn06961@aol.com> W. Volk (Activision)" <76004.2122@CompuServe.COM (in a message posted to the Gravis Digest by Phat Tran) writes: >We just barely managed to get a set of Gravis drivers (for digital audio and MIDI) working properly in the product this previous week. It was a huge effort, but it looks like it worked. Right now I'd say that there's a very good chance that the Gravis stuff will be in the release product. Only remaining issue (for the floppy, not CD) is the size of all the Gravis stuff..< Well, if they think that using a set of AIL drivers is a "huge effort," I'd hate to see them write their own music system! :) But the real important thing is that they *did* expend the effort. I do have one problem here though: William writes "Only remaining issue... is the size of *all the Gravis stuff.* Whoah! What all do they think they need to include? All that really needs to go on their disks are the rather miniscule GF1xxxx.ADV drivers (17k for the two). Now, I guess from their standpoint, because Gravis does not currently ship the UltraMid app with the GUS (time for a disk update), they'll have to include the UltraMid.exe, .ini, which adds another 39k for a total of 56k. Now, I can remember when this might have been a crucial amount of space on a product, but in this day and age of games shipping with 8, 9, 10+ disks, it's not something that is worth worrying about. - Dan Nicholson ------------------------------------ The Levisionet Group Aural Landscape Specialists ------------------------------------ Dan Nicholson, Director of Dev. InterNet: pccmoddan@aol.com moddan@bowker.com ------------------------------------ 553 Thoreau Terrace, Union, NJ 07083 908-688-0708 * levisionet@aol.com ------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 20:15:30 -0400 From: gregof@JSP.UMontreal.CA (Grego Filippo) Subject: Seal Team with Ultramid !! Message-ID: <9309090015.AA09617@beryl.jsp.umontreal.ca> Hi, did anybody managed to figure how to make the digi/AIL pak drivers work with the demo Seal Team (e which is in wuarchive) ??? If yes, then please send me E-Mail or post of how to make it work !! Thank you. -Red Tswo- gregof@jsp.umontreal.ca ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 08 Sep 1993 12:55:37 -0500 (EST) From: STU_JABIRCHE@VAX1.ACS.JMU.EDU Subject: So I wrote a Farandole... Message-ID: <01H2PFXUJCMA8WYSWG@VAX1.ACS.JMU.EDU> I am the author of the Farandole song communion, found as comunion.zip on epas. I downloaded the composer and ran it with virtually no problems. I have a 486dx33 with 4 megs of RAM, a Diamond Speedstar 24x video card, a SB Pro, and a GUS with 1 meg. Here is my setup: AUTOEXEC.BAT: @echo off SET CPBACKUP=C:\pctools\data SET PCTOOLS=C:\PCTOOLS\DATA SET SOUND=C:\SBPRO SET TEMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP SET GUSMOD=c:\utils SET ULTRADIR=C:\ULTRA SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T1 SET ULTRASND=210,7,7,11,7 c:\sbpro\sbp-set /m:15 /voc:15 /fm:15 /cd:0 /line:15 c:\qemm\loadhi /r:1 c:\utils\24xmode monitor PATH c:\ndw;C:\utils;c:\WINDOWS;C:\DOS;C:\llpro;C:\QEMM;C:\PCTOOLS;c:\pckwik;c:\;C:\ULTRA;c:\photo C:\ULTRA\ultrinit.exe -l -o nav c:\ c:\utils\setscrn c:\qemm\loadhi /r:2 c:\utils\vesa prompt $p$g mode con: cols=80 lines=50 c:\qemm\loadhi /r:1 c:\dos\doskey /insert superpck/ep+/h+/q+/*+/m1+/o+/s:1024 @echo off cls echo "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn." echo In his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulu waits dreaming. CONFIG.SYS: device=c:\qemm\qemm386.sys ram x=b000-bfff nosh DEVICE=c:\qemm\loadhi.sys /r:1 c:\utils\nnansi.sys DEVICE=c:\qemm\loadhi.sys /r:1 c:\pckwik\pckwin.sys device=c:\qemm\loadhi.sys /r:1 c:\mouse\mouse.sys STACKS=9,256 files=40 buffers=30 dos=high shell=c:\dos\command.com c:\dos\ /e:1024 /p I have also run the program in flat mode, with no discernable difference. I only get lockups if I try to load two MODS in a row or two 669's in a row. I found this program to be less irritating that ultratracker because I could get in and out of it without being HARRASSED for 2 minutes just because I needed a new sample or something. Anyway, I included my autoexec.bat and config.sys verbatum just in case (better safe than sorry). Hope this