GUS Music in Dosbox - Revision history

NKF: A few fixes and slight rewording

2017-06-28T08:50:58Z

A few fixes and slight rewording

3371-Alpha: /* Setting up Dosbox with the GUS patches */

2017-06-27T01:25:29Z

Setting up Dosbox with the GUS patches

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:25, 27 June 2017
Line 44:		Line 44:
	\| colspan = "2" \| Step 2		\| colspan = "2" \| Step 2
	\|-		\|-
	\| Unpack the compressed file. Note that is in RAR format. If you are unable to unpack this format, you may want to obtain a file compression utility that supports RAR archives such as [http://sourceforge.net/projects/sevenzip/?source=pdlp 7-Zip].		\| Unpack the compressed file. Note that is in RAR format. If you are unable to unpack this format, you may want to obtain a file compression utility that supports RAR archives such as [http://sourceforge.net/projects/sevenzip/?source=pdlp 7-Zip] or [http://unarchiver.c3.cx/unarchiver The Unarchiver].

	Once the file is unpacked you will get two folders:		Once the file is unpacked you will get two folders:
Line 53:		Line 53:
	These are two sets of GUS patches. Pick one to use.		These are two sets of GUS patches. Pick one to use.

	The main difference between the patches is in how some instruments sound. You may want to experiment with the two patches and find the one that you think sounds best. ULTRASND411 is the stock patch and may prove to be more stable.		The main difference between the patches is in how some instruments sound. You may want to experiment with the two patches and find the one that you think sounds best. ULTRASND411 is the stock patch and may prove to be more stable. Also note that PPL has issues with some notes looping when they aren't soppost to; a fix for this can be found [http://www.vogons.org/download/file.php?id=6106 here] (direct link). An example of the patches differences can be observed in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CUHiIURR3g this] video.

	'''Optional:''' Rename the folder of the patch you want to use to '''ULTRASND'''. This will allow easy swapping between the two patches by just renaming the folders rather than having to edit the Dosbox .conf file each time.		'''Optional:''' Rename the folder of the patch you want to use to '''ULTRASND'''. This will allow easy swapping between the two patches by just renaming the folders rather than having to edit the Dosbox .conf file each time.

3371-Alpha: /* Setting up UFO/TFTD to use the GUS */ added reference to sb16

2017-03-12T04:14:10Z

Setting up UFO/TFTD to use the GUS: added reference to sb16

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:14, 12 March 2017
Line 106:		Line 106:
	\| colspan = "2"\| Step 2		\| colspan = "2"\| Step 2
	\|-		\|-
	\|The first card you set will be for sound effect output. Typical selections include the '''Soundblaster''' (8-bit mono) or '''Soundblaster Pro''' (16-bit stereo)		\|The first card you set will be for sound effect output. Typical selections include the '''Soundblaster''' (8-bit mono) or '''Soundblaster Pro/16''' (16-bit stereo)

	You will be asked to set the Port, IRQ and DMA. Dosbox normally uses the following settings:<br>		You will be asked to set the Port, IRQ and DMA. Dosbox normally uses the following settings:<br>
Line 144:		Line 144:


	Repeat the above steps as needed if you need to adjust or revert your sound card settings. Your games will now be configured to use the GUS.		Repeat the above steps as needed if you need to adjust or revert your sound card settings. Your games will now be configured to use the GUS.


	== Running SETUP.EXE through Dosbox ==		== Running SETUP.EXE through Dosbox ==

3371-Alpha: Fixed minor typo from last edit.

2017-01-21T02:15:27Z

Fixed minor typo from last edit.

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:15, 21 January 2017
Line 113:		Line 113:
	::DMA : '''1'''		::DMA : '''1'''

	Alternatively you can also choose the '''Ultrasound''' / '''Gravis Ultrasound''' for this step, which will not require the above settings. Note however that the sound quality is no better than the SB Pro and it will disable the [[Enabling cinematics (TFTD)\|animated sequences]] in TFTD''.		Alternatively you can also choose the '''Ultrasound''' / '''Gravis Ultrasound''' for this step, which will not require the above settings. Note however that the sound quality is no better than the SB Pro and ''it will disable the [[Enabling cinematics (TFTD)\|animated sequences]] in TFTD''.

