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 <IQM221@URIACC.URI.EDU>
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 <liaoe@aero.org>
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 <DAPARISH@BIIVAX.DP.BECKMAN.COM>
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 <isc26206@leonis.nus.sg>
Subject: Is there anything wrong with the PUPDATE.EXE file in GUSAIL10.ZIP
Message-ID: <Pine.3.07.9308050817.B25177-9100000@leonis.nus.sg>

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" <bre@os.is>
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 <Robert.Schmanski@mixcom.mixcom.com>
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 <SCARMAN@hfrd.dsto.gov.au>
>
>>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 <CLARKE@lsl.co.uk>
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 <SCARMAN@hfrd.dsto.gov.au>
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 <exotic@cnj.digex.com>

>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 <praw0002@student.tc.umn.edu>
Subject: win nt drviers os2 2.1 drivers
Message-ID: <Pine.3.05.9308031936.A16840-a100000@student.tc.umn.edu>

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
************************************
