Ultrasound Daily Digest     Fri, 15 Jan 93       Volume 2 : Issue  12 

Today's Topics:
			 A fix for the StarCon2 and GUS 1mb problem?
					Gravis UltraSound 3D! & Qsound
					GUS and new WinJammer trouble
						   GUSDAC? (2 msgs)
						GUS Disks version 1.22
			   GUS SBOS doesn't support the Mic. input
				   GUS Tech support - please read!
					   Making samples, anyone?
		   Names for the .MID files in SCDEMOS.ZIP on epas
		  Revised FAQ candidate: No MIDI sound under Windows
						  Sbos help needed.
						Star Control II review
					  THE 3D in GUS 3D IS SOFTW
					Ultrasound Daily Digest V2 #11
				 WinJammer, Band-in-A-Box for Windows

	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: Thu, 14 Jan 93 14:41:49 -0800
From: Andrew Krenz <uznerk@mcl.mcl.ucsb.edu>
Message-Id: <9301142241.AA02045@hub.ucsb.edu>
Subject: A fix for the StarCon2 and GUS 1mb problem?
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

I think I might have found a way to get rid of the "endless" noise problem
with 1mb GUS's and Star Control 2.  Before playing SC2, use the P669GU0
program to play a .669 file.  After that when you load SC2, the problem
goes away (at least on my system).

Can anyone else confirm this?

-Andrew Krenz
uznerk@mcl.ucsb.edu

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

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1993 09:24:36 GMT
From: stewarta@netcom.com (Alex Stewart)
Message-Id: <1993Jan14.092436.8971@netcom.com>
Subject: Gravis UltraSound 3D! & Qsound
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Harlan W. Feinstein (feinstn@newsserver.rest.tasc.com) wrote:
: If I recall correctly (at some point I had been researching this) there are
: two different ways that the ears/brain figure this out, one for low frequencies
: and one for high.  I think the high frequencies were obvious to the brain 
: because of phase differences, and the low frequencies were discriminated 
: using the difference in start times of the sound in each of the ears.  Some-
: one correct me if I'm wrong.

Sounds right to me :-)

One thing that everybody seems to be forgetting, though, is that one of the
primary ways that any animal distinguishes this is by listening to what happens
when it turns its head.  This is very difficult to simulate with two (normal)
speakers. (I believe someone mentioned earlier that the headphones that come
with the GUS 3D have a sensor to determine the physical position (this, I
think, explains why they're not just selling it as a software upgrade).
-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex Stewart:         Sysop of YBBS (510) 689-8952 |   This space for rent.
stewarta@netcom.com   .----------------------------'-------------------------
stewarta@carleton.edu | Somebody, somewhere, is offended by what I am saying.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: 14 Jan 93 02:15:31 GMT
From: bs@mdavcr.mda.ca (Bruce Sharpe)
Message-Id: <3952@mutt.mdavcr.mda.ca>
Subject: GUS and new WinJammer trouble
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

In article <1993Jan10.222122.12147@cunews.carleton.ca> dp@hydra.carleton.CA (Dave Perry VE3IFB) writes:
>In article <d2henan.726684512@dtek.chalmers.se> d2henan@dtek.chalmers.se (Andreas Henning) writes:
>
>(stuff deleted)
>>
>>Does anyone have the same problem, or is my Windows configuration wrong?
>>
>I am getting general protection faults with the new Winjammer as well,
>usually when recording something from my keyboard. It doesn't seem to be
>repeatable very easily.

Hi Dave
 
After fooling around some, I found a bug in the DLL.  It'll only occur when
you've got more than one output device configured, and the song you're
playing doesn't use all of the output ports.
 
For example: let's say you've got port 1 set up as the Gravis Synth, and
port 2 set up as the Gravis MIDI port.  If you load a song that only uses
port 1, and press play, you'll get any warnings about unloaded patches,
followed by the error.  What's happening is WinJammer is trying to check for
problems on the second port, but nothing was cached for it (because the song
didn't use the second port).
 
