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Archive-name: PCsoundcards/Tropez-faq
Comp-sys-ibm-pc-soundcard-misc-archive-name: Tropez-faq Posting-Frequency: monthly Last-modified: 25 March 1997 Version: 1.21 See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
================================================================================
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
about the Tropez (TM) sound board
Copyright 1995-1997 by Tow Wang
Version 1.21
Release date: Tuesday 25 March 1997
================================================================================
Contents
(I) Introduction
(A) What information was updated?
(B) Abbreviations
(C) How to obtain the latest release of this document.
(D) Additional sources of information
(II) Technical specifications
(III) Errata to the User's Guide
(IV) Software for the Tropez developed by TBS
(A) Utilities
(B) Drivers
(C) Other software
(V) Installation
(A) Tips
(B) Hardware checks
(C) Installation tips for 3-diskette set
(VI) Other questions
(VII) Software and firmware upgrades
(A) Not included but distributed
(B) FTP sites
(C) Module (".mod" file) players
(D) MIDI (".mid" file) players
(E) World-wide web sites
(VIII) Operating system support
(A) OS/2
(B) Windows 3.x
(C) Windows 4.x (aka "Windows 95")
(D) Windows NT
(E) Linux
(IX) Programming information
(A) Software Development Kit
(B) Sound Blaster modes
(C) Windows Sound System mode
(D) CS4231A codec chip
(E) Components made by ICS
(F) FM synthesizer
(X) Unanswered questions
(XI) Credits
(XII) Disclaimer and permission to distribute
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(I) Introduction
Tropez:
~ ~ ~ ~
Pronounced as "Tropa" ( 'o' as in toe, 'a' as in pay ).
Presumably named after the french island St. Tropez, famous for its
beautiful beaches.
In late 1994, Turtle Beach Systems of York, Pennsylvania, USA, began
distribution of the "Tropez" soundcard, which along with the "Monte Carlo"
card, marked the entry of Turtle Beach products into the entertainment
market of sound hardware for personal computers compatible with the Intel/ISA
architecture. Keeping up with a tradition of high-quality sound products, the
Tropez promises full game compatibility while delivering audio performance
comparable to that of compact discs and digital audio tapes.
The purpose of this document, referred to as "Tropez FAQ file" from hereon,
is two-fold:
1) To supplement the documentation provided with the Tropez package and aid
owners of this product in setting it up and troubleshooting it.
2) To inform the general public of the characteristics of the Tropez and
help assess the suitability of this product for the applications of
potential end-users.
(A) What information was updated?
Each update is to be found in the (sub)section indicated within parentheses.
The previous release of this document was version 1.20
********************************************************************************
Changed title heading to reflect the official name of this document.
"WavePatch" is now at version 1.31. (IV.C)
Chris Mangiarelli's device driver pages now at "modoc.wpi.edu/tb" (VII.E)
Deleted unnecessary items. (VI)
New policy on the distribution of the software development kit. (IX.A)
"AWave" v3.2 and 4.0 released. (VII.A)
How to get sound effects from "Star Control 2". (VI)
Martin Fay distributes his bank editor and program editor. (VII.A)
Enabling the second MPU-401 port under Windows 3.1 (VIII.B)
Printer port conflict on DMA 3. (VIII.C)
Some distribution sites discontinued or changed. (I.C)
Device driver options under Linux. (VIII.E)
Updated addresses. (VII.B and VII.E)
TBS and Voyetra Technologies merge; corporate address changed. (VI)
Annoying "pop" under Windows 4.0: driver bug? (VIII.C)
New NT driver by Crystal Semiconductor. (VIII.D)
How to enable full-duplex under "Digital Orchestrator Plus". (VI)
********************************************************************************
Note: starting with this version, this document is referenced to by the
"TBS-2001 FAQ file" (distributed as a separate file).
(B) Abbreviations
Following is a list of abbreviations used throughout this document.
DOS Disk Operating System (TM)
FAQ Frequently Asked Questions
GM General MIDI (TM)
ICS Integrated Circuit Systems, Inc.
MIDI Music Instrument Digital Interface
PnP Plug'n'Play
RWM read/write memory
SB Sound Blaster (TM)
SIMM Single In-line Memory Module
TBS Turtle Beach Systems, Inc.
TSR Terminate and Stay Resident
WSS Windows Sound System (TM)
(C) How to obtain the latest release of this document.
By FTP from the InterNet sites listed in section VII.B and the following:
rtfm.mit.edu /pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/comp/sys/ibm/pc/souncard/misc/
/pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/PCsoundcards/
On the World-Wide Web:
www.wi.leidenuniv.nl/audio/
www.cs.colorado.edu/~mccreary/
rpinfo.its.rpi.edu/~hsiaoe/soundsite/
On the Andrew File System:
/afs/umich.edu/user/t/o/towwang/Public
On UseNet:
Newsgroup "comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.misc"
(D) Additional sources of information
1) Related information files:
- "Turtle Beach Maui FAQ file", available from ftp.hawaii.edu. READ THIS
FILE! Almost all the information in it is applicable to the Tropez! For
this release of this FAQ file, I have omitted some relevant information
already covered by the Maui FAQ file v3.1.
- "Turtle Beach Maui Software FAQ file", available from ftp.hawaii.edu.
- "The Tropez Tattler" by David Gasior. You may request a copy by sending
e-mail to its author: <DGasior@home.com>.
- "Turtle Beach FAQ file" by Kevin Dangoor (tazzzzz@eecs.umich.edu),
currently un-maintained.
- Gravis UltraSound FAQ files:
archive.epas.utoronto.ca /pub/pc/ultrasound/info
for information on instrument patches.
2) Mailing lists:
- "Turtle Beach mailing list"
To subscribe, send a message to:
listproc@lists.colorado.edu
with subject and body:
SUBSCRIBE MULTISOUND <your name>
To unsubscribe, send to the preceding address (not to the mailing
list!) a message with subject and body:
UNSUBSCRIBE MULTISOUND
3) Independent commercial reviews:
PC Magazine, 28 March 1995.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(II) Technical specifications
The quoted information for this chapter (lines starting with '|') is
distributed by Turtle Beach Systems in the form of free promotional literature
and is also printed on the Tropez package. I have added some additional
comments and corrections for purposes of clarity.
