Ultrasound Daily Digest     Tue May  4 00:07     Volume 3: Issue  34  

Today's Topics:
				   [GUS,...] midi player for linux
			   Any demand for my mids in 256k format? 
	Buzz Aldrins Race Into Space and GUS - not impressed! (2 msgs)
						  GUS DRAM problems
				How to create MIDI files for the GUS?
						John.Smith@gravis.com
						Mailing List Admin...
							  Now what?
						OPTi and UMC chipsets
							SBOS 2.06Beta
				   Simple program for making music?
							  Starcon 2
					  Starcon II probs (2 msgs)
				   Tips on playing back chris.mids
				 XWing on EXIT tries to access PRN?!?

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: Sun, 2 May 1993 11:47:12 GMT
From: lee@Hawaii.Edu (Greg Lee)
Subject: [GUS,...] midi player for linux
Message-ID: <C6EE2o.5GL@news.Hawaii.Edu>

ReprintFrom: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard

I uploaded to the epas archive the source code to "mp", a midi
file player for linux and Hannu Savolainen's sound driver.  The
file name is mp-prel.tar.Z (it's a preliminary version).  It
plays on the GUS, the SoundBlaster, the PAS16, and in general
whatever cards the sound driver supports.  It uses midi output
and input (the latter to record new tracks) for the PAS16.  When
there are multiple cards or a synth connected to a midi ouput
port, it divvies up the notes among the available output
devices.  (I use it with GUS, PAS16, and Kawaii K1 synth.)

This version works with version 1.99.2 of the sound driver.
The sound driver version on epas right now is 1.99.1 (in
/pub/pc/ultrasound/util/unix), but I think that will work,
if you supply a #define for the symbol OPL3_PATCH.

Envelope control for the GUS is pretty crude right now, because
I understand so little about how the GUS works.  I gather that
there is envelope information in GUS patches, but I haven't
been able to decode and make use of that.  If any of you
who know something about this could post some more information
about it, that would be helpful.  (And could someone unpack
that file udox-20.exe on epas?)

--
Greg Lee <lee@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu>

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

Date: 3 May 1993   11:52:21 PST
From: chrisw <chrisw@leland.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: Any demand for my mids in 256k format? 
Message-ID: <9305031855.AA23701@leland.Stanford.EDU>

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

Hi people. Just thought I'd actually check out what the RAM requirements of
my mids really were. (You never know when you're writing them because
you've got a lot of spare noises loaded up as well).

Anyway, they are:

chris1.mid : 345k
chris2.mid : 581k
chris3.mid : 590k
chris4.mid : 627k
chris5.mid : unfinished! 

The other thing I did was to use for the first time the 'conserve 
memory option' on the GUS Windows driver. As it turns out it sounds a lot 
better than I thought it would. (I guess it's because the DAC's still 16-bit). 
Anyway, this makes me think that perhaps passable versions of my files
could be made for 256k GUSes. The question is, is it worth it? 

If anyone wants to write me an Email explaining why they can't possibly afford
$25 of Ram chips (eg. the children have already been sold to the white slave
traders, the only piece of furniture left in the house is the video monitor
stand, and negotiations for sale of the cat to the cat food company are
already underway) then I'll consider it.

One other thing. Anyone know if there's some way to have midi channels other
than 10 play as drum channels as well? I'd like to do some stereo drum effects
but I've got no control over the drum mix at the moment (unless I use 
seperate GM patches rather than the drum noises).

Cheers,

Chris.

------------ End of Forwarded Message 

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

Date: 1 May 93 22:55:33 GMT
From: brian@woody.win.net (Brian Semotiuk)
Subject: Buzz Aldrins Race Into Space and GUS - not impressed!
Message-ID: <19@woody.win.net>

ReprintFrom: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard

I just bought Buzz Aldrin's Race into Space by Interplay today
because it said on the box that it supported the GUS. This was the
only reason I bought it. After installing it, I found out that in
the music setup there is no selection for the Gravis Ultrasound.
But there is one for digitized sounds. The readme file included
says that at this time they do not support music on the GUS, but
only the digitized sounds. As far as I'm concerned, there is no
significant difference in digitized sound capabilities across the
different soundcards as compared to the GUS (I realize differences in
sampling rate and resolution but this isn't my point). The big
difference is that the GUS uses wave table synthesis, which sounds
alot better than the FM synthesis found on these other cards. I am
dissappointed at Buzz Aldrin's Race into Space by Interplay because
it doesn't fully support the GUS native mode as led to believe by
reading the box. If Interplay didn't have their GUS routines done
then they shouldn't have advertised GUS support yet (It's not like
they have to redo the box, it's just a sticker!). I am going to
send a mail to Interplay asking them when we can expect full GUS
support. Just thought I'd put a message up warning all GUS owners
out there not to buy this game if they're only interested in the
GUS support.(Game looks good otherwise). 