Knowing that, the work around becomes pretty easy.  Don't use both ports
unless you've got something connected to the MIDI (like a keyboard).  And if
you do, then make sure there's at least one track for each port.  The tracks
can be empty if you like.
 
I'll look at it to see what I can do about a quick fix.  I'm not sure I want
to release 2.24 so soon <sigh>, but this is rather nasty and needs fixing.
Feel free to quote/pass on as much of this message as you'd like.
 
Dan

(I posted this for Dan McKee, author of WinJammer, who doesn't have access to
the Internet.  He can be reached via e-mail at 70742.2052@compuserve.com.)

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

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1993 07:33:25 GMT
From: goh@deathstar.dell.com (Peter Goh)
Message-Id: <goh.726996805@deathstar>
Subject: GUSDAC?
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

francisco.perez@rose.com (francisco perez) writes:


>Date Entered: 01-14-93 00:20
>M(>Has everyone checked out the GUSDAC on epas yet?  Let's modplay use
>M(>the gus as a quadrophonic dac or stereo-on-one.

>Can somebody please send a UUENCODEed GUSDAC and post it here if its not too
>large?  It sounds interesting, but alas, no FTP access for me...

Since you mentioned about GUSDAC, I thought I would throw this comment in
to see whether people using GUSDAC notice that the sound produced from "mp"
doesn't sound all that "clean". I've tried boosting the mixing speed to
30000 loading mp4to2.exe (with mp4to4.exe, 30000 slow things even
on my 50Mhz 486DX). If I never use GUSMOD.EXE to play back the same MOD
that I did with GUSDAC, I would never have realized that. I like the
features and convenience of using "mp" compared to the command line
of GUSMOD.EXE, but with sound output quality of "mp", I rather stick to
GUSMOD.EXE until there is improvement make to "mp". 

Or am I the only one having this problem? I would appreciate if anyone who
have similiar problems to share their opinion, or anyone who have a
work-around to this problem. Thank you.

Peter Goh
goh@deathstar.dell.com 


 

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

Date: 14 Jan 1993 13:11:53 +0200
From: justin@nuustak.csir.co.za (Justin Benade)
Message-Id: <justin.727009361@nuustak>
Subject: GUSDAC?
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Thus spake goh@deathstar.dell.com (Peter Goh):

>francisco.perez@rose.com (francisco perez) writes:


>>Date Entered: 01-14-93 00:20
>>M(>Has everyone checked out the GUSDAC on epas yet?  Let's modplay use
>>M(>the gus as a quadrophonic dac or stereo-on-one.

>>Can somebody please send a UUENCODEed GUSDAC and post it here if its not too
>>large?  It sounds interesting, but alas, no FTP access for me...

>Since you mentioned about GUSDAC, I thought I would throw this comment in
>to see whether people using GUSDAC notice that the sound produced from "mp"
>doesn't sound all that "clean". I've tried boosting the mixing speed to
>30000 loading mp4to2.exe (with mp4to4.exe, 30000 slow things even
>on my 50Mhz 486DX). If I never use GUSMOD.EXE to play back the same MOD
>that I did with GUSDAC, I would never have realized that. I like the
>features and convenience of using "mp" compared to the command line
>of GUSMOD.EXE, but with sound output quality of "mp", I rather stick to
>GUSMOD.EXE until there is improvement make to "mp". 

>Or am I the only one having this problem? I would appreciate if anyone who
>have similiar problems to share their opinion, or anyone who have a
>work-around to this problem. Thank you.

>Peter Goh
>goh@deathstar.dell.com 


>
Yes, I'm afraid that you are correct. When I wrote GUSDAC I noticed the
problem that the sound is not so clean. I'm afraid that there is 
nothing that can be done about it. GUSDAC uses the GUS in a way which
is not really standard. The resulting quality is not much better 
then a SB pro.

On the up side, although gusmod sounds much better, it still has bugs,
such as the disappearing voice bug, and it cannot play certain modules.

