HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: krw1@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (Kevin Weiner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
Subject: Re: SB16 + Waveblaster > Multisound
Date: 12 Jan 93 14:31:25 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University

In article <1is50uINN5kh@ua.d.umn.edu>, dcole@ua.d.umn.edu (david cole) writes:
>Since it appears from press releases that the Creative Labs WaveBlaster
>daughtercard uses the EMU chipset, it is very likely that it is the same chip
>set that EMU sells to Turtle Beach for use in the Multisound card.  This is
>the chipset from the EMU Proteus 1/XR synthesizer.  A year ago, EMU announced
>that the licenseing fee for this chipset was $75 (including the chips!).
>
>Thus it appears that the SB16 with this daughtercard will exceed the
>multisound in total capability because of the addition of SB compatibility
>and much broader software support.  Street pricing for the combo is likely to
>be better.

The EMU daughter card used on the SB was the lower grade OEM unit which had
been offered to Turtle Beach, but rejected in favor of building in a true
1/XR chip set.  The SB is also still DMA based for digital I/O, compared to
the shared device memory used by the MultiSound.  That means, for example,
that to keep up with 44.1KHz/16-bit stereo using DMA, you'll typically need
> 33MHz 386, where the MultiSound has been benchmarked at less than 10%
system overhead even on a 286-16.  You'll also find significant reductions
in signal to noise ratio, increased harmonic distortion, a much narrower
frequency response, and less system noise immunity on the SB.  Comparative
figures will be appearing in several trade publications soon.

The bottom line is that in terms of audio quality and processing
capabilities, no one has yet built anything in the consumer audio category
that approaches the MultiSound.  Nor are they likely to in the near future -
not because they can't, but because there's no reason to incur the extra cost
of the needed components.  The MS was designed for high-end audio; the rest
are basically game boards on steroids, and targeted to a different market.

This isn't to say that they aren't cost effective for their intended
audiences.  The MS isn't for everyone, and I wouldn't recommend it unless
it's exactly what you're looking for.   The new SB includes MPU UART
compatibility, base SB compatibility, a CD-ROM interface, and lots of
software, so it has a good bit to offer.  It's just not reasonable to think
of it as comparable in terms of overall audio quality.  If you try to be all
things to all people, something has to give...
-- 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin Weiner        Lehigh University Computing Center        (215) 758-3991
X-Star-Trek-Quote: He's Dead Jim.
X-School: Penn State University
X-Nickname: <<APOCALYPSE>>, Lord of Destruction
Organization: Penn State Star Trek club
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 09:29:21 EST
From: Matthew E. Bernold <MEB117@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
Subject: Re: Various GUS

In article <GJAMES.213@HUSKY1.STMARYS.CA>, GJAMES@HUSKY1.STMARYS.CA (GJames)
says:
>
>A few questions:
>
>5) When I play patches one at a time they sound fine but if I paly multiple
>patches (using midi drum) i get lots of crackle and pops.
>
I've heard some pops out of my GUS also.  Some of the patches are also bad
in certain ranges of sound.  I think (hope??) this will be fixed when the
general midi set comes out. (soon???)

Now, here's a question you should have been able to answer yourself...
First, you say:
>6) I upgraded my card to one meg. The ram tester I downloaded says the new
>ram is bad. Everything works ok. Do I really have a problem?
>
Then you follow with:
>7) Also, ever since upgrading my ram  I seem to have to initialize my card a
>lot or starnge things happen. Is there a fix for this?
>
How 'bout this as a possibility:  When you load patches at first, it gets
loaded into "good" ram, then when it fills that, it tries to load into "bad"
ram.  When you initialize the card, it clears memory, and then you can start
loading into the "good" ram again.  The memory tester is fairly reliable...
I'd say you've got bad ram, or at least a bad connection.  Make sure that
your chips are seated in the sockets properly.
>
>Thanks for any advice offered
>
>GJAMES@HUSKY1.STMARYS.CA

       Matthew E. Bernold             MEB117@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
         <<APOCALYPSE>>                  meb@haydn.psu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
From: psains@ibis.ru.ac.za (Paul Sainsbury)
Subject: Information Needed about Sound Galaxy NX!
Keywords: Sound
Organization: St Andrews College, Grahamstown, South Africa
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 22:49:09 GMT

Hi,

  I am a student, and I REALLY want to get a Sound Card, but I don't have 
enough money to buy things like the GUS and SB Pro... I have seen an offer 
for a Sound Galaxy NX for much less than the others, It is second hand, but 
in my price range. I would like to know if there are any faults with it, 
what is good about it, and so forth.

