NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #20

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Internet Message Format | 1992-09-14 | 21.2 KB

Xref: sparky comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware:24209 comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard:1873 Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard Path: sparky!uunet!zeos!kgermann From: kgermann@zeos.com (Ken Germann) Subject: Media Vision - Pro Audio FAQ Organization: Zeos International, Ltd Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 13:24:26 GMT Message-ID: <1992Sep14.132426.2708@zeos.com> Lines: 408 PRO AUDIOSPECTRUM'S MOST COMMONLY-ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS January 25, 1992 THE PRO AUDIOSPECTRUM PACKAGE CONTAINS: Media Vision Pro AudioSpectrum Audio Adapter Board Pro AudioSpectrum User's Guide Pro AudioSpectrum Disk 1 & Disk 2 v1.1 on 5 1/4" High Density and 3 1/2" Double Density The bundled software consist of: Installation Software and Diagnostic AudioMate & Utilities SP Spectrum MIDI Sequencer ABBREVIATIONS: PAS = Media Vision Pro AudioSpectrum TB = Media Vision Thunder Board AdLib = Adlib sound card SB = Creative Labs Sound Blaster sound card MPU-401 = Roland's proprietary MIDI interface protocol BBS = Bulletin Board System MWINDOWS = Windows 3.00a with Multimedia Extensions 1.0 RMA = Return Material Authorization number Generic CONFIG.SYS: DEVICE = C:\MWINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS FILES = 30 BUFFERS = 10 LASTDRIVE = X (Refer to Question 27 below) DEVICE = C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE (Refer to Question 25 below) DEVICE = C:\PROAUDIO\TSLCDR.SYS /D:MVCD001 /R DEVICE = C:\PROAUDIO\MVSOUND.SYS D:X Q:X V:X (Refer to Question 2 below) DEVICE = C:\MWINDOWS\SMARTDRV.SYS 2048 512 Generic AUTOEXEC.BAT: @ECHO OFF PATH = C:\;C:\DOS;C:\MWINDOWS;C:\PROAUDIO PROMPT $P$G C:\PROAUDIO\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MVCD001 /M:12 /L:X /V (X is the drive letter assigned to the CD-ROM drive) The current version for TSLCDR.SYS is v1.31e and for MSCDEX.EXE is v2.2. If you have an older version, please contact Media Vision Technical Support for updated drivers. When calling, please provide us with the version number which you currently have. SOUND TYPES: Digital Audio = Recorded sounds, usually speech and sound effects. These sounds are played back by the Digital-To- Analog Converter (DAC) on the PAS. Designated by the ".WAV" extension. Synthesized Audio = FM sounds, usually music but can also be used to produce speech and sound effects. These sounds are played back by the FM Synthesizers on the PAS. Designated by the ".MID" extension. CD Audio = Sounds produced by the CD-ROM drive which can be heard when connecting the headphones directly to the CD-ROM drive. Also known as Red Book Audio. PC Speaker = Crude music tones, speech and sound effects produced by the System Timer Chip on the motherboard. These sounds are played back by the internal PC Speaker. INTERNAL CD-ROM DRIVES SUPPORTED BY PAS: Chinon CDS-431. Please contact Chinon at 310-533-0274 to get the 40-pin to 50-pin converter. Hitachi CDR-3650 NEC CDR-80, CDR-82, CDR-83 Sony CDU-541 Texel DM-3020, DM-3021 Toshiba XM-3201B EXTERNAL CD-ROM DRIVES SUPPORTED BY PAS: Apple CD-SC (Sony CDU-8001) CD Technologies Porta-Drive Chinon CDX-431 Denon DRD-253 Hitachi CDR-1553S, CDR-1650, CDR-1750S IBM 3510 Laser Magnetics CM212, CM214, CM231 NEC CDR-35, CDR-36, CDR-72, CDR-73, CDR-77 Panasonic CR-501-S Pioneer DRM-600 6-disc changer Sony CDU-6211 Texel DM-3010, DM-3120, DM-5020, DM-5021, DM-5120, DM-7120A, DM-7120B Toshiba XM-3201A, XM-3301, XM-5100A If your CD-ROM drive is not on this list, it will NOT work with the PAS. If it is on this list and you would like to use the Pro AudioSpectrum's SCSI interface to control the CD-ROM drive, please contact Media Vision Sales at 1-800-845-5870 to order an Internal SCSI Cable/Driver Kit for $39.00 or an External SCSI Cable/Driver Kit for $79.00. PRO AUDIOSPECTRUM USES THE FOLLOWING: DMA 1 at default. Selectable between 1, 2 and 3. IRQ 7 at default. Selectable between 3, 5, 6 and 7. And all of the following I/O port addresses which are fixed: Speaker 042h Speaker Timer Count* 043h Speaker Timer Control* 061h Speaker Control* Joystick* 201h Joystick Status FM Synthesizer 388h Left FM Synthesizer Address 389h Left FM Synthesizer Data 38Ah Right FM Synthesizer Address 38Bh Right FM Synthesizer Data Interrupt Ports B89h Interrupt Control B8Ah Audio Filter Control B8Bh Interrupt Control Register PCM Circuitry F88h PCM Data F89h Reserved F8Ah Cross Channel Control 1388h Sample Rate Timer 1389h Sample Buffer Count 138Ah Local Speaker Timer Count 138Bh Local Speaker Timer Control SCSI Interface 1F88-1F8B SCSI Register 3F88-3F8B SCSI Register 5F88-5F8B SCSI Data Register *Located on PC system board NOTE: If you questions regarding Windows 3.00a with Multimedia Extensions 1.0, please refer to the MPC Upgrade Kit's Most Commonly-Asked Questions and Answers. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: *******************************INSTALLATION******************************** 1. Q: Do I have to change any switches or jumpers before I install the PAS? A: The default settings will work in most computers. Only try with different DMA and IRQ settings if you experience any problems. Whenever changing the settings on the PAS, make sure you make the same changes in the MVSOUND.SYS statement, in CONFIG.SYS. 2. Q: What is the MVSOUND.SYS driver for? A: You must have "DEVICE = C:\PROAUDIO\MVSOUND.SYS D:X Q:X V:X" in the CONFIG.SYS file. The first two X's correspond to the DMA channel and IRQ settings. The third X in "V:X" represents the initial volume level, a value between 0 and 40, where 40 is the maximum volume level. This driver resets the mixers and the volume settings on the PAS. Without this driver, none of your Adlib games will play sounds. 3. Q: I have tried with all settings and PASTEST.EXE still fails. A: First, PASTEST.EXE may need to be run twice in a row. Second, reduce the system to a generic CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT to eliminate possible software conflicts. Third, remove all unnecessary peripheral boards (scanner, tape controller, network cards, etc.) in the system to eliminate possible hardware conflicts. Fourth, in most computers, it will accurately report if there are conflicts; however, in some 486/33 computers, it may not be accurate. If you have already tried everything and PASTEST still fails, go on and run AudioLnk. 4. Q: After I have installed the PAS and connected the PC Speaker cable to the PAS, I do not hear any PC Speaker sounds in my 486/33. A: Some 486/33 computers do not allow the PAS to implement PC Speaker sounds. Therefore, leave the PC Speaker cable on the motherboard so that these sounds will be produced by the motherboard and played through the internal PC Speaker. *********************************AUDIOLNK********************************** 5. Q: a. When I run AudioLnk to play MIDI, it does not produce any sound. b. When I run AudioLnk to play WAV, it does not produce any sound. c. When I run AudioLnk to play WAV, it plays the same sound over and over like a broken record. A: a. If MIDI does not play, it is a possible IRQ conflict. b. If WAV does not play, it is a possible DMA conflict. c. If WAV plays like a broken record, it is a possible IRQ conflict. First, you must have the sound drivers (TAPIMV/VMP/AUDIOMAT) loaded prior to running AudioLnk. Refer to the AudioMate Section in the PAS User's Guide. Second, select a different DMA/IRQ and try again. Whenever changing the settings on the PAS, make sure you make the same changes in the MVSOUND.SYS statement, in CONFIG.SYS. Third, reduce the computer's bus (I/O CLK) speed to 10MHz or less and try again. 6. Q: When I run AudioLnk to play CD-Audio, the CD-ROM drive's light does not come on and I do not hear any sound. A: You may need to press F3 twice in a row. 7. Q: There is a lot of noise in the microphone recordings. A: First, make sure that the microphone has 600-ohm impedance (or higher). Second, mount the microphone on a stand instead of holding in your hand. Third, use headphones instead of external speakers/amplifiers to eliminate the possibility of feedback which can cause distortion or noise. 8. Q: Running PAS.EXE to adjust the mixer and volume settings before going into AudioLnk does not make any difference at all. A: First, AudioLnk ignores the settings made in PAS.EXE. Second, once inside AudioLnk you can adjust the mixer and volume settings by pressing F4 to activate the Recording Menu and then F9 to access the Mixer Control Panel. ********************************SP SPECTRUM******************************** 9. Q: When I bring up Sp Spectrum (by running SEQ.BAT), TAPIMV.COM reports that it cannot find the interrupt. A: Edit the SEQ.BAT to add the "/IRQ:X" switch to the end of the TAPIMV.COM statement, where X is the IRQ setting, and try again. 10. Q: When I run Sp Spectrum, I do not hear any sound when it is supposed to be playing. A: First, make sure the port in Sp Spectrum is set to 2 to use the FM synthesizer chips on the PAS. Port 1 is for playing through an external MIDI equipment. Second, select a different IRQ and try again. Whenever changing the settings on the PAS, make sure you make the same changes in the MVSOUND.SYS statement, in CONFIG.SYS. Third, reduce the computer's bus (I/O CLK) speed to 10MHz or less and try again. 