Organization: St. John's University
Date: Wednesday, 7 Oct 1992 13:05:29 EDT
From: <JAVIERJ@SJUVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
Subject: Gravis Ultrasound............

Here are the specs for the Gravis UltraSound:

BTW: Electronic Boutique employees get to buy it for $115!!!

        This is a repost from the UltraSound mailing list.  The list
is not sponsored by Gravis, however, the bulk of information out about
the UltraSound can be found on the mailing list before it hits this
newsgroup.  If you'd like to join the UltraSound mailing list, send
mail to ultrasound-request%itchy@dsd.es.com.

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        A few people have been asking about the specs concerning the
UltraSound card.  Here's the published info.  These come from the
(in)famous Brad Craig at UltraSound.

> - 32 Synthesized Voice (Not FM, but Wave Tables)
> - 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
> - Line In/Outs (all stereo)
>       - Microphone In
>       - Audio Line In
>       - Audio Line Out
>       - Amplified Out
> - 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].

        Here's the specs for Sound Studio 8, which is a part of the
software package released with the UltraSound.  (As for what else will
be in the software package, I'm sure about very few things, but I'll
tell you what I know if you're interested.)

> 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 [sic?]
>       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 [sic?].

        Enjoy.

James A. Javier <JAVIERJ@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>



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