Ultrasound Daily Digest     Sat,  6 Feb 93       Volume 2 : Issue  34 

Today's Topics:
				Cakewalk support for Gravis Ultrasound
							   Comanche
							 DSP for GUS?
			  FAQ: Gravis Ultrasound ("GUS") FAQ v1.02 
					 GUS and SBPro MM Upgrade Kit
					   GUS SBOS flag settings?
					 Looping error in GUSMOD !!!
							 Questions...
						 Speakers for the GUS
				   Ultra Chuck Yeagar and Speakers
					  Ultrasound Speaker setup.
						  UW2 and SBOS (GUS)
						   wav2pat ver 0.3
				 What are the OPTI Chipset problems? 
					Will GUS work with this setup?
							Wing Commander

	Information about the UltraSound Daily Digest (such as
mail addresses, request servers, ftp sites, etc., etc.) can be found
at the end of the Digest.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 15:36:21 PST
From: dedmunds@sfu.ca
Message-Id: <9302052336.AA27340@selkirk.sfu.ca>
Subject: Cakewalk support for Gravis Ultrasound
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

A brief followup to yesterday's message.  Apparently the registered
version of Cakewalk is a little friendlier to Patch Manager than their
demo.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1993 10:35:44 -0600
From: John Dillenburg <dillenbu@bert.eecs.uic.edu>
Message-Id: <199302051635.AA23853@bert.eecs.uic.edu>
Subject: Comanche
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

>  Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1993 14:39:00 +0000 (GMT)
>  From: Dave Ingles <davei@central1.lancaster.ac.uk>
>  Message-Id: <24206.9302041439@central1.lancaster.ac.uk>
>  Subject: comanche maximum overkill
>  To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>
>  
>  Has anyone got the 'comanche maximum overkill' patch to work correctly
>  ? I managed to get it to play the background music ok but as yet, I
>  haven't been able to  get the sound effects to work.
>  
>  Davei

  Ah ha!  Its not just me with this problem.  I've been posting messages
to comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard about this problem.  No one else appeared to
have this problem.  Either that or they were happy with just the music and
didn't want the sound effects.  I`ve completed all the missions for this
game, but I'd probably go back and replay them if the sound worked.  Please
let me know if you find a way to get the effects to work.

Thanks,
John

(BTW I have a 0.5Mb GUS, maybe I need the memory upgrade for this to work?)

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 2 Feb 1993 15:49:43 EST
From: Matthew E. Bernold <MEB117@psuvm.psu.edu>
Message-Id: <93033.154944MEB117@psuvm.psu.edu>
Subject: DSP for GUS?
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

In article <1993Feb02.144835.18075@rose.com>, francisco.perez@rose.com
(francisco perez) says:
>
>Date Entered: 02-02-93 09:41
>Anyone if Gravis is going to release a DSP add-on for the GUS?
>---
>   OLX 2.1 TD   Press any key to continue or any other key to quit
>   RoseMail 2.00 : RoseNet<=>Usenet Gateway : Rose Media 416-733-2285

The original announcement for the 16bit daughterboard for the GUS said that
the board will be capable of 16bit stereo at 48kHz (DAT sampling rate) and
will have an onboard DSP.  I do NOT know if this is official, nor do I know
if this information has changed...however, it sounds promising at least.

Now, if we can get Gravis to make a daughterboard with DIGITAL I/O instead
of analog, we'll be set... :-)

	   Matthew E. Bernold             MEB117@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
		 <<APOCALYPSE>>                  meb@haydn.psu.edu

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 05 Feb 93 14:40:08 -0800
From: ddebry (Dave DeBry)
Message-Id: <9302052343.AA23262@itchy>
Subject: FAQ: Gravis Ultrasound ("GUS") FAQ v1.02 
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

>   We're both right.  If you see from the FAQ, it says "the
>synthesizer on the GUS".  The synth on the GUS does use wavetable
>synthesis.  However, the GUS *also* does sample playback.

