GUS Daily Digest Sat, 18 Dec 93 0:07 Volume 9: Issue 18 Today's Topics: 16 Bit Daughter Card, DMA Probs, MEM for DOOM Answers Does the NEC 3x have probelms with a GUS? Doom Music GUS Daily Digest V9 #16 GUS Daily Digest V9 #17 (2 msgs) GUS for Sale Old digests. Police Quest IV (fwd) (2 msgs) Problem with Sierra CD games in Windows (2 msgs) Replies to yesterday... Set GUS and bad memory (fwd) Sierra Wave Blaster vs. 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: Wed, 15 Dec 1993 22:40:45 -0800 From: petar@ship.net (Petar Nikic) Subject: 16 Bit Daughter Card, DMA Probs, MEM for DOOM 1. First of all the Memory requirements for DOOM. A magazine I was reading (can't remember which one) said you need 2 Megs. I installed it on my machine no probs (I have eight megs with QEMM 7.03) and I installed it on a friends machine (he has 4 megs, doublespace and Himem/EMM386) Again no probs. If you are still having probs please post your setup. 2. DMA problems -- what chipset do you have?? OPTI?? if so there is a file [gus0013] on the Gravis BBS (and on many others too) that solves a problem that some people have with DMA's. 3. All you people bitching about the CD/16bit daughter cards... read the bulletins every now and then... Last Modified: 10/27/93 Pricing & Availability Item When? SRP($US) MIDI Connector Box Shipping $49.95 Y-Cable Shipping $19.95 16-bit Stereo Recording Interface Card Jan '94 $149.95 LMSI CD-ROM Daughter Card for CM205 and Dec '93 $59.95 and CM215 (Phillips, Magnavox, LMSI) Sony CD-ROM Daughter Card for Sony 31A Dec '93 $49.95 Mitsumi CD-ROM Daughter Card Shipping $49.95 SCSI CD-ROM Daughter Card Qtr 1 '94 TBA Granted this is not the end-all be-all list but hey... it is all we got (and it is better than nothing). Gravis will let us know when anything new hits the streets. petar@ship.net ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 11:56:15 -0500 (EST) From: Phat H Tran Subject: Answers > Date: Thu, 16 Dec 93 08:07:06 EST > From: michael@canada.lsil.com (Michael Smith) > Subject: Doom SFX Voices > > When running the SETUP program for Doom, after selecting the Ultrasound > (!!!!) for sound effects, it asks for the number of voices: 1, 2, 3 or 4. > > Why would anyone want to set this to anything but 4...? > Because the higher the number of channels, the higher the DMA overhead if you're using a GUS. If you're using an SB, the higher the number of channels, the higher the CPU overhead for mixing the channels. The DMA overhead is negligible, so GUS owners should stick to 4 channels, but the CPU mixing overhead may slow the game down noticeably on slower systems, so SB owners with slow machines may want to choose less than 4 channels. > Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 05:28:14 -0700 (MST) > From: Kevin Fason > Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V9 #16 > > Are any daughterboards out yet??? Like the CD-ROM one?? I think they are > all supposed to be released 3rd Quarter 93... The CD-ROM daughtercards have been out for a few months already. > Date: 16 Dec 93 09:11:22 GMT > From: "A.J.Sithers" > Subject: GUS hardware versions ? > > Hello all > > I've noticed a retailer selling 2 versions of the GUS, one is rather cheaper > than the other. He quotes : > > version 3.4 --- 130 pounds stirling > version 2.1 --- 90 pounds stirling > > some questions then .... > > 1. Are there any *hardware* differences between the 2 cards ? (the guy told > me that v3.4 was better made + would sound better - 'no comparison' he > said) There shouldn't be a noticeable sound quality difference between the two revisions. The core wavetable processor hasn't changed one bit (as far as I know). What has changed are certain board functionalities such as better SBOS emulation, MPU-401 compatible MIDI port, software disabling of the game port, and possibly some other minor changes in the 3.4 card. > 2. Would I be able to make up the software deficit by FTP ? If so, could > somebody tell me which files I'll need (I guess that not _all_ the latest > version of S/W are the best ...) The latest set of disks is the 2.06a set, which can be DLed from Epas. There is also a new Windows driver released after the 2.06a disks. > Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 01:14:54 -0800 (PST) > From: jtang@argon.chem.ucla.edu (James Tang) > Subject: HELP NEEDED: Microsoft Sound Recorder > > I know this question have been ask before, but I don't seem to recall > getting any answers. I am having problem running the Microsoft sound > recorder. Whenever I tried to run it, the screen just go blank and > the computer just hung there. I was wondering if anyone had found a > solution to this problem? I really appreciate any help you can offer > me. Some people have experienced the same problem with recording. Nobody seems to know why, but someone found that a