Soundscape Elite Specs. from Fax sheet
Frederick Y Mah
---------------------
Now your computer can have the power of a real time, multiple, simultaneous
effects processor! The same DSP used in the professional ENSONIQ ASR
samplers, TS synthesizers and the DP/4+ effects processor.
o Effect algorithms are downloadable and expandable. Ensoniq Special
Effects Tool Kit includes 7 effects that may be combined.
o For the gamer, this means that virtual reality just came closer to
reality.
o For the musician and multimedia developer, this means richer, fuller
scores with more impact.
Features Include:
-----------------
o Dual DSP's (Digital Signal Processors):
1- ENSONIQ Wavetable Synthesizer (OTTO):
Provides true simultaneous instruments, 16 channels, 32 note polyphony.
2+ Megabyte Wave and patch sets provide:
GS Instrument set, 7 Drum kits
128 General MIDI Instruments
128 MT-32 Instruments
61 Drum Programs
2- ENSONIQ Signal Processor (ESP):
Provides access to the ENSONIQ library of Real Time special effects.
Provides multiple simultaneous effets. Reverb and Chorus are
enabled when Soundscape is initialized.
o Full 16-Bit digital Play/Record at up to 48 kHz Stereo:
o CD quality sound, Very low noise
o MS ADPCM, A-Law, u-Law Compression supported
Compatibility with Industry Standards:
--------------------------------------
Support for ADLIB,
Sound Blaster*,
Sound Blaster 2.0*,
MT-32,
General MIDI,
Windows Sound System 2,
MPC levels 1 and 2.
* Except for the few software titles
requiring Sound Blaster ADPCM.
All product names, and other
brands, are the trademarks of
their respective holders
GAME Support:
-------------
Soundscape Elite also supports a "native" mode interface to the Soundscape
architecture that provides full 16-bit stereo digital sound and music.
Soundscape native mode is supported by hundreds of game companies.
Native mode creates a simple "check-off" for Soundscape when a game is
installed.
Includes 4 popular CD ROM Interfaces:
-------------------------------------
IDE ATAPI,
SONY,
Mitsumi, and
Panasonic.
On-Board 68EC000 Microprocessor:
--------------------------------
Provides software upgradeable OS and very low host CPU overhead.
Driver Support:
---------------
Windows 3.1 ,
Windows for Workgroups 3.11,
Windows '95,
Windows NT, and
OS/2 Warp.
Software Included:
------------------
Audio rack stereo system
MIDI editor
.WAV player/recorder
CD player
Source mixer
MIDI sequencer
MIDI song file examples
ENSONIQ Effects Tool Kit:
-------------------------
A Windows application that gives the user an interactive and fun interface
to 7 additional real time effects that can be applied to any mixer input.
This application will also allow the user access to over 100 special
effects in the ENSONIQ library.
System Requirements:
--------------------
IBM PC-AT or Compatible
1 16 Bit Expansion Slot (full length)
4MB RAM
DOS 3.3 or Higher
Windows, OS/2
CD-ROM Drive (MPC)
Powered Speakers or Headphones
Edge Connectors:
----------------
MIC/Line Input
CD/AUX Input
Audio Output (Headphone or powered speakers)
15 Pin Joystick/MPU 401 MIDI interface
Warranty:
---------
Soundscape Elite is backed by a three-year
limited hardware warranty covering parts and
labor
Automatic FAX Retrieval System
Topic 5200
--
Fred Mah --- fm...@widget.ecn.purdue.edu
John Doggett
understand how important it is to have RAM on your sound card? Such a
simple concept.
Frederick Y Mah (fm...@widget.ecn.purdue.edu) wrote:
: New Soundscape Elite!
[drainage]
--
/=\ | =\ |- |- |
_ | /=\ |=\ /=\ | | /=\ /=| /=| /=\ | | | John D Doggett
\=/ \=/ | | | | =/ \=/ \=| \=| \= \= \= | <dog...@u.washington.edu>
\=| \=| |
Gavin_...@mindlink.bc.ca
>In article <3nkqu2$f...@nntp1.u.washington.edu>, dog...@saul5.u.washington.edu
>says...
The facts don't state a waveblaster connector? Does this creature have
one? That would partially make up for the lack of ram.
>--
>Dave Potts
>Ensoniq Corp.
>Da...@Ensoniq.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gavin Ouckama
Gavin_...@mindlink.bc.ca
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gavin_...@mindlink.bc.ca
Looks alot like the once desired Kalix?????
Dave Potts
says...
>
>It's incredible. They just *don't* get it! How hard can it be to
>understand how important it is to have RAM on your sound card? Such a
>simple concept.
>
>
>Frederick Y Mah (fm...@widget.ecn.purdue.edu) wrote:
>: New Soundscape Elite!