11. Q: Page 18 of the Sp Spectrum Section in the PAS User's Guide refers to the Tutorial file which I cannot find. A: The current version of the PAS disks has this file. Please send in your PAS disks to the attention of Customer Support. Include your name, address, phone number and a note to request for an update. ********************MPU-401 AND SOUND BLASTER EMULATION******************** 12. Q: a. Does the PAS support MPU-401? b. Does the PAS support SB? A: a. No. The MIDI Interface chip on the PAS is the Yamaha 3802 MIDI controller and not the Roland MPU-401 MIDI Interface chip. b. No. The method used on the PAS to record and play back is different on the existing SB card. Note: Media Vision has developed an emulation program which enables the PAS to emulate the MPU-401 in "DUMB mode" and the SB to work with most SB games. Please note that this program requires a 386SX or better and will work in DOS and Windows 3.0. This emulation program is called SB2MV.ZIP and is located in the ZIP files area of this BBS. *********************************GAMES************************************* 13. Q: My PAS is set to DMA 3 and IRQ 5. I hear music but I don't hear any sounds when running Sierra games that support the PAS. A: The PAS driver in your Sierra games require that the PAS is set for DMA 1. Some Sierra games also require IRQ 7. Sierra is working on updating the PAS driver to allow DMA 1/2/3 and IRQ 3/5/6/7 to be selected. Please contact Sierra for the update. 14. Q: I have games/software that provide drivers for the SB and AdLib. Which driver should I select? A: The PAS is 100 percent AdLib compatible and will work with any package that provides driver for AdLib. If the package does not support digital audio, then the AdLib driver or SB driver can be selected. Otherwise, if the package does support digital audio with the SB driver, please refer to the "MPU-401 and Sound Blaster Emulation" section above. 15. Q: Does the PAS make my game sound better than my AdLib board? A: PAS.EXE is a utility that allows you to adjust the mixer, volume settings, bass, treble, loudness, enhanced stereo (will make a mono signal simulate stereo), and realsound (to improve PC speaker sounds). 16. Q: Sometimes when I play a game that supports AdLib, I only hear sound out of one speaker. A: There are two ways to run PAS.EXE. The first way is to run "PAS RESET" to reset the mixer. The second way is "PAS *" to bring up the Mixer Control Panel on screen. Press F1 to get help, then F4 to reset the mixer. 17. Q: The joystick does not work at all or does not work properly when using the PAS's joystick port. A: First, some computers have a built-in joystick port on the motherboard. Other computers have a multi-I/O board that has a joystick port. Make sure that only one joystick port is enabled and the other one is disabled. Second, if the computer is too fast that may also cause a problem. Reduce the computer's BUS (I/O CLK) speed and try again. Refer to your computer user's guide for instructions on how to adjust the BUS (I/O CLK) speed. Third, contact the game manufacturer to ask for a joystick driver that works on fast machines. *****************************SCSI INTERFACE******************************** 18. Q: Which CD-ROM drives can I use with the PAS? A: See CD-ROM Drives Support List above. The PAS has a SCSI interface which only allows it to control SCSI devices. Please contact Media Vision Sales for the SCSI Cable/Driver Kit (Internal/External). 19. Q: Do I have to use the PAS SCSI interface to control my CD-ROM drive which has its own controller? A: If your CD-ROM drive is SCSI, you can use its own controller or the PAS SCSI interface. 20. Q: Can I use the PAS to control other SCSI devices? A: Yes. Trantor Systems is currently selling SCSI drivers for the PAS for a variety of SCSI devices (hard disks, removable media, optical, etc.). Please contact Trantor Systems for the PAS driver set at (510) 770-1400. The price for the driver set is $59.00. 