GUS Daily Digest Thu, 28 Oct 93 0:07 MDT Volume 7: Issue 27 Today's Topics: Answers A whole lot of stuff... BONUS disks Gravis user Database ??? GUS Daily Digest V7 #26 (2 msgs) GUS Game Support Petition GUS PETITION Jitter/dropout free *stereo* recording Jurassic Park Master of Orion Number of Registered Users RAM chips for GUS SCSI-adaptec conflict with ultrasound??? sierra drivers Silverball Stereo recording in windows Terminator Rampage demo Thanks for Ram Replies. 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, 27 Oct 1993 09:48:23 +0000 From: Clarke Brunt Subject: Answers > ... 100ns versus 70ns DRAW ... If the GUS manual says 100ns, it means that the GUS will work with 100ns, and this implies that it will also work with anything faster, so 70ns is also fine. > ... DRAM failure ... It's not normal to get DRAM failure warnings from the diagnostic program. I wonder how much working DRAM your GUS has. The DRAM usually either works or fails in 256k chunks. You could try changing the chips round to isolate the problem. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 10:30:31 -0700 (PDT) From: roberts@brahms.amd.com (Dave Roberts) Subject: Re: A whole lot of stuff... > Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1993 12:05:09 -0600 (MDT) > From: BRUECKD@yvax.byu.edu > Subject: Grading software companies > > Sorry, I can't quote yesterday's newsletter, but this is concerning the person > who was giving all the companies different grades based on their support. > > I think your list is great, but it does't apply to everyone. We all know how > picky SBOS & the GUS can be when trying to get them to work with a game, so > when you raunch on Apogee for their lack of support despite what they said, > I'll have to disagree with you. I have a 256k GUS and the software that came > with the 2.06 version of the disks. I have had no problems getting the GUS to > output music/sound fx with any of their games, including Halloween Harry. I > didn't even have to fiddle around with them or anything. The reason there is line to the effect that Halloween Harry doesn't work is that supposedly Apogee included a line in the documentation that says something to the effect of "This is know not to work with SBOS." I have not downloaded the game because people were saying that it didn't work. Can anyone confirm or deny this? I don't want to ding these guys more than necessary. :-) > Date: 26 Oct 93 07:40:00 PST > From: EBULALACAO@CSUPomona.Edu > Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V7 #25 > > I found something very interesting on the GUS DRAM...in the manual, it > says to use 100ns 256k x 4 (44256) dram chips, yet my GUS came with 70ns > dram when I purchased it. Luckily, when I upgraded to 1 meg, the dealer > only had 70ns drams on stock...I was requesting 100ns...I just found out > that my GUS had originally 70ns chips when I installed the chips I purchased. It says use 100 ns or faster. 70 ns is faster than 100 ns, so they work fine, but aren't required. You'll pay more for them, as well, but it's getting harder to find 100 ns parts. That's probably why Gravis used them in your board. > Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1993 08:15:37 -0500 > From: montgome@afoms.brooks.af.mil (Capt Noel D. Montgomery) > Subject: gus petition > Message: This could be a good idea, but I have one suggestion: we should > break the letter into EXECUTIVE SUMMARY and TECHNICAL SUMMARY. > Keep the Exec. Summary to 1/2 page. I don't know if VPs will > want to wade through a long letter. The content looks good, tho. Good idea. I'll see what I can come up with. An executive summary of a cover letters seems like a kind of funny thing. Usually that's what a cover letter is supposed to be :-). > Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 09:36:42 +1000 (EST) > From: int757n@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Mr. Thaddaeus) > Subject: List of games using the AIL. [RIP?] > > I have not received any updates on games that works with the > GUS AIL since the last time I posted the list (04/08/93) so if no one > is interested, shall we just let the list die? No, don't let it die. Keep sending it out every now and then. In fact, add it to the FAQ and keep it updated. The information should not be lost. Even though you haven't gotten any updates, there are new people purchasing GUSes and joining the digest and USENET all the time. They would probably like this information. Send it to Matt Bernhold for inclusion in the FAQ. > Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 23:09:39 EDT > From: dmcintyr@muselab.ac.runet.edu > Subject: small support idea > > Along the lines of getting GUS support in games, one small thing I've been > doing which others might want to do is any games I had lying around with > registration cards never sent have now been sent with an added > [X] Gravis UltraSound checkbox in the Soundcard section. > --Michael-- YES!! People have written me in the process of adding their names to the GUS Game Support Petition (if your name has not been send in, WHY NOT!? :-) ) that they are starting to add things like, "I bought this for the Ultrasound support," on the games they buy that have support. Make sure we're constantly sending messages to those companies who help as well as those who don't. Dave Roberts Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. I/O and Network Products Division david.roberts@amd.