Ultrasound Daily Digest     Fri, 19 Feb 93       Volume 2 : Issue  47 

Today's Topics:
						3D sound - the theory?
				AHA1522 and GUS(and IDE) can coexist?
					   Does gus emulate sb pro
				   Game developers supporting GUS?
					Game developer support for GUS
					  GRAVIS ULTRASOUND PACKAGE
							  GTSR bug??
					   GUS Wavetable questions
					  Gus Windows setup problems
					Hard disk recording with GUS?
				  RFD: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.gus
						 SPEAKERS WITH GUS 3D
						  Tempra Show / GUS
			 Uk Midisoft? & Printing Midi Files (2 msgs)
							   Ultramod
					Ultrasound Daily Digest V2 #46
					 Unix Drivers for Ultrasound
				  What can I do with a GUS on a 286?

	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, 18 Feb 93 23:25:36 +0100
From: d91-sme@nada.kth.se
Message-Id: <9302182225.AA02356@dront.nada.kth.se>
Subject: 3D sound - the theory?
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

I have been thinking a lot about the 3D sound driver Gravis is about to
release. I have been working on a theory of how the driver actually manages
to produce such a sound. So, do you think the following sounds reasonable?

First, i would like to get a grip on the announcement Gravis has made about
the driver: "Think of GUS 3D as an equalizer that is able to manipulate the
amplitude of all frequencies that a sound consists of, in real time"
(or something similar).

It sounds to me like the driver is doing something like a very fast fourier-
transformation and then changing the volume indivually for all the resulting
frequencies. In real time. Many many times per second.

(Note that this theory would make you unable to locate a sound that consists
of only one single frequency. But I recall I have heard something like that
before - someone had been in a room isolated from sound, and then listening
to a "clean" sinus sound, without beeing able to locate it...)

So, the first problem should be how to make that fourier transformation in
real time. But the GUS has 32 voices. What if you made, say, 16 samples of
one single sample. Each of the 16 samples containing their part of the
frequencies in the original sound. For instance, you could have sample #1 to
contain all frequencies between 0 and 100, the next one could hold frequencies
between 100 and 200 and so on.

If you played all those 16 samples together it should produce the original
sound. Now "all" you have to do is play them all, and change their volumes
individually in real-time, according to a special table. Just like an
equalizer.

The real problem now is to create that special table. Maybe the table could
be figured out thru statistical experiments? Anyhow, it seems that Gravis
has managed to get hold of such a table...

What do you think, could the above theory be a solution to how to solve the
3D sound problem in practice? And do you think this is what Gravis has done?

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

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 13:01:42 -0600
From: Isao Watanabe <isao@cs.uiuc.edu>
Message-Id: <9302181901.AA02341@delirius.cs.uiuc.edu>
Subject: AHA1522 and GUS(and IDE) can coexist?
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

When Adaptec's AHA-1522 and GUS are both installed, My system fails
to boot from IDE HDD.  It doesn't recognize the IDE HDD during the 
hardware checking phase in the boot-up.
I tried all possible IRQ settings of AHA-1522, but it was no use.
Help!

isao

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

Date: 17 FEB 93 00:43:02 GMT
From: dcoleman@violet.cc.utexas.edu
Message-Id: <17FEB93.00430247@violet.cc.utexas.edu>
Subject: Does gus emulate sb pro
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

In a previous article, syn@austin.ibm.com (Thomas Burnett) wrote:
> 
>does the gus card emulate the soundblaster pro or just soundblaster?
>thomas.

The GUS only emulates the Soundblaster (no Pro.)  Don't believe anyone who
tells you otherwise.  I used to have an SB Pro and now own a GUS.  One of
the things I miss about my SB Pro is the stereo digital sound effects in
Wolfenstein 3-D, and the dynamics of the voices as they are in the distance.
The positions of the soldiers would be reflected in the differences in the
left and right channels.  On the GUS, all digitized sounds come equally loud
out of both speakers when emulating soundblaster.  I just felt the need to
set this straight because many people who apparently don't know will 
contradict what I am saying.  I figure the truth should be heard from someone
who has owned both.

Dan


Daniel Matthew Coleman               dcoleman@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu
The University of Texas at Austin          Electrical/Computer Engineering
==============================================================================
"Let's hear it for those 'broad-based contributions!'"  Change??  HA!  That's
all we have left in our pockets!!! ===========================================

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 0:07:17 PST
From: dedmunds@sfu.ca
Message-Id: <9302180807.AA02146@selkirk.sfu.ca>
Subject: Game developers supporting GUS?
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Okay, I know it hasn't been that long since the GUS was released,
but are game developers excited about (and more importantly, writing
for) this card?  

I received an email from Mark Baldwin (Perfect General, Last Admiral, 
Deluxe Empire) stating that they don't currently plan on supporting 
the GUS :-(  Why?  Because writing sound drivers is expensive; they
can't support everything (they support the Disney sound source???);
and the GUS is difficult to write for (bullshit, to put it succinctly).

Is this typical of game developers?

Are we GUS owners doing all we can to garner support (how many people
are on the mailing list David?)?

Let's get out there and lobby!!!!!!  Let's start a list of email 
addresses for developers and game production companies, and flood
them with email!!!!!  (Here I volunteer.  Email me the addresses
(both snail mail and email) of every game developer/production
company/publisher you can get your grubby paws on.  I'll sort it
out and put it at epas and also the Digest.)  Let's get vocal!!!

On a related note, is Gravis working hard to drum up support with
the game development community (they are working at getting
midi people and music software people on their team)?
 
Darran Edmundson
dedmunds@sfu.ca
	 ^^^^^^  -  10 minutes from Gravis and I still don't have my
					patches :-)

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 09:53:57 -0800
From: dedmunds@sfu.ca
Message-Id: <9302181753.AA05034@selkirk.sfu.ca>
Subject: Game developer support for GUS
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

I just heard from Microprose.  They have been working on an
upgrade to World Circuit that will provide modem capabilities
and fix some existing joystick problems.  They have NO plans
of supporting the GUS.

Are we starting to sweat yet?  (how many new games are supporting
the pas-16?)

Let's apply a little pressure.

BTW, anyone seen any ads for the GUS in the trade mags yet?

Darran Edmundson
dedmunds@sfu.ca

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

Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1993 15:58:00 -0800
From: john.smith@gravis.com (John Smith)
Message-Id: <729862807.AA00875@ship.wimsey.com>
Subject: GRAVIS ULTRASOUND PACKAGE
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

BHK>In article <4fRzNdO00WB6JWu14=@andrew.cmu.edu> Nicolas Alejandro Arauz
   ><na0s+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
   >>Date: Tue,  9 Feb 1993 13:22:33 -0500
   >>From: Nicolas Alejandro Arauz <na0s+@andrew.cmu.edu>
   >>Subject: gravis ultrasound packages?
   >>I noticed in one catalog that there are 3 versions of the UltraSound
   >>card available.  One is plain UltraSound, the next is Bundle #1, and
   >>then Bundle #2.  Bundle #1 cost about $245 retail, and Bundle #2 about
   >>$175 retail.  Does anyone have any idea what these bundles contain in
   >>addition to the regular UltraSound?  Thanks!

BHK>Well, I believe this is what was originally intended, but Gravis seems to
   >have dropped these bundles from their production line. Several
   >distributors  still have these bundles in their product databases,
though.
   >I might add  that at least one of the bundles included the Gravis gamepad
   >and Chuck  Yeager's in addition to the GUS.

BHK>John Smith - You know anything more about this?

Ok, hope I get this right.

There will be a

ULTRA CHUCK - GUS and chuck yeager.
ULTRA ACTION PACK - Gamepad, GUS, Test Drive III and something else
ULTRA AIR COMBAT - Analog Pro, Chuck Yeager & GUS

Don't even ask me the prices.  I got this information as I was walking
down the hall.

Assume I'll see a press release sometime and be able to give you more
answers, prices, shipping dates etc...


John
 ~ QMPro 1.01 05-8925 ~ Tried to play my shoehorn... all I got was footnotes!

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 05:38:31 EST
From: timkwan@Athena.MIT.EDU
Message-Id: <9302181038.AA03530@marinara>
Subject: GTSR bug??
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

I downloaded gmod204.lzh from epas and, contrary to what J.Jenson said,
GTSR still leaves 656 bytes unfreed when it is 'uninstalled' as shown
by mem.exe.  Or am I misinterpreting mem's output?

But it sounds GREAT!