Compatibility
The Tropez can emulate a Sound Blaster Pro card (revision 2.0 by Creative
Labs), including, but not limited to, DAC and mixer functions and FM music
synthesis. The Tropez is also compatible with the Windows Sound System 1.0
interface. However, only one mode (SB Pro xor WSS) is available to produce
digital audio at any time.
Software running under DOS that supports MIDI music synthesis, using the
General MIDI patch set and the Roland MPU-401 interface, will be able to
take advantage of the wavetable synthesis capabilities of the Tropez. This
capability for music synthesis is available independent of the setting for
digital audio. The Tropez incorporates almost all the hardware found on the
TBS Maui board, so with some subtle restrictions it can be considered as
"three boards in one":
Tropez = Maui + Sound Blaster Pro + Windows Sound System
| Digital Audio
|
| Sampling Rates Selectable between 4 KHz and 48 KHz
| Resolutions 16 or 8 bits per sample
| Audio channels Stereo or mono
| Audio converters A/D 64x oversampled sigma-delta, 16 bit
| D/A 8x interpolating filter
| 64x oversampled, 16 bit
| DMA mode Demand mode for increased performance
| Simultaneous record and play capability
A/D and D/A conversion is performed by a Crystal CS4231A coder/decoder chip.
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 95 11:52:16 +0200
From: Patrik Sandberg <Patrik.Sandberg@Tele.telebox.fi>
> The ability to support simultaneous rec/play for stereo 16 bit 44.1 KHz
> audio depends on the ISA bus speed. In normal speed (8 MHz) SRP is
> supported for rates up to stereo 16 bit 32 KHz. When the ISA bus speed
> is >= 11 MHz then SRP is supported in 16 bit 44.1 KHz in enhanced
> duplex mode.
| Stereo mixer
|
| Inputs -- Synthesizer (FM and Wavetable),
| Microphone, Line, Auxiliar
| Supported interfaces
|
| MIDI interface (optional) Up to 2 MPU-401 compatible external
| interfaces using optional cables
| CD-ROM drive interface AT-API (Enhanced IDE)
| Joystick port
Both MIDI ports are MPU-401 compatible in dumb UART mode but not smart mode.
Reported by Martin Fay <martin.fay@umist.ac.uk>:
The pin-out of the second MIDI port (the two-row internal male connector)
is the same as that of the joystick port interface found on most I/O boards
and disk drive controllers.
The joystick port can be disabled by software to avoid an I/O conflict if
another such port is already enabled.
| Wavetable synthesizer
|
| General MIDI compatible Yes
| Simultaneous voices Maximum is 32
| Wavetable instruments 128 instruments in 2 MB ROM
| Sample Data Formats 16 bit, 8 bit and 8 bit u-law
Maximum simultaneous voices Sampling rate (KHz)
32 32
24 44.1
| Sample Store (TM)
|
| RAM size Upgradable to a maximum of 12 MB using
| standard SIMM chips
There are 3 SIMM slots on the Tropez. They all accept SIMMs with 30
contact-pads. Any slot can accept any of the following SIMM capacities at
any time: (TBS recommends access times no slower than 70ns)
Rows Bits per row (parity not required)
256 * 1024 8 or 9
1024 * 1024 8 or 9
4096 * 1024 8 or 9
On Thu, 8 Jun 1995, John M. Meyers wrote:
> I'm currently using 3 1x8's in my Tropez, and things are fine. A friend
> is using 2 megs of the same in his Maui, and I've heard no complaints.
The Tropez package includes no RWM for Sample Store. SIMM's must be purchased
separately.
| FM Synthesizer
|
| Stereo FM Synthesizer (Yamaha OPL3)
| AdLib compatible
| 20 independent stereo voices of FM synthesized sounds
| 4 FM operators per voice
The OPL3 and the WaveFront synthesizers can play music simultaneously.
| Audio Performance
|
| Signal to noise ratio 89 dB (A weighted), 87 dB (unweighted)
(these values must be positive)
| Total Harmonic Distortion
| < 0.01 % (A weighted), < 0.02 % (unweighted)
| Phase response +/- 0.1 degrees
| Stereo Crosstalk -90 dBV at 100 Hz,
| -89 dBV at 1 KHz,
| -83 dBV at 10 KHz
| Intermodulation distortion < 0.1 %
| Frequency response 20 Hz - 22 KHz, +0/-1 dB
Note: these specifications for audio performance seem to be achievable
only under strictly-controlled laboratory environments.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(III) Errata to the User's Guide
This chapter applies to the "User's Guide" (Manual) version 1.0, Copyright 1994
Turtle Beach Systems, Inc. You may want to note these errors in your manual
before starting installation.
P 14 What's in the box?
P 24
Turtle Beach currently ships FOUR 3+1/2 inch high-density floppy disks with
software and utilities.
The "Info Now" CD may have been substituted by a "Selectware System (tm)" CD.
P 17 Adjusting the jumper settings
All jumper sketches were printed upside down. I am providing the correct
ones below; my sketches are in the same order as they appear in the manual
but I have reordered the port numbers.
'c' means closed (a jumper connects the two pins at this position)
'o' means open (no connection between the two pins at this position)
o c o
o 330 c 230 c 300
o o c
c o c
o 290 o 338 c 210
o c c
o c
c 320 o 260
o c
P 30 DOS diagnostics
The "Sound Blaster music test" will play notes to the right audio channel
only.
P 32-34 WaveFront Diagnostics
"wfdiag.exe" is no longer included with any of the installation diskettes.
If "setupsnd.exe" executes without reporting any errors, then your
WaveFront synthesizer is most likely configured correctly. I have executed
"mauidiag.exe" on my Tropez and it passed all tests except the one which
requires a MIDI loop-back cable (which I did not have) and the WaveSample
memory test (I had not yet obtained any SIMM's when I did this). To obtain
"mauidiag.exe", see the FTP sites listed elsewhere in this
document.
By the way, "mauidiag.exe" is a diagnostics program for the Maui sound card,
which uses the same WaveFront synthesizer as the Tropez.
P 36 Tropez DOS utilities
P 43 Translation Utility
"tzsbmix.exe" is an utility for the (old) Monte Carlo sound card.
