boris@ocf.berkeley.edu (Boris Chen) (08/09/90)
I have a IBM clone. It is not a computer that is particularly suited for music (or sound for that matter). I saw an ad for a card called Sound Blaster. The ad said that it supports midi, as 24 voices, is stereo, has an amp, and also is Adlib compatible. It is a fair price, but I was wondering if anyone had any comments about it, or have heard good/bad things about it. Any comments will be appreciated. thanks +==================================================================+ + Boris Chen || Berkeley, CA || boris@ocf.berkeley.edu + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + "And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares, and... + + neither will they learn war anymore." ---Micah 4:3 + +==================================================================+
Alvin@cup.portal.com (Alvin Henry White) (08/10/90)
In
/Gateways/Usenet/comp/music/Sound Blaster
6861.3.948.1 Sound Blaster
8/9/90 02:48 16/824 boris@ocf.berkeley.edu (Boris Chen)
Writes,
"I have a IBM clone. It is not a computer that is particularly suited
for music (or sound for that matter). I saw an ad for a card called
Sound Blaster. The ad said that it supports midi, as 24 voices, is
stereo, has an amp, and also is Adlib compatible. It is a fair price,
but I was wondering if anyone had any comments about it, or have
heard good/bad things about it.
Any comments will be appreciated."
I bought the card about two months ago. After about a month I had time
to read the box and enclosed literature. I was so fascinated that I
bought every piece of software and hardware the company offered.
I first tried to install the card in a friends AT clone. It had nothing
in it except a scsi hard disk but the card didn't work. The card has
some jumpers to change the interrrupts but at that time I was too much
of a novice to try.
Later I stuck it in an old compaq portable and it worked fine. What the
device could do for humanity is enormous if it works as advertised,
almost. I haven't had time to study everything yet but I have been putting
the stuff together a little at a time.
First let me mention a couple of first shock disappointments from when
I first bought the box. Inside it says that for MIDI one must buy an
optional MIDI box. At that time the box was not ready for sale, but it
has since come available and I bought one.
MIDI out is not implemented. I asked if or when when I sent my order
for the approx. $500 worth of software and the MIDI box. No answer.
The company was nice enough to call and ask if I would like to wait a
couple of weeks for the next revision of the development set, I said yes,
I got it a few weeks later. Still no answer about MIDI out.
It says AdLib compatible. I did a quick scan through the various pieces
of literature. No see "How to use AdLib." This is not saying there is
no help there, just that I didn't see it immediately in all the packages.
I have recently purchased a floppy disk from a new company in Half Moon
Bay, California called MUSIC DATA that grew off of Passport Designs.
Music Data sells standard MIDI files of popular music arraingements. I
want to know if the Sound Blaster Card will easily use standard midi files,
I think I have heard the words "type 1."
The card says it has sampleing and text to speech synthesis. But you find
out that the speech synthesis is only mono. I am trying to create music
in both ears and one language lyrics in one ear and a word for word
translation in the other ear. So a small problem with the mono speech.
No major schematics accompanied the materials, not enough to help some
one disassemple the card and try to patch two together, but I am hopeful
that some Special Interest Group (SIG) may develope where people can help
one another tinker to upgrade the capabilities.
I think the card has only been on the market 6 months about. Every thing
needs time to develope. Much of the software offered is stuff that goes
back to 1987 Game Blaster card.
The music being generated by the Digital Signal Processor chip on the
card is very pure. An and astounding choice from "Turkey in the Straw",
Bach and Chinese Classic folk songs.
I don't have the slighest idea how to use standard MIDI files, ROLand
files, etc. I have a software called CALKWALK which is a MIDI sequencer
that is supposed to drive the MPU401 I am hoping to find if it can drive
the SOUND BLASTER.
Over all, I think the device is a mile stone in the history of human
speech and music, considering the newness of the company, and with luck
it will continue to develope.
Where I would like to see it go. The other day I was at a demo of a new
product from a company that made large screen monitors for the Macintosh,
the company RADIUS, the new product RADIUS TV. It puts a live TV picture
in a window of the Macintosh screen. One option is to spool the text from
close captioning for the deaf to a word processor file. If the text
could be word for word translated in the computer and subtitled in a second
language, it might be run to the Sound Blaster card to synthesis speech
in the second language in time to the music, measure, time of the original.
There is a share ware thing called Music Transcription System for the
IBM type computers. I think now they have a commercial product with one
of the Radio Shack computers. The share ware version shows the Treble
Clef on the screen, under which is the lyrics, under which is the piano
keyboard, or maybe the keyboard is in the organ program with the Sound
Blaster. At any rate in the MTS a pointer moves along under the words
to show which music notes are being played. You can speed up and slow
down the tempo to learn to read music and play along at your own speed.
If something could synthesis speech a varible speed to follow the pointer,
the world's children, and the rest of us, would have the most powerful
reading teacher mankind has ever imagined for the price.