>[drainage]
>
>--
>/=\ | =\ |- |- |
>_ | /=\ |=\ /=\ | | /=\ /=| /=| /=\ | | | John D Doggett
>\=/ \=/ | | | | =/ \=/ \=| \=| \= \= \= | <dog...@u.washington.edu>
> \=| \=| |
How about another $50 or so for the base price of the card.
Evan Champion
> >It's incredible. They just *don't* get it! How hard can it be to
> >understand how important it is to have RAM on your sound card? Such a
> >simple concept.
> How about another $50 or so for the base price of the card.
ROM samples are perfectly fine *provided* that the manufacturer
makes *good* samples.
I am personally not really interested in playing around with patch
sets which makes ROMs perfect for me, but because very few
manufactureres actually put good samples on their ROMs it severely
limits which cards are viable.
BTW, this is a problem for RAM-based cards as well. I have a GUS
and the samples provided with it are rather pitiful. However, I
am not really interested in playing around with the card to make it
sound the way it should so I am going to sell it or keep it as a
secondary sound device.
Evan
PaTriK
>>It's incredible. They just *don't* get it! How hard can it be to
>>understand how important it is to have RAM on your sound card? Such a
>>simple concept.
>>
>>
>How about another $50 or so for the base price of the card.
>--
>Dave Potts
>Ensoniq Corp.
>Da...@Ensoniq.com
yes! sure! I paid almost 300$ for my AWE-32 for its RAM features... but I'll
sell it for an Elite card with a RAM capability of at least 8 megs.
And if it has good MIDI implementation I'll recomend it to all my friends who
are now in the market for a music oriented card.
_Patrick
Dave Potts
doesn't make much sense since the wave blaster connector is used to add a
wavetable daughter board to the card (wave blaster ii has ability to download
samples), this is a wave table card.
I agree 100% that most sound card manufactures do not put any effort on making the
wave samples. Ensoniq is a MUSIC company, we only recently got into the Soundcard
business. We have over 10 years experiance on making wavetable roms. Our ROMs
are used in our professional synths. I, personally, feel that most people like
the idea of RAM so that they can download the patches they want. This is nice,
but for most consumers they will use this once or twice then never again, it's too
much of a hassle to download a set of patches before you play a game (or every
time you turn on your computer). (This is my personal opinion.) I beleive that
most people will be very happy with the sample already on the card.
Tim Huffman
>>
>>It's incredible. They just *don't* get it! How hard can it be to
>>understand how important it is to have RAM on your sound card? Such a
>>simple concept.
>>
I would tend to agree. No RAM!!! I had high hopes for this new
SS.... <sigh>. Why go 1/2 way if you're going to call it Elite.
Sounds like a *NEW* & <hopefully> *IMPROVED* SS to me.
>How about another $50 or so for the base price of the card.
>--
If it's so expensive, how can TB manage low-cost/hi-quality boards
WITH sampling RAM????
I can't judge whether it would be worth it to go for the *special*
offer without knowing the suggested retail & "street" price of this
board.
Judge Dredd
>First, There is NO reason to have a wave blaster connector on the card.. This
>doesn't make much sense since the wave blaster connector is used to add a
>wavetable daughter board to the card (wave blaster ii has ability to download
>samples), this is a wave table card.
Added polyphony?
>are used in our professional synths. I, personally, feel that most people like
>the idea of RAM so that they can download the patches they want. This is nice,
>but for most consumers they will use this once or twice then never again, it's too
>much of a hassle to download a set of patches before you play a game (or every
>time you turn on your computer). (This is my personal opinion.)
RAM: not just for consumers to use, to download custom patches, but for
the developers. Frankly, 128 melodic patches just isn't enough for me.
And it gets pretty boring after a while hearing the same instruments and
drums over and over again, in different games.
If the soundcard developers would get together and develop a standard
api, or just a standard for download samples, that would be great. But
then, a game can have individual support for the soundcard. e.g.: Epic
Megagames, their games use digital mod music, and they have specific
support for the gus, using the soundcard to mix the music reduces the
cpu's overhead, and on top of that you get great sounding music the way
the musician intended it.
William B. Jones
dog...@saul5.u.washington.edu (John Doggett) wrote:
>
>It's incredible. They just *don't* get it! How hard can it be to
>understand how important it is to have RAM on your sound card? Such a
>simple concept.
>
Geez Louize Dogman... go buy a $900+ full fledged synth! Of course, I can see
the need for RAM in something, say, like the AWE32 since most of it's stock
patches sound like crap(IMHO). Great patches (from a *real* synth company)
preclude the need for RAM to a large degree. And with the price of RAM these
days... give me a break! I've seen a lot of musicians stick with the stock
patches on their synths anyways. Not everyone likes to sample and program
patches.
Keep this in perspective. PC sound cards are MULTI-MEDIA oriented. NOT
dedicated synthesizers! Choose your weapon and make the most of it.