It was included by mistake with the Tropez package and it cannot work with
the Tropez. It will not add any more functionality because the Tropez is
already fully compatible with SB Pro.
P 50 setupsnd.exe utility
"oswfi.mot" is no longer included with the Tropez package. Just use
"oswf.mot" with "setupsnd.exe".
The parameter "/x" should be used only if you have an external synthesizer
connected to the Tropez's MIDI port.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(IV) Software for the Tropez developed by TBS
All software listed in this chapter is included with the Tropez.
If you do not have the latest versions, refer to the FTP sites for updates.
(A) Utilities
"setupsnd.exe" v1.13
Loads operating system code to the firmware memory on the TBS-2001, then
configures the WaveFront synthesizer. The o.s. code is executed by the
Motorola 68000 processor to control the synthesizer.
"setupsnd.exe" takes about 20 seconds to load "oswf.mot" to the Tropez.
The duration of this process seems to be independent of system speed.
In most motherboards, if not all, you need to initialize the synthesizer
(i.e. upload its MIDI interpreter firmware), only once after power up. No
need to repeat this after warm boots.
Yes, it does take 20 seconds to initialize the synthesizer if you have
not entered Windows since power-up, but otherwise the latest Windows
driver will do the initialization (or check for initialization) in 6
seconds or less. The preceding paragraph applies here too.
"tzacmix.exe" v2.00
Command line utility to change all mixer volumes.
"tzhkmix.com" v2.00
TSR program to change mixer volumes with hot keys (hold down ALT and press
the gray keys Insert, Delete, End, Page Up, Page Down).
"tzmode.exe" v2.00
Initializes the CD drive interface on the Tropez, when executed as a device
driver within "config.sys".
Lets you select the digital audio mode of the Tropez under DOS.
"tzsetup.exe" v2.00
Lets you reconfigure all settings for the Tropez, except the primary
(external) MIDI port which requires jumper adjustment.
"tbcd.exe"
Audio-CD player. If you have problems using it, Mario Koeppen
<mk2@irz.inf.tu-dresden.de> provided this tip:
> ...look into your "system.ini" file for a line containing "CDAudio" as the
> right value of an equation. If there is any number after this (ie.
> "CDAudio_1") cut it off, leaving only "CDAudio".
This number is used for operating more than one CD drive. TBS tools can
only handle one. Warning: this change may render certain setups unusable.
Back up your "system.ini" before modifying it.
(B) Drivers
"oswf.mot" v1.15
The firmware code that is loaded to the Tropez by "setupsnd.exe" under DOS
and by "tropmidi.drv" under Windows 3.x. This code makes the WaveFront
synthesizer understand MIDI commands used by most sequencing and game
software.
"tropez.drv" v1.10
Digital audio driver for using the Tropez under Windows 3.x
This includes code to control the mixer on the Tropez.
"tropmidi.drv" v1.30
Wavetable synthesis driver for using the Tropez under Windows 3.x
"tropmidi.drv" takes 6 seconds to load "oswf.mot" to the Tropez.
In your "system.ini" file for Windows, under the "[tropmidi.drv]" section,
you may specify where is the OS code file. For example:
OSCodeFile=c:\tropez\dosapps\oswf.mot
(C) Other software
From Turtle Beach's literature:
| WavePatch (TM) Patch editor for wavetable synthesizer, v1.2
Latest version is 1.31.
On Thu, 27 Apr 1995, Jean-Luc Piolain wrote:
> WavePatch has a few features designed specifically for the professional
> sound developer. In order to keep the average user from accessing these,
> they are only available if the following line is added to the
> [Preferences] section of WFPATCH.INI.
>
> [Preferences]
> Pro Version = 1
>
> When this line is added, the File menu will have two new items:
>
> Replace Internal Sample
> Pack ROM Files
| Wave SE 1.23 (TM) .WAV audio and sample editing program with
Loop Editor
"Wave" (full-featured edition) can be purchased from TBS. This software has
more features than "Wave SE".
| MicroWave (TM) OLE compatible .WAV recorder/editor for
| business applications
| Stratos (TM) MIDI song writing software
Sierra Audio Rack: GUI applets to control multimedia devices
| MousePlayer MIDI controller
The "SelectWare System (TM)" CD contains dozens of demonstration programs for
commercial software, and five free products:
Corridor 7 (TM) by Capstone
MegaMaze (TM) by Axis Interactive and CapDisc
LINKS: The Challenge of Golf(TM) by Access Software
Darklands (TM) by MicroProse Software
Freakin' Funky Fuzzballs (TM) by Sir-Tech Software
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(V) Installation
(A) Tips
The following tips are applicable to the set of 4 installation diskettes (3.5"
high density) included in the Tropez package. This section should be most
useful if you read it along with the "User's Guide" (version 1.0) while you
install the Tropez.
Note:
All references to installation information, such as directory paths, are
exemplified using default settings.
BIOS settings
From: Roeder Sascha <roeder@mi-lab.fh-furtwangen.de>
> If you use a Asus SP3G Motherboard with an Award bios, try to
> switch off the "ISA GAT MODE" in the bios setup. I dont know, what this
> mode is for but it interfered with my Tropez during recording.
The Tropez may not install correctly if "Plug and Play" is enabled.
If you are experiencing problems with the digital audio performance of the
Tropez, check that your bus speed is set to 8 or 8+1/3 MHz.
If your recordings to SCSI hard disks get mixed with disk noise, try shadowing
the ROM BIOS of your host adapter. Make sure you select the correct address
block corresponding to the adapter's BIOS.
P 17 Adjusting the jumper settings
Most games require that the MPU-401 interface be at port 330h. To have this
setting, you may leave JP4 at the default setting (none of the pairs of pins
should be shorted by a jumper).
P 26 Running the DOS setup
Your "autoexec.bat" file should have at least one trailing blank line.
Otherwise, the last character of your "autoexec.bat" will be overwritten by
"install.exe" if you let it make automatic modifications for you.
You may want to remove the execution of "setupsnd.exe" from your
"autoexec.bat" file if you tend to do warm reboots often.
