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From: weir@husc9.harvard.edu (Robert C. Weir)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.ps2.hardware
Subject: Re: Soundblaster for MCA
Message-ID: <1991Mar29.140158.389@husc3.harvard.edu>
Date: 29 Mar 91 19:01:56 GMT
References: <1991Mar18.104758.1490@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE> <1991Mar19.214242.29332@d.cs.okstate.edu> <1991Mar29.001743.5756@cc.helsinki.fi>
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In article <1991Mar29.001743.5756@cc.helsinki.fi> tmottonen@cc.helsinki.fi writes:
>In article <1991Mar19.214242.29332@d.cs.okstate.edu>, ong@d.cs.okstate.edu (ONG ENG TENG) writes:
>> From article <1991Mar18.104758.1490@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE>, by kluge@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE (Oliver Kluge):
>>> Hi!
>>> 
>>> I have just come home from the Hannover computer trade fair CeBIT.
>>> The German distributor of Creative Lab's Soundblaster - CPS -
>>> told me that the Microchannel version is ready and in stock and will
>>> ship this week. The card was sold on the trade fair for about
>>> $400, but this may be a German price, US price supposedly much
>>> cheaper.
>> 
>> Well, I was told there are already a few of the production version 
>> microchannel Sound Blaster in the US, with the packing, shrink-wrap, 
>> instruction book, and everything.  Mass delivery will start soon.  
>> How many exactly you ask?  TWO!  Ha, ha, ha.  Sorry to get you hopes
>> up high.  But the masses is enroute.  
>
>    I called  Brown  Wagh  Publishing  at  (408)  378-3838 and got the
>    following info:
>
>    SoundBlaster for MicroChannel is similar to  the  ISA  bus  model,
>    except that it has no stereo amplifier on board. CMS chips are not
>    included. MIDI  is  still  non-standard  (they called it "the UART
>    standard" :-)).
>
>    The list price is $349.95. Preorder price is $250 (offer will last
>    until the thing actually ships, which is maybe a week from now).

What exactly does a SoundBlaster card do?  Does it allow you to write
polyphonic music on a PS/2?  How many voices?  Do you need special software,
or can it be directly programmed?  Do you need a MIDI keyboard?

If this is common knowledge, please reply by mail.

Rob
weir@husc9.harvard.edu

>