Experimental BBS Explossion 3/Experimental BBS Explossion III.iso/gus/gumntx.zip/ULTRABAS.TXT

Text File | 1994-06-17 | 163KB | 4,727 lines

UltraSound owners have a variety of sound needs. This is a guide
to help you find the best way to use your new UltraSound for
your own applications.



Using your UltraSound with many games is as simple as selecting
UltraSound from the list of sound cards in the game's setup.
You'll hear extraordinary wavetable sound as soon as you begin
the game.

To use UltraSound with games that do not yet support the card
directly, you may need some help getting started.

UltraSound works with programs written for General MIDI, Sound
Blaster, Ad Lib, Roland MT-32, and Roland SCC1. Read Chapter 6,
"Game Sound Support," for an explanation of the sound options
available with UltraSound.



Explore the file playing, recording, and mixing features of your
UltraSound right away using the simple sound applets that come
with Windows version 3.1 or later. Use Media Player to play
sound files with your UltraSound. Or hook up a microphone and
use Sound Recorder to record, mix, and play your own sounds. See
the Windows manual or Sound Recorder's on-line help for
instructions.

Open the UltraSound Mixer to enable inputs and outputs, set
playback volume, and control CD and Microphone inputs. The
settings you choose from the Mixer applet are only valid for the
current Windows session until you save them.

Once you have had a chance to explore your UltraSound's features
with these simple applications, try the great bonus software
included in your UltraSound package.



Advanced Gravis has included a number of terrific software
applications for recording, playing, mixing, and composing
sounds and music with your new UltraSound. You'll find full
instructions and tutorials in the Bonus Software User's Guide.

A few other useful programs are included as part of UltraSound's
base software. Read on in this user's guide to learn how to use
them:

Playfile and Playmidi, DOS utilities with simple recording and
playback features in an easy-to-use format. See Chapter 4: "DOS
Software."

Patch Manager_, a Windows utility that lets you load and
audition sound patches. You control which patches are loaded
onto your UltraSound's onboard memory.  See Chapter 3: "Patch
Manager_ and Patch Maker Lite_."

Patch Maker Lite_, a Windows application that lets you create
new sound patches or modify existing ones for use in your games
or MIDI files.



UltraSound fully supports patch caching, a Windows 3.1
Multimedia feature that lets applications make optimal use of
UltraSound's onboard memory by preloading only the MIDI sound
files (patches) needed to play a particular set of MIDI data.
All of the Windows applications supplied with your UltraSound,
and most other Windows MIDI players, support patch caching.

If you use a music program that does not yet support patch
caching, you can either load the patches you want using Patch
Manager_ (see Chapter 3) or preload a subset of the General MIDI
set (see "Patch Caching" in Chapter 2 for instructions). This
will let you hear sound with any Windows application.



Chapter 1 - Introduction

Introduces you to UltraSound_ wavetable sound. Gives a brief
overview of computer sound history and the basics of digital
recording. Also introduces MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital
Interface) and Focal Point 3D Sound.

Chapter 2 - Windows_ Software

Outlines the Windows_ software that comes with UltraSound.
Explains how to use the UltraSound Mixer to control UltraSound's
audio input and output volumes. Details Windows drivers setup
with UltraSound. Highlights UltraSound's performance options and
explains the driver initialization file and patch caching.

Chapter 3 - Patch Manager_ and Patch Maker Lite_

Includes program requirements and quick-start tutorials for
Patch Manager_, a patch loading and audition program, and Patch
Maker Lite_, a patch making and editing program.

Chapter 4 - DOS Software

Details the DOS software that comes with UltraSound. Shows you
how to use Playfile to play or record digital audio sound files
and Playmidi to play MIDI songs and sequences.

Chapter 5 - Joystick Support

Describes UltraSound's joystick support programs: GravUtil_
(GravTest and Find Card_) and UltraJoy. GravTest helps you
determine the proper speed compensation value for your computer.
FindCard locates game port circuit conflicts. Finally, UltraJoy
lets you change the speed compensation setting right from the
DOS prompt.

Chapter 6 - Game Sound Support

UltraSound can play sound for games in four ways: in native mode
(with games that directly support UltraSound's wavetable
synthesis), or with Audio Interface Libraries (AIL)/Ultramid
Drivers, Mega-Em Emulator, or Sound Board Operating System
(SBOS_), UltraSound's Sound Blaster_ emulator. This chapter
explains each type of support and includes tips for sound in
games.

Chapter 7 - Troubleshooting

Lists problems you may encounter with UltraSound and its DOS and
Windows software and explains how to solve them.

Chapter 8 - Customer and Technical Support

Tells you how to Register and how to contact Technical Support
personnel. Includes information about Gravis' warranty policy.

Chapter 9 - UltraSound Hardware Options and Accessories

Describes some of the available UltraSound accessories.

Appendix A - Hardware Configuration

Information on the Base (I/O) Port Address and reserved jumpers.
 Refer to this if you need to change the I/O Port to avoid
conflict with another device in your computer.

Appendix B - Playfile & Playmidi Parameters

More advanced command line parameters for Playfile and Playmidi,
as well as some information about the Playmidi Configuration
File and .CFG files.

Appendix C - Mega-Em User's Reference

A brief reference for Mega-Em. UltraSound's mega emulator
solution lets you emulate the Rolandr MT-32, Rolandr Sound
Canvas, and Sound Blaster_ (digital sound only).

Appendix D - ULTRINIT

ULTRINIT is a utility that sets up and configures your
UltraSound on start-up and when you wish to change UltraSound's
settings.

Appendix E - Manually Installing UltraSound's Windows Drivers

UltraSound's installation program automatically installs the
Windows Drivers, but you can also choose to install them
manually. This Appendix shows you how to manually install both
the Windows Drivers and the UltraSound Mixer.

Appendix F - Shareware - What is it?

A description of  shareware from "What is Shareware?" by the
Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP).

Appendix G - General MIDI Instruments

A chart of General MIDI and UltraSound Instrument numbers.

Appendix H - UltraSound Setup

An explanation of the settings available with your UltraSound
and instructions for using the UltraSound Setup program. This
appendix is also the place to look for instructions if you ever
need to re-install the UltraSound software.

1



Thank you for choosing UltraSound_, the ultimate sound solution
for IBMr compatible personal computers.

UltraSound is a full-featured sound card capable of providing
16-bit, CD quality sound from your desktop personal computer, as
well as giving you the latest in audio technology_3D sound.
Whether you plan to use your UltraSound to add excitement to
business applications, music, or games, the UltraSound will meet
your sound needs for years to come. Your UltraSound is many
products rolled into one:

o     A true wavetable music synthesizer with a full, expandable,
16-bit General MIDI sound set

o     A Microsoft Windows_ 3.1 Multimedia (MPC) sound card for
music, multimedia, and business applications

o     A sound card for games, supporting Rolandr MT-32, Rolandr
Sound Canvas, Ad Libr, Sound Blaster_, and native UltraSound
games for the best sound.

o     A digital sound card capable of simultaneous recording and
playback, with up to 32 simultaneous digital channels, full
mixing capabilities, and built-in interfaces for Sony, Mitsumi,
and Panasonic CD-ROM drives.

Computer Sound_A History

The world of computer sound reproduction began simply as a bit
that toggled voltage on and off at a set frequency. Although
crude, this served its purpose: to produce a simple beep.

The beep was improved by the development of additive synthesis,
or the creation of sound by adding different types of waveforms
to create a new sound. Subtractive synthesis, the creation of
sound through filtration, followed shortly after. Unfortunately,
both techniques produced inaccurate sounding instruments.

_FM Synthesis departed from previous technology. FM synthesis
creates an instrument by frequency modulating one waveform
against another to produce the sound of the desired instrument.
Variables like wave shape, wave form, and modulation are
manipulated until the sound more closely mimics the sound of the
actual instrument.

UltraSound's wavetable synthesis is superior to FM synthesis.
Wavetable synthesis recreates the sound of an instrument by
recording (digitizing)  the actual instrument and playing it
back. The result of this process is a precise electronic
reproduction of real instruments. UltraSound's RAM-based
wavetable synthesis lets you  reproduce an unlimited number of
sounds with incredible accuracy.

Working with Digital Sound

Sound Basics

Any sound consists of pressure waves moving through the air.
These waves move the diaphragm in your ear canal and the
connected small pieces of bone that in turn vibrate synaptic
tissue. This causes electrical impulses to be sent to the brain
that you "hear" as sound. Waves have two important
characteristics:_ frequency and _amplitude.

In the ocean, for example, _frequency can be regarded as the
number of waves that crash against the shore in a given amount
of time. In the case of sound, frequency is measured in waves
(called cycles) per second. The frequency of a sound wave
determines the pitch of the sound. The higher the frequency (or
the more _cycles), the higher the pitch. Frequency is measured
in units of Hertz (Hz). A Hertz is one cycle per second.

The second characteristic of a wave is _amplitude. You can
visualize amplitude by thinking about the height of waves in the
ocean. On a windy day, the waves are very high. On a calm day,
they are small. Amplitude determines volume. The greater the
amplitude of a sound wave, the louder it is.

_Recording Sound Waves

Digital recording captures sound by storing a sound wave's
amplitude values at regular time intervals.

Computer or digital recording has natural limitations. Sound
waves are continuous or analog in nature, but the computer can
only work with discrete (digital) on/off information.  The
computer looks at the amplitude of what you record at precise
intervals (this is called the _sampling period) and stores the
amplitude data for each interval as a number. The computer
re-creates the sound by converting the digital samples back to a
smooth analog signal through a DAC (Digital to Analog
Converter). The number samples per second that the computer
takes (the sampling rate)  affects the quality of the recording
(more samples per second produce better quality).

UltraSound can record and play back at sampling rates of up to
44,100 times per second, or 44.1 kHz (up to 48 kHz with the
UltraSound MAX), the same  frequency that compact discs (CDs)
use. As a rule, sampled sounds should be recorded at twice the
frequency that they occur in nature (or greater). Since humans
can hear from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, 44.1 kHz sampling is sufficient
to successfully re-create any sound we can hear.

Another factor that influences the accurate reproduction of the
original recorded signal is the sampling resolution, or_ bit
depth. Bit depth relates to the number of steps, or levels of
sound loudness, that can be measured. An 8-bit sample can
achieve up to 256 different levels of sound, and a 16-bit,
CD-quality sample can have 65,536 levels.

UltraSound is capable of playing  both 8-bit and 16-bit WAV and
SND digital sound files to ensure the best sound possible from
any application.  Making your own recordings with 16-bit
resolution however, requires an UltraSound MAX sound card.

Recording at 8-bit resolution offers sound reproduction that
matches or exceeds the quality of all but the best PC desktop
speaker systems. If you use a sound card for professional
applications, UltraSound MAX lets you choose the superior
quality of 16-bit recording.

Digital Recording Limitations

It's important to recognize the limitations of digital
recording, and how you can avoid recording errors with your
UltraSound.

__Aliasing is unwanted mixing of frequency information that
often manifests itself as a harsh, high frequency distortion.
Recording at 22 kHz or higher virtually eliminates aliasing.

_Clipping is distortion that occurs when the recording level is
set too high. Loud pops and clicks will be heard when the
recorded signal exceeds the limits of the analog to digital
circuitry. Reducing the record level eliminates clipping.

_Quantization errors may result from the rounding off that the
computer may do to store data. UltraSound greatly reduces these
rounding off errors by a process called interpolation, where
values are generated between each sample, resulting in smoother,
more natural sound reproduction.  HDD transfer rate limitations
may also cause quantization errors.

_Noise refers to digital hiss or pops and clicks. Hiss can be
greatly reduced by recording near, but never exceeding, the
maximum sound level. Most recording software includes recording
level VU meters, or another method,  to make this easy to
accomplish.

A small amount of digital hiss is unavoidable with 8-bit
recording, although it is usually masked by the recorded signal
when sound is present. As discussed previously, 8-bit resolution
allows 256 steps of loudness. The inevitable digital noise
caused by stray radio frequencies from your power supply or
other computer components can produce a few steps of random
digital numbers.

Moving your UltraSound to a slot as far as possible from the
power supply, hard disk controller, and video cards helps to
reduce the amount of noise present in your digital recording.
Because 16-bit recording allows 65,536 steps of loudness, the
few random steps of digital noise are much less significant, so
there is much less audible noise. Weigh the cost and disk space
requirements carefully before deciding to record with 16-bit
resolution.

For Best Digital Recording - Read This

Digital recording to hard disk requires very high data transfer
speed (throughput). This means there should be no digital road
blocks or speed bumps between your sound card and your hard
disk. If you are having difficulty getting clean digital
recording without pops, clicks, or gaps, try each of these
suggestions in any combination, or simply reduce the sampling
resolution.

Disk Fragmentation

Run a disk de-fragmenting program to optimize the free space on
your hard drive so that your recorded data will be placed in one
contiguous area of your hard disk. Norton Utilities' Speed Disk,
 PC Tools' Compress,  Golden Bow's V-Opt, and DOS 6.x's disk
defragmenter (DEFRAG) are some commercially available
de-fragmenting programs. Note that you only have to optimize the
free space on your hard disk, which should not take more than a
few minutes. Optimize between takes when using high sampling
frequencies and stereo recording.

Disk Compression

DoubleSpace, Stacker, or other disk compression schemes limit
disk data throughput because data must first be compressed with
a software algorithm before writing to disk. At high sampling
rates, your disk subsystem may not be fast enough to allow
recording without glitches. It's best not to record onto a
compressed disk.

_Memory Managers

EMM386, QEMM, 386MAX, and other memory managers add processing
time to disk reads and writes, which may result in problems
getting your data onto the disk fast enough.

_Processor Speed

For the best digital recording, the fastest processors are
recommended. Some of the above conditions can be compensated for
with a faster CPU.

_Sound Compression

The UltraSound MAX also offers 4:1 ADPCM and 2:1 µ-law and A-law
compression to help alleviate data throughput problems by
reducing the amount of data before submitting it to the disk
subsystem._

DMA Channel Selection

Because some motherboards do not have working 16-bit DMA
channels, UltraSound's default DMA is an 8-bit channel. (The
8-bit channels are 0-3; the 16-bit channels are 4-7. If the
16-bit DMA channels work on your computer, use one_performance,
especially stereo recording, will be better. If strange things
happen with the 16-bit channel, switch back to a free 8-bit
channel.

UltraSound and Music

UltraSound's capacity to play simultaneously up to 32 notes from
any combination of 32 real or digitally synthesized voices opens
up a whole world of musical expression. Coupled with music
creation and editing software, your UltraSound allows you to
create and mix sounds into studio quality musical arrangements.

MIDI

MIDI, or Musical Instrument Digital Interface, is a digital
communication standard created in 1983 by music equipment
manufacturers. The MIDI Standard lets you connect any
MIDI-equipped music device to other MIDI devices for
transferring music and performance data. This allows you to
control keyboards, synthesizer modules, drum machines, etc.,
from your UltraSound-equipped computer.

For example, connecting an inexpensive MIDI-equipped keyboard to
your UltraSound via the (optional) MIDI connector port allows
you to "play" any of your UltraSound's instruments (patches),
from an acoustic piano to a snare drum, 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 with your computer's MIDI software.

_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 such as the instrument, the
loudness, or the note. MIDI music files also conserve disk
space: only the events are recorded, not the actual sounds.

The sounds that the UltraSound uses to play back the MIDI events
are full 16-bit, CD-quality voices (patches) digitized from real
musical instruments (or synthesized using digital wavetable
synthesis) so that what you hear through your stereo or
headphones is incredibly real and dynamic.

Important!    Before using MIDI software with your UltraSound, read
the section on "Patch Caching" at the end of Chapter 2.

_Focal Point 3D Holographic Sound

Most people hear 3D sound all the time. But for computer games
and programs, audio virtual reality is cutting edge technology.

UltraSound is engineered to take full advantage of Focal Point's
breakthrough 3D Holographic Sound. Unlike other "3D Surround
Sound" systems, Focal Point 3D produces 360 by 360 degree audio
that places sounds above and below the listener, and to the
left, right, front, and back, all with just two speaker sources
(headphones required) and with no additional hardware.

A process called binaural convolution generates what each ear
would actually hear in relation to the position of the sound
source. UltraSound's 32 independent digital channels are used to
manipulate the apparent sound source in real time!

Game and program developers are excited by the prospects. The
addition of 3D sound will raise games and programs to a new
level of realism. Look for games and demos supporting UltraSound
3D. Check out the 3D Demo that came with your UltraSound.

    r    Type:  CD C:\ULTRASND\DEMO3D <enter>

_Type Conventions

To help you get the most from this User's Guide, certain type
and notation conventions are used:

User Actions

If you are to perform an action, it will be proceeded by a
diamond (r) in the margin. Example:

r    Turn on your computer.

Keyboard Key Characters

Angled brackets enclose keyboard key characters.

Example: <enter> indicates that you should press the Enter or
Return key; <esc> means you should press the Escape key.

Key Combinations and Sequences

A plus sign (+) used between key names or characters indicates
that you must press both keys at the same time. For example:
Press <Alt>+<F> means you should press the <Alt> and hold it
down while pressing the <F> key.

Text Entry

Text or commands you should enter through your keyboard are
displayed in upper case. Example:

r    Type:  COPY A:*.* <enter>

Variable Text Entry

Items that you must enter using the keyboard, but which require
you to choose from a number of parameters (like numbers for
example), will be enclosed in square brackets ([ ]). Do not type
the brackets, only the items between them.

Special Notes

Items or notes of special interest are displayed as follows:

Note!    Read this note. It's important!