I have these machines available to put it in:
  1)  XT, Cga Monitor, 4Mhz, 640kb Memory, 20mb Hard Drive. (My computer, 
      sort of!)  
  2)  386SX, Svga Monitor, 640 kb Memory, 2 mb Expanded Memory, 40 mb Hard 
      Drive, 33Mhz  (My mom's Computer, Also the "Family's")
  3)  386SX, Vga Monitor, 16Mhz, 640kb Memory, 5mb Expanded, 120mb Hard 
      Drive. (My Dad's)

I would like to know, If it can record sounds from a microphone, at what 
Sample rate, Is it 8 or 16 bit, Is it REALLY compatible with Adlib, SB, 
Covox and Sound Source, what are its Packaged programs like, Is it hard to 
install, and so on...

I would really like to hear your comments on this, I don't want to waste my 
money! 

Thanx for your help!

From
  Paul

PS: This is the NOT the Sound Galaxy PRO!

PPS: Some humor, an extract from my discussion with a salesperson at a 
computer store: 

	Me: "I am looking for a Sound Card for my computer, could 
you help me?"

	Sales Person:"Whats that??"
(hehehehe, Thanx again)
--
Paul Sainsbury - St Andrews College, Grahamstown, South Africa
Internet: psains@ibis.ru.ac.za                 Phone: +27 [0]461 23872
    uucp: ..!uunet!m2xenix!quagga!ibis!psains
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
From: gsanchez@cs.umr.edu (Guadalupe Sanchez)
Subject: Here is the DAC circuit using DAC0800
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1993 02:00:03 GMT
Organization: University of Missouri - Rolla, Rolla, MO

Here is a working DAC circuit using a National DAC0800.  I had to encode it
because there are nonstandard characters in it.