I see.  How many samples per wave in the wavetables?

...David Elliott
...dce@smsc.sony.com | ...!{uunet,mips}!sonyusa!dce
...(408)944-4073

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 7:35:50 PST
From: John W. Hock <johnh@sequent.com>
Message-Id: <9302051535.AA04629@crg8.sequent.com>
Subject: GUS and SBPro MM Upgrade Kit
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Hello Folks,

I have an interesting "problem" and need advice.  While researching
MultiMedia setups, wanting to get the best price/performance I could,
I purchased a Creative Labs MM Upgrade kit.  I also purchased a GUS
seperately.  I did this for a number of reasons...I bought the GUS 
primarily because I wanted better (and 3D)  sound.  I know people have 
been able to run both cards in their machines.  For those that have done 
it I have the following questions:

1.  I'd like to use the SBpro/Panasonic cdrom interface to control the
cdrom but use the GUS as the primary audio source.  Is this possible?
How do *you* do it?  Will the cdrom audio line input on the GUS work 
for this  setup?
2.  In those cases where the SBOS is not completely up to snuff,
should I revert back to the SBpro and take my audio directly off of it
or take the line out from the SBpro and patch it directly to the line
in of the GUS?  Vis versa?
3.  Any suggestions problems/suggestions I'm not thinking of?

When fast cdroms with a scsi interface to the GUS become available (and
reasonably priced) I'll be able to loose this Rube Goldberg setup.  In
the meantime, I have a start...

As a side note, I want to create sounds and tones for each stereo
channel seperately.  How do I go about this with the GUS?  Will it
require the developers kit?                      

Thanks all,

johnh@gateway.sequent.com

------------------------------

Date: 3 Feb 93 04:18:00 GMT
From: v062l48d@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Harold J Screven)
Message-Id: <C1uuK1.2pG@acsu.buffalo.edu>
Subject: GUS SBOS flag settings?
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

In article <rdippold.728633307@qualcom>, rdippold@qualcom.qualcomm.com (Ron
Dippold) writes...
.. list of sbos flags ...

I am having problems with Kings Quest Five running off a CD-ROM with the GUS.
The best success I have had is with flags -o2 -x2.  The flags listed by Mr.
Dippold are for SBOS version 1.20 and don't seem to work with v 1.23.  Anyone
have any ideas?

Thanks...
   Harold

------------------------------

Date: 5 Feb 93 09:03:05 GMT
From: d91-fad@tekn.hj.se (DANIEL FALK)
Message-Id: <d91-fad.4.728902985@tekn.hj.se>
Subject: Looping error in GUSMOD !!!
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Fact: GUSMOD doesn't play some of my modules right. When using very
short samples with even shorter loops, as I often do, the sound comes
out VERY de-tuned. This was also a problem with Joshua:s earlier player,
Super Pro Play. Joshua, PLEASE try to fix this in rel 1.2 !!! :-)

Regards.. Daniel Falk... 

=============================================================================
!!      Daniel Falk          \\  " Don't quote me! No comments! "          !! 
!!      ^^^^^^ ^^^^           \\               Ebenezum the Great Wizard   !! 
!!      d91-fad@tekn.hj.se     \\                                          !!
!!      d91fad@hjds90.hj.se    //  Also known as the mega-famous musician  !!
!!      Jkpg, Sweeeeeden...    \\         Leinad of The Yellow Ones        !!
=============================================================================

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 23:09:47 +0100
From: d91-sme@nada.kth.se
Message-Id: <9302052209.AA07162@dront.nada.kth.se>
Subject: Questions...
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

I got my GUS one month ago and have become a great fan of the card
(yes, I have the OPTi chipset but no problems). Since then I have been
scanning Internet for more information about the GUS. But I still have some
basic questions I haven't figured out yet. Here we go:

1. How much of the patch technique is done by hardware? Does a program
who wants to play a patch have to calculate which sample to use (as there
can be several samples in one patch), load it into the GUS memory, and
finally send the apropriate port commands to the card?

