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The Sound Site Newsletter Issue 15
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| The Sound Site Newsletter |
| |
| Issue #15 August 1993 |
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| Copyright (C) 1993 by David Komatsu All Rights Reserved. |
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| This may be distributed to bulletin boards, FTP sites or other |
| media as long as there is no charge to receive the newsletter |
| o Submissions for next issue being accepted until August 30 |
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Note from the Editor
--------------------
Welcome to another edition of the Sound Newsletter. Exciting changes
continue to take place. The Sound-Site Network is off to a good start
and the support keeps pouring in. It is with great please that I welcome
aboard Michael Sutter and Kevin Whalen to the sound newsletter staff.
Michael's column deals with the Gravis Ultrasound as well as programs
of interest to soundcard users. Kevin's column deals with the Roland &
Multisound cards as well as MIDI and use of OS/2 with soundcards. I
hope you enjoy these new features. Please feel free to mail them with
comments or questions or even idea for future columns.
Many requests come in for sound files via diskette or tape since they
are so numerous and time consuming to download. Also many of our
readers are receiving this through local bulletin boards and do not
have access to our FTP sites. Thus Island CD Creations has created
the Sound Site CD-ROM containing thousands of sound files as well as
many of the programs featured in the newsletter. If you are interested
please read the file CD-ROM.INF included in this file. If you are
interested in publishing the Sound Newsletter on a CD-ROM please contact
me for more information.
Would you like to see a new column, write a column, answer questions...
The Sound Newsletter is always looking for additional help. We are
also looking for ASCII artists.
Please use the address below to send comments and/or submission to the
Sound Newsletter: davek@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu
The Sound Newsletter is posted to: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
rec.games.misc
FTP: oak.oakland.edu (misc/sound)
garbo.uwasa.fi (pc/sound)
sound.usach.cl (pub/Sound/Newslettters) [Home Base]
Various bulletin boards listed at the bottom of this newsletter.
-----> Dave
In Issue #15
-------------
o Special Thanks
o Do you want to announce a new product?
o Feature Articles
o The Sound Site Network
o News
o Sound.usach.cl (Update)
o NSF Research project help
o Columns
o The Gus Gallery by Michael Sutter
o Ultra Tracker
o CoolEdit
o Multisound by Kevin Whalen
o Sound Bits
o MODCLEAN: Clean up the unused samples in your MOD files
o Anonymous FTP sound Sites
o Bulletin Board Listing
Special thanks to the following for supporting the Sound Newsletter #15
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Juan Pablo Jadue Jadue : Sound-Site FTP Admin
(jpjadue@toqui.usach.cl)
David Johnston : Cool Edit (Author)
Jim Oldroyd
(jr@inset.com) : FTP/Sound Consultant
Duane Takamine : Sound FTP Site support staff
(duane@shell.portal.com)
Marc Andr Schallehn : Ultra Tracker (Author)
(Marc_Schallehn@Doit.fido.de)
Michael Sutter : Columnist
(freejack@shell.portal.com)
Torben Thellefsen : Modclean (Author)
(monty@iesd.auc.dk)
Kevin Whalen : Columnist
(kwhalen@vnet.IBM.COM)
And to all the FTP sites and bulletin boards carrying the Sound
Newsletter and of course all the dedicated readers who make it worth
the effort.
************************************************************************
** Announce a new product for FREE **
************************************************************************
If you have written a freely distributable program or demo (shareware,
freeware, public domain, demo etc) that is designed to play, edit or
show off sound files please email me at davek@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu.
We can feature your program in the Sound Newsletter as well as trickle
it to various FTP sites. If you want your program featured please
include a brief description of the program.
The Sound Newsletter is now accepting announcements for COMMERCIAL programs
and will also review COMMERCIAL programs. Please contact me for more info.
