Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!ucbvax!LSUVM.BITNET!$CSB205 From: $CSB205@LSUVM.BITNET (Mark Orr) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: IBM SOUND and OTHER STUFF... Message-ID: <9106171813.AA16322@apple.com> Date: 17 Jun 91 17:52:20 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 51 . csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!utdoe!generic!pnet91!ericmcg@UCBVAX.BERKELEY.EDU> |From: Eric Mcgillicuddy |Subject: Re: IBM SOUND and OTHER STUFF... |IBM sound cards have close to the potential of the GS's off the shelf sound, |however I have found few programs thatreally use them effectively. "Ad-Lib |support" usually means a really amazing startup tune and then beeps and boops |through the rest of the game. Compare this to to One Arm Battle where there is |Human Voice throughout. The Ad-Lib sound card has no where near the capability of the ensoniq. From what I have heard of them, the Game Blaster has about the same sound generating ability as the ensoniq (i.e. about 15 voices + a DAC) and the Roland LAPC-1 has considerably more (full range sound, 32 voices + many built in effects). The area where IIgs's and Macs have it over on the PCs is end user sampling. The Game Blaster can play 8 bit samples but it cannot create them. There are to my knowledge no cheap sampling boards available for PCs. As we all know the Mac LC and IIsi have sampling built in and the GS can be fitted with sampling cards fairly cheaply. As for sound intensive software on the PC, I suggest you look at some of the Sierra SCI stuff. The sounds for these games in awfully good. One problem I see with sound on the PC is that many games say that they are Ad-Lib, Game Blaster, and LAPC-1 compatible (i.e. they have to support a wide range of sound hardware). They must use a lot of floppy disk space for sound routines. As game machines PC do pretty well. You can outfit them with decent sound hardware (I think one Tandy model has an 8-bit DAC built in) and with two joysticks (which, though the hardware to support it is available on the Apple IIgs...Apple would never put two joysticks on one of its computers. They wouldn't want it to look like a game machine - which is a pity since educational programs and games have a lot in common AND the computer game market is much larger than the educational market.) |UUCP: bkj386!pnet91!ericmcg |INET: ericmcg@pnet91.cts.com -------------------------------- "WE WERE HAVING A GREAT TIME, BUT ! MARK ORR ! MACINTOSH WASN'T SELLING THAT WELL. ! $CSB205 @ LSUVM.SNCC.LSU.EDU ! THE APPLE II WAS PAYING OUR WAY." ! @ LSUVM.BITNET ! - GUY KAWASAKI -------------------------------- FROM HIS BOOK: THE MACINTOSH WAY