home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
MPC Wizard 2.0
/
MPC Wizard 2.0 (Aris Entertainment) (1993).iso
/
wizsetup
/
a_gravis
/
disk01
/
readme
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1993-05-18
|
73KB
|
1,701 lines
Welcome to the Advanced Gravis Document Viewer. By John Smith
Update rev #93-05-12
NEW USERS ! Use only the DOWN ARROW key for now.
Further instructions on using this viewer will follow.
0.0.0 ********************* TABLE OF CHAPTERS ****************************
Chapter 1. GETTING STARTED, a MUST read!!!
2. ULTRASOUND SOFTWARE
3. SBOS (SOUND BLASTER AND ADLIB EMULATOR)
4. TECH NOTES
5. WINDOWS
6. TROUBLESHOOTING
7. UPDATES
8. REVISION HISTORY
1.0.0 ***************** CHAPTER 1. - GETTING STARTED *********************
SECTIONS for CHAPTER 1
Section 1.0 - About Chapter 1
1.1 - The Gravis Document Viewer
1.2 - Before installing the UltraSound card
1.3 - Before installing the UltraSound software
1.0.1 About Chapter 1
This is the MOST IMPORTANT chapter! Please take time to read it!
This chapter contains information for ALL users, experienced or not
and should be read first. It will save a lot of wasted time later.
Section 1.0 About Chapter 1
A basic description on the contents of this chapter.
1.1 The Gravis Document Viewer
Instructions on using this Gravis Document Viewer.
1.2 Before installing the UltraSound card
A time saving pre-installation check list and tips on
PREVENTING DAMAGE to UltraSound and/or your computer.
1.3 Before installing the UltraSound software
Preparing to install the UltraSound software and
connecting speakers and amplifiers.
1.1.0 SECTION 1.1 - The Gravis Document Viewer
===========
ITEMS for SECTION 1.1
Item 1.1.1 How the Gravis Document Viewer works.
1.1.2 The Viewer's Screen
1.1.3 Using the Gravis Viewer
1.1.4 Selecting a Chapter
1.1.5 Selecting a Section
1.1.6 Selecting an Item
1.1.7 Searching by Words
Many readme.txt files are not read by users due to the size and
time required to find the information of interest.
It is also impossible to provide ALL of the MOST CURRENT information
on paper due to the time and cost to produce paper documents.
A few trees will also be saved.
The Gravis Viewer (GV.EXE) is a program that provides an easy and
fast method to view the readme text file.
1.1.1 How the Gravis Document Viewer works
ONLY use the DOWN or UP ARROW keys for now.
The Gravis Document Viewer uses the numbers down the left side of
this text file as index markers for performing searches.
The numbers represent Chapters, Sections within Chapters and
Items or articles within Sections.
For example this Item is indexed by the number 1.1.1.
^ ^ ^
The Chapter number ----^ ^ ^
The Section number ------^ ^
The Item number -----------^
When the Gravis Viewer is run, it scans the readme file for
these index numbers. The number table is then stored in ram.
This table is referenced by the viewer to display the chosen text.
This method allows fast access to the particular text of most
interest without having to look through the whole file.
Since the Viewer does not load all the of text into memory, as with
most text viewers or editors, it is not restricted by file size.
Although slower, it works well from floppy drives.
1.1.2 The Viewer's Screen
Now take a look a the top and bottom of the viewers screen.
On the top of this screen you will see . . .
Gravis Viewer V1.7 [C]hap: 00 [S]ect: 00 [I]tem: 00 [F1]Help [ESC]Quit
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Selected Chapter number -^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Selected Section number ------------^ ^ ^ ^
Selected Item number --------------------------^ ^ ^
[F1] for reminder of key functions -----------------^ ^
[ESC] To quit viewer IMMEDIATELY ----------------------------^
Press [F1] now to look at the key functions. DON'T use them yet!
On the bottom of this screen you will see . . .
Command: M O R E
^ ^
^--------- Look in the command box for hints. ^
The M O R E just indicates more below. ------------^
1.1.3 Using the Gravis Viewer
Most of the key functions of the viewer are straight forward.
Simply using the arrow keys will enable you to view the text.
A faster and more convenient way to view is to use the
C, S and I keys. The functions for them are...
[C] for Chapter selection, [S] for Section selection and
[I] for Item selection.
DON'T try this yet... continue reading.
1.1.4 Selecting a Chapter
ANY TIME the C key is pressed, the TABLE OF CHAPTERS will be
displayed IMMEDIATELY. In other words, you will viewing the
beginning of this readme file.
As you would in a book, you can find the chapter number of interest.
The Command box will prompt you to select a chapter number.
Simply type the number(s) and press enter.
The beginning of the selected chapter will then be displayed,
if it is available. If not, the Command box will state this.
There, you will be able the view the TABLE OF SECTIONS for the
selected chapter.
1.1.5 Selecting a Section
ANY TIME the S key is pressed, the TABLE OF SECTIONS for the
currently selected CHAPTER (shown in top bar) will be displayed
IMMEDIATELY.
There you can choose the section number of interest.
The Command box will prompt you to select a section number.
Simply type the number(s) and press enter.
The beginning of the selected SECTION will then be displayed, if
it is available. If not, the Command box will state this.
There, you will be able the view the TABLE OF ITEMS for the
selected chapter and section.
1.1.6 Selecting an Item
ANY TIME the I key is pressed, the TABLE OF ITEMS for the currently
selected CHAPTER and SECTION (shown in top bar) will be displayed
IMMEDIATELY.
There you can choose the item number of interest.
The Command box will prompt you to select a Item number.
Simply type the number(s) and press enter.
The Item of interest will be displayed.
1.1.7 Searching by Words
The Gravis Viewer can also search the text for key words. This is
useful for locating items that contain the words on a topic.
Simply press an F to bring up the search feature. Type into the
box the text to be searched and press ENTER. The viewer will
search this text file from the beginning and will highlight in
yellow, the first line it finds that contains the searched text.
To search for more, simply press F and then ENTER.
TIP: You may want to take note of the item number if you need to
find an Item that is of future interest.
....................................................................
1.2.0 SECTION 1.2 - Before installing the UltraSound card
===========
ITEMS for SECTION 1.2
Item 1.2.1 Preparing to install the UltraSound card
1.2.2 Preventing STATIC DAMAGE
1.2.3 Unpacking the UltraSound card
1.2.4 Handling the UltraSound card
1.2.1 Preparing to install the Ultrasound Card
Give yourself plenty of work space. Be sure that all power is off
to ALL your computer equipment, including your printer.
Be patient and take your time.
Get to know the other devices in your computer by reviewing the
documents for them. You may have other add-on cards in your system
like...
Scanners, SCSI hard drive, CD-ROM, another game port. These can
use the same addresses, IRQ's or DMA's (DRQ's) as the UltraSound.
If they do, UltraSound and the other device may not work together.
They won't damage each other or the computer.
If you have another game port you are using you will have to turn
the Game Port on the UltraSound off.
1.2.2 Preventing STATIC DAMAGE
DO NOT UN-PLUG the MAIN power cord from the computer or the wall
outlet. Many computer manuals instruct the user to do this as a
way to prevent electric shocks.
We do not recommend this, as it does not provide the grounding
required to drain static electricity away. Static electricity can
damage the sensitive electronic components in your computer and on
the UltraSound card.