2



UltraSound Windows Features

o    Supports 8 and 16-bit playback in all Windows 3.1 .WAV formats
(i.e., 8-bit, 16-bit, Mono, Stereo, 11025 Hz, 22050 Hz, 44100,
and 48000 Hz).

o    Supports 8-bit recording in all formats; 16-bit recording is
available with  the UltraSound MAX.

o    Allows simultaneous recording and playback of different files.
Just make sure that the frequencies are set the same for both
files, and set different DMA channels for Recording and Playback.

o    Support for the onboard 32-voice wavetable synthesizer is
provided.

o    Provides a full General MIDI patch set comprised of 192
instruments, drums, and sound effects for playing MIDI files.

o    Able to cache, or preload, patches from the General MIDI set
into its onboard memory. For applications that do not yet use
patch caching, the capability to load a small General MIDI set
is provided. Patch Manager has the ability to load, unload, and
audition patches.

o    Provides an option to conserve patch memory which increases
the number of patches you can load by using the space more
effectively. (Selecting Conserve Memory causes a small reduction
in a patch's sound quality.)

o    Full MIDI IN and MIDI OUT capabilities are supported.

Note!    The UltraSound driver is designed to work with Windows 3.1
in 386 enhanced mode only.

_Windows Utilities

Your _UltraSound came with a number of Windows_ utilities and
software applications. The utilities include a Windows Sound
Converter and the UltraSound Mixer applet.

Sound Converter

The Windows Sound Converter is a utility that converts sound
file formats to and from .SND, .WAV, and .VOC.

_UltraSound Mixer

The UltraSound Mixer applet (installed in Windows) allows you to
control the mixer facilities of your UltraSound card.  Mixer
facilities include input/output enable, Wave and MIDI playback
volume, plus CD and Microphone volume control.

The UltraSound Mixer functions allow you to modify the state of
the inputs, output, and playback volumes of UltraSound. Simply
click on the appropriate check box to enable the Microphone and
Line inputs. Click on the Output Enabled checkbox to
simultaneously enable the amplified and non amplified outputs.
Click on any combination you need for mixing. Note that any
combination of inputs is possible. For instance, you are not
excluded from simultaneously enabling the Microphone and Line
inputs. The scroll bars allow you to adjust the playback volumes
of both .WAV and MIDI files.

By default, the CD, Line, and Microphone inputs are muted to
eliminate noise during playback. We recommend that you leave
these inputs muted when not in use.

Windows Programs

Patch Manager_

UltraSound can play up to 32 digital or instrument sounds
(called voices or patches) simultaneously. A full General MIDI
set of patches, and additional patches for use in games are
included with your UltraSound. Patch Manager_ lets you select
and load patches easily into UltraSound's onboard memory. Play,
or audition the patches on Patch Manager's on-screen
synthesizer. Or, if you have a MIDI keyboard and the Gravis MIDI
Adapter, plug them in and play your UltraSound through Patch
Manager!

Patch Maker Lite_

Patch Maker Lite_ allows you to make your own patches, or edit
existing patches.

See Chapter 4, "Patch Manager and Patch Maker Lite," for
instructions for using these programs.

_Windows Drivers

_Driver Configuration

The Driver Configuration dialog window lets you customize
different aspects of the UltraSound Windows driver. Any items in
the dialog that are changed will be saved in the Windows
SYSTEM.INI file when the OK button is pressed. The next time
Windows is started, the new selections will be in effect. A
change in any of the following items will require that Windows
be restarted: Base Port, DMA, IRQ, or the Active Voices.

To access the Driver Configuration dialog window, locate and
open the Windows Control Panel, usually found in the Main or
Accessories program group.  Select and click on the Drivers
icon. If the UltraSound driver has been installed, there will be
an entry in the Installed Drivers list box named Ultra Wave and
MIDI Synth (the UltraSound audio driver). Activate the Driver
Configuration dialog window by double-clicking the left mouse
button on Ultra Wave and MIDI Synth.

_UltraSound _Setup

In the Drivers box, click on the Setup button to access the
following items:

_Hardware Configuration

The UltraSound Setup dialog asks you to enter settings for: Base
Port, GF1 IRQ, MIDI IRQ, DMA Channel A (Playback), and DMA
Channel B (Record). UltraSound MAX boards also require CODEC
settings for 16-Bit Base Port.

The _Base Port Address must be the same address that is set on
your UltraSound board_it's factory preset to 220 Hex and can be
adjusted by moving jumpers as described in Appendix A. The DMA
and IRQ selections are programmable, and may be set to any of
the available options, as long as there is no conflict with
another device in your system. The settings you choose here must
match your DOS settings.

Note!    If you wish to record and play simultaneously, be sure to
set different DMA channels for Playback and Recording. (The
frequency must be the same for both files.)

_Linear Volume. You can set the Linear Volume either on or off.
Selecting "off" will base MIDI volumes on a logarithmic scale.
By default, Linear Volume is set "on."

_Active Voices. The valid range of active voices is 14 to 32.
There are always two voices reserved for playback of stereo wave
files; thus, the number of voices available for MIDI is two
fewer than the number chosen. Note that a change in the number
of active voices will not take effect until after the current
Windows session is restarted. For an explanation of the
significance of selecting a certain number of voices, see the
section "Performance Considerations."

_Verify Patches. When Verify Patches is on, all General MIDI
patches located in ULTRASND.INI will be verified to make sure
that they are present when Windows starts up. Turning off this
option speeds up Windows start-up time.

_Patch Memory Options

Patch Memory  refers to the onboard memory used for storing
patches. You may load patches at their original resolution by
choosing High Fidelity (16-bit), or at a lower resolution by
selecting Conserve Memory (8-bit).  See the next section for
more  information regarding this option. Patch files contain the
sound data used by the driver to play MIDI notes.

_Performance Considerations

You can control certain aspects of UltraSound's performance via
the Performance Options section of the Driver Configuration
Dialog Window.

For example, Active Voices affects the number of active voices
used by UltraSound to play MIDI and Wave files. The number of
active MIDI voices in Windows is selectable to allow you to
`reserve' voices for digital playback. In High Fidelity mode
there is a barely discernible loss of fidelity from 44.1K
starting at 15 voices. Normally, you should set the number of
active voices somewhere around the default of 22.

The Patch Memory option affects the use of onboard patch memory.
Choosing the option Conserve Memory effectively doubles the
amount of memory available for patches, as the majority of the
patches are created at a high resolution.  The UltraSound card
always deals with sound internally at a high resolution, so
generally the loss of sound quality for choosing to load patch
files at a lower resolution is minimal.

_Patch Caching

Patch caching is one of the distinguishing features of the
Windows 3.1 Multimedia capabilities. Patch caching loads patches
into the UltraSound's DRAM for use in applications. Patch
caching allows the most efficient use of onboard UltraSound
memory, since a sequencer, or other application, only needs to
load the patches required for a particular set of MIDI data.

Patch files contain the sound data used by the driver to play
MIDI notes. Patch caching allows you to add additional sounds
simply by obtaining new patch files.  Many applications already
take advantage of this feature, including the Windows Media
Player, Power Chords_, Midisoft_ Recording Session_, Studio,
Music Mentorr, MCS Stereo Rack_, and DigiVox's Multimedia Sound
Studio_.

If, however, you have an application that does not use patch
caching, you can load a subset of the General MIDI set before
running the application:

-    Click on the Drivers icon under the Control Panel, and select
UltraWave and MIDI Synth or the UltraSound audio driver.

-    Click on the Setup button. Then in the Performance Options
section, click on the Conserve Memory button.

-    Click on the MIDI Mapper (also under the Control Panel) to
select the appropriate setup for the amount of memory on your
UltraSound. For example, select Ultra 512K in the name box if
your card has 512K of RAM.

-    Using Patch Manager, load patches from the MIDI file that
corresponds to the amount of memory on your UltraSound. The MIDI
files you can use are  LOAD512.MID and LOAD1024.MID.

    You may also load all the patches for a particular MIDI file by
using the Get from MIDI File option in the File menu of Patch
Manager.

To revert to normal operation, select UltraSound Setup in the
MIDI Mapper, and enable the High Fidelity option of the driver.

3



Patch Manager_

Early synthesizers achieved different sounds by connecting
voltage-controlled oscillator filters and amp modules in
different ways. Because cables were used to patch together the
modules, the resulting sounds were called patches.  For this
reason, we use the word patch to refer to the sampled sounds and
associated data used by your UltraSound's internal waveform
synthesizer to create instrument sounds.

UltraSound patches are stored in disk files that must be loaded
into onboard memory before a sound can be produced.  This patch
loading is normally done automatically by application software,
but there may be times when you want to do it yourself. With the
UltraSound Patch Manager_, you can control which instrument
patches are loaded into your UltraSound's onboard memory, and
you can audition them.  These patches are then available for use
with your favorite Windows music composition or sequencer
software.  Patch Manager also adds MIDI capability so you can
play your UltraSound from any MIDI input device.

__Program Requirements

A correctly installed Gravis UltraSound card, Windows 3.1 in 386
 Enhanced Mode, and the Windows driver in the installation disk
set.

_Patch Manager Usage Notes

o    Patch Manager is installed automatically during the UltraSound
installation.

o    Patch Manager may not work correctly with earlier versions of
the Windows driver. Use it only with the Windows driver supplied
on your new UltraSound disks.

o    Run Patch Manager; select Quick Tour in the Help Index menu
for an overview of operation.

o    Patch Manager comes complete with an on-screen 88-key
synthesizer keyboard.

o    Patch Manager's "Memory Remaining" gauge shows how much memory
is remaining to hold patches.

o    An upgrade to the full 1 MB of RAM on the card is recommended
if you intend to use your UltraSound card for MIDI music
compositions using complex orchestration.

_Quick Tutorial

This quick tutorial tour will acquaint you with many of Patch
Manager's features. To start Patch Manager, launch Windows and
double-click on the Patch Manager icon, found in the Gravis
UltraSound group in the Program Manager window.

1. Start Patch Manager

When you start Patch Manager, you will see four main windows
that display patch numbers and the names of the corresponding
General MIDI instruments. (Some percussion instruments are not
in the General MIDI  set, so their names are blank.)

The two left windows show which patches are available on disk
for melodic and  percussion instruments. The two right windows
show which melodic and percussion patches are currently loaded
into UltraSound's memory. The two right windows might be empty,
unless you have previously loaded patches using Patch Manager or
have played a MIDI file with a program such as Media Player.

2. Load a patch

Select Acoustic Grand Piano (patch 0) in the upper left window
by clicking on it with the mouse. Press the double right arrow
button to load the patch (seeFig. 4-1). This patch now appears
in the upper right window, indicating that it is loaded. Notice
that the Memory Remaining number in the lower right corner has
decreased, and the memory gauge below it is starting to fill up.

3. Audition a patch

Select the patch name in the right-hand window by clicking on it
with the mouse. Then move the mouse pointer onto the Patch
Manager synthesizer.  Press the left or right mouse button to
play a note. Drag the pointer on the synthesizer keyboard to
play several notes. If you have a MIDI device connected to your
computer, you can use it to play the notes, too. Just select
MIDI Thru from the options menu.

4. Audition a group of notes

Click on the Note Memory button so that it is checked. Play a
note on the synthesizer keyboard. Each note auditioned is now
highlighted and saved. To deselect a note and remove it from
Note Memory, click on it with the right mouse button.

Select a few notes, then click on the patch name in the upper
right window. The group of selected notes now plays with the
patch name selected.

5. Audition other patches

Load a few more melodic patches (as in Step 2) and click on each
one in the Patches Loaded window. Each patch will play the notes
selected on the synthesizer.

6. Audition drums

Load a few percussion patches as described in Step 2, and click
on one of these. The Patch Manager synthesizer keyboard now
displays a gray keyboard with some white keys. Each white key
corresponds to an individual drum sound. Try some!  The Note
Memory option does not work for drum patches.

7. Adjust the volume on the synthesizer

Press one of the buttons with an up or down arrow, in the middle
top of the synthesizer to adjust the audition volume. Note that
the red LEDs to the right of the buttons show the current volume.

8. Display several audition keyboards

Choose All... from the Audition menu. A group of audition
keyboards is displayed, one for each melodic patch loaded and
one that contains all the loaded percussion sounds. Any of the
audition keyboards can be played with the left mouse button.
Notes will play as long as the left mouse button is held down.

You can control the volume of the currently selected audition
window with the Volume control in the toolbar at the top. For
melodic patches, you can select a different instrument for the
current keyboard by pressing Instruments... on the tool bar.

If you have a MIDI device  connected to your computer, you can
use it to play notes for the currently selected patch.

Notice that the note value of the note you are playing is
displayed in the toolbar. Both the note name (e.g., "C5" for
middle C) and the note number (e.g., "60" for middle C) are
shown.

9. Load patches used by a MIDI file

Get back to the initial Patch Manager window, the one with the
four lists of patches. Choose Get from MIDI File... from the
File menu. Select the name of a MIDI file. Patch Manager reads
the MIDI file and loads the patches it needs. You can then play
the MIDI file with a program that does not know how to load
patches.

10. Change the patch names

Choose Names... from the Options menu. Click the checkbox
labelled Use Names from Patch File, then click OK. The names
shown in the list of patches are now those that are stored in
the patch files, rather than the General MIDI names for the
corresponding patch number. (See Exhibit G for a list of General
MIDI and UltraSound instruments, or select General MIDI Names
from the Patch Manager Help menu.)

Loading and Unloading Patches

There are three methods for loading patches.

1.    Select patch names in one of the left-hand boxes labelled
Patches Available. You can select several patches at a time by
dragging the mouse, or using <shift>-click or <control>-click to
extend a selection. Then press the button labelled >>. The
patches loaded will be displayed in the right-hand box labelled
Patches Loaded.

    A single patch can be quickly loaded by double-clicking its
name in the Patches Available box.

Note!    If there are more patches selected than can fit in memory,
the melodic patches will be loaded first, numerically, then the
percussion patches, numerically, until memory is full.

    Sometimes a patch won't fit into memory even though the Memory
Remaining display indicates that there is enough room.
UltraSound memory is partitioned into segments of 256K, and
patches won't load across a segment boundary.

2.    The patches required by a MIDI file can be loaded using the
Get from MIDI File... command under the File menu.

3.    Some Windows programs (such as Media Player) load patches
when they play a MIDI file. When you start Patch Manager, these
patches will appear in the Patches Loaded window.

To unload patches, select patch names in one of the right-hand
boxes labelled Patches Loaded. Press the << button. The selected
patches will move to the left-hand box labelled Patches
Available.

Auditioning Patches

First load the patch you want to audition. Then audition the
patch by playing the synthesizer, keyboard, or MIDI device, or
by creating audition windows.

You can create one or more audition windows for the loaded
patches by selecting Melodic, Percussion, or All from the
Audition Menu. In Percussion audition windows, each available
patch is assigned to a key (in conformance with MIDI
convention). Keys with an available patch are white; the rest
are grayed out.

If you select All, audition windows are created for each loaded
melodic patch, and a single window is created for all of the
percussion patches.

Playing the Patch Manager Synthesizer

First select a patch name in one of the Patches Loaded boxes.
Then click the left mouse button on the notes you wish to play.
Notes play as long as the mouse button is held down. Drag the
mouse across the keys to play several notes.

If Note Memory is on, the notes are colored gray as you click on
them and are played when a patch name is selected in the Load
Patches box. Click off notes with the right mouse button, or
turn off Note Memory to clear all notes.

Adjust the volume by clicking the volume buttons on the
synthesizer. The red LEDs indicate the current volume.

Playing Notes on the Computer Keyboard

The row of keys from `Z' to `M' and the row from `Q' to `U' both
represent the white piano keys from `C' to `B.'  The upper row
of keys plays one octave higher. The black piano keys are
represented by the rows of keys from `S' to `J' and from `2' to
`7.'

The <shift> key causes all keys being held down to be restruck
as if you lifted them all off and pressed them down again. The
right and left arrow keys shift the whole keyboard up and down
an octave.

Playing Notes with a MIDI Device

If you have a MIDI input device connected to your computer, you
can use it to play the notes for the selected patch. Just select
MIDI Thru from the Options menu.

Changing Patches Available

The patches available to load and audition with Patch Manager
are those that are available in the current Windows session. The
UltraSound ULTRADIR directory contains the file ULTRASND.INI,
which lists the names of the patch files for each patch number.
See the section on the Bank Manager to learn how to modify
ULTRASND.INI to make different patches available.

If there is no patch file listed for a number, or if the patch
file name is BLANK.PAT, it will not appear in the list of
Patches Available.

Changing Patch Names

By default, the files in the Patches Available and Patches
Loaded boxes are displayed with General MIDI standard names. You
can choose to view the patch name that is stored in the patch
file instead by clicking Use Names from Patch Files, or you can
view the patch file name.

Changing Instruments

You can change the instrument patch for  a melodic audition
window by pressing the Instruments... button on the toolbar. A
list of available patches is displayed. Click on one to apply it.

MIDI In Velocity

When you use a MIDI keyboard for input (playing notes), Patch
Manager, by default, uses the velocity (volume) sent by the MIDI
keyboard. If you do not wish to use the velocity sent by the
keyboard:

r    Remove the checkmark from MIDI In Velocity in the Options menu.

The volume will instead be determined by the volume control on
the synthesizer bitmap.

Saving and Loading Configuration

To save the currently loaded patches:

r    Choose Save from the File menu. Enter a file name, and press
<enter>.

To retrieve a previously saved list of patches:

r    Choose Load from the File menu, select a file, and press
<enter>. Patch Manager will load all of the patches in the saved
file.

Unloading All Patches

To unload all patches from the card's memory:

r    Select Unload All Patches from the Options menu.

Bank Manager

Patch Manager's Bank Manager lets you create and edit custom
instrument sets. This lets you use other patches besides the
General MIDI set that is provided with your UltraSound. You can
make such patches yourself with Patch Maker Lite (in the next
section), buy them from third-party vendors, or find them for
free on bulletin boards and on-line services.

