zech@leadsv.UUCP (Bill Zech) (08/16/90)
I have played music and voice files with the SoundBlaster under Windows 3.0 with some success. To play voice files, you need to increase the DMA buffer size (specified in system.ini, I think) to (no more than) 64K. The default size is much smaller, and thus limits the length of the voice file it can play. This is the ONLY case where DMA is involved, not music files. For music files, the play OK in a forefround window, but not very well in background. The CMS and Adlib music playback programs both reprogram the system timer to tick faster than the normal 18.2/sec. This is done to accurately measure the music time signature. The timer ISR is the guy that fiddles with the board's music register file. Windows 3.0 apparently multitasks DOS programs via a simple time-slice algorithm, and anybody familiar with sampling theory can see how this will produce bogus results with the music playback code. The result is very intermittent notes. A tried a variety of settings for the foreground/background values without much luck. I don't have the jukebox program, so I don't know how well that would work if loaded prior to running Windows. Perhaps better. BTW, I have developer's kits for both the Adlib board and the Sound Blaster. They are better than nothing, but I think they are rather poorly packaged and documented for the money. - Bill zech@leadsv.com
smcgarry@houdini.rtp.dg.com (Steve McGarry) (08/16/90)
In article <12512@leadsv.UUCP>, zech@leadsv.UUCP (Bill Zech) writes: |> BTW, I have developer's kits for both the Adlib board and the Sound |> Blaster. They are better than nothing, but I think they are rather |> poorly packaged and documented for the money. |> |> - Bill |> zech@leadsv.com How much are the packages you have? What information/utilities do the include? Would it be possible for you to post a summary of the usage of CMS & Adlib registers? - Steve
tjw@unix.cis.pitt.edu (TJ Wood WA3VQJ) (08/17/90)
In article <12512@leadsv.UUCP> zech@leadsv.LEADS.LMSC.COM.UUCP (Bill Zech) writes: >BTW, I have developer's kits for both the Adlib board and the Sound >Blaster. They are better than nothing, but I think they are rather >poorly packaged and documented for the money. >- Bill >zech@leadsv.com Could you (and others reading this) please describe what the Sound Blaster's "Developer's Kits" contain? Do they give source code for the drivers, etc? What have you done (or intend to do) with the kit? The ad include in with the SOUND BLASTER doesn't give any information on what the package contains and I'd rather not buy a pig-in-a-poke. Many thanks, Terry -- INTERNET: tjw@unix.cis.pitt.edu BITNET: TJW@PITTVMS CC-NET: 33802::tjw UUCP: {decwrl!decvax!idis, allegra, bellcore}!pitt!unix.cis.pitt.edu!tjw And if dreams could come true, I'd still be there with you, On the banks of cold waters at the close of the day. - Craig Johnson