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 15:30:31 CDT From: Robert Schmanski Subject: BONUS disks Hi, I was really excited yesterday when I got a package from Gravis in the mail. Could it be my update disks?!? Hm, it's pretty thin, and pretty light. Sure enough, I opened it up and there was ONE disk inside labled Power Chords & Midisoft. I guess that this is what "BONUS" means in the registration database. 'Kind of a dissapointment considering that my GUS came with version 2.05 disks. (What is the difference between 2.05 and 2.06 besides PowChrd & MidSft?) And on top of that, my original disks were defective. I had originally worked around this by borrowing a friends copy of the 2.06 disks. (I know that this probably violates the disclaimer on the disk envelope, but I was desperate.) So now I'm stuck with 5 useless 2.05 disks, and 1 "BONUS" disk. HELP! Gravis, why did I only get the "BONUS" disk, did you think I had the 2.06 disks, or is there no difference between 2.05 and 2.06 besides the "BONUS" software? I'd at least like one working copy of the disks. -- Bob Schmanski Email Adress: Robert.Schmanski@mixcom.com or: bschmans@solaria.mil.wi.us ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 13:38:19 EDT From: "mtassone" Subject: Gravis user Database ??? I am interested in receiving the list of Registered Gravis Users. How would would I go about getting a copy. ( I don't have FTP access) Thanks for all help. -Mike Tassone mtassone@aol.com miker@ace.comn ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 4:30:45 CDT From: ncrumbak@no2sun.cray.com (Nelson Crumbaker) Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V7 #26 > Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 10:50:23 CDT > From: surgeon@esds.vss.fsi.com > Subject: Status of GUS mailings > > I have found the October 13th version of the Gravis registered user database in > the ultrasound submit directory on epas. > > My name appears and shows BONUS with a mailing date of Sept. 22. > > What does BONUS mean? Has anyone else received anything from this mailing? > (I have not yet received anything.) > I'm in this database also with BONUS by my name. I received the package in the mail yesterday and it had 1 disk in it with Powerchords/Recording Sessions on it. There was also a manual included for it. I have version 2.05 of the disks, which came with my Gravis Ultrasound. What is the difference between the 2.05 and 2.06 disks? Do I need to download the 2.06 disks? -- ,---.__________________ _ ============ . /' Nelson Crumbaker \ | \ I_ O _I_,==.: | ncrumbak@no2sun.cray.com >----|===`------'I `---' I | |: | Field Test Engineer / _ \ I I | |:' | Cray Research Inc. / ( `-,-----============:__;: | ,---.________________/ (_ O __) \_ : |/' (_______) (_) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 09:20:38 -0400 (EDT) From: Phat H Tran Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V7 #26 > Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 17:04:14 EDT > From: Thayer York > Subject: DOS Patch Loading > > Is there any way to load MIDI patches into GUS's RAM for use by a > DOS-based sequencer (such as Voyetra's Sequencer Plus Gold)? (I > apologize of this I missed this in previous digests, I've fallen behind > in reading.) > GUS support in DOS is a bit more complicated than just patch caching since, unlike Windows, there is no standard audio driver for software to interface with. Each DOS program has to support the GUS using its own driver for the card. For programs that don't support the GUS, you can use Mega-Em to make it emulate a GM synth, and use it that way. The sound quality of Mega-Em is much better than that of an SB, real or emulated, but not quite as good as the GUS in Windows or through PlayMIDI. > Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 11:18:31 EDT > From: ak016@freenet.carleton.ca (John Collins) > Subject: Downloading Files, etc. > > So, to make a long story short (too late?), I am tapping the > collective wisdom of the GUS group to find out if there is any > alternative for me out there if I want to get the latest patches, > demos, and all the other wonderful goodies I read about daily in > this most august of journals. I understand (though only > vaguely) that there is some way to convert binary files to text, > then get them in the mail, but again I think I need the > assistance of a samaritan or two. > If your mailbox is large enough, you can request files through the Ultrasound mailserver, which will then send you the files