Suppose you want to replace the supplied acoustic nylon guitar
patch with one of your own (MYGUITAR.PAT), and have it used by
Windows applications. The basic steps are as follows (details
for each step follow in the next paragraphs).

1.    Copy or move the file MYGUITAR.PAT to C:\ULTRASND\MIDI (or
whatever your UltraSound directory is).

2.    Start Bank Manager, and create a new bank.

3.    Map MYGUITAR.PAT to program number 25.

4.    Save the bank to Bank 0. You don't need to map all the other
patches; if you don't specify a mapping, the existing mapping
(usually a General MIDI instrument) is used.

Starting Bank Manager

Select BankMan from the Patch Manager main screen. The Bank
Manager main display appears.

Creating a New Bank

Select New Bank from Bank Manager's File menu. A dialog box
appears with the following fields:

Bank Number. Enter a unique bank number (a drum bank and melodic
bank can have the same number).

Bank Type. Select the type of bank (Drum or Melodic).

Copy Current Bank. If you wish to start the new bank as a copy
of the currently selected bank, check this box.

Bank Name. Enter a descriptive name.

Patch Directory. Enter the name of the bank's patches'
directory. Use Browse if necessary to locate the directory.

When you're finished, press OK to create the new bank.

Selecting a Bank

Click the down arrow of the Selected Bank listbox to display the
names of all the banks, then select a bank to view or edit.

Editing a Bank

The patches included in a bank are displayed in the Program Map
(the largest window on the Bank Manager display). Patches are
identified by program number, General MIDI name, and patch file
name. The Patches Available box lists all of the patches
available in the patch directory associated with the currently
selected bank.

To Load a patch into the bank

Double-click on it, or select it and click Load Patch.

To Map a patch to a program number in the bank

(Do this to replace the standard General MIDI patch with
another.) Select the program number from the Program Map
listbox. If the program is not visible, press the Expand button
(<_>).

From the Patches Available listbox, select the patch file that
you want to map to the selected program number. Click on the
button marked << to add the program to the Program Map listbox,
or double-click on the patch file name.

To Unmap a program

Select the program you wish to unmap in the Program Map listbox.
Click on the button marked >> to remove the mapping.

Saving a Bank

Choose Save from the File menu to save the current bank. To save
the current instrument mapping  to the primary bank, choose Save
to Bank 0.

Save to Bank 0 is useful for maintaining alternate patch sets.
For example, you could set up a bank containing a new set of
brass instrument patches. Then, when you select Save to Bank 0
from the File menu, the brass instrument patches in the primary
bank would be replaced by your new set.

Also, if a MIDI playback program doesn't respond to Continuous
Controller 0 (bank change) messages, and you want to play a MIDI
file that uses them, you can use the Get from MIDI File option
to create a bank with the proper instrument patches, then use
Save to Bank 0 to remap the bank-switched instruments.

To restore a primary bank to its original condition, select
Restore Primary Melodic Bank or Restore Primary Drum Bank from
the Special menu.

Renaming a Bank

Select Rename Bank from the File menu. Enter the new name in the
edit box and press OK.

Creating a Bank Based on a MIDI File

Select Get from MIDI File from the File menu to create a custom
bank containing the instruments used in a MIDI file. In the
dialog box that appears, select the MIDI file. After the file
has been read, a New Bank dialog box comes up to let you name
the bank and assign it a number. Both melodic and drum banks are
created.

Deleting a Bank

Select Delete Bank from the File menu to delete the current
program bank.

Showing Patch Information

Select Show Patch Information from the Special menu to display
the name and size of a selected patch file. Get Patch Sizes
displays the size of patch files in the current bank's patch
directory.

Synchronizing to ULTRASND.INI

Select Synchronize to ULTRASND.INI if you have been directly
modifying ULTRASND.INI or if you believe that an application has
added banks to your ULTRASND.INI file. This option causes the
program to re-read all the bank numbers and names from
ULTRASND.INI. This should not normally be necessary.

Restoring Primary Banks

The first time you use Bank Manager, it saves a copy of the two
primary banks. Select Restore Primary Melodic or Drum Bank from
the Special menu to restore altered MIDI programs.

Note!    You can force Bank Manager to save a new default copy of
the Primary Banks by removing the line SavePrimary=FALSE from
the BANKMAN.INI file in your Windows directory.

Technical Note:

The program responds to Continuous Controller #0 messages. When
a Program Change message or CC#0 message is received, Bank
Manager attempts to retrieve the instrument patch from the
selected Program/Bank combination. It uses the GS MIDI fallback
arrangement if the requested Program/Bank does not exist. User
banks (40H-7EH) and special effects programs (70H-7FH) do not
use the fallback mechanism.

If a program number is used on more than one channel, and
different banks are selected for each channel, Bank Manager will
remember only the last bank number selected for that program.
Likewise, when on a drum  channel, if a key is used with more
than one Program Change number, only the last Program Change
number selected is remembered..

_Patch Maker Lite_

Patch Maker Lite_ lets you create new patches, or modify
existing ones, to use in your MIDI music compositions or games.
To learn how to use the patches you create, see the previous
section, "Bank Manager."

_Quick Tutorial

Patch Maker Lite's quick tutorial will acquaint you with many of
its features and take you step by step through the creation of a
new patch.

You can stop the tutorial at any time and resume it later. Make
sure you save the patch you are working on before closing Patch
Maker  Lite. To resume working on a patch, open the saved patch.

Starting the tutorial

In the tutorial, it is assumed that you have installed Patch
Maker Lite in the directory C:\ULTRASND\PMAKER. If you have
chosen to install Patch Maker Lite in a different directory, use
your directory name instead whenever you see C:\ULTRASND\PMAKER.

To start the tutorial, double-click on Patch Maker Lite's icon.
When Patch Maker Lite starts, you'll see an empty window with a
menu bar at the top and a toolbar just below the menu bar.

In the menu, under the Help file, select Contents. Click on
Quick Tour and Tutorial to start the tutorial.

From this point, please follow the tutorial instructions on
screen. To keep the instructions handy, reduce the tutorial
window so you can interactively read and do the tutorial.

After the tutorial...

By now you should have completed the Quick Tour and Tutorial,
and you should be familiar with Patch Maker Lite's features. The
tutorial is a great way to get started, but you may need some
further instructions to help you out when you are on your own.

Menu Commands

Before you can put the _Menu Commands to use, you need to know
how to load an existing patch for editing.

There are three methods for loading patch files:

1.    Use the File/Open command.

2.    Drag and drop a patch file from the Windows File Manager into
Patch Maker Lite's main window. (See your Windows documentation
for more information about drag-and-drop.) The patch file
extension must be .PAT. You can drop several files at the same
time.

 3.    Include the name of the patch file in the command used to
start Patch Maker Lite. For example, to load the patch file
HELLO.PAT when Patch Maker Lite starts, you could create an icon
with the command line PMAKER.EXE HELLO.PAT.



File Menu

New. The New command creates an empty patch. Use New to create a
new patch from scratch using waveforms. To edit an existing
patch, use the File Open... command.

Open... Brings an existing patch into Patch Maker Lite's window
for you to test or modify it. You can also open patches by
specifying them on the command line or by dragging and dropping
them.

Open .WAV File... Opens a waveform file. Later, this can be
added to a patch by dragging and dropping it onto a patch
keyboard.

You can also open a waveform file by specifying its name on the
command line when you run Patch Maker Lite, or by dragging and
dropping a file with the extension .WAV from the File Manager
onto Patch Maker Lite.

Save. Saves a patch that you've created or modified. After you
save your file, any changes you've made to the patch are
permanent.

Save As... Lets you save the current patch into a file with a
different name, preserving the original patch file.

Exit. Lets you leave Patch Maker Lite.

Edit Menu

Delete. Removes the current waveform from the current patch.

_Remove Silence. Eliminates periods of silence from the
beginning and end of a waveform. It works on the current
waveform by doing an analysis to find the first and last sample
points that are louder than a threshold (which is determined
automatically). You are then given the option to delete the
sample points outside that range.

_Maximize Volume. If the current waveform is too quiet, you can
use the Maximize Volume command to increase its volume. The
sample data is analyzed to find the minimum and maximum values,
then all points are multiplied by a factor which ensures that
the maximum allowed range is used. At the same time, the average
value of the samples is arranged to be zero (i.e., any DC offset
is removed). Maximize Volume can help the patch sound better and
avoid pops and clicks.

Windows Menu

Tile. Arranges the patch windows so that they do not overlap.

Cascade. Arranges the patch windows so they overlap in an
orderly fashion.

Arrange Icons. Spaces icons evenly in the main window.

Close All. Closes all patch keyboard windows, patch keyboard
icons, and waveform icons.

Help Menu

Contents. Contains the Table of Contents for the UltraSound
Patch Maker Lite on-line help.

About. Tells you the version number of your copy of Patch Maker
Lite.

Tool Bar



_  Display Patch Information

Shows some information about the patch data. None of this
information is necessary to make patches, but it is provided for
the curious.

Total Patch Size is the amount of UltraSound memory the patch
uses. It is usually a little larger than the sum of the sizes of
each waveform in the patch because the size of each waveform is
rounded up to the next multiple of 32.

Waveform Size is the size in bytes of the current waveform.

Waveform Rate is the sampling rate of the current waveform.

Type of Data. Waveform data can be 8-bit or 16-bit, signed or
unsigned.

 _ Edit Patch Descriptions & Names

This dialog lets you view and modify patch element descriptions.

Patch Description lets you enter text to describe the patch.

Instrument Name holds the name of the instrument for the patch.
Instrument Name can be used by other applications ( for example,
UltraSound Patch Manager) to help identify the patch.

Waveform Name can hold any name. By default, Patch Maker Lite
uses the name of the .WAV file that the waveform came from.

__  Edit Loop Region

A waveform in a patch often has a loop region defined. A loop
region is a portion of a waveform that plays repeatedly. This
allows a note to be played for a long time, even if the waveform
is short. The Edit Loop Region dialog lets you interactively
modify loop region values to get high-quality sound over a long
duration.

Defining the Loop Region. A loop region has a start point and a
length, which can be set by their respective sliders, marked
coarse and fine. Coarse lets you set the value to an approximate
position on the loop; Fine lets you fine tune the value more
precisely for the best sound. You can't have a start point and
loop length combination that would put the end of the loop
region past the end of the sample data.  Thus the sliders may
refuse to move beyond a certain point when you are dragging them
to the right.

Choosing loop parameters that result in a good sound can be
tricky. For many waveforms, the Suggest button can help. When
you press this button, the sample data is analyzed (this may
take a few seconds), and a minimum loop length is suggested. The
Suggest button changes to a Use button after it is pressed.

Here's an example. Lets say the suggested minimum loop is
127.909. You could use this value, but you can sometimes get
better results by using a multiple of the loop's minimum length.
 For example, a multiplier of 4 will give a loop length of 511
10/16. If you press the Use button, the loop length will be set
to 511 10/16 samples, and the loop start point will be set as
close to the end of the waveform as possible. Some fine tuning
may still be needed, but this procedure will often get you into
the right ballpark.

Setting  the Loop Type. The loop region can be played forward,
backward, or in both directions. Check the appropriate box.

Enabling looping. When you bring up this dialog, the Enable
Looping checkbox is checked by default. If you do not want the
patch to play the loop region repeatedly, uncheck this box.

 _Choose Envelope

The Envelope dialog lets you view or modify the envelope options
for the current waveform.

When the UltraSound plays a patch, three regions of the waveform
are treated differently: the part before the loop region, the
loop region, and the part after the loop region. There are two
possible envelope points for each of those regions. They are
called Attack 1, Attack 2, Sustain, Decay, Release 1, and
Release 2.  The Sustain rate applies when a Note On is being
played and looping; the Decay rate applies when a "note off" is
received.

The Choose Envelope dialog offers a simplified set of options
for modifying the envelope. You are allowed to modify the
Sustain and Decay rates, but defaults are used for Attack and
Release rates and the envelope offsets. Also, there are
checkboxes for enabling sustaining and sampled release. Although
limited, these options should suffice for most of the envelopes
you will ever need.

Note!    Because only certain envelope options are available, if
you modify a patch not created with Patch Maker, it may not
sound good with the default envelope settings. Reduce the rate
of decay to 0 as a starting point for modifying such an envelope.

The Before note is turned off... part of the dialog lets you
choose whether you want the note volume to decay while it is
looping and if so, by how much. Use the slider and press the
Play button to experiment.

The Sustain option lets you have control over the volume of a
note while it is playing and looping, before you turn it off.
For most percussion instruments, the notion of turning the "note
off" does not apply; you just want the sample to play through
without looping. In this case, do not check Sustain.

For melodic instruments, you typically want the note to continue
playing (perhaps at decreasing volume) until a "note off" is
sent. In this case, check Sustain. If you do not, the rate of
decay does not apply, and the scroll bar to set the decay rate
is disabled.

The When note is turned off... options let you choose how
quickly the note volume decreases when a "note off" is sent.
Sometimes you can achieve an interesting sound by not decaying
at all when a "note off" is sent, but instead just playing
through whatever is in the waveform. Although you can choose a
rate of decay of 0 to achieve this, it is usually better to
choose Sampled Release.

Note!    If looping is not enabled, the note sound will play only
for the duration of the sample.

Use the Play button to interactively explore the effects of
these options. You may need to stop and re-start the note to
hear the effect of some options.

___  Adjust Tuning

Adjust Tuning lets you tune the current waveform. When you press
the Adjust Tuning button, you will hear your waveform and a
reference tone ( at the correct pitch). Using the reference
tone, you can tune your waveform accurately.

You can set the pitch while the note is playing by adjusting the
slider labeled Sample Pitch. You can play either the waveform
note or reference tone alone, or play them together by choosing
the appropriate option under the Play/Stop button.

In many cases, you can press the Adjust Tuning button to get
some help getting the patch in tune. When you press the Adjust
Tuning button, the sample data is analyzed (this may take a few
seconds), and a frequency is suggested to put the sample in
tune. The label of the button changes to Use. Press the Use
button to apply the suggested frequency to the patch to affect
its pitch.

 __ Edit Vibrato/Tremolo

This dialog lets you view or modify the vibrato (pitch
variation) or tremolo (volume variation) characteristics of the
current waveform. The effects of vibrato and tremolo are
determined by the sweep, rate and depth of the effect.

The sweep value for vibrato or tremolo determines how soon after
the note is turned on that the effect takes place. The larger
the value of sweep, the longer the delay.

The rate value determines how quickly the pitch or volume varies.

The depth value determines how large the variation is.

You can set these values interactively by pressing the Edit
Vibrato/Tremolo button and adjusting the sliders. In some cases,
you'll have to stop and re-start the note in order to hear the
effect.

 __ Adjust Balance

This dialog lets you adjust the balance of the current waveform.
Each waveform in a patch can have its own balance.

__  Panic Button

The Panic Button reloads all patches that you are working on
into UltraSound memory.

There are two situations where you may want to use the Panic
Button:

1.    A note will not stop playing, no matter what you do. (We've
tried to prevent this from happening, but have provided the
panic button, just in case.)

2.    No sound, or incorrect sound, is heard when you play a patch
note. This can happen if you run another program that uses your
UltraSound while Patch Maker Lite is running. The other program
may have loaded its own patches.

4



_Advanced Gravis has provided a number of DOS utilities and
software applications for you to use with your UltraSound.

__DOS Utilities

__Gravutil

A joystick and game card testing and calibration program. Also
lets you adjust your UltraSound's speed compensating game port
to the speed of your computer.

_DOS Programs

__Playfile

A program for playing and recording digital audio sound files.

__Playmidi

A program for playing back MIDI songs or sequences.

Playfile and Playmidi have a full-screen display where you can
perform actions with a mouse or keyboard.



Keyboard Commands:

Tab:    move cursor to next item

Shift + Tab:    move cursor back one item

Left arrow:    move cursor left

Right arrow:    move cursor right

Up arrow:     move cursor up one line

Down arrow:     move cursor down one line

Backspace:     delete character to left of cursor

Del:     delete character under cursor

Ctrl + A:     move cursor to beginning of line

Ctrl + E:     move cursor to end of line

Ctrl + U:     erase all characters to left of cursor

Page Up:     move up one page at a time

Page Down:     move down one page at a time

Space bar:     select an item or pulldown menu in a window with an
arrow box in it

Esc:     void entry

_Playfile

Playfile is a stand-alone program for playing and recording
digital audio (.SND or .WAV) files on your computer. With
Playfile's full-screen display, selection is easy and
convenient.  Playfile also supports command line instructions
and options.

To use the UltraSound Playfile Full-Screen Interface:

r    Type: PLAYFILE <enter>

r    On the playfile utility screen, select a File Format: (  )
.WAV  or  (  )  .SND. The File Mask displays the selection.
Selections are made using the mouse or keyboard.

r    Select a sound file (.WAV or .SND) in the file window. Only
files with the extension shown in the file mask will appear.

    The (DIR:) edit box displays the directory for the file. You
may type into the DIR edit box to enter a directory. The (FILE:)
edit box displays the file.

r    Set the Volume control. You can set this anywhere from 0_4095.
The default is 3500, and should be loud enough.

r    Set the Balance control. This is like the balance control on
your stereo, which controls the loudness of left and right
speakers. You can set it from 0_15; the default is 7, the center
position.

r    Select the Frequency of the .WAV or .SND file (44 kHz, 22 kHz,
or 11 kHz).

Frequency means the speed at which the sound file will play, so
if you lower the frequency, the sound will play more slowly. The
default setting is 22050 Hz, or  22 kHz. You can set the
frequency anywhere from 0_48000 Hz. UltraSound programs use 22
kHz as a  default.

r    Select 8-bit (on) or 16-bit (off).

r    Select Unsigned Data if required. (See the Glossary for a
definition.)

r    Select Stereo to play a stereo file.

r    Select Microphone Enabled to record sound from a microphone
connected to the microphone jack.

r    Select Line Input Enabled to record from a CD player or stereo
device attached to the Line In connector on your UltraSound.

r    Select Amplified Output Enabled to play back through the
speakers.

r    Select Play to play the file.