You will not get a shock due to the fact that the high voltage is
shielded inside the metal power supply case. Switching the main
power switch to off will remove power to the rest of the computer
so that a card can be installed.
Touching the metal case of the power supply frequently will
discharge any static charge on yourself.
Grounding yourself is VERY important and MUST be performed by anyone
working with the computer.
1.2.3 Unpacking the UltraSound Card
Unpack the UltraSound card next to the computer so that you can
discharge any static by touching the metal on the computer
BEFORE you remove the card from its static resistant bag.
1.2.4 Handling the UltraSound Card
Handle the card with care, so that no components get accidently
bent. Do not remove any jumpers that are not described in the
printed documentation. The purpose of these are described in the
UltraSound Hardware chapter of this document.
Refer to the printed instructions on setting the jumpers and
installing the card.
....................................................................
1.3.0 SECTION 1.3 - Before installing the UltraSound software
===========
ITEMS for SECTION 1.3
Item 1.3.1 Preparing to install the Ultrasound software
1.3.2 Preventing floppy disk damage
1.3.3 Connecting speakers or amplifiers
1.3.1 Preparing to install the Ultrasound Software
Be sure to have all disks ready. If you have previously installed
UltraSound software, we recommend that it be deleted. The new
software is superior than previous and should not be mixed with
older software. They will not work together!
Be sure to save any other files you may want to keep.
1.3.2 Preventing Floppy Disk Damage
The data on floppy disks is sensitive to magnetic fields and
can be damaged if there is a strong magnetic field nearby.
Since this is a sound product, it stands to reason that there will
be speakers nearby.
SPEAKERS AND HEADPHONES CONTAIN STRONG MAGNETS.
Keep computer disks away from them. Distance is your friend.
There are many other devices that generate magnetic fields such as
printers, amplifiers, monitors and even telephone receivers.
1.3.3 Connecting speakers or amplifiers
Amplified speakers that are commonly used with small portable
CD players should be connected to the amplified output connector
of UltraSound. These type of speakers should have a volume control.
Amplifier/speaker systems should use the line output connector of
UltraSound. Use the line in, tape in, CD in or aux in connections
on the amplifier or receiver. DO NOT connect to the phono in of the
amplifier or receiver.
BE SURE to use ONLY a STEREO mini (3.5mm) phono style plug.
All STEREO mini phone plugs have 2 black bands.
If a MONO mini phone plug (1 band) is used, the UltraSound built in
amplifier could be damaged!
....................... END of Chapter 1 ...........................
2.0.0 **************** CHAPTER 2. ULTRA SOUND SOFTWARE ******************
SECTIONS for CHAPTER 2
Section 2.0 About Chapter 2
2.1 Joystick/GamePort Utilities
2.2 ULTRAJOY
2.3 ULTRINIT
2.4 PATCHMGR
2.5 UBAT
2.6 AUDIO
2.7 SETGUS
2.8 ULTRAFLI
2.9 PLAYMIDI
2.10 PLAYFILE
2.11 CONVERT
2.12 GRVCOLOR
2.13 USS8
2.14 ULTRAMOD
2.15 GUSMOD
2.16 JUNGLY KITCHEN
2.0.1 About Chapter 2
This chapter is used to document new information on any of
the software distributed with your UltraSound card. Any
information here supersedes anything in the manual or
addendum.
2.1.0 SECTION 2.1 - Joystick/GamePort Utilities
===========
This utility is used in conjunction with GravUtil.exe to set
your joystick up. It loads itself and then runs Advanced
Gravis' GravUtil.exe program to determine the proper joystick
values. When in GravUtil, use the up arrow to increase the
compensation value and the down arrow to decrease this value.
When GravUtil is complete, joycomp will display the current
compensation value and instruct you to place an 'ultrajoy [#]'
line in your autoexec.bat file AFTER your set ULTRASND=... line.
For Example:
ULTRASND=....
ULTRAJOY 17
2.2.0 SECTION 2.2 - ULTRAJOY.EXE
===========
This utility is used to program the joystick speed compensation
value into your UltraSound's game port.
To set up the joystick compensation enter 'ultrajoy [0-31]'.
For example, entering 'ultrajoy 20' will set the speed
compensation to 20. Faster machines require smaller numbers.
It may also be necessary to use a different value to correct
drifting & other control related problems in specific
games. Try different values until you find that works best.
2.3.0 SECTION 2.3 - ULTRINIT.EXE
===========
This utility is used to set up the software programable
DMA channels and interrupts. It is HIGHLY recommended that
you put the following line in your autoexec.bat file AFTER
the set ULTRASND=.... line:
For example:
set ULTRASND=220,1,1,11,5
c:\ultrasnd\ultrinit.exe
It may be necessary to specify a full path to ultrinit.exe.
This will make sure that the card is set up so the MIDI
can be used with any existing software by making sure the
software configurable IRQs are programmed. Without this, any
applications that need MIDI IRQs would not work. The IRQ
vector that the MIDI uses is the last parameter in the
ULTRASND environment variable.
It also resets the card so that any looping sounds will stop.
Ultrinit.exe has 3 options that can be passed to it.
1) -o Leave output enabled after it resets the card
2) -m Leave microphone input enabled.
3) -l Leave line level input enabled.
For example:
Ultrinit -o -m -l
There is also a version of the initialization program that
can be run from your config.sys file. Ultrinit.sys just
initializes the card and then removes itself from RAM.
This is needed to set up the UltraSound so that some other
drivers will detect the UltraSound as a SoundBlaster. This
is necessary because several of the drivers (CD-ROM etc)
need to detect the presence of a SoundBlaster or they will
not run with sound. Note that this does NOT load the
SoundBlaster driver, it only sets up enough so that these
drivers are happy. Sbosdrv.exe or Sbosdrv.sys and loadsbos
MUST be run later if you want to hear anything.
2.4.0 SECTION 2.4 - PATCHMGR.EXE
===========
Patch Manager makes loading and auditioning WaveTable samples,
or 'Patches', easy and fun. You can use 'PatchMan' to load
UltraSound's memory with the patches you select. These patches
will then be available for use with your favorite Windows
music composition or Sequencer software. Some new software already
includes the Windows MCI commands to load patches from a MIDI file
much the same way as PatchMan does. Soon, all new Windows MIDI
music creation / editing software will have this feature built-in.
Patch Manager will still be useful as a quick and easy way of
comparing, auditioning, and managing your Patches.
Program Requirements...
- Correctly installed Gravis UltraSound card, Windows 3.1
- The current Windows driver in this disk set.
Installation Notes....
* Note - PatchMgr may not work correctly with earlier versions
of the Windows driver. Use only with the driver supplied on
this disk set.
- In Windows, Click on the group you would like Patch Mgr's to
be installed into, then click on 'New' in the Program Manager's
'Files' menu. Click on 'Program item'. Fill in the resulting
dialog box's 'description' and 'Command Line' fields (use the
'browse' button if you like) and click OK.
- Run PatchMgr and select 'Quick Tour' in the Help Index menu
for an overview of operation. Explore the various menu options.
- The 88 key 'Patch Man' synth keyboard has an octave more keys than
most synths for future patches that will use the extra range. Note
that many patches can be played well beyond their intended range.