Alternatively you can mail all sound programs to me on a 3.5" disk Low
or High Density to:
David Komatsu
Sound Program Submission
4826 Likini Street
Honolulu, HI 96818
Feature Articles & News
----------------------
*****************************
** The Sound Site Network **
*****************************
*************************** Introducing ********************************
** The Sound Site Network **
*************************** Introducing ********************************
The Sound Site Network consists of the following:
The Sound Site Newsletter
The Sound-Site FTP Site (sound.usach.cl)
Bulletin Boards (in several countries!)
The benefits!
Sound Authors:
1) Program and Update announcement in the Sound Newsletter
2) Program will be available on the Sound Site plus participating
bulletin boards.
3) Admission to the special Authors list
4) We will include you on the list of sound software and authors
5) Best of all its FREE
Bulletin Boards:
1) Posting of your BBS number in the Sound Newsletter
2) Admission to a special BBS list
3) Ability to FTP a special file from our FTP site that contains all
the programs reviewed in an issue of the Sound Newsletter.
4) Best of all it's FREE!
Sound Authors and BBS sites please mail me as we would like to have you
aboard the Sound Site Network. Please not this network does not yet
have BBS nodes. All information is currently being send via internet.
If you are willing to give us a node please contact me.
***************
** NEWS **
***************
****************************
** The Sound-Site Update **
****************************
Everything seems to be running pretty smoothly on the sound.usach.cl
site. We are happy to say that all programs reviewed in the Sound
Newsletter can be found on this site and the site is growing everyday.
I am looking for a few people to help with the backlog of new programs.
What this would require is checking the incoming directory and downloading
new programs and verifying that they work (and of course possibly writing
a review of it for the Sound Newsletter if you have time). I can't
promise much but you will be able to see a lot of new programs before
most people and of course get your name in "lights" on the Sound Newsletter.
If you are interested let me know.
Our second site is going through final stages of preparation and we
should be able to announce it in the next issue. This site will be
different from our sound.usach.cl site and we hope you will find it
equally valuable.
*****************************
** Request for assistance **
*****************************
Hello,
I'm working on a research project for the national
science foundation using the SBPRO card. I desperately need information
on and BASIC or PASCAL code for the reading of any file format into the
computer in an analyziable way . I require to extract the frequency and
the amplitude from a recorded file. Sox will switch anything to anything
so I don't care which format (voc, wav, whatever). I would not only
greatly appreciate any code - but after I complete my research I will post
the program for the analysis and write a article about it for the newsletter.
So guys.... SEND ME CODE.. I need it bad!!
Bryan Glancey, Jr.
Clarkson University
Physics Department
bry@craft.camp.clarkson.edu
*************************
** Feature Columns **
*************************
********************* Copyright (C) 1993
** The Gus Gallery ** by Michael Sutter
********************* freejack@shell.portal.com
Welcome to what I hope will become a monthly column for users of the Gravis
Ultrasound Card (GUS). It is my intention to provide un-biased reviews of
newly released and soon to be released programs for the GUS. I will also
be covering products that are of interest to Sound Blaster(2.0, pro, 16),
Pas-16, MultiSound owners.
Now for a little info about myself. My name is Michael Sutter and I've had
my Gus for seven months now. My main interests in the GUS are programming,
composition, demos, and general music playback. I won't waste any space
here explaining why I think the GUS is the best sound
card for MY NEEDS. If anyone is interested (yah right), feel free to contact
me. Now with the formalities out of the way, lets get to the column.
Title : Ultra Tracker
Version : 1.30
File Name : ultra130.zip
Type : Tracker
Author : Marc Andr Schallehn of MYSTERIOUS - MAS
E-mail : Marc_Schallehn@Doit.fido.de
Price : Shareware $20 registration
Even before the GUS was released there was a lot of talk on the net about
the possibilities the GUS presented in the area MOD type music. With 32
digital channels, 44k sample rate, and the ability to playback 16 bit
sample, the GUS sounded like a MOD composers dream. Well it took about
eight months, but the first tracker to take advantage of the above
mention capabilities has arrived.