To Use Playfile from a Command Line

 To play a sound using Playfile:

r    Go to the ULTRASND directory.

Type: CD C:\ULTRASND <enter>

r    Type: PLAYFILE, then a space, followed by the path and file
name for the sound you want to play.

For example, try to play a sound using Playfile and the
ENTER.SND sound file, which was put into the ULTRASND directory
during installation . Type: PLAYFILE C:\ULTRASND\ENTER.SND
<enter>

The sound will play using Playfile's default settings. If you
want to change the way the sound plays, you must use a series of
parameter switches. The basic parameters are found in the
following section. More advanced parameters are found in
Appendix B, "Playfile and Playmidi Parameters."

Playfile's Basic Parameters for Command Line Use

If you use the DOS command line for Playfile, the following
parameters are probably all you'll need to modify your digital
sound files. For a more in depth list of Playfile's commands,
see Appendix B.

The previous instructions for Playfile's full-screen interface
explained Playfile's basic parameters; therefore, only some of
the following commands are defined. The following commands are
the same as the parameters located on Playfile's full-screen
interface.

To Set:    Type Command:

_Balance    -B [ ]    0_16; 7 default

_Volume    -V [ ]    0_4095; 3500 default

_Frequency    -F [ ]    0_41000 (48000 for MAX); 22000 default

_Loop:    -L [ ]    Loop stands for the number of times the file will
repeat, or "loop."  The default is once, but you can loop the
file as many times as you like. When using Playfile, remember
you can't use your computer for anything else, so if you loop a
sound many times, all you can do is listen to it until it's
finished.  You can, however, press the Escape key to exit from
Playfile at any time.

_Stereo    -S

_Record    -R

_Microphone    -M1    The -M1 command lets you record sound using a
microphone in the microphone jack.  In play mode, -M1 defaults
to "off," and in record mode, -M1 defaults to "on."  Type: -M0
to turn it off.

_Line In    -N1    Turns on Line In for CD Player or Stereo recording.
 Type: -N1 into the command line to record a sound from your CD
or stereo (attached to the Line In Connector on your UltraSound
card).  In play mode, this defaults to "off," and in record mode
this parameter defaults to "on."  Type: -N0 to turn it off.

Try Playfile's parameters. Try playing the ENTER.SND file and
experimenting with some of these parameters. The audio may sound
strange as you change the default parameters, but it will give
you an idea of how you can modify sound using Playfile. You can
enter the parameters in any order you like. In both playback and
recording mode, enter only the parameters you want to change.

r    Go to your UltraSound directory

    Type: CD C:\ULTRASND <enter>

r    Type: PLAYFILE [parameters], then a space, followed by the
path for ENTER.SND.

    PLAYFILE -V4095 -F44100 -B0 -L2 C:\ULTRASND\ENTER.SND <enter>

Playfile will play the ENTER.SND file at top volume, at twice
its normal speed, only out of the left speaker, twice.

Recording with __Playfile

Playfile can record and play sound files. To record a file using
Playfile:

r    Connect your input device (CD player, microphone, etc.) to the
appropriate UltraSound connector.

r    Go to your UltraSound directory.

    Type: CD C:\ULTRASND <enter>

r    Type: PLAYFILE [parameters], a space, the path where you would
like to store your sound on your hard disk, and a name for your
sound. It will look something like this:

    PLAYFILE -R C:\ULTRASND\TEST.SND

r    Press <enter> and begin recording. UltraSound starts to record
instantly.

r    Press the space bar to stop recording.

All parameters and commands are the same for recording as they
are for playing back sound, so a default sound will be recorded
at 22 kHz, 8-bit mono.

Using Playfile to Assign a _Start-up Sound

Another way you can use Playfile is to add a start-up sound to
your computer. With Playfile, you can add a command that plays
your favorite sound through your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Then, that
sound will play every time your machine is turned on or
rebooted. This is useful because it shows you whether UltraSound
is working every time you start your machine. Here's how:

r    Using any text editor, add the following lines to your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. These lines must be added after the
ULTRINIT.EXE line:

    PLAYFILE C:\ULTRASND\ENTER.SND

You may use any sound you like, and change any parameters you
wish.

_Playmidi

UltraSound's installation program installed your MIDI sound
files in a separate directory called MIDI. The MIDI player,
called Playmidi, was placed directly into your ULTRASND
directory. Also located in the MIDI directory are the patches,
or individual instruments, that were used to compose the MIDI
sounds. The patches are identified by their .PAT extension.
Included with UltraSound are several songs recorded as MIDI
files. These are identified by .MID extensions.

Playmidi has a full-screen display that is similar to
Playfile's. Playmidi also supports command line options.

A demonstration of Playmidi was installed with your UltraSound
software.

If you would like to hear the MIDI demo:

r    Go to your ULTRASND directory:

    Type: CD C:\ULTRASND <enter>

r    Run the Demo :

    Type: MIDIDEMO

Another MIDI demo is provided for those who have expanded their
UltraSound to its full 1 Megabyte capacity. To Run the 1
Megabyte MIDI demo:

r    Type: MIDI1MB.BAT

To use the UltraSound MIDI File Player full-screen interface:

r    Type: PLAYMIDI <enter>

r    On the Playmidi  screen, the File Mask displays *.MID.

r    Select a sound file in the text window. Selections are made
using the mouse or keyboard.

The DIR: displays the directory for the file; (.MID) files are
in the MIDI directory. The FILE: displays the file.

r    Select Play to play the file.

To use the UltraSound MIDI File Player from the Command Line

r    Change to the UltraSound directory.

    Type: CD C:\ULTRASND <enter>

r    Type Playmidi, followed by the file name for the MIDI song you
want to play. For example:

    Type: PLAYMIDI LATINDNC.MID <enter>

r    To stop the MIDI sound from playing, press any key.

The .CFG file for each MIDI song, like LATIN.MID for example, is
used to set up the appropriate instruments to their respective
channels. MIDI songs without .CFG files will default to the
industry standard General MIDI set.

See Appendix B, "Playfile and Playmidi Parameters" for an
explanation of the command line parameters available with
Playmidi and a discussion of Playmidi.CFG and Default .CFG files.

5



Your joystick must be in good condition and correctly calibrated
(aligned) in order to work with the UltraSound game port.
_Calibration is the process of lining up the joystick's
electrical center with its mechanical center. Once the joystick
is calibrated, the game port can be adjusted to the speed of
your specific computer system. Calibration is sometimes called
"trim."

r    Start your computer with a joystick plugged into the game
port.

r    Go to your UltraSound directory:

    Type: CD C:\ULTRASND <enter>

Running GravUtil

r    Type:  GRAVUTIL <enter> and choose GravTest from the on-screen
menu.

r    GravTest leads you through its Joystick Test Program, asking
you to rotate your joystick in a complete circle. Press the
spacebar when you are finished. Repeat the process if you have a
second joystick connected.

r    With the joystick handle(s) centered, adjust your joystick's
calibration (trim) adjusters to move the Joystick Position
Indicator into the Target Box (see Figure 5-1). See your
joystick's manual for the location of the Calibration Adjusters.
(Some joysticks can't be adjusted.)

Note!    The Indicator may not center exactly in the target box and
may jitter. This is caused by a combination of the setting,
screen resolution, and power supply noise _ it is OK.

r    Press "F1" and repeat the previous step until the Joystick
Position Indicator is positioned in the Target Box, without
additional adjustment of the Calibration Adjusters.

Gravis Analog Joysticks have 3 buttons (Gravis Analog Pro has 5
buttons), each with adjustable functions. The Button Status
Indicators can be used to confirm the function you have assigned
to each of your Gravis Analog Joystick buttons, and to test
whether they are working properly.

UltraSound Game Port Speed Adjustment

Once your joystick is correctly calibrated:

r    Press <Esc> to exit GravTest.

r    Leave your joysticks in the center position to allow the
software to automatically calculate the correct speed
compensation value for your computer system.

r    Exit the program.

GravUtil will display the final speed compensation value for
your computer on screen.  If you do not run GravUtil, your game
port will use a default value of 27.

r    Add the line "_ULTRAJOY [# displayed]" to your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file after the SET ULTRASND= line.

    For example:  ULTRAJOY 8

Your game port is now set to the correct speed compensation
setting for your computer system.

_FindCard_

FindCard_ locates game port circuit conflicts. All game ports
use a common address (201 Hex) and will not function properly if
there is another device (Multi I/O card, other sound card,
etc.) using that address. If you are experiencing problems with
games behaving erratically, you may have a circuit conflict. To
determine whether this is the case, follow these steps.

Note!    To accurately find _conflicting game card circuits,
FindCard must be run WITHOUT the UltraSound Card installed, or
with its game port disabled (type: ULTRINIT -DJ to disable the
game port).

r    Remove your UltraSound card from your computer.

r    Turn off your computer's power for one minute, then restart.

FindCard will only work accurately if run immediately after a
cold boot (power turned off for 30 seconds or longer).

If your AUTOEXEC.BAT file runs any TSRs (memory resident
programs), start your computer with a boot disk that does not
run these programs.

r    Start your computer.

r    Run FindCard. Type: GRAVUTIL <enter> and select FindCard from
the menu.

r    Press any key to allow FindCard to check for conflicting game
cards or game card circuits.

If a conflict is unlikely, FindCard will display a "Technical
Reference Number (1)" or "(8)" message. If FindCard locates a
conflicting card, it will display a message stating that it has
verified a conflict. A number between 2-7 means that there is a
possible conflict or game card detected.

To correct a conflict, either remove or disable the conflicting
device, or disable the UltraSound game port by running Ultrinit
using a -DJ switch (OFF); i.e., ULTRINIT -DJ. Please refer to
the README file or see "DOS Troubleshooting" in Chapter 7 if you
have any problems.

__UltraJoy

If you experience problems with a particular game, you can
change the speed compensation setting right from the DOS prompt.
To change the setting:

r    Change to your ULTRASND directory.

    Type: CD C:\ULTRASND <enter>

r    At the DOS prompt:

    Type:  ULTRAJOY [2-31]<enter>

Values entered can range from 2 to 31. The default is 27. Faster
machines require lower numbers. To determine the proper _speed,
run JoyComp as described in the previous section. If the game is
still not behaving properly, try the following:

r    Run UltraJoy; substitute a number other than the one in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT for the speed compensation value.

r    Run the game and test joystick performance.

r    Quit and return to your ULTRASND directory.

r    Adjust the speed with UltraJoy and repeat the above steps
until you are satisfied with the control of your game.

You can start problem games you have identified more easily if
you write a batch file to run UltraJoy with the adjusted Speed
Compensation Value, then start the game. To do this, in any text
editor:

r    Type: ULTRAJOY [correct value] [game's name and path]<enter> .
For example:

    ULTRAJOY 8

    CD\GAMESDIR

    REVENGE OF THE GRAVOIDS

    <enter>

r    Save your work as "[whatever].BAT."

6



Cards that use FM synthesis produce "computery" and indistinct
sound. UltraSound uses a more advanced technology--wavetable
synthesis_ sampling real instruments to create music and sound
effects for games. The result? Clear, natural, realistic sound.

UltraSound can be supported by games in four ways:

1)    Native (Direct) support

2)    Audio Interface Libraries (AIL) drivers with Ultramid

3)    Mega-Em emulator (to support Rolandr MT-32 or SCC1
applications)

4)    SBOS (to support Sound Blaster_ or Ad Libr audio in most
games)

UltraSound Emulation Manager

The UltraSound Emulation Manager lets you load and unload the
sound emulation programs quickly and easily.

r    Type: E (to start the Emulation Manager)

r    Select one of the five options:

    1)    Sound Blaster Emulation

    2)    Ultramid Emulation

    3)    Mega-Em Emulation

    4)    Remove All Emulations

    5)    Exit

Note!    When you choose an emulator, any previously loaded
emulation programs are unloaded automatically.

Step 1. Choose a Method of Sound Support

Try the following game sound solutions, in order, to get the
best sound possible from your games.

A)    Native (Direct) Support

If the game supports UltraSound directly, with no additional
software drivers, UltraSound appears in the list of sound cards
in the game's Setup program. Games like this produce the best
results_fantastic sound using UltraSound's 32 digital channels.
If your game supports UltraSound directly:

r    Select UltraSound from the list of supported sound cards, then
start the game.

Enjoy the best PC game sound available! Go to Step 2.

Note!    More game developers are including direct UltraSound
support in their games all the time. Check the Advanced Gravis
BBS (see Chapter 8) or check with the game's manufacturer for
information on upgrades to make your game directly compatible
with UltraSound. Check your software store for new game titles
that support UltraSound.

_B)    Audio Interface Libraries (AIL) Drivers/Ultramid

If a game does not include UltraSound in its list of sound
cards, check whether the game came with AIL drivers and Ultramid:

r    After installing the game, check its directory to see whether
there are any files with the extension .ADV. If there are, the
game probably uses the AIL drivers. To check whether Ultramid is
included, look for the file "ULTRAMID.EXE."

If your game came with the AIL Drivers and Ultramid, please
refer to the game's documentation for further information.

If your game DID NOT come with the drivers:

r    If the game came with the files SBDIG.ADV and SBMID.ADV, make
backups by copying them as SBDIG.SAV and SBMID.SAV.

    Replace the files with the drivers on the UltraSound disks:

Type:  CD C:\ULTRASND\ULTRAMID <enter>

    COPY GF1DIG.ADV C:\[game directory]\SBDIG.ADV <enter>

    COPY GF1MID.ADV C:\[game directory]\SBMID.ADV <enter>

r    Load Ultramid from DOS: Type: ULTRAMID or type: E 2

r    Run the game's Setup again and  choose Sound Blaster from the
list of cards. If your game works with sound, go to Step 2.

Note!    If you don't get proper sound, check the Advanced Gravis
BBS (see Chapter 8) or check with the game manufacturer for
information on upgrades that will allow the game to work with
AIL drivers. Or try the next method of sound support _ C)
Mega-Em.

_How AIL Support Works

AIL drivers are a set of translators that let game developers
add sound capabilities to a game without programming it for a
specific sound card.

AIL drivers support General MIDI as well as digital sound, so
they allow a MIDI-capable sound card (like UltraSound)  to play
great-sounding music as well as digital effects. These library
drivers let developers use UltraSound's wavetable synthesizer
and digital interface to play 8 or 16-bit audio in either mono
or stereo mode.

_Ultramid

Ultramid is a utility that activates the AIL Drivers so that
they can take advantage of UltraSound's advanced features.

Game publishers often include the AIL drivers and the Ultramid
utility with their games; but, if they don't, these drivers are
provided on your UltraSound disks.

Ultramid attempts to load itself partially or fully into upper
memory, depending on the amount of  upper memory available.

_C) Mega-Em (Emulator) Support

Mega-Em provides good quality music and sound effects for games
that do not directly support UltraSound, but use General MIDI,
Roland MT-32, or a Roland SCC1 and Sound Blaster combination.

To load Mega-Em:

r    Type: MEGAEM <enter>EMUSET <enter>

r    or Type: E 3(to load Mega-Em from the Emulation Manager)

See Appendix C for detailed instructions and specific
parameters.

One benefit of Mega-Em is that it loads completely into expanded
memory (EMS). Mega-Em requires a memory manager to run.

If the game works with sound after loading Mega-Em, go to Step 2.

Note!    If your game will not allow you to use a memory driver, or
if it was written in protected mode, Mega-Em may not work.

_D) SBOS_

The Sound Board Operating System (SBOS) is a driver that allows
your UltraSound to run programs written for a __Sound Blaster_
or __Ad Libr sound card.

During the UltraSound installation, you were prompted to choose
whether you wanted to have SBOS load automatically at start-up.
If you selected YES, SBOS loads into memory at start-up and
stays in memory unless you free it (see Unloading SBOS from
Memory).

If you selected NO, you'll have to manually run SBOS if you want
to emulate Sound Blaster or Ad Lib:

r    At the C:> prompt:

    Type:  SBOS <enter> or type: E 1 <enter>

After SBOS loads successfully, you will hear "SBOS installed."

With SBOS loaded, you can play games that support Sound Blaster
or Ad Lib. Be sure to choose Sound Blaster (NOT Sound Blaster
Pro) from the game's setup to enable UltraSound's capabilities.

Note!    SBOS re-maps game sounds into stereo, even if they were
designed for mono Sound Blaster or Ad Lib_so games played with
SBOS on UltraSound often sound better than they do on a Sound
Blaster.

Unloading SBOS from Memory

The Sbosdrv  program stays resident in memory until you turn
your computer off or free the Sound Board Operating System from
memory. (If you load another emulator using the Emulation
Manager, SBOS is automatically freed from memory.)

r    To free SBOS, at the C:> prompt: Type: SBOS -F <enter>

SBOS loads automatically into high memory whenever possible.

_SBOS Help

To access on-line help for SBOS:

r    At the C:> prompt, Type: SBOS -H

Specific Game Options

Advanced Gravis has identified a few games that require
additional parameters to run with SBOS.  These parameters are
included in the SBOS.CFG file. When you launch one of these
games while SBOS is loaded, the correct parameter is applied
automatically.

Check your games' documentation for other parameters that may be
required for sound card recognition.

SBOS Parameters

-K    Enable Volume Control

-M    Disable auto load high

-L    Enable Line In

-P    Load without "SBOS Installed" message

-F    Free SBOS from memory

-H    Help (also lists additional parameters)

Step 2. Set Up Your Games for Sound

Games Already Installed on your Computer

You may have to reconfigure games already installed on your
computer before you can use them with UltraSound.