uuencoded. Unfortunately, I don't remember the address of the mailserver, so, hopefully, someone who has made use of it recently can fill you in on that. > Date: 26 Oct 93 07:40:00 PST > From: EBULALACAO@CSUPomona.Edu > Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V7 #25 > > I found something very interesting on the GUS DRAM...in the manual, it > says to use 100ns 256k x 4 (44256) dram chips, yet my GUS came with 70ns > dram when I purchased it. Luckily, when I upgraded to 1 meg, the dealer > only had 70ns drams on stock...I was requesting 100ns...I just found out > that my GUS had originally 70ns chips when I installed the chips I purchased. > It's been generally safer to install chips faster than 100ns on the GUS. Faster chips won't make the card any faster, but the GUS seems to use them more reliably. 70ns or 80ns will usually do. > Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 01:36:57 -0400 (EDT) > From: Russell Webb > Subject: GUS DRAM failure in install diagnostics a problem? > > I've bought a GUS recently and am pleased by the sound quality--worlds > better than my old SB Pro FM music. On installation, I got > 'DRAM failure' in the diagnostic program. Is this a true problem, > or some sort of software glitch? > > I returned the card, but got a second. It has the same symptoms. > Is this normal? All music/sound sounds fine except for the Terminator > Rampage demo, which goes totally garbled and static-filled after the > intro music. Try replacing the chips on the GUS with ones from your video card (if it uses 4x256 chips) and see if the diagnostics report any DRAM problems (and where in memory they occur). The DRAM diagnostic in setgus is quite reliable. Phat. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 12:38:47 -0700 (PDT) From: roberts@brahms.amd.com (Dave Roberts) Subject: GUS Game Support Petition Some thoughts on the GUS Game Support Petition: After a few days here, things are moving along. I've gotten many entries, but I need more. People when registering have mentioned that I should post this to USENET, Compuserve, etc. So, what I need is some help. I've already posted this to comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard. I now want to get this thing moving over FidoNet, Compuserve, America Online, Genie, and yes, even Prodigy (ack! phhttt!). Any online service is good. Please write to me and I'll coordinate who does the uploading for the major services. If you'd like to upload to bulletin boards and things, I'd ask you to just upload the text that was posted in the Digest a couple of days ago. If you don't have it, write to me and I'll send it to you. Please keep a current copy of it around. I've been revising the cover letter in response to people's suggestions and I'll send that into the digest next week. Ready.... BREAK! Dave Roberts Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. I/O and Network Products Division david.roberts@amd.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 00:00:00 -0400 From: paul.reinis@canrem.com (Paul Reinis) Subject: GUS PETITION NAME: Paul Reinis EMAIL: paul.reinis@canrem.com ADDRESS: 122 Melrose Ave ADDRESS: Toronto, Ontario ADDRESS: Canada M5M 1Y7 * RM 1.2 01002 * ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 18:43:29 -0500 From: davidm@marcam.com (David MacMahon) Subject: Jitter/dropout free *stereo* recording Hi, I have uploaded TESTREC2.ZIP to the /pub/pc/ultrasound/submit directory of archive.epas.utoronto.ca. TESTREC2.ZIP contains two stereo test recordings from the Gravis UltraSound soundcard. These stereo test recordings differ from the mono test recordings of TESTRECS.ZIP. I made these recordings to compare the quality of two different recording programs: PLAYFILE and GUSDELAY (a new, unreleased version). This new, soon-to-be released version of GUSDELAY uses a revolutionary new recording technique that I developed (so I may be a little biased when I say "revolutionary") which allows jitter-free and dropout-free recording with the GUS. (I also made some stereo test recordings with USS8, but they were so bad, I didn't bother to include one.) The test recordings were made with a sampling rate of 44100 Hz. Jitter and dropout are two of the biggest causes of clicks and pops in soundcard recordings. Using my new recording technique, the next version of GUSDELAY (which I'm going to release soon, I promise) will be able to record "cleanly" at any of the sample rates supported by the GUS. When I say "cleanly", I mean *NO* clicks or pops. Download TESTREC2.ZIP and hear the difference between PLAYFILE and GUSDELAY. Dave David MacMahon Systems Administrator davidm@marcam.