- PatchMgr's 'Memory remaining' guage will operate correctly
no matter what memory configuration your GUS has.
- An upgrade to 512k or the full 1 meg of RAM on the card is
recommended if you intend to use your UltraSound card for MIDI
Music compositions using more complex orchestration.
2.5.0 SECTION 2.5 - UBAT.EXE
===========
This utility will help you build batch files to run applications
that require SBOS options.
For Example:
If your application is called game.exe, UBAT will help create
a batch file called ugame.bat that will load SBOS with the options
needed each time the game is run.
ugame.bat would contain these lines:
SBOS -O2
game.exe
2.6.0 SECTION 2.6 - AUDIO.EXE
===========
There are 2 parameters to audio.exe that may need to be adjusted
to get acceptable playback or recording. The playback and recording
buffer sizes can be set using the -kp# and -kr# options respectively.
The parameter specifies the number of K of memory to reserve for
the appropriate buffer. For example:
audio -kp40 -kr50
will reserve 40K for playback and 50k for recording. The defaults
are 24K for playback and 10K for recording. The buffers are kept
relatively small so they don't take up to much RAM. The playback
size is probably OK for most situations. The record buffer is
probably too small for most situations. You will probably need
to increase this size if you want to do any substantial recording.
A buffer size of at least 50K is usually necessary to do a stereo
recording at 44.1 kHz.
Note:
While it is possible to do high speed recordings using
audio.exe and playdigi.exe, it is not recommended. Since
these run as TSRs, they do not get the attention from DOS
that may be required to prevent loss of data. Playfile.exe
is a dedicated program and should provide better results.
Note:
Playfile.exe can record stereo data at ONLY 22050 hertz and
44100 hertz. playdigi.exe can only record stereo at 44100.
2.7.0 SECTION 2.7 - SETGUS.EXE
===========
2.7.1 Configuration file changes
Setgus is a utility to help set up the hardware configuration of
your UtltraSound card. Its purpose is to make it as easy as
possible for you to get a dma/irq setting that works in your
computer. It also has some diagnostic features built into it
to help you diagnose a problem before calling tech support.
SETGUS can be run by typing
SETGUS or
SETUP
2.7.1 Configuration file changes
================================
Several things are added/changed on your autoexec.bat and
config.sys files.
config.sys
==========
device=ultrinit.sys ultrasnd=220,1,1,11,7
Autoexec.bat
============
set ULTRASND=220,1,1,11,7
Set the environment variable that all applications should
look at to get the configuration of the card.
C:\ULTRASND\ultrinit.exe
Perform a hardware reset of the card. See above.
call C:\ULTRASND\sbos.bat
Load the SoundBlaster Emulator. This is done by
default. You may remove it if you choose. If so, you
must re-load it when you want to run a Sound Blaster
application.
set ULTRADIR=c:\ULTRASND
Tells applications where UltraSound root directory is.
An application can use this to determine where the
patches are (C:\ULTRASND\MIDI).
set BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 T1
Some applications look at this environment variable to
determine the Sound Blaster parameters to use. These
should reflect the same values as ULTRASND.
The factory defaults have been set to:
Base port address ---- 220
DMA channels --------- 1
UltraSound IRQ ------- 11
MIDI IRQ ------------- 7 (*NOTE* this is an update from the manual)
2.8.0 ULTRAFLI
==============
Documentation clarification on option #8 (two's complement data)
This parameter tells Ultrafli what type of audio data
is being used. A '2' in this position says the data is in
twos complement form. Anything else specifies raw binary.
The default is set to raw binary.
2.9.0 PLAYMIDI
===============
2.10.1 PlayMIDI Options
2.10.2 PlayMIDI Configuration File
2.10.3 PlayMIDI GUI
The music files and instrument files are copyright of:
EYE & I Productions and Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd.
A utility to play MIDI sequences thru UltraSound is also
provided on the installation disks. Its usage is:
2.9.1 PlayMIDI Options
--------
playmidi [options] [filename.mid]
options are:
-c# Remove midi channel #
+c# Add midi channel #
-t# Remove track #
+t# Add track #
-h Display this help message to screen
+d# Increase the delay between midi events
-d# Decrease the delay between midi events
+gs channel 10 will play from the rhythm-set
-gs channel 10 will play from the tone-set
-ichannel Ignore channel info and play everything on channel 0
-iprogram Ignore program (instrument) changes
-icontrol Ignore control changes
-ipitchbend Ignore pitch bend information
-iaftertouch Ignore after touch information
-udebug Turn UltraSound debug on
-v Display version number
-v# Set master volume (0 - 4096)
-verbose Verbose: Display text info#
-debug Display debugging and text information
-8 Force patches to 8-bit to conserve Ultrasound dram.
-video Disable graphics display
-tsr Play midi files in background. This option may conflict with
SBOS. Free sbos (sbos -f) if you use this option. Press both
shift keys simultaneously to stop midi playback.
2.9.2 PlayMIDI Configuration File
--------
Playmidi will look for a configuration file for the sequence called
filename.cfg. It first looks in your current directory, then in the
MIDI subdirectory under the place specified in the environment variable
called ULTRADIR, then thru your specified path. Playmidi will also
look for a default configuration file called default.cfg. If it does
not find both the .mid AND .cfg files, it will quit. After it finds them,
then it will look for the instrument patch files. It uses the same
search method as above. Once it finds all the necessary files, it
parses the config file, downloads the appropriate patches and starts
the sequence. The .cfg file has different types of lines to aid the midi
player in playing a file. A line starting with a '#' is ignored. A line
that looks like this:
channel 10 rythm_set
or
channel 10 tone_set
tells a midi channel to pick instruments from either the tone-set
or rhythm-set. The configuration file also has lines of the form:
[instrument #] [patch name] [% of max volume] [de-tune param]
: : : :
: : : :
: : : :
: : : :
There should be one line per instrument. The instrument number is
defined inside the specific MIDI sequence file (filename.mid).
Instrument #0 is the default instrument for tone-set that will be used
if a patch isn't found. If the correct patch is not found,
Instrument #129 is the default instrument that will be used for the
rhythm-set. Instruments #1-#128 are the tone instruments for
programs #1-#128. Instruments #129-256 are the rhythm instruments (drums)
for program #1-#128.
The patch name is the file that contains the patch info for that
particular information. It is recommended that the instrument # be
mapped to the patch using the general midi set ID numbers. If a
patch does not exist for that instrument, try & pick one that is
as close as possible. However, many sequences were not written
following the general midi set. You must then pick the appropriate
patch file by trying to figure out what instrument the MIDI file
was using. This feature makes it easy to change a piece that was
written for one instrument to be played on a different one.
The next parameter is to raise or lower the volume of that
instrument relative to the others. This is used to quiet down a
particularly loud instrument (like a percussion) or raise a
softer instrument. The number is used as a percentage of the
maximum volume. Therefore a 100 is 'normal' volume. A 50 would
be half volume, etc. The default setting for this volume parameter
is 100. This parameter is optional.
The next parameter is to 'de-tune' an instrument. This is the # of
semitones that will be added to each note played. Therefore,
putting a 12 here would raise the instrument a full octave.
This parameter is optional.
Look at the default.cfg file in the ultrasnd\midi directory to
see how the general midi set is referenced by playmidi.exe.