2. How about the 3D-techinque - do you have to have special recording
equipment to create a 3D-sample? I am thinking of the microphones-in-a-
head-technique...
   Or can I take a normal sample, and then play them thru a special 3D-driver
with some additional parameters to position the sound?
   Must a 3D-sound have to be a static sample, or can you modify a sample
in realtime to create the feel of "movement"?

That'll be enough for now... But, "I'll be back"... :-)

/Smedis (Niklas Smedberg, d91-sme@nada.kth.se)

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1993 09:07:54 -0500
From: KHAN  NAJEEB MOHAMMED <khann@ecf.toronto.edu>
Message-Id: <93Feb5.090756edt.1336@skule.ecf.toronto.edu>
Subject: Speakers for the GUS
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Subject: Speakers for the GUS
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

> Next question.  What do folks recommend as a good speaker 
> arrangement?  What are the best speakers?  Unfortunately, my
> good home stereo system is too far away from the computer to
> be of any use.  I attached a pair of cheap ($28/pair) powered
> speakers and it sounded horrible.  I plugged in a good pair of
> headphones and got GREAT sound.  I then plugged in my
> "ghetto-blaster" (you know, the box with speakers that you use 
> to see teenagers wander around with playing music real loud :-))
> and the sound was okay, but not great.  So, is there any list
> of "acceptable" speakers, along with their prices?  I'm sure that
> for $300 (USD) I could get a great pair of speakers, but who
> wants to spend that much for a system that will primarily play
> games?

I would recommend a pair of PSB Alphas.  They are phenomenal speakers
and would be an excellent match for the Ultrasound.  They are bit expensive
though.  $199 $CDN.

Another speaker that would be good would be the Paradigm Titan.  $199 $CDN

The last speaker is a bit smaller but sounds almost as good as the Titan and
the PSB is the Paradigm Atom.  $169 $CDN

All the prices that I quoted are the list prices and I'm sure that you can
bargain them down to a reasonable figure.

On top of fact that these speakers sound amazing and have a fair amount of
bass, they are also quite small.  The Titan and the PSB Alpha are about a foot
high and the Atom is a bit smaller.  Very clear treble and midrange as well as
an unbelievable amount of bass considering their size.

If you want any further info you can contact me or read the rec.audio newsgroup.

Later,
Najeeb
--
<Najeeb Khan - khann@ecf.utoronto.ca>

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 9:08:22 EST
From: Carson R. Stuart <carson@mcnc.org>
Message-Id: <9302051408.AA07436@kazoo.mcnc.org>
Subject: Ultra Chuck Yeagar and Speakers
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

>Next question.  What do folks recommend as a good speaker 
>arrangement?  What are the best speakers?  Unfortunately, my
>good home stereo system is too far away from the computer to
>be of any use.  I attached a pair of cheap ($28/pair) powered
>speakers and it sounded horrible.  I plugged in a good pair of
>headphones and got GREAT sound.  

I am using a pair of Sony amplified speakers that I picked up for ~$50.
They sound pretty good but I would like to add a subwoofer. Are there
any suggestions out there in netland? I would also like to be able to
switch between headphones and speakers without having to crawl under
my desk and reach around the back of the box. Any suggestions?
(No, I don't! want to use the amplified output of the GUS, unless
there is a way to control the volume)

>From: "Johnny Y. Ow" <owjohn@SEAS.UCLA.EDU>
>Subject: Ultra Chuck Yeager
>
>I finally got "Ultra Chuck Yeager" in the mail today.  It was wrapped up in a 
>brown cardboard envelope (no pretty game box).  The game is *exactly* like 
>the original, except for the sound & music effects which are pretty nice.  
>Is it worth the $15? probably not.  Save your money and get a memory upgrade.

