General Sound - three years of experience in owning a General Sound sound card.

Text: D.J. KOT
Music: D.J. KOT

Music card

 So, I, D.J.KOT for about 3 years now
I am the happy owner of this
gate and in this article I am going to share
pour out your impressions on this
about.
   Let's start with history... Somewhere in the distant
In 1996 I found out that I was preparing for graduation
this gadget, I read the technical ha-
characteristics, and said: “Cool,” deciding
buy.  Back then I didn’t even suspect
how cool is this.
  A little time passed, and now, ag-
gat with a proud name GENERAL SOUND
Nya on the table.  On the same day I started
connecting it to my SCORP.
It immediately became clear that, contrary to the instructions,
tions, it is not possible to connect the board directly
- the processor does not work. I still shortened
pulled the wires to the limit and sinfully
lam my computer started, miraculously loading
Mouzon in GENERAL'ku. I must say I don't-
I didn’t expect to hear THIS! It was
really cool. But the computer was glitching
in the greatest possible way and I had to give up everything
go ahead and do the buffer amplifier
us.  Since a suitable circuit is at hand
it didn’t turn out, but I couldn’t stand it (emphasis
on the first syllable) wasn’t there, I got busy
invention of the "Bicycle". At the end of the
my research was successful and
this technology works for meto this day
day.
  Well, let’s move on from impressions to
business.  It’s no longer a secret to anyone
Specifications GENERAL
SOUND.  I won't tell you about them, but
I will consider its advantages and disadvantages,
identified by me during operation -
tions. Undoubtedly, the advantages include the following:
blowing things:

 1. From ordinary SPECTRUM digital
External players built-in player GENERAL
SOUND is distinguished by a high sampling frequency
tization, explained by the fact that GS is constructed
ena on its own processor, which
not only has 3 times greater production
performance than the SPECTRUM processor,
but he doesn’t do anything other than sound,
even the memory of the card is static, so that
there was no need to regenerate it. And from
sampling frequency is in direct
my dependency is the sound quality.
 2. Higher bit depth of DACs -
8 bit, unlike a music processor, where
DAC capacity is 4 bits. In between
ke 1-12 bits, with increasing bit depth
sound quality grows like a law
factorial - figure out for yourself what the advantage is
wealth. Yes, by the way, so by the way: for-
It is noted that increasing the bit depth of the DAC
more than 16 bits does not lead to further
increasing sound quality.
 3. Number of channels. 4 channels are
you're not 3, although it doesn't mattervery little. By
in my personal experience the best
number of independent channels - 8.
 4. Built-in BIOS containing
complex player *.mod files and files
catching sound effects in *.raw format,
thanks to which you can not deepen-
plunging into the jungle of programming, do
excellent sound design.

  Well, now the disadvantages.

 1. I think the biggest drawback is
To hell with worthless documentation.
Actually that ass piece of paper containing-
only the wiring of the connector signals
I can’t even dare to call it
documentation.  Well, gentlemen of X-TRADE,
This is not done, at least a list of commands
they would bring you.
 2. Built-in BIOS :((( A lot
vital commands, for some reason,
fell into the category of undocumented. By-
to my commands such as: direct re-
link data to GS, start program
inside it, emulation of 4-channel co-
vox (SOUNDDRIVE emulation mode), etc.
must be known to the people, otherwise
the fact that there is a music editor
you will write.
 3. As I already said, 4 channels ma-
lovato.  This is especially felt after
work in the writing software FAST TRACKER.
 4. Low memory in the basic version
G.S. Agree - 112 kilobytes for digital
This is not the case with new music.  Wise Truth
It says that you can’t erase words from a song. A
has to, NO FREE SPACE.

  Now about the programs. Written under GS
music  RIFF TRACKER editor - glucodrome
scary because he uses it for his own purposes
only documented GS commands. Go-
They say a new one has appeared - EXELLENT
TRACKER, but I haven't seen it. I have
toys voiced under GS - "TARGET
RENEGADE" and "ZYNAPS". The games are simply pre-
they turned out absolutely amazing!!!
 And finally, I’ll just say that neither
no matter how much I regret the money spent on GS
and I encourage everyone to buy it for themselves.

 12.20.00 D.J.KOT