2.9.3 PlayMIDI GUI
--------
Playmidi now has a graphical interface to it. Just type playmidi<CR>
to use it.
2.10.0 Playfile
===============
Playfile now has a graphical interface to it. Just type playfile<CR>
to use it.
It now can play .wav files. The GUI has a selector. The command line
has two new switches. -SND for .SND files and -WAV for .WAV files.
type playfile -? for a complete listing of the option switches.
2.11.0 Convert
==============
Convert will convert between .SND, .WAV and .VOC files.
2.12.0 Grvcolor
===============
This is a utility to set up the colors used in setgus, playfile
and playmidi. It creates a file called grvcolor.ini.
2.13.0 USS8
===========
This is a digital sound editor.
2.14.0 Ultramod
===============
Ultramod is a mod player that works specifically for the UltraSound.
It does not use SBOS. Two mods from Accolade's Star Control II are
also supplied. Check them out to see how good the UltraSound can
sound for applications written for it. To run it, type:
ultramod midi\comandr.mod
Stop the mod playback by hitting any key. The modplayer should
also playback most other mods you might have.
To listen to a more complete MOD demo simply type MODDEMO from your
UltraSound directory.
2.15.0 GUSMOD
=============
GUSMOD is another MOD player for the UltraSound that was written by
a programming group called Renassance. To listen to the GUSMOD
demo simply type GMODDEMO from the UltraSound directory. This will
play the same MOD files as MODDEMO except it will use GUSMOD instead
of UltraMOD.
Before you can use GUSMOD you will need to run its SETUP program. To
do this simply type SETUP from your UltraSound\MOD directory.
2.16.0 THE JUNGLY KITCHEN
=========================
The Jungly Kitchen is a VGA and sound demo written by a programming
group in Europe called Twilight Zone. To run the Jungly Kitchen demo
simply type JUNGLY from your UltraSound directory. This version of
the Jungly Kitchen has been shrunken down to fit on our distribution
disks. The full version of the Jungly Kitchen is available on the
Gravis Product Support BBS. You will find our phone number at the
end of this readme.
....................... END of Chapter 2 ...........................
3.0.0 ************************ CHAPTER 3. SBOS **************************
SECTIONS for CHAPTER 3
Section 3.1 About SBOS
3.2 SBOS V2.0x
3.3 SBOS options for specific games
3.4 SBOS command line options
3.1.0 About SBOS
----------------
================================================================
UltraSound and SBOS do a very good job of emulating the
Sound Blaster audio card. However, since it is a software
solution to a hardware problem, the emulation is not perfect.
The UltraSound WILL NOT sound EXACTLY like an Ad Lib or a
Sound Blaster. Very rarely will the results be
unacceptable. Most commercially available applications,
including those directly from Creative Labs, will run OK.
Most 'shareware' type applications will also be OK, but it
is much more difficult to test them, so there might be a
higher percentage that do not operate properly. If possible,
we will attempt to fix any of these problems in future releases
of the SBOS software.
================================================================
A few applications do not use Direct Memory Access (DMA) to do their
digital audio. They may either use polled I/O or the PC's timer
to do their output timing. Both are VERY taxing on
the PC and can severely degrade the performance of SBOS. A
16 MHz 386 or better PC is recommended to get decent performance.
Applications that were ported from the AMIGA and use the 'modplay'
method of playing digital audio MIGHT have performance problems.
Removing any expanded/extended memory drivers (if possible) may
also improve performance.
3.2.0 SBOS V2.08
----------------
3.2.1 About this new SBOS version...
3.2.2 A Note on ULTRINIT.SYS...
3.2.3 SBOS Confige
3.2.1 About this new SBOS version...
This new SBOS V2.08 maintenance update replaces all
previous version SBOS. Testing on various software confirms
improvements in digital sound and fewer configuration
difficulties, plus the benefits of a .SYS driver for use
with some CD ROM software or memory configurations.
The new SBOS no longer needs to be executed between each application.
Example:
If you run windows and then exit to run a game, SBOS will still
be loaded and ready to run.
The only exception to this is if a game requires an option. In
this case you must rerun SBOS with the appropriate option.
3.2.2 A Note on ULTRINIT SYS
----------------------------
Like V1.22 of SBOS this version also includes a device driver. This
device driver is used for programs which attempt to detect a Sound
Blaster or Adlib card when loading up your CONFIG.SYS. You will
only need to install this driver if you have such a program. Here
is how you may install the device driver:
eg:
device=c:\ultrasnd\ultrinit.sys ultrasnd=220,1,1,11,7
where 220 is the base port.
1 and 1 are the DMA channel (in/out)
7 is the P.C.M. (MIDI) IRQ
11 is the GF1 IRQ
You will still need to run SBOS at the DOS prompt. The following
device driver is VERY small and only includes enough code to trick
these programs into thinking the GUS is a Sound Blaster/Adlib.
3.2.3 SBOS Config
-----------------
There are a FEW games that require SBOS option switches to
work correctly. In the past you had to manually re-run SBOS
with the appropriate switch. If this was not done, and the
game required a switch to be used, your computer would either
hang or the application would not give you any sound.
SBOS V2.06 and greater ship with a program called SBOSCFG.EXE.
This allows you to keep a database of switches in SBOS.CFG for
various games.
When an application is run SBOS takes a look at the EXE name of
the application. If a match is found in SBOS.CFG, SBOS re-configures
itself to use the appropriate switch.
3.3.0 SBOS options for specific games
-------------------------------------
3.3.1 List of games with options
3.3.2 CD ROM Applications
3.3.3 Unsupported applications
3.3.4 New parameters
3.3.1 Some games and their options
==================================
There are several applications that require SBOS (Sound Board
Operating System) to run in a non-default mode to correctly
emulate other sound boards. This is because these particular
applications implemented the audio in slightly different ways.
The vast majority of applications run in the default mode
perfectly. Here is a list of the known applications that
require a different option to run correctly.
NOTE: We have compiled the following list of applications that
require SBOS options to run. This list has come from internal
testing, Beta sites, and UltraSound users alike. There is a
chance that it is not 100% accurate however, it will give you a
good starting point in the event you are having a problem with
a Sound Blaster application.
SBOS Soundblaster support Version Parameters
========================================================================
Dune 2.04 -o2
KidPix 2.04 -o1
Links 386 1.05 or later 1.22 -x2 (load with golf /s )
Front Page Sports Football 2.04 None (voice may echo)
Gunship 2000 1.23 None (game pauses in speech)
Humans 2.04 -o2
Prince of Persia 2.04 -o1
Seirra (ALL) 2.04 -x2
Strange Deadfellows 1.20 GF1 int = MIDI int
Terminator 2029 1.23 None (MIDI IRQ must be 7)
Unreal Demo 2.02 IRQ must be 2
Where in the World is Carmen... 2.04 -o1
Where in the World... DELUXE 2.04 -o1
Wing Commander 2.04 None (MIDI IRQ must be 7, Addr 220)
3.3.2 CD ROM Applications
- Strange Deadfellows requires the GF1 and MIDI interrupts
to be the same. To do this rerun the SETGUS program.
3.3.3 Unsupported applications
This overwrites the SBOS driver and thus will not work with
SBOS:
- JetFighter II
- F15 Strike Eagle II
3.3.4 New parameters
-P Turns OFF the "SBOS installed" audio message when loadsbos is
run.
-L Leave line level input enabled when SBOS runs. This can be
useful if you want to hear another input source thru your
UltraSound.
-Cxx This allows your to specify a different control vector
to be specified. Some applications require 7E which is the
default for sbosdrv & loadsbos. The range is from 7A to 7F.
The option MUST be used if you use netroom.
The 'SBOS installed' message can be customized by specifying a
file to play followed by the playback rate, in the sbos.cfg file.
No drivers from Creative Labs (such as ct-voice.drv) or Ad Lib
(such as sound.exe) are supplied with the UltraSound card. If
an application requires any and you do not already have them,
the application will NOT run. You must obtain them from some
other source.
IF an application runs that uses the UltraSound, SBOS will re-load
its patches as the application exits. This means that you should
be able to run SoundBlaster compatible programs and real
UltraSound applications without having to re-load SBOS.
....................... END of Chapter 3 ...........................
4.0.0 ********************* CHAPTER 4. TECH NOTES ***********************
SECTIONS for CHAPTER 4
Section 4.1 UlraSound Memory Map
4.2 Bad 16bit DMA Controllers - #7
4.3 Memory Managers - #11
4.4 MIDI Cable Connector - #16
4.5 Links 386 Pro and SBOS - #17
4.1.0 ULTRASOUND MEMORY MAP
===========================
UltraSound's port locations are spread out through the PC's
I/O map. Here is a brief map of where they can be found so
you can find a base port location that will not interfere with
any other hardware you may have installed.
The following describes I/O address map used on the board.
The 'X' is defined by the jumper settings on the UltraSound
and should match that specified in the ULTRASND environment
variable.
INTERFACE I/O,MEM, R,W ADDRESS
INT,DMA HEX
------------------------------------------------------------
MIDI Interface:
Control I/O W 3X0
Status I/O R 3X0
Transmit Data I/O W 3X1
Receive Data I/O R 3X1
Joystick Interface:
Trigger Timer I/O W 201
Read Data I/O R 201
GF1 Synthesizer:
GF1 Page Register I/O R/W 3X2
GF1/Global Register Select I/O R/W 3X3
GF1/Global Data Low Byte I/O R,W 3X4
GF1/Global Data High Byte I/O R/W 3X5
IRQ Status Register 1=ACTIVE I/O R 2X6
Timer Control Reg I/O R/W 2X8
Timer Data I/O W 2X9
DRAM I/O R,W 3X7
DRAM DMA R,W 1,3,5,6,7
Record Digital Audio DMA R 1,3,5,6,7
BOARD ONLY
Mix Control register I/O W 2X0
IRQ control register I/O W 2XB
(2X0- bit 6 = 1)
DMA control register I/O W 2XB
(2X0- bit 6 = 0)
Look for a table like this one in your other peripheral's manual.
If the figures are the same, you have a conflict you must resolve.
4.2.0 BAD 16BIT DMA CONTROLLERS - #7
====================================
TITLE: Advanced Gravis Tech Note #7
AREA: 16 BIT DMA
DATE: January 20, 1993
KEY WORDS: OPTI CHIPSET 16 BIT DMA CRASH
SUBJECT: Faulty DMA controllers
There is a known problem accessing 16 bit DMA channels on certain brands
of chipsets, including SOME models of OPTI.
The way to tell if you have this problem is by setting the GUS DMA channel
to one of the 16 bit DMAs, 5, 6 or 7. Try playing some digital audio
samples. You may have to run them 5-10 times to make sure there are
no problems. If you get a PARITY error set the DMA channel to an 8
bit DMA such as 1 or 3. Play some more digital audio samples. If you do
not get another parity error then you probably have a faulty DMA controller.
The are a few ways to fix this problem. First, you can replace your
motherboard. Remember a motherboard without CPU should only be a few
hundred dollars. It is the CPU that cost so much, not the motherboard.
If this is not an alternative and you can not live with an 8 bit DMA channel,
you may try running the program OPTIFIX that may be found in GUS0013.ZIP
on the Gravis BBS (604)431-5927.
What follows is a detailed description of the problem.
In the past 4 months or so, we have seen a rash of systems with 386 and 486
motherboards that crash whenever audio playback is attempted through any
audio card that uses DMA. We have traced the problem to the 82C206 chip
on the motherboard, most often (but not always) manufactured by OPTi.
This is the device that houses the interrupt and DMA controllers, the
counter/timers, and the real time clock. Note that this isn't a global
problem with these devices; there remains a larger number of systems
operating perfectly that use the 82C206. This may be related to a
particlar lot of the 82C206, but we don't have enough information to know
how widespread it may be.
Technically, the problem results from the /DMAMEMR pin of the 82C206 (pin 61,
which is active low). This pin drives the MEMORY READ line on the
motherboard during DMA transfers from memory to I/O, which is the transfer
mode used during audio playback. This pin goes to a tri-state condition
after the DMA cycle. Apparently, on systems that exhibit this problem,
the line remains at an active level too long when switching to the tri-state
condition, which can cause a memory parity error to occur.
In theory, the simplest solution to the problem is to add a resistor to the
motherboard to pull pin 61 hard to the off state (a resistor between 1K
and 2K placed from pin 61 to +5V). We have verified that this solves
the problem, but it is far from practical in most situations. This is
not a recommended and Gravis will not be responsible for any damages. Try
it at your own risk.
There is one other solution that we have found to solve the problem. We
have discovered that re-configuring the DMA controller to temporarily disable
the cascade channel during playback seems to eliminate the problem. It must
be noted that disabling cascade mode will also disable anything that uses DMA
channels 0 through 3, which will usually include the floppy drives. In
most cases, this shouldn't be a problem, since audio playback from a floppy
drive isn't practical. It would, however, be a problem if there are
background tasks that involve floppy access during playback.
In order to implement this fix, the following needs to be done:
To disable cascade mode (prior to playback), send data 0 to address D6(hex).
outportb(0xD6,0);
To re-enable cascade mode (after playback), send data C0(hex) to address
D6(hex). Using the toolkit definitions, this is:
outportb(0xD6,0xC0);
You will find a program on the Gravis BBS (604) 431-5927 called OPTIFIX
in the file GUS0013.ZIP which does do this.
4.3.0 MEMORY MANAGERS - #11
===========================
TITLE: Advanced Gravis Tech Note #11
AREA: MEMORY MANAGERS
DATE: January 22, 1993
KEY WORDS: MEMORY MANAGERS SLOW DOWN
SUBJECT: Do not use third pary memory managers where possible
Although many of these memory managers are highly rated and work quite well
in most cases, they do steal precious time. A recent PC Magazine test of
memory managers confirms this. As with EMM386.EXE, memory managers
require some knowledge to configure for maximum performance. Many memory
managers sacrifice performance for convenience. In other words they do some
wonderfull things, like maximize memory allocation automatically, but they
take time to do this. Below is a typical CONFIG.SYS for a 4 meg system
using MS DOS managers.
FILES=25
BUFFERS=25
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE 1024 FRAME=E000 RAM
The \DOS\directory path should be replaced with \WINDOWS\ if windows is
installed. The Windows versions are better in most cases. This
configuration will give MOST 386 or better systems about 634k of available
main memory, 95k of upper memory for SBOS, mouse drivers etc., 1 meg
of expanded memory and about 2 megs of extended memory. As minimal
as it looks, this configuration will satisfy the needs of most games. Some
games want no EMS at all. Simply delete the last line in the above example.
A separate bootable floppy disk can be created just for games. Read the
section on optimizing the system in the DOS reference manual.
4.4.0 MIDI CABLE CONNECTOR - #16
================================
TITLE: Advanced Gravis Tech Note #16
AREA: MIDI
DATE: January 28, 1993
KEY WORDS: GUS MIDI CABLE CONNECTOR INTERFACE
SUBJECT: How to build a MIDI cable that will work with the GUS
The Gravis MIDI connector box will not be available until April '93.
In the mean time you have two options if you want an immediate solution.
First, you may purchase a Sound Blaster MIDI Cable from Creative Labs,
NOT their MIDI connector box. Then make the following modification to
the cable:
1) Change the 6N136 IC in the cable (inside the end that plugs into the
sound card) to a 6N138
2) Add a 5.6K resistor (GRN BLU RED) between pins 6 & 8 and another
one between 5 & 7 on the 6N138 (easier if you put them on the
underside of the circuit board).
Your second choice is to purchase a MIDI cable from MediaVision that
does not require any modifications. You may contact them at:
MediaVision
47221 Fremont Blvd.
Fremont, CA, USA
94538-9742
For information on how to build your own Sound Blaster MIDI cable,
please refer to MIDDIA.ZIP, which you may find on the Gravis Support BBS.
NOTE: Running SBOS V1.22 or earlier then pressing a key or sending ANY
MIDI data WILL crash your system!! This problem is being worked
on. (CURRENT PRIORITY: LOW-MID)
4.5.0 LINKS 386 PRO AND SBOS - #17
==================================
TITLE: Advanced Gravis Tech Note #17
AREA: SBOS
DATE: February 2, 1993
KEY WORDS: LINKS 386 PRO GAME SBOS SETUP
SUBJECT: UltraSound Setup for Links 386 Pro (Access Software)
Version
You must be using Links 386 Pro version 1.05 or newer. Version 1.05
fixes some problems with the sound. To find out your version #, type
LINKS386 /V from the Links386 directory. Version 1.05 can be found
on most bulletin board systems (BBS's) or by calling Access Software
Directly (1-800-793-8324).
Memory
Links 386 Pro comes with it's own memory manager. Access Software
does not recommend using QEMM with Links 386 Pro. It has been our
experience that Links 386 Pro works best without any expanded memory
driver, including EMM386.EXE. Conclusion: Don't use EMM386.EXE (or
any other expanded memory driver).
According to Access Software, you must use the HIMEM.SYS driver that
comes with MS-DOS 5.0 (not the one that comes with Windows 3.1). If
you use the driver that comes with Windows 3.1, then Links will
probably crash.
Links Configuration
Once you have your computer's memory set up as above, and you have
installed Links 386 Pro version 1.05, you are ready to begin. You
must delete the configuration file in the LINKS386 subdirectory
called LINKS386.CFG.
SBOS
Because Links 386 Pro "looks for" a specific version of the Sound
Blaster card, you must run SBOS with the -X2 option.
Example: SBOS -X2
Running Links
Links must be run with the /S option, which eliminates possible
device conflicts with sound cards. Example: LINKS386 /S or GOLF /S.
You should then go to the "Options" menu and select "Sound Options."
Choose the Sound Blaster option. At this point, Links should set up
(by itself) for DMA channel 1, and interrupt 7. You should change
this to whatever is listed for the "I" option in your SET BLASTER=
line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, usually 5.
Try "pressing" the TEST SOUND button on the screen. You should
hear sound. Try several to make sure your system is set up correctly.
Whew! You should now have your Links 386 Pro working. Enjoy.
Date - {DATE|12/08/92}
....................... END of Chapter 4 ...........................
5.0.0 ***************** CHAPTER 5. MICROSOFT WINDOWS ********************
SECTIONS for CHAPTER 5
Section 5.1 ATTENTION Windows Users
5.2 Introduction
5.3 MIDI - What is it?
5.4 MIDI Files
5.5 Manually Adding UltraSound Window
5.6 Installing and Using the UltraSou
5.7 UltraSound Accessories
5.1.0 ATTENTION Windows Users
=============================
The Ultrasound driver has been designed to work with Windows 3.1
in 386 enhanced mode ONLY!
The install is now done by the install program. If no errors occur
you should be able to run windows after re-booting after the install.
5.2.0 Introduction
==================
Your UltraSound's capacity to play up to 32 real or digitally
synthesized voices or 'patches' opens up a whole world of musical
expression. When coupled with the new breed of easy to use Windows
based music creation and editing software, musicians and
non-musicians alike can put together the kind of amazingly real
sounding songs that were previously the domain of music systems
costing hundreds or thousands of dollars more.
5.3.0 MIDI - What is it?
========================
MIDI or Musical Instrument Digital Interface is a standard hatched
in 1983 by music equipment manufacturers to allow easy connection
of any MIDI equipped music product to any other, for the purpose
of transfer of music and performance data. This gives the user
the ability to control various devices such as keyboards,
synthesizer modules, drum machines etc. from your UltraSound
equipped computer, and vice versa. For example, connecting an
inexpensive MIDI equipped keyboard to your UltraSound via the
(optional) MIDI connector port will allow you to 'play' any of
your ultrasound's instruments (patches) selected, from a 'real'
piano patch to a 'real' drum kit, with each key activating a
different drum or cymbal, to any of the myriad of digitized
sounds supplied. Of course, you don't need a keyboard to 'play'
your UltraSound; it is a self contained music studio you can
'play' from your computer sequencer or MIDI player.
5.4.0 MIDI Files
================
MIDI is also a file format that records music or sound 'events'
such as a note being played, what instrument the note is playing,
how long the note plays, how loud, etc. These 'events' can then be
reproduced exactly as they were entered, with the flexibility to
change things if desired like the instrument, the loudness, the
note, etc. Midi 'event' files are very economical on disk space
as only the 'events' are recorded, and not the actual sound. The
sounds which UltraSound uses to play back the midi 'events are
full 16 bit CD quality voices (patches) digitized from real music
instruments (or synthesized using digital waveform synthesis) so
that what you hear through your stereo or headphones is incredibly
real and dynamic.
5.5.0 Manually Adding UltraSound Windows 3.1 Drivers
====================================================
If you are new to Windows, the following procedures may look daunting;
but it's actually quite easy. Please follow along step by step.
* Note: If you have not previously installed any other sound cards
or other MCI midi devices in your system, you can skip the
following step:
- The Windows driver installation will overwrite your current
Midimap.cfg file with a new one created specially for
UltraSound. If you wish to retain your current Midimap.cfg
file (it's in the \windows\system sub directory), you can
copy it with a different name or extension to the same
directory. e.g.:
c:\windows\system> copy midimap.cfg midimap.sav.
Installing the Drivers
----------------------
- First, start Windows by typing <WIN> <enter> at the DOS
prompt and in your Windows directory.
- Open the DRIVERS applet located in the CONTROL PANEL
(in the MAIN group).
- The normal installation of Windows 3.1 should have already
installed: MIDI Mapper, TIMER, {MCI} Midi Sequencer, {MCI}
Sound drivers. These drivers must be there for UltraSound to
work. If any of these drivers are missing, please install
them now by clicking on the ADD button. You will be prompted
for certain disks from your Windows 3.1 disk set, so have
them handy. During this installation you will be prompted to
'Don't Restart Now' or 'Restart Now'. You should select
'Don't Restart Now' your new drivers have been selected.
Restarting Windows will effect the changes.
- One final note before installing the UltraSound driver;
If you are upgrading from a Sound Blaster, Media Vision,
or other sound card, you must first remove their associated
drivers. Select each driver to remove and click on the
'Remove' button. You can 'remove' several drivers, if you
like, before restarting Windows to effect the changes.
- Now you must install the UltraSound Windows driver.
Click on the 'ADD' button, and select the 'Unlisted or
Updated Driver' in the drivers list box, and click 'OK'.
A new dialog box will appear in which you must enter the
path to your UltraSound Windows driver.
e.g.: c:>\ultrasnd\windows (assuming you installed UltraSound
to drive c:)
- The 'Ultra Wave and MIDI Synth' driver description should appear
in yet another dialog box. Click on it and then 'OK'. The
UltraSound driver and associated files will install in the
appropriate directories automatically.
- You will then see ANOTHER dialog box, this one called
UltraSound Setup. Click on the appropriate boxes and change the
setup parameters if needed to match your UltraSound configuration.
Refer to the Set-Up Record you filled in on page 22 of this manual
(see... it did come in handy!). Click on 'Restart Now' to effect
the changes.
- If you have your UltraSound output hooked up to a stereo
or headphones, you should hear a start-up .Wav sound played
(the default one sounds like 'Ta Da'...) when Windows starts.
- To further test .Wav file playing, open the Windows Sound
(in the Control Panel, or Sound Recorder (in the accessories
group) applets, and experiment.
- To test MIDI file playing, open the Media Player applet in
the Accessories group, and look for the 'CANYON.MID' MIDI file
which is supplied in Windows 3.1. Press the 'triangle' play
button and you should hear a rendition of the song.
- You are now ready to use any Windows based MIDI sequencer of
MIDI player to create or hear songs with UltraSound's full
16 bit digitized instruments. Consult the manual for your
software application or the MS Windows 3.1 manual for an
explanation of the Midi-Mapper applet in the Control panel.
If you are using UltraSound as your only output device, the
current Midi-Mapper settings should do nicely.
5.6.0 Installing and Using the UltraSound Mixer Applet
======================================================
We have included a simple Windows applet to allow volume
control, output on/off, and selection of line and/or mic
input. Here's how to install it:
- Select the group you would like the Mixer applet to reside
in, then pull down Program Manager's File menu and select 'NEW'.
- With the 'Program Item' radio button on (the default), click
on 'OK'. A dialog box will open called 'Program Item Properties'.
In the 'Name' text box, call the item 'US_Mixer', or 'UltraMix' or
whatever you like. in the 'Command Line' box enter the path:
c:\ultrasnd\windows\mixer.exe (assuming you installed the Ultrasound
files in your c: drive). Then click on 'OK'. The Mixer Applet's Icon
will then appear in the group you selected.
- You can then open the applet by double clicking on it and
experiment with the level control, and the input and output
check boxes. When recording using the line out of a CD or tape
player, be sure to have the mic input turned 'off' to avoid
recording noise from the unused input. The same goes for
recording with the mic input (turn 'line input' off.)
5.7.0 UltraSound Accessories
============================
- The UltraSound MIDI connection box offers a MIDI in, a
MIDI out, AND a MIDI through port. It also doubles as a dual
joystick adapter and extension. See the enclosed information
for latest word on price and availability.
- The UltraSound Memory Expansion Kit expands your UltraSound's
256k memory to 1 megabyte. Recommended for highly orchestrated
musical pieces. More memory allows more and bigger patches to be
loaded into memory at one time. This memory upgrade is recommended.
See the enclosed information for latest price and availability.
....................... END of Chapter 5 ...........................
6.0.0 ************* CHAPTER 6. TROUBLESHOOTING INFORMATION **************
6.1 Wrong Port Setup
6.2 ULTRASND Driver
6.3 GRVSULTR.386 Missing
6.4 16 BIT DMA Channels
6.5 NMI Problems and SBOS
6.1 Wrong Port Setup
If you select the wrong port during configuration and restart
Windows, a message, warning you to reconfigure the driver
appears. Simply choose Setup from the Drivers Applet in
the Control Panel, enter the correct base port, and restart
Windows.
6.2 ULTRASND Driver
If the Ultrasnd.drv file is deleted from the \UltraSound\Windows
directory, any application using the driver will issue its
own error message directing you to install a driver. Go
back to the Drivers Applet, and choose Add to reinstall the
driver.
6.3 GRVSULTR.386 Missing
If the Grvsultr.386 file is deleted from \UltraSound\Windows
a message will appear when you start Windows indicating the
file is missing. Then, a message box appears stating that
the Ultrasound card cannot be enabled. The easy way to
remedy this situation is to exit Windows and copy the
Grvsultr.386 file from the floppy back into \UltraSound\Windows
Restart Windows and the driver will become active again.
Using the Control Panel at this point requires a few extra steps:
Go to the Drivers Applet in the Control Panel, and Remove
the Ultrasound driver. A message appears, telling you that
Windows must be restarted to remove the driver.
When you restart Windows, the message regarding the missing
Grvsultr.386 file will still appear.
Ignore this message, go back to the Drivers Applet, and
reinstall the Ultrasnd driver, selecting "New" when a message
indicates that the driver is already on the system.
A message during the installation, indicating the driver can't
be enabled, will appear. Continue with the installation, restart
Windows, and the driver will become active again.
6.4 16 BIT DMA Channels
The default DMA channel has been changed to an 8-bit channel
because a few (not all) motherboards do not have 16-bit DMA
channels that operate properly. They may work fine on yours.
We suggest that you try to run it on a 16-bit channel because
performance is better. We can transfer data twice as fast.
The 8-bit channels are 0-3. The 16-bit channels are 4-7.
If 'flakey' things happen with the 16-bit channel switch back
to a free 8-bit channel.
Stereo recording WILL be better on 16 bit channels. If you get
gaps or popping, try using one of the 16 bit channels.
6.5 NMI Problems and SBOS
NMI stands for Non Maskable Interrupt. When an NMI is
generated the PC will finish executing its current
instruction then go and handle whatever called the NMI.
This is usually caused by the parity checking circuitry of
your PC when an ONBOARD PARITY ERROR has occured.
SBOS requires a way of latching onto the PC in such a way
that games won't interfere with it. By hooking onto the
NMI, SBOS has a chance to run. This type of emulation
works great for any games that don't try and do something
weird with the NMI (F15 II for instance).
There were problems with older versions of SBOS (1.x) where
the user would get NO sound at all out of SBOS. This was
eventually narrowed down to an NMI problem with a FEW
motherboards. It seems the NMI never got generated on these
PC's or if it did the CPU wasn't responding to them. Hence,
SBOS never had a chance to run.
