From: ptran@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca (Phat H Tran)
Subject: Re: ULTRASOUND OWNERS, PLEASE HELP!!!!
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 22:55:05 GMT

In article <1992Nov19.223551.20218@tc.cornell.edu> orb@alchemy.tn.cornell.edu (Randolph Turner) writes:
>In article <Bxxwu2.Ly1@watserv2.uwaterloo.ca> ptran@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca (Phat H Tran) writes:
>>
>>Yes, erratic SB emulation is "normal behaviour" for the GUS, but don't
>>forget that superb wavetable synthesis is as well.  If you have an SB,
>>you can very likely make it coexist with the Ultrasound and bypass
>>SBOS altogether.  
>>
>>I suspect that if Gravis had decided to not even attempt to make the 
>>Ultrasound SB-compatible, they would be receiving much fewer complaints.
>>Nobody ever gripes about the MT-32's complete lack of SB emulation.  
>>But when Gravis releases a $150 soundcard that sounds almost as good as
>>$500 Rolands, with the potential to sound increasingly better (through
>>updating of soft patches and drivers), plus the added bonus of
>>being somewhat SB compatible, the resounding whine has been "the SB
>>emulation SUCKS!"  Please, let's keep things in perspective.
>>
>>Phat.
>
>  Ok, here's a perspective for you; Not all and in fact I suspect very few
>people purchasing sound cards are professional (or even amateur) musicians. 
>Most people are looking for a good card that will offer quality sound for
>playing mods and such, as well as *COMPATIBILITY* with industry standards 
>and their current software.  
>
>  Since we are speculating, I suspect that if Gravis had made no attempt at
>making the GUS compatible with the current industry standard, Gravis would not
>have sold half the cards they have at this point.  Anyone remember the
>original Pro-Audio Spectrum?  I owned one and although the hardware was much
>nicer (no-noise, higher sample rates, and if I remember correctly, stereo),
>life with this card was hell.  Going to the software store and looking at all
>the great new games that supported the SB and even the SB Pro, and there I was
>with my advanced hardware playing in Adlib mode.  The MT-32 can get away with
>this type of behaviour (no attempt at SB emulation) due to the fact that it's
>price places it well out of reach of the average hobbiest.  Thus, this card's
>target audience tends to be the amateur to professional musician, not the
>"Wing Commander" crowd.
>

What we have with the GUS, I guess, is a card that's too good for its 
targetted market.  Priced lower than PAS-16s and SBPros, but sounds as
good as an MT-32, and still people don't know what to make of it.  I
can empathize with the neophyte who buys a GUS only to be disappointed
that Wolfenstein doesn't sound right on it, but I think veteran game
players should see how well-poised the Ultrasound is to revolutionize
the quality of game audio.  It's a leap of faith to embrace a board
that's not completely compatible with the current standard, I know, 
but it's a leap that I and many others are willing to take because
the potential benefits are so great.  Continually griping about the
board's imperfect SB emulation without regard to its strengths is being
a little tunnel-visioned.

>  I now own a SoundBlaster Pro and have been nothing but happy with it. 
>Support abounds in the shareware and commercial avenues, the price isn't
>unreasonable, and it does the job for everything I need sound for on my 486/33
>clone.  My advice for you potential sound card purchasers is to hold back a
>bit and see for sure that the GUS is welcomed with open arms by developers or
>until the SBOS software reaches an acceptable perfomance level for mainstream
>use (ie. supports most software that supports the SB, and without tradeoffs).
>

Despite horrific war stories concerning getting SBOS to work, I find that
the emulation is quite good.  I believe that the number of games that
do work well with the TSR far outnumbers the ones that do not.  However,
if a favourite game of yours is among the ones that SBOS cannot handle,
you will undoubtedly think much worse of the emulation.

>Randy
>
>BTW, I still think my Amiga plays mods better ;-)

Yes, but you only have an SBPro. :P  The Ultrasound can easily put the 
Amiga to shame. 

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