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1993-12-03
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Apparently-To: john.smith@gravis.com
GUS Musician's Digest Fri, 3 Dec 93 3:42 Volume 3: Issue 3
Today's Topics:
Bank switching
GUS Musician's Digest V3 #2
MIDI-Cables
Midi Cable
MIDI circuit
Patch conversion
Program Change in WinCake
Rollover bit (vox reg 0D/8D, bit2)
Rolund GS support of Bank Switching
subscribe
X-Wing replacement patches?
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, 2 Dec 1993 09:07:24 -0500 (EST)
From: Phat H Tran <ptran@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca>
Subject: Bank switching
> Date: 01 Dec 93 09:15:41 EST
> From: "Eric Bell, Howling Dog Systems" <71333.2166@CompuServe.COM>
> Subject: 3rd National Bank of Patches
>
> The next question is... how do we ship a song file with a couple of custom
> patches and then be able to quickly and efficiently install the song and play
> it with minimum hassle for the users?
Since Powerchords supports patch caching, it would have to scan the MIDI
file for patches to cache, right? Why not, then, have it also scan for
Controller 0's (the bank switching controller in GS). That way, it can set
the banks automatically instead of having the user do it. Also, if the
GUS driver can be made to respond to Controller 0 to switch banks during
MIDI playback, each channel can have its own bank.
> Date: Wed, 1 Dec 93 08:37:48 EST
> From: "Burns Fisher, VMS Engineering 01-Dec-1993 0838" <fisher@skylab.enet.dec.com>
> Subject: Bank Switching
>
> (Copied to John Smith and tech@gravis.com. Please forward to your driver
> people!)
>
> Eric Bell says about his bank switching experiments:
>
> >Here's a bit of elucidation on the patch banking issue - as Clark pointed out,
> >folks might think I got the bank stuff to work through MIDI - not the case. I
> >got it to work within the scope of our application by passing the bank number
> >to the driver with the patch cache call. The bank number is set in Power
> >Chords Pro through a dialog box.
>
> This seems really broken to me. According to my reading of the Microsoft spec,
> the patch caching call is simply to improve performance by pre-loading patches
> into sound cards like the GUS. It should not have any semantic meaning. It
> should certainly not tell the GUS that from now on Patch Change 1 comes from
> bank 10. It should just tell the GUS to load patch 1 from bank 10 against the
> possibility that the midi stream asks for it! Otherwise, one simply can't use
> multiple banks without a C compiler, or an accomodating person like Eric! And
> even then, any MIDI file written by Power Chords would be more-or-less useless,
> if the music really depended on the other patch bank.
My sentiments exactly. Patch caching has to be smart enough to look for
Controller 0 and then cache patches from the right banks, but the driver
would also have to respond to Controller 0 to switch banks on the fly.
Phat.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1993 19:52:29 -0600 (CST)
From: Antonio Guia <guia@CC.UManitoba.CA>
Subject: Re: GUS Musician's Digest V3 #2
i'm not sure if anyone else has noticed this, but the plug for your
keyboard has the same number of pins as do midi connectors, and there
happen to be plenty of keyboard extension cables around for very cheap.
i have two of them working just fine for midi in/out
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 93 23:51 MET
From: pawal@proxxi.uf.se (Patrik Wallstr|m)
Subject: MIDI-Cables
I saw that someone asked if he could use ordinary 5-pin DIN-cables as MIDI-
cables. No, you shouldn't, but if you're lucky they might work. You should
however use dedicated MIDI-cables. Ask for them in your local music store.
(They're not that expensive, and they will work OK)
--Patrik
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 93 16:09:20 MST
From: Steve "Bongos" Larson <larson@ee.ualberta.ca>
Subject: Midi Cable
Thanks to the fellow who did the reasearch on midi cables.
To anyone considering buying the Gravis Midi Box, wait just a
sec. If you NEED the thru jack, then go for it, but you can
save yourself about 60% of the cost with a Sound Galaxy cable.