3371-Alpha: Added link to "Enabling cinematics (TFTD)"

2017-01-20T23:15:24Z

Added link to "Enabling cinematics (TFTD)"

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:15, 20 January 2017
Line 113:		Line 113:
	::DMA : '''1'''		::DMA : '''1'''

	Alternatively you can also choose the '''Ultrasound''' / '''Gravis Ultrasound''' for this step, which will not require the above settings. Note however that the sound quality is no better than the SB Pro and ''it will disable the animated sequences in TFTD''.		Alternatively you can also choose the '''Ultrasound''' / '''Gravis Ultrasound''' for this step, which will not require the above settings. Note however that the sound quality is no better than the SB Pro and it will disable the [[Enabling cinematics (TFTD)\|animated sequences]] in TFTD''.

NKF: /* Setting up Dosbox with the GUS patches */

2014-01-02T07:42:00Z

Setting up Dosbox with the GUS patches

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:42, 2 January 2014
Line 72:		Line 72:
	\| colspan = "2" \| Step 4		\| colspan = "2" \| Step 4
	\|-		\|-
	\| The next step is to alter Dosbox's configuration file to enable its GUS support. ~~In most current releases of Dosbox this is already enabled. If you are unsure or have an older version, read on, otherwise skip to the next step.~~		\| The next step is to alter Dosbox's configuration file to enable its GUS support.

	For a normal Dosbox configuration you can directly edit the main Dosbox .conf file with a text editor.		For a normal Dosbox configuration you can directly edit the main Dosbox .conf file with a text editor.
Line 86:		Line 86:
	Once done, save the file.		Once done, save the file.

	'''TIP:''' If you use Dosbox through its command line interface, you can also use the '''SET''' command to manually set ~~this~~ environment variable. This is a quick way to switch between the ~~two different~~ patches without leaving the Dosbox session.		'''TIP:''' If you use Dosbox through its command line interface, you can also use the '''SET''' command to manually set the ''ultradir'' environment variable. This is a quick way to switch between the patches without leaving the Dosbox session.

	\|}		\|}

NKF at 07:33, 2 January 2014

2014-01-02T07:33:58Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:33, 2 January 2014
Line 1:		Line 1:
	__NOTOC__		__NOTOC__
	This page explains how to ~~make the midi music in~~ the dos versions of UFO/TFTD ~~sing with the help of~~ Dosbox's ''Gravis Ultrasound'' emulation.		This page explains how to configure the dos versions of UFO/TFTD to play their midi music through Dosbox's ''Gravis Ultrasound'' emulation. Though not as good as the live orchestra music of the Playstation version, it provides a big improvement in the quality of the music.

	For an example of the GUS in action, see:		For an example of the GUS in action, see:
Line 14:		Line 14:
	== What is GUS? ==		== What is GUS? ==

	The Gravis Ultra Sound or GUS was a sound card produced by Advanced Gravis Computer Technology, who were best known for their Gravis PC Gamepad. One of the features of the GUS is its ability to use ~~samples of~~ real world ~~sounds~~ instead of digitally generated instruments ~~for Midi playback~~. This allows for a richer quality of sound.		The Gravis Ultra Sound or GUS was a sound card produced by Advanced Gravis Computer Technology, who were best known for their Gravis PC Gamepad. One of the features of the GUS is its ability to use real world sound samples instead of digitally generated instruments. This allows for a richer quality of sound when playing midi sound files.

	For more history on this sound card you can refer to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravis_Ultrasound Gravis Ultrasound] article on Wikipedia.		For more history on this sound card you can refer to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravis_Ultrasound Gravis Ultrasound] article on Wikipedia.
Line 36:		Line 36:
	http://www.dosgames.com/forum/about10574.html		http://www.dosgames.com/forum/about10574.html

	The first post will point you where to obtain the pre-compiled patches.		The first post will point you to where you can obtain the pre-compiled patches.