See the game's Setup instructions. You may need to reinstall the
game and enter the appropriate settings (IRQ, DMA, Base Port
Address) so that the game will work with UltraSound.

New Games

When you install a new game, its installation program may ask
you what type of sound board you are using.

If UltraSound is in the menu:

r    Choose UltraSound.

If UltraSound is NOT in the menu:

r    If the game works with AIL drivers,  and you have loaded
Ultramid (see Step 1), choose Sound Blaster.

If AIL drivers do not work, but General MIDI, Roland MT 32,
SCC1, or Sound Canvas are listed, and you've loaded Mega-Em (see
Step 1):

r    Choose General MIDI, Roland MT 32, SCC1, or Sound Canvas, if
available.

For games written for Sound Blaster, after you've loaded SBOS
(see Step 1):

r    Select Sound Blaster.

A game's installation may ask you for the UltraSound or Sound
Blaster settings (IRQ, DMA, and Base Port Address). You can
check or change your settings by running  Setup:

r    Type:  SETUP

In the Installation Guide there is a chart to record your
settings (it's also in Appendix H). Refer to your chart and
enter the values you selected in UltraSound Setup.

Step 3. __Set the Volume

You can control the volume in games that support UltraSound by
changing the external volume on your speakers or stereo. For
headphones, we recommend an inexpensive external volume control
(Radio Shack #42-2459 or equivalent - about $5).

Volume control for Ultramid:

r    Type: ULTRAMID -M[0-127] . The default is 127 (loudest).

Volume control for Mega-Em:

r    Type: EMUSET -V[1-16]. The default is 16(loudest).

Volume control for SBOS:

 You can adjust the volume in SBOS at any time, even in the
middle of a game if you enabled keyboard control when you ran
SBOS. To do this:

r    At the C:> prompt: Type: SBOS -K

r    During the game,    Type:  [ to raise the volume.

r    Type:  ] to lower the volume.

The volume changes each time you press one of these keys.

Note!    Some games take control of the keyboard; the keyboard
volume adjustment feature will not work in those cases.

You can also adjust the master volume for all applications that
use SBOS to generate sound. Set the master volume to any level
from 0-32;  0 is quietest and 32 is loudest. The default is 28.
To adjust the master volume:

r    Type:  SBOS -V[0-32]

For example: SBOS -V32 raises the master volume to its maximum.

To adjust digital volume (sound effects) only, type: SBOS
-VD[0-32].

To adjust FM volume (music) only, type: SBOS -VF[0-32].

Tips and Hints

You can change the "SBOS installed" message to any other sound
you would like using the SBOS.CFG file. To do this, start a text
editor (for example, MS DOS users can type EDIT), then:

r    Open the SBOS.CFG file.

r    Type the full name of the sound file you would like to play
instead of "SBOS installed," a comma, and the speed (in Hz) at
which the file should play. For example:

    Type:  ARROW.SND, 20050

    Make sure it is the last line in your text file.

r    Make sure the .SND file is in the C:\ULTRASND\SBOS directory.

    You may also use a Windows .WAV file. Just make a copy of the
sound file and change the extension .WAV to .SND (this will
cause a click at the beginning of the sound) or use Sound
Converter to convert the .WAV file to a .SND file.

r    Save your work.

Games Requiring Large Amounts of Memory

If a game you want to install requires a lot of conventional
memory (base RAM), your best bet is to clean up your system's
memory to make room. Refer to your memory manager's
documentation in your DOS manual on how to free conventional
memory. If you are using MS-DOS v.6.0 or later, you can use the
MEMMAKER command to free memory. With QEMM or 386MAX, use
MAXIMIZE.

If you have problems with games that require a lot of memory,
please refer to the  "DOS Troubleshooting" section in Chapter  7.

If Your Game Doesn't Make Any Sounds

If your game remains silent, look in the game's documentation
for answers. Also, refer to "DOS Troubleshooting" in Chapter 7.

7



Please refer to the "README" file for the most up-to-date
technical information.

DOS Troubleshooting

My UltraSound isn't producing sound.

Your UltraSound may not be connected securely, and may not be
seated properly in the bus slot. Reset the card, or try a
different bus slot.

If you are running sound through your stereo:

Make sure that your stereo is working correctly and connected
properly. Make sure that you have selected the correct input at
the back of your stereo and that the correct input selector
switch is set at the front panel of your stereo. Use any input
on your stereo except the phono input_it will sound terrible,
and could damage your speakers and phono input!

Is there a conflict with another device or card?

Change the settings of the conflicting card. To identify
conflicts, remove all the non-essential cards from your machine
one by one. After removing each card, run the software that is
giving you trouble, and note whether the problem occurs. When
you find the card causing the problem, check its DMA channel,
IRQ, and Base (I/O) Port Address. Once you have identified the
conflict, change the appropriate setting. Be careful not to
cause a conflict with any other card in your system.

Is your UltraSound in a 16-bit slot?

Make sure that the UltraSound card is in a 16-bit slot in your
computer.

I can't record sounds from my microphone.

Your microphone may be plugged into the wrong connector. Check
that it is plugged into the Microphone In connector, that it is
a compatible dynamic or condenser microphone, and that it is
turned on.

I can't record sounds from my microphone.

Your hard disk is probably fragmented or too slow.  This is most
often a problem when recording at a high sample rate and
resolution. To prevent this problem, obtain and run a disk
defragmenting utility. (If you have DOS 6.0 or later, you can
use DEFRAG.) It is only necessary to optimize the "free space"
on your hard disk, so look for this option in your  disk
optimizing software.

When errors occur in a part of a recording, they can almost
always be corrected by simply re-recording the same material_as
long as the second recording is no longer than the first.

I'm having trouble with my game using SBOS. It either makes no
sound at all, or it sounds garbled and funny.

A number of problems could cause this.

1.    Make sure that SBOSDRV and LOADSBOS were loaded successfully.
Type: SBOS. You should hear "SBOS installed" when the files load
properly.

Is SBOS loaded and running?

2.    If you are trying to use a game in Sound Blaster or Ad Lib
mode, make sure that you run SBOS first. If you're not sure,
exit the game and type SBOS again.

Did you select a sound card?

3.    Check the game's setup. Did you select a sound card? Most
games have a specific configuration step where you have to
"tell" the game to use a specific sound card. Usually, this step
is called Setup and is available from the game's main menu.
Sometimes you select the sound card by running a separate
program called Setup or Install. See your game's documentation,
and Chapter 6 of this guide, for details on configuring your
game with UltraSound in SBOS mode.

Does your game require an additional parameter?

4.    Some games require you to enter an additional parameter for
sound board support when starting the game. For example, you may
have to type C:\KILLERCOWS SBLASTER. (Killer Cows is not a real
game.) If your game requires this, load SBOS first, then start
the game with this additional parameter.

Is your MIDI IRQ compatible?

5.    This problem could also indicate that the MIDI IRQ variable
(the last one) in the SET ULTRASND string in your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file is incompatible with SBOS. The MIDI IRQ must be either 2,
3, 5, or 7 (5 or 7 recommended). CAUTION: Be careful not to
select a variable that is used by one of your other devices.

    Some programs require IRQ 7 as the default IRQ. Run Setup to
change your MIDI IRQ to 7.

Some programs look only at the BLASTER environment string for
IRQ and DMA. Make sure that SET ULTRASND and SET BLASTER
commands in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file have the same IRQ and DMA
channels selected.

Do you have enough free conventional memory?

6.    Check that the application has enough conventional memory to
run with audio after loading SBOS. You may need to change your
system configuration (i.e., by loading drivers high, removing
drivers, etc.) to free more memory. Loading SBOS high saves 20K
of memory. See your DOS manual for more information on memory
management.

    If you are using QEMM, run Optimize to locate more free memory.
DOS 6.0 and later versions can use MEMMAKER.

Are your SBOS files in the right directory?

7.    Make sure that the files and patches required for SBOS (see
Chapter 6) are in the same directory, and that the directory is
in the SBOS path.

Is your UltraSound in a 16-bit slot?

8.    Make sure that the UltraSound card is in a 16-bit slot in
your computer.

I keep getting a "Bad or missing SBOSLIB.SBS file" message.

Make sure that there are no devices using DMA Channel 1 in your
machine. If there are, change their DMA channels. DMA Channel 1
is hardware-set for Sound Blaster.

Also make sure that the file is present in the SBOS directory.
If you obtained an upgrade for SBOS (e.g., from our BBS), remove
all old copies of SBOS from your system.

My sound plays, but it has lots of static.

Check the connections.

Some computers may have "noisy" power supplies or hard drives.
These noises are picked up and amplified through UltraSound's
amplifier. Either turn down the volume, or use an external
amplifier.

I'm having trouble printing a document.

A conflict may occur if you have a printer connected to LPT1
(printer port 1) because LPT1 also uses IRQ 7 (the UltraSound
and Sound Blaster IRQ default). A conflict occurs when two
devices try to access the same IRQ at the same time. Disable
your UltraSound card while you print, or use another printer
port.

I receive the warning "NMI Procedure on this PC is disabled"
when I load SBOS.

Don't panic. It may mean that the NMI functions were not
implemented correctly. Make sure that the parity check circuitry
on your PC is enabled: check whether PARITY is enabled in your
extended CMOS setup or set jumpers on the motherboard.

Here is an example for the Tandy 4850EP (486DX2/50): Under the
power supply are four DIP switches. According to the manual, DIP
1 is marked "Reserved for factory use...." In fact, this switch
enables parity checking for onboard memory because the NMI
doesn't work. In this case, you'll have to replace the
motherboard. NOTE: You don't need to replace the CPU or memory.
If the motherboard is not under warranty, a new one  will range
from $100 to $200.

NMI stands for Non Maskable Interrupt. When an NMI is generated,
the PC finishes executing its current instruction, then
interrupts the current program procedure to handle whatever
called the NMI. The PC services the NMI, then returns to the
current program procedure.

The NMI is usually caused by the parity-checking circuitry of
your PC when an ONBOARD PARITY ERROR has occurred.

SBOS requires a way of communicating with the UltraSound so that
games will not interfere with it; to do this, SBOS communicates
through the NMI. The SBOS emulation works well for most games,
but may not work properly if  a game also tries to use an NMI.

I'm having problems with the 16-bit DMA channels.

UltraSound's default DMA channel is an 8-bit channel because
some motherboards do not have working 16-bit DMA channels.
However, the 16-bit DMA channels may work fine on your computer.
Try to run UltraSound on a 16-bit channel_performance will be
better. Using a 16-bit channel allows the UltraSound to transfer
data twice as fast.

The 8-bit channels are 0-3; the 16-bit channels are 4-7. Stereo
recording will be better on 16-bit channels.

If strange things happen with the 16-bit channel, switch back to
a free 8-bit channel.



Windows Troubleshooting

I get no MIDI sound in any application.

During initialization, the driver scans the ULTRASND.INI file
for the names of the patch files that will be used to play MIDI
data. Two problems could cause an error:

1.    The PATCHDIR entry in the [UltraSound] section of
ULTRASND.INI does not point to a directory containing all of the
patch files listed in the [Melodic Patches] and [Drum Patches]
sections of ULTRASND.INI.

r    Edit the ULTRASND.INI file, and correct any errors in the
PATCHDIR entry. For example: [ULTRASOUND]
PATCHDIR=C:\ULTRASND\MIDI\

2.    The patch file listed in the error message, GUITAR.PAT, for
example, has been misspelled, damaged, or does not exist.

r    Check the spelling and existence of the patch identified in
the message in the ULTRASND.INI file. Note that the file
extension, .PAT, is not included:

    [MELODIC PATCHES]

    0=ACPIANO

    .

    [DRUM PATCHES]

    27=HIGHQ

I have problems playing MIDI and .WAV files.

If no sound occurs when you play MIDI files, or instruments seem
to be missing:

r    Make sure that the UltraSound setup is selected in the MIDI
Mapper.

r    Set the MIDI Volume scroll bar to the far right (the highest
volume). This scroll bar can be found in the Mixer Options in
the Setup section of the Drivers dialog box.

r    Pause or stop playing the MIDI file, stop any .WAV file that
is playing, and restart the MIDI file.

I get no MIDI sound or inappropriate sound in particular
applications.

The application may not be using patch caching. (See "Patch
Caching" at the end of Chapter 2.)

If you have an application that does not use patch caching, you
can load a subset of the General MIDI set before running that
application. Do the following:

r    Click on the Drivers icon under the Control Panel, and select
the UltraWave and MIDI Synth or the UltraSound audio driver
(whichever one you have).

r    Click on the Setup button. Then click on Performance Options
to access the Conserve Memory button.

r    Click on the MIDI Mapper (also under the Control Panel) to
select the appropriate setup for the amount of memory on your
UltraSound. For example, select Ultra 512K in the name box if
you have a 512K card.

r    Load patches from the MIDI file that corresponds to the amount
of memory on your UltraSound: LOAD512.MID or LOAD1024.MID.

To revert to normal operation:

r    Select UltraSound Setup in the MIDI Mapper, and enable the
High Fidelity option of the driver.

I received a Windows Initialization Error.

An error may have occurred in the GRVSULTR.386 driver. Make
certain that the line DEVICE=GRVSULTR 386 is in the [386ENH]
section of the SYSTEM.INI. Also make sure that the GRVSULTR386
file is in your \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.

The UltraSound driver requires Windows 3.1 or better, running in
Enhanced mode. Check the Windows User's Guide to make sure that
your computer meets the requirements of enhanced mode Windows.
(A 386 or greater with at least 4 MB of RAM is recommended.)

The UltraSound driver may not have been initialized because of a
DRAM failure or a Base (I/O) Port Address conflict. During
Windows initialization, the driver may have been unable to
validate the UltraSound hardware. Exit Windows, and execute
SETUP in the UltraSound installation directory. This diagnostic
tool will verify that your hardware settings are correct and
report any hardware failures.

Did you receive the message "The following initialization file
cannot be opened... \xxx\ ULTRASND.INI"?

r    Exit Windows.

r    Set the DOS environment variable ULTRADIR to the UltraSound
installation directory. For example: Type: SET
ULTRADIR=C:\ULTRASND <enter>

    (This is only set until you turn off your computer.)

r    Verify that the ULTRASND.INI file exists in the UltraSound
installation directory.

r    Restart Windows.

The driver needs the ULTRASND.INI file to locate MIDI patches
for use with Windows and to initialize itself to play MIDI
files.)

The volume increases after I pause and restart some MIDI files
using Media Player.

The Media Player only sends MIDI controller messages the first
time a MIDI file begins to play. Since the MIDI controller
messages that affect volume are not sent when playback is
resumed, a default volume is used, and this may be louder than
the composer intended. This is a bug in Media Player.

When I use Windows for Workgroups, I need more PC memory than I
did with a standard Windows installation.

If you have installed Windows for Workgroups, note that it
typically requires twice as much PC memory to regain the
performance that you had with a standard Windows installation.
An option is available to disable resource sharing under Windows
for Workgroups. This option will conserve memory.

No sound occurs when I play a .WAV file.

A .WAV file uses extended RAM. For example, a 2 MB .WAV file
uses 2 MB of extended RAM. If you don't have enough extended RAM
available_which varies with the number of applications you have
open_you'll have problems.

r    Quit as many applications as possible to free extended RAM.

Is the Wave Volume set too low?

r    Set the Wave Volume scroll bar to the far right (highest
volume). This scroll bar can be found in the Mixer Options in
the Setup section of the Drivers dialog box.

Is another sound card conflicting with the UltraSound card?

r    If another audio card is installed, check that the UltraSound
is set up as the first Wave device in the SYSTEM.INI. The
[DRIVERS] section of the SYSTEM.INI should have the following
line:

    WAVE=ULTRASND.DRV

    Other audio cards will be designated as         WAVE1, WAVE2, etc.

Some .WAV files seem to contain unexpected pauses and clicks.

386SX class machines are unable to play .WAV files from Video
for Windows without pauses in the audio. See the topic
"Performance Options" in Chapter 2 for more information.

8



Advanced Gravis is proud of the quality, design, and workmanship
that goes into all of our products. However, occasionally a
customer has difficulty installing or using a product. This
section will put you in touch with Gravis Technical Support.
Information about our warranty is also included here.

Registration

It is important that you fill out and mail the enclosed
registration card. Registration ensures that your name is added
to our customer data base. Registered customers are eligible for:

o    Access to FREE technical support.

o    Notification of significant upgrades.

o    Access to special offers and discounts available only to
registered users.

Technical Support

Technical support is available to all registered owners of
Advanced Gravis products. But it is recommended that you first
read the "README" file on your UltraSound installation diskettes.

There is no charge for Technical Support,  aside from possible
long distance charges.

Technical Support_Telephone

Technical support is available by telephone 9AM-4PM  Pacific
Coast Time at [phone]. Fax: [phone].

_Technical Support Tips

    To keep your costs to a minimum, here are a few hints:

o     If only certain programs are affected, read their manuals for
information relating to sound cards and game cards.

o    Call from a phone where you have access to your computer so
that you can test suggestions and provide any additional
information that may be required.

o     Please prepare the following information:

    -Name, address, and telephone number

    -The name of the Gravis product

    -The make and model of your computer

    -Your system software and version

    -The Gravis software version number

    -The software affected by the problem

    -The symptoms of the problem, and what led to them

Technical Support_Electronic Mail

Contact Advanced Gravis by modem at the following addresses:

_CompuServer:     GO PCVENB area #14

Advanced _Gravis BBS:     [phone]

Gravis BBS modem setting:    V32bis N81

                 Or:    [phone]

    28.8 V.FC baud N81

_Internet:     [e-mail]

_FidoNET:     1:153/978

FTP:      archive.epas.utoronto.ca             pub/pc/ultrasound

Internet Mail List:     [e-mail] subscribe

AOL(America On-line):    email Adv Gravis
      go keyword Gravis

When contacting Gravis via electronic mail, it is important that
you provide all the information described above. Otherwise, it
will take longer to get back to you with an answer.