I only wrote GUSDAC to allow me to listen to the mods which GUSMOD
cannot play very well.

Never fear though, I am working on a mod file player and editor.
Actually it looks as though it will play mod files and it will 
have its own 16 voice native file format. Maybe it will be released
in the next few weeks.

Irmin Ziegelmeier
IRMIN@SCINET.UP.AC.ZA
 

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

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 93 10:13:49 -0800
From: kejohnso@nike.calpoly.edu (Kurt E. Johnson)
Message-Id: <9301141813.AA1302588@nike.calpoly.edu>
Subject: GUS Disks version 1.22
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

   Could someone upload the version 1.22 disks to epas or wuarchive?

Thanks,
Kurt

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

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1993 13:51:46 GMT
From: dp@hydra.carleton.CA (Dave Perry VE3IFB)
Message-Id: <1993Jan14.135146.14734@cunews.carleton.ca>
Subject: GUS SBOS doesn't support the Mic. input
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

In article <1993Jan14.041732.6778@viewlogic.com> paulsen@mako.viewlogic.com (Bill Paulsen) writes:
>
>It seems the Microphone input on the GUS is not supported by SBOS.
>I called Gravis support, and the person said Gravis had not considered
>this support.
>
>I'd like to be sure about this - has anyone actually used the Mic
>input with SBOS on the GUS?
>
>Thanks
>
>

I believe the mic *is* supported. I've used sbos with a program called
fftmorse, which takes the mic audio, does a fast Fourier transform on it,
and tries to decode any Morse code it finds. It worked very well (somewhat
to my surprise).

Cheers,
Dave Perry






-- 
Dave Perry                  | Any opinions stated here are mine
dp@hydra.carleton.ca        | and have nothing to do with Carleton University
ve3ifb@ve3jf.#eon.on.noam   |

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

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 93 16:15:42 EST
From: ebynum@server.cs.jhu.edu
Message-Id: <9301142114.AA07436@orca.es.com>
Subject: GUS Tech support - please read!
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Howdy folks,

	I need some help with my GUS. If you check your back issues, you'll
see that I posted to the digest last week asking detailed questions about
how to eliminate the static that seems to work its way into my samples
(especially at high sample rates). To refresh your memories, I am using the
*line in* port on the GUS, the signal comes from my stereo receiver, and I
am recording onto a RAM disk, so there's no fragmentation or slow hard disk
problems. Do I need a RAM upgrade for the card (currently 256K)?

	What I want to know from you is who out there in the cold world can
help me solve my problem. The folks on the internet suggested a variety of
possible solutions, none of which has worked. I sent mail to Chris Yuzik,
but his E-mailbox is no doubt inundated with complaints and requests, so I
don't expect a reply from him anytime soon (but it would be very much
welcomed, Chris). I don't want to make a 31-cent-a-minute phone call to
Gravis Tech Support, but if, in your opinions, I must, then I guess I'll
have to. Has anyone had any experience with tech support that I should know
about? The funny thing is, page 70 of the owner's manual touts "Access to
FREE technical support" but, of course, page 76 reminds you that "There is
no charge for this service, but you may have to pay long-distance telephone
charges..." Thanks, guys. How 'bout an 800 number?

					Drop me a line,

					Evan H. Bynum
					ebynum@cs.jhu.edu

P.S. If *anyone* has *anything* to say about how to record with this card,
please have a heart and let me know. Tell me I'm doing it all wrong, even.
I want this thing to record cleanly.

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

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 93 15:11:15 CST
From: ken@batman.austin.ibm.com (Ken Goach)
Message-Id: <9301142111.AA17812@batman.austin.ibm.com>
Subject: Making samples, anyone?
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Could someone who's creating new GUS patches post something about
it here? Or drop me some email?

Also, if anyone has a good snare drum patch, let me know.

Is there a crash cymbal patch, or what? I can't find it, and
drums are pretty boring without it.

