

	 S O U N D   C L U B   F A Q   (Rev. 25-Mar-95)

	================================================


CONTENTS
--------

Chapter I - Philosophical

Q: SC has a lot of features. However, I think it lacks the
   feature X. Is it present in the full version?
Q: Don't you have plans to introduce this feature X in
   the future?
Q: When would it be available?
Q: Is there anything I can do in order to speed up the
   development process of SC?
Q: Where should I write to if I had any comments on SC?
Q: How can I contact you guys via fidonet?


Chapter II - Technical

Q: What sound cards are the best for this program?
Q: Does SC play MIDI files without an external MIDI synthesizer
   or MIDI sound card?
Q: The maximum playback sampling rate for music modules is about
   42 KHz using my Pro AudioSpectrum card. Can't it go up to
   44.1 KHz?
Q: I would like to use my own samples. What kind of sample
   format does SC use?
Q: Can SC play FM/AdLib and digital instruments simultaneously?


Chapter III - Troubleshooting

Q: I have the demo version of SC and I'm using a Pro
   AudioSpectrum 16 but I cannot use my external MIDI synth with
   the program.
Q: I just got a demo of SC and I love it. However there is an
   annoying tapping or consistent clicking that slows but does
   not go away at HQ mode.
Q: I tried exporting a song to MOD file. The result sounded
   quite ok, but all instruments did not play and the song
   sounded somewhat different.


Chapter IV - Ordering

Q: What is included with the program if I order it?
Q: How fast can I receive the package?
Q: Are the mailing costs already included in the price?
Q: When do we have to pay - after or with ordering?
Q: I'm in Canada. How can I order SC?
Q: I'm living in a very remote place X. Can I order from here or
   do I really have to move all the way to USA, Canada or
   Germany before ordering?
Q: Do you keep your users posted on new developments and newer
   versions and of SC?
Q: Will it be possible for users to obtain newer versions of SC
   free of charge?



PHILOSOPHICAL
-------------

Q: SC has a lot of features. However, I think it lacks the
   feature X. Is it present in the full version?

A: Probably not. SC demo is based on the what-you-see-is-what-
   you-