Bill Jones
^%#%^&^)*&^)%^%$%^#
________________________________
William B. Jones
Student of Computer Science
University of Southern Maine
wjon...@mail.caps.maine.edu
(207)773-8731
William B. Jones
Da...@Ensoniq.com (Dave Potts) wrote:
>
>How about another $50 or so for the base price of the card.
Heh heh... money talks! I *was* thinking that the "trade in" amount was a bit
low. Is this what you're referring to? If so, YES!!
Bill Jones
Greg Cisko
>First, There is NO reason to have a wave blaster connector on the card.. This
>doesn't make much sense since the wave blaster connector is used to add a
>wavetable daughter board to the card (wave blaster ii has ability to download
>samples), this is a wave table card.
>
>wave samples. Ensoniq is a MUSIC company, we only recently got into the Soundcard
>business. We have over 10 years experiance on making wavetable roms. Our ROMs
>the idea of RAM so that they can download the patches they want. This is nice,
>but for most consumers they will use this once or twice then never again, it's too
>much of a hassle to download a set of patches before you play a game (or every
>most people will be very happy with the sample already on the card.
As a GAMER & owner of a Soundscape S2000, I completely agree.
John Doggett
: In article <3nkqu2$f...@nntp1.u.washington.edu>,
: dog...@saul5.u.washington.edu (John Doggett) wrote:
: >
: >It's incredible. They just *don't* get it! How hard can it be to
: >understand how important it is to have RAM on your sound card? Such a
: >simple concept.
: >
: Geez Louize Dogman... go buy a $900+ full fledged synth! Of course, I can see
: the need for RAM in something, say, like the AWE32 since most of it's stock
: patches sound like crap(IMHO). Great patches (from a *real* synth company)
: preclude the need for RAM to a large degree. And with the price of RAM these
: days... give me a break! I've seen a lot of musicians stick with the stock
: patches on their synths anyways. Not everyone likes to sample and program
: patches.
Look, as I wrote to Dave, I don't see RAM as a means of upgrading crappy
patch-sets, they are a means of EXTENDING them! Certainly not everyone
wants to sample and program patches, but I do, as do many others! Other
companies have been able to cater to this demand, but they are companies
who can't do squat with patches. And think DSP's are for the birds.
: Keep this in perspective. PC sound cards are MULTI-MEDIA oriented. NOT
: dedicated synthesizers! Choose your weapon and make the most of it.
What are you talking about? The AWE does what I ask, it's just too damn
bad it sucks (and that it came from Creative). The Elite comes *this*
[tiny littles space between my fingers] close to (perceived) perfection.
But it's not there.
Multi-media, my ass. What is music anyway? It's what Ensoniq is about.
Dedicated synthesizers are what Ensoniq is about.
If the AWE didn't suck, I'd own one. If the Elite had RAM, I'd praise it
(and maybe own *two* since that'd be barely more than an AWE).
Here we've got 2 DSP's... who does that appeal to? Likely, the
programmer and the mod-player. What does it mean to most people?
The Elite's already got specs that could whip Roland's ass (depending on
how you rate the patch set), and at a little over half the price of the
Canvas. What's a bit of RAM, which would put it over the top into
perfection?
Khan Riaz Ahmad
On Wed, 26 Apr 1995, PaTriK wrote:
>
> >>It's incredible. They just *don't* get it! How hard can it be to
> >>understand how important it is to have RAM on your sound card? Such a
> >>simple concept.
> >>
> >>
> >>Frederick Y Mah (fm...@widget.ecn.purdue.edu) wrote:
>
>
> >How about another $50 or so for the base price of the card.
> >--
> >Dave Potts
> >Ensoniq Corp.
> >Da...@Ensoniq.com
>
> yes! sure! I paid almost 300$ for my AWE-32 for its RAM features... but I'll
> sell it for an Elite card with a RAM capability of at least 8 megs.
>
> And if it has good MIDI implementation I'll recomend it to all my friends who
> are now in the market for a music oriented card.
>
> _Patrick
>
>
I concur fully.... I am dying for a card like the elite **WITH RAM!!!**
RIAZ
PaTriK
>much of a hassle to download a set of patches before you play a game (or every
>time you turn on your computer). (This is my personal opinion.) I beleive that
>--
>Dave Potts
>Ensoniq Corp.
>Da...@Ensoniq.com
Wether you think PC soundcards are for music or multimedia, it doesn't matter.
the point is that RAM and MIDI essential for improving the current standard of
both. You need Ram for adding special sound effects for video games instead of
streaming them thru the DAC like most games today. It saves CPU time and with
todays current cards we can use fully 16-bit sound and process them thru
reverb and 3d effects modules for a more realistic effect. And we all know
that products that improve the gaming experience ultimately succeed. So really
Ensoniq is the last donkey to market on this one. TB and CL know whats up. As
a musician I just wait on the sidelines waiting for the gamers and game
companies to figure out what they like. If you think a gamer won't notice that
the drum sounds are the same in DOOM as they are in whatever is hot today then
you're wrong. The Amigas MOD file was cool for a reason. And it was a rockin'
gaming computer. Ironically, the amigas soundchip was designed by Ensoniq and
was modeled around a Mirage. Too bad you guys forgot how to do it right.
sigh, progress.
_Patrick
dadai
>What's the point of having a RAM-able card when there is no method of
>supporting the RAM? For game manufacturers to take advantage of the RAM on a TB
>or a CL card, then they'd need to write special drivers for them, taking into
>account that most people will not have the same amount of RAM. I think Ensoniq
>is just not adding a useless feature because unless there is an industry
>standard method for supporting RAM on soundcards, then most game manufacturers
>probalbly will prefer to either use the GMIDI or play back through DAC via MOD
>like mixing. I think the Gravius Ultrasound would probably be the closest to
>being a "standard" for RAM based cards since it is basically the ONLY card I've
>seen that a game manufacturer used their own sounds on (I believe the game was
>called Hired Guns?)
GUS chip was designed by Ensoniq too, so does ICS Wavefront chip.
They also design Apple II GS's sound chip for Aplle. Current
Soundscape card can handle up to 16MB RAM/ROM mix configuration. The
OTTO chip on Soundscape are also use in Ensoniq's ASR10/10R, TS10,
TS12. These synth all can accept downloadable EPS/ASR sample. It's
only a matter of question of Ensoniq want to modify Soundscape's OS
and put some RAM socket or not!
Dadai
Love from Taiwan
PaTriK
>From: st...@Rosie.UH.EDU
>Subject: Re: Soundscape Elite Specs. from Fax sheet
>Date: 28 Apr 1995 06:33:34 GMT
>In article <ptrk.334...@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu>, pt...@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu
>(PaTriK) writes:
>>> it's too
>>
>>Wether you think PC soundcards are for music or multimedia, it doesn't matter.
>>the point is that RAM and MIDI essential for improving the current standard of
>>both. You need Ram for adding special sound effects for video games instead of
>>streaming them thru the DAC like most games today. It saves CPU time and with
>>todays current cards we can use fully 16-bit sound and process them thru
>>reverb and 3d effects modules for a more realistic effect. And we all know
>>that products that improve the gaming experience ultimately succeed. So really
>>Ensoniq is the last donkey to market on this one. TB and CL know whats up. As
>>a musician I just wait on the sidelines waiting for the gamers and game
>>companies to figure out what they like. If you think a gamer won't notice that
>>the drum sounds are the same in DOOM as they are in whatever is hot today then
>>you're wrong. The Amigas MOD file was cool for a reason. And it was a rockin'
>>gaming computer. Ironically, the amigas soundchip was designed by Ensoniq and
>>was modeled around a Mirage. Too bad you guys forgot how to do it right.
>>
>>sigh, progress.
>>
>>_Patrick
>>
>What's the point of having a RAM-able card when there is no method of
>supporting the RAM? For game manufacturers to take advantage of the RAM on a TB
>or a CL card, then they'd need to write special drivers for them, taking into
>account that most people will not have the same amount of RAM. I think Ensoniq
>is just not adding a useless feature because unless there is an industry
>standard method for supporting RAM on soundcards, then most game manufacturers
>probalbly will prefer to either use the GMIDI or play back through DAC via MOD
>like mixing. I think the Gravius Ultrasound would probably be the closest to
>being a "standard" for RAM based cards since it is basically the ONLY card I've
>seen that a game manufacturer used their own sounds on (I believe the game was
>called Hired Guns?)
finally, the only real arguement against RAM capability. I was waiting for
someone to hit on this. Unfortunately it wasn't Mr Ensoniq. Yes you are right,
it is difficult to develop for 3 or 4 different RAM wavetable architectures.
But then again its not THAT difficult. Look at the number of people they use
to write games nowadays. you only need someone who can translate a set of .wav
files for a game into banks and patch sets for each card. I could personally
do that for a Gravis, an AWE-32, and a TB card in about a day. The RAM sizes
may be different but they all should have at least 512k. You could use that
for a base configuration. There are already a few programs out there that
convert between different patch formats. RAM capability is ready to be
exploited in soundcards today for those willing to put a little bit of effort
into it. Eventually there will be some standard though so the lazy hardware
and software people can jump on the RAM bandwagon and pretend that it was
thier intention all along...in the meantime I am not buying any non-ram based
soundcard.
_Patrick
William B. Jones
dog...@saul3.u.washington.edu (John Doggett) wrote:
>: In article <3nkqu2$f...@nntp1.u.washington.edu>,
>
>: dedicated synthesizers! Choose your weapon and make the most of it.
>
>
>Dedicated synthesizers are what Ensoniq is about.
I mean, it's designed to work in a variety of scenarios ie: gaming, midi,
digital audio recording/playback ...and mixtures of all at once with several
other elements (like video). It can be very different ballgame than just a
musical thing alone done just for the sake of music. The card is designed to
technically function in what is currently defined as a multimedia environment.
I don't like these type of cliches either, but that doesn't make the fact
that they exist disappear. Music is sound, but sound can be much more (or
less) than music. Synths are dedicated to the art of music creation, designed
with the musician in mind, and are a better tool as such. I was watching a
Roland product video last night and they've got some nice hot rods with 64
note polyphony and 48 Meg worth of sample RAM. I imagine Ensoniq has
something competitive. Most likely, Creative Labs does not. ;-)
By the way, that special effects processor DSP on the elite was the heart
beat of an Ensoniq Multi-effects unit about two years ago that went for around
$800 or $900. With seven simultaneous effects pumping you could make any
patch sound like it's cruel relative.
>If the AWE didn't suck, I'd own one. If the Elite had RAM, I'd praise it
>(and maybe own *two* since that'd be barely more than an AWE).
>
I *do* understand where you're coming from. I just think that it's
somewhat self defeating to concentrate so heavily on the negative aspects of
something before the positive aspects are actually evaluated.
Bill
st...@rosie.uh.edu
Eugene Kang
>>understand how important it is to have RAM on your sound card? Such a
>>simple concept.
>>
>
>the need for RAM in something, say, like the AWE32 since most of it's stock
>patches sound like crap(IMHO). Great patches (from a *real* synth company)
>preclude the need for RAM to a large degree. And with the price of RAM these
But even one of the best wavetable cards have several cheesy sounding
patches! e.g. Bagpipes on the Roland SCD-15.
>Keep this in perspective. PC sound cards are MULTI-MEDIA oriented. NOT
>dedicated synthesizers! Choose your weapon and make the most of it.
Well, that's a point...
Daron Myrick
>Dave Potts
>Ensoniq Corp.
>Da...@Ensoniq.com
More expensive is fine with me.
How about doing it so I can replace my current card?
Daron Myrick
>Dave Potts
>Ensoniq Corp.
>Da...@Ensoniq.com
If Ensoniq put out a soundcard for around $600 I would buy it right now as
long as it had the sound, quality and features I need.
I wouldn't mind having a MIDI studio or the like but simply can't lug it
around and like the integrated idea.
Release a good soundcard for around $600 or even a little higher and I'll buy
it since features and sound quality is what I'm looking for, not the ability
to play games or compatibility with a standard that was made in the late 80's.
Daron Myrick
>>First, There is NO reason to have a wave blaster connector on the card.. This
>>doesn't make much sense since the wave blaster connector is used to add a
>>wavetable daughter board to the card (wave blaster ii has ability to download
>>samples), this is a wave table card.
Sure there is.
WaveBlaster compatible connectors have already become a standard almost
like having a MPU401 compatible port is.
Also, the idea of having multiple synths on a sound card make as much sense
as having multiple synths in a studio.
Having multiple synths allows a larger palette to work from.
What if one synth didn't have good filter sweeps but it was good for
other things?
What if a synth had a slow cutoff ramp, resulting in every sound coming from
it sounding thin even on bass?
I still want good filter sweeps and a fat bass so why shouldn't I be allowed
to use another synth to get the sound I want?
Having the ability for alternative synth methods and synth modules is not a
new idea and has been around forever so the WaveBlaster connector idea being
dumped makes no sense.
Benjamin Y. Lee
>In article <3nmaia$19...@hearst.cac.psu.edu>, Da...@Ensoniq.com (Dave Potts) writes:
>> I, personally, feel that most people like
>>the idea of RAM so that they can download the patches they want. This is nice,
>>time you turn on your computer). (This is my personal opinion.) I beleive that
>>most people will be very happy with the sample already on the card.
>
>
I agree too, but only because present games do not come with their own
custom patch sets. That would imho be the ideal since each composer
could include the best patches for the job with the game and the game
could load it automatically. Of course, this sounds an awful lot like
the way the GUS was meant to be used...
Perhaps someday in the future...
But until then, I've got a scc-1b. *grin*
-Ben
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Team OS/2 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
| "Don't marry a person you can live with, // "Imagination is more important |
| marry someone you can't live without." // than knowledge..." - Einstein |
'''''''''''''''''''' Bye BYe BYle BYLe BYLee BYLEe BYLEE '''''''''''''''''''
John Doggett
: I don't like these type of cliches either, but that doesn't make the fact
: that they exist disappear. Music is sound, but sound can be much more (or
: less) than music. Synths are dedicated to the art of music creation, designed
: with the musician in mind, and are a better tool as such. I was watching a
: Roland product video last night and they've got some nice hot rods with 64
: note polyphony and 48 Meg worth of sample RAM. I imagine Ensoniq has
: something competitive. Most likely, Creative Labs does not. ;-)
It has been mentioned in this thread that on-board RAM need not be used
only for music, but for *many* aspects of multi-media. But, I believe you
have a strong point about Ensoniq's competition between related industries.
: By the way, that special effects processor DSP on the elite was the heart
: beat of an Ensoniq Multi-effects unit about two years ago that went for around
: $800 or $900. With seven simultaneous effects pumping you could make any
: patch sound like it's cruel relative.
I'll admit, my assessment of the DSP's utility was rather poor... I love
the setup.
: I *do* understand where you're coming from. I just think that it's
: somewhat self defeating to concentrate so heavily on the negative aspects of
: something before the positive aspects are actually evaluated.
The problem is, there are positive aspects out there *everywhere*. I'm
just waiting for them to converge in one place (on one unit). This one
was *so* close. (and far :). <sigh> Everybody! <sigh>
peace
PaTriK
>of money in the eyes of MOST consumers. The hardware market (not just
>soundcards) is driven by price not quality.
O.k. a 50$ price hike is not a negligable price difference, but I believe it is one that
would be supported by the current consumer base that would buy a 300$ AWE32
or a 250-300$ Monterrey. Many cards out there have supported RAM for a
long time (GUS-MAUI-TROPEZ-RIO) and their current users, including myself,
don't consider it an upgrade to switch to a non-RAM based card no matter how
good the ROM is or even the effects processor.
Of course, the majority of PC owners don't have anything better than an SB16 in their
setup and Ensoniq could be trying to market their card to this group but they
are the same people who would overlook a card like the Elite and buy something
they imagine would be 'compatible' like an AWE32. No joke, I hear lots of
people say garbage like this all the time. Ensoniq, by the mere fact that they
come from making performance samplers, would be expected to drop a bomb of a
card with all the goodies for people like me and those who read c.s.i.p.s.*
and magazines like New Media and Electronic Musician. These are the people who
will create the music, sound effects, and interactive multi-media apps that
will make consumers glad they spent 250$ on their soundcard. Because wether
you like it or not, full featured cards with mammoth ROM, RAM capability,
powerful signal processing, and good hardware architecture will be a dime a
dozen in a few years if not a few months.
About the sound quality of Ensoniq ROM sets, I have to be doubtful. This
seemed to be the only other defense of a ROM-only architecture. But it doesn't
mean much to me. I've been impressed with the stock sounds on any Ensoniq
product. It was the performance features to price ratio that impressed me.
Many keyboardists agree with me on this one. The famous sound libraries are
EMU, Kurzweil, and Roland. All these companies allready have ROM based cards
out so you aren't the new kid on the block here either. The 6 MB Kurzweil MASS
chipset will blow the Elite into smithereens.
_Patrick
William B. Jones
wi...@genes.pl.my (Eugene Kang) wrote:
>
>But even one of the best wavetable cards have several cheesy sounding
>patches! e.g. Bagpipes on the Roland SCD-15.
>
Heh heh... I had to laugh at that one...
John Doggett
: >Da...@Ensoniq.com (Dave Potts) writes:
: >>First, There is NO reason to have a wave blaster connector on the card.. This
: >>doesn't make much sense since the wave blaster connector is used to add a
: >>wavetable daughter board to the card (wave blaster ii has ability to download
: >>samples), this is a wave table card.
: Sure there is.
: WaveBlaster compatible connectors have already become a standard almost
: like having a MPU401 compatible port is.
You have GOT to be kidding. The waveblaster connector is
practically worthless.
: Also, the idea of having multiple synths on a sound card make as much sense
: as having multiple synths in a studio.
: Having multiple synths allows a larger palette to work from.
: What if one synth didn't have good filter sweeps but it was good for
: other things?
I loathe the idea of having synths vary in quality. The only good reason
I can see for having multiple synths is to be able to process different
sets of instruments in different manners, seperately (different eq
levels, different effects, etc...). And this is a very good reason.
: What if a synth had a slow cutoff ramp, resulting in every sound coming from
: it sounding thin even on bass?
I wouldn't want a synth with such a cutoff ramp.
Jensi
>Hmmm,
>
>Looks alot like the once desired Kalix?????
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Gavin Ouckama
>Gavin_...@mindlink.bc.ca
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
My thoughts exactly! And it also looks like it's using the CS4231, of course
they call it "native Soundscape mode" ;-)
Jensi
Daron Myrick
>practically worthless.
If it's worthless then why does Roland (The inventors of MPU401) now put the
Waveblaster connector on their MPU-401 cards for the PC?
It seems even Roland themselves are now aware of it's large popularity and are
including it default.
Till I get the money for a bunch of external synths, shut up, your raining on
my parade :-).
Joshua L. Willingham
Distribution:
Daron Myrick (dar...@onramp.net) wrote:
: >You have GOT to be kidding. The waveblaster connector is
: >practically worthless.
Roland is doing that because many people have had "hanging notes"
and other problems when the Roland DB (or any daughterboard) is hooked to
some soundcards and especially some versions of the SB16. Seeing how
popular daughterboards are now, Roland is just trying to take advantage
of the current situation. It is especially a good idea if your current
soundcard doesn't have a DB connector. The Roland board is a true
MPU-401 interface too.
Josh
Frederick Y Mah
>>The problem is, there are positive aspects out there *everywhere*. I'm
>>just waiting for them to converge in one place (on one unit). This one
>>was *so* close. (and far :). <sigh> Everybody! <sigh>
>Why, what's wrong with the Elite?
Heck, all they need now is a SS Pro to cover the entire range of soundcards.
Just add 4MB ROM, RAM upgradable, good patch editor, higher quality D/A
A/D circuitry, a few other touches and sell for about $300 or so.
--
Fred Mah --- fm...@widget.ecn.purdue.edu
PaTriK
>From: TWS...@prodigy.com (Ethan Platten)
>Subject: Re: Soundscape Elite Specs. from Fax sheet
>>The problem is, there are positive aspects out there *everywhere*. I'm
>>just waiting for them to converge in one place (on one unit). This one
>>was *so* close. (and far :). <sigh> Everybody! <sigh>
>Why, what's wrong with the Elite?
Fatal Flaw # 1: It has no Ram capability so you could never upgrade or replace
the sounds. Matters are worse since it only has a sparse 2 Meg rom set.
Ethan Platten
Dave Potts
>
>>The Roland board is a true MPU-401 interface too.
>>Josh
>
>its MPU-401 compatibility was fishy as in leaving one with a question if the
>board was truly and fully MPU-401 compatible.
>I looked at picture of the board and not one single chip had anything like
>'mpu' or '401' on them.
>Is it truly MPU-401 compatible in all ways or is it just another UART clocked
>at MIDI speed with MPU-401 emulation done in assembly language like almost all
>the soundcards today use?
The Soundscape and the Elite are 100% MPU-401 compatable. . . There is no problem
and never has had a problem with the MPU-401 interface or MIDI. We are also one
of the only sound card companies that have been accepting the MIDI spec since
v1.0. By looking at the MIDI v1.0 published in June 1988 Ensoniq is one of the
only sound card companies that has an official company SYSEX ID. (Other companies
may have added in newer version). So... Ensoniq has never had a problem with the
MIDI or MPU-401 interface.
--
Daron Myrick
PaTriK
>of the only sound card companies that have been accepting the MIDI spec since
>v1.0.
What does that mean? If you don't accept midi specifications, you don't have
midi. It's just that simple. And lots of soundcards have had midi for a long
time.
> By looking at the MIDI v1.0 published in June 1988 Ensoniq is one of the
>only sound card companies that has an official company SYSEX ID. (Other
>companies may have added in newer version).
A sysex ID isn't important for MIDI functionality. It is just an ID header for
dumping and receiving proprietary patch and data info. GM game-oriented
cards have no need for this. You're blowing smoke again.
Sunny Leung
In article <daronm.6...@onramp.net>, Daron Myrick (dar...@onramp.net) writes:
>>The Roland board is a true MPU-401 interface too.
>>Josh
>
>I became concerned when reading the MPU-401AT specs since the wording around
>its MPU-401 compatibility was fishy as in leaving one with a question if the
>board was truly and fully MPU-401 compatible.
>I looked at picture of the board and not one single chip had anything like
>'mpu' or '401' on them.
On the spec sheet I got, Roland continually emphasised the 100% compatibility
of the MPU-401AT. I think they mentioned it at least twice, and once in a big
balloon on the pamphlet.
>Is it truly MPU-401 compatible in all ways or is it just another UART clocked
>at MIDI speed with MPU-401 emulation done in assembly language like almost all
>the soundcards today use?
I don't know the technical details, but the games which used to choke on my
SCD-15/AWE32 (Dark Forces demo, Ecstatica etc.) now work great on the
SCD-15/MPU-401AT.
--
Sunny Leung: <su...@randland.dialix.oz.au>, SYDNEY AUSTRALIA
Christopher Pohl
Where did you buy the SCD-15/MPU-401AT and how much did it cost.
Thanks
William B. Jones
pt...@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu (PaTriK) wrote:
>> We are also one
>>of the only sound card companies that have been accepting the MIDI spec
>>since v1.0.
>What does that mean? If you don't accept midi specifications, you don't have
>midi. It's just that simple. And lots of soundcards have had midi for a long
>time.
I think you'd be shocked to learn just how many soundcards don't support the
MPU401 standard, which is what Dave is referring to. You can still support
MIDI without adhering to the standard. Ensoniq *does* support the standard.
>> By looking at the MIDI v1.0 published in June 1988 Ensoniq is one of the
>>only sound card companies that has an official company SYSEX ID. (Other
>>companies may have added in newer version).
>A sysex ID isn't important for MIDI functionality. It is just an ID header
for
>dumping and receiving proprietary patch and data info. GM game-oriented
>cards have no need for this. You're blowing smoke again.
You're blowing steam and missing the point, which is by the way, that Ensoniq
has been "in the game" on an intimate level with MIDI since the standard was
invented. They are a synth company that deals as seriously with MIDI as
you're going to get. It's not a soundcard versus pro-synth thing.
By the way, sysex ID can be very important in any MIDI functionality. I
wouldn't be surprised if game programmers use it to identify GM compatible
sound cards during automatic detection configuration.
Bill
Dave Potts
>I think you'd be shocked to learn just how many soundcards don't support the
>MPU401 standard, which is what Dave is referring to. You can still support
>MIDI without adhering to the standard. Ensoniq *does* support the standard.
>
> >> By looking at the MIDI v1.0 published in June 1988 Ensoniq is one of the
> >>only sound card companies that has an official company SYSEX ID. (Other
> >>companies may have added in newer version).
>
>>A sysex ID isn't important for MIDI functionality. It is just an ID header
>for
>>dumping and receiving proprietary patch and data info. GM game-oriented
>>cards have no need for this. You're blowing smoke again.
>
>You're blowing steam and missing the point, which is by the way, that Ensoniq
>has been "in the game" on an intimate level with MIDI since the standard was
>invented. They are a synth company that deals as seriously with MIDI as
>you're going to get. It's not a soundcard versus pro-synth thing.
>
>By the way, sysex ID can be very important in any MIDI functionality. I
>wouldn't be surprised if game programmers use it to identify GM compatible
>sound cards during automatic detection configuration.
>
>Bill
>
>
Thanks Bill, This was the point I was trying to make.... obviously it wasn't clear
to everyone.
Sunny Leung
In article <D85vE...@news2.new-york.net>, Christopher Pohl (CP...@CARROLL.COM) writes:
>su...@randland.dialix.oz.au (Sunny Leung) wrote:
>
>Where did you buy the SCD-15/MPU-401AT and how much did it cost.
As I'm in Australia I can't say for US prices. The Aussie prices of
Rolands just went up and AFAIK they are as follows:
SCD-10 AUD$450
SCD-15 AUD$575
MPU-401AT AUD$269 (all at Venue Music in Sydney)
(Frightful, aren't they? Curse the Japanense Yen!)
FWIW my parents were in Hong Kong so I had them pick up a MPU-401AT for about
AUD$100 less than the Aussie price.
Thomas Boyingon
price is $159!!!!
Matt
Daron Myrick
>sell it for an Elite card with a RAM capability of at least 8 megs.
>And if it has good MIDI implementation I'll recomend it to all my friends who
>are now in the market for a music oriented card.
Me too but one problem, SB/16 compatibility is almost a must when attempting
digital sound a PC.
If suddenly all the game manufacturers decided to support something universaly
standard like the new VESA SoundCard standard then I would dump CL instantly
since CL is too tight with their products especialy low level programming info.
If VESA came out with a standard, it would make everyone have to conform to
that standard %100 percent or be cast out.
Let's hope that VESA's standard covers everything so that we don't have in
the soundcard world what has happened to the VESA compatible video card world
which is a bunch of cards which are software detectable but all use different
ways of getting to the VESA standard in different ways in hardware, thus the
biggest mess in the world when it comes to PC hardware.
Also, hopefully VESA will insist on S/N ratios etc. so that even noise levels
and distortion if not low enough will not get a %100 VESA compatible
certification.
In other words, I don't want some tighwad Far Easterner slapping cheap and
rejected parts on my overpriced as it is SoundCard and it would be nice to buy
a SoundCard that had some hardware thought put in it instead of just slapped
together for time and price sake.
Ethan Platten
replace
>the sounds. Matters are worse since it only has a sparse 2 Meg rom set.
No RAM? Big deal. Most people would never use it. Rolands don't have
RAM so I suppose they suck too, huh?
Sparse 2 meg ROM? Have you even listened to it? It blows most cards
away (with the exception of high-end Turtle Beach cards and Rolands).
Steve Smith
I agree, that unless someone has a specific use (now or later) for
creating patches, there is no immediate need for a card that hosts
some RAM for samples.
:Sparse 2 meg ROM? Have you even listened to it? It blows most cards
:away (with the exception of high-end Turtle Beach cards and Rolands).
I have used a SoundScape in my machine. It also has a 2MB ROM sample
set. I was most impressed by the card. I have had my share of cards
take up residency in my machine, only to be booted out and put back on
the CS desk at the store... The SoundScape would have stayed.. but I
heard a Roland... :)
Basically, it's like this:
* If you create, compose, or tinker with music, get a RAM based card.
True audiophiles or musicians will need these so that they can change
or "upgrade" the supplied sounds with their own.
* Gamers, and the average Joe and Sally Consumer will tend to go for
the ROM based cards. They are not concerned with the "upgrade ability"
or a card, if they: 1) Are truly pleased with the card's instrument
set; and 2) Know that the only use for RAM is to upgrade said
instruments. They know it fits, it works, and it sounds great!
-Steve
---These are my general observations. Your mileage may vary. See below
for the desired path for flames. :)