Each time you choose one of two the installation options in "install.exe",
this program will overwrite any Tropez files that were previously installed
in "?:\tropez\dosapps\"
P 27
If you are connecting a CD drive to the enhanced IDE interface of the Tropez,
make sure that the line
DEVICE=?:\tropez\dosapps\tzmode.exe
in your "config.sys" file precedes the line that loads the device driver for
your CD drive. This is because "tzmode.exe" must be executed first to
initialize the Tropez so that the other device driver can detect the CD
drive interfaced with the Tropez.
If you still have problems using the Tropez's CD drive interface, try
executing ("loading") "tzmode.exe" in the very first line of your
"config.sys". Note: this execution must take place before loading QEMM, if
you use this memory manager.
From Rob Geraghty <r.geraghty@mailbox.uq.oz.au>:
The internal audio connector has the following configuration:
--o left signal
--o left earth
--o right signal
--o right earth
P 27 (Windows setup)
The command "win.com" to start up Windows must reside in a directory included
in the "PATH" environment variable. "install.exe" will try to execute the
command
win.com setup.exe
before installing any Windows applications. If "install.exe" does not
find "win.com", it will prompt erratically for you to insert a diskette. In
this situation, you may press 'Esc' to exit the program. Include the Windows
directory in the 'PATH' variable and rerun "install.exe".
Side note: as "setup.exe" prepares to install the Windows applications for
the Tropez, it will probe all available logical drives for the presence of
the installation diskettes. If for example you have the installation
diskettes in drive "b:", "setup.exe" may get stuck when probing an empty disk
drive "a:". In this case, simply insert any irrelevant (but formatted)
diskette in drive "a:" and let "setup.exe" move on to drive "b:"
P 28 Windows setup
Paraphrasing Rob Geraghty <robg@medeserv.com.au>:
>Hidden in a confirmation screen during the install process (in windoze) the
>Tropez defaults to using IRQ15 for OS download. This can be changed - I used
>IRQ9, the same IRQ I used for Tropez MIDI.
Forgetting to make this change may let the Tropez take up two IRQs: one
which you specified in DOS using "setupsnd.exe", and this other one
allocated by Windows. Needless to say, this is a common source of conflicts.
(Discussed in the TBS mailing list)
If you have problems operating the Tropez in full-duplex mode, edit your
"system.ini" file: under the section "[sndsys.drv]" there may be the
setting "SingleModeDMA=1". Change the right hand value to "2".
On Tue, 11 Jul 1995, Miro Wikgren wrote:
> FYI, the Windows installation of the Tropez card programs can be run
> separately from the DOS istallation. The trick is to start the setup
> program by starting Windows (from DOS, of course) with the command:
> win a:~dutf.exe
...or you can run "~dutf.exe" from your Windows shell. Be warned however,
that incremental installations of the Tropez software for Windows may cause
useful settings and files to be overwritten. It is safest to install all
the software at once and then delete the unwanted applets with the
information in the "tropez.log" file.
Note: you should definitely install the Tropez mixer at least.
Message from David Gasior <SharkBoyFL@aol.com>:
> The Mixer for Windows can have its settings
> saved when you close it by adding the line
> SaveSettingsOnExit=ON
> under the heading [DRIVER] at the top of the TROPEZ.INI file found in the
> Windows directory.
"setup.exe" only maps MIDI channels 1 through 10 to the "Tropez Sample
Player" initially; you may want to map the remaining 6 channels to it or to
the OPL3 driver using "MIDI Mapper".
P 36 Hot key sound mixer utility
The "tzhkmix.com" TSR might not work with games that run in Intel protected-
mode. For instance, it has no effect within "Doom" (TM).
P 41 Using the command line sound mixer
If you omit the optional channel selector ( [L|R] ), the volume setting will
apply to both audio channels.
P 50 "setupsnd.exe" utility
"setupsnd.exe" always tries to access one IRQ line and one I/O address
(actually one block of I/O addresses). If either one (or both) was set up
incorrectly, the program will report that you have an "IRQ conflict".
Additional documentation
Do not forget to read the "*.wri" files that were installed to "?:\tropez\".
They contain updated information that was not available when the User's Guide
was printed. You can read them using the "Write" word processor included with
Windows.
"tzsetup.exe" utility (not documented in manual)
The "MPU-401 MIDI" option in "MIDI Setup" refers to the second MIDI port on
the Tropez (the one that is next to the CD drive interface). Unless you
purchased an adapter cable to use this second port, you should leave it as
disabled.
(B) Hardware checks
As should be the case whenever you purchase computer hardware, you are
advised to test all the features of your merchandise as soon as possible
after you receive it. For the Tropez in particular, you should test the
following:
1) Microphone recording: plug in an UNbiased microphone, UN-mute the
microphone input and set its level high enough. You should be able to get
from the output of the Tropez the sounds that are being picked up by the
microphone.
This check is advised because some boards "escaped" from the factory
without the microphone pre-amplifier. TBS disclosed that boards with this
problem can be identified as follows:
"Look on the face of the card just below the CD Audio connector (J1).
There will be a set of capacitors running down the side by the jacks.
At the top, there are two marked C10 and C6. If they have a capacitor
on them (most likely beige, black, or pale green in color) then you
have a pre amp. If not - if it is just bare metal - then..."
2) Plug SIMM's into all the memory slots on the Tropez and test its Sample
Store capabilities using Wave Patch. Also, "setupsnd.exe" should
report the correct amount of memory installed on the Tropez.
If you cannot afford memory, you would do just fine by borrowing one
SIMM and performing this test three times, with the SIMM plugged into
a different slot each time.
Tip from <James.Perrett@soc.soton.ac.uk> and Allan Lester
<lester@ixtapa.eng.hou.compaq.com>, 13 Nov. 1995:
If you plug an external mixer into the Tropez, you may want to power the
mixer from the same wall outlet that powers your computer in order to avoid
a ground loop (which causes noise).
(C) Installation tips for 3-diskette set
TBS is also distributing a new set of 3 compressed archives which expand out as
3 replacement installation diskettes, available at their company FTP site
(listed elsewhere in this document). The filenames for this set of installation
files are "tropmk2?.zip". If you choose to install from this set, you MUST
expand the ".zip" files to floppy disks.