complete reinstall of Windows fixed the problem for him. > Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 11:09:46 -0800 (PST) > From: sjs@netcom.com (Stephen Schow) > Subject: Help with GUS config > > Anyone out there using GUS with Cubase? I just got Cubase, installed it > and ran it. I can't get the GUS to make any sounds with Cubase. Midisoft > Sessions makes GUS sounds AND displays the patch names and everything. I would > think that Cubase should be able to do this too. You'll need a version of Cubase that supports patch caching. I've heard that the latest version does. > Also, anyone know how to run the GUS in standard mode under Windows? Cubase > prefers standard mode, but when I do that I get an error message that The > Gravis Ultrasound needs enhanced mode?!?!?! The GUS Windows driver only works in enhanced mode. > Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 20:34:00 -0600 (CST) > From: "Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. 1911" > Subject: NMI Problems!!!! > > I just installed my mother board in a new case. Now when I boot up > and try to run loadsbos it says "NMI process not enabled on this P.C.". > WHAT IS THIS ERROR? People at GRAVIS! PLEASE HELP Me!! Right now I cannot > get SBOS to work and DOOM wont work either!! Try removing and then reseating your GUS. Its edge connector might not be making proper contact with your motherboard (I've had problems with poorly seated GUSes before). If your MB had a working NMI earlier, it should still have one in your new case. > Date: Thu, 16 Dec 93 13:58:25 EST > From: Jon Spewak > Subject: Police Quest IV (fwd) > > I sent a message to Sierra Tech support asking why I don't get any sound > through my GUS with Police Quest IV. Here's the response. > > Forwarded message: [...] > > > > I am sorry, but the GUS card will not work with the new games we are > > currently producing. We have changed to a 32 bit development system > > and the GUS drivers are not compliant with it. It does not support > > SBOS either, sorry. The game does work fine with DAC devices, but the > > GUS uses Wave table sysnthesis. > > > > Happy Gaming! > > > > - Chris/Sierra On-Line Tech Support > > I guess this means the new Leisure Suit Larry VI and Quest for Glory IV > will most likely not work either. LSL6 has native GUS support. QFG4 doesn't. > Is it just me or did I recall seeing something a while back from Sierra > saying that their new games will support the ultrasound? I guess they didn't foresee the switch to 32-bit programming. > Also, from the sound of this message, it doesn't appear Sierra is too > inclined to have a patch out anytime soon.. They are working with Forte on 32-bit drivers for the GUS. > Date: Thu, 16 Dec 93 10:00:01 FWT > From: tblanchot@vnet.IBM.COM > Subject: problem with MOD4WIN: stereo > > Hello| > Mod4win works fine for me, at 16 bit 40Khz, but whenever I try to click > on the "stereo" button in the setup screen, my system hangs. > I've also tried to set it to stereo with 8 bit playback only, with the > same result. The GUS can only play stereo at 11025, 22050, and 44100 Hz. Phat. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 13:55 EST From: 155722937@UCIS.VILL.EDU (LIFE IS A GREAT ADVENTURE) Subject: Does the NEC 3x have probelms with a GUS? I was going to buy the 3x speed CD-ROM. But was wondering if anyone new of any problems if there are any. Thanks. Also, the address for sierra - 76004.214@compuserve.com doesn't work. Is this correct? I tried to send them mail, but my mailer said unknown host, improper address. Help! Harald 155722937@ucis.vill.edu GUS Owner since 1992 October. Never been happier with my computer. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 93 13:08:52 EET From: Vaggelis Blathras Subject: Doom Music So, I downloaded doom, the dmxgus.ini, made my IRQs 7,5 took the doom patch so now I have v1.1 , and I can run the doom. The sound FX are great (I love them, too depresing :-) ) But I DON'T have any music at all... Is there a fix for that or is it my fault. I Have 386sx, 4MB ram , 512K gus, qemm 7.03 ... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 00:19:08 -0800 (PST) From: Stephen Lee Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V9 #16 Hello, Just wondering if anyone has got Aces of Europe and GUS to work? Megaem sucks. Is sbos the only solution? It seems my system can only take so many drivers before reaching saturation. WIth sbos, hiload(ati ultracard), smartdrv, stacker, emm,mouse,and the basic dos stuff, I've only got 598k conventional (with as much loaded high as possible). Megaem was great when it loads in extended. Why can't sbos do that? Stephen ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 07:37:49 -0800 (PST) From: mikebat@netcom.com (Mike Batchelor) Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V9 #17 GUS Server