Brian
 

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

Date: Mon, 3 May 1993 03:39:00 GMT
From: mccarty@netcom.com (Michael K McCarty)
Subject: Re: Buzz Aldrins Race Into Space and GUS - not impressed!
Message-ID: <mccartyC6FM50.AFv@netcom.com>

ReprintFrom: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard

brian@woody.win.net (Brian Semotiuk) writes:

>it doesn't fully support the GUS native mode as led to believe by
>reading the box. If Interplay didn't have their GUS routines done

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

Date: Mon, 3 May 93 9:26:51 PDT
From: hippo@sfsuvax1.sfsu.edu (Vincent Poy)
Subject: Re: GUS DRAM problems
Message-ID: <9305031626.AA07134@sfsuvax1.sfsu.edu>

> Date: Sat, 1 May 93 21:47:21 +0200
> From: chief@lysator.liu.se
> Subject: GUS - Digest - More
> Message-ID: <9305011947.AA03335@ruben.lysator.liu.se>
> 
> [Okay. This is the third re-post of this message. The first time, it
>  got completely garbled, without headers and without subject-line.
>  The second time, it didn't make it at all (but issues 30 and 31 were
>  numbered 30 and 30). I don't know if I dare to post it again, but
>  here goes. Lets see what happens this time. /Erik]
> 
> 
> In GUS Digest Vol.3 Issue #28, his@hiogron.rhg.nl (Henk Hindriks) wrote:
> 
> > I experienced the same problem: Ultraram and Setgus telling me that I
> > have a DRAM-failure while swapping the RAM's doesn't help anything.
> 
> You're the lucky one! My Setgus won't even run!
> 
> > After some research I found out that the failure is in the highest
> > 128K of the memory independent of the IC's, so it's problably a wrong
> > adres-decoding.
> 
> Well, it can't be that in my case though, as the GUS works fine with
> the old set of disks (1.22) UNLESS (John Smith, you still out there?)
> GRAVIS did something pretty nasty to the new set of disks, OR, SETGUS.EXE
> and ULTRINIT.EXE, because I can't load anyone of them AT ALL.
> 
> > So please everyone try the Ultraram or the Setgus (advanced-
> > diagnostics) to find out if Your ultrasound functions O.K.
> 
> I would if I could.
> 
> ::::: (oh, by the way .. I guess the next digest won't be making it,
>       so I better save this letter too and re-mail it again. Isn't it
>       strange that both times the Digest have been completely erased
>       or whatever, previously, I sent stuff to it. And that's the ONLY
>       times I did send something too. So I better save this one or
>       just mail it twice and see what happens Then to the digest.
>       Hold on to your hats!)
> 
>  -/- Erik (with his v1.22 disks. Got mail from JS who said Gravis would
>            probably handle the distribution of the new disks to Europe
>            from the U.S. - Thanks.)
Well, I found out what the problem is.... It's the memory brand NMBS in
general.... They have problems in their timing as I was told by my
friend who is a computer dealer..... You can't always trust things that
says Made in Japan I guess..... My friend sold me 6 80ns DRAMS, 1 NEC, 2
Hyundai and 3 Samsungs and it all pasted the SetGUS test and I guess
it's just a matter of the brand name not even where it's made anymore
now adays... And remember, I exchanged the NMBS chips like 5 times
already so it confirms that it's that particular brand of chips that had
these problems... Just to let all of you GUS users know so you won't end
up going back and forth to that dealer 5 or 6 times....



-- 

Cheers,

Vince

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

Date: 3 May 1993 12:56:33 -0400
From: kevin@msai.com (Kevin Smith)
Subject: Re: How to create MIDI files for the GUS?
Message-ID: <1s3is1INN24l@pluto.msai.com>

ReprintFrom: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard

In article <1993Apr29.125441.29236@se01.elk.miles.com> sjm@se01.elk.miles.com (Scott Mark) writes:
>From se01!sjm Thu Apr 29 07:51:26 EST 1993
>
>Is there any program out there that makes it easy to write midi files to
>play on the Ultrasound?
>
>I remember back in the days of the Atari 800 we could just pick one of
>four voices and then enter notes and durations, and then play the thing
>back.  Pretty easily.
>
>I understand that MIDI is more than just notes and durations, but I tried
>using WinJammer and I have to enter "events" and so forth.

