Je vous met ici un extrait d'un FAQ, ici ce sont les diff‚rences majeures question MIDI entre diff‚rentes cartes ... 3. MIDI playback devices ========================= 3.2 MIDI devices ================= 3.2.1 Gravis Ultrasound / Ultrasound Max ========================================= Viet-Tam Luu (vtluu@uwaterloo.ca) ----------------------------------------------------- | Gravis UltraSound (GUS) | | (Advanced Gravis Computer Technologies Ltd.) | |-----------------------------------------------------| | Chipset: Gravis GF1 | | Output channels: 32 @19kHz/ch down to 14 @44kHz/ch | | Output rate/resolution: 44.1 kHz, 16-bit | | Digital input: Stereo, 44.1 kHz 8-bit | | MIDI synth.: wavetable, patches on disk (6 MB), | | 32-note polyphony, GM | | Custom sample upload: Yes. | | On-board memory: 256 kB DRAM, expandable to 1 MB | | Connections: MIDI adaptor, high-speed joystick, | | mic. in, line in, line out, amp. out, | | CD-ROM audio in | | Expansion: Proprietary daughtercard support | |-----------------------------------------------------| | Driver support: MS-DOS/Windows, OS/2, Linux | | Compatibility: Sound Blaster and MT-32 emulation | | Suggested retail price (USD): | ----------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------- | Gravis UltraSound Max (GUS Max) | | (Advanced Gravis Computer Technologies Ltd.) | |-----------------------------------------------------| | Chipset: Gravis GF1, Crystal CODEC | | Output channels: 32 @19kHz/ch down to 14 @44kHz/ch | | 2 @48kHz/ch | | Output rate/resolution: 48 kHz max., 16-bit | | Digital input: Stereo, 48 kHz 16-bit, compression | | supported in hardware | | MIDI synth.: wavetable, patches on disk (6 MB), | | 32-note polyphony, GM | | Custom sample upload: Yes. | | On-board memory: 512 kB DRAM, expandable to 1 MB | | Connections: MIDI adaptor, high-speed joystick, | | mic. in, line in, line out, amp. out, | | CD-ROM audio in, CD-ROM controller | | (Mitsumi, Panasonic, Sony) | | Expansion: Proprietary daughtercard support | |-----------------------------------------------------| | Driver support: MS-DOS/Windows, OS/2, Linux | | Compatibility: Sound Blaster and MT-32 emulation | | Suggested retail price (USD): | ----------------------------------------------------- Viet-Tam Luu (vtluu@uwaterloo.ca) When the GUS was first introduced into the market in 1992, it brought in a term that was virtually unknown in the PC sound card scene: wavetable synthesis. The quality of MIDI playback that it offered, at the time topped virtually every other card. Whether it is the "best" MIDI card today (short of high-end professional cards such as those by Roland or Turtle Beach) now is a matter of much debate. Still, it is the card of choice for many PC users for several reasons: its low price, compared to "rival" cards such as the Sound Blaster AWE-32 or Wave Blaster; its digital output capabilities, making it ideal for games and playing MOD-type files; software support (which has improved greatly, because of the GUS's popularity despite its biggest "drawback", the lack of hardware- level compatibility with the Sound Blaster) compared to other cheap wavetable cards. The GUS's major weakness is in digital sampling. Firstly, it is only 8-bit. Secondly, GUS's have a cut-off filter that filters out most input above a certain frequency which is quite low, as low as 6 kHz in the case of early GUS's. The addition of the 16-bit recording daughtercard does solve the latter problem. This problem has been addressed in the GUS Max, which records with 16-bit resolution, and has a much better frequency response. The GUS Max also features an "digital sound processor," actually the Crystal CODEC which adds hardware audio compression support. The GUS Max also features more RAM included, and an on-board CD-ROM controller. 3.2.2 Turtle Beach Multisound Classic ====================================== Hussam Eassa (eassa@earth.execpc.com) ----------------------------------------------------- | Multisound Classic | | (Turtle Beach Systems) | |-----------------------------------------------------| | Chipset: Proteus 1/XR, Motorola 56001 DSP | | Output channels: 2 @44.1kHz | | Output rate/resolution: 44.1 kHz (max.), 16-bit | | 24 bit internal data path | | Digital input: Stereo, 44.1kHz 16-bit | | MIDI synth.: Wavetable synth., patches in ROM | | copied to onboard RAM, 32-note poly. | | On-board memory: 4 MB ROM + 4 MB RAM, no expansion | | Custom Sample Upload: No. | | Connections: MIDI adaptor, joystick, line in, aux | | in, line out | | Expansion: None | | System req.: 1 port, 1 IRQ and a 32 KB user- | | defined BIOS Address segment. | |-----------------------------------------------------| | Driver support: Windows 3.x (Win '95 rumored) only | | NO support for any other OS / env. | | Compatibility: None. Windows drivers only. | | Suggested retail price (USD): $350 (see note below) | ----------------------------------------------------- Note: Although the TB Multisound Classic is officially discontinued, It is still available in limited quantity directly from TB and large mail order outlets. The TB Multisound Classic was (and still is in many ways) the premier MIDI/digital sampling PC sound card. The Proteus MIDI engine is well regarded by many MIDI enthusiasts and it's digital record/playback performance is second to none even today. It features two banks of 384 MIDI patch sets that are mappable to the 126 GM patch set. All samples are 16-bit uncompressed. The digital audio is unmatched by anything from other vendors. It features ruler flat response (+/- .5dB) from DC to 19kHz. The distortion (<.02%) and noise levels (>86dB) are very low. The Multisound Classic did not have a wide mass appeal due to the high initial price ($1000) and the lack of any type of DOS support. This eventually resulted in TB superceding it with the Multisound Monterey. 