Ken

ken@austin.ibm.com

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

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 93 21:57:52 EST
From: Meshreki@ee.udel.edu
Message-Id: <9301150257.aa01023@zip.ee.udel.edu>
Subject: Names for the .MID files in SCDEMOS.ZIP on epas
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

I noticed the following song titles using TRAX's import midi file option.

Sam

file name   size    song name
------------    -----   ---------------------------
demo0001.mid    19119   Star Games
demo0002.mid    18380   Jazz Lagoon
demo0003.mid    13490   Sorcery
demo0004.mid    18638   La fille aux cheveux de lin
demo0005.mid    17028   B.Y.T.
demo0006.mid     8424   Leya's Song
demo0007.mid    17131   INSIDER
demo0008.mid    12062   Le cygne
demo0009.mid    11723   2nd time Foreground
demo0010.mid    15359   AQABA
demo0011.mid    27247   Martians In Love
demo0012.mid    29944   La primavera
demo0013.mid    22599   Symphonie No.5

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

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 93 10:24:54 PST
From: bs@mda.ca (Bruce Sharpe)
Message-Id: <9301141824.AA21298@ mda.ca>
Subject: Revised FAQ candidate: No MIDI sound under Windows
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

I have uploaded the file ULTRASND.INI from the Gravis BBS to epas and have
revised the following FAQ accordingly.

Q: I'm not getting any sound when I play MIDI files under Windows.  The
   Patch Manager shows empty boxes.

A: You need a file called ULTRASND.INI.  You can find this file in any one
   of the following places:
   1. The v1.21 distribution disk set.
   2. ftp site: klingon.epas.utoronto.ca (128.100.160.36), directory 
	  /pub/pc/ultrasound/submit.
   3. Gravis BBS: (604) 431-5927.
   4. CompuServe: GO PCVENB, Library 14, name is ULTSND.INI (rename it to
	  ULTRASND.INI after downloading).

   ULTRASND.INI must be placed in the directory pointed to by the environment 
   variable ULTRADIR (usually C:\ULTRASND).  It does *not* go into the WINDOWS
   or WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.

   Even if you have an ULTRASND.INI in your ULTRADIR directory, look at it.  
   It should have many lines in it saying things like "0=acpiano1".  If it is
   only a few lines long, get another copy and put it into the ULTRADIR 
   directory.  Reboot Windows and you will soon be hearing beautiful music!

   (The purpose of the ULTRASND.INI file is to let the Windows driver know
   what patch file goes with what patch number.  If the driver doesn't find
   the .INI file in the ULTRADIR directory it creates a truncated version 
   with no patch names in it.)

Bruce Sharpe

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

Date: 14 Jan 1993 16:01:21 -0400 (EDT)
From: JAM@eclx.psu.edu
Message-Id: <01GTIJ7I7D8YAW2ESI@eclx.psu.edu>
Subject: Sbos help needed.
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

As a new GUS owner I haven't yet been able to get Sbos (version 1.22) to
work with siege and WC2 and SO1,2.  Any suggestions?

What are the best values for set ultrasnd and set blaster.

I currently use the defaults of DMA1, IRQ11 and 220h for ultrasound
and DMA1, T1, IRQ 5 for set blaster.

I have a 386/40 with qemm 6.? and stacker.
Thanks.

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

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1993 15:50 MST
From: Bryan Brown <BRYAN@GSE.UTAH.EDU>
Message-Id: <AC406CCBBC000744@CC.UTAH.EDU>
Subject: Star Control II review
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

>   Lots of GUS owners would probably be very interested in a review of
>   Star Control II ... I know I would.  We've all heard the sounds are
>   great, but is the game good?
>   
>  Thanks,
>   John
   
	 I have recieved a few requests for a review of this game (Star Control
II) so that other GUS owners will know a bit more about it.  When I bought
the game I did it just because it has GUS support, I was afraid that it would
have cool sound and be a stupid game, I couldn't have been more wrong.  