Ultra Tracker supports the following features.
- Up to 32 tracks.
- 8 bit or 16 bit samples.
- Easy to use, menu driven interface.
- 18 effects
I first looked at UltraTracker (UT) version 1.0 about two months ago.
My first thoughts were, 'Demo song sounds GREAT, but how is UT to compose
with?' After about two hours and several system crashes, I deleted UT
from my hard drive. UT seemed to have a lot of potential, but just seemed
to have to many loose ends. Over the last two months, Marc Schallehn has
put a lot of time and effort into improving and polishing his program.
As of version 1.1, UT seems to be a very stable program. I've yet to
crash UT since version 1.0.
Ultra Tracker has many unique features that set it apart from other
trackers. I believe UT's biggest feature is the ability to use up to
32 tracks. If you have ever worked with a four track composer, you
know what it's like to juggle your sounds around.
Another of UT's nice features is the balance command. With the balance
command you can dictate where in the stereo field the sound will play,
finally real stereo. This command works great for panning a sound from
side to side. UT supports a host of other effects commands such as :
-Portamento (up & down)
-Tone Portamento
-Vibrato
-Loop Off
-Play backwards
-Volume Slide
-Balance
-Set Volume
-Pattern Break
-Fine Slide (up & down)
-Fine Volume Slide (up & down)
-retrigger Note
-Cut Note
-Note Delay
-Set Speed
UT Supports both real-time and step entry of notes. Like many trackers,
UT uses the PC keyboard like a piano keyboard for note entry.
Ultra Tracker has evolved over the last two months into a solid program.
If you have been waiting for good tracker for the GUS, checkout UT.
If you have tried one of the earlier releases of UT, give UT another
look. I think you will be impressed with the changes.
** NOTE **
Check out these two Ultra Tracker files by Patrick Matte (Krystall).
Winds.zip (Antarctic Winds)
Forest-g.zip (A Trip In The Forest)
Title : Cool Edit (Windows)
Version : 1.21
File Name : cooled.zip
Type : Sound Editor
Author : David Johnston
E-mail : N/A
Price : Shareware $10 registration
I've been looking for a good sound editing package for the PC for as long
as I've had a sound card in my system. Most sound editing packages I've
tried either lack the features I need or are too unstable to use.
Many windows sound editing program seem to crash my system. I'm not sure
if this is the fault of windows, the program, or my setup. I suspect its
a combination of the three.
Just the other night I downloaded a new windows sound editing package
called Cool Edit. I must admit I was a little skeptical at first given
my past experience with windows sound editors, but after working with
Cool Edit for a couple of hours, I glad to say it's great.
Cool Edit has to be the most feature packed sound editing packages
available on the PC. Cool Edit has the normal functions and effects
found in most good editing package. Here is just a short list of some of
the effects Cool Edit provides.
-Reverse
-Equalize
-Amplify
-Echo
-Flange
-Channel Mix/Inverse
-Stretch
-Delay
Where Cool Edit separates itself from other editing packages is in the
control it gives you over these functions and effects. For example, when
adding echo to a sound, Cool Edit allows you to specify the falloff ratio,
delay, and initial echo volume. I spent a lot of time working with the
equalize function. The Equalize function works like an eight paddle EQ
on a stereo.
I've had problems getting clean, pop and click free samples on my GUS.
I've been very happy with the quality of samples I've been able to record
with Cool Edit.
The only problem I've run into so far with Cool Edit is the shareware
versions limit of 30 second samples. If you don't press stop while
recording before the sample goes over 30 second, the program will gray
out all the menu options. I think it would be better to popup a dialog
box saying something like 'Unregistered Shareware Version limited To
30 Seconds Of Recording'.
Cool Edit is the best sound editing package I've come across on the PC.
If you have been searching for a great sound editing package, Give Cool
Edit a try.
