Re: IIGS Stereo Card?

["Bill Garber" <willy46pa@comcast.net>]

"Sean Fahey" <a2fan@hotmail.com> wrote in message 
news:P3v2f.269$q%.146@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...
> "Bill Garber" <willy46pa@comcast.net> wrote in message
> SL6dnVZUoPdv9NfeRVn-rg@comcast.com">news:SL6dnVZUoPdv9NfeRVn-rg@comcast.com...
>
>> I'll check the manual with the SoundMeister to be sure, but
>> I don't think I had to set it for 'YOUR CARD'. I don't even
>> believe it has on-board ROM. I'd love to copy the AE Audio
>> Animator, but to get one, that's the hard part.  :o)
>
> I don't think cloning the AA is your best option - it wasn't as great as
> it's hype made it out to be. First, there being a couple different 
> versions
> of the card. Some were prone to failure -- toward the end of the AA's
> production run, AE began swapping Sonic Blasters with AA's still under
> warranty. The mixing box was hit or miss - early ones worked well but 
> didn't
> last because of shoddy construction, later ones were built very well, but
> didn't work well - AE had to inject grease into the pots to keep noise out
> of the lines. Early cards with certain IC's on them cause noise on the 
> bus -
> somewhere I have the list of what to look for. Buried probably.
>
> The SoundMeister was probably the top of the heap when it comes to GS 
> stereo
> cards. It might be easier to ask Tony Diaz if it's ok to clone it - it's 
> his
> design and he knows it inside out. If he's amicable, maybe he'd give you 
> the
> schematics. I don't know if he'd ever consider another production run
> himself.


I'm sorry. The AllTech SoundMeister, which is Tony's, is
a direct and exact clone of the ECON, which is what I have
now. I traded off my AllTech version for another ECON that
has been sold. I have left, the ECON, original, version of
the card.

My next problem is, I somehow got off on bad terms with
Mr. Diaz, and it's over something really stupid, off-topic
posting in the K-Fest email list, which I am now avoiding
like the plague so I don't have any further issues with it.
I'm sure you are correct that he'd rather see them remade
and sold than to have them lost forever. I hope he will
read this and email me. I'd rather be friends than mortal
enemies. In fact, I avoid the problem so drastically, that
I had someone else ask if I could use his Docs for the No-
Slot-Clock. Not that I couldn't make my own, it's so simple.
If he'd like to sell the rights to his stuff, we'd be more
than happy to buy them. Hopefully he will read this and
give it some consideration.

Anyway, If not, in time, we'll probably clone them regardless
and take our chances. I'd rather see the A2 Community get the
products than deal with penny ante people who just won't do
it themselves.  :o)

Agreed on the SoundMeister being the best choice. Out of near
one dozen cards I've tried, I like it best.

Thanks for the input, Sean, once again.

Bill Garber