So instead of SBOS simply giving the user NO sound it gives
users the following message, "NMI procedure on this P.C. is
disabled". The only known ways to correct this problem are to:
1) Make sure the parity circuitry on your PC is enabled. This
can usually be done by making sure PARITY is enabled in your
extended CMOS
2) Replace the motherboard. NOTE: You don't need to replace
the CPU. A new motherboard will range from $100-400 on average.
Remember, there is nothing wrong with your GUS or SBOS. SBOS
is simply reporting a problem which has always existed with
your PC and is just bringing it to light.
....................... END of Chapter 6 ...........................
7.0.0 **************** CHAPTER 7. WHERE TO GET UPDATES ******************
7.1 EMail Addresses
7.2 File Addresses
7.3 UltraSound Daily Digest
7.4 Authorized Gravis Distribution Nodes
7.0.1 About Chapter 7
This chapter is provided to give you information on how you may
contact Gravis via EMail and also places where you may obtain the
latest in UltraSound software. All the addresses provided require
that you either have a modem or at least someway of contacting
the network.
7.1.0 EMail Addresses
FidoNET: Sysop at 1:153/978
SBCNET: Sysop at 13:900/3
MusicNET: Sysop at 88:8101/105
InterNET: tech@gravis.com
CompuServe: 71333,350
7.2.0 File Addresses
InterNET FTP: archive.epas.utoronto.ca pub/pc/ultrasound
wuarchive.wustl.edu systems/msdos/ultrasound
CompuServe: GO PCVENB area #14
7.3.0 UltraSound Daily Digest (InterNET)
Request Server Address: ultrasound-request@dsd.es.com
To subscribe, unsubscribe, and request files
7.4.0 Authorized Gravis Distribution Nodes
Authorized Gravis Nodes BBS List
as of
May 12, 1993
Name Location Node No. BBS Phone No. Speed
=============================================================================
Advanced Gravis Burnaby, Canada *1:153/978 (604) 431-5927 V32bis
*13:900/3
*88:8101/105
%gravis.com
Deep Cove BBS White Rock, Canada 1:153/915 (604) 536-5859 DS
MIDI 1040 Vancouver, Canada 1:153/7040 (604) 732-4446 V32bis
Infinite Dreams Vancouver, Canada 1:153/7042 (604) 733-6432 DS
(604) 733-8193 HST
T-8000 Info. System Calgary, Canada 1:134/160 (403) 246-4487 V32bis
Max Megabit's Data Port Halifax, Canada *1:251/1 (902) 454-8351 DS
*1:251/2 (902) 453-5731 V32bis
*1:251/18 (902) 454-9635 2400
Open Access BBS Norway, Europe 2:502/284 +47-61-97945 V32bis
The 1st Dutch MIDI BBS Netherland, Europe 2:281/610 +31-15138754 DS
Geniaal BBS 2 Netherland, Europe 14:1000/3 +31-2290-43038 V32bis
+31-2290-45816 V32bis
New Age System Estonia, Europe 2:490/12 +372-2-606319 V32bis
StarPort Finland, Europe 2:220/630 +358-0-804-462 DS
Data Bank BBS Pennsylvania, USA 1:273/316 (215) 429-9455 V32bis
The Sound Barrier New York, USA 13:420/0 (718) 979-6629 DS
(718) 979-9406 V32bis
Music Connection Texas, USA (Plano) 1:124/3109 (214) 596-2827 DS
1:124/3110 (214) 964-3743 V32bis
Lethal X/Ess Texas, USA(ElPaso) 1:381/98 (915) 592-3713 V32bis
CyberSpace - The Matrix Texas, USA(Carrol) 13:100/22 (214) 394-9339 V32bis
1:124/6201
Public Image Limited California, USA 1:161/301 (510) 831-3634 V32bis
JoyFull Noise Oregon, USA *1:105/55 (503) 335-9600 &DS
*1:105/5 (503) 335-3053 V32bis
MultiMedia Singapore, Asia 6:600/408 +65-2521220 V32bis
Paranoimia-Art of Noise Victoria,Australia 3:635/541 +61-3-379-7041 V32
UNOFFICIAL
=============================================================================
UltraSound Connection Florida, USA + (813) 787-8644 DS
=============================================================================
NOTE(S): - All systems are No Parity, 8 Data Bits, 1 Stop bit (N81)
- All systems are online 24 hours/day
- Speeds: V32bis - 14,400 bits per second (CCITT standard)
HST - 14,400/16,800 bits per second (US Robotics Prop.)
DS - 14,400/16,800 bits per second (HST/V32bis)
- * - Files are File Requestable
- % - EMail Only. No FTP or Telnet.
- & - Does not accept >= 2400 baud calls
- + - Files only
Other Sources for UltraSound Files:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CompuServe: GO PCVENB area #14 71333,350
FTP Sites: archive.epas.utoronto.ca pub/pc/ultrasound
wuarchive.wustl.edu systems/msdos/ultrasound
Internet: Digest Address: ultrasound@dsd.es.com
To post to tomorrow's digest
Request Server Address: ultrasound-request@dsd.es.com
To subscribe, unsubscribe, and request files
Owner Address: ultrasound-owner@dsd.es.com
To contact a human if the server has troubles
==============================================================================
....................... END of Chapter 7 ...........................
8.0.0 **************** CHAPTER 8. - REVISION HISTORY *********************
8.1.0 V2 06 Distribution Disks
------------------------------
8.1.1 About This Update
We have had a heck of a time trying to squeeze everything onto 6
1.44Mb disks. If you are reading this, I guess we did it!
V2.06 is intended to be shipped out to all registered UltraSound
owners.
8.1.2 Files Changed since V2 05
MIDI1MB.BAT - New MIDI DEMO requiring 1MB of DRAM on GUS
MIDIDEMO.BAT - Removed some of the MID files to save space
MODDEMO.BAT - Added two MOD files. Dune Intro and Space Debris
GMODDEMO.BAT - Same as MODDEMO but uses a different MOD player
JUNGLY.BAT - The Jungly Kitchen demo by Twilight Zone
SETGUS.EXE - V2.01 No longer places SETGUS.LOG in current
directory. Instead it is placed in your
ULTRASND directory.
PLAYMIDI.EXE - V4.07
CONVERT.EXE - V1.01 DOS WAV/SND/VOC Sound Converter
by Channing Corn
USS8.EXE - V1.01
PLAYFILE.EXE - V3.12
ULTRAFLI.EXE - V3.03
GRAVUTIL.EXE - V2.0
GUSMOD.EXE - V2.11 MOD player by Joshua Jensen of Renaissance
GV.EXE - V1.7
HONKY.PAT - 2 new patches. HONKY replaces HONKTONK. CHARANG
CHARANG.PAT is now instrument number 84.
8.1.3 Version 2.06 and 2.06L
There are two version of the 2.06 software. Version 2.06 is the
one that will be packaged with all future UltraSound cards and
mailed as an update to all users of version 1.x software.
Version 2.06L does NOT come with MidiSoft Recording Session or
Power Chords. These programs are commercial programs and may NOT
be posted on any computer networks or distributed in any way. As
such, version 2.06L is missing these programs. However, version
2.06L does include about a half dozen more, REALLY nice MOD
files than 2.06.
8.1.4 Last Minute Notes
The Power Chords Tutor and Demo icons in Windows are reversed.
....................... END of Chapter 8 ...........................
THE END