	'''Note:''' For those concerned with the legality of obtaining the patches, the GUS patches are available to download via the Gravis FTP site. The file obtained through the above link has the patches pre-compiled and ready to go.		'''Note:''' For those concerned with the legality of obtaining the patches, the GUS patches are available to download via the Gravis FTP site. The file obtained through the above link has the patches pre-compiled and ready to go.
Line 46:		Line 46:
	\| Unpack the compressed file. Note that is in RAR format. If you are unable to unpack this format, you may want to obtain a file compression utility that supports RAR archives such as [http://sourceforge.net/projects/sevenzip/?source=pdlp 7-Zip].		\| Unpack the compressed file. Note that is in RAR format. If you are unable to unpack this format, you may want to obtain a file compression utility that supports RAR archives such as [http://sourceforge.net/projects/sevenzip/?source=pdlp 7-Zip].

	Once the file is unpacked you will get two folders: ~~'''ULTRASND411''' and '''ULTRASNDPPL161'''. These are two sets of GUS patches. Pick one to use.~~		Once the file is unpacked you will get two folders:

	The difference between the ~~two~~ patches is in how some ~~of the~~ instruments sound. You may want to experiment with the two patches and find the one that you think sounds best. ULTRASND411 is the stock patch and may prove to be more stable.		:'''ULTRASND411'''
			:'''ULTRASNDPPL161'''

			These are two sets of GUS patches. Pick one to use.

			The main difference between the patches is in how some instruments sound. You may want to experiment with the two patches and find the one that you think sounds best. ULTRASND411 is the stock patch and may prove to be more stable.

	'''Optional:''' Rename the folder of the patch you want to use to '''ULTRASND'''. This will allow easy swapping between the two patches by just renaming the folders rather than having to edit the Dosbox .conf file each time.		'''Optional:''' Rename the folder of the patch you want to use to '''ULTRASND'''. This will allow easy swapping between the two patches by just renaming the folders rather than having to edit the Dosbox .conf file each time.
Line 57:		Line 62:
	\| Store these two folders somewhere easy to access.		\| Store these two folders somewhere easy to access.

	* The easiest solution is to use the same folder that Dosbox will be mounting as its virtual C: drive. This could either be a combined folder where all your Dos games are stored, such as DOSGAMES\, or in the game folder itself. Note that if you store the patches in the game folder ~~directly~~ that you~~'ll need~~ to make ~~a copy~~ for each game.		* The easiest solution is to use the same folder that Dosbox will be mounting as its virtual C: drive. This could either be a combined folder where all your Dos games are stored, such as DOSGAMES\, or in the game folder itself. Note that if you store the patches in the game folder that you will want to make copies of the patches for each game.

	* If stored outside of the virtual C: drive, you will have to instruct Dosbox to mount a new virtual drive ~~specifically~~ for them. This can be achieved by altering the Dosbox .conf file and adding a '''mount''' command in the <nowiki>[autoexec]</nowiki> section to create a new virtual drive.		* If stored outside of the virtual C: drive, you will have to instruct Dosbox to mount a new virtual drive just for them. This can be achieved by altering the Dosbox .conf file and adding a '''mount''' command in the <nowiki>[autoexec]</nowiki> section to create a new virtual drive.

	For instructions on how to do this, refer to the Dosbox documentation or the [http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/MOUNT MOUNT] article on the official Dosbox wiki.		For instructions on how to do this, refer to the Dosbox documentation or the [http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/MOUNT MOUNT] article on the official Dosbox wiki.
Line 67:		Line 72:
	\| colspan = "2" \| Step 4		\| colspan = "2" \| Step 4
	\|-		\|-
	\| The next step is to alter Dosbox's configuration file to enable its GUS support.		\| The next step is to alter Dosbox's configuration file to enable its GUS support. In most current releases of Dosbox this is already enabled. If you are unsure or have an older version, read on, otherwise skip to the next step.