_Warranty Information

Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. (Hereinafter referred
to as GRAVIS) warrants to the original purchaser of the Gravis
UltraSound (hereinafter referred to as ULTRASOUND) manufactured
by GRAVIS that it will be free of defects in materials and
workmanship for a period of one year from the original date of
purchase. (UltraSound MAX has a limited three year warranty.)

Information on obtaining warranty services is provided in the
Warranty Claim Instructions section. You must provide proof of
purchase when requesting repairs during the warranty period. All
warranty claims must be sent to GRAVIS_do not return your
ULTRASOUND to your place of purchase.

GRAVIS is not responsible for any indirect, special,
incremental, consequential or similar damages or lost data or
profits to you or any other person or entity regardless of the
legal theory, even if we have been advised of the possibility of
such damage. Some states do not allow the exclusion or
limitation of consequential damages, so the above limitation or
exclusion may not apply to you. Our liability for any damage to
you or any third party in the event that any of the above
limitations are held unenforceable shall not exceed three times
the fee you paid for ULTRASOUND regardless of the form of any
claim.

During the warranty period, GRAVIS will repair (or at its option
replace with a reconditioned ULTRASOUND at no extra charge)
components that are defective, provided ULTRASOUND is returned
with proof of purchase and shipped prepaid to:

ADVANCED GRAVIS COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY LTD.

Canadian and International Customers

101-3750 North Fraser Way

Burnaby, B. C. V5J 5E9

Canada

U. S. Customers

1790 Midway Lane

Bellingham, WA 98226

U. S. A.

Items returned to the Canadian address from the U.S. will be
returned to sender due to customs, importation and tax
regulations.

Warranty Claim Instructions

Carefully read the warranty section and provide a detailed
description of the problem, including the make and model of your
computer system, and the name, version, and publisher of the
software you are using.

Include the following information:

o    Your name and address.

o    Home and business telephone numbers.

o    Fax number (if applicable).

o    A copy of your original sales bill.

U.S. customers are to send warranty claims to the Bellingham,
Washington address. Canadian and all other International
customers are to send warranty claims to the Canadian address.
When sending claims internationally, please state on your
customs form that it is a Canadian-made product you are
returning for warranty repairs.

The means of product shipment to GRAVIS is at your cost and
discretion. We suggest that you insure your Gravis ULTRASOUND in
case of loss or damage during shipment. GRAVIS is not
responsible for product lost or damaged in shipment.

9



__Gravis _Joystick "Y" Cable

Because the joystick connector on your UltraSound is also a MIDI
connector, regular Y-cable joystick adapters do not work with
UltraSound. This is because some of the pins on the port are
reserved for MIDI functions. We recommend the special Joystick
"Y" Cable made by Advanced Gravis that lets you connect two
joysticks to your UltraSound.

UltraSound _MIDI Adaptor

Only the UltraSound MIDI Adaptor from Advanced Gravis is truly
Advanced.

Features MIDI IN, OUT, and THRU connectors, two 15-pin joystick
connectors, 4-foot cable, MIDI activity LEDs, and a bonus 6 foot
MIDI cable. Works with any sound card with a 15-pin "D"
connector UART/MPU 401 type MIDI interface including Sound
Blaster, Pro Audio Spectrum, and of course, UltraSound!

Memory Upgrade

Upgrade your UltraSound's memory from 512K to 1 MB. All you need
is one 256K x 16-bit memory chip, available directly from
Advanced Gravis or from computer retailers.

When you install your memory upgrade, UltraSound automatically
detects the amount of memory installed_no jumper setting
required. See the Check DRAM option in the Diagnostics section
of the Advanced mode SETUP to test your UltraSound's memory.

Installing Memory

Caution!    Power off your computer and ground yourself to a metal
part of its case, or wear a wrist strap when installing memory.

The memory sockets are located at the top left of the sound card.



Notice that one corner of each memory socket is beveled (angled
- see figure above). One side of each memory chip is also
slightly beveled. Look closely at the chip from the side view.

Place a chip into a socket on the UltraSound card, matching the
beveled edge of the chip with the beveled corner on the socket
(the beveled edges designate pin 1). Press firmly until all of
the pins are secure in the socket, and the top of the chip is
flush with the top of the socket. Repeat this procedure to
install each chip.

Caution!    Before you power on your computer, double check that
you have installed each chip correctly. If you install a chip
backwards, it will heat up and cause damage to your UltraSound
card or other components in your computer.

Note!    Installation in an UltraSound version 3.73 or earlier is
similar, but the chips are DIP DRAM rather than surface mounted
DRAM. Instructions are included with the upgrade kit from Gravis.

Ordering Information

Please call, write or fax Gravis or your dealer for pricing and
availability on these items.

To place orders, please call Gravis Sales/Technical Support at
[phone] or [phone].

10



3D sound

UltraSound's unique hardware and software creates 3D sound using
Focal Point's 3D sound technology.

The new technology allows audio to place sounds above, below,
and to the right, left and back of the listener with just two
speakers.

_16-bit

A single binary unit (1 or 0) is 1 bit. One byte is 8 bits, and
2 bytes are 16 bits. With 1-bit sound, there are two
possibilities: on or off. With 8-bit sound there are 256
possible combinations. With 16 bits, there are more than 65,000
possible digital configurations, resulting in richer and more
detailed sound.

_32-voice

UltraSound is capable of producing a variety of sounds. These
sounds are called voices or patches. UltraSound can play up to
32 voices - or synthesized music notes - at the same time.

ADC

Analog to Digital Converter. The ADC converts electrical signals
into digital data. UltraSound has one ADC.

Applet

This is a Windows term for a small program. Applets are visually
represented by icons in Windows.

_CD Quality

The standard measure of CD quality is a frequency of 44.1 kHz,
at a depth of 16 bits. UltraSound is capable of exceeding these
specifications.

CD ROM

A personal computer compact disc drive. CD ROM is an affordable
way to store lots of data.

Contiguous

A file is contiguous if the whole file is located in one area on
the disk or hard drive and all blocks are adjacent to each other
in order from beginning to end.

DAC

An acronym for Digital to Analog Converter. The DAC converts
digital information to electrical signals (voltages), and sends
the sound through the speakers. All CD players and synthesizers
contain a DAC. UltraSound has one DAC.

Depth

The depth value for tremolo or vibrato determines how large the
variation in pitch or volume is.

DMA Channel

An acronym for _Direct Memory Access Channel. UltraSound can use
2 DMA channels - one for recording, the other for playing - but
both must be set in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. (The AUTOEXEC.BAT
file is set automatically with the Install program.)

Direct Memory Access is used by UltraSound to transfer sound
data directly, without using the CPU. This allows, for example,
simultaneous play of sounds and graphics in a game. UltraSound
supports full 16-bit DMA transfers if plugged into a 16-bit ISA
bus slot.

FM Synthesis

An outdated technology which recreates or mimics an instrument's
sound by manipulating a wave (sound) shape or form until the
sound is close to that of the actual instrument.

General MIDI

A music industry standard that specifies the basic capabilities
of a music synthesis device. It maps instruments sounds into
standard MIDI codes.

IRQ

An acronym for _Interrupt Request. This is how UltraSound checks
and updates information sent to it through your computer. When
you set the IRQ, it tells UltraSound how and where to look for
information. If another device shares the same IRQ, UltraSound
will not work properly.

MIDI

Musical Instrument Digital Interface.  A digital communication
standard that lets electronic musical instruments talk or
communicate with each other. Think of MIDI as a language for
electronic musical instruments. MIDI conveys many different
things at once: for example, when you play a note, MIDI sends
the information on what note is being played, how loud, and when
it starts and stops.

MIDI Channels

Sixteen separate channels that send or receive MIDI data.

MIDI Files

MIDI files or MIDI song files identified by the .MID extension.
MIDI song files contain instructions that allow your PC to play
the synthesizer on your sound board, or to control external MIDI
synthesizers or sound modules.

MIDI Mapper

A Windows tool that allows you to change MIDI data being sent
through Windows_'s MIDI software drivers.

Mixer

Allows you to change audio levels in a sound card. The
UltraSound Mixer lets you control UltraSound's audio levels.

MPC

Multimedia PC or MPC is an equipment specification standard for
personal computers. MPC currently has two standards: MPC Level 1
or MPC Level 2. MPC Level 2 has stricter specifications than MPC
Level 1.

MPU-401

A board interface that allows personal computers to connect to
MIDI devices like keyboards or drum machines.

_Offset

Offset refers, in general, to where information begins.

_Patch

A patch is one voice, typically an instrument or a digital
sound. UltraSound can play up to 32 voices at once and comes
with a number of patches for playing MIDI songs, as well as
separate patches for use in games with the Sound Board Operating
System (SBOS).

Rate

The rate value for vibrato and tremolo determines how quickly
the pitch or volume of a sound varies.

Root Frequency

The root frequency of a waveform in a patch determines the pitch
at which a note will play. The root frequency is normally the
frequency that the note was played at when it was sampled;
however, it might be different to allow for fine tuning of the
note.

Sample

A sample is a single number representing one point in a
digitized sound.

Sampling Rate

The number of digital audio samples recorded per second. A
sampling rate of 22 kHz means that 22,000 digital samples are
recorded each second of audio. The higher the sampling rate, the
better the sound quality. One drawback to using a high sampling
rate, for instance 44 kHz, is that it uses more disk space.

SCSI

Small Computer Systems Interface. A hardware and software
standard for sending data between computers or computer
peripherals and devices.

There are two types of SCSI: SCSI 1 and SCSI 2. The essential
difference is that a device with SCSI 2 transfers data faster.

Sequencing

A method whereby a computer, or hardware sequencer, records MIDI
information. Sequencing is also achieved by sequencer software
like Power Chords_ for UltraSound and Midisoftr's Recording
Session_ included with your UltraSound software. With sequencer
software, you can compose you own MIDI files or modify MIDI
songs.

Sustain

If a waveform's envelope has sustain selected, a note will play
through the first part of the envelope, then maintain a constant
rate of increase or decrease of volume for as long as it is on.
When the note is turned off, the note plays through the
remainder of the envelope.

Sweep

Sweep determines how soon after a note is turned on that an
effect takes place. The larger the value of sweep, the longer
the delay.

Twos Complement (_Signed) Data

The data format used by most sound cards to store and record
digital information. UltraSound's GF1 automatically converts
unsigned binary data to Twos Complement data, so if you have
REAL twos complement data, you must "tell" the chip, to prevent
it from attempting conversion.

_Unsigned Data

The most common type of digital data for sound. Most Sound
Blaster and compatible sounds are unsigned data, as are
UltraSound and Macintosh sounds. You don't have to enter any
parameters when playing these types of sounds with Playfile.

VOC Files

A format for storing digital audio, .VOC files can be converted
into .WAV format by software. For example, WinConvert, which
came with your UltraSound software, can convert .VOC files to
.WAV.

WAV Files

Waveform audio is digitized sound that is stored in a file with
a .WAV extension. A format for storing digital audio,
standardized by Microsoft.

Waveform

A collection of samples of a sound. In Windows, waveforms are
usually stored in a file with a .WAV extension. A patch contains
one or more waveforms, which contain the sampled sounds of an
instrument.

Wavetable Synthesis

Also know as waveform synthesis, wavetable synthesis creates
sounds by recording the actual instruments to produce natural
and realistic sound files, or patches, for applications and
games. The result of this process is an accurate electronic
reproduction of real instruments.

Appendix A



Setting Jumpers

UltraSound's DMA and IRQ settings are software selectable. These
can be adjusted without physically touching the card. The Base
Port Address setting, however, cannot be reliably selected by
software means. We have provided jumpers to allow you to change
the Base Port Address if necessary.

_Jumpers are small plastic clips covering metal strips, used
like switches. By placing a plastic clip (provided) over one
pair of pins, you are setting those jumpers on.

Base Port Address

The default (factory set) base (I/O) Port Address for the
UltraSound is 220 Hex, shown in Figure A-1 (next page). On the
UltraSound MAX card, the Base Port Address is located just to
the right of center.

The UltraSound cannot have the same Base Port Address as another
device in your computer. In case of a conflict, you must change
one device's address. For Sound Blaster support, the base
address for the UltraSound must be 220 (the default) or 240 Hex.

See the next page for the address settings.

Pin Pair:    Addresses Used    Addresses Used    Ad Lib Range

4    5    6    7        at 200 Range    at 300 Range    (always)

*off    on    on    on    210    210H...215H    310H...31FH    388H...389H

on    off    on    on    **220    220H...22FH    320H...32FH    388H...389H

off    off    on    on    230    230H...23FH    330H...33FH    388H...389H

on    on    off    on    240    240H...24FH    340H...34FH    388H...389H

off    on    off    on    250    250H...25FH    350H...35FH    388H...389H

on    off    off    on    260    260H...26FH    360H...36FH    388H...389H

* Off indicates that no jumper clip is used on that jumper pin
set.

**220 Hex is the factory-set default address. 220 or 240 hex is
required for Sound Blaster

   support.

Appendix B



__Playfile Parameters

Playfile has a number of parameters that let you modify the way
you play sounds from the command line.

Don't type the square bracket characters ([  ]); they are merely
a warning that you need to enter a number after the letter.

-P    Play a file.

-P allows you to play a .SND file. -P is the  default setting
and doesn't have to be entered.

-R    Record a file.

This parameter lets you record a sound. To record a sound, enter
-R in the command line, plus the full name for the sound you
wish to record, and the path you want it saved to. For example:
-R C:\ULTRASND\NOISE.SND.

-B[ ]    Set the balance for the digital channel. (Enter 0-15).

The default setting is 7, or in the center. To change it, enter
-B  plus the desired balance in the command string. (Mono
playback only.)

-V[ ]    Set the volume of the digital channel. (Enter 0-4095).

The default setting is 3500.

-L[ ]    Set the number of repeats.

The default for this setting is once. If you would like a sound
to play more than once, include -L[ ] plus the number of times
you want the sound to repeat, or loop, in the command string.
The maximum number of loops is 65,535.

-F[ ]    Set the frequency (speed) of the digital channel in Hz.
(Enter 4000-48000 Hz.) The default setting is 22050 Hz, which is
usually adequate. If your sound was recorded at a different
frequency, it may sound strange at this frequency. Increasing
the frequency will make it sound faster; decreasing it, slower.
Add -F[ ]  plus the desired frequency to the command line if a
speed other than the default is required. The lowest recommended
setting is 4000 Hz, although you can set the frequency lower if
you want.

-S    Specify a stereo digital file.

The default setting is mono, so if you wish to record a sound in
stereo, or play a sound recorded in stereo, you must enter -S in
the command line.

-O[ ]    Supply the starting offset into the digital file.

You can tell the program to start playing your sound file X
number of bytes into the sound. Enter -O plus the number of
bytes in the command line.

-T[ ]    Length (in bytes) of how long to play or record.

The only limit to this parameter is the size of your hard drive.
-T[ ] is also useful when used with -O, because by entering a
starting offset and a value for -T, you can play just a portion
of a sound.

-I    Information Display about the status of a channel.

The -I switch, when typed while a sound is playing using
Playfile, displays the status of UltraSound's channels on your
monitor. By default there is no display.

-D[1/0]    Enables or disables the UltraSound GF1 DAC output.

Turn on or off the Gravis chip's (GF1) Digital to Analog
converter by typing -D while a sound is playing; 1 enables
output and 0 disables output.

-N[1/0]    Enables or disables the line level input.

    This turns on or off the inputs from the UltraSound card; 1
enables line input and 0 disables line input.

-M[1/0]     Microphone enable or disabl; 1 enables the microphone
and 0 disables the microphone.

-16    Specify a 16-bit digital file.

The default is 8-bit. To play a 16-bit file, be sure to enter
-16 into the command line.

-2    Specify twos complement (signed) data.

Most sound files use unsigned (offset binary) data, so this
parameter is usually unnecessary. Most Sound Blaster and
compatible sound cards, Forte boards, and Mac sounds use
unsigned data. If a sound will not play, and you don't know its
source, try entering -2 into the command line.

These parameters  do not have to be entered in order, but the
way the sound was recorded determines which parameters you
enter. The only rule is  that you must enter the file name last
if it is required. Not all sounds require you to enter all
parameters, and most files will play using UltraSound's default
settings.

_Playmidi Parameters

Playmidi, like Playfile, has several options, or parameters,
that can be entered to control MIDI playback. These options are:

-C[ ]    Removes a MIDI channel. Enter the channel number you wish
to remove in place of the square brackets.

+C[ ]    Adds a MIDI channel. Enter the channel number you wish to
add in place of the square brackets.

-DEBUG    Displays debugging and text information.

+D[ ]    Increases the delay between MIDI events.

-D[ ]     Decreases the delay between MIDI events.

-8    Forces patches to 8-bit to conserve UltraSound DRAM.

+GS    This parameter makes channel 10 play from the rhythm set.

-GS    This parameter makes channel 10 play from the tone set.

-H    Help. Type: PLAYMIDI -H for Playmidi's on-screen help file.

-ICHANNEL    Entering this parameter causes UltraSound to ignore
channel information and play all channels on channel 0.

-IPROGRAM    Entering this parameter causes UltraSound to ignore
all instrument changes.

-ICONTROL    Causes UltraSound to ignore all control changes.

-IPITCHBEND    Entering this parameter causes UltraSound to ignore
all pitchbend information.

-IAFTERTOUCH    Entering this parameter causes UltraSound to ignore
aftertouch information.

-T[ ]    Removes a track. Enter the track number you wish to remove
after the T.