I already have the memory upgrade and would like to try a flight simulator. 
Do you still recommend not getting "UCY" even for a first time pilot? 
How about a more complete review of the simulator and a recommendation for
a preferred flight simulator for those of us that haven't tried flying by
computer. I had hoped "UCY" would be an inexpensive way to try out my flying 
skills.

__
Carson Stuart           vox: 919.248.1803
MCNC                fax: 919.248.1455
3021 Cornwallis Road        e-mail: carson@mcnc.org
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2889

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 13:27 EST
From: "Matthew E. Bernold" <MEB117@PSUVM.PSU.EDU>
Message-Id: <9302051827.AA15994@orca.es.com>
Subject: Ultrasound Speaker setup.
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Got an idea for all you GUSers who want great sound from your GUS, but
don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on special speakers, and want
better sound than walkman speakers will get you...For around a hundred
dollars (less or more for quality) and a little work, you can get yourself
a really good sounding system for your Ultrasound.

I got all my stuff (that I didn't already have) at Radio Shack.

1 pair Speaker Enclosures $35  (6"x9" oval pre-cut)
1 pair 6"x9" speakers (I had a pair of 3-way 6"x9" already, but you can get
					   them at the Shack for between $10-$20 each depending
					   on speaker quality)
1 mini amplifier (Already had that too, but the Shack sells 2 models for around
				  $40 YMMV.  Mine has 3 inputs, 1 line out, and 1 speaker out)

That's about it.  Just mount your speakers in the enclosures, and you're set.
You can find enclosures and speaker cones for just about any type of speakers
you want there.  They also sell frequency dividers so you can make your own
multi-cone speakers (or whatever they're called)

My setup sounds FANTASTIC, and if I bought it all new, it would've run me
about $100-$120...not the GREATEST price, but I could have gone with the
cheaper amp, and smaller speakers and made the price around $80.

Good luck, and enjoy the sounds.....

	   Matthew E. Bernold             MEB117@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
		 <<APOCALYPSE>>                  meb@haydn.psu.edu

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 3 Feb 1993 21:25:37 GMT
From: ptran@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca (Phat H Tran)
Message-Id: <C1w66q.7qL@watserv2.uwaterloo.ca>
Subject: UW2 and SBOS (GUS)
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

I just got UW2 the other day and threw it at SBOS 1.20, which handled the
game marvellously for the most part.  The music sounded great, perhaps
even better than on the real SB (I haven't heard it on an SB yet, though),
and the digital sound effects (footsteps, sword slashes, munching, etc.)
were crystal clear (didn't experience any of the clicking others have
reported--the samples weren't compressed after all!).  However, there was
one flaw in the FM emulation that caused the gurgling of water when
you're swimming to sound like an annoying buzz instead.

At first, movement in the game seemed to "stutter" with the sound effects
on.  Walking backwards, for example, was a step-stop-step-stop instead of
smooth strides.  I thought that this was a result of SBOS slowing the game
down, but later found out that the emulator was actually interfering with
the joystick routine in the game.  (I was using the keyboard and mouse to
move around, but the joystick was still plugged into my computer.)  Each
time a digital sound effect was played, the game would read a deflection
from the joystick, even though it remained untouched.  As a result,
the controls from the keyboard and the joystick conflicted, causing my
character to walk with a rather crippled gait.  Unplugging the joystick
solved by movement problems, and SBOS did not slow the game down at all
(and I'm glad, since it was already slow enough on my 386-33).  I played
UW1 with my left hand on the ASD keys and my right hand on the mouse,
so I won't miss the joystick when playing UW2.

The game works fine under SBOS 1.20 w/ no switches.  I tried it with SBOS
1.23, but the digital sound effects had the familiar problem of not
stopping when they're supposed to.  SBOS 1.20 works best on my machine,
though the results for your particular computer may vary.  

Phat.

------------------------------

Date: 5 Feb 93 21:24:31 MET+1
From: "Proconia"  <PROCONIA@trisse.hj.se>
Message-Id: <MAILQUEUE-101.930205212431.448@trisse.hj.se>
Subject: wav2pat ver 0.3
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Hi everyone who likes wav2pat.
I have found the bug that made only the lower half of the keyboard
usable.
The new version ,wavpat03.arj, are uploaded to epas (128.100.160.36)
tonight.