once wrote... $ $ ------------------------------ $ $ Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 11:09:46 -0800 (PST) $ From: sjs@netcom.com (Stephen Schow) $ Subject: Help with GUS config $ $ Also, anyone know how to run the GUS in standard mode under Windows? Cubase $ prefers standard mode, but when I do that I get an error message that The $ Gravis Ultrasound needs enhanced mode?!?!?! $ -- Yes, it does. The GUS is the first card to use the MultiMedia extensions that are new with Win3.1. They are loaded only in Enhanced mode. There is no way to fool the GUS driver into running in Standard mode. I know, I've tried. :) Other cards work in Standard mode because their drivers pre-date the MultiMedia extensions. $ ------------------------------ $ $ Date: Thu, 16 Dec 93 13:58:25 EST $ From: Jon Spewak $ Subject: Police Quest IV (fwd) $ $ I sent a message to Sierra Tech support asking why I don't get any sound $ through my GUS with Police Quest IV. Here's the response. $ $ Forwarded message: $ > From 76004.2143@CompuServe.COM Thu Dec 16 00:18:42 1993 $ > $ > Hi Jon, $ > $ > I am sorry, but the GUS card will not work with the new games we are $ > currently producing. We have changed to a 32 bit development system $ > and the GUS drivers are not compliant with it. It does not support $ > SBOS either, sorry. The game does work fine with DAC devices, but the $ > GUS uses Wave table sysnthesis. $ > $ > Happy Gaming! $ > $ > - Chris/Sierra On-Line Tech Support $ $ I guess this means the new Leisure Suit Larry VI and Quest for Glory IV $ will most likely not work either. LSL6 works with the GUS, using AIL. It was developed before they went to 32 bit protected mode AIL drivers. $ Is it just me or did I recall seeing something a while back from Sierra $ saying that their new games will support the ultrasound? $ Also, from the sound of this message, it doesn't appear Sierra is too $ inclined to have a patch out anytime soon.. There's nothing for them to patch. These games will support the GUS as soon as Gravis/Forte release the 32 bit AIL drivers for the GUS. There's nothing Sierra (or ourselves) can do, but wait for them. $ ------------------------------ $ $ Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 11:21:13 -0500 (EST) $ From: Peter Joseph Guillaume $ Subject: Problem with Sierra CD games in Windows $ $ Hi all! I'm stumped on this one. $ $ I've got KQ6-CD and SQ4-CD and both of them will work fine in DOS (KQ6 with the $ patch from Sierra and SQ4 with Mega-Em). However, when I try to use either in $ Windows, the Wave sounds come out ok, but when after about a minute of playing $ (with no MIDI sounds) it gives me a Divide by Zero Overflow error or some such $ thing and clears the screen and locks up my computer. I can play MIDI files $ with MPLAYER.EXE and MidiSoft Recording Session just fine. If anyone has ANY $ thoughts or suggestions, it would be most helpful to offer them up! MegaEm does not work when Windows is loaded. Read the docs, it turns off when it detects Windows starting up. Likewise, UltraMID will not work inside of Windows. There is NO WAY to get sound with these games inside of Windows with the GUS. $ ------------------------------ $ $ Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 09:08:36 -0600 (CST) $ From: ibmpa!hartmann.austin.ibm.com!lance@ibminet.awdpa.ibm.com (Lance Hartmann) $ Subject: Seeking help/suggestions installing T7G (The Seventh Guest). $ $ Well, I guess it's my turn now. I tried to install T7G to use $ the AIL drivers. The install went smoothly, but upon starting the $ game I got the opening screen with a message like "please wait... $ loading midi drivers" and then I got dumped to DOS with 'Memory error'. $ I don't know how the rest of you do it, but it just doesn't seem $ possible for me to load EVERYTHING high: $ $ o QEMM $ o ASPI driver $ o CD driver $ o MSCDEX driver $ o Mouse driver $ o Video driver $ o Cacheing software $ $ -- AND -- $ $ o UltraMid $ $ Using QEMM, the best I can come up with is 610K free BEFORE loading $ UltraMid. T7G needs about 565K free conventional to run. Put UltraMID in your autoexec.bat, and run Optimize. You will get plenty of memory. Some other things may load low to accomodate it, though. T7G has no problem at all with Stealth, so be sure to turn it on. UltraMID should not be used with DOS=UMB if you are loading it high with QEMM. You will get better results if you do not allow UltraMID to use UMB space on its own. For what it's worth, I can get everything loaded high: Stacker, CD ROM drivers, Mouse, UltraMID. If you are using DOS 6, set up a multi-boot block just for games, that loads only the essential drivers and TSRs. $ As such, I tried to use MegaEm. I've used it quite successfully with $ XWing so I gave it a shot. Unfortunately, I cannot even complete the $ install. T7G's INSTALL