Well, that it for this months GUS column. Hope you have enjoyed it. Feel
free to contact me on either of the bbs's listed below. On Internet my
e-mail address is freejack@shell.portal.com. Until next month,
happy Gusing.
All the files reviewed in this months
column can be downloaded from the following sites.
Internet : sunny.hawcc.hawaii.edu (128.171.143.7)
pub/msdos/soundsite
BBS : UltraSound Connection (813)787-8644
Digital Oxygene (214)414-5041
********************************* Copyright (C) 1993
** Turtlebeach/Multisound/OS2 ** by Kevin Whalen
*********************************
Greetings all. I'd first like to introduce myself since this is the
first article for this new column. My name is Kevin Whalen, an undergrad
at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, where I am completing a
BS degree in Computer Engineering Technology. At the moment, I am working
my second co-op term here with IBM in Boca Raton, FL...the home of OS/2.
My intention is to use this column to discuss progress and problems
regarding the Turtle Beach Multisound, the Roland MT-32, any Casio CZ
synths, and MIDI questions in general. I will also try to expand the
public knowledge of a thing called OS/2 Multimedia, in hopes of raising
enough interest in the Multisound crowd to prompt Turtle Beach to pursue
the creation of an OS/2 driver for it.
====== OS/2 2.1 ======
The latest release of OS/2, OS/2 2.1, is now available. For those
of you who have heard of OS/2, but never really knew what it was, OS/2
is a 32-bit multitasking operating system that allows the simultaneous
execution of OS/2, DOS, and now Windows 3.1 applications, all on the same
platform. If you have a system with a 386 CPU or higher, and a minimum of
4M of RAM, you can run it, although more RAM improves performance. With the
new addition of Windows 3.1 support, all of the Turtle Beach applets, drivers,
and programs can be run, along with any other Windows programs. I have done
this myself, and found only minor performance problems, specifically when
trying to play back audio along with MIDI, there is an audible glitch when a
window is moved. Still, Cakewalk Pro for Windows and Wave for Windows seem
to run fine under OS/2 2.1. However, the feature most of you will be
interested in is the bundling of OS/2 Multimedia with every copy of
OS/2 2.1.
The OS/2 Multimedia platform is superior to Windows in many ways.
First, the system understands the importance of time-critical
applications, such as digital audio. Therefore, when running other
programs simultaneously with digital audio playback, the system will
always make sure that the audio program gets the CPU resources it needs
to produce glitch-free audio. Second, OS/2 2.1 allows sharing of hardware,
like audio cards, between programs. Third, video playback is performed by
software alone. NO VIDEO HARDWARE REQUIRED! Your graphics card is all you
need! There's alot more to talk about, and I will address any questions if
there is interest...and I hope that there is. Its a shame to have the PC
industry's superior audio card, and not be able to use it on the superior
multimedia platform.
====== Multisound ======
I think I will start by explaining how I have my system set up,
and if anyone finds himself saying, "Gee, how can I do that?" just send
me a note. I have a Casio CZ-1 as a keyboard controller, driving a Roland
MT-32, a Multisound, a MIDIVERB II, and utilizing a Music Quest PC-MIDI
interface. The sequencer is Cakewalk Pro for Windows, and this is combined
with Wave for creation of .WAV files for playback in a sequence. This setup
can make use of 64 MIDI channels, and I have achieved simultaneous audio
record/play while playing MIDI. Yes, the MPU-401 isn't necessary, but the
kid in me wants it around for DOS games! So, if any of this seems impossible,
I'll talk ya through it.
====== Casio CZ-1 ======
Ok, does anybody still use this dino-synth? Yeah, its old, and I
think you can get one at a used instrument dealer for $200 or less. The
thing is, if you have a great sound source like the Multisound, it makes
a perfectly good controller, and hey, some of those old Phase-modulation
sounds still hold up! I don't really want to get too deep into this portion
of the column yet, and especially if no one out there uses it, or any other
CZ series synth anymore. I will make one report though: Casio warrants
the battery backup on the CZ-1 for 3 years. I bought mine in 1987, and
that little watch battery is STILL alive! Haven't lost one bit of
information. Freak of nature, I guess.