Alvin H. White, Gen. Sect.
G.O.D.S.B.R.A.I.N.
1505 De Rose Way #66
San Jose, CA 95126
USA
[ alvin@cup.portal.com (OR) ..!sun!portal.cup.portal.com!alvin ]
Government Online Database Systems
Bureau for Resource Allocations to Information Networksgla@nixpbe.UUCP (R. Glaschick) (08/13/90)
In <1990Aug9.094853.23568@agate.berkeley.edu> boris@ocf.berkeley.edu (Boris Chen) writes: >I have a IBM clone. It is not a computer that is particularly suited >for music (or sound for that matter). I saw an ad for a card called >Sound Blaster. The ad said that it supports midi, as 24 voices, is >stereo, has an amp, and also is Adlib compatible. It is a fair price, >but I was wondering if anyone had any comments about it, or have >heard good/bad things about it. I have bought one at the CeBIT Hannover fair this year from a German Distributor. The 24 voices are 12(?) for Adlib FM sound, and the others for CMS type music. Plus a channel to store and replay any sound (digitally sampled). The build-in amplifier is good; all worked very fine with the software supplied -- but see below. The bad thing is that the manual gives no information about the connector pin layout, so you must buy the MIDI cable for a very high price. (I did not). Nor is there a description of the I/O interface or a programming library to access all the nice features. So you are bound to buy third party SW for either CMS or AdLib. So at the current time it is only useful if you steal the software from AdLib or buy a lot of CMS software that should be accessible in US. Might be I through it away and buy AdLib. It could be a special problem; my distributer told me he is continuously busy getting more information for me -- but US has no reply for the tiny Germany. -- Rainer Glaschick, NIXDORF Computer AG, Paderborn, W-Germany EMail: glaschick@nixpbe.de.UUCP or glaschick.pad@nixbur.UUCP Tel. +49 5251 14 6150 (office) +49 5254 6238 (home) Fax: +49 5251 14 6569
stefanis@ecst.csuchico.edu (Nick Stefanisko) (12/14/90)
Hello World! I am looking for information on the Sound Blaster Card. I want to write my own voice input/output program in Turbo Pascal or Quick C. I've tried to make it work but I just can't seem to get the card to accept input or output. If you've had any experience with writing for Sound Blaster. Please E-mail me your advice, that is DO NOT KEEP REPOSTING THIS STUPID MESSAGE LIKE THEY DO IN OTHER NEWS GROUPS! Thanx in advance, Nick Stefanisko stefanis@cscihp.ecst.csuchico.edu Any time but -----v stefanis@sunrfe.arc.nasa.gov Dec. 26, 1990 - Jan. 19, 1991
rcerami@chaucer.uucp (24383-richard cerami(3226)m000) (01/09/91)
I have been dinking around with PC music for some time now and
finally picked up the Sound Blaster (thanks to this 'nets' praise
for the card). I can't, initially anyway, say that I am that
impressed with it. The sound quality, natually beats anything the stand
alone PC can do by far, but I bought this card in lieu of an Amiga!
The problem is that the software that comes with the card is VERY
inadequate. Infact, I find that the instrument simulations are
fair at best from the ORGAN program. Can anyone suggest a good
series of programs that have a quality user interface, I'm not a
PC guru, and that can be used in real development? Do I need to
get the MIDI interface to get quality sound 'reproduction' and make
up cords? I know that Creative Labs has other products out, but I
gather they are better suited for hardware than for software. I have
used Sound Blaster with games that have a digital sound track and I know
it can play quality music. Any comments and help would be greatly
appreciated! Public domain software would be a blessing!!!
Strider
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hill. Yes, that was it. But it is a hasty word for a thing that
has stood here ever since this part of the world was shaped."
- Treebeard, The Lord of the Rings
-------------------------------------------------------------------davet@tsdiag.ccur.com (Dave Tiller N2KAU) (01/11/91)
In article <1991Jan9.142742.16059@porthos.cc.bellcore.com> rcerami@chaucer.uucp (24383-richard cerami(3226)m000) writes:
-
-I have been dinking around with PC music for some time now and
-finally picked up the Sound Blaster (thanks to this 'nets' praise
-for the card).
-fair at best from the ORGAN program. Can anyone suggest a good
-series of programs that have a quality user interface, I'm not a
-PC guru, and that can be used in real development? Do I need to
-get the MIDI interface to get quality sound 'reproduction' and make
-up cords?
Voyetra's new sp/gold sequencer supports this card, and should give you more
flexibility in programming the card. I am quite pleased with the SP/2 that
I have now.
--
David E. Tiller davet@tsdiag.ccur.com | Concurrent Computer Corp.
FAX: 201-870-5952 Ph: (201) 870-4119 (w) | 2 Crescent Place, M/S 117
UUCP: ucbvax!rutgers!petsd!tsdiag!davet | Oceanport NJ, 07757
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