On Thu, 25 Jan 1996, Pierre Meindre wrote:
> There's a file named DISK.ID on the third disk that seems to be incorrect :
> Tropez
> 1.1
> Disk #3
> I edit the file to change "1.1" to "1.2" and I've been able to install the
> three disks without problem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(VI) Other questions
Q. [AIL] Where can I get AIL and MIDPAK drivers for the Tropez?
A. You will probably want the WSS AIL drivers. Refer to section VII.B .
The file "t7gfix3.zip" (a patch for "The 7th Guest") has the MIDPAK
drivers. The latter is available from ftp.cdrom.com .
Q. [business] Is Turtle Beach going out of business?
A. This rumor, rampant during late 1995, turns out to be untrue. Marko Otto,
"Quad" project manager at TBS, posted a statement containing the
following fragment:
Date: Wed, 06 Dec 95 13:13:54
From: marko <marko@tbeach.com>
> FACT: Turtle Beach and Value Media will be merging to form one company
> called Turtle Beach Systems. The intent of the new TBS is to form a
> company based around the Diamond or Creative business model. This
> means that you'll see CD-ROM kits, modem/faxernet/Internet kits, and
> of course sound cards.
Q. [buy] Where can I buy the Tropez?
A. Sometime in the spring of 1996 TBS officially discontinued production of the
Tropez. It is being replaced with the "Tropez Plus" board. By the time this
document is published, finding the Tropez in stores will be nearly
impossible; if you really need one, try to contact TBS.
Q. [Digital Orchestrator Plus] How can I enable full-duplex operation?
A. On Tue, 11 Mar 1997, David Crisler <dave18@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> If you have Digital Orchestrator Plus and the Tropez, there is a
> bizarre trick you must do in order to be able to simultaneously
> record and playback. In the "Options" menu, select "Digital Audio
> Options". Here's how the three setting should be in order to listen
> to a track (or tracks) you recorded earlier while recording a new
> track:
>
> "Stereo Playback" - DO NOT check this box
> "Device can Record and Playback Simultaneously" - check this box
> "Enable Wave Sync" - check this box
Q. [effects]
Is there a processor for effects such as reverb and chorus on the Tropez?
A. No.
Q. [Hurricane] Does the Tropez feature Hurricane Architecture?
A. No. It requires at least one DMA channel for digital audio functionality.
Q. [MT-32] Can the Tropez emulate a Roland MT-32 or LAPC1 for games?
A. Partially. You can load a MT-32 patch bank to the memory of the Tropez and
have it play music correctly under games that DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PRODUCE
SOUND EFFECTS (i.e. that do not attempt to alter the patches).
Check file "mauimt32.zip", created by Jimmy Wan <vecna@umich.edu>, at
FTP sites. You will also need the DOS bank loader "SetWF".
The Tropez does not support MT-32 system-exclusive messages; lock-ups are
possible if your game tries to send such messages to the Tropez.
Q. [Quad] Can I use the TBS "Quad" software with the Tropez?
A. No.
Q. [revisions]
What differences are there between the various revisions of the Tropez?
A. On 5 Apr 1995 Alexander_H._Neustadter@BOPS.VOA.GOV wrote:
> Version 1.3 has the channels reversed. This has been my experience with
> more than one board. (I note that the WaveFront chip is also much
> thinner on this board.) Version 2.0 has the channels wired correctly,
> but makes a nasty pop on the left channel when starting & stopping the
> playing of .wav files.
I own a rev. 2.0 board and have tested it on a few motherboards; the
following suggests that the 'pop' is a rare defect in some Tropez boards:
AIR 486UL No audible pop at end of .wav playback.
486 UMC Inconclusive: a faint click which may have been caused by
external noise.
Dell OptiPlex XM590
No audible pop at end of .wav playback.
Opti 486WB No audible pop at end of .wav playback, even with bus at 11 MHz.
Q. [Sound Blaster 16] Is the Tropez compatible with the Sound Blaster 16?
A. No, and the Tropez does not have a WaveBlaster connector.
Q. [Star Control 2] I get no sound effects from this game!
A. On Sun, 29 Oct 1995, Patrick A. Green <pgreen@eagle.ais.net> wrote:
> I found out the problem... You have to put /s:sblaster at the end of
> executing melee or starcon2. I looked at the executable with an editor
> and found that. The sound totally sucks (no quality mode) but it does
> work.
Q. [TBS] How do I contact TBS?
A. Address: Turtle Beach Systems
5 Odell Plaza
Yonkers, NY 10701-1406
Telephone: 914-966-0600 (business and fax-on-demand)
914-966-2150 (technical support, Mon.-Fri. 09:00 to 18:00
EST, Closed on public holidays)
Fax: 914-966-1102 (business)
BBS: 914-966-1216
E-mail: sales@tbeach.com
support@tbeach.com
Q. [time] How much time does it take to load samples to the Tropez?
A. There is an overhead of about 30 seconds to let the Wave Patch program
initialize, but I loaded about 400 KB of a drum kit in 5 seconds.
Q. [Voyetra] (Not really a question.)
A. Author: sethd@tbeach.com
Date: 12/2/96 2:26 PM
> YONKERS, NY - December 2, 1996 -- Voyetra Technologies and Turtle
> Beach Systems (TBS) today announced they have signed a definitive
> agreement merging the companies into a new entity called Voyetra
> Technologies, Inc. (VTI). The new company, with combined revenues in
> excess of $20 million, will retain Voyetra's current management team,
> led by founder Carmine J. Bonanno who will continue to serve as
> president and CEO.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(VII) Software and firmware upgrades
(A) Not included but distributed
If I do not indicate where to find any file, you can get it from the FTP sites
listed in the next section of this document.
"Awave" (formerly known as "2PAT") v4.0
Converts instrument patches from many file formats.
On Tue, 17 Sep 1996, Markus Jonsson announced v3.2.
On Wed, 19 Mar 1997, Markus Jonsson <fmj@hem.passagen.se> wrote:
> I am pleased to announce the release of Awave v4.0!
> "http://hem.passagen.se/fmj/fmjsoft.html"
"SetWF" (formerly known as "Set Maui") v1.40
File="setwf140.zip"
Loads bank files to the WaveFront synthesizer's RWM under DOS.