-Tim
ATZ
ATM
AT S7=45 S0=0 V1 X4

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

Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1993 14:16:36 GMT
From: bjornhk@dhhalden.no (BJORN HAAVARD KLEVEN)
Message-Id: <bjornhk.159.729872196@dhhalden.no>
Subject: GUS Wavetable questions
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

In article <BROWN.93Feb14100107@bannor.ee.rochester.edu> brown@bannor.ee.rochester.edu (Eric Brown) writes:
>From: brown@bannor.ee.rochester.edu (Eric Brown)
>Subject: GUS Wavetable questions
>Date: 14 Feb 93 15:01:07 GMT
>
>What resolution are wavetables (MODS? / patches) stored in the GUS RAM?
>(Are they 16bit 44k or 8bit 22k, etc...)

Remember that the GUS' RAM can be used to store any sound data you like. It 
is thus not restricted to any storage format of instruments. It all depends 
on the software that downloads them. The included MIDI-patches, however, are 
16-bit 44.1KHz; the General MIDI patches soon to be released, can also be 
downloaded in 8-bit mode.

>
>Are the wavetables (patches) fixed or variable length?
>(In seconds and bytes)

Variable (from a few hundred bytes, to several hunded KB's)

>Can one sample their own voice or instrument and ?easily? (or
>w/ a little work) make their own patch?

Currently, the software for doing this is a little limited (the only 
available patch-editor comes with the Software Developers Kit, and has some 
limitations), but I assume that we soon will see publicly available editors 
from Gravis and third-party developers.


>If so, you only record one pitch and then GUS works its magic to
>get other pitches?

Yep.

>
>If patches are not fixed length, what is the average length?

Depends very much on the instrument type, but currently I'd say the average 
lenght is about 30-40 KB.

>So in 1MB of memory, how many patches/instruments can you fit at
>one time?

Depends on the size of the patches.

>Can you combine instruments on the fly?

No, assuming that you by 'on the fly' mean while the song is playing. 

>How much of General MIDI does it support yet?

The currently released patches have 80-90 instruments, depending on version.
The GS-patches will have all 192, though.

	 -=* Bjorn :: bjornhk@dhhalden.no
   ACCESS DATA :: TEL: (+47)-9-17 50 48/61-97 311 FAX: 61-97 312
				  BBS: 61-97 945 300-14400 bps, 24 hrs

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1993 10:30:02 -0600 (CST)
From: "Neil D. Danylczuk" <ndd41@jester.usask.ca>
Message-Id: <Pine.3.04.9302181002.A8813-a100000@jester.usask.ca>
Subject: Gus Windows setup problems
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

You had a problem updating your GUS Windows drivers.
 
After my last suggestions, I remembered another bug that may
be causing your difficulties.
 
Sometimes, when upgrading from very early Gravis drivers (ie
before v1.21) your system will not have an ULTRASND.INI
file.  Early version of the software use a ULTRASND.CFG file
instead.  These two files are similar, but they are NOT
THE SAME.
 
In other cases, you Windows setup will simply corrupt your
ULTRASND.INI, by truncating it to just a couple of hundred
characters.  Check your ULTRASND.INI file - it should be
2048 bytes (or so).  If it is only 200 bytes or so that
is the problem.  The easiest way to fix this is to download
a proper ULTRASND.INI file from Gravis.  It is only 2K so
a download will only take a couple of seconds. 
 
You could make an ULTRASND.INI by hand, but it's not worth
that much work.
 
Don't worry - this problem is not your fault, just an obscure
bug that has only affected a few people.

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 11:11:49 EET
From: Pekka Kuronen <Pekka.Kuronen@lut.fi>
Message-Id: <9302180911.AA09182@cc.lut.fi>
Subject: Hard disk recording with GUS?
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

				 Hi there!

   I have waited a long time for reviews of GUS, because I'm trying
to buy the best soundcard for hard disk recording & multi-track
mixing for reasonable price. After waiting I decided to turn to
experienced users as You are (hopefully).
   So, if someone could help me by telling me can GUS do sampling
directly to the HD? And what quality can the 16-bit sampling (48kHz?)
daughterboard do? Does there exist a multi-track mixer prog for GUS?
   Any help would be appreciated! 
   Thanx in advance.

