From: echuang@cco.caltech.edu (Ernest Y. Chuang)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
Subject: Re: Looking for SCC-1 experiences
Date: 17 Nov 92 08:19:01 GMT
Article-I.D.: gap.1ea9tlINNe5s
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
NNTP-Posting-Host: sandman.caltech.edu

In article <14738@ncrcan.Canada.NCR.CA> eruppent@ncrcan.Canada.NCR.CA (Ernest Ruppenthal) writes:
>In article <1992Nov13.002911.4812@unislc.uucp> brandon@unislc.uucp (Brandon Ausman) writes:
>>s the subject line says, I'm looking for people's experience with the Roland
>>SCC-1 (for those of you who don't know, it's basically a Sound Canvas on a
>>card, with a PC MIDI interface thrown in).  
>
>I'm also interested in this card and would like to hear 
>some of your experiences and/or recommendations.

With the possible exception of Turtle Beach's Multisound (which I
haven't heard yet, so I can't say anything about it), I think the
SCC-1 (or the external Sound Canvas) provides the best sound for
your computer that you can buy today, in terms of *music* (as opposed
to sound effects, speech, sampling, etc...).  Or maybe I should 
qualify that by saying, "the best sound card less than $1000 or so."
I suppose there's other real professional-quality sound hardware
that you can buy for megabucks, but I dunno...

The SCC-1 stores digitized samples of instruments and a selection of
sound effects in ROM, so that the music/sounds it plays are very 
realistic.  The best demonstration of its capabilities so far is 
probably still limited mainly to playing midi files.  The demos that
come with the card (as well as a few others available via ftp) are
absolutely superb.  However, for most computer games, you'll have
to rely on the SCC-1's emulation of the MT-32/LAPC-1.  This is
still great for the music, although not quite up to par with the
SCC-1's abilities in its native mode; but the SCC-1 cannot recognize
MT-32 system exclusive messages, which are used for sound effects in
many games that support the MT-32/LAPC-1.  This means that sound 
effects won't sound right on the SCC-1 (you'll get odd instruments
playing where you're supposed to hear laser fire, etc...).

The SCC-1 does have a limited library of sound effects (e.g. lasers,
gunshots, laughter, screams, etc...), but you'll only hear these if
game makers know that they're there and they support the SCC-1.

There are a few games that have started to provide SCC-1 specific
sound support.  The demo for Clouds of Xeen supports the SCC-1 and
sounds pretty damn good.  I haven't gotten the full game yet, so
I don't know if it gets better or worse.  Spectrum Holobyte's
Tetris Classic also supports the SCC-1, I think.  I've heard from
other posts that the music is excellent, but I haven't gotten this
game either (can't quite stomach the thought of paying $25 or so
for another Tetris variation...).  There may be others I don't know
about.

If you plan to do any serious music work (involving midi, music
composition, or whatever) then I'd definitely recommend the SCC-1.
On the other hand, if you're looking for a good all-around card
for computer games, you might look into a card that can give you
digitizing/sampling ability, such as the Gravis Ultrasound or
Pro Audio Spectrum 16.  Or if you want decent sound effects, but
you don't necessarily need sampling capability, then consider the
Roland LAPC-1.

I recently got the Gravis Ultrasound, and it's a pretty good card.
One or two of the midi demos sound really nice, comparable to some
of the SCC-1's material, but the others are clearly below the SCC-1's
music quality (although still much better than anything I've heard
from the Adlib/Soundblaster).  Overall, the SCC-1's samples are much
"crisper" and more realistic.  However, this may partly be due to
the fact that the GUS didn't come with a complete set of instrument
patches -- I'm waiting for the supplement to come in the mail.

Overall, I'm very happy with the SCC-1.  The music is first-rate, and
I haven't had any problem running any games that support the MT-32
or LAPC-1 (except with regards to the sound effects problem described
earlier).  The main drawbacks (for computer games, primarily) are:

	- no sampling ability
	- current lack of SCC-1 specific support (although there
	  are lots of games that support MT-32/LAPC-1, so it's not
	  really that bad)
	- relatively high price (about $370)

Hope this helps some people.  Corrections are welcome.

- Ernest Chuang
  echuang@cco.caltech.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard