rankins@zaire.crd.ge.com (raymond r rankins) (10/12/89)
I'm about ready to buy a new stereo and digitizer card, and I've been considering the FutureSound card and AE's SonicBlaster, but I haven't seen the FutureSound card advertised lately. Does anyone know if they are still in business? I'm also wary about buying the SonicBlaster because I'm not so sure about it's compatability with current sound related software products (it's apparently not compatable with EA's Instant Synthesizer, but the FutureSound and SuperSonic digitizers are, according to EA). Is anyone using the SonicBlaster to create digitized sounds for use with Instant Synthesizer? (it has been my experience that often times, it seems tech support has no idea what they are talking about and will give you any answer rather than saying "I don't know" 8) How do both cards rate for compatability with other music products (e.g., Music Studio)? Does the FutureSound card record both stereo channels at the same time. (I used to have the supersonic digitizer, and it had stereo input but only one channel at a time, which is why I sold it). Does it double as a stereo output card as well? How about documentation and programming support? (I plan on writing some IIGS music software that will allow digitizing and use of digitized sound files, and some decent documentation on how to access and use the digitizer/stereo card from software would be a real help. The one page 'explanation' that I got from MDIdeas when I requested it was a joke. All it said was something like "...repepeatedly read such and such ..." with no sample source code or anything (not even a line or two). Needless to say it wasn't very helpful.) Pricewise, I like the SonicBlaster best, but it'll be a waste of my money if it doesn't do what I'd like it to do (i.e., work with IIGS music software). I'd also be interested in comments on any of the other cards available on the market. Please email replies, and if there is interest, I will post a summary. Thanks in advance, Ray Rankins BTW: what's the best price anyone has found on the FutureSound card lately? Ray Rankins INTERNET: rankins@zaire.crd.ge.com COMPUSERVE: 71131,3236 <insert standard disclaimer here>
jabernathy@pro-houston.cts.com (Joe Abernathy) (10/12/89)
Network Comment: to #1160 by crdgw1!zaire!rankins@uunet.uu.net
> SonicBlaster - FutureSound comparison
You mentioned that you wanted to do programming. Applied Engineering has not
published the proprietary formats they're using to achieve stereo, or any of
the various formats their software can save.
Yes, you can probably figure things out, and I do like the SonicBlaster quite
a lot, but they aren't doing a darn thing to help programmers. If you're
wanting to program sounds based on AE's stereo format, plan on figuring the
format out on your own.
... haven't used a FutureSound.
UUCP: crash!pro-houston!jabernathy
ARPA: crash!pro-houston!jabernathy@nosc.mil
INET: jabernathy@pro-houston.cts.comkrb20699@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (10/13/89)
AE also puts out ther Audio Animator, which does considerably more than the Sonic Blaster. It may be more compatible with current software, although it comes with it's own. I haven't used it or even seen a demo, but I did want to mention it. List price is $229, I think. Ken.
lbotez@pnet02.gryphon.com (Lynda Botez) (10/13/89)
I personally own an Applied Engineering Sonic Blaster.
I find it works with almost everything. It comes with two disks of software,
one which is called Audio Art, which contains several pre-recorded sounds for
you to mess around with... the second is a utility disk which allows you to
record sounds from an optional microphone or stereo system... even a
walkman... also you can playback sounds, edit them, etc. etc.
If you're worried about documentation, the Sonic Blaster comes with a detailed
65 page manual that gives you information on basically everything you ever
wanted to know (or didn't want to know) about this peripheral.
The Sonic Blaster lets you play and save sound files from the following
different formats: AIFF (Apple's standard), Raw Data format (straight
binary), AE (Applied Engineering's own), 2:1 Compressed, and 2:67:1
Compressed. It records and playbacks in either stereo or mono. You can do
all kinds of crazy things with it, like echo and fading... I haven't spent
that much time experimenting with it, but it seems to be totally sufficient
for my needs.
The only complaint I've consistently heard is regarding the volume controls
that have to be adjusted on the card (which I agree is annoying, but not that
big of a deal). I'd go for this card unless you need something a little more
professional; then I'd look at the Audio Animator (also made by AE, but more
bucks).
I had an MDIdeas Super Sonic card which I would consider barely adequate;
their documentation was somewhat lacking...
Lynda
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INET: lbotez@pnet02.gryphon.comphilip@pro-generic.cts.com (Philip McDunnough) (10/16/89)
Network Comment: to #6132 by usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!gryphon!pnet02!lbotez@ucsd.edu Can you import Mac sound files? Also does AE's Audio Animator do anything more than the Sonic blaster(apart from the midi interface)? Thanks. Philip McDunnough ->philip@utstat.toronto.edu :University of Toronto
unknown@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (The Unknown User) (10/17/89)
In article <8910161512.AA17112@trout.nosc.mil> philip@pro-generic.cts.com (Philip McDunnough) writes: >Can you import Mac sound files? > ..rest deleted.. Yes, you can INDEED import Mac sound files. I do not know if there are multiple ways of having digitized sounds saved on the Mac, but the one form that I've used has ALWAYS worked. [Meaning I think there's a "standard" form that things like SoundMaster INIT use] I copied them over with that program with the Mac system that copies over to ProDOS disks..Apple File Exchange or something like that.. I had to change them all to text file type...Or rather SoundStudio didn't list them in the file type they were originally so I just changed them all to text files...will probably work with lots of other file types... To make them sound better, I'd load them in, then SCALE DOWN, then the Mac...They don't seem to sound as good as they did originally on the Mac, but it's still neat having the LumberJack song on my GS... {I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok, I drink all night and sleep all day...something like that} I also have the speaking part of the intro to Star Trek The Next Generation...I don't know why they don't sound quite as good but they're still good enough. Hope that helps... If anyone wants to trade sound files, just mail me at the address at the end of this letter.. -- unknown@ucscb.ucsc.edu
joseph@elbereth.rutgers.edu (Seymour Joseph) (10/18/89)
The format I have been able to port between Mac and IIGS are Mac BEEPSOUNDS. Just make sure it is in the Beepsound format and use apple file exchange to move it to a prodos disk. Seymour
gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) (10/19/89)
In article <5917@portia.Stanford.EDU> unknown@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (The Unknown User) writes: >I don't know why they don't sound quite as good but they're still good enough. It may have something to do with a design botch in the IIGS use of the Ensoniq, in that a 0 sound level does something unexpected (documented, so it's an official "feature"). I don't have my references at hand. Try changing all 0 bytes to contain 1 instead and see if it sounds better.
dlyons@Apple.COM (David Lyons) (10/27/89)
In article <11342@smoke.BRL.MIL> gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn) writes: [...] >It may have something to do with a design botch in the IIGS use of the >Ensoniq, in that a 0 sound level does something unexpected (documented, >so it's an official "feature"). I don't have my references at hand. >Try changing all 0 bytes to contain 1 instead and see if it sounds better. A 0 does something documented: it stops the sound (for that oscillator). -- --Dave Lyons, Apple Computer, Inc. | DAL Systems AppleLink--Apple Edition: DAVE.LYONS | P.O. Box 875 America Online: Dave Lyons | Cupertino, CA 95015-0875 GEnie: D.LYONS2 or DAVE.LYONS CompuServe: 72177,3233 Internet/BITNET: dlyons@apple.com UUCP: ...!ames!apple!dlyons My opinions are my own, not Apple's.
rnf@shumv1.uucp (Rick Fincher) (10/27/89)
>[...] >>It may have something to do with a design botch in the IIGS use of the >>Ensoniq, in that a 0 sound level does something unexpected (documented, >>so it's an official "feature"). I don't have my references at hand. >>Try changing all 0 bytes to contain 1 instead and see if it sounds better. > >A 0 does something documented: it stops the sound (for that oscillator). >-- > There is a tech note on this problem, it is in the Ensoniq chip I believe not in the design of the IIgs because the tech note said the only real fix was an updated Ensoniq chip. The tech note suggests a work around. If I remember correctly the problem occurs with a transition through zero, it causes an unexpected sound that can make quiet pieces of sound sound full of noise. The work around was to simply not use 0. It only throws your note off by a small margin and sounds much better than the noise. I don't know if Ensoniq ever fixed the bug. The noise is less noticeable in loud passages. This does not affect the way you use commercial programs for making sound, only the programming of sound. Presumably the commercial programs contain workarounds. Rick