+T[ ]    Adds a track. Enter the track number you wish to add after
the  T.

-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.

-P    Allows you to play whatever can fit into on-card memory,
ignoring all errors.

-DEBUG    Turns on UltraSound debug.

-V    Displays the version number of your Playmidi software.

-V[ ]    Sets the master volume anywhere from 0-4095. The default
is 3095.

-VERBOSE    Displays text information about what you are playing.

-VIDEO    Disables graphic display.

_Playmidi Configuration File

Playmidi will look for a configuration file called xxxxxxxx.CFG
in the following way: first, Playmidi looks in your current
directory; second, it looks in the MIDI subdirectory for the
environment variable called ULTRADIR; and finally, Playmidi goes
through your specified path to find the .CFG file.

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 Playmidi finds the files, it looks for the instrument
patch files. Playmidi uses the search pattern noted above to
find DEFAULT.CFG. Once it finds all the necessary files, it
passes the configuration file, downloads the appropriate patches
and starts the MIDI sequence. The .CFG file has different types
of lines to aid Playmidi in playing a file. A line starting with
a # is ignored.

Here's an example:

CHANNEL 10 RYTHM_SET

or

CHANNEL 10 TONE_SET

Tells a MID channel to pick instruments from either the tone-set
or rhythm-set. The configuration file also has lines like the
following:

[instrument #]    [patch name]    [% of max volume]    [de-tune
parameters]

    :        :             :                 :            :        :             :                 :

    :        :             :                 :        The file should have one line per
instrument. The instrument number is defined inside the specific
MIDI sequence file (xxxxxx.MID). Instrument #0 is the default
instrument for the tone set that is used if a patch isn't found.
If the correct patch is not found, Instrument #129 is the
default instrument for the rhythm set. Instruments #1-128 are
the tone instruments for programs #1-128. Instruments #129-256
are the rhythm instruments (drums) for programs #1-128.

The patch name is the file that contains the patch information
for that particular instrument. If a patch does not exist for an
instrument, choose a patch for a similar instrument. Many
sequences do not follow the General MIDI set; for these, you
must select a patch file by guessting what instrument the MIDI
file was written for. Playmidi makes it easy to play a piece
that was written for one instrument on another.

The next parameter raises or lowers the volume of that
instrument relative to the others. This is used to lower the
volume of a particularly loud instrument, like a percussion, or
raise the volume of a softer instrument. The number is a
percentage of the maximum volume. Therefore, 100 is `normal'
volume, 50 is half volume, etc. The default setting for this
volume parameter is 100. This parameter is optional.

The last parameter "detunes" an instrument. This is the number
of semitones that will be added to each note played. This
parameter is also optional.

_Default.Cfg Files

The configuration files for each MIDI song on your disk tell the
computer which instruments to use on what channel. When Playmidi
plays a file, it looks for this .CFG file using the ULTRADIR
application. You can change instruments by rearranging the
instruments assigned to the program numbers. A typical file
looks something like this:

1        MIRACLE.PAT

129-256    PERCS.PAT    60

13        MARIMBA.PAT    80

32        ACOUSTIC.PAT

74        WOODFLUT.PAT

66        TENORSAX.PAT    80

The first number is the instrument that will play. The
instrument number is defined inside the specific MIDI sequence
file. Instrument 0 is the default instrument for the tone set
that is used if a patch isn't found. Instrument 129 is the
default instrument used for the rhythm set.

The next parameter in the .CFG file is the patch name.

After the patch name is a parameter for changing the volume of a
MIDI instrument. The default is 100, and 50 is half volume. This
parameter is optional.

The final optional parameter "detunes" the instrument. The
number you enter here is the number of semitones that will be
added to each note played.

If you swapped the program numbers for flute and marimba, the
flute would play where the marimba did in the original version,
and vice-versa. You can create interesting effects this way, but
remember to note the original configuration or make a copy of
it, or you could lose your original song. If no .CFG file is
found, Playmidi will use  DEFAULT.CFG, a standard MIDI set.

For more information, open one of the .CFG files, using any text
editor, and read the information displayed on screen.

Appendix C



Introduction

Mega-Em is a program that allows you to emulate the Roland
MT-32, Roland Sound Canvas General MIDI, and the Sound Blaster
(Digital Only) using your Gravis UltraSound. Sound Blaster Music
and Roland MPU-401 MIDI interface emulation through the
UltraSound MIDI port may be available in future releases of
Mega-Em.

Mega-Em Features

o    High quality Roland Sound Canvas and MT-32 music emulation

o    Sound Blaster digital emulation, with generally improved sound
quality over a real Sound Blaster card

o    Loads entirely into the EMS memory space _ uses no lower or
upper DOS memory

o    Fast: entirely written in Assembler

o    Many custom options, but easy to use

_Mega-Em Requirements

o    386 or better AT class personal computer

o    Hard drive

o    Gravis UltraSound card

o    Expanded Memory Manager, such as EMM386.EXE, QEMM386 or 386MAX

o    Approximately 80K of free Expanded Memory (EMS). Mega-Em uses
no low or high DOS memory (i.e., no conventional memory)

Important Notes

Mega-Em does not work with most protected mode software (e.g.,
Windows, Commanche, and Privateer).

Mega-Em is constantly improved and updated. Please read the
README file supplied with the Mega-Em software for the latest
information regarding usage, features, command line options, and
problem solving.

Using Mega-Em

To load Mega-Em, from your UltraSound directory, type the
following:

r    MEGAEM [options] <enter>

r    EMUSET [options] <enter>

All options are up to you to choose. Valid options for MEGAEM
and EMUSET are listed below.

* Future versions of Mega-Em may incorporate EMUSET into the
MEGAEM program.

Valid options for Mega-Em

For each option type:  MEGAEM [option] <enter>. For example:

r    Type: MEGAEM -U <enter> to unload MEGAEM. You must do this to
use other UltraSound software.

-H or -?    Displays the Mega-Em help screen.

-U or -F    Unloads Mega-Em from memory. You must do this to use
other UltraSound software.

-ROFF    Turns off Roland emulation.

-SBOFF    Turns off Sound Blaster emulation.

-RIRQx    Specifies Roland IRQ number. By default, Mega-Em will not
generate a Roland IRQ since very little software requires it. If
your software fails on Roland initialization, you should use
this option, preferably using IRQ 2. Valid IRQ values are x=2,
3, 5 or 7.

-NOEMS    Forces Mega-Em to load when EMS services are disabled
(for example, when the NOEMS option is used in your EMM386
command line). Note that you must still have a memory manager
loaded to run Mega-Em.

Valid options for EMUSET

-H or -?    Displays the EMUSET help screen.

-MT    Emulates a Roland MT-32/LAPC1. The default is to emulate a
Roland Sound Canvas. However, if your software does not have
Sound Canvas/SCC1/General MIDI support, use MT-32/LAPC1/Roland
support ("Roland" alone usually refers to the MT-32/LAPC1
devices).

-L     Enables the UltraSound line input.

-Mxx    Specifies music volume level. The default level is 12. The
valid range is xx =1-16 (loudest).

-Vxx    Specifies master volume level. The default level is 16. The
valid range is xx =1-16 (loudest).

-COx    Coexists with real MPU-401 MIDI interface. While Mega-Em
will function correctly with a real MPU-401 MIDI interface
installed in the system, no software will be able to access the
real interface while emulation is active. This option allows
Mega-Em to be used together with a real MPU-401 MIDI  interface.
This can be useful for DOS based MIDI sequencers.

X=1      Allows both input and output to real MPU-401. With this
option, music will play through both the external MIDI device(s)
and the UltraSound synthesizer.

X=2      Only allows input from real MPU-401. Music will only play
through the UltraSound. Using this option may also increase
Mega-Em's compatibility on systems with a real MPU-401.

Configuring Software for Mega-Em

Software programs are configured for different sound devices in
many different ways. Some will attempt to auto-detect sound
devices and use the best one they find; others will prompt you
during the running of the program or require you to delete a
configuration file, so you can change the configuration. Most
common is the use of a setup program, usually called SETUP,
INSTALL or CONFIG. For the correct procedure for a specific
program, you should consult the program's manual.

OK, I know how to configure my software; now what?

First make sure Mega-Em is loaded and emulation is on. If the
program has auto-detect, simply running the program should
detect the devices you are emulating. If you are prompted to
select a sound device, select the one you have your emulation
set up for.

But there are too many options. What do I choose?

For the Roland MT-32 emulation you should look for `MT-32' or
`LAPC1'. Some software just lists `Roland' as an option. This
usually refers to the MT-32. Remember that if you select this
option you must run EMUSET -MT; otherwise Mega-Em will emulate a
Sound Canvas by default.

For Roland Sound Canvas emulation (the default),  look for
`Sound Canvas,' `SCC1' or `General MIDI.'

If you have the option of MT-32 or Sound Canvas, select Sound
Canvas because in most cases, selecting it will give better
performance.

For Sound Blaster emulation, look for Sound Blaster. Remember,
Mega-Em will not play Sound Blaster Music, only digital effects.

Now the program is asking for my sound card settings. What
should they be?

If prompted for:

o    A MIDI interface - Select Roland MPU-401.

o    A Roland base address - Select 330 hex.

o    A Roland IRQ setting - Select IRQ 2 or 9. If your software
fails to initialize the Roland, try using the -RIRQx switch with
MEGAEM.EXE.

o    A Sound Blaster base address - Select your UltraSound Base
Port Address unless you have used the -SBBxxx switch with
MEGAEM.EXE.

o    A Sound Blaster IRQ - Select your UltraSound MIDI IRQ unless
you have used the -SBIx switch with MEGAEM.EXE.

o    A Sound Blaster DMA channel - Select 1.

By now you should be ready to run your software. Always remember
to load Mega-Em and turn on emulation before running the
software. Many programs will crash if they're set up for a
certain music device but can't locate it.

Using Mega-Em. A Step-by-Step Example

This example assumes  that your program's manual tells you to
configure your sound options with a program called INSTALL, and
that the program is run by typing START <enter>.

Step 1.    Load MEGAEM.EXE by typing : MEGAEM <enter>. If you need
to use any options,

    type : MEGAEM [options] <enter>.

Step 2.    Turn on emulation by typing  EMUSET <enter>. Many
programs will only allow you to select sound devices they can
detect.

Step 3.    Load the installation program by typing: INSTALL <enter>.

Step 4.    Answer any prompts until you are prompted to select a
sound device.

        Assume you are given the following options:

        o Ad Lib

        o Sound Blaster

        o Roland MT-32/LAPC1

        o Roland Sound Canvas

        o Roland MT-32/LAPC1 with Sound Blaster

        o Roland Sound Canvas with Sound Blaster

Step 5.    In this case you should select "Roland Sound Canvas with
Sound Blaster" because it will probably give the best music
performance and digital sound effects. Note that any of the
above examples will work with Mega-Em, although the "Ad Lib"
option will not give any sound, and the "Sound Blaster" option
will not play any music or "FM" effects.

Step 6.    Complete the rest of the prompts from the installation
program. If prompted whether or not to save the configuration,
select YES.

Step 7.    Load your program by typing: START <enter>. That's it.

Note!     You shouldn't have to configure the program again. Just
make sure you have loaded Mega-Em and turned on the emulation by
running  EMUSET.

Appendix D



ULTRINIT.EXE

__ULTRINIT.EXE is a utility used to initialize your UltraSound
for use. Gravis strongly recommends that you leave 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

SET ULTRA16=32C,0,0,1,0 (required for MAX)

The installation program adds these lines automatically.

Note!    Most UltraSound software will work even if ULTRINIT has
not been run. However, ULTRINIT is required for some software to
be able to use the MIDI port, and it also resets the UltraSound
to stop any continuously playing sounds. Continuously playing
sounds may occur if you reboot your computer while the
UltraSound is playing a sound or sound file.

ULTRINIT.EXE has six options :

-O    Leaves output enabled after it resets the card

-M    Leaves microphone input enabled

-L    Leaves line level input enabled

-S     Does not display title screen

-DJ    Disables UltraSound joystick port

-EJ    Enables UltraSound joystick port

-EC     Enable CD-ROM line in

-DC    Disable CD-ROM line in

To leave output , microphone, and line level input enabled after
 ULTRINIT resets the UltraSound card,  for example, type:
ULTRINIT  -O  -M  -L.

Appendix E



To install UltraSound Windows 3.1 drivers manually, follow these
instructions.

*Note: If you have not previously installed any other sound
cards or MCI MIDI devices in your system, 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 subdirectory), you can copy it with
a different name or extension to the same directory. For
example, from your C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ directory:

r    Type:  COPY MIDIMAP.CFG MIDIMAP.SAV

Installing the Drivers

At the DOS prompt, start Windows.

r    Type:  WIN <enter>

r    Open the Drivers applet located in the Control Panel (in the
Main group).

These Windows 3.1 drivers must be installed for UltraSound to
work: MIDI Mapper, TIMER, {MCI} MIDI Sequencer, and {MCI} Sound
drivers. If any of  these drivers are missing, click on the ADD
button to install them now. You will be prompted for certain
Windows 3.1 diskettes. Restart Windows to activate 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 from
Windows. Select each driver,  and click on the Remove button.
Remove several drivers, if you like, before restarting Windows
to activate the changes.

Note!    It is possible to leave your old sound card in if it is
used only for DOS applications.

Now, install the UltraSound driver.

r    Click on the ADD button. Select the Unlisted or Updated Driver
in the Drivers list box, and click OK.

A new dialog box appears in which you must enter the path to
your UltraSound driver. For example:

r    C:\ULTRASND\WINDOWS (assuming you installed UltraSound to
drive C:)

 Note!    If for some reason you have deleted the UltraSound
drivers, you can re-install them from your UltraSound disks. By
default, they are located in the ULTRASND directory.

The Ultra Wave and MIDI Synth driver description should appear
in another dialog box.

r     Click on it , then click OK.

Note!    There is also an UltraSound MIDI Port Driver.

The UltraSound driver and associated files are installed
automatically in the appropriate directories.

The UltraSound Setup dialog box appears.

r    Click on the appropriate boxes, and change the setup
parameters if needed to match your UltraSound configuration.
Refer to the Setup Record you filled out in the Quick
Installation Guide. Click on Restart Now to activate 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 sound sounds like `Ta Da'...) when Windows starts.

To further test .WAV file playing, open the Windows Sound
applets (in the Control Panel) or Sound Recorder (in the
Accessories group) and experiment. To test MIDI file playing,
open Media Player in the Accessories group, and look for the
CANYON.MID MIDI file. Press the `triangle' play button to hear
the song.

You are now ready to use any Windows based MIDI sequencer or
MIDI player to create or hear songs with UltraSound's full
16-bit digitized instrument set. Consult your software
application's manual or the Windows 3.1 manual for an
explanation of the MIDI Mapper applet in the Control Panel. If
the UltraSound is your only output device, the current MIDI
Mapper settings should be fine.

Installing and Using the UltraSound Mixer

We have included a simple Windows applet to allow volume
control, output on/off, and selection of line and microphone
input. Here's how to install it manually:

r    Select the group you want the Mixer applet to reside in, then
select New from the Program Manager's File menu.

r    With the Program Item radio button on (the default), click OK.
A dialog box called Program Item Properties opens. In the Name
text box, call the item US_Mixer, or UltraMix or whatever you
like.

r    In the Command Line box enter the path
C:\ULTRASND\WINDOWS\MIXER.EXE (assuming you installed the
Ultrasound files in the default directory C:\ULTRASND).

r    Then click OK. The Mixer applet's icon will  appear in the
group you selected.

r    Open the applet by double-clicking on it, and experiment with
the level control and input and  output check boxes. When
recording using the line out of a CD or tape player, be sure to
have the Microphone Input turned off to avoid recording noise
from the unused input.  When recording with the Microphone
Input, turn off the Line Input.

Appendix F



Some of the programs bundled with the UltraSound product are
shareware. These programs were written by users like you who
were enthusiastic about the product and wished to write programs
specifically for our card. Since the shareware and public domain
concepts are quite often misunderstood,  what follows is an
explanation by The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP)
from their article, "What is _Shareware?".

Some Definitions

You've probably heard the terms  public domain, freeware,
shareware, and others like them.  Your favorite BBS or disk
vendor probably has many programs described by one or more of
these words.  There's a lot of confusion about and between these
terms, but they actually have specific meanings and
implications. Once you understand them, you'll have an easier
time navigating the maze of programs available to you, and
understanding what your obligations are, or aren't, with each
type of program.

Let's start with some basic definitions:

_Public domain has a very specific legal meaning.  It means that
the creator of a work (in this case, software), who had legal
ownership of that work, has given up ownership and dedicated the
work "to the public domain."  Once something is in the public
domain, anyone can use it in any way they choose. The author has
no control over the use and cannot demand payment for it.

If you find a program that the author has explicitly put into
the public domain, you are free to use it however you see fit
without paying for the right to use it.  But use care -due to
the confusion over the meaning of the words, programs are often
described by authors as being public domain when, in fact, they
are shareware or free, copyrighted software.  Look for an
explicit statement from the author to be sure a program is
public domain.

Copyrighted is the opposite of public domain.  A copyrighted
program means the author has asserted his or her legal right to
control the program's use and distribution, by placing the
legally required copyright notices in the program and
documentation.  The law gives copyright owners broad rights to
restrict how their work is distributed, and provides for
penalties for those who violate these restrictions.  When you
find a copyrighted program, you must use it in accordance with
the copyright owner's restrictions regarding distribution and
payment.  Usually, these are clearly stated in the program
documentation.

Maintaining a copyright does not necessarily imply charging a
fee, so it is possible and perfectly legal to have copyrighted
programs which are distributed free of charge.  The fact that a
program is free, however, does not mean it is in the public
domain -though this is a common confusion.

