GUS Daily Digest            Thu, 5 May 94  9:37 PST      Volume 13: Issue   5 

Today's Topics:
				   7th Guest Info & CDROM Question
		About: Static, Reviews, New Software, Internal Line in
						DRAM chips, how fast ?
							  Dying GUS?
				   GUS Daily Digest V13 #4 (6 msgs)
						   Help! Sam & Max
				 How do I become a registered owner?
				   ICS chip not only for Gravis?...
		Midi interface and Megaem questions (good ideas here!)
							 MOD ftp site
					 Soundcard: VP635 from Antex

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: Thu, 5 May 1994 01:17:55 -0400
From: gmyles@cml.com
Subject: 7th Guest Info & CDROM Question

Hi!

May the GUS be with you.

Some people have been having some confusion with the 7th Guest and the
lastest AIL driver.  If you are using ultramid 1.08 don't use the -c
switch, if you do you will not get any of the wonderful midi music that
goes with the game.


Does anybody know what happens if you plug the cable from your CD-ROM to
the GUS upside down (i.e. does it sound terrible or give you no sound at
all letting you know that you've got it wrong)?

One more question: which is the better data transfer mode for a CD-ROM
polled I/O or DMA transfer?

Thank You!


Garry Myles
gmyles@cml.com

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

Date: Wed, 4 May 1994 12:18:33 MST
From: "Dean C. Johnson" <JOHNSODC@caedm.et.byu.edu>
Subject: About: Static, Reviews, New Software, Internal Line in

STATIC
 
>Hi GUSers! I've read occasionally some post about static in GUS's recordings.
>I was glad my GUS didn't have that problem, but today I wanted to record
>something and blam! there it is!  I got a little bit of buzz/rattle/clicks in
>one of my channels.  So is this an epidemic or what?  I don't remember changing
>anything in my setup.  Any help?

I haven't tried this possible solution but it makes sense to me.  I 
read this solution on the comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard group a while 
back.  
"IF" the static is cause by interferance from noizy cards/chips 
within the computer case, besides moving the sound card to the 
farthest slot away from video and modem cards you can:  place a 
couple of layers of aluminum foil in an antistic bag ( the type of 
bag that cards are shipped in ), seal the bag, and wrap it around the 
sides of the sound card to shield it from any interferance.

ABOUT REVIEWS

Some people lately, having read some bad review of the GUS have 
predicted its demise.  I don't agree.  First of all, the GUS has been 
part of just about every sound card review that I have seen for quite 
a while now, but there are numerous other soundcards that don't get 
in all of the reviews like the GUS does. Certainly we should not 
stand for an injust review but, I think a not so good review is still 
better than none at all.  Also, I just read a couple of decent (although
far from complete) reviews of the GUS in this months COMPUTE and
Computer Buyer's Guide. With the GUS MAX to be released soon, I 
antisipate a renewed respect from reviewers and retailers since 
an SCSI port and 16 bit recording will be included, both of which 
have recieved disproportionatley high praises in other cards.  

NEW SOFTWARE

In the GUS Musician's Digest V7 #3 (Wake up and smell the future...)
Some exellent ideas for new GUS software ( and the Next BIG Thing )
were proposed. ( You might want to go back and read more if you 
missed it)  I agreed with 3 of the software needs.
1. A drage and drop universal patch converter.  ( 2pat is almost 
	there isn't it?)
2. A midi driver that supports "Wave Station" type melding of sounds. 
	Basically having a sound start as one instrument but end up as 
	another or blend through various instrument sounds.
3. A very user freindly Analog Synth patch generator.

( I also think that Voice Recognition and/or text to speech programs 
should be considered as software to bundle with the GUS MAX.)

INTERNAL LINE IN ( CD IN )

I don't have a CD-ROM but would like to know the following.  Isn't 
the internal line in/CD in passed trough to the output?  If it is 
then a wire could be attached from the internal speaker pins on the 
mother board to either the Left or Right (not both) internal GUS input to 
improve and allow to be more audible the sounds from the internal 
speaker.  Right? Anyone?

-Dean

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

Date: Wed, 04 May 94 22:35:13 -0400
From: "Momentary language, sexual situations" <dantonio@tay2.dec.com>
Subject: Re: DRAM chips, how fast ?