3.2.3 Turtle Beach Multisound Monterey ======================================= Hussam Eassa (eassa@earth.execpc.com) ----------------------------------------------------- | Multisound Monterey | | (Turtle Beach Systems) | |-----------------------------------------------------| | Chipset: ICS WaveFront 2115, Motorolla 56001 DSP | | Output channels: 2 @44.1kHz | | Output rate/resolution: 44.1 kHz (max.), 16-bit | | 24 bit Internal data path | | Digital input: Stereo, 44.1kHz 16-bit | | MIDI synth.: WaveTable synth, Patches in ROM | | 32 voice polyphony. | | On-board memory: 4 MB ROM, optional 4MB RAM | | Custom sample upload: Yes. | | Connections: MIDI adaptor, joystick, line in, aux | | in, line out. | | Expansion: None. | | System req.: 1 port, 1 IRQ and a 32 KB user- | | defined BIOS Address segment. | |-----------------------------------------------------| | Driver support: Windows 3.x. | | Compatibility: MPU-401. Windows Drivers. | | Suggested retail price (USD): $250 | ----------------------------------------------------- The TB Monterey is the heir to the Multisound Classic. It inherits exactly the same digital audio processing circuits and hence the same legendary sampling performance. (See Multisound Classic) The MIDI section remains somewhat controversial. The Proteus 1/XR of the MS Classic is replaced with the ICS WaveFront synthesizer. This new engine is capable of adding user-defined amounts of chorus and reverb and is quite sophisticated in that regard. It also allows the upload of samples to onboard expansion RAM although it has been observed by many that the upload speed can be frustrating. This is due to the slow serial link that is used (the Sound Blaster compatible Wave Blaster interface to the RAM). Some Multisound Classic diehards still maintain that the quality of the patches of the ICS does not come up to the level of the Proteus 1/XR patches of the Classic. In spite of this, it is still highly regarded with a strong following. Wider appeal probably will not be forthcoming due to the lack of Sound Blaster compatibility (hardware or software) and the lack of a CD-ROM interface. 3.2.4 Sound Blaster 2.0 ======================== Viet-Tam Luu (vtluu@uwaterloo.ca) ----------------------------------------------------- | Sound Blaster 2.0 (SB) | | (Creative Labs, Inc.) | |-----------------------------------------------------| | Chipset: Creative, Yamaha OPL-2 | | Output channels: 1 @44.1kHz | | Output rate/resolution: 44.1 kHz (max.), 8-bit | | Digital input: Mono, 15 kHz (max.), 8-bit | | MIDI synth.: FM, 11-note polyphony, GM instruments | | On-board memory: None | | Connections: MIDI adaptor, joystick, mic. in, line | | in, amp. out | | Expansion: None | |-----------------------------------------------------| | Driver support: MS-DOS/Windows, OS/2, Linux | | Compatibility: Sound Blaster 2.0 | | Suggested retail price (USD): | ----------------------------------------------------- This was a great card... when it first came out, about ten years ago. It offered what the de facto standard at the time, the AdLib card, didn't: digital input and output. It impressed many people (except Amiga users). The problem is that it's still around and being sold. No-one, but no-one, will argue that this is a good card; still, it's better than the PC speaker, which is why people still buy it. And it's cheap, dirt cheap. And the zillion clones of this card are even cheaper. 3.2.5 Sound Blaster AWE-32 =========================== Hussam Eassa (eassa@earth.execpc.com) ----------------------------------------------------- | Sound Blaster AWE-32 | | (Creative Labs, Inc.) | |-----------------------------------------------------| | Chipset: EMU8000, Yamaha OPL3 | | Output channels: 2 @44.1kHz | | Output rate/resolution: 44.1 kHz, 16-bit | | Digital input: Stereo, 44.1kHz 16-bit | | MIDI synth.: WaveTable synth, Patches in ROM | | and RAM, 32 voice polyphony. | | On-board memory: 1 MB ROM, 512KB RAM | | Memory Expansion: 28 MB RAM | | Custom sample upload: Yes. | | Connections: MIDI adaptor, joystick, line in, line | | out, microphone in. | | CD-ROM Support: Sony CDU-31A/33A, Mitsumi LU005 & | | FX001 Series and Creative CR-523 & | | 563 | | Expansion: Wave Blaster connector. | | System Requirements: 2 ports, 1 IRQ and 2 DMA | |-----------------------------------------------------| | Driver support: Windows 3.x, Win95. | | Compatibility: Sound Blaster-16, Adlib, MPU-401 | | (software driver) (see note). | | Suggested retail price (USD): $270 | ----------------------------------------------------- Note: The AWE-32 is software MPU-401 compatible in DOS as shipped. It can be upgraded to hardware DOS compatibility by addition of any of the available Wave Blaster compatible daughterboards. The AWE-32 is Creative Lab's entry into the mid-tier MIDI market. It appears to have been designed to provide MIDI performance somewhere between the low end FM cards and the High end cards such as the Roland SCC1, RAP-10 and the high-end Turtle Beach Multisound cards. Exactly where it actually falls in that range has fueled many sound card "wars," especially with Gravis fans. This card is really a jack of all trades and is quite capable. It features very good backward compatibility and upgradability. The EMU8000 provides the capability to add chorus and reverb in DOS and Windows. But as with jacks of all trades, it cannot be viewed as a master of any specific area. The MIDI performance is quite good but the use of either more RAM and custom patch banks or a daughter board is really necessary for exceptional performance. Either of these options adds to the cost significantly. The digital audio section is very good but falls short of that of the Turtle Beach products. All in all, this is a good card for good quality, general purpose use with full Sound Blaster compatibility and good upgradeability.