"Patchman"
On Sat, 24 Jun 1995, Cafarella, John <JCafarel@vibuscy.ccdn.otc.com.au> wrote:
> Patchman is a utility that is designed to avoid having HUGE Wavefront Bank
> files (.WFB's) on your harddisk.
Martin Fay <MFAY@fs2.cp.umist.ac.uk> distributes these applets:
(From a message dated 3 September 1996)
>Bank Editor: Lists programs for multiple waveFront cards, and
> handles audition for all of them. Programs can be loaded by drag
> and drop from a file tree on the right, which also auditions the
> wav file used by a patch.
> (currently semi-hardwired for 2 cards, no audition of embedded
> samples)
>
>Program Editor: A simple 2 DCO -> DCA single screen patch editor.
> (no audition when loading wav files yet)
They are available from "http://www.cp.umist.ac.uk/users/martin/".
(B) FTP sites
(1) TBS-related
ftp.hawaii.edu (University of Hawaii, USA)
/outgoing/Maui/ (Software and firmware for Turtle Beach products)
patches/
(Instrument samples and patches)
ftp.pinknet.cz (64 KBaud; do not abuse its bandwidth)
/pub/music/samples (Instrument samples)
turtle.beach
(Czech mirror of ftp.hawaii.edu, maintained by
redear@fenix.zcu.cz)
ftp.tbeach.com (Official company site at York, Pennsylvania, USA)
/tbeach/ (Drivers for various OS's under this hierarchy)
tropez/ (Tropez-specific files)
ftp.uwp.edu
/pub/msdos/drivers/soundcards/turtle.beach
(Sort of a mirror for ftp.hawaii.edu)
ftp.wi.leidenuniv.nl (University of Leiden, The Netherlands)
I am personally submitting files to this site.
/pub/audio/
players/ (MOD players)
programming/ (AIL, DIGPAK and MIDPAK drivers/programming kits)
tropez/ (Tropez-related files under this hierarchy)
(2) Instrument samples
Following is a list of InterNet sites distributing instrument samples.
On Thu, 23 Feb 1995, David Churcher <DAVEC@wsti.demon.co.uk> wrote:
ftp.mfi.com
/pub/keyboard/AKAI (Akai)
On Tue, 28 Feb 1995, Steve Parker <sparker@hq.jcic.org> wrote:
atlantis.informatik.uni-freiburg.de
cs.uwp.edu (Kurzweil)
lotus.UWaterloo.ca
pub/sgroup/samples/Roland/S550 (Roland)
On Thu, 14 Sep 1995, Edwin van Ouwerkerk <edwin@cistron.nl> wrote:
sweaty.palm.cri.nz (EMAX)
> ... Check there for a utility called EMX this will allow you to
> read EMAX I & II floppy's on a PC.
(C) Module (".mod" file) players
"Dual MOD Player" v4.00
Supports WSS using a DSMI driver.
"Morgul" v1.49
Supports WSS using a DSMI driver.
"WaveFront Extended Module Player" by Daniel Baum v1.03
Sends samples to the sound board RWM and offloads mixing tasks from the CPU.
Visit "http://www.uni-karlsruhe.de/~Daniel.Baum/".
(D) MIDI (".mid" file) players
"MPlay" v1.8
Simple command-line program, supports karaoke files (displays lyrics)
Get it from: www.teleport.com/~labrat/karaoke.htm
"Delta Midi Station" v1.0
klingon.epas.utoronto.ca /pub/pc/ultrasound/submit/dms-shw1.zip
(E) World-wide web sites
Most of these sites contain instrument samples, utilities and drivers. Use the
"http" protocol to connect to the sites below.
archive.uwp.edu/pub/msdos/drivers/soundcards/turtle.beach
(device drivers and software)
hyperreal.com/music/machines/samples.html (samples)
whiz.mfi.com:80/keyboard/
www.cp.umist.ac.uk/users/martin/ (Martin Fay's applets/samples)
www.infomaniak.ch/~trz/TB-303/tb303.htm (transistor bass 303)
www.lfo.com (iMEDIA site)
www.tbeach.com (TBS company site)
modoc.wpi.edu/tb (device drivers and software)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(VIII) Operating system support
Some of the operating systems below do not have drivers for the WaveFront
synthesizer, but they do have drivers for MPU-401 devices (which is emulated
by the WaveFront). If you choose to install such generic MPU-401 drivers, you
must somehow manage to first send the WaveFront firmware code to the Tropez
and then load the generic MPU-401 driver. Two ways to do this are:
- Boot DOS, run "setupsnd.exe" and then boot your other OS. This last step can
be a warm reboot, or you can run the "int19h.com" utility described below.
"int19h.com" can reload an OS faster than a warm reboot.
(Paraphrasing John Meyers <jmmeyers@winternet.com>)
When you run "int19h.com", you MUST be running with no TSRs, no interrupts
redirected, and in real mode. This means not loading EMM386, QEMM, whatever.
To generate the file "int19h.com" yourself, follow these instructions:
1) At the DOS command prompt, enter the command "copy con int19h.com".
2) Hold down 'Alt'. On the numeric pad hit '2', '0', '5'. Release 'Alt'.
3) Hold down 'Alt'. On the numeric pad hit '2', '5'. Release 'Alt'.
4) Hold down 'Ctrl', hit 'Z', then release 'Ctrl'.
Note: to "hit" a key means to press and release it.
- If your OS emulates DOS, then launch your DOS emulation program (such as a
"DOS window") after making sure that you are allowing DOS applications to
have the priviledge level to issue I/O reads/writes. Once inside this
emulation program, run "setupsnd.exe". At this point, all your DOS
applications THAT CAN EXECUTE PROPERLY UNDER DOS EMULATION should be able
to use the WaveFront as a MPU-401 device.
However, if you need to run native applications of this "other" OS that use
MPU-401 devices, then you must somehow reinitialize the MPU-401 driver of
this other OS. The most obvious solution is to reboot this "other" OS.
(A) OS/2 (TM)
Drivers for digital audio and FM music are available from the TBS company
FTP site.
For wavetable music, there is a generic MPU-401 driver available from:
hobbes.nmsu.edu /os2/drivers/mmpm_mpu.zip
nic.switch.ch /mirror/os2/drivers/mmpm_mpu.zip
nctuccca.edu.tw /OS/OS2/Vendors/IBM-Europe/os2drivers/latest/mmpm_mpu.zip
You must first download the WaveFront firmware code to the Tropez as
described earlier in this chapter in order to use the WaveFront as a
MPU-401 device.
