Ultrasound Daily Digest     Fri, 16 Apr 1993     Volume 3 : Issue  16 

Today's Topics:
				   Drum Patches and WinJammer 2.24
							 game patches
						  GUS w/MoreControl
		HARDWARE-SB-EMU [Ultrasound Daily Digest V3 #7 et al.]
				  Making room for SBOS in Ultima 7!
				   Midi Sequencing Software [LONG]
				   Sierra support for GUS... NOT.!
							   Ultima 7
					ULTRINIT crash & burn on OS/2

	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.

	*** HEY!!! *** 

	Before you ask a question, *** READ THE FAQ ***.  It's
available on the request server and the ftp sites, or check the
newsgroup archives.


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

Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1993 11:58:59 +0000
From: Clarke Brunt <CLARKE@lsl.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Drum Patches and WinJammer 2.24
Message-ID: <0096B10D.D052CEC2.5627@lsl.co.uk>

Nathan Sandland queried how to play percussion instruments in WinJammer:

The GUS plays percussion on channel 10, so you must use that. For
percussion, it's the note pitches that correspond to a particular
instrument (e.g. incorrectly C5 = bass drum), rather than a 'patch'
or 'program' select. You don't need to specify a patch for channel 10,
indeed if you do then you will get the 'failed to load patch' message.
So just create a track using channel 10, put a few notes in it, then
play it. WinJammer will look what notes are used, and load the correct
percussion patches.

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

Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1993 18:20:20 +0501 (EDT)
From: Gunnar Swanson <gunnar@gibbs.oit.unc.edu>
Subject: game patches
Message-ID: <Pine.3.05.9303092046.A24899-a100000@gibbs.oit.unc.edu>

Hey what is the  deal is the only game patch available for Commanche
Maximum Overkill?  I have X-Wing and the list says that Lucas Arts will be
supporting the GUS.  Is it true?  If so, is there a patch in the works. 
Also if there are all of these patches available why aren't they on the
Internet?  I got an $80.00 dollar phone bill calling VANCUVER I did not
know that the Gravis BBS was in CANADA.  So I am using the Internet its
cheaper.

What's the low down?

Oh by the way if you have X-wing do not use the key board arrow keys with
a joystick because it locks out most of the other keyboard functions.

Well I hope this gets through.  If anyone wants to my address is
gunnar@gibbs.oit.unc.edu   

Thanx

Gunnar

end.

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

Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1993 06:47:37 -0600 (CST)
From: "Neil D. Danylczuk" <ndd41@jester.usask.ca>
Subject: GUS w/MoreControl
Message-ID: <Pine.3.04.9304150637.B23745-9100000@jester.usask.ca>

I don't have much time to list all the details here, but I have 
found that the Gravis Windows driver does not work properly with
the freeware MoreControl.   
 
If you have MoreControl, you should remove it before installing the
GUS drivers.  The only way to uninstall MoreControl is to 
remove the files.  There are 3, morecon.cpl, morecon.hlp, mcspin.dll.
 
If anyone knows differently, let me know.  I don't believe that 
the sound driver and More Control can exist together on the system.

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

Date: 15 Apr 93 15:46:35 GMT+0100
From: "Alexander Majarek, Sascha, SAM"  <Alexander.Majarek@uibk.ac.at>
Subject: Re: HARDWARE-SB-EMU [Ultrasound Daily Digest V3 #7 et al.]
Message-ID: <MAILQUEUE-101.930415154635.640@subz-nov>

Hi folks!

  There have been several guys pointing out, that a hardware solution
  would be better than SBOS.

I think that SBOS (as far as I hear from the list) is quiet a superb
solution for the GUS. The GUS is an outraging soundcard and it's
capabilities are much higher than those of sound-cards in the same or
even higher price-range. The wave-table-synthesis (WTS) is better
than FM-systhesis used by common sound-cards, but (as usual) the
better (newer, more improved) something is, the more compatibility
problems arise. Therefore the problems are not so big as one might
expect (regarding the ratio IMPROVMENT : PROBLEMS) and they are - if
I'm right - limited to a few games (SCII, XWING, and a few others) -
simply forget them. So I think we should be satisfied that all the
other games work!