immediately complains that it cannot find $ the "device" (yes -- I run MegaEm/Emuset BEFORE T7G's INSTALL). I didn't Read the MegaEm docs. T7G is one of the games listed as incompatible, for reasons Jayeson has not yet discovered. -- Mike Batchelor | mikebat@netcom.com | This space for rent mikebat@qdeck.com | ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 11:25:46 EST From: dth2@Lehigh.EDU (Dave Horoschak) Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V9 #17 Is there any way to take samples on the GUS and the incorporate them into a song somehow? I am experienced w/ MIDI and synths and recording, but I'm not too familiar with the different music formats that the GUS supports. Is it safe to assume that I can't do it with a MOD? What about some how triggering them through the MIDI interface? Or, making them into a patch right on the card and writing a MIDI song for the card using that patch? Thanks a lot. later... - Dave ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dave Horoschak -aka- dth2@lehigh.edu Chief engineer of WLVR 91.3 FM. Treasurer & Project Engineer - Lehigh Formula SAE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 19:27:01 -0600 (CST) From: v345@rex.uokhsc.edu (Anthony C. Toppins) Subject: GUS for Sale I just sold my computer to a poor sap who loves his soundblaster. Thus, I am selling my 1meg GUS for $100 like new. I'll include all the installation disks including the latest ones along with copies of all the emulation software I have. Please reply by mail to v345@rex.re.uokhsc.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 09:52:00 -0800 (PST) From: Mark Harrison Subject: Old digests. On Fri, 17 Dec 1993, GUS Server wrote: > Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 03:01:09 -0500 > From: pretzel@info.polymtl.ca > Subject: DOOM : Stop it already > > obGUS : Damn, should've paid attention to all those "How to get NHL hockey to > run with the GUS" posts before. Well, the old digests are on EPAS. Problem is, you have no way of knowing what's in each one without downloading them. So, if anyone has some free time and loves a little torture, it would be really nice if we could get some kind of master index. It would be tough, but it would only need to include major topics. Anyone? :-) Mark Harrison harrison@sun.lclark.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 93 14:18:16 EST From: Jon Spewak Subject: Re: Police Quest IV (fwd) Forwarded message: ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 07:20:40 -0400 (AST) From: Jurassic Mark Subject: Re: Police Quest IV (fwd) Message-ID: On Thu, 16 Dec 1993, Jon Spewak wrote: > > The game does work fine with DAC devices, but the > > GUS uses Wave table sysnthesis. > > I don't know about you, people, but this is a _lame_ excuse. And it is half-false. Although the GUS uses WT, it is full of DACs. > I guess this means the new Leisure Suit Larry VI and Quest for Glory IV > will most likely not work either. > Is it just me or did I recall seeing something a while back from Sierra > saying that their new games will support the ultrasound? > Also, from the sound of this message, it doesn't appear Sierra is too > inclined to have a patch out anytime soon.. Read my post two or three digests behind. Advanced Gravis stated that they are working on 32bit drivers for Sierra (don't know if that will also include new AIL drivers). I also posted a message I got from Sierra that looks to have a hint about the drivers... I can confirm that LSL6 and QG4 work with the drivers. I personally tried LSL6 and QG4 was tried by others. They're both on my list. Marc Y. Paulin - Jurassic Mark (Usenet) - J-Mark (IRC) - markus@clement.info.umoncton.ca (Talk 'n Mail) - (506)856-9518 - APICS Programming Contest Winner of 1993 -=* GUS won over SB by a score of 32 to 11 *=- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 07:25:34 -0400 (AST) From: Jurassic Mark Subject: Re: Problem with Sierra CD games in Windows On Thu, 16 Dec 1993, Peter Joseph Guillaume wrote: > Hi all! I'm stumped on this one. > > I've got KQ6-CD and SQ4-CD and both of them will work fine in DOS (KQ6 with the > patch from Sierra and SQ4 with Mega-Em). However, when I try to use either in > Windows, the Wave sounds come out ok, but when after about a minute of playing > (with no MIDI sounds) it gives me a Divide by Zero Overflow error or some such > thing and clears the screen and locks up my computer. I can play MIDI files > with MPLAYER.EXE and MidiSoft Recording Session just fine. If anyone has ANY > thoughts or suggestions, it would be most helpful to offer them up! Easy. KQ6 does not support patch caching under windows. So you have to load the patches manually _before_ going into KQ6. Use PatchManager for that and load the MIDI file that matches with your memory size: load1024.mid, load512.mid, etc... Then go