cie221u@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (Neiger) (02/15/91)
Thank you to all who supplied information about the Soundblaster card to me. The following is a summary. (1) The cheapest Soundblaster card I was told about was US$149 +$8 shipping from Telemart in the United States. Australians would have to find about AU$359 or obtain one from the US. (2) The public domain drivers allow the Soundblaster to be used to play Roland music files in the background and allow customisation of the Windows beep. Future relases will support Sound digitizing functions, a real music program and the ability to play back digitized sound files. (3) Of the six replies I received *EVERYONE* was very happy with their Soundblasters and the software. (4) The authors are continuing development so if you use their software *please* contribute. (5) The only "clone" sound card (and the informant was not certain about the specs) is available from Radio Shack (not Australia, yet) for US$69 -- David S. Neiger | cie221u@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au Research Assistant | phone: +61 3 565 3542 (W/H) Dept. of Mech. Engineeering | Monash University. CLAYTON Vic. 3168. Australia.
wales@lrcsnl.enet.dec.com (David Wales) (02/19/91)
cie221u@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (Neiger) writes... >(1) The cheapest Soundblaster card I was told about was US$149 +$8 shipping from >Telemart in the United States. Australians would have to find about AU$359 or >obtain one from the US. You can buy a Sound Blaster in Australia now for A$299. Try Harvey Norman Discounts in Sydney (maybe other states, not sure). Also Dick Smith Electronics has dropped their price from A$399 to A$299. Note that these are the newer boards without the CMS chips fitted as standard. >(2) The public domain drivers allow the Soundblaster to be used to play Roland >music files in the background and allow customisation of the Windows beep. >Future relases will support Sound digitizing functions, a real music program and >the ability to play back digitized sound files. I'm looking forward to the future enhancements and the many PD programs that will surface for the Sound Blaster. Even Microsoft is supposed to be supporting it some time in the future. >(3) Of the six replies I received *EVERYONE* was very happy with their >Soundblasters and the software. Make that seven! David. -- ================================================================================ | David Wales (VK2KWD) Sydney, Australia | Internet: wales@lrcsnl.enet.dec.com | | | FIDOnet: 3:712/517 (My Other Half) | | "Only 37 years 'till retirement!" | UUCP: decwrl!lrcsnl.enet!wales | | | | | Opinions expressed are mine and | Voice: (61) 2 561-7334 (Work) | | mine only! | FAX: (61) 2 561-7441 | ================================================================================
mikes@pedsga.UUCP (Mike Shulman <shulman>) (02/20/91)
In article <1991Feb15.133106.86314@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au> cie221u@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (Neiger) writes: [....] >(2) The public domain drivers allow the Soundblaster to be used to play Roland >music files in the background and allow customisation of the Windows beep. >Future relases will support Sound digitizing functions, a real music program and Do you mean PD soundblaster drivers for Windows? If so, where do I get them? I didn't see any on Simtel.... Thanks! - Mike.
tarquin@athena.mit.edu (Robert P Poole) (02/20/91)
Regarding the "clone card" available from Radio Shack for $69: this is actually a genuine product of Creative Labs / Creative Music Systems. It is called the Game Blaster, and it is really the "little brother" of the Soundblaster. The Soundblaster basically incorporates all the hardware of the GameBlaster, and then includes FM hardware to emulate the AdLib card. In this way, people who own the Soundblaster card effectively have a way of running software for three different kinds of sound card. However, the folks who created the FM sound driver for Win 3.0 might want to consider putting in support for the Soundblaster in CMS mode, so this way those of us with our measly GameBlaster cards can have some hope of using the program. I believe the creators of the program mentioned this as a future enhancement to the software, and I just wanted to say that this is a really GOOD idea. My $0.02. Rob -- Robert P. Poole tarquin@athena.mit.edu 46 Massachusetts Avenue MIT Course VIII 311B Bexley Hall "We make Idols of our concepts, but Cambridge, MA 02139 wisdom is born of wonder."
ong@d.cs.okstate.edu (ONG ENG TENG) (02/21/91)
From article <1991Feb19.224614.4287@athena.mit.edu>, by tarquin@athena.mit.edu (Robert P Poole): > > Regarding the "clone card" available from Radio Shack for $69: this is > actually a genuine product of Creative Labs / Creative Music Systems. It is > called the Game Blaster, and it is really the "little brother" of the > Soundblaster. The Soundblaster basically incorporates all the hardware of the > GameBlaster, and then includes FM hardware to emulate the AdLib card. In this Just to clarify, Sound Blaster also include many more things like game port, digital voice channels (both input and output), etc.
andyross@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Andrew Rossmann) (02/24/91)
In article <1991Feb19.224614.4287@athena.mit.edu> tarquin@athena.mit.edu (Robert P Poole) writes: >called the Game Blaster, and it is really the "little brother" of the >Soundblaster. The Soundblaster basically incorporates all the hardware of the >GameBlaster, and then includes FM hardware to emulate the AdLib card. In this The GameBlaster is essentially just the CMS part of a Sound Blaster (of which some don't come with the CMS chips!). A full Sound Blaster emulates both the GameBlaster and the Adlib, in addition to having the digital sound/sampling channel.