ksteele@epas.toronto.edu (Ken Steele) (05/10/91)
I think I joined the internet just as the discussion was ending, but did someone report a MicroChannel version of the Creative Labs SoundBlaster card? I love my PS/2, but finding peripherals is a real headache! Is the MCA Soundblaster card hard vaporware, or is it already on the shelves? I can probably have someone local order one once I have an order number... Sorry if this is repetitious, and thanks in advance. Yours, Ken Steele <ksteele@epas.utoronto.ca>
sc151111@seas.gwu.edu (The Time Traveler) (05/12/91)
In article <1991May10.012803.23642@epas.toronto.edu> ksteele@epas.toronto.edu (Ken Steele) writes: >I think I joined the internet just as the discussion was ending, but >did someone report a MicroChannel version of the Creative Labs >SoundBlaster card? I love my PS/2, but finding peripherals is a real >headache! > >Is the MCA Soundblaster card hard vaporware, or is it already on the >shelves? I can probably have someone local order one once I have an >order number... > Well, some people have it, some don't. Creative Labs had a pre-release special price of $250. I ordered it, but I haven't received it yet. A rather ingenious friend of mine in Germany got his and even managed to fix a bug in the design. (Du, ich habe vergessen wie es geht. Kanst Du noch einmal uns sagen was wir machen muessen???) That little Germany tidbit was for him. I hope I didn't make too many errors. Anyway, the only difference with it is that it doesn't have an on-board amplifier (no real loss, because it wasn't that powerful anyway), and it can't support the CMS chips. But it does have a joystick port! ----------------------------------------------------------- The Time Traveler Let me take you far away a.k.a. Timur Tabi You'd like a holiday Internet: sc151111@seas.gwu.edu Exchange the cold days for the sun Bitnet: HE891C@GWUVM The good times ... and fun -- Scorpions (awesome concert 5/10/91!)
kluge@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE (Oliver Kluge) (05/12/91)
In article <3189@sparko.gwu.edu> sc151111@seas.gwu.edu (The Time Traveler) writes: >In article <1991May10.012803.23642@epas.toronto.edu> ksteele@epas.toronto.edu (Ken Steele) writes: >>I think I joined the internet just as the discussion was ending, but >>shelves? I can probably have someone local order one once I have an >>order number... >> >special price of $250. I ordered it, but I haven't received it yet. >A rather ingenious friend of mine in Germany got his and even managed to >fix a bug in the design. (Du, ich habe vergessen wie es geht. Kanst >Du noch einmal uns sagen was wir machen muessen???) No problem, the German was excellent. Okay, here is the bug fix: The bug consists of a chip which is of the wrong speed type. It is U23. I do not have my card at hand, but I believe it is located in the second row from the left, at the bottom. It is marked as U23 on the board, anyway. It is a 74 LS 32, but should be a 74 F 32 (Fast instead of Low-Power Schottky). Carefylly de-solder U23 applying the usual precautions against static electricity, then solder the 74 F 32 in (Better: solder in a socket and place the new chip in the socket). That's it. Beware: Do this only if you are experienced in ICs and be reminded that this may void your warranty. Cheers! Oliver -- +----- kluge%informatik.tu-muenchen.de@relay.cs.net || @unido.uucp -----+ | Munich Institute of Technology, Mathematics and Computer Sciences SAB | | Parallel Computing Laboratory, Arcisstr. 21, W8000 Munich 2, Germany | <>=<>=<>=<>=<>=<>=<>= SUPPORT INDIAN RESISTANCE =<>=<>=<>=<>=<>=<>=<>
friedber@convex.UUCP (Don Friedberg) (05/15/91)
In article <1991May10.012803.23642@epas.toronto.edu> ksteele@epas.toronto.edu (Ken Steele) writes: >I think I joined the internet just as the discussion was ending, but >did someone report a MicroChannel version of the Creative Labs >SoundBlaster card? I love my PS/2, but finding peripherals is a real >headache! > >Is the MCA Soundblaster card hard vaporware, or is it already on the >shelves? I can probably have someone local order one once I have an >order number... > >Sorry if this is repetitious, and thanks in advance. > > Yours, > > Ken Steele > <ksteele@epas.utoronto.ca> I got my Soundblaster MCV (that's what Creative Labs calls it) a couple of weeks ago. I have a PS/2 model 70 16mhz and it did indeed have the bug mentioned in the previous notes. After verifying that fact with the Creative Labs technical people I sent the board back to them to be fixed. I made a map of all of the components on the board before I sent it back. IF the thing ever shows up I will post to this group what changes were made. I suspect that they will be changing the OR gate that was previously reported to be the problem. Don P.S. One other problem I had was that the output level of the board was too low for the Sony Amplifying speakers that I bought to detect a signal and thus I got barely audible sound from the board. The fact the the Soundblaster MCV does not have an amplifier definitely caused a small problem. I was able to get it working with an old clock radio/cassette player unit that I had which had an auxilary(sp?) jack.