helps. -=Johnny=- stu_jabirche@vax1.acs.jmu.edu ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 10:25:41 GMT From: "Bjarni R. Einarsson" Subject: Ultramid TSR 1.02 ... bug? Message-ID: <199309081025.KAA28605@blesi.os.is> Hi I just did some FTPing from epas.. (grabbed MEGEM100 and UMID102) and I am having alot of trouble with the new ultramid. For some reason the new TSR won't play some .MIDs, that the old one would. (I am using the ummidi program in the developers kit). It says "divide error" and then freezes the computer next time I try to access my hdd. Mega-Em works fine, though.. great program! Has Gravis considered buying this program from Jay? It works alot better than SBOS on computers that can run it. This would probably squash alot of unhappiness among GUS buyers without net access.. more compatibility = more sales? Well... nuff about that.. it is just a matter of time B4 I register it.. :-) P.S. Is there any guestimate as to when 1.1 (with SB dac emu) will be released? ______________________________________________ ___________________ / \ / \ ( "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: 8 Sep 93 08:30:00 EST From: "NORSE::WATTERS_C" Subject: Re: Ultrasound Daily Digest V6 #7 Message-ID: <9309081242.AA05366@orca.es.com> From: GATE::WINS%"ultrasound@dsd.es.com" 8-SEP-1993 02:53:09.28 To: NORSE::WATTERS_C CC: Subj: Ultrasound Daily Digest V6 #7 >>I have been having lots of trouble getting Wolfenstein 3-D to work >>with my Gravis....I am afraid it may be the doublespace messing another program >>up. >Could be because an Engineer here had trouble with doublespace corrupting data, >I think it's a known bug. I have no trouble with wolf3d and SBOS2b10. Can you >run it without D/S to check? Not that this is a GUS issue - but: DoubleSpace is SAFE - SmartDrv is safe but the combination of the two - or DBLSPACE and a write-cached HD controller is a volatile situation: if the power is interrupted before the cache is flushed to the physical media, you've probably corrupted the drive. If you're using DBLSPACE, you need to disable write-caching, ESPECIALLY if you're in a place with sudden power outages, or if you have a habit of hitting the "RESET" button or cycling power. CTRL-ALT-DEL (the three-fingered salute) under DOS6 (which you should have to run DBLSPACE) has a built-in delay to allow the buffers to flush before it reboots. Anyhow, sorry to be off-topic, but (tho' I don't like Microsoft) the DBLSPACE product, if used correctly, is a safe product. -Coyt OBGUS: Anyone tell me how to get better Music from RAILROAD TYCOON DELUXE and still get the sampled sounds? The new Steam Whistle is wonderful, but the "tink tink tap tap tink tink tap tap" of the loco's rolling out from the engine house is enough to make me scream. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 11:05:53 -0400 From: Alex Harden Subject: Ultrasound Daily Digest V6 #7 Message-ID: <199309081505.LAA04160@lictor.acsu.buffalo.edu> In his last message to the digest, peter@netcom.com (Peter Davies) wrote: >There is a midi file in many of the popular midi file respositories named >"ad.mid". If play this file using WindJammer 2.24 I notice a distinct >percussive sound (a cowbell) during the introductory portion of the piece. >If I play this using Microsoft mediaplayer the cow-bell is missing (also if >I play it with Mycroft's Surfin' jukebox). >I'm led to understand that the Microsoft mediaplayer is some sort of de facto >standard so my question is, what is WindJammer reading from the file that >Mediaplayer (and Mycroft's jukebox) is missing? i think you have winjammer's metronome turned on. later all! alex harden-------------- "if we forget yesterday, we're bound to repeat it university at buffalo---- tomorrow; it's not too late to start today, harden@acsu.buffalo.edu-- better off safe, than sorry." v409epk3@ubvms.bitnet---- - extreme, "stop the world" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 12:35 GMT+0100 From: RTHI%BTMA74@se.alcbel.be Subject: Where in Berlin is the MIDI connector box Message-ID: <01H2PF9UMB9S8WYBRO@btmv56> Can someone tell me where in Berlin I can buy the GUS MIDI connector box. Thanks ------------------------------ End of Ultrasound Daily Digest V6 #8 ************************************