(B) Windows (TM) 3.x
See also section IV.B.
Enabling the second MPU-401 port.
On Fri, 30 Aug 1996, Karl Herrebout wrote:
> My setup is as follows;
>
> 1st midi port jumper installed at 330h, IRQ 15
> Tropez drivers control it
> 2nd midi port S/W installed (TZSETUP) at 300h, IRQ 2/9
> Controlled by Windows MPU-401 driver (in Win3.1 package)
> It is important to install the MPU driver on the same adress as the
> 1st midi port, because else the MPU driver won't install. Then exit
> windows and change the value in System.ini to the adress for the 2nd
> midi port (300h in this case).
(C) Windows (TM) 4.x (aka "Windows 95")
Drivers are distributed as files "TROP95_?.ZIP" in the TBS company FTP site.
For extensive information on setting up Tropez support under this OS,
please refer to the document "The Tropez Tattler". Instructions on how to
obtain a copy of it are in section I.D .
On Wed, 6 Mar 1996, Frank Erdman <erdmanfj@erinet.com> wrote:
> "Do not use the Maui drivers that came with Win95!"
They cause problems.
[Installation]
Installing Tropez support
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 95 00:27 EST
From: Blair Rideout <maldoror@mpx.com.au>
and
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 95 16:47:00 EDT
From: "Cafarella, John" <JCafarel@vibuscy.ccdn.otc.com.au>
If you install Windows 4.x over 3.x, you might not need to upgrade the
drivers or re-configure them. If you do encounter problems, overwrite
your old drivers in "?:\windows\system" with the ones you find in the
3-disk installation set distributed by the TBS company FTP site.
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 95 22:24 PDT
From: The Hosehead <mandel@cts.com>
If you install Windows 4.x and all drivers from scratch, you will need
the 3-disk installation set distributed by the TBS company FTP site.
See section V.C .
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 14:01:43 +0000
From: Chand Malik <cmalik@ra.isisnet.com>
> By the way, if you are installing in WIN95, also download the
> Tropez95.zip file, and run it as advised in the readme file after the
> TROPMK21..23 files are installed and working properly.
[Pop]
On Mon, 20 Jan 1997, Gerrit Gehnen <gehnen@hni.uni-paderborn.de> wrote:
> The pop some users hear at the end of WAV-Files seems to be a driver
> bug. After installing the new drivers for Win95 (Version 4.00.36)
> everything works fine.
[Printer port]
Symptom:
Distorted sound in playback.
Solution by Erik Saaman <erik@cs.rug.nl> on Mon, 30 Sep 1996:
The printer port on some motherboards uses DMA channel 3; try setting the
Tropez's playback to DMA 1 even if the OS reports no conflict.
[DirectX]
Follow these instructions to get DirectX support for the Tropez...
On Mon, 4 Nov 1996, Kotaro Yamaguchi <kota@bellatlantic.net> wrote:
> First off, install the newest DOS drivers for the Tropez. Proceed to
> make the Tropez boot in Windows Sound System mode using "sndinit".
> The address, DMA, and IRQ settings should be noted. Then boot Win95,
> and install the WSS drivers that came with the Win95 disks.
> Reboot.
> Go to the Control Panel, System Properties, then Device Manager. If
> you have previously installed the Tropez Drivers, remove them. Open
> up the WSS properties and click on the Resources Tab. Change the
> settings so they match the "sndinit" settings.
>
> If all goes well, Win95 will recognize the Tropez as "WSS compatible"
> and the exclamation mark should dissapear.
>
> To get DirectSound, download DirectX 3 from
http://www.microsoft.com/gamesdev/gsdk/directx.zip
> Unzip it using the -d option and install it. To test DirectSound,
> download a Win95 game like HellBender
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/deskapps/games/public/Hellbender/heltrial.exe
> and if you don't notice any delays in the sound effects, it's working!
The WSS DirectX drivers installed through the preceding procedure will mute
the wavetable output. To get around this quirk...
On Mon, 4 Nov 1996, Kotaro Yamaguchi wrote:
> ... delete the WSS from the Device Manager, and reinstall the Tropez
> drivers. The DirectSound Drivers will be kept intact, and MIDI should be
> back to normal. If it's not, then I can't help you. Sorry.
(D) Windows NT (TM)
Reported by Niall Durham <durham@cbi.tamucc.edu> on Wed, 5 Mar 1997:
Crystal Semiconductor distributes its digital audio driver at
http://www.crystal-semi.com/support/audio-d.htm
The file is named "wntr151.zip".
For wavetable music, there is a generic MPU-401 driver available from:
ftp.ccu.edu.tw /pub/winnt/drivers/other/mpu_nt.zip
ftp.monash.edu.au /pub/winnt/drivers/other/mpu_nt.zip
ftp.winsite.com /pub/pc/winnt/drivers/other/mpu_nt.zip
(Thanks to Marko Heiskanen <marko.heiskanen@uku.fi> for the hint,
Sat, 10 Feb 1996)
You must first download the WaveFront firmware code to the Tropez as described
earlier in this chapter in order to use the WaveFront as a MPU-401 device.
(E) Linux
On Fri, 24 May 1996, Sander.Verbruggen <sander@integrity.nl> reported that
starting somewhere near kernel 1.3.60, support had been added for the
WaveFront synthesizer, including uploading firmware to the WaveFront's memory,
and for CS4231A full duplex operation. Check out the "VoxWare" package.
[Options]
Someone gave these instructions on setting up the device drivers:
> Answer 'n' only if you know you will not need the option.
>
> "/dev/dsp and /dev/audio supports (usually required)",
> - Answering 'n' disables /dev/dsp and /dev/audio. Answer 'y'.
> "MIDI interface support",
> - Answering 'n' disables /dev/midi## devices and access to any
> MIDI ports using /dev/sequencer and /dev/music. This option
> also affects any MPU401 and/or General MIDI compatible
> devices.
> "FM synthesizer (YM3812/OPL-3) support",
> - Answer 'y' here.