So far my $ 0.03 concerning SBOS. But I have 3 arguments why Gravis
should IMHO definitely NOT include a compatibility-chip on the GUS:

1. It would become too expensive (probably more expensive than a SBP
alone, perhaps even more expensive than a SB-16), at the moment the
GUS is better and cheaper and that should also be so in the future.

2. Hardware compatibility is not so flexible as Software-comp. If
they put a chip on the board for SB-support, tomorrow games will
support SB-Pro, and if there is a chip for SB-Pro-supp. on the GUS,
there will soon be the next FM-chip generation. With Software there
should be no problem in adding support for future releases of the FM-
chips, because they are compatible to the older versions and changes
(in the software) would be minimal.

3. No SB-hardware on the GUS (the soundcard of the future) means (in
the long run) that this old technology has to DIE.  :))))))


Again, one question asked one week ago: Will there - somewhen - be
the possibility to have - for instance - 16 MB on the GUS, in order
to: 1. Hold all MIDI-patches on board (7 MB at the moment, tendency
increasing), sampling to a large amount of GUS-memory, emulate for
instance an EMU- Proteus (4 MB patches + software), let
emulation- and oterh sound-based software run on the board, etc.,
etc., etc.

	Anybody out there (John Smith?) who knows?


Flames to my personal email-address, constructive critizism to the
list, please.

Greetings,
SAM

*********************************************************************
*Alexander.Majarek@uibk.ac.at * There are 3 ways (fast, sweet, sure)*
*Perthalerg. 1c/11            * for a man to ruin himself:          *
*A-6020 Innsbruck             * 1. Gamblin'   (fast),               *
*AUSTRIA (EUROPE)             * 2. Women      (sweet) &             *
*Tel.: 0043-512-84-26-15      * 3. Computers  (sure)                *
*********************************************************************

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

Date: Thu, 15 Apr 93 8:37:49 PDT
From: jenkinch@ucs.orst.edu (Charley Jenkins)
Subject: Making room for SBOS in Ultima 7!
Message-ID: <9304151537.AA25922@ucs>

Are you frustrated at not being able to load TSRs in high memory while
running Ulitma 7?  Wouldn't it be nice to be able to run Stacker, mouse driver,
SBOS, disk cache, and Ultima 7?

You can!

Download   UMBDR522.ZIP

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

Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1993 09:09:50 GMT
From: g2kafka@cdf.toronto.edu (Tierney Patrick)
Subject: Midi Sequencing Software [LONG]
Message-ID: <1993Apr15.090950.19550@cdf.toronto.edu>

ReprintFrom: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard

	To preface this rather long posting, let me say
that this is for those who either have a GUS and wish
to know about some of the midi sequencer software
products availible, or those with any soundcard with
midi capabilities who are interested in using midi 
without using a synth or keyboard. Later on I poke
my finger into that bee hive of GUS advocacy vs.
GUS denouncing. I'm am neither an expert in music
nor computers, nor do I believe that Pepsi_Cola
et al do or should arbitrate whether or not a style
of music is "good" or "real". ;-)

	Having nothing better to do (except study for a
calculus on manifolds exam) I have been fiddling around 
with some of the demo sequencers that are availible for 
FTP. (By demo, I mean crippled commercial products, not 
music/anim pieces) These include 3 products for windows: 
CakeWalk, Musicator, and Cadenza. These are, as far as I 
can tell, working versions of the software with Save and 
Print functions disabled.