into KQ6 and all will be fine. Marc Y. Paulin - Jurassic Mark (Usenet) - J-Mark (IRC) - markus@clement.info.umoncton.ca (Talk 'n Mail) - (506)856-9518 - APICS Programming Contest Winner of 1993 -=* GUS won over SB by a score of 32 to 11 *=- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 17:09:55 -0500 (EST) From: Peter Joseph Guillaume Subject: Re: Problem with Sierra CD games in Windows > Easy. KQ6 does not support patch caching under windows. So you > have to load the patches manually _before_ going into KQ6. Use > PatchManager for that and load the MIDI file that matches with your > memory size: load1024.mid, load512.mid, etc... Then go into KQ6 and all > will be fine. > Ok. That worked. Initially, when I bring it up I get MIDI music, but at around the same time it STILL aborts my game, only now there is no error given just drops me back a DOS. (BTW, I have 1024k and have loaded the patches at that point.) Which midimap should I be using? The 1024 one or the Ultrasound one? I tried it with both. I really appreciate your help! Thanks again, -Pete ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 08:36:44 -0700 (MST) From: Dave DeBry Subject: Replies to yesterday... So speaks pretzel@info.polymtl.ca: > This is getting really annoying. Is this a DOOM mailing list, or > what? Ok, new mailing list. gus-doom@dsd.es.com Hah. Bit O' Humor, there, folks. Don't mail to it. (I can see all the sysadmins downstairs come running up as a ton of mail hits our site and bounces back. "Dave! What's this new list? Fix it or we'll shoot you!") So speaks "Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. 1911" > Subject: NMI Problems!!!! > > I just installed my mother board in a new case. Now when I boot up > and try to run loadsbos it says "NMI process not enabled on this P.C.". > WHAT IS THIS ERROR? People at GRAVIS! PLEASE HELP Me!! Right now I cannot > get SBOS to work and DOOM wont work either!! It's probably not your GUS; more likely it's your motherboard. For instance, almost all Packard Bell machines will do this. (I know, I've got one of those !#$@#^ machines. :-/ ) The GUS is following the specs correctly for NMI, it's your motherboard that was designed incorrectly. No lie. -- Dave ddebry@ debry@ \ DeBry dsd. peruvian. | "Sorry, my mind went to Bermuda for a minute." es. cs.utah. | com edu / ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 23:39:59 +0500 (EST) From: Gunnar Swanson Subject: Set GUS and bad memory (fwd) Hey guys maybe some one out there in net land can help me. I sent this to gravis tech support. Phat you know any thing about this? ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 23:34:33 +0500 (EST) From: Gunnar Swanson To: tech-support@gravis.com Subject: Set GUS and bad memory Dear Sirs, I have a GUS with 256K memory when I run Set GUS's setup program I get a memory bad/error message when I go into the advanced features menu of setgus. Yet when I run GUSDRAM.exe that I got from epas it says my memory is good. What gives? Should I return the memory to Gravis for a new set of DRAMs? Curious, Gunnar Swanson gunnar@gibbs.oit.unc.edu end. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 14:21:35 -0600 (CST) From: pjohnso2@ua.d.umn.edu Subject: Sierra In response to Sierra not supporting the GUS in future products.. I picked up LSL6 about two weeks ago (as I posted earlier) and it DOES support the GUS, via ultramid. For those of you who don't PAY for your software, it's tricky to set it up properly, but it's nicely documented in the book. :) The sound, btw, is phenomenal, and I recommend the game to all LSL fans. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1993 16:00:07 PST From: "M H Foo" Subject: Wave Blaster vs. GUS Dear Everybody, Hello, I'm new to the ongoing discussion, so please bear with me. I am about to purchase a sound card, and would like to get the absolute best-of-the-best. I have heard lots about the Creative Labs Wave Blaster + SB16 combination. Could anybody give me a FULL list of comparisons between the GUS and the WB+SB16? e.g. Is there any notable difference in sound/music quality? How important/better EXACTLY is using RAM to store wave samples as compared to storing in ROM? What are the major disadvantages in purchasing each soundboard, and are there any alternatives? ETC..... Also, I'm extremely blur as to how to use FTP. I keep coming to a point where my user name and password are requested. I was advised to type `anonymous' as the user name, but I get something like `Too many anynomous users' or something, and I never get to log on. So how??? Where in the computer can I find a user name and password to use? What is a password for? Thanks a lot, Foo Chik Chuan xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ------------------------------ End of GUS Daily Digest V9 #18 ******************************