From: ddebry@itchy.dsd.es.com (David DeBry)
Subject: GRAVIS ULTRASOUND -- NEW INFO (Long!)
Reply-To: David DeBry <ddebry@dsd.es.com>
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp.
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 92 02:43:49 GMT



NEW INFO ABOUT THE GRAVIS ULTRASOUND
====================================

	I just pulled this off Prodigy a couple of days ago.  There's a
person on there with a direct source of info from the Gravis company, and
he and I have swapped phone numbers and call each other often.  The 
benefit:  You can send me any questions you've got about the board, I
relay them to him, he asks the company, sends the answers to me, and I'll
post them for all to see.  (Phew!  Breathe here.)

	In any case, here's the stuff I passing along so far. 

----- Start of included info -----

TO:		ALL
FROM:		ADAM ROSENBERG	(WNMB33A)
SUBJECT:	ADVANCED GRAVIS

	I just received a great number of updated product
specificaiotn sheets from Brad Craig, Marketing Development Manager of
Advanced Gravis, on the UltraSound.  Here are all the specs.

- 32 Synthesized Voice (NOT FM!)
- 32 Digitized Voices
- 16 Bit DAC
- 8 Bit Stereo sampling at 1 to 44.1 kHz, upgradable to 16 bit with a
	daughterboard card
- Industry Standard MIDI (6850 UART)
- Includes MIDI In, Out, Thru connectors
- SCSI compatible CD-ROM Interface on daughterboard (you may also use
	your own with the card if you already have one.)
- Programmable, speed compensating game port with handles up to a
	486/50 Mhz.
- Signal to noise ratio: 80db
- Total harmonic distortion: < .014%  (No annoying constant hum or buzz.)
- Built-in 2 watt amp
- 4 line inputs
- Fully AdLib and Soundblaster Compatible
- Supports Windows Multimedia Extensions and includes drivers
- Full on-card mixing of external CD-audio, digital audio, synthesizers, 
	microphone, and line inputs.
- Includes DIGITAL SOUND STUDIO 8 (upgraded to DIGITAL SOUND STUDIO
	16 when you buy the 16 bit daughterboard).
- 256k (expandable to 1meg) on-card memory included
- RETAILS UNDER $200  (You'll be able to find it for $150)

	The reason the price is so low is simply because it can be,
and Gravis sought the opportunity to make the high-end industry
standard.  It also have features that not everyone will need on
daughterboards, instead of charging you more for features you may
never use.  Plenty of other daughterboards [besides the two mentioned
above] are in the works as we speak, so this card will virtually never
be out-dated.  Gravis is also making a plethora of deals between a
numerous amount of the major software publishers, and there will be
support for this card upon its release [not including the pre-support
allowed with the compatibility with the AdLib and SoundBlaster].

	Speaking of which, the release date is end of April/early May.
I have FINALLY been given a date whien I should receive the card by,
which is April 17th.  Don't worry, I'll announce it as soon as I
receive the card, and I'll accept demo tapes as well as let you hear
it over the phone.  I'd also be happy to give you a spec by spec
comparison between the UltraSound and any other card (especially the
PAS-16, which the UltraSound blows away).  The UltraSound is even
ranked with the $850 MultiSound by Turtle Beach.



TO:		ANTHONY ROSALIA JR
FROM:		ADAM ROSENBERG (WNMB33A)
SUBJECT:	ADVANCED GRAVIS

	[Here's a price comparison against the PAS-16.]

				UltraSound	PAS-16
Initial board			$200		$359
Extra cost for SCSI		$ 50		included in original
Extra cost for 16bit sampling	$ 50		included in original
				-----		----
				$250		$359

	Besides, the UltraSound is DEFINITELY worth the NON-FM
Michaelangelo (synthesizer chip set).  As for the upgrade in RAM cost,
the PAS-16 doesn't include 1meg does it?  So it's not fair to compare
that feature by cost when the other card can't even do it.

	And you're wrong!  The card doesn't have to have a bit of FM
to be AdLib or SoundBlaster compatible.  That's where Michaelangelo
and all new tech software developed by Gravis come in.  Mikey has the
ability to emulate just about anything, but that's about all I [am
allowed to say right now].  There is not a chip of FM in the whole
chip set, including the OPL-3 BS... FM is still FM no matter how you
dress it up with bells and whistles.  That's where the PAS-16 pales in
comparison by using the nouveau-yet-still-ancient Yamaha Gold chip
set.  If you used it in a presentation you'd be embarassed.  There's
been talk of add-on chips for the PAS-16, but they're still based on
the Yamaha Gold.



TO:		ALL
FROM:		ADAM ROSENBERG (WNMB33A)
SUBJECT:	ADVANCED GRAVIS [Sound Studio 8]

	Check the [first letter from Adam in this post] for the specs
on the UltraSound.  This is what Digital Sound Studio 8 (which is
included with the UltraSound) requires and offers:

Requirements:
	286 CPU or up, Logitech or Microsoft compatible mouse,
	DOS 3.0 or up, EGA or VGA.

Abilities:
	Digital Recording:  8 bit
	Digital editiing:  YES
	Display Markers:  Time/Byte/SMPTE
	Sample Rates:  1 to 44.1 kHz
	Sound storage:  Direct to disk
	Other Features:  Mixing
			 Merging & Dubbing
			 Reverb & Echo
			 Waveform editing
			 Zoom & Fade
			 Unlimited undo

	Quoted from the Product Specification Sheet: "Digital Sound
Studio 8 totally eliminates the tape hiss and sound degredation
associated with audio tape... Sample rates from 1 to 44.1 khz let you
control sound quality and file size.  Direct to disk storage does not
limit your sound file to available RAM, and lets yousave as many reels
of sound as your hard drive will allow.  The audio professional will
feel instantly at home with the traditional sound studio controls
displayed on an EGA or VGA screen.  For beginners, Digital Sound
Studio 8 is intuitive and easy to learn.

	"Among DSS 8's many features is the Waveform Editor.  You can
actually see what your sound looks like on your screen, and edit it
visually.  Special effects like reverb, echo, zoom, and fade can be
added with a few simple clicks of the mouse button.  And you can
choose the display marker from among SMPTE, Time, and Byte display so
you can synchronize your sound to your presentation or computer
animation perfectly.  A simple Undo button makes is simple for you to
experiment with as many effects as you'd like.  If you aren't
satisfied with your sound, click on Undo will take you back to the
previous version.

	"And, for the pros, Advanced Gravis offers and upgrade to 16
bit Digital Sound Studio.  DSS 16 has all the great features of DSS 8,
plus 20 track capability and unlimited sound track length."

	I know a lot of this may have already been obvious by the spec
sheet alone, but an amateur may not understand all these features
without a few sentences explanantion.  If you'd like Gravis' number,
it's 800-664-8558.  If you have a fax and you'd like me to send you
the updated spec sheets, you may contact me privately.

----- End of included info -----


	Now, wasn't that fun?  :)


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