I had the same problem when I downloaded WinJammer thinking it would
allow me to enter music with my keyboard (qwerty, not musical), but I
don't think it has this capability.

>Maybe it isn't too hard, but all the jargon scares me.  And WinJammer's
>claim that the Track Name field (say what??) is going to be overwritten
>fills me with a nameless dread that I can write a bunch of stuff that
>I won't be able to get back unless I have the registered version.

All this means is that if you create a song and it has six tracks:
French horn
Honky-tonk piano
Acoustic snare

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

Date: Mon, 03 May 1993 14:38:42 -0400 (EDT)
From: elminstr@hudlink.hoboken.nj.us (J.J. Pierson)
Subject: John.Smith@gravis.com
Message-ID: <8mLZ3B1w165w@hudlink.hoboken.nj.us>

Does any body get a responce from John Smith when you send mail asking 
about the GUS? I've sent like 5 messages over the last few months and 
only got one reply when I first sent him something.

---
J.J. Pierson               Internet EMail: elminstr@hudlink.hoboken.nj.us
							Prodigy Email: TVFF82B

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

Date: Mon, 3 May 93 12:38:03 CDT
From: ddebry@itchy (Dave DeBry)
Subject: Mailing List Admin...
Message-ID: <9305031838.AA18084@itchy>

	This is a message to readers of all the mailing lists I
maintain: I'm going to be away from the office until Friday, so any
problems that come up with your list will have to wait at the very
least until then.  I'm anticipating a big task load at work when I get
back, so it may be even longer.

-- 
Dave  ddebry@ debry@   \ "This is why, when I was in high school,
DeBry dsd.    peruvian. | all my friends were getting it fast and
	  es.     cs.utah.  | and furious while I was manning the phones
	  com     edu      /  for the Peer Counseling Hotline."

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

Date: Mon, 03 May 1993 16:55:37 -0500 (EST)
From: BRIECK@uoft02.utoledo.edu
Subject: Now what?
Message-ID: <01GXQUZI0MLU0016B1@UOFT02.UTOLEDO.EDU>

	I just added RAM to my GUS. Now that I'm at 1 meg, what do I need
to do to get the most out of it? I assume I need to adjust some Windows
settings like voices, channels, etc.

	Can anyone help me out?

Brian Rieck

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

Date: Sun, 2 May 93 23:29:46 PDT
From: schottd@ucs.orst.edu (Derek Schott)
Subject: OPTi and UMC chipsets
Message-ID: <9305030629.AA06579@ucs.orst.edu>

After reading through some of the past bulletins on the GUS FTP
sites, I found that not only does the GUS have problems with the
OPTi chipset, but also the UMC chipset. One text went on to say
that the DMA timing is incorrect for the 16-bit DMA on these
chipsets, and the GUS defaults to a 16-bit DMA channel. It also
says that an 8-bit DMA should work alright, and that the new
setup program from GUS will default to an 8-bit DMA. Does this
mean that the OPTi and UMC problems are now obsolete, and that
a computer system with the OPTi or UM chipset is safe due to the
corrected 8-bit DMA setting?

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

Date: Mon, 3 May 1993 18:32:45 -0700
From: Eric N. Liao <liaoe@aero.org>
Subject: SBOS 2.06Beta
Message-ID: <199305040132.AA25874@aerospace.aero.org>

I heard this is already on Gravis's BBS.  Could someone put it on epas?

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

Date: Mon, 3 May 1993 13:22:41 -0500 (EST)
From: sjm@se01.elk.miles.com (Scott Mark)
Subject: Simple program for making music?
Message-ID: <9305031822.AA00355@se01.elk.miles.com>

I've got a GUS and I don't even know where to start with making music.

I don't have any idea how to enter MIDI music (except that I better reserve
channel 10 for percussion??) and I have had ZERO luck getting Winjammer to
work for me.

Where can I turn?  Do I need to read a book on all the steps needed in order
to make MIDI music?  [First you need to pick a track, then assign a channel
to the track, a patch to the channel, and events to the track, etc, etc]

Or is there a simpler program-- one that understands quarter notes and
flats and sharps and so on?

I'm not trying to get the best vibrato on my instrument -- I just want
to get started somewhere.

What do I do?  Do I have to buy stuff?  Is there PD stuff available?

Or for the best of all worlds -- is there a program where I can work with
sheet music for starters, and then edit the events for velocity, etc, in
the area where I think it would matter?

Is there any easy way to get started, or is there just a horrendous
learning curve and no way to get around it?