				Peksi (kuronen@lut.fi)

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

Date: 17 Feb 93 18:06:56 GMT
From: morgan@dl5000.bc.edu (Morgan Stair)
Message-Id: <MORGAN.93Feb17130656@dl5000.bc.edu>
Subject: RFD: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.gus
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

  This is a "Request For Discussion" concerning the creation of a new
group "comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.gus".  If you don't like it, say so.
If you do like it say so.  If you think a different name would better,
say so.

  Please keep "RFD: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.gus" in the subject, and
don't forget to crosspost to both "comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard" and
"news.groups".

  Once it's been tossed around enough (at least a few weeks), and if
there seems to be enough support, I'll post a CFV (call for votes)
with an email address for votes.  If it happens, the CFV will remain
active for one month, at the end of which the who voted how will be
posted as per the "How To Create A New Group" posting in news.answers.
I think people have at least a week to see the votes then, I believe,
it's up to someone at uunet.uu.net.

-Morgan <morgan@DL5000.bc.edu>

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

Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1993 15:50:00 -0800
From: john.smith@gravis.com (John Smith)
Message-Id: <729862807.AA00874@ship.wimsey.com>
Subject: SPEAKERS WITH GUS 3D
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

BHK>Well, I won't try to comment on the technical sides of it, but
appearantly
   > it does work with speakers. And just for the record, Gravis didn't
   >develop  the technique; another Canadian company (which name eludes me
for
   >the  moment) did - Gravis is just licensing the technology.

Focal Point.

Yes, it works with normal speakers.

John
 ~ QMPro 1.01 05-8925 ~ Time flies like wind.  Fruit flies like pears.

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1993 09:29:39 +0000 (GMT)
From: Dave Ingles <davei@central1.lancaster.ac.uk>
Message-Id: <4469.9302180929@central1.lancaster.ac.uk>
Subject: Tempra Show / GUS
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Has anyone managed to get Tempra Show (multi media authoring package) to work
with the Gravis Ultrasound card ?

Davei

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>                         D.Ingles@uk.ac.lancaster                           <<
>>                         Telephone (0524) 59 3679                           <<
>>               Higher Education National Software Archive,                  <<
>>    Computer Centre, The University, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, United Kingdom     <<
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1993 09:21:49 +0000 (GMT)
From: Dave Ingles <davei@central1.lancaster.ac.uk>
Message-Id: <3015.9302180921@central1.lancaster.ac.uk>
Subject: Uk Midisoft? & Printing Midi Files
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

> Date: Wed, 17 Feb 93 17:12:00 BST
> From: Jason Dore <jase@praxis.co.uk>
> Message-Id: <12372.9302171712@wiener.praxis.co.uk>
> Subject: Uk Midisoft? & Printing Midi Files
> To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>
> 
> I've not got a GUS yet. They're just appearing in England.

Rubbish ! I got my Ultrasound in November / December !

> Does anyone know if the free Midisoft thing applies to the UK, and if
> so, when it will be available here? No-one here has heard of it as far
> as I can tell.

Midisoft is currently bundled with the Sound blaster multi media kit. 

> My prime use of the GUS will be for composing. It is essential that I
> can print out the compostions in standard notation. Are there any
> packages that will print staves from a midi file (shareware preferred,
> dos/windows not fussy).

Well Midisoft doesn't do it. I don't think I've come across any
shareware package that will output a hardcopy in music notation. The
best music notation package that I have come across is Coda's Finale
but even so it is by no means perfect.

Davei

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>                         D.Ingles@uk.ac.lancaster                           <<
>>                         Telephone (0524) 59 3679                           <<
>>               Higher Education National Software Archive,                  <<
>>    Computer Centre, The University, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, United Kingdom     <<
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 11:01:39 -0800
From: Lincoln Myers <lim@soda.berkeley.edu>
Message-Id: <9302181901.AA05246@soda.berkeley.edu>
Subject: Uk Midisoft? & Printing Midi Files
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Jason Dore <jase@praxis.co.uk> asks:
> Are there any packages that will print staves from a midi file (shareware
> preferred, dos/windows not fussy).

There's a package called Midi2TeX which translates Midi to TeX.  I've never
used it, but it's mentioned in the Electronic and Computer Music FAQ as
being at obelix.icce.rug.nl in pub/erikjan/MIDI2TeX.

That FAQ should be of interest to most of the readers here.  If you haven't
read it, you can find it in comp.music, some rec.music groups, and
news.answers.  You can also get it by anonymous ftp at xcf.berkeley.edu in
misc/netjam/doc/FAQ/.