Lars Ljungberg

proconia@tekn.hj.se

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 05 Feb 93 12:26:03 -0500
From: "It's your hand, Buckaroo" <dantonio@magick.tay2.dec.com>
Message-Id: <9302051726.AA12625@magick.tay2.dec.com>
Subject: What are the OPTI Chipset problems? 
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

>  Question 8 in the FAQ gives you a warning if you have the OPTI chipset
>  in your computer.  I have just made a reservation for a GUS which
>  should be shipped next week.

The FAQ should be changed to include the info already posted a couple
times, that it is ONLY SOME LOTS of chipsets, including OPTi and UMC. The
bad chip is the 82C206 (I think, see previous digests for chip and lot #). 
And it ONLY FAILS IN 16-BIT DMA (according to the reports). So you can
still run the thing in 8-bit DMA with no problem. These chips TEND to be on
486DX machines...

Let us know if it works for you on a 16-bit DMA channel...

DDA

------------------------------

Date: 05 Feb 1993 18:56:46 +0200
From: BXXMIC01@Uctvax.UCT.AC.ZA
Message-Id: <01GUDFT7WMGI8WWYM9@Uctvax.UCT.AC.ZA>
Subject: Will GUS work with this setup?
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

A friend of mine uses the OPTI-386 PC/AT VLSI chipet with the System 
controller (SYSC,82C391), Data Buffer controller (DBC,82C392) and the 
integrated peripheral controller (82C206).  Does anyone know if the
Ultrasound would work on this setup?   

This is the boot-up title:
ROM BIOS (C)1990 American Megatrends Inc.
OPTi 82C391B for 386DX 40MHZ
 
Thanks               
Michael

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 5 Feb 93 09:04:59 -0800
From: paladin@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Robin Yang)
Message-Id: <9302051704.AA13254@ucscb.UCSC.EDU>
Subject: Wing Commander
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

	 I tried using 'sbos -o2 -x2' but heard no sound.  Anyone else have 
alternate settings I could try?

------------------------------

Date: (null)
From: (null)
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

> Hi.  Actually, the last maintenance release, 1.05, has a "YieldDevices"
> setting you can make in WINCAKE.INI. With this enabled, Cakewalk surrenders
> the MIDI devices when you activate another application, and regains them
> (hopefully, if another program isn't hogging them) when you return. There's
> no demo of 1.05 that I can give you, so you'll have to trust me, but it's
> true <g>: this does what you said you wanted.
>  

I'm impressed with their product and their customer service (and the
forthcoming patch caching (GUS) support).  I'm going to buy.

Darran Edmundson
dedmunds@sfu.ca

P.S.  What caused Gravis' stock to take a tumble?

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1993 15:17:21 -0500
From: ccastge@prism.gatech.edu
Message-Id: <199302052017.AA00293@prism>
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

>and the sound was okay, but not great.  So, is there any list
>of "acceptable" speakers, along with their prices?  I'm sure that
>for $300 (USD) I could get a great pair of speakers, but who
>wants to spend that much for a system that will primarily play
>games?

   Well, I've heard a pair of powered speakers that Sony makes hooked up to a
keyboard, and they sounded pretty good. They had 'Mega Bass', and you could 
tell that very easily.  I don't know the exact model number, but they sold
for about $99/pair... check into it at Circuit City, Hi-Fi Buys, or your 
favorite electonics place..


ccastge@prism.gatech.edu         | Why are we here?              --Neil Peart
a.k.a., Guy Elden Jr.            |   Because we're here...       ------------
Currently being 'frizzle-fried'  | Why does it happen?
in the CS realm...               |   Because it happens...  Roll the Bones...

------------------------------

End of Ultrasound Daily Digest V2 #34
******************************