> Well, I've heard they have to be at least 80ns, but I'm using 100ns chips
> without any problems (I have 3.4 GUS). But I have only 512kB on board.
> Maybe ther's a problem when all the banks are filled.

My old GUS 2.2 docs said 100ns or faster. Mine came with 256K of 100ns RAM;
I'm now using 1MB of 80ns RAM (it was actually cheaper to buy 80ns than
100ns!).

DA

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

Date: Wed, 4 May 94 13:52:39 -0500
From: jfulmer@databank.com (John Fulmer)
Subject: Dying GUS?

>he GUS is dying. What are we going to do about it? 
>
>The problem is that the GUS has missed its window: It just isn't interesting 
>anymore that the GUS has got wavetable synthesis. Lots of cards do. 

I think that many people, including myself disagree. Sure there needs to be 
more improvement in the supporting software for it, but dying, nope!

*--------------------------------------------------------------------*
|John Fulmer(jfulmer@databank.com)|      "I find it in-ter-es-ting,  *
|Micom Computer Systems           |       A noun's a person, place,  *
|Lawrence, Ks.                    |              or thing..."        *
*--------------------------------------------------------------------*

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

Date: Wed, 4 May 1994 12:37:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Shawn Talbert <ironside@beta.tricity.wsu.edu>
Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V13 #4

On Wed, 4 May -1, GUS Server wrote:
> 
> Date: Wed, 4 May 1994 16:41:39 +0100 (BST)
> From: "Robin W. Glover" <R.W.Glover@reading.ac.uk>
> Subject: Thinking of OS/2, what will work and what wont?
> 
> I'm considering buying OS/2-Win, and I was wondering how the GUS works
> under OS/2. For instance will Windows programs running under OS/2 be
> able to access the GUS, ditto Dos programs, and what drivers are there
> out there for native OS/2 stuff. Any hints appreciated.
> 
>           Robin
> 

I'd wait until os/2 2.2 is released, then (rumored) the GUS windows 
drivers should work. I think 2.2 is scheduled to be released in Sept.

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

ironside@beta.tricity.wsu.edu
Shawn Talbert - Electrical Engineer
TAG - Technology Applications Group

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

Date: Wed, 04 May 1994 14:38:17 CST
From: mcavity@PANAM1.PANAM.EDU
Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V13 #4

Hi Just a stupid FAQ but ...
	What are the EXACT stats improvemets of the gus max.
I see
16 bit sampling
1 meg standard
[mixer]
and then what?
Mcavity@panam.edu

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

Date: Thu, 05 May 94 00:16:28 +0300
From: Yossi Oren <LIOREN1@WEIZMANN.weizmann.ac.il>
Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V13 #4

>Date: Tue,  3 May 94 22:10:00 -0640
>From: chris.liu@dscmail.com (Chris Liu)
>Subject: GUS Daily Digest V13 #3
>
>   Hi, does anybody know if the 16-bit DB is really 16 bit and does all
>the sound come out from there?  Like if I play a .ULT or MTM does it
>come out from the main GUS DAC or the DB DAC?  What I mean by really a
>16 bit card is that the GUS actually plays the 16 bit samples at 12-bit
>but then the processes it into 16-bit (Same as PAS 16).  I was wondering
>if this was the same for the DB or does it actually play 16 bit.
>Thanks.
BREEET!  Error!
Maybe somebody told you that blah about the addition errors, well, it isn't
like that.  If you add 2 16-bit samples, you get a 16-bit sample, because we
are talking SIGNED data, and stuff cancels out.  No errors usually, and if
there is your amp would probably overload as well.
About the 16 bit DB... well, it uses some hotshot silicon there.  I guess if
there's p16-bit and real 16-bit it's the Real Thing [tm], but don't sue me
if I'm wrong.  It has some better mixers so general sound should improve.
ULTs and MTMs?  Well, no.  The DB has streaming controls.  This means that
it works on a stream of samples - like your good ol' SB DAC (only 48KHz
and 16 bit in stereo).  ULTs and MTMs use custom patches, which are handled
by the GUS's on-board DSP chip, the GF1.  If you run a line-in and a mike
as well the sound should improve a wee bit, though.
Yossi.
PS Watch my new .sig!  I have a GUS plug! :)

+---+-----------------------------------------------------------+---+---+
| = | Yossi Oren, Al-Daf Technological Mercenaries. [diet .sig] | v | ^ |
+---+-----------------------------------------------++----------+---+--+|
|LIOREN1@weizmann.weizmann.ac.il (or just @weizmann)||GUS-sound that's ||
|The people are with the Golan Heights!             ||worth hearing!   ||
+===================================================++=================++

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

Date: Thu, 05 May 94 00:22:02 +0300
From: Yossi Oren <LIOREN1@WEIZMANN.weizmann.ac.il>
Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V13 #4

>Date: Wed, 04 May 94 09:00:41 PDT
>From: ksoule@tatertot.com (Kent E. Soule)
>Subject: Microsoft Video for Windows 1.1a
>[stuff]
>The only file I could find on this site is WFW.EXE: 1115008 bytes.  Is this th
e
> correct file?  What am I missing here?
Sorry, mea culpa.  Video For Windows spells VFW, and the file's VFW11A.EXE.
While you're there, check out softlib/sllist.txt.  This is a list of all 14K
files up there, sorted newest at the bottom.  Genuinely cool stuff, like
printer drivers for stuff you've never heard of and MS demos of what THEY
can do with Windows.
Yossi.

+---+-----------------------------------------------------------+---+---+
| = | Yossi Oren, Al-Daf Technological Mercenaries. [diet .sig] | v | ^ |
+---+-----------------------------------------------++----------+---+--+|
|LIOREN1@weizmann.weizmann.ac.il (or just @weizmann)||GUS-sound that's ||
|The people are with the Golan Heights!             ||worth hearing!   ||
+===================================================++=================++

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

Date: Thu, 05 May 94 00:25:06 +0300
From: Yossi Oren <LIOREN1@WEIZMANN.weizmann.ac.il>
Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V13 #4

>Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 12:09:24 -0700 (PDT)
>From: aktang@sdcc15.UCSD.EDU (Anthony Tang)
>Subject: VFW11a
>
>Would that be different from VFW11?  (Did the 'a' revision really
>change that much?)  I have VFW11 (no a), and playback is as choppy
>as ever.  Strange thing is, ony Video files with 16 bit sound, it
>couldn't be smoother or more in sync.  :-)  Weird, huh?

Yep.  I had VFW 1.1 first and experienced the same slowdowns.  The ADPCM
codec seems to be the only thing that's changed (?), so I guess the sound
code's fixed.
Yossi.

+---+-----------------------------------------------------------+---+---+
| = | Yossi Oren, Al-Daf Technological Mercenaries. [diet .sig] | v | ^ |
+---+-----------------------------------------------++----------+---+--+|
|LIOREN1@weizmann.weizmann.ac.il (or just @weizmann)||GUS-sound that's ||
|The people are with the Golan Heights!             ||worth hearing!   ||
+===================================================++=================++

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

Date: Thu, 5 May 1994 01:34:27 -0400 (EDT)
From: Phat H Tran <ptran@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca>
Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V13 #4

> Date: 3-MAY-1994 16:57:59.28
> From: Richard Wyckoff <RWYCKOFF@wesleyan.edu>
> Subject: A few questions
> 
> OK, the Ultrasound MAX sounds like a good deal if I can get it for under
> $200, and this would be an ideal time to get one since I'd like the latest
> version of the software (never received my upgrade disks even after John
> Smith said he'd send them) and I'd also like the CD line-in that the newer
> GUSes and presumably the MAX will have...but before I buy it, I need to know
> the following:
> 
> 1) Did the patch bank-switching that was hinted at in the beta release of the
> drivers a few months ago ever get implemented?  I'd actually use the MAX for
> music if I could work with patches in a manner more like a real sampler...

Bank-switching is already implemented in the currently released driver, 
but it requires that apps take direct advantage of it.  There will be
released very soon a new Patch Manager that lets you manage custom banks
and swap them in and out of bank 0 so that you can more easily use
custom patches in existing apps that do not support custom patch banks.

> 2) Could I use the MAX alongside my other GUS under windows so that I could
> have two megs to hold samples?  I vaguely remember discussion of two GUSes
> simultaneously in an issue of the digest a *long* time ago.

No.  The GUS software supports only one GUS.
 
> 3) I guess only Gravis would know the answer to this, but is there going
> to be another Ultrasound in a few more months (i.e. right after I buy the
> MAX) which can have more than 1 meg of RAM?

No, not in a mere "few" more months.  

> Date: Tue, 03 May 1994 16:15:52 -0600
> From: ren@bga.com (Josh Hildebrand)
> Subject: Re: GUS Daily Digest V12 #30
> 
> I'm not sure if this is covered in the FAQ or not, but is there a list of
> changes between the regular GUS and the GUSMAX?  I am wondering if it's worth
> it to upgrade or not.  If it is in the FAQ, then tell me the easiest place
> to snag the FAQ from.  Thanks.

The Max is a GUS with:
- Pana/Sony/Mitsumi CDROM interface
- 16-bit codec from Crystal Semiconductors for 16-bit ADPCM, u-law, and
  a-law recording and playback

> Date: Tue,  3 May 94 22:10:00 -0640
> From: chris.liu@dscmail.com (Chris Liu)
> Subject: GUS Daily Digest V13 #3
> 
>     Hi, does anybody know if the 16-bit DB is really 16 bit and does all
> the sound come out from there?  Like if I play a .ULT or MTM does it
> come out from the main GUS DAC or the DB DAC?  What I mean by really a
> 16 bit card is that the GUS actually plays the 16 bit samples at 12-bit
> but then the processes it into 16-bit (Same as PAS 16).  I was wondering
> if this was the same for the DB or does it actually play 16 bit.

First of all, I don't know where you're getting your information, but
the GUS plays 16-bit samples at full 16-bit resolution.  Secondly,
the 16-bit DB is fully 16-bit, but you wouldn't want to play ULTs
or MTMs through it as you wouldn't have anything to gain while losing
the processing power of the GF1.

> Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 12:09:24 -0700 (PDT)
> From: aktang@sdcc15.UCSD.EDU (Anthony Tang)
> Subject: VFW11a
> 
> Would that be different from VFW11?  (Did the 'a' revision really
> change that much?)  I have VFW11 (no a), and playback is as choppy
> as ever.  Strange thing is, ony Video files with 16 bit sound, it
> couldn't be smoother or more in sync.  :-)  Weird, huh?

Remember that there are different types of AVI files, each requiring
a different driver, and that these drivers can vary a lot in speed.  
Thus some AVIs will play smoothly while others will be very choppy.

> Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 01:56:48 -0400
> From: <Mcq@oti.on.ca>
> Subject: Wake up and smell the future...
> 
> ***IMPORTANT: Please read.***
> 
> The GUS is dying. What are we going to do about it? 
> 
> The problem is that the GUS has missed its window: It just isn't interesting 
> anymore that the GUS has got wavetable synthesis. Lots of cards do. 

The GUS is still positioned well in the market, IMO.  For the price, 
you still can't get a better-sounding or more versatile card.  There's 
also Gravis' hush-hush deal with AMD the details of which I can't talk 
about. ;)  And a dying card does not usually get _increasing_ support.  

> Combine that with the fact that *many* game/music/pc magazines have reviewed 
> the GUS and decided that it's only "average" and has "compatability problems",
> and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Gravis are addressing the problem with poor reviews by making sure that
reviewers _understand_ the GUS so that they can test it properly.  All 
of the poor reviews have been due to dumb mistakes and ignorance on the 
part of the magazines.  For example, Windows Sources magazine took a 
base 3.7 GUS and slapped on a 16-bit DB, called it a Max, and reviewed 
it as such.  Unfortunately, the 16-bit DB does not work properly with 
revision 3.7 GUSes, and hence the magazine slammed the "Max" for having 
distortion and noise problems.

The most important factor, though, is games support.  Gravis have been 
writing and helping companies write GUS drivers, but finished and working 
GUS drivers have more than once been passed over when a game ships due 
to the perception that the Gravis installed base is not important enough 
to accomodate.  Game companies once again need to be reminded that GUS
owners deserve to be supported.

Phat.