	For a normal Dosbox configuration you can directly edit the main Dosbox .conf file with a text editor.		For a normal Dosbox configuration you can directly edit the main Dosbox .conf file with a text editor.
Line 77:		Line 82:
	*Alter the line '''gus=false''' to '''gus=true''' if it isn't already set.		*Alter the line '''gus=false''' to '''gus=true''' if it isn't already set.

	*Alter '''ultradir=C:\ULTRASND''' to point to the directory where you can find the patches.		*Alter '''ultradir=C:\ULTRASND''' to point to the directory or virtual drive where you can find the patches.

	Once done, save the file.		Once done, save the file.

	'''TIP:''' ~~You~~ can also use the '''SET''' command to manually set this environment variable ~~from the Dosbox command line interface~~. This is a way to ~~quickly~~ switch between the two different patches without leaving the Dosbox session.		'''TIP:''' If you use Dosbox through its command line interface, you can also use the '''SET''' command to manually set this environment variable. This is a quick way to switch between the two different patches without leaving the Dosbox session.

	\|}		\|}
Line 87:		Line 92:
	==Setting up UFO/TFTD to use the GUS==		==Setting up UFO/TFTD to use the GUS==

	Now that Dosbox is set up to use the GUS, ~~the last step before~~ you ~~can make use of it is~~ to set up UFO/TFTD to use it.		Now that Dosbox is set up to use the GUS, you will now have to set up UFO/TFTD to use it as well.


Line 94:		Line 99:
	\| colspan = "2" \| Step 1		\| colspan = "2" \| Step 1
	\|-		\|-
	\| Go to the game directory and run '''SETUP.EXE'''. When it loads, you will be asked to ~~separately~~ configure the sound cards that will play the sound effects and the music. Use the cursor keys and enter to navigate through the options.		\| Go to the game directory and run '''SETUP.EXE'''. When it loads, you will be asked to configure the sound cards that will play the sound effects and the music. Use the cursor keys and enter to navigate through the options, and the escape key to back out of any screen.


Line 108:		Line 113:
	::DMA : '''1'''		::DMA : '''1'''

	Alternatively you can also choose the '''Ultrasound''' / '''Gravis Ultrasound''' for this step, which will not require the above settings. Note however that the sound quality ~~will be~~ no better than the SB Pro and it will disable the animated sequences in TFTD.		Alternatively you can also choose the '''Ultrasound''' / '''Gravis Ultrasound''' for this step, which will not require the above settings. Note however that the sound quality is no better than the SB Pro and ''it will disable the animated sequences in TFTD''.


Line 117:		Line 122:
	\|You will be asked to set the max number of channels. This refers to how many sound effects can play at the same time. You can select between 1 and 8 channels.		\|You will be asked to set the max number of channels. This refers to how many sound effects can play at the same time. You can select between 1 and 8 channels.

	If you find you get very loud gunshots or screams during the alien turn, ~~you may want to reduce~~ the ~~number of~~ channels to 4 or less. The loudness is caused by many instances of the same sound effect being played ~~simultaneously~~.		If you find you get very loud gunshots or screams during the alien turn, try reducing the channels to 4 or less. The loudness is caused by many instances of the same sound effect being played at the same time.


Line 125:		Line 130:
	\| colspan = "2" \| Step 4		\| colspan = "2" \| Step 4
	\|-		\|-
	\| When asked to swap your audio, set it to NO unless your sound effects are reversed.		\| When asked to swap your audio, set it to NO unless your sound effects are reversed during the game.

	\|[[File:Gus setup4.png]]		\|[[File:Gus setup4.png]]
Line 139:		Line 144:


	Repeat the above steps as needed if you need to adjust or revert your sound card settings.		Repeat the above steps as needed if you need to adjust or revert your sound card settings. Your games will now be configured to use the GUS.


Line 146:		Line 151:
	'''SETUP.EXE''' will very likely not be able to run natively on modern operating systems. To bypass this, you can run it through Dosbox.		'''SETUP.EXE''' will very likely not be able to run natively on modern operating systems. To bypass this, you can run it through Dosbox.