21. Q: Will the SCSI interface on the PAS conflict with another SCSI controller if they are both installed in the same computer? A: They should work fine together. Make sure that the drive ID's for the SCSI devices are different. ************************CD-ROM DRIVE INSTALLATION************************** 22. Q: I get the error "No SCSI host adapter found". A: First, the SCSI CD-ROM driver is board dependent. If you would like to use the PAS to control the CD-ROM drive, you need to use our TSLCDR.SYS driver; otherwise, if you would like to use another SCSI controller (such as Adaptec or Future Domain) to control the CD-ROM drive, you need to use its driver (contact the SCSI controller manufacturer for the driver). Second, check the internal, flat ribbon SCSI cable to make sure it is properly connected to the PAS. Third, make sure the red painted edge of the cable is closest to the 4-pin connector on the PAS at J6. Fourth, make sure the terminator is connected securely to the back of the CD-ROM drive. Try both with and without the terminator. Fifth, reduce the system to a generic CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. Sixth, reduce the computer's bus (I/O CLK) speed to 10MHz or less. Seventh, if there is a co-resident Thunder Board, make sure Switch 4 (FM synthesizer switch) on the TB is set of OFF. 23. Q: I get the error "No devices respond on this SCSI host adapter". A: First, check the internal, flat ribbon SCSI cable to make sure it is properly connected to the back of the CD-ROM drive. Second, make sure the terminator is connected securely to the back of the CD-ROM drive. Try both with and without the terminator. Third, make sure you have inserted the computer's power plug into the CD-ROM drive connector and pushed it firmly into place. 24. Q: I get the error "Device driver not found: MVCD001. No valid CD- ROM selected". A: First, if you are using DR DOS 6.0, it is necessary to change the device name for both the TSLCDR.SYS and MSCDEX.EXE statements from "MVCD001" to "TSLCD". Second, make sure that the device names in both of these statements match. 25. Q: MSCDEX.EXE issues the error "Incorrect DOS version". A: If you are using MS DOS 5.0, MSCDEX.EXE v2.2 requires that CONFIG.SYS has the statement "DEVICE = C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE". We will make an announcement in the BBS Newsletter when the new version of MSCDEX.EXE is available, which will not require SETVER.EXE when using MS DOS 5.0. 26. Q: I cannot use the CD-ROM drive. A: First, refer to the questions listed above. Second, make sure the MSCDEX.EXE statement precedes any menu, DOS Shell, PCTOOLs, or any desktop manager statements in AUTOEXEC.BAT to ensure that the driver has been properly loaded. 27. Q: I get the error "Invalid drive specification" when I type the drive letter assigned to the CD-ROM drive. A: First, make sure you have "LASTDRIVE = X" in the CONFIG.SYS, where X is the next logical drive letter after the letter assigned to the CD-ROM drive in the MSCDEX.EXE statement. Second, make sure that the TSLCDR.SYS driver statement precedes any driver statement that creates a RAM drive such as RAMDRIVE.SYS. Third, check if the TSLCDR.SYS and MSCDEX.EXE drivers have been loaded up properly. If not, refer to the questions above. 28. Q: I get the error "CDR 101: Drive not ready". A: First, check the internal, flat ribbon SCSI cable to make sure it is properly connected. Second, make sure the terminator is connected securely to the back of the CD-ROM drive. Try both with and without the terminator. 29. Q: a. I get the error "CDR 103: CD-ROM not High-Sierra or ISO-9660 Format Reading Drive X. Abort, Retry or Ignore?" b. My CD-ROM drive fails at random. A: First, check if the LASTDRIVE statement and TSLCDR.SYS driver are loaded before a hard disk driver and/or a memory manager. If so, load the hard disk driver and/or memory manager first. Second, refer to the question above. ******************************MISCELLANEOUS******************************* 30. Q: Do you have a software development toolkit for the PAS? A: Please contact Media Vision Sales at 1-800-845-5870 to order the Pro AudioSpectrum Developer's Toolkit for $79.95. This toolkit contains a 3 1/2" disk which contains drivers, utilities, source codes for both DOS and MWINDOWS and a manual which contains a software reference and a hardware reference. 31. Q: I have questions regarding MWINDOWS. A: Please refer to the MPC Upgrade Kit's Most Commonly-Asked Questions and Answers. Before returning a defective product for repair, please call to request an RMA number first. Please contact Media Vision Technical Support at 1-800- 638-2807 if you have any questions or would like an update to this list. Media Vision Sales can be reached at 1-800-845-5870. pasq&a.doc -- Ken Germann ZZZZ EEEE OO SSS ZEOS International, Ltd. support@zeos.com INET Z E O O S Technical Support Dept. uunet!zeos!support UUCP Z EE O O SS 530 5th Ave N.W. 800-228-5390 VOICE Z E O O S St. Paul, MN 55112 612-633-7337 ZZZZ EEEE OO SSS FAX 612-633-4607