This is mostly since you have to buy din cables to actually
connect your midi device to the Gravis box. (Unless you already
had 'em.)
In Canada, check out any London Drugs w/computer section, they
should have it for about $20. In the U.S. you can order it
from Midwest Micro (1 800 552 8080) for about $15. (Thanku
'Silikon') BTW this info subject to standard disclaimers, etc.
Steve Larson, Computer Engineering, Univ. of Alberta
larson@nyquist.ee.ualberta.ca or larson@amisk.cs.ualberta.ca
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 02 Dec 1993 22:17:15 +0200
From: PWRJAM01@Uctvax.UCT.AC.ZA
Subject: MIDI circuit
Thanks to all of you who replied my questions about the midi circuit -
there were quite a few replies... I am in the middle of a tough battle
with this damn circuit!
220R
pin-1 +5v ----+--------------------------/\/\/\---------------\
| \ 4
| Gnd--2 MIDI OUT
| |\ |\ 220R / 5
pin-12 tr >---|------| o-----| o----------/\/\/\--------------/
| 13|/ 12 11|/ 10
| 220R
+ -------------/\/\/\-------------\
| !!Not Joined!! \ 4
pin-15 rx <---|--------------------+ Gnd--2 MIDI THRU
| |\ |\ | 220R / 5
| +--| o-----| o---+ --/\/\/\------------/
| | 1|/ 2 3|/ 4 !!Not Joined!!
| | ^^^^^^^^^^
| +------+
| 270R | 220R
+--/\/\/\--+ +------+----------/\/\/\--------\
|B |C |A | \ 4
+-|----------|----|-+ | MIDI IN
| 8 6 2 | ----- / 5
| | / \ IN914 or IN4148 +-/
| 6N138 | --- |
| | | |
| 5 3 | | |
+------------|----|-+ | |
| |K | |
pin-5 Gnd --------------+ +------+----------------------+
Ok I have got this far and no luck yet. Just a couple of things
1] I have not connected the midi thru - see diagram (not connected)
Check this - I presume you can do it as the current does not
have to flow unless its connected ?
2] I have a "high speed" 6N137 opto isolator - 6N138 can not be found,
but the 6N137 is also made by HP (dunno if that means anything)
I have checked the connections using a home made tester but I can't
test the current accross both inverters or through the 6N137.
My DIN jacks are connected (from solder side)
o
4-> o 2 o <-5 Where 2 is GND
o o
NO I Did NOT connect the MIDI IN's GND
4] OK this is the one I am not sure about - the IC's pin numbers
There is a little dot in the lower left hand corner of the
6N137 (looking at it with the 6N137 number visable) I took this
to be pin one - the one above pin 2 - the one to the right pin 3 etc
2 4 6 8 this method aggreed with the diagram looking from the solder
| | | | side. I used the similar idea with the Inverter ( bottom
6N137 left pin 1 )
| | | |
1 3 5 7
3] I have checked all stuff on the software side ( ie drivers )
I am using the MIDITEST program found on EPAS - a dos midi
in tester for the GUS - but no luck.
My question is has anyone got the 6N137 to work the guy who wrote this
said something about it may be a bit low on the input specs (5mA) -
so how do I adjust it so that its correct ( resistors ?? )
Thanks for all you help - I really appreciate it
James
internet: pwrjam01@uctvax.uct.ac.za
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 93 00:54:04 -0800
From: brian block <bblock@newservr.engr.uidaho.edu>
Subject: Patch conversion
Does anyone know if there is any way to convert samples for say,
the Akai S1000 sampler series to Ultrasound patch format. This
would be Really helpful, and it would give GUS users access to
a large variety of available sounds.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 02 Dec 1993 11:32:09 GMT
From: Clarke Brunt <CLARKE@lsl.co.uk>
Subject: Program Change in WinCake
> ... stuff about trying to remove program change messages on channel
> 10 in CakeWalk, because it fails to cache any patches if you have
> any ...
