Re: Crystal's old chip...well maybe

Yeah, I'm bored, I'm replying to my own messages...

At 10:16 AM 7/8/97 PDT, I wrote:

>If programming information could be had for the OTTO, then this $75 card
>contains everything needed for the universal sound card. 1 meg of sampling
>RAM using compression. All the DSP for volume enveloping. 32 independent
>voices with complete control over looping, etc. And it only took them
>80,000 transistors to do it (according to the blurb). Anyone up for the
>"agonies" of programming a 68000? ;^)
>
>Even if no information can be found for the OTTO, if the card itself could
>be run "stand alone", then this is still the universal sound card. I
>believe this sound card runs a version of the standard Ensoniq operating
>system. Ensoniq has always made downloading of new sounds available through
>the MIDI exclusive commands (they documented their format while Roland was
>calling there's proprietary. Guess who sold more synthesizers? Hee! hee!
>-- come on manufacturers, get a clue.)

After looking again at Ensoniq web page it looks like, late last night, I
misread the specs. This card has only ROM table capabilities, no RAM. The
only way to use this card would be through reprogramming of the on board
68000 "operating system" Or at least reprogramming the ROM to use our own
"voices", if the format could be determined, that would be the way to go.

I still like the game to MIDI interface using a very simple PIC design. We
just need to find a sound card (Gravis Ultra sound maybe?) or low end
synthesizer (maybe Ensoniqs has something?) that can accept samples through
the MIDI interface. Or even back to the cheap-o mother board and Gravis
Ultra sound idea, using a standard serial interface.

-Zonn
Received on Tue Jul 8 10:41:29 1997