	They are availible from the ftp.cica.indiana.edu 
FTP site in the "somethingOrOther"/win3/demo directory. 
(Sorry, cant remember the first part of the path) This 
is mirrored (and from my experience, the download speed 
is significantly better) at

 wuarchive.wustl.edu in /mirrors/win3/demo directory

	They are called  1. cadwdemo.zip [=cadenza] 800k
			 2. musicato.zip [=musicator] 1.3 Mb
			 3. cwdemo.zip   [=cakewalk] 600 k

I still have the zipped versions of these files on floppy, 
and if there were sufficient demand, and the site admin 
didn't mind the several Mb involved, I could upload them 
to epas?

Anyway, for those Gus users who wanted to know about how 
CakeWalk works with the GUS, I'd have to say very well. Be 
warned however that until Twelve Tone Music offers a version 
specifically aimed at working with the GUS, you have to use 
PatchManager to manually load the samples you're going to use 
for a song into DRAM. One way around this is (when loading an 
existing song) to start to play the song with media player 
after opening PatchManager. Then quit Media Player. The samples 
should remain in the GUS's memory. Start CakeWalk and load your 
song.

I'm working without an external keyboard, so I can't comment on
compatibility with GUS with one. However, for those who also
have no keyboard, and would like to write their own songs using 
the mouse, I can tell you my impressions. First let me admit 
that I never got Cadenza to work with the GUS. You have to 
manually load drivers after the basic setup, and either I 
screwed up, or it just can't be done (probably the former). 
Cadenza looked very good, however, so please don't use my 
problems as any guideline.

The 3 software sequencers I have used (in demo/shareware form) 
with the GUS are CakeWalk, Musicator, and WinJammer (availible 
as shareware at archive.epas.toronto.edu in /pub/pc/ultrasnd/ ? 
(I think it's sound/midi/util but I forget-- look around!) The 
first two will not let you save files (in demo form) , but both 
will let you create songs by either entering the notes onto a 
music staff, or by something similar using a music roll (player 
piano type thingy). WinJammer doesn't (at least in the unregistered 
version) have a music staff display/input, but at least you 
can save a copy of your work with the unregistered version.

My impressions: For work without a keyboard, CakeWalk is excellent. 
I was creating my first song within minutes of unzipping the demo, 
and the music staff is well designed so that it's quite conceivable 
you could compose entirely in cyberspace :->. The Musicator product 
also has these capabilities, but while it seems an even more 
sophisticated product, the controls are not as intuitive (to me, 
at least) and the help was sometimes less than helpful.  It does 
have a effects window (reverb and chorus, etc.) for GS instruments.
Unfortunately, I don't think the GUS has these capabilities. [Please 
correct me if I'm wrong.] Both CakeWalk and Musicator have a Mixer
Window which can be used for setting levels and panning on the fly,
for playback and/or recording to tape.

WinJammer automatically loads the needed patches for the GUS, and
as I mentioned before, you can save anything you write before you
decide whether to keep using it and register or not. However, without
a keyboard, entering a song is a bit like writing a file in hex
manually. It can be done, and if anyone wants to know how, e-mail me,
and I'll let you know. If WinJammer had the note entry feature of
the other two, there is no question that I would purchase their product.
The price is more than fair, and I like supporting high-quality
shareware products. But it looks like I'll have to save up, and opt
for the CakeWalk product. I don't have room for a keyboard, and call
me weird, but I love the idea of composing entirely in my computer.

On a related topic, I want to bring up a point in this raging debate
on the value of the GUS to the average computer user. I think an
important concept has been overlooked. The GUS, and other cards in
their time, brings sophisticated music and sound tools to the hands
of almost everyone. I have previously rented midi equipment, and
the rental cost for one month exceeds the price of GUS + WinJammer
for keeps. Sure the technology is already out there in more 
sophisticated form, BUT I'm not going to buy it, because I'm neither 
rich nor a professional musician. (I used to be semi-pro, but that's 
another story.)

Also, I think this stuff about most people getting soundcards only
for games is crap. It's interpreting the present by the standards of
the past. With earlier cards, none but the diehards probably used
them for anything but games, because they didn't know how or feel
it was worth the effort. With the newer cards, the sound quality
opens up the possibility to "non-musicians" to play around and
explore, without investing a bundle up-front. I believe a killer
app in this area would be a midi sequencer that entirely hides
the ugly midi control language from the user, and hides some of
the complexity of music notation from the would-be composer.