If you have removed all explicit program changes from channel 10, then
is it that the patch is still set to something other than <none> in
the window that lists all the tracks?
There has been some discussion of incremental patch loading, i.e. load
as required while playing. I know from experience that a call to
MidiOutCachePatches immediately shuts off all notes and takes quite
a while to execute, so you are not very likely to get a good
rendering of the song.
Does anyone know whether MidiOutCachePatches pays any attention to
what patches are loaded already, or does it re-load everything you
ask for? Certainly it seems to automatically uncache all the patches
that you don't request, so it is no use just trying to add a patch
to the present set - you have to remember (or query) what is already
in there. Maybe Eric (a sequencer writer who actually talks to us!)
knows.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 93 17:44:30 CST
From: chuth@lonestar.utsa.edu (Cornel H. Huth)
Subject: Rollover bit (vox reg 0D/8D, bit2)
> I am working on a new version [of GUSDELAY] that is MUCH improved
> (up to 44.1 kHz stereo with NO clicks or pops)
I take it you mean you are using the DMA auto-init mode?
Just wondering, does the IRQ generated by setting the ROLL-OVER CONDITION bit
(that's what SDK 2.01 calls it -- vox reg 0D/8D, bit2) occur at the programmed
end address? I suppose it would, but that means having to reprogram the next
end address... and, this is just playback. Since sampling on the GUS goes to
PC RAM, how does the rollover bit work there? You know? Care to tell what you
do know about the rollover bit "feature"?
Anybody else care to tell what they know about the rollover bit?
Most soundcards have this feature, and just about all of them document the
fact (auto-init mode and how to enable the soundcard to work with it). If
you didn't know to look for this on the GUS, you'd never know about it. It
is the only way you can ever get clean samples at high data rates, and the
only way to get clean playback if playing from the PC's RAM (GUS being exempt
since it doesn't play from PC's RAM, but does sample to it).
--
chh
Internet: chuth@lonestar.utsa.edu
Fidonet: 1:387/800.8
BBS: The 40th Floor;V32b@1(210)684-8065;M-F:5pm-9am,WE:1p-9a CT
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1993 09:18:32 -0600
From: Don Eller <don.eller@inst.medtronic.com>
Subject: Rolund GS support of Bank Switching
If I'm not mistaken, doesn't the new Rolund GS standard support bank switching
and if so shouldn't all future sequencer software? Therefore I'd assume that
the GUS windows drivers would also have to be prepared to support GS, but I
haven't heard whether Gravis is planning GS compatibility for the GUS.
Does anyone have a Rolund with GS support? Have you tried it with the new
GUS windows drivers, to switch to a new bank?
I'm planning on getting one of the new Rolund PC200 MKII keyboards which were
newly released and supports velocity, pitch bend, and has a slide controller
that can be assigned for aftertouch and other effects. This keyboard is
labeled GS compatible in Rolund's literature. Does anyone have any comments
on the price, the best I can find locally is $310? But it may be worth it if
the GS standard takes off like the predictions I've read.
------------------------------
Date: 2 Dec 93 08:18:30 EDT
From: "Susan White" <SWHITE@isnov.ab.umd.edu>
Subject: subscribe
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 93 18:58:07 -0500
From: hal wayne black <sylk@mik.uky.edu>
Subject: X-Wing replacement patches?
Hello everyone,
I have just tried X-wing with the new MEGAEM, and am wondering if anyone has
found a good replacement for the sound of the "ship flying by" this also is
the sound of the space station doors closing.. Which sound # is this?, and
has anyone found a good one to replace this whine that we have now with?
Also, did we ever find a good welder sound? The applause isn't too bad,
though..
Good work Jayeson!!!
--
| sylk@mik.uky.edu | hwblac00@ukpr.uky.edu | Entitlements kill |
(tastefully short signature)
------------------------------
End of GUS Musician's Digest V3 #3
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