**************************************** * Specs of the Ad Lib Gold 1000 * **************************************** Provided by Sander van Leeuwen FM Synthesizer: --------------------------------------------FM Synthesizer Chip YMF262 Number of FM Voices (stereo or mono) 20 Operator FM Synthesis 2 or 4 Number of FM Waveforms 8 FM DAC 16 bits Dynamic Range 96 dB Sampling: --------------------------------------------------Sampling Chip YMZ263 Sampling DAC 12 bits Dynamic Range 72 dB PCM Data Accepted 16(!), 12 and 8 bits Sampling Record and Playback Channels 2 Sampling Rates (stereo & mono) 44.1 Khz 22.05 Khz 11.025 Khz 7.35 Khz 5.5125 Khz Digitized Sound Data Format PCM & ADPCM Hardware Compression/Decompression 3:1 Simultaneous Use of two DMA Channels Variable Antialiasing Filter Double Oversampling Digital Filters Double Undersampling Digital Filters Mixer --------------------------------------------------On-Board Analog Stereo Mixer 8 entries Accepts CD-Audio (RedBook) Input Volume Control on Each Source 42 dB 128 steps Stereo Output Power Amplifier 1.2 Watt RMS in 8 Ohm Outpuit Volume Range 80 dB 2 dB steps Bass and Treble Range 12 dB Input Impedance 1 KOhm Input Sensitivity 1-100 mV Interfaces --------------------------------------------------MIDI Interface Ports In, Out & Thru Simultaneous MIDI In & Out Joystick Port (accepts Dual Joystick cable) SCSI CD-ROM Interface (optional) 1.5 MB/sec Option Connectors -------------------------------------------------- Connectors for Surround Sound Option * Connectors for PC Speaker Connector for Internal Stereo Aux. Input Connector for SCSI Option ** * Surround Sound Module is already for sale ** SCSI Connector will be for sale within 1-2 months The address of Ad Lib Multimedia in Canada is: Ad Lib Multimedia Inc. 220, Grande-Allee East, Suite 850 Quebec, QC Canada, G1R 2J1 tel: (418)-529-9676 fax:(418)-529-1159 Customer Service:1(800)-463-2686 From: Sander van Leeuwen Subject: Review on the Ad Lib Gold 1000 ************************************************************************ * The Ad Lib Gold 1000 * * (by Sander van Leeuwen) * * (email: sandvl@sci.kun.nl) * * Review Copyright (C) 1992 by Sander van Leeuwen * ************************************************************************ After a long period of problems, Ad Lib, now called Ad Lib Multimedia, is back in business. With the help of a German company, Ad Lib is trying to restore it's position at the top of the soundcard market. With their newest product, the Gold 1000, they have a big chance to accomplish this goal. Although this card isn't SB compatible, it doesn't completely break with the past. Games that support the old Ad Lib Music Synthesizer card still work with it. You can even enhance the sound of these old games with the optional Surround Sound Module. The Ad Lib Gold also complies with Microsoft's Multimedia PC sound adaptor specifications. With the Windows drivers supplied by Ad Lib you can use all available sound programs for Windows 3.1 to enjoy the new features of this sound board. oo The New Features oo The old Ad Lib MSC and most other soundboards (SB and some SB Pro's included) use 2-operator voices with only 4 FM waveforms. This results in less richness in sound quality and fewer available sounds. The new Ad Lib Gold uses 4-operator voices and 8 FM waveforms. All 20 FM stereophonic voices are truly independent and can be positioned left, right or center. This is not all: two digital voices can be combined with the 20 FM voices! This creates music that can be compared to the quality of the music produced by wavetable synthesizers (GUS and LAPC-1). To produce good stereo sound you must have smooth volume transitions. Unlike most soundcards, that have limited volume levels (SBPro, PAS), the Gold offers 128(!) volume adjustments on each sound source. The 12-bit stereo DAC on the Gold must also not be underestimated, because it accepts 8, 12 and 16 bit data. It can generate and record digital sound upto 44.1 Khz in stereo. Unlike most of it's competitors, the Gold doesn't need to be connected to expensive stereo systems to produce clear music. Five digital filters make sure that, even when you plug headphones into the main audio output of this card, the sound is free from annoying hiss and crackle. The Gold also features hardware compression/decompression of 3:1 with all record/playback rates. oo The Software oo The following software comes with the Gold: - Voice Pad: For recording, selecting and playing back voice notes upto 22.05 Khz A new version, that will be out soon, will support sampling rates up to 44.1 Khz in stereo. It can also be used to sample songs (maximum time of 999 sec). - Juke Box Gold: For selecting and playing back the synthesizer files (.rl2) that are included. The example files give a good impression of what this card is capable of. - Soundtrack Synchronization Editor: For timesynchronizing images with sound - Soundtrack Playback Driver: A TSR for running synced soundtracks with presentation software such as Harvard Graphics. - Autodesk Animator Playback Utility: For synchronizing .fli files with sound when using Autodesk Animator - Batch File Sound Utilities: For playing back .rl2 files or recorded samples within batchfiles. - Mixer Panel TSR: For controlling volume, balance and tone. (Windows version now available) - Installation, configuration and test programs: Setup program for selecting Port Adresses, IRQ's and DMA channels, installing and testing. - Windows 3.1 Drivers now available from Ad Lib. oo Software Support oo Software companies will certainly support the Ad Lib Gold, because the difference between the old Ad Lib and the new one is too big to ignore. Before Ad Lib went bankrupt they had already sent prototypes of the Gold and development software to several software companies. That's why Ad Lib could already sent me a list of 2 A4 pages with companies that support the Gold. I'll give you a short list of the major software companies: - Sierra On-Line (all future titles) - Access Software (all future titles) - Electronic Arts (all future titles) - Origin Systems (Strike Commander) - MicroProse (several new titles) - Spectrum Holobyte (several new titles) - Multimedia software companies such as: Howling Dogs Systems, HSC, Mathematica inc. etc. oo Expandability oo Surround Sound Module: Daughter board that snaps right on the Gold. Adds stereo depth simulation and artificial reverb & echo. Works even with older games that support the Ad Lib MSC. SCSI Adapter Kit : Daughter board for users that wish to add interfacing capabilities for a CD-ROM drive. It can drive any standard SCSI device. oo Hardware Requirements oo IBM PC, XT, AT, 386 and 486 compatibles. PS/2 models 25 and 30. Tandy 1000 (except EX/HX). DOS 3.0 or higher, 640 KB, hard disk and graphics adapter. On my old 286 the software works fine, even when sampling at 22.05 Khz in mono. On my new 486SX it's even possible to play digital samples (such as 1 Mb songs) in the background and running WordPerfect 5.1 ( with Desqview), without noticing delays in the song. oo Conclusion oo The German Magazine Chip (7/92) concluded in their test of almost 15 sound boards that the Ad Lib Gold 1000 and the LAPC-1 were best buys (SB, SBPro and Turtle Beach cards were also tested). Even BYTE (May 1992, page 58) tested the Gold. Tom Yager (BYTE's multimedia expert) was quite impressed by the digital audio capabilities and the FM music combined with two channels of digital music. Although I had to wait almost 8 months for this card, it was certainly worth the waiting. This card deserves it's name. Contact Ad Lib for further information: The address of Ad Lib Multimedia in Canada is: Ad Lib Multimedia Inc. 220, Grande-Allee East, Suite 850 Quebec, QC Canada, G1R 2J1 tel: (418)-529-9676 fax:(418)-529-1159 Customer Service:1(800)-463-2686