	* For those that mainly use Dosbox through its command line console, just go to your UFO/TFTD directory and run SETUP directly.		* '''Command Line''': For those that mainly use Dosbox through its command line console, just go to your UFO/TFTD directory and run SETUP directly.
	* For [[XcomUtil]] users, the latest version provides access to the sound setup from its menu when you launch the game with '''runxcom.bat'''.		* '''XcomUtil''': For [[XcomUtil]] users, the latest version provides access to the sound setup from its menu when you launch the game with '''runxcom.bat'''.
	*For the Steam and similar packages that have the games run through Dosbox transparently will need to make some temporary alterations to the .conf file. The rest of this section explains how to do this.		* '''Steam''' (and similar bundles): For the Steam and similar packages that have the games run through Dosbox transparently will need to make some temporary alterations to the .conf file. The rest of this section explains how to do this.

	----		----

NKF: Added the promised screencaps (finally)

2014-01-02T06:18:18Z

Added the promised screencaps (finally)

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:18, 2 January 2014
Line 97:		Line 97:


	\| Width ="20%" \| ~~TODO~~: ~~Screencaps here~~		\| Width ="20%" \| [[File:Gus setup1.png]]
	\|- {{stdTable Sub_Heading}}		\|- {{stdTable Sub_Heading}}
	\| colspan = "2"\| Step 2		\| colspan = "2"\| Step 2
Line 111:		Line 111:


	\|		\| [[File:Gus setup2.png]]
	\|- {{stdTable Sub_Heading}}		\|- {{stdTable Sub_Heading}}
	\| colspan = "2" \| Step 3		\| colspan = "2" \| Step 3
Line 120:		Line 120:


	\|		\|[[File:Gus setup3.png]]

	\|- {{stdTable Sub_Heading}}		\|- {{stdTable Sub_Heading}}
	\| colspan = "2" \| Step 4		\| colspan = "2" \| Step 4
Line 126:		Line 127:
	\| When asked to swap your audio, set it to NO unless your sound effects are reversed.		\| When asked to swap your audio, set it to NO unless your sound effects are reversed.

			\|[[File:Gus setup4.png]]

	\|
	\|- {{stdTable Sub_Heading}}		\|- {{stdTable Sub_Heading}}
	\| colspan = "2"\| Step 5		\| colspan = "2"\| Step 5
Line 134:		Line 135:


	\|		\|[[File:Gus setup5.png]]
	\|}		\|}

NKF at 08:24, 22 August 2013

2013-08-22T08:24:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:24, 22 August 2013
Line 59:		Line 59:
	* The easiest solution is to use the same folder that Dosbox will be mounting as its virtual C: drive. This could either be a combined folder where all your Dos games are stored, such as DOSGAMES\, or in the game folder itself. Note that if you store the patches in the game folder directly that you'll need to make a copy for each game.		* The easiest solution is to use the same folder that Dosbox will be mounting as its virtual C: drive. This could either be a combined folder where all your Dos games are stored, such as DOSGAMES\, or in the game folder itself. Note that if you store the patches in the game folder directly that you'll need to make a copy for each game.

	* If stored outside of the virtual C: drive, you will have to instruct Dosbox to mount a new virtual drive specifically for them. This can be achieved by altering the Dosbox .conf file and adding a '''mount''' command in the <nowiki>[autoexec]</nowiki> section to create a new virtual drive. For instructions on how to do this, refer to the Dosbox documentation.		* If stored outside of the virtual C: drive, you will have to instruct Dosbox to mount a new virtual drive specifically for them. This can be achieved by altering the Dosbox .conf file and adding a '''mount''' command in the <nowiki>[autoexec]</nowiki> section to create a new virtual drive.

			For instructions on how to do this, refer to the Dosbox documentation or the [http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/MOUNT MOUNT] article on the official Dosbox wiki.

NKF: Minor tidying up

2013-08-22T07:29:48Z

Minor tidying up

Show changes