Re: New "Grand Piano" instrument bank for MIDIsynth

[scraft@bigpapa.nothinbut.net ()]

In article <14MAR199603223681@vax2.concordia.ca>, Mitchell Spector wrote:
>
>	Unfortunately, I must agree. PC sound boards, like the Gravis 
>UltraSound, basically have on board the next generation of sound 
>hardware that is built into the Apple IIgs. Namely an Ensoniq 5505 
>and 1MB (1,048,576 bytes) of DOC-RAM with 16-bit resolution, where as 
>the IIgs has an Ensoniq 5503 and 64K (65,536 bytes) of DOC-RAM with an 
>8-bit resolution. The whole key to wavetable synthesis is use of 
>digital samples. 

I have to say that the GUSMAX (got one on my 486dx2/80) is my
IIGS on steroids.  In fact, were it not for my love of the
IIGS in the first place, I would probably be using a "PC
Honker" (aka Soundblaster) like all the other DOS lemmings
out there.  At any rate, for those forced to use PeeCees,
grab a GUSMAX, it's the next generation of IIGS, ie it's
got an Ensoniq DOC, dedicated RAM (which can even be hacked
into a RAMdisk, just like the GS DOCRAM <grin>).  And the
Eurodemo scene (which is 95% GUS owners) brings me back to 
the heyday of FTA demos.

I am not particularly for new IIGS sound hardware cards,
unless they would be *supercheap* RAM gate things to
bankswitch with the 64k of DOCRAM instead of using GS 
main RAM.

I am particularly for new IIGS sound *PROGRAMMING*.  It
seems like there are just a few II tinkers (like me)
here and there, who like the classic hardware and
stuff, but have no programming knowledge.  I'd like
to see a fully-completed BeatBox with source code
and full docs (and a "future expansion" addon in
software for who knows what).  That was/is the best IIGS
.MOD player I'd ever seen!  My PeeCee over there has
a GUSMAX card with one meg of RAM, and .MODs played on
it sound exactly like .MODs played on my IIGS with 64k
of DOCRAM!  And this is an 8-voice .MOD!

-- 
---------------------            Kid (scraft@bigpapa.nothinbut.net)
 "All that Glitters,             Trade/Buy/Sell TG16 or Intv games
     Ain't Gold"                 AppleIIGS SoundSmith song-doer
        O{+>                     FoxPro wannabe emeritus