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 21:45:28 GMT From: aswani@sound.demon.co.uk (Robert J Aswani) Subject: Jurassic Park I would love someone to prove me wrong, but Jurassic Park actually does not support the GUS 3D features, it does not even support the GUS itself. When I rang Ocean up, they told me me that there was never any plans to support the GUS in JP. So why on earth I have been reading on this digest and magazines that JP will support the GUS? -=> Robert Aswani <=- -=> Aswani@Sound.Demon.Co.Uk <=- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 09:39:57 +0501 (EDT) From: Gunnar Swanson Subject: Master of Orion Dear Michael, I too downloaded the AIL patch from epas and I could not get the music to work beyond the demo. I suspect it is because I only have 256k on the GUS but I do not know. As far as the digital effects are concerned I have tried the game configured to several different settings with SBOS SBOS -o1 IBM PC sound and MT-32. The best sound that I got was from the SBOS setting. I got no sound on the IBM PC speaker and the intro was great with the Masterof.zip patch but that was al I got before the game barfed on me. Also Microprose has a patch for Orion that updates the Starmap and fixes the problem with alien diplomats refusing to grant you an audience. If you get your version to work with the AIL drivers tell me how you did it. Sincerely Gunnar Swanson P.S. The game is very good and you can win by diplomacy alone. I found however that the ending is alot better if you wipe out all of the other races. Xenocide is the way to go! ___, [___|----------Yes, I still OWN my GUS!-------------- ' gunnar@gibbs.oit.unc.edu end. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 09:06:48 EDT From: michael@canada.lsil.com (Michael Smith) Subject: Number of Registered Users I recently downloaded the Sept 1993 version of the Gravis Registered User database to look for my name in it. Out of curiosity, I found out that there are only 9400 (or so) names in this database. Does this mean that Gravis has only sold ten thousand GUS boards, or that only a small fraction of the number of buyers actually register their purchase? Michael Smith - Chipset Design Engineer Phone: (416) 620-7400 michael@canada.lsil.com Fax: (416) 620-5005 _/ _/_/ _/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/ _/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/ _/_/_/ _/ LSI Logic Corp. of Canada, Inc. _/_/_/ Suite 1110, 401 The West Mall Etobicoke, Ontario M9C 5J5 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 16:56 GMT0 From: Phil Morris Subject: RAM chips for GUS I have some RAM chips which I want to use in a GUS. They are labelled as follows: TMS44C256-80N EEP 12704 They're 20-pin packages. Will these work okay in the GUS? If I was to use the wrong chips would this damage the GUS, the chips or both? Thanks, Phil ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 10:33:21 -0400 From: "Momentary language, sexual situations" Subject: Re: SCSI-adaptec conflict with ultrasound??? > I read in the last digest that the GRAVIS and a Adaptec SCSI wouldn't work well. > Is this true, and what kind of conflict would it be, because i have a Adaptec > scsi and some trouble with ultrasound, but i don't think the problems i have > are related to the adaptec/ultrasound... 2 problems. The first is that both the Adaptec and the GUS default to IRQ 11 (at least the 154x Adaptecs). Not really a problem, except with GusMOD which stupidly attempts to twiddle IRQ 11 despite being told not to. It's easy enough to change the GUS GF1 IRQ (which I moved to 15) or the Adaptec (via jumpers on the 154xB and via software on the 154xC, I think). The other, perhaps more serious, problem is that the port address for the Adaptec is 330h and this is VERY difficult to change, since you have to burn a new PROM. Unfortunately, this is the same port address used by the Roland MPU-401 (which Mega 'Em traps) so Mega 'Em has to play some games to determine if the request is meant for the MPU-401 (emulate it on the GUS) or the Adaptec (don't touch it!). Other than that, I've had no problems having both in my system for months now. But I would like to remind folks, especially you demo coders, that the ULTRASND environment variable exists and you can get all the info you need about the GUS from it. So don't assume the GUS is at 220h and IRQ 11! DDA ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 8:22:32 -0700 (PDT) From: ALAN ROBB <"GVHS::AROBB"@LOKI.GVHS.GOV.BC.CA> Subject: sierra drivers Can someone repost the location of the Sierra drivers for the GUS. Thanks. Also, am having a hard time with Halloween Harry as well. Are there any switches etc. I need to use to run it? thanks ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 16:09:04 CST From: Erick_Bergquist@edtng.Kenosha.WI.US (Erick Bergquist) Subject: Silverball About Silverball, who makes/distributes it? I called the local software shack a week ago and they never heard of it, and said they'll try to have it in 2-3 weeks... Maybe if I get this info then they can get it faster... as I am also going to buy it for the GUS Support. Plus I've been looking for a good pball game... Later.. -- Via DLG Pro v0.995 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=//-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=\\-=-=-= ITCnet: 85:872/203 -!