begin 666 dac.doc
M5&AI<R!I<R!A($1!0R!C:7)C=6ET('=H:6-H('5S97,@=&AE($1!0S`X,#`@
M<V5R:65S(&9R;VT@3F%T:6]N86P@("`-"E-E;6EC;VYD=6-T;W(N("!)="!R
M97%U:7)E<R!T:&%T('EO=2!G970@+356(&9R;VT@=&AE('!O=V5R('-U<'!L
M>2P-"F)U="!A="!L96%S="!I="!W;W)K<RP@=6YL:6ME('1H92!C:7)C=6ET
M(&EN("=H87)D=V%R92YD;V,G+@T*#0H-"@D)("`@("`@VL3$Q,3$PL3$Q,3$
MQ,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$(`T*"0D@("`@(""S("`@(""S
M("`@(#$P:PT*"0D@("`@(""S("`@("#`Q,3$V]O;V]O$Q,3$Q+\@("`@("`@
M("`@("`@("`@("`@("!43PT*"0D@("`@(""S("`@("`@("`@("`@("`@("`@
M(,/$Q,3$Q,3$("LU5B`@("`@("!!35!,249)15(-"@D)("`@("`@LR`@("`@
MVL3$Q-O;V]O;Q,3$Q,39#0H)"2`@("`@(+,@("`@(+,@("`@,3!K#0H)"2`@
M("`@(+,@("#:Q,'$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q`T*
M"0D@("`@(""S("`@LPT*"0D@("`@VL3!Q,3$P<3$OR`@("`@("`@("`P+C$@
M=48-"@D)("`@(+,@,B`@(#0@(+,@("`@("`@VL3$Q"G#Q,3$Q,3$Q"!'3D0-
M"@D)("`@(+,@("`@("`@,\/$Q,3$Q,3$Q<3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q"`M-58-"@DH
M,BD@($0P("#$Q,2T,3(@("`@,3;#Q,0IP\3$Q-D-"@DH,RD@($0Q("#$Q,2T
M,3$@("`@(""S,"XP,2!U1B`@(#5K("`@("`@#0H)*#0I("!$,B`@Q,3$M#$P
M("`@(#$UP\3$Q,3$Q,3$Q-O;V]O;Q,3$Q,3$($=.1`T*"2@U*2`@1#,@(,3$
MQ+0Y("`@("`@(+,@("`@("`@("`@-6L@("`@("`@#0H)*#8I("!$-"`@Q,3$
MM#@@("`@(#$TP\3$Q,3$Q,3$Q-O;V]O;Q,2_#0H)*#<I("!$-2`@Q,3$M#<@
M("`@(#$SP\3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3!Q,3$("LU5@T*"2@X*2`@1#8@(,3$
MQ+0V("`@("`@(+,@("`@("`@("`@("`@("`@#0H)*#DI("!$-R`@Q,3$M#4@
M("`Q("`@LPT*"0D@("`@P,3$Q,3"Q,3$V2`@("`@("`@("`@("`@("`@("`@
M("`-"@DH,C4I($=.1"#$Q,3$Q,3$Q,'$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$Q,3"Q,3$Q,3$Q,3$
MQ"!'3D0-"@D)"0D@("`@("#`Q,3$Q"G#Q,3$Q"`K-58-"@D)"0D)("`P+C$@
M=48-"@T*#0I087)A;&QE;"!P;W)T('!I;B!N=6UB97)S(&%R92!I;B!P87)E
M;G1H97-I<RX@($9R;VT@8V]M<'5T97(@<&]W97(@<W5P<&QY+`T*8FQA8VL@
M:7,@1TY$+"!R960@:7,@*S56+"!A;F0@=VAI=&4@:7,@+356+B`@268@>6]U
M(&%R92!C;VYN96-T:6YG('1W;R!O9@T*=&AE<V4@=&\@86X@86UP(&9O<B!S
M=&5R96\L(&ET(&ES($]+('1O(&-O;FYE8W0@<&EN(#(@;V8@96%C:"!T;V=E
M=&AE<B!A;F0-"F-A;&P@:70@=&AE(&-O;6UO;B!I;G!U="X@(%1O(')E9'5C
M92!N;VES92!W:&5N('-T97)E;R!I<R!O;BP@8G5T(&UU<VEC(&ES#0IN;W0@
M<&QA>6EN9R`H<W5C:"!A<R!W:&5N(&-O;7!U=&5R(&ES(&9I<G-T('1U<FYE
M9"!O;BDL(&AA=F4@82!P<F]G<F%M('1H870-"G=R:71E<R`X,&@@=&\@96%C
M:"!P87)A;&QE;"!P;W)T('=H97)E('1H97)E(&ES(&$@1$%#+B`@5&AA="!W
M87D@=&AE(&%M<`T*;W5T<'5T(&ES(#!6(&EN<W1E860@;V8@=&AE(#56('=H
<96X@=&AE('!O<G0@:7,@,#!H(&]R($9&:"X-"G1E
`
end
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
From: ptran@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca (Phat H Tran)
Subject: Re: Orchid Sound Producer/Pro
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 16:39:26 GMT

In article <C0JIx2.4CA@gabriel.keele.ac.uk> csd25@keele.ac.uk (C.M. Yearsley) writes:
[...]
>
>At the moment the choice seems to be Orchid or GUS and I don't like what I've
>heard of speed loss under GUS. How bad is it? I'd rather have the best
>performance from my software than the soundcard, if I have to sacrifice
>something.

The speed loss only occurs when using the GUS's SB emulation TSR.  In its
native mode, the GUS does not cause a performance penalty.  In fact,
because of its wavetable chip, the GUS can take care of a lot of the
processing when playing music that relies on sampled sounds, such as
MODs.  In a game that uses MOD music, such as Star Control II, machines
with the GUS run the game much faster than machines with only SBs or
SBPros.

Is the Orchid a wavetable/wavesample card?  If not, it will sound *much*
inferior to the GUS.

Phat.
From: ko_mike@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Michael Y Ko)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
Subject: Re: Some GUS problems...
Date: 11 Jan 1993 01:22:19 -0500
Organization: Homewood Academic Computing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md, USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu


Well, I get the SBOS v1.23 from archive.epas.utoronto.ca. Aren't both of the
loadsbos and sbosdrv.exe both version 1.23?

Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games
From: Gavin Adams <gavin.adams@lso.mts.dec.com>
Subject: PAS-16 and a few new games
X-Xxmessage-Id: <A776FF8E1F04BA16@godzilla.jdola.lanl.gov>
X-Xxdate: Mon, 11 Jan 93 10:42:22 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d13
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 18:14:41 GMT

Recently I've purchased a couple games that don't work with my PAS-16's
SoundBlaster emulation mode.  Specifically, Dune II by Westwood doesn't play
the digitized voices (it does play the music and effects), and Air Warrior
by Kesmi (few sounds or bursts of sound followed by dreaded silence).  The
only other game I had problems with was Falcon 3.0, and this was fixed by
the OFT supplement.  

Is it possible that these designers used the Creative Labs sound kit (the
one that breaks the PAS), or are they cutting corners accessing the sound
cards?  I got the PAS-16 because of its superior quality over the SB and the
SB PRO, but I'm thinking of just getting a SB to use with my games.

This brings up an interesting question: when are game designers going to
start supporting more sound cards besides the SB (a majority of games that
is), or when is a sound API going to come out that all sound card vendors
can use, but still add additional functionality to thier products?

Please, no comments like, "You shoulda bought a SB...", I'm looking for some
discussion on vendor support for soundcards and common methods of accessing
soundcards (eg., Windows).


Also, why did Origin have to design their Windows screen saver to access the
Soundblaster directly instead of using the regular MCI interface that
Winodws provides?  Stooooopid!


--- Gavin
Visualize Whirled Peas!
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
From: aa344@yfn.ysu.edu (Joseph Maruschek)
Subject: Re: Gravis UltraSound 3D!
Reply-To: aa344@yfn.ysu.edu (Joseph Maruschek)
Organization: St. Elizabeth Hospital, Youngstown, OH
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 02:18:00 GMT


In a previous article, twong@civil.ubc.ca (Thomas Wong) says:

>The headphone part I don't get. If you say that it needs a setup
>similar to surround sound where you have the main front speakers,
>then you have the rear channels speakers, then I can see how this 3d,
>you-can-hear-a-jet-going-from-in-front-of-you-to-your-back, works.
>Like watching a movie using a surround setup. But how does headphones
>with only 2 speakers (left/right, no front/back) image the sound to
>your front or back? I don't get it? Are these special headphones of
>some sort we have to buy for extra $$$? How does it work?

The ability to reproduce a full 360-degree sound field with just
normal headphones has been around since at least the 1950's. 
Does anyone remember binaural recording?  

To make a binaural recording, set up two omni-directional
microphones spaced the same distance our ears are spaced apart,
and place a piece of wood something else between the two mics to
simulate the human head.  When listening to a recording made in
this manner through headphones, the resulting sound image will
not be "inside" you head as with normal recordings, but sounds
will appear to come from points all around you, just as if you
were actually sitting where the mics were placed.
-- 
aa344 is Joseph Maruschek                   3      3      3      3      3 
IBM PC SIGop, Youngstown Free-Net             D     D     D     D     D
motto: Strive for the simplest and the best.    |    |    |    |    |
                                                  :   :   :   :   :
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
From: rv@erix.ericsson.se (Robert Virding)
Subject: Re: GSU problems ...
Nntp-Posting-User: rv
Organization: Ellemtel Telecom Systems Labs, Stockholm, Sweden
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 13:45:16 GMT

In article <C0ozon.HBv@animal.er.bell.ca>, brian@data.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Brian McNeilly) writes:
>(2) Red Baron sounds TERRIBLE (ie. much worse than my old basic Adlib board).
>Anyone else experienced this and know a fix??
>
>Thanks, 
>
>Brian McNeilly, Ottawa, Ontario

I have the same problem, especially with the engine noises. Actually I
have problems with engine noises in other flight simulators ("Chuck
Yeager's Air Combat" and " Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe"). The
music is good though, in stereo sometimes. I am using SBOS v1.22
although I have tried with v1.23 but it doesn't seem to help much.

