New Soundscape Elite! --------------------- 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.
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
>>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 (f...@widget.ecn.purdue.edu) wrote: >>: New Soundscape Elite! >>[drainage]
In article <3nkqu2$...@nntp1.u.washington.edu>, dog...@saul5.u.washington.edu 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 (f...@widget.ecn.purdue.edu) wrote: >: New Soundscape Elite! >[drainage]
Da...@Ensoniq.com (Dave Potts) 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. > 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.
>>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 (f...@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.
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.
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.
>>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 $50 or so for the base price of the card. >--
If it's so expensive, how can TB manage low-cost/hi-quality boards WITH sampling RAM????
I can't judge whether it would be worth it to go for the *special* offer without knowing the suggested retail & "street" price of this board.
Da...@Ensoniq.com (Dave Potts) writes: >First, There is NO reason to have a wave blaster connector on the card.. This >doesn't make much sense since the wave blaster connector is used to add a >wavetable daughter board to the card (wave blaster ii has ability to download >samples), this is a wave table card.
Added polyphony?
>are used in our professional synths. I, personally, feel that most people like >the idea of RAM so that they can download the patches they want. This is nice, >but for most consumers they will use this once or twice then never again, it's too >much of a hassle to download a set of patches before you play a game (or every >time you turn on your computer). (This is my personal opinion.)
RAM: not just for consumers to use, to download custom patches, but for the developers. Frankly, 128 melodic patches just isn't enough for me. And it gets pretty boring after a while hearing the same instruments and drums over and over again, in different games.
If the soundcard developers would get together and develop a standard api, or just a standard for download samples, that would be great. But then, a game can have individual support for the soundcard. e.g.: Epic Megagames, their games use digital mod music, and they have specific support for the gus, using the soundcard to mix the music reduces the cpu's overhead, and on top of that you get great sounding music the way the musician intended it.
In article <3nkqu2$...@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 $900+ full fledged synth! Of course, I can see the need for RAM in something, say, like the AWE32 since most of it's stock patches sound like crap(IMHO). Great patches (from a *real* synth company) preclude the need for RAM to a large degree. And with the price of RAM these days... give me a break! I've seen a lot of musicians stick with the stock patches on their synths anyways. Not everyone likes to sample and program patches.
Keep this in perspective. PC sound cards are MULTI-MEDIA oriented. NOT dedicated synthesizers! Choose your weapon and make the most of it.
Bill Jones ^%#%^&^)*&^)%^%$%^#
________________________________ William B. Jones Student of Computer Science University of Southern Maine wjone...@mail.caps.maine.edu (207)773-8731
In article <3nmaia$1...@hearst.cac.psu.edu>, Da...@Ensoniq.com (Dave Potts) writes: >First, There is NO reason to have a wave blaster connector on the card.. This >doesn't make much sense since the wave blaster connector is used to add a >wavetable daughter board to the card (wave blaster ii has ability to download >samples), this is a wave table card.
>I agree 100% that most sound card manufactures do not put any effort on making the >wave samples. Ensoniq is a MUSIC company, we only recently got into the Soundcard >business. We have over 10 years experiance on making wavetable roms. Our ROMs >are used in our professional synths. I, personally, feel that most people like >the idea of RAM so that they can download the patches they want. This is nice, >but for most consumers they will use this once or twice then never again, it's too >much of a hassle to download a set of patches before you play a game (or every >time you turn on your computer). (This is my personal opinion.) I beleive that >most people will be very happy with the sample already on the card.
As a GAMER & owner of a Soundscape S2000, I completely agree.
William B. Jones (wjone...@mail.caps.maine.edu) wrote: : In article <3nkqu2$...@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?
> >>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 (f...@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!!!**
> 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. >-- >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.
st...@Rosie.UH.EDU wrote: >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!
In article <3nq27u$...@masala.cc.uh.edu> st...@Rosie.UH.EDU writes: >From: st...@Rosie.UH.EDU >Subject: Re: Soundscape Elite Specs. from Fax sheet >Date: 28 Apr 1995 06:33:34 GMT >In article <ptrk.334.011ED...@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu>, p...@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.
In article <3nn3u3$...@nntp1.u.washington.edu>, dog...@saul3.u.washington.edu (John Doggett) wrote:
>: In article <3nkqu2$...@nntp1.u.washington.edu>,
>: Keep this in perspective. PC sound cards are MULTI-MEDIA oriented. NOT >: dedicated synthesizers! Choose your weapon and make the most of it.
>Multi-media, my ass. What is music anyway? It's what Ensoniq is about. >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
________________________________ William B. Jones Student of Computer Science University of Southern Maine wjone...@mail.caps.maine.edu (207)773-8731
In article <ptrk.334.011ED...@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu>, p...@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?)
>>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
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.
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 $600 or even a little higher and I'll buy it since features and sound quality is what I'm looking for, not the ability to play games or compatibility with a standard that was made in the late 80's.
>Da...@Ensoniq.com (Dave Potts) writes: >>First, There is NO reason to have a wave blaster connector on the card.. This >>doesn't make much sense since the wave blaster connector is used to add a >>wavetable daughter board to the card (wave blaster ii has ability to download >>samples), this is a wave table card.
Sure there is. WaveBlaster compatible connectors have already become a standard almost like having a MPU401 compatible port is. Also, the idea of having multiple synths on a sound card make as much sense as having multiple synths in a studio. Having multiple synths allows a larger palette to work from. What if one synth didn't have good filter sweeps but it was good for other things? What if a synth had a slow cutoff ramp, resulting in every sound coming from it sounding thin even on bass? I still want good filter sweeps and a fat bass so why shouldn't I be allowed to use another synth to get the sound I want? Having the ability for alternative synth methods and synth modules is not a new idea and has been around forever so the WaveBlaster connector idea being dumped makes no sense.
In <3no7n5$...@fnnews.fnal.gov>, ci...@d0tokensun.fnal.gov (Greg Cisko) writes:
>In article <3nmaia$1...@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, >>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.
>As a GAMER & owner of a Soundscape S2000, I completely agree.
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 '''''''''''''''''''