The point I'm hammering at here is that with the GUS, I think that
the sound itself is the selling point. People are interested in
MultiMedia, and the idea that they can have sound in their computer
of that quality for the low price entices them. The game support
thrown in, and the possibilities for creativity are added features.
The game support is more than adequate, and without meaning to be
rude, it seems to me that people who are terribly miffed by not
having perfect SB emulation in their games are perhaps displaying
a certain lack of life priorities. :->

If you are wondering about buying the GUS, and are put off by some
of the problems you have read about in this group, here's my 2 cents
worth. I have had the problems with installation, with the OPTI chipset,
with sound in certain games, with Windows drivers, with lack of info
in the _manual_ , yet I have never been happier with my purchase than
I am today. The problems were mere trifles compared to the rush of
composing your own _symphony_ at 5 in the morning, while your SO
sleeps undisturbed in the next room.

If I have become a GUS fanatic, then it's only because I love what it
lets me do for a reasonable price. I still think there must be other
cards out there that also make their owners happy, so check around.

One last complaint: What the hell do people mean with all this
fear-mongering about whether or not the GUS gets support (or even
disappears)? Who cares? It's a cheap soundcard, not the new messiah.
Of course there will be cheaper and better alternatives appearing in
the future. There always are. And maybe (or not, it's immaterial
except to them) Gravis will be offering one of them. But since I
didn't sell the farm to buy my GUS, I'll be able to buy one of the newer
cards when they significantly outperform my GUS (say within 2 years).
I mean, this is computer tech we're talking about here -- it's all
outmoded long before it's even released. Isn't that half the fun
of the damn things anyway?

Apologies to any of the mentioned companies if I've misrepresented
your product in any way, and to the net-at-large if I've spoken
false or wasted bandwidth. Also, since this is long, if responding
by posting, PLEASE use an editor to trim the quoted stuff just to
what you're commenting (flaming?) on.

patrick tierney
g2kafka@cdf.toronto.edu

DISCLAIMER: I can hardly articulate my own ideas. You can be sure
I am incapable of articulating the ideas produced by the augean 
stable called institutional thinking, including those of the 
learned institution I am currently infrequently attending.

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

Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1993 21:04:17 -0400
From: dave@rylos.n2idf.ampr.org (David Mutterer)
Subject: Sierra support for GUS... NOT.!
Message-ID: <9304152104.ZM3971@rylos.n2idf.ampr.org>

I just asked Sierra 2 weeks ago and they said NO WAY...  So after 
someone posted in a recent digest that Sierra WAS going to support
the GUS, I asked again... here is the response:

>From rutgers!compuserve.com!76004.2143  Thu Apr 15 16:38:41 1993
>Date: 15 Apr 93 16:27:42 EDT
>From: Sierra On-Line <rutgers!compuserve.com!76004.2143>
>To: <dave@rylos>
>Subject: Re: GUS & PAS 16
>Message-Id: <930415202742_76004.2143_CHN43-4@CompuServe.COM>
>Status: OR
>
>I do know of any current plans to provide support, but, as is the
>case with everything, this can change. The last "Official" word I had
>was there would be no support in the near future. If I hear
>different, I will let you know.
>
>
>Happy Gaming!
>
>- Chris/Sierra On-Line Tech Support
>


Oh well... I don't know were you got your Sierra info.??