Scott Mark
sjm@se01.elk.miles.com

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

Date: Mon, 3 May 1993 11:37:11 -0400 (EDT)
From: Pete Kilcullen <pmk@access.digex.net>
Subject: Starcon 2
Message-ID: <199305031537.AA14643@access.digex.net>

RE: Starcontrol 2 problems. In answer to yesterday's post, the fellow said
he tried gusclear and the 669 player. Have you tried "gustest.exe /z" to
clear memory? It works fine for me and SC 2 sounds great!!

Pete

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

Date: Mon, 3 May 93 9:21:19 PDT
From: roberts@brahms.amd.com (Dave Roberts)
Subject: Starcon II probs
Message-ID: <9305031621.AA27793@angelo.amd.com>

In GUS Digest you wrote:
>   I know, I know, I don't want this to become a gaming-only
> list, either, but I'm really getting annoyed at these two games.
> 
>   1] Star Ctrl. II: I'm still getting noise.  I run GUSCLEAR, no
> dice.  I run the 669 player, and it locks up my system.  (Grrr...)


I have the same problem.  Lots of pops and clicks when the music is
playing.  I don't have problems with any other game so I don't think
it's my setup.  Zone 66 works great as do a lot of other games under
SBOS.  How much RAM do you have on your GUS?  I'm still sitting at
256K and I'm wondering if it doesn't have enough and just won't tell
me that.  BTW, is the music in this game just LOUD, or what?  I'm
playing with head phones and my ears just about got blown apart.  Is
there any way to turn down the volume?  I'm almost thinking of going
back and using SBOS (ack!) just so I can have the "[]" keys.

Dave Roberts
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Network Products Division
david.roberts@amd.com

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

Date: Mon, 3 May 93 13:38:24 CDT
From: ddebry@itchy (Dave DeBry)
Subject: Re: Starcon II probs
Message-ID: <9305031938.AA24563@itchy>

> >     1] Star Ctrl. II: I'm still getting noise.  I run GUSCLEAR, no
> > dice.  I run the 669 player, and it locks up my system.  (Grrr...)
>
> I have the same problem.  Lots of pops and clicks when the music is
> playing.

	It's not pops and clicks during the music, it's when the music
is finished and it plays everything else in the GUS's memory, which is
a lot of annoying noise.  

	I'll try the 'gustest -z' that someone on the list suggested
yesterday (thanks to the suggestor).

-- 
Dave  ddebry@ debry@   \
DeBry dsd.    peruvian. | "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick
	  es.     cs.utah.  |  ass, and I'm all out of bubblegum."
	  com     edu      /

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

Date: 3 May 1993   22:29:10 PST
From: chrisw <chrisw@leland.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: Tips on playing back chris.mids
Message-ID: <9305040531.AA00986@leland.Stanford.EDU>

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

Hi people. Sorry for posting yet again to the digest. Just wanted to give
a few more instructions about playing back my mid files.

As far as I know there's not much difference in the various ways you can play
them back (Playmidi, Windows media player, Cakewalk for Windows, Winjammer).
However, if you're using an application that uses the midi mapper (like 
the media player) PLEASE make sure that you're using the 'Ultrasound patch
cache aware' setup and NOT the 'Ultrasound 1024k' setup. Also please edit this 
setup so that ALL 16 CHANNELS go to the GUS. I'm using them all on some tracks
so if you don't have this you're going to be losing things.

Lastly, I'm currently using 28 active voices. You can try less if you want,
but notes may get cut short or not sound at all. I don't know.

Actually, notes sometimes don't sound for me. I don't know why. Might try 32.

Chris.











Chris. (The Midiman!)

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

Date: Mon, 3 May 93 7:54:20 CDT
From: ibmpa!hartmann.austin.ibm.com!lance@ibminet.awdpa.ibm.com (Lance Hartmann)
Subject: XWing on EXIT tries to access PRN?!?
Message-ID: <9305031254.AA15171@hartmann.austin.ibm.com>

We've all seen the posts about "jerkiness" in XWing when music is
enabled, BUT has anyone see this?

Upon exiting from XWing to DOS, I got an error message stating something
about problems accessing PRN:  Abort?  Retry?

Very strange...  I haven't had a chance to reproduce it -- will try to
do so tonight.

Lance Hartmann (lance%hartmann.austin.ibm.com@ibmpa.awdpa.ibm.com)
			   Yes, that IS a '%' (percent sign) in my network address.
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
All statements, comments, opinions, etc. herein reflect those of the author
and shall NOT be misconstrued as those of IBM or anyone else for that matter.

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

End of Ultrasound Daily Digest V3 #34
*************************************