Game:  Star Control II
Publisher:  Accolade
Price:  $50ish
Graphics:  VGA
Sound:  GRAVIS ULTRASOUND
Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5

	 First, it comes with two seperate but related games.  The first is
called 'Super Melee'.  It is a game that just allows you to match several
different ship types against each other and go to work blasting.  It's fun,
and playable but not to involving.  If you just like to shoot things for no
apparant reason thou' this will be fun.  The second game is 'Star Control
II', it uses the same ship types and the combat scenes are similar to the
Melee game but it also includes a strategic roll playing aspect to the game
that makes the combat much more satisiying.  There are about 3000 worlds to
explore and exploit as well as many alien races that you can either ally with
or attack.  The story line is reasonably fast and very entertaining.  There
is a lot of humor when dealing with other people and races.  The controls
were very simple to learn and feel very natural.  I'm using a joystick wich
is recomended (you can control all parts of the game except typing in a name
for your save game with a joystick) although you can use the keyboard as
well.  And of course the sound is incredible.  I recomend that you buy it,
not only to send a message to Accolade and other companies to support the GUS
in it's native mode but also because it's a VERY intertaining and playable
game.  Just ask me how much homework I've done since I bought it, to know how
involving the game is. :)

 

********************************************
*                                          *
*    Through the darkness of future past   *           Bryan Brown
*      The Magician longs to see.          *        Bryan@gse.utah.edu
*    One chants out between two worlds;    *
*      Fire walk with me.                  *
*                -Mike,  ^Twin Peaks^      *
********************************************

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

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 93 01:15:55 EST
From: mbenson@sytex.com (Michael Benson)
Message-Id: <gate.9kscXB1w165w@sytex.com>
Subject: THE 3D in GUS 3D IS SOFTW
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

JG>Okay, I know this may be a stupid question, but does anyone out there have a
  >more concrete release date for the GUS3D other than "the end of the first
  >quarter?"  I just sold my SB to buy a GUS, and now I am going to wait for
  >the GUS3D; basically, I want to know how long I will be without a sound card

I have talked to the folks at Advanced Gravis - (Software development)
and they have assured me up and down that the 3D part of gus will NOT, I
repeat NOT require any additional hardware.

IT IS ALL SOFTWARE.

Michael
---
 * QMPro 1.01 41-2370 * <<<<  YUKE!  I hate advertisements!
										  

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

Date: Fri, 15 Jan 93 11:54:48 GMT
From: M.D.Hennessy@cen.exeter.ac.uk
Message-Id: <6151.9301151154@olib>
Subject: Ultrasound Daily Digest V2 #11
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Does anyone else have trouble with the 699 player?

I have downloaded the player and loads of 699 files (or is it
669 ? ) but nothing happens after the 'clearing memory...' message.
I have tried booting clean without memory managers, but this does
not help.

Anyone help me out?

Thanks
		Mark.H.

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

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 93 13:28:47 PST
From: biggles@berlioz.nsc.com (Winston Worrell)
Message-Id: <9301142128.AA21919@berlioz.nsc.com>
Subject: WinJammer, Band-in-A-Box for Windows
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Hi, I just want to know, where exactly is winjammer and what is it
really called? (is it at klingon? where? which directory? what file name?)

I just got a listing of the epas site for the Ultrasound and its doesn't
seem to be in there and since I'm doing this via ftpmail, it would really
help to know exactly where it is.

I just got band-in-a-box for windows and I'm trying to figure out, 
exactly how I'm supposed to get it to work. directly with the GUS.
Anybody know how/ I think it falls into the same category as 
Cakewalk for Windows, and MasterTraks. (BTW PowerTraxs, the sequencer
I also brought, looks a lot like a stripped down MasterTrax Pro -- but
for $49 what do you expect right). I can get it to sprodically work
if I generate a midi file, play it in the media player and then reload it
into BAB, but then I don't get to see the chord progressions.

Thanks in advance

Winston.

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

End of Ultrasound Daily Digest V2 #12
******************************