> "/dev/sequencer support",
> - Answering 'n' disables /dev/sequencer and /dev/music.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(IX) Programming information
(A) Software Development Kit
On Tu. 25 March 1997, TBS reissued me permission to distribute copies of the
SDK for the Maui, Tropez and Rio boards, but now TO QUALIFIED DEVELOPERS ONLY.
If you would like to apply for eligibility to receive a copy of this SDK, please
contact me at my e-mail address listed in chapter XI, with the following
information:
- What programming languages have you had experience in, and for how long.
- What you intend to develop with the SDK.
- Any software products you have released in the past.
All requests will be subject to my approval. Your alternative is to contact
TBS directly and request a copy from them.
The SDK is about 140 pages (therefore there may be a non-profit copying and
shipping fee), but some of its chapters are redundant because you
can obtain the information elsewhere for free. Here is a compacted index of the
SDK book; barring unusual circumstances, you should only need to request the
chapters marked with a 'y':
Send? Chapter
----- -------
Preface (survey of TBS products, available at www.tbeach.com)
Introduction to WaveFront I/O ports
(covered in the "User's Guide" of your sound board)
GateKeeper API (available at ftp.wi.leidenuniv.nl)
How to contact TBS (see chapter X)
Maui I/O interface
(exact copy of a chapter in the "User's Guide" of the Tropez)
Patch and program format (available at ftp.wi.leidenuniv.nl)
y WaveFront bus and OS interface details
y Opti 82C929 manual
Crystal CS4231 manual (See section IX.D on how to get this)
y Yamaha OPL3 manual
(B) Sound Blaster modes
For information on programming the Sound Blaster family of cards, check out:
ftp.eng.ufl.edu /pub/msdos/demos/incoming/SBLAST09.ZIP
Oak.Oakland.Edu /SimTel/msdos/sound/sblast09.zip
x2ftp.oulu.fi /pub/msdos/programming/mxinfo/sblast09.zip
/pub/msdos/programming/gpe/pcgpe10.zip
(C) Windows Sound System mode
No official information is available from Microsoft. You may want to program
for the AIL or DIGPAK driver for WSS; the location of the programming kit is
listed in section VII.B . The alternative is to program the codec chip
directly, but its interface is a superset of WSS.
(D) CS4231A codec chip
You may obtain the manual/data sheet for this chip from any of the following:
Crystal Semiconductor Corporation
P.O. Box 17847
Austin, Texas 78760 USA
Telephone=512 445 7222, Fax=512 445 7581
Norcomp Manufacturers Representative
1267 Oakmead Parkway
Sunnyvale, California 94086 USA
Telephone=408 733 7707
Ref.: Tue, 31 Jan 1995, Andrew Daviel <andrew@andrew.triumf.ca>:
A block diagram and sample source code for this chip is available by FTP from:
andrew.triumf.ca /pub
"Dr. Tak" <dr_tak@geocities.com> is attempting to obtain clean and direct
outputs from the ICS2115 and OPL3 synthesizers by bypassing the CS4231A. For
more information, visit "www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/2151".
(E) Components made by Integrated Circuit Systems
ICS owns TBS, and it provided several components found on the Tropez board. You
can find data sheets and schematics of these components at the URL:
www.icst.com
(As of this writing, the schematics seem to have temporarily disappeared.)
(F) FM synthesizer
On Mon, 10 Jun 1996, KAWASHIMA Takemasa <tax@rock.embl-grenoble.fr> reported:
The maintainer of this web page distributes a FM bank loader and editor:
www.channel1.com/users/jamieo/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(X) Questions that remain unanswered
If you have information about the following and would like to contribute it
to this document, please contact me at my address in chapter XI.
**********
How do you extract manually the applets from the "*.z" archives of the
software diskettes? (They cannot be extracted with the "compress.exe"
utility.)
Steve Frank <sfrank@sun1.anza.com> mentioned that this is a proprietary
compression format, but there must be a way to get into it!
What was the intended use of the file "oswfi.mot"? I do not understand the
description in the User's Guide.
How can we obtain a software development kit for Windows Sound System?
I acknowledge that the line-output voltage of certain CD players is so
high that you cannot feed it into the Tropez without causing some
clipping during recording. I am searching for a convenient solution
(short of inserting resistors).
**********
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(XI) Credits
I want to thank all the parties who contributed information; their contributions
are acknowledged throughout this document. In addition, the following parties
have helped with the maintenance or distribution of this document:
(Names are listed in alphabetical order.)
Rich Heimlich <rich.heimlich@compudata.com>, for information and goodies.
Brandon Higa <bhiga@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu>, for FTP site support, and for
the Maui FAQ file and Maui Software FAQ file.
Eric Hsiao <hsiaoe@rpi.edu>, for GFX News and WWW site support.
Lord Jonin <jonin@netcom.com>, for technical spec's.
Sean McCreary <mccreary@cs.colorado.edu>, for maintaining the TBS Mailing
List.
Daniel R. Tauritz <dtauritz@wi.leidenuniv.nl>, for FTP+WWW site support.
Turtle Beach Systems, for technical information and support.
With the kind collaboration of the mentioned contributors, this document
was written and is maintained by yours truly, Tow Wang. I can be reached
on the InterNet by electronic mail as: towwang@umich.edu
Please note: I am not affiliated with Turtle Beach Systems. I am under no
obligation to provide technical support for the Tropez or any other related
products.
All trademarks mentioned are registered by their respective companies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(XII) Disclaimer and permission to distribute
This document is distributed at no charge to the general public. No guarantee
whatsoever is provided for the accuracy and/or fitness of the information
contained herein with respect to any purpose or task.
Readers may re-distribute this document provided that the following conditions
are met:
1) No fee whatsoever is charged to the recipient(s) in order to receive this
document. This requirement implies (but is not limited to):
-no fee for downloading or copying this particular document.
-no bundling this document with something for sale or lease, including any
medium used to store this document.
2) Recipient(s) must get this entire document without any modifications.
If you are ALREADY distributing this document in compliance with the above two
conditions, you may request to be added to my mailing list and receive future
updates to this document as soon as they become available.
Distribution of this document by other parties (such as commercial
establishments), and waivers to the preceding conditions, require the written
permission of the author.
User Contributions:
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