TeX could be described as a nice, powerful, portable, complicated, macro-
driven, non-wysiwyg document processing system.  (I don't use it, so my
summary is probably inaccurate.)

Lincoln
(a soon-to-be GUS owner, if all goes well...)

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 18:37:17 -0500
From: "It's your hand, Buckaroo" <dantonio@magick.tay2.dec.com>
Message-Id: <9302182337.AA07298@magick.tay2.dec.com>
Subject: Ultramod
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Has anyone had any success with the Ultramod program (proported to be a MOD
player written by Advanced Gravis)? All it does on my system is clear the
screen, write out Ultramod by Advanced Gravis in double-height letters and
exit. I wasn't very impressed to say the least...

DDA

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 14:10:43 EST
From: dionf@ERE.UMontreal.CA (Francois Dion)
Message-Id: <9302181910.AA21104@brise.ERE.UMontreal.CA>
Subject: Ultrasound Daily Digest V2 #46
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

Beyond the ultraworld of Ultrasound Digest Owner:
> 
> Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1993 19:35:48 -0500
> From: "Anthony Green" <roboco!green>
> Subject: Need testers for port of Csound.
> 
> I have ported an audio processing system, called Csound, to OS/2 and DOS from
> unix/NeXT. I need a small group of people to try it out for some time before 
> I have it uploaded to an ftp site.

There is a 32 bit version for DOS with a DOS extender available on a UK site.
I've posted the precise site twice on the GUS list. Works with or without
Is your port from the latest beta? in 32 bit?

> Csound generates a single wavetable suitable for playing on 
> your GUS with playfile.

But most importantly you can use that for patches. One of the anasyn was done
with that. Yeah, i know that i'm supposed to upload new patches. But i have
a problem. For example: on channel 10, to which key should i assign the
patch? And for the melodic patches, how can they be added if the complete
general midi set is used? How can a midi file include them for window
players? In dos, it's obvious you can use a .cfg file, but in windows? I mean,
a standard is needed.

>          A 386 or better - and preferably a math co-processor.
>       (Actually - a 387 is *necessary* for it to work under DOS -
>                   but not for OS/2)

The version on the uk site doesn't require a 387 in DOS.

Ciao,
-- 
Francois Dion
	'  _   _   _ 
 CISM (_) (_)  _) FM       Montreal , Canada       Email: CISM@ERE.UMontreal.CA
	  (_)  / . _)             10000 Watts          Telephone no: (514) 343-7511
_______________________________________________________________________________
Audio-C-DJ-Fractals-Future-Label-Multimedia-Music-Radio-Rave-Video-VR-Volvo-...

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 17:05:19 EST
From: jeff@endeavor.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM
Message-Id: <9302182202.AA22953@orca.es.com>
Subject: Unix Drivers for Ultrasound
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

I am currently scoping the effort for development of a Unix driver
for the GUS, but the lack of technical information is slowing my
efforts.  As more technical specifications are posted to this list I
may decide to undertake this task.

Anyone out there want to collaborate on this?

-- 
-Jeff McElroy
UUCP:   jeff.mcelroy@ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM   -or-  ncrcom!ncrcae!endeavor!jeff
PHONE:  803.739.6065  - main number at 803.796.9250  -  fax at 803.739.7317
USPS:   NCR MCPD Columbia, 3325 Platt Springs Road, West Columbia, SC 29170

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

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 93 13:57:35 -0500
From: Phil Longstaff <phil@dnbf01.bram.cdx.mot.com>
Message-Id: <9302181857.AA20045@ws13.bram.cdx.mot.com>
Subject: What can I do with a GUS on a 286?
To: Ultrasound Daily Digest <ultrasound@dsd.es.com>

  I am thinking of purchasing a GUS.  I am interested both in sound for games
and MIDI as well.  However, I have a 286 :-(.  From what I have seen in the
digest and on comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard, I cannot use the MIDI driver in
Windows.  What MIDI support is available under DOS for a 286?  I assume SBOS
will work to support games.  Will playmidi work?  Are there other DOS MIDI
sequencers or notation software with MIDI in/out which I can use?

Phil Longstaff, Motorola Codex, Mississauga Ont.

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

End of Ultrasound Daily Digest V2 #47
******************************