Unfortunately I know of no fix,

Robert
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games
From: jwilbur@iat.holonet.net (Jay Wilbur)
Subject: Re: Gravis UltraSound 3D!
Organization: HoloNet National Internet Access BBS: 510-704-1058/modem
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 08:29:49 GMT

I've seen it and it seems to work well.  Of course the 3d effects work
much better if you are in the sweet spot.  Headphones were used for the
demo at the Gravis booth...I was impressed.

Good News: I was told that there is no board upgrade for the 3d stuff....it's
all in the driver!


-- 
/------------------------------Live from CES------------------------------\
| Jay Wilbur  | jwilbur@idsoftware.com   | CIS: 72600,1333 |   Fidonet    |
| Id Software | AOL: Id Softwr           | GEnie: jjj      |  1:124/6300  |
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------/
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
From: gkirikos@epas.utoronto.ca (George Kirikos)
Subject: Gravis Signs Licencing Agreement For Software -- Related to GUS 3D??
Organization: University of Toronto - EPAS
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 16:55:32 GMT

The following brief paragraph appeared in the Report on Business
section of the Globe & Mail (Canada's version of the Wall Street Journal),
on Saturday, January 9, 1993 (page B7):

"ADVANCED GRAVIS signed a licencing agreement to make and distribute a
software product -- Focal Point SD Audio -- for IBM personal
computers. It added 25 cents to [close at] $2.70 [per share]."

[text in square brackets added for clarity by me]

This would seem to confirm the view that the 3D technology is via
software. However, what's left up in the air is whether or not this
software requires any of the special features of the Gravis hardware,
or can be adapted to other sound cards. Also, it is unclear whether
the deal is an exclusive licence (in which case the previous point is
moot). Given the uptick in the stock price of Gravis, the market seems
to have found the news favourable. Also, the company which licenced
the software to Gravis isn't named in the newspaper story. It has been
speculated that Archer Communications provided the software, and its
stock price performance (up $0.50 for all of last week, but down a
nickel on Friday, to close at $3.25/share) would seem to confirm this.

BTW, those who follow the stocks of sound card companies might want to
compare Advanced Gravis (AED on Toronto & Vancouver, GRVSF on Nasdaq)
with Mediavision (makers of PAS) (symbol MVIS on Nasdaq). Both have
about 10 million shares outstanding. MVIS is at approximately
$21/share, while Gravis sell for one-tenth that amount. Can this last
for long?? Gravis' sales are taking off with the introduction of the
Ultrasound, while not too many people have been talking about the Pro
Audio Spectrum lately (except to remark that they decided to buy the
GUS instead of the PAS 16!). Time will tell whether my guess that
Advanced Gravis will rise, and Mediavision will fall is realized (or
perhaps both will rise, but Gravis at a faster rate), but I've already
put my money where my mouth is.

So, can anyone confirm that Archer's Q-sound is being used by Gravis?
Is Ultrasound hardware required to yield the desired 3D effect (i.e.
or other "smart cards")? Is the deal with <insert name> (Archer?) an
exclusive deal, thereby leaving PAS, SB, and ARIA owners to watch the
GUS world with envy?


+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| George Kirikos                   Internet: gkirikos@epas.utoronto.ca      |
| Toronto, Canada                 Telephone: (416) 537-1756                 |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
From: ebynum@panini.cs.jhu.edu (Evan Bynum)
Subject: Some GUS problems...
Summary: GUS records poorly; SBOS wrong version?
Keywords: recording, SBOS
Organization: Johns Hopkins Computer Science Department, Baltimore, MD
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 19:14:54 GMT

Hiya fellas,

	I have a few problems for you GUS experts to answer. Everything
related to playback of prerecorded sounds is fine - mididemo and flidemo
both work well. VOC and SND files are equally happy on my system. The first
problem occurs when I try to record using playfile and USS8. There seems to
be an awful lot of background hiss, and the sounds pop and stutter
periodically. In addition, the volume is pathetically low. I've tried various
sample rates and other fun and obscure switches to no avail.

	In particular, if the sample is especially long (say, 20 seconds or
more) the playback halts for half a second at various points in the sample,
as if the system were trying to "catch up" to the sounds it has to play.
When I zoom in using USS8 and isolate the popping sound, however, it plays
fine. Does this mean I have to limit the durations of the samples I record?