For next time, I'll try to have a full review of the 2.0 drivers
for the Multisound (I have yet to download them). I will also field
any questions I receive in response to this article. Until then,
Out...
The Kevster
RIT: kjw6011@RITVAX.RIT.EDU
IBM: (until November 25, 1993) KWHALEN@VNET.IBM.COM
****************
** Sound Bits **
****************
************************ Note to software authors ************************
Your program description could appear here for FREE. See the top of the
newsletter for details.
************************ Note to software authors ************************
DISCLAIMER: The Sound Newsletter provides no guarantee on the
performance of the software or products mentioned in this newsletter.
The information is provided to give the reader an idea on how the
products operate.
*****************
** MOD Clean **
*****************
Do your MODs take up too much space on your disks? Then allow me to
introduce ModClean - a small utility that can reduce the size of your
MODs while they still remain playable! ModClean does so by removing
any unused patterns and/or samples from the MOD. This was the case
in about 30% of the about 70 MODs I've tried it on so far. The
reductions were in the range from 1Kb to 51Kb(!). If you want to try
ModClean, you can find the latest version on these ftp-sites:
wasp.eng.ufl.edu /pub/msdos/demos/utils
archive.epas.utoronto.ca /??
garbo.uwasa.fi /pc/sound
wuarchive.wustl.edu /pub/msdos_uploads/sounds
sound.usach.cl /pub/Sound/PC/Players
On all ftp-sites, the filename is MODCLNxx.ZIP, where xx indicates
the latest version. As of this writing, the latest version is 1.0,
making the filename MODCLN10.ZIP. Version 1.1 is expected to be out
at August 1st.
ModClean will recognize most MODs, excluding older 15-sample MODs,
because they have no "solid" identification means.
If you want to contact me about ModClean or anything else, you can
reach me at:
InterNet: monty@iesd.auc.dk (until September 1993)
FidoNet: Torben Thellefsen, 2:234/116
InterNet: Torben.Thellefsen@f116.n234.z2.fidonet.org
This program is in the public domain, which means that you may freely
use and distribute MODCLEAN as you like. However, you're not allowed
to alter the program in ANY way - I still have copyright!
I can not be held responsible for any damage caused by MODCLEAN.
- Torben Thellefsen
------------------------------
| Anonymous Sound FTP SITES |
------------------------------
To connect to an anonymous FTP site do the following (we are using the
sound-site as an example)
ftp sound.usach.cl or ftp 158.170.34.4
name: anonymous
password: <email-address>
If you know of any other Sound ftp sites please forward the information
this way. If you know the administrators of the below sound sites or
you are in charge of one of the below sound sites please e-mail me so
we can join efforts. Your input to this sound-list would be greatly
appreciated. (*) denotes sites carrying Sound Newsletter & back issues.
Sound FTP sites
Name IP# What
------------------------------------------------------------------------
garbo.uwasa.fi 128.214.87.1 (.stm), players (*)
ems.media.mit.edu 18.85.0.104 csound
archive.epas.utoronto.ca pub/pc/ultrasound
128.100.160.26 (The Gravis Ultrasound FTP site)
ftp.brad.ac.uk 143.53.2.5 misc/mods incoming/mods
ftp.comlab.ox.ac.uk 192.76.52.2 Documents/sound (au files)
ftp.ee.lbl.gov 128.3.112.20 sounds (au files)
directory: sound/*.au
ftp.luth.se 130.240.18.2 pub/amiga/mods
ftp.uwp.edu 131.210.1.4 pub/msdos/proaudio
(Pro Audio Spectrum FTP site)
nic.funet.fi 128.214.6.100 pub/amiga/audio/modules
snake.mcs.kent.edu 131.123.2.222 SoundBlaster & Adlib stuff
directory: pub/SB-Adlib
sounds.sdsu.edu 130.191.224.2 .au files (songs, cartoons, snipits)
**************************************************************************
sounds.usach.cl Sound Newletter HOMEBASE
MOD, STM, MIDI, players, demos
sound card support, news.. more
pub/Sound/*
**************************************************************************
sumex-aim.stanford.edu (.snd) files
terminator.cc.umich.edu 141.211.164.8 sounds and misc archive site
ucsd.edu 128.54.16.1 sounds for sparc
uop.uop.edu 138.9.200.1 Modplay
wuarchive.wustl.edu 128.252.135.4 Modfiles
/systems/amiga/audio/music/st-nt
xanth.cs.odu.edu 128.82.8.1 startrek sounds
dir: pub/star-trek/stsounds.
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil 192.88.110.20 Sound players (*)
Multimedia Demo FTP sites
Name IP# What
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ftp.sun.ac.za pub/msdos/demos
ftp.uwp.edu : pub/msdos/demos
wasp.eng.ufl.edu : pub/msdos/demos
wuarchive.wustl.edu Modfiles
/systems/amiga/audio/music/st-nt
Attention Bulletin Board owners and FTP site administrators
-----------------------------------------------------------
You can carry the sound newsletter on your site FREE of charge. For
FTP sites please contact me at: davek@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu. You can either
obtain it from one of our sites or we can mail it to you on Fido Net,
CompuServe or Internet.
The following Bulletin board systems carry the Sound Newsletter and
Back Issues. The (*) boards also specialize in multimedia. If you
call these boards please tell them you heard about their board from
THE SOUND NEWSLETTER!
United States
Board Speed Phone Sysop
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Digital Oxygene (*) 14.4K (214) 414-5041 Mike Phillips
Chris Tompsett
The Fogotten Realm 38.4K (808) 262-7340 Richard Chun
Graphics Plus 38.4K (808) 531-6509 Eric Lui
Network One Systems
Fantasy Island 9600 (HST) (808) 689-0040 Ken Ludwig
Listening Post 9600 (HST) (808) 689-8583 Lou Braun
Midnight Run BBS (*) 2400 (809) 720-3833 Luis R. Garcia
(Fido 1:367/27)
The Music Connection (*) 38.4K (Dual) (214) 596-2827 Rob Butler
Sean Peoples
The Ninth Bit (*) 14.4K (405) 372-7204 Scott Wilkins
The Patchbay (*) 38.4K (Dual) (818) 441-3965 Daniel Bise
Quantum BBS 14.4K (413) 584-1863 Wildcat
(413) 584-3208
Round Table BBS 2400 (312) 777-9480 Kevin Keyser
Snarf's Music Studio BBS 14.4K (HST) (708) 290-9993 Colin Crisanti
Ultrasound Connection (*) 14.4K (813) 787-8644
Abroad (All contain sound programs also)
Board Speed Phone Sysop
--------------------------------------------------------------------
BCG-Box 9600 +358 21 404 036 Kim Heino
V32/42/42bis, MNP2-5
(FidoNet: 2:222/151.0)
Einstein BBS 2400 +47 4 53 46 18 Kjetil Krag
Greyhawk BBS (UK) 9600 +44 332 756414 Alan Coates
(Fido: 2:250/404)
The Old Frog's Almanac 9600 604 245-3205 Ken McVay
(4 lines) 2400 604 245-4366 Ken McVay
System - X 9600 +(61-2) 368-1320 Scot Art
(Fido: 3:712/634)
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| sound.usach.cl IS the NEW sound site. Try it out today ! ! ! |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| davek@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu | Editor of the Sound Newsletter |
| -----> Dave | Spreading the word about the |
| | latest in sound technology |
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