-- 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I never met a computer I didn't like,"         - David Mutterer
			   --------                         - dave@rylos.n2idf.ampr.org
	 "unless it was made by IBM."               - rutgers!rylos!dave
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1993 10:25:10 -0400
From: Michael Dauria <dauria@cs.umb.edu>
Subject: Ultima 7
Message-ID: <199304151425.AA06456@ra.cs.umb.edu>

Hey fellow Gusers. I have a question about Ultima 7, does anybody have a 
good setup for this game. The install program complains that I'm running
in protected mode and it wants to run in real mode (I thought it was the
other way around, oh well), so I've disabled emm386, but now I've got
to load the sbos driver and the mouse driver low and I have no room 
left for smartdrv. The amount of time I have to wait while I access the
disk is very annoying, and its very very annoying when I save and restore
games (seems alot slower on these parts). 

Thanks in advance, MIKE B-)

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

Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1993 05:59:38 -0400 (EDT)
From: lebeld@JSP.UMontreal.CA (David Lebel)
Subject: ULTRINIT crash & burn on OS/2
Message-ID: <9304150959.AA13387@spt1.jsp.umontreal.ca>

	Well, to warn everyone that ULTRINIT.EXE crash & burn OS/2 system
pretty hard here... Well, not that visually. Instead, it caused me so
much headache to empty a tylenol<tm> bottle.  Well, lemme explain. First
of all, I just bought a new hard drive, so I reformated my WD Caviar, and
put my new Quantum on drive C:.  Just days before I installed the new
install disks with success... (well, I never tried what failed with them
before I switched)...  

	Two days ago, I wanted to print my long term project with
Word on WIN/OS2.  Everytime I tried to print something, I got an OS/2
message telling me that my pretty was offline.  Well, I say, just reboot,
maybe it will be okay... ERROR!  It still not worked... Even OS/2 simple
copy <file> prn wouldn't work.  I turned everything off. Rebooted.

	Now, OS/2 could print, native OS/2 programs like Describe printed
just fine.  Until I booted a DOS box, Win/OS2 or anything that launch
DOS. Bang, no more print could work, and I needed a full turn off to bring
back everything to normal.

	I messed with my IO cards, my cables, tried a friend IO card with
same results... Until I figured out that I had problems since:

	1. Re-installed OS/2 on my new harddrive.
	2. Installed the new Ultrasound software.

	Number 1 was rulled out quickly, so I remove ULTRINIT from my
AUTOEXEC.BAT file, closed everything off, and rebooted...  Fired up
OS/2 Window, issued up copy <file> prn, it works. Fired up Describe;
it works. Fired up Win/OS2, IT WORKS, and then fired up DOS Full Screen,
IT WORKS! . . . . . .  typed 'ultrinit' on the DOS prompt; got back to
OS/2 window, copy <file> prn; BANG, IT DOESN'T WORK... Hah hah, I got
you bummer!  

	So, I suggest every OS/2 user to REMOVE ULTRINIT.EXE from their
AUTOEXEC.BAT if they suspect something like this happening on their system.
It sure does on mine... John Smith; I've also sent you this message so
you can forward it to the ULTRINIT programmer for corrections.

	Now, time to get rest... It's 6:00AM, and didn't slept since 18hrs.

-- 
David 'vectrex' Lebel           " ... I'm hanging on your words, living on your
UdeM - BSc. Informatique   ,,,    breath, feeling with your skin, will I always
lebeld@JSP.UMontreal.CA   (o o)   be here? In your room ... " - Depeche Mode
=======================oOO=(_)=OOo=============================================

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

Date: (null)
From: (null)

This program will allow you to loadhi all your TSRs WITHOUT putting your
cpu in Protected Mode which Voodo Memory Manager hates.  You can even create
expanded memory in REAL mode in case your favorite disk cache works better
with expanded memory.

I tried it out last night and it worked great!  For the first time I was
able to load Stacker 2.0, mouse drv, click, smartdrv, SBOS, and run Ultima 7.

Credit needs to go to Chris Kalin the orginal poster of this information!

Chris Kalin
-- 
Chris Kalin-----> ckalin@csd4.csd.uwm.edu  -OR-  ckalin@watt.cae.uwm.edu

Charley Jenkins
jenkinch@ucs.orst.edu

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

End of Ultrasound Daily Digest V3 #16
*************************************