- KENOnet: 10:11/0 // The Project Team '93 \\ T 9 Erick_Bergquist@EDTNG.Kenosha.WI.US // CIS Major - Happy GUSing \\ P 3 [------Insert Wise Saying Here------] // Programmer/Artist\Musician \\ T -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=//-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=\\-= ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 11:37:00 +0000 From: FINK_MARTIN/HP2000_13@idacom.hp.com Subject: Re: Stereo recording in windows >> >> I tried several microphone borrowed from friends, >> and none of them worked. > >Probably all condenser mike without internal power, right? You need either a >dynamic microphone or a self powered condenser mike. For a circuit on how to >use condenser that are not self powered, check micro.arj on epas. It includes >a design for a Macintosh microphone, a Radio Shack electret (which needs -8v >but some require +8v so you have to reverse the battery on the circuit) and >both work great. I also use PZM mikes with this circuit instead of the poor >power circuit that come with the PZMs (and scrap the 10Kohm transfo which is >not needed). Right! >> Since the microphones I >> had borrowed were all mono, and the mic input on >> the GUS is stereo, > >Doesn't matter. By using a mono mic on the GUS you simply put to ground one >input which will not damage the GUS. > >> I tried using a mono to stereo >> converter....to no avail. > >With or without it works perfectly. > >> I then went to Radio >> Shack and purchased a real stereo microphone. It >> actualy has two heads on it. It worked great. Just >> make sure that it meets your uni or omni directional >> needs. > >Because it's a dynamic microphone. The pickups look like headphone speakers. > >> One word of warning. The GUS Windows drivers incorrectly >> report that the GUS is unable to do stereo recording. > >Not. I've sent you 2 messages already about that. It correctly reports stereo >recording capabilities at 8 bit. Works for 11025, 22050 and 44100 Hz. The 'waveInGetDevCaps' will properly set the enumeration values in the dwFormats field, however the wChannels field will be incorrectly set. Try it. I have had reports from other people with the exact same result. Therefore, if an application checks only enumerated values, it works fine, but it counts on the wChannels field, it will not do stereo. >> Therefore, if you want to record in stereo in Windows >> using the mic, use the Goldwave recorder on epas, it >> ignores the driver report and instead depends on the >> enumeration values reported by the driver. > >All software that supports stereo recording in windows does work in stereo. >Not just Goldwave, but Wave, Cooled etc... Beg to differ, I found some that don't. > >> Gravis has been advised of this 'bug' many times, but for >> some reason have refused to acknowledge it. > >Well maybe you do not check your email? There is no such bug (unless you have >a very old version of the driver - what is the date of the grvsultr.386 and >ultrasnd.drv?) > Since I replied to some of your Email, and you replied to it, it's obvious that I check EMail. Perhaps you missed some issues of the GUS digest, because the problem I describe above had been reported by others before I encountered it. In any event, I will conceed that it's not a big deal, since most windows recorders will not be affected. By the way, I use the grvultr.386 and ultrasnd.drv files that came with the 2.06 disks. The drivers report version 1.1.... > >Ciao, >-- >Francois Dion > ' _ _ _ Martin mfink@canada.hp.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 09:39:36 +0200 From: Erik Bunn Subject: Terminator Rampage demo Not the Digest wrote: >I don't know, no, and YES! I'm having the same problems with this demo. >Ultramid sucks up way too much room to allow 585k conventional memory >left over. I imagine with 386MAX, or QEMM this may be possible, but not >with any combination of the vanilla DOS 5.0 tools I could figure out! There >doesn't seem to be room for doing a 'lh ultramid'. > >Does anybody have a magic recipe for this? (Other than Mega-em, or SBOS?) I got it to work with a little fiddling, so it's definitely possible with DOS 5.0 (although I _do_ use 4DOS as the command interpreter, that might free up some more memory.. no one should have to bear DOS without 4DOS anyway =) ). I loaded emm386 with the parameters 'ram 4096', leaving 4 MB extended, 4 MB expanded. Less should do as well. //Erik ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 13:52:02 -0400 From: hal wayne black Subject: Thanks for Ram Replies. Thanks to everyone for the replies on the type of ram to get! also, is there any word on getting a non-terminating megaem, or a megaem with DAC anytime soon? ...looking forward to new gus support! -- | sylk@mik.uky.edu | hwblac00@ukpr.uky.edu | Entitlements kill | (tastefully short signature) ------------------------------ End of GUS Daily Digest V7 #27 ******************************