Shareware is copyrighted software which is distributed by
authors through bulletin boards, on-line services, disk vendors,
and copies passed among friends.  It is commercial software
which you are allowed to use and evaluate before paying for it.
This makes shareware the ultimate in money back guarantees.

The Shareware Concept

Most money back guarantees work like this:  You pay for the
product and then have some period of time to try it and see
whether or not you like it.  If you don't like it or find that
it doesn't do what you need, you return it (undamaged) and at
some point - which may take months - you get your money back.
Some software companies won't even let you try their product!
In order to qualify for a refund, the diskette envelope must
have an unbroken seal.  With these "licensing" agreements, you
only qualify for your money back if you haven't tried the
product. How absurd!

Shareware is very different.  With shareware you get to use it
for a limited time, without spending a penny.  You are able to
use the software on your own system(s), in your own special work
environment, with no sales people looking over your shoulder.
If you decide not to continue using it, you throw it away and
forget all about it.  No paperwork, phone calls, or
correspondence to waste your valuable time.  If you do continue
using it, then - and only then -do you pay for it. Shareware is
a distribution method, NOT a type of software. Shareware is
produced by accomplished programmers, just like retail software.
 There is good and bad shareware, just as there is good and bad
retail software.  The primary difference between shareware and
retail software is that with shareware you know if it's good or
bad BEFORE you pay for it.

As a software user, you benefit because you get to use the
software to determine whether it meets your needs before you pay
for it, and authors benefit because they are able to get their
products into your hands without the hundreds of thousands of
dollars in expenses it takes to launch a traditional retail
software product.  There are many programs on the market today
which would never have become available without the shareware
marketing method.

The shareware system and the continued availability of quality
shareware products depend on your willingness to register and
pay for the shareware you use.  The registration fees you pay
allow us to support and continue to develop our products.

Please show your support for shareware by registering those
programs you actually use and by passing them on to others.

Shareware is kept alive by YOUR support!

Contacting ASP Members Via CompuServe

There is an easy and convenient way to speak directly to many
ASP Members (both authors and vendors).  Visit the shareware
forum on CompuServe.  Simply type "GO SHAREWARE," "GO SHARE," or
"GO ASPFORUM" from any CompuServe ! prompt.

Here you will be able to talk to the authors of your favorite
shareware programs, learn about other programs, ask questions,
make suggestions, and much more.  We'd love to meet you on-line,
please come visit us today!

Copyright c 1990,1991 by Falk Data Systems.

All Rights Reserved.





UltaSound _General MIDI Drum Set

Program        General MIDI    UltraSound

Number    Note    Name    Name    Size (k)

27    D#1    High Q    HIGHQ    3.9

28    E1    Slap    SLAP    12.1

29    F1    Scratch Push    SCRATCH1    9.1

30    F#1    Scratch Pull    SCRATCH2    4.9

31    G1    Sticks    STICKS    8.8

32    G#1    Square Click    SQRCLICK    0.6

33    A1    Metronome Click    METCLICK    0.6

34    A#1    Metronome Bell    METBELL    0.6

35    B1    Acoustic Bass    KICK1    9.6

36    C2    Bass Drum 1    KICK2    10.4

37    C#2    Side Stick    STICKRIM    6.0

38    D2    Acoustic Snare    SNARE1    17.5

39    D#2    Handclap    CLAPS    11.8

40    E2    Electric Snare    SNARE2    8.6

41    F2    Low Floor Tom    TOMLO2    19.6

42    F#2    Closed High Hat    HIHATCL    9.5

43    G2    High Floor Tom    TOMLO1    13.5

44    G#2    Pedal High Hat    HIHATPD    4.0

45    A2    Low Tom    TOMMID2    18.5

46    A#2    Open High Hat    HIHATOP    40.4

47    B2    Low-Mid Tom    TOMMID1    13.5

48    C3    Hi-Mid Tom    TOMHI2    13.5

49    C#3    Crash Cymbal 1    CYMCRSH1    63.4

50    D3    High Tom    TOMHI1    13.5

51    D#3    Ride Cymbal 1    CYMRIDE1    35.7

52    E3    Chinese Cymbal    CYMCHINA    48.6

53    F3    Ride Bell    CYMBELL    34.9

54    F#3    Tambourine    TAMBORIN    18.3

55    G3    Splash Cymbal    CYMSPLSH    63.4

56    G#3    Cowbell    COWBELL    6.7

57    A3    Crash Cymbal 2    CYMCRSH2    62.4

58    A#3    VibraSlap    VIBSLAP    19.3

59    B3    Ride Cymbal 2    CYMRIDE2    35.7

60    C4    Hi Bongo    BONGOHI    7.3

61    C#4    Low Bongo    BONGOLO    9.2

62    D4    Mute High Conga    CONGAHI1    8.8

63    D#4    Open High Conga    CONGAHI2    9.8

64    E4    Low Conga    CONGALO    9.8

65    F4    High Tinmbale    TIMBALEH    10.9

66    F#4    Low Timbale    TIMBALEL    19.8

67    G4    High Agogo    AGOGOHI    7.3

68    G34    Low Agogo    AGOGOLO    7.3

69    A4    Casaba    CASABA    17.2

70    A#4    Maracas    MARACAS    9.4

71    B4    Short Whistle    WHISTLE1    4.3

72    C5    Long Whistle    WHISTLE2    2.2

73    C#5    Short Guiro    GUIRO1    8.6

74    D5    Long Guiro    GUIRO2    18.9

75    D#5    Claves    CLAVES    5.1

76    E5    High Wood Block    WOODBLK1    5.1

77    F5    Low Wood Block    WOODBLK2    7.7

78    F#5    Mute Cuica    CUICA1    19.0

79    G5    Open Cuica    CUICA2    26.1

80    G#5    Mute Triangle    TRIANGL1    4.8

81    A5    Open Triangle    TRIANGL2    31.9

82    A#5    Shaler    SHAKER    6.6

83    B5    Jingle Bell    JINGLES    34.3

84    C6    Bell Tree    BELLTREE    64.1

85    C#6    Castinets    CASTINET    12.4

86    D6    Mute Surdo    SURDO1    19.6

87    D#6    Open Surdo    SURDO2    19.6

UltaSound _General MIDI Instrument Set

Sound    Instrument    General MIDI    UltraSound    No. of

Group    Number    Name    Name    Samples    Size (k)

Pianos    0    Acoustic Grand    AcPiano1    7    65.3

    1    Bright Acoustic Piano    BritePno    6    72.7

    2    Electric Grand Piano    SymPiano    5    11.5

    3    Honky-Tonk Piano    HonkTonk    7    128.0

    4    Rhodes Piano    Epiano1    1    15.0

    5    Chorused Piano    Epiano2    1    44.2

    6    Harpsichord    Hrpschrd    4    7.7

    7    Clavinet    Clavinet    4    3.4

Chromatic    8    Celesta    Celeste    1    14.1

Percussion    9    Glockenspiel    Glocken    1    0.6

    10    Music Box    Musicbox    1    31.0

    11    Vibraphone    Vibes    1    21.0

    12    Marimba    Marimba    1    4.5

    13    Xylophone    Xylophon    1    5.6

    14    Tubular Bells    Tubebell    2    18.6

    15    Dulcimer    Santur    1    43.8

Organ    16    Hammond Organ    Homeorg    1    2.0

    17    Percussive Organ    Percorg    1    0.8

    18    Rock Organ    Rockorg    1    60.8

    19    Church Organ    Church    1    28.5

    20    Reed Organ    ReedOrgan    1    3.5

    21    Accordian    Accordn    2    19.6

    22    Harmonica    Harmonca    3    15.3

    23    Tango Accordian    Concrtna

Guitar    24    Acoustic Guitar (nylon)    NyGuitar    1    39.2

    25    Acoustic Guitar (steel)    AcGuitar    2    52.6

    26    Electric (jazz)    Jazzgtr    3    55.9

    27    Electric (clean)    Cleangtr    3    46.0

    28    Electric (muted)    MuteGtr    2    12.0

    29    Overdriven Guitar    Odguitar    4    25.8

    30    Distortion Guitar    Distgtr    4    38.2

    31    Guitar Harmonics    Gtrharm    1    10.1

Bass    32    Acoustic Bass    AcBass    1    11.0

    33    Electric (finger)    FngrBass    1    9.0

    34    Electric (pick)    Pickbass    2    33.2

    35    Fretless Bass    Fretless    2    5.6

    36    Step Bass 1    Stepbas1    2    56.1

    37    Step Bass 2    Stepbas2    2    41.5

    38    Synth Bass 1    Synbass1    1    12.6

    39    Synth Bass 2    Synbass2    1    12.6

Strings &    40    Violin    Violin    3    12.3

Orchestral    41    Viola    Viola    4    56.4

    42    Cello    Cello    3    18.8

    43    ContraBass    Contraba    1    9.7

    44    Tremolo Strings    Marcato    2    122.9

    45    Pizzicato Strings    Pizzicato    2    40.2

    46    Orchestral Harp    Harp    3    35.2

    47    Timpani    Timpani    1    30.0

Ensemble    48    String Ensemble 1    Marcato    2    122.9

    49    String Ensemble 2    Slowstr    1    36.7

    50    Synth Strings 1    SynStr1    1    62.8

    51    Synth Strings 2    SynStr2    1    29.4

Ensemble (cont.)    52    Choir Aahs    Choir    1    25.0

    53    Voice Oohs    Doo    2    17.3

    54    Synth Voice    Voices    1    61.4

    55    Orchestra Hit    OrchHit    1    28.8

Brass    56    Trumpet    Trumpet    2    13.6

    57    Trombone    Trombone    2    26

    58    Tuba    Tuba    1    11.9

    59    Muted Trumpet    Mutetrum    5    19.0

    60    French Horn    Frenchhrn    2    28.6

    61    Brass Section    Hitbrass

    62    Synth Brass 1    Synbras1    1    61.7

    63    Synth Brass 2    Synbras2    1    60.6

Reed    64    Soprano Sax    Sprnosax    4    14.7

    65    Alto Sax    AltoSax    3    11.7

    66    Tenor Sax    TenorSax    3    17.4

    67    Baritone Sax    Barisax    1    0.7

    68    Oboe    Oboe    15    9.3

    69    English Horn    Englhorn    3    24.7

    70    Bassoon    Bassoon    6    16.8

    71    Clarinet    Clarinet    7    19.2

Pipe    72    Piccolo    Piccolo    1    8.9

    73    Flute    Flute    1    9.2

    74    Recorder    Recorder    1    5.6

    75    Pan Flute    WoodFlut    1    4.2

    76    Blow Bottle    Bottle    1    25.0

    77    Shakuhachi    Shakazul    1    62.6

    78    Whistle    Whistle    1    12.0

    79    Ocarina    Oscarina    1    3.5

Synth Lead    80    Lead 1 (square)    Sqrwave    1    30.4

    81    Lead 2 (sawtooth)    Sawwave    2    54.5

    82    Lead 3 (Calliope lead)    Calliope    1    46.3

    83    Lead 4 (Chiff lead)    Chiflead    1    63.4

    84    Lead 5 (Charang)    Charang    4    80.0

    85    Lead 6 (voice)    Voxlead    1    30.3

    86    Lead 7 (fifths)    lead5th    1    13.2

    87    Lead 8 (bass + lead)    Bass & Lead    2    53.4

Synth Pad etc    88    Pad 1 (new age)    Fantasia    1    47.2

    89    Pad 2 (warm)    Warmpad    1    36.5

    90    Pad 3 (polysynth)    Polysyn    1    60.7

    91    Pad 4 (choir)    Ghostie    1    63.3

    92    Pad 5 (bowed)    Bowglass    1    50.5

    93    Pad 6 (metallic)    Metalpad    1    60.9

    94    Pad 7 (halo)    Halopad    1    60.3

    95    Pad 8 (sweep)    Sweeper    1    62.7

Synth SFX    96    FX 1 (rain)    Aurora    1    65.5

    97    FX2 (soundtrack)    Soundtrk    1    40.0

    98    FX 3 (crystal)    Crystal    1    60.8

    99    FX 4 (atmosphere)    Atmosphr    1    63.0

    100    FX 5 (brightness)    Freshair    1    58.3

    101    FX 6 (goblin)    Unicorn    1    60.5

    102    FX 7 (echoes)    Echovox        30.2

    103    FX 8 (sci-fi)    Startrak    1    55.1

Ethnic    104    Sitar    Sitar    2    37.0

    105    Banjo    Banjo    3    64.5

Ethnic (cont.)    106    Shamisen    Shamisen    2    26.7

    107    Koto    Koto    2    42.0

    108    Kalimba    Kalimba    1    4.7

    109    BagPipe    BagPipes    4    10.3

    110    Fiddle    Fiddle    3    12,3

    111    Shanai    Shannai    4    20.1

Percussive    112    Tinkle Bell    Carillion    1    12.0

    113    Agogo    Agogo    1    15.6

    114    Steel Drums    Steeldrm    1    24.2

    115    Woodblock    Woodblk    1    7.7

    116    Taiko    Taiko    1    37.7

    117    Melodic Tom    Toms    1    13.5

    118    Synth Drum    Syntom    1    61.0

    119    Reverse Cymbal    Revcym    1    27.4

SFX    120    Guitar Fret Noise    Fx-fret    1    27.5

    121    Breath Noise    Fx-blow    1    57.7

    122    Seashore    Seashore    1    62.4

    123    Bird Tweet    Jungle    1    27.5

    124    Telephone Ring    Telephon    1    9.2

    125    Helicopter    Helicptr    1    50.3

    126    Applause    Applause    1    60.5

    127    Gunshot    Ringwhsl    1    58.5

H

Setup;

The setup program helps you choose the correct settings for your
UltraSound card.

Current _Default Setup Parameters

This window displays UltraSound's default setup parameters. If
no other cards in your system use these default settings, select
Accept;  select Customize or Advanced to change the settings.
Selecting Accept starts a test to make sure everything is OK.

Customized and Advanced Settings

r    Select Customize or Advanced to change the following  settings:

    o  _Base Port Address     o  UltraSound IRQ

    o  DMA Channels    o  Sound Blaster/MIDI IRQ

Note!    Advanced Setup allows for settings that may not work with
the software shipped with your UltraSound. Other cards in your
system using the settings you select may not be detected, or may
indicate a conflict during the diagnostic tests.

r    Select Use Defaults to restore the default settings.

r    Select Test to confirm that the UltraSound card responds to
these settings.

r    Select Finish to return to automatically update your system
files (see the following section).

If the test fails in Advanced mode, select Diagnostics
(available only in Advanced mode) to run these tests:

Check I/O Address. Checks that the address jumpers on your card
physically match the selected settings and that the card is
detected by the system.

Check SBOS Mode. Checks to see that the UltraSound card responds
in Sound Blaster mode.

Check DMA Channel. Checks to see that the UltraSound card
responds to the selected DMA channels.

Check DRAM. Checks to see that the memory on the UltraSound card
is functioning.

Check SB/MIDI IRQ. Checks to see that the UltraSound card
responds to the selected Sound Blaster/MIDI IRQ.

Modifications to Your __System Files

Changes to your _AUTOEXEC.BAT file are necessary to use
UltraSound. Five lines are added to AUTOEXEC.BAT (some numbers
may differ, depending on the setup parameters you have chosen):

SET ULTRASND=220,1,1,11,5

The parameters are listed in this order: Base  port address,
playback DMA channel, record DMA channel, GF1 IRQ, Sound
Blaster/MIDI IRQ.

SET ULTRA16=32c,0,0,1,0 (for MAX boards only)

The parameters are: 16-bit base port address, not used, not
used, GF1 IRQ (always 1 for MAX), not used.

C:\ULTRASND\ULTRINIT.EXE -EJ

This line resets the card and configures the IRQs and DMAs. By
default, the joystick port is enabled (-EJ).

SET ULTRADIR=C:\ULTRASND

This line tells applications where the UltraSound root directory
is.

SET BLASTER=A220  I5  D1  T1

Some applications  look at this environment variable to
determine the Sound Blaster parameters to use. The parameters
are: Base port address, IRQ, DMA channel, and card type.

The path statement is updated to include C:\ULTRASND.

Set Up Record

Record your setup information for reference when installing
additional expansion cards. Use pencil to allow for future
changes.

    Default    Customize    Advanced    Your Settings

Base Port Address:    220    220, 240     210,220,230,

            240,250,260       _________

Playback DMA Channel:    1    1, 3, 5, 6, 7    1,3,5,6,7       _________

Record DMA  Channel:    1    N/A    1,3,5,6,7       _________

Sound Blaster DMA    1*    1*    1*       ____1____

UltraSound IRQ:    11    2, 3, 5, 7    2,3,5,7,11,12,15       _________

Sound Blaster/MIDI  IRQ:    5    2, 3, 5, 7    2,3,5,7,11,12,15
_________

16-Bit Base Port Address:    32C    30C, 31C, 32C    30C, 31C, 32C
_________

        33C, 34C, 35C, 36C    33C, 34C, 35C, 36C

* Sound Blaster DMA is set in hardware and cannot be changed.

UltraSound Serial Number:    ______________________________

Note!    If you ever  need to re-install your UltraSound software:

    r    Put Disk 1 in your floppy drive and type: INSTALL. Follow the
instructions on screen to complete the installation.

UltraSound Default Settings

I/O Port Address:    220

Playback DMA Channel:    1*

Record DMA Channel:    1*

Sound Blaster DMA Channel:    1**

UltraSound GF1 IRQ:    11

Sound Blaster/MIDI IRQ:    5

16-Bit Base Port    32C (for UltraSound MAX)

* If you wish to record and play back files simultaneously, you
must set different DMA channels for Record and Playback.

**Like the real Sound Blaster, this DMA channel is set in
hardware and cannot be changed. Other cards in your system using
DMA channel 1 must be changed to another DMA channel.