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

Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 14:06:02 -0400
From: <Mcq@oti.on.ca>
Subject: Re: Help! Sam & Max

on Tue, 3 May 94 09:43:02 BST, Mcgarry D P <mcgadj@essex.ac.uk> wrote:
> Subject: Help! Sam & Max
> 
> I've just bought Sam & Max (CD), and I'm having a lot of trouble getting any
> sound or music out of it.
> 
> Has anyone been able to get it working with the GUS? It uses DOS4GW, and
> doesn't seem to like SBOS.
> 
Don't use SBOS. Try MegaEm. I haven't played the full game, but the Sam&Max
demo works fine with MegaEm set to GM music + SB digital audio. In fact, it's *great*.
I currently use it as one of my showcase applications for showing how good the
GUS can sound. Have fun!

McQ

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

Date: Wed, 4 May 1994 11:35:23 -0700 (PDT)
From: Juan Carlos Leon <jleon@chaph.usc.edu>
Subject: How do I become a registered owner?

Hi there, well, it's been like 3 months since I bougth my GUS (used 2.4), now
I was wondering, how do I become a registered owner? I don't have the
registration card.  Should I call some number? (I also don't have  any 
manuals 8) ).  Also, what advantages do I get if I become a registered owner?

Later!

Juan
-- 
email: jleon@scf.usc.edu                   *-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*
Major in Electrical Engineering, Computers |    empty until I have time to   |
University of Southern California          |    think on a new signature     |
Los Angeles, CA.  USA                      *-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*

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

Date: Wed, 4 May 1994 16:24:27 +0800 (PST)
From: Francis Li <fli@nermal.santarosa.edu>
Subject: ICS chip not only for Gravis?...

I recieved a brochure from Turtle Beach Systems (maker of alot of new
wavetable synths - alot very low priced), in which they talked about a
merger they made with ICS.  Is this the same Integrated Circuit Systems
that makes the chip for the UltraSound?  According to Turtle Beach, they
are producing new chips for Turtle Beaches new cards (Rio, Tahiti, Maui,
etc).  Sheesh, maybe the GUS IS dying...

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

Date: Wed, 4 May 1994 22:53:09 -0700 (PDT)
From: Juan Carlos Leon <jleon@chaph.usc.edu>
Subject: Midi interface and Megaem questions (good ideas here!)

Hi everybody! I was thinking in ways how to use the midi interface of my GUS
and these questions came up, can anybody help?

- How can I make my GUS to constantly see any data coming into the GUS midi
  port and play whatever it is.  I would like to hook up a midi controller
  keyboard to the GUS and use it as a synthesizer.  If this requires a program
  a TSR could be really great.  Say, you use a true MPU401 card in your
  computer and connect the midi out of the card to the midi in of the GUS,
  theorically with this setup you won't need Megaem anymore.  Is this reasoning
  right?  Is this possible?

- Something related to that, if I interconnect the midi ports of two
  soundcards, do I need the MIDI adapter?  Can I just connect the TxD pin of
  one card to the RxD pin of the other and viceversa, all together with ground?

- Another Megaem solution: some programs don't run under protected mode, so
  you can't get EMS to run Megaem and use GM with the program/game.  What about
  a memory expansion board, can it give EMS without any drivers loaded? just
  the card?  I saw a used 512Kb expansion board very cheap ($10) in a computer
  show and this idea came up.  I guess the real question here is, can a memory
  expansion board give EMS by itself to use Megaem?

hmmm... I guess that's all.  Let me know your comments ok?

Juan

-- 
email: jleon@scf.usc.edu                   *-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*
Major in Electrical Engineering, Computers |    empty until I have time to   |
University of Southern California          |    think on a new signature     |
Los Angeles, CA.  USA                      *-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*

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

Date: Wed, 04 May 1994 23:37:01 +0100
From: Tom Payne <jlfs@vax.ox.ac.uk>
Subject: MOD ftp site

Check out ftp.brad.ac.uk (Bradford University, England) - they've one of the
largest MOD collections in the world (?).

Tom

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

Date: Thu, 5 May 94 7:46:36 cet
From: h9250403@idefix.wu-wien.ac.at (christian lechner)
Subject: Soundcard: VP635 from Antex

Hello Gus-Users
Does anybody know the soundcard mentionend in the subject.
A friend (his firm)has to buy it for professional speech editing. Because
the firms program was writen for this card. He is not so experiencend and
i am ,too. > So can anyone tell me about the other features of this card?

I am asking you GUS-Users, because you are the best informed soundcard
users, I think. 

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

End of GUS Daily Digest V13 #5
******************************