	Second question - I downloaded SBOS 1.23 from wuarchive, nuked the
old files and unzipped the new SBOS into the \ultrasnd\sbos directory, as
instructed. But when I run SBOS it still displays version 1.20. Why?

	Finally, I have a minor complaint about SBOS and WOLF3D. The opening
song is supposed to have music and drumbeats in the background, but SBOS has
decided to turn the drum sounds into the sound of clanging metal, as if
someone were beating a pipe with a hammer. How do I fix this? If I need to
load some new patches, please tell me where to get them and how to load them.

	Here's my setup:

	1. System - Zeos 386SX-20. DOS 5.0, 104M hard disk, 6M RAM. I am
	   using QEMM to load various TSRs high. Half of my RAM is in a 3.1M
	   RAM disk (where I record the samples). The rest is left available
	   to DOS as expanded memory.

	2. GUS - Rev 2.4, 16-bit slot, 256K RAM, using all the default IRQs,
	   etc. The only other card I have is an ATI VGA Wonder XL with 1 meg
	   RAM, and it's 3 slots away, so there shouldn't be any interference.

	3. Sound equipment - I'm using the line in and line out ports on the
	   GUS to hook up with my stereo system - Sony receiver & tape deck,
	   Magnavox CD player.

	Any help anyone out there has to offer will be greatly appreciated.
You can respond through E-mail, but you might also want to post replies for 
the sake of those too shy to ask.

						Thanks in advance,

						Evan H. Bynum
						ebynum@cs.jhu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
From: waardenb@cs.utwente.nl (Jerry van Waardenberg)
Subject: Re: Soundcard Recommendations
Organization: University of Twente, Dept. of Computer Science
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 09:01:17 GMT

In article <C0o5p9.DDo@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, mbaden@ux4.cso.uiuc.edu (Matthew L Baden) writes:
|> 
|> I will be purchasing a Gateway 2000 4DX2-66V soon and am debating
|> between soundcards.
|> Keep in mind that the soundcard will be mostly used for games.
|> I am looking at the GUS or the SB-Pro II and I have a few questions.
|> My decision will most likely come directly from the response I get so
|> the more responses the better. :)
|> 
|> 1) Exactly how bad is the slowdown with the GUS running SBOS???
|>    I assume that I will be running SBOS most of the time and am
|>    wondering how much a factor slowdown is.  Is it significent?
|>    Will things be more choppy?

It depends. For example: When playing the intro of Falcon 3.0, the planes fly
very slow, compared to the normal (i.e. without SBOS) speed. In the game itself,
there is virtually NO speed descrease! In demos (unreal, vectdemo, cascada) there
is noticably decrease of speed. In games there is not.

|> 2) Is it possible to use both cards at the same time?

Some people have reported that they got both cards working at the same time.
 
|> 3) The GUS joystick port says it will "compansate" up to 50MHz.
|>    How does this affect a 66MHz machine?  Can you use a joystick fine
|>    on a 66MHz?  What about the joystick port on the SB-Pro II?

The Joystick port on the Gravis is *very* good. I use it on a 40 Mhz 386. Before
I had the GUS I used a game card, but I never used it, because the control was
not stable. With the GUS, joystick control is very smooth.
 
|> 4) When ordering the GUS, which version should I make sure it is? 2.4?
|>    Should I wait for any reason on a newer version?

There seems to be no big difference between 2.2 and 2.4, maybe they're just from
another batch. There will be a newer type of GUS released, but it has only a lower
chip count.
 
|> It seems that the GUS is the soundcard of the future but if it's not
|> directly supported yet, I want to be SURE that I can play games like
|> Comanche, F-15 III, Wolfenstein, and Ultima 7 with no troubles.
|> Do games like this work 100% in SBOS?

Yes (I've tried Comanche and Wolfenstein)

|> Do they slow down much on a 66MHz?

Are you kidding??!!? It works great on my 386/40. Then you think you might have
speed troubles on a *66* Mhz 486? Geeezzz. (Maybe you _do_ get speed troubles:
Games may work too *fast* :-).
 
|> Finally, which card do you recommend?

Obvious: The Gravis UltraSound.
 
|> All comments are welcome!
|> Thanks, I appreciate it.
|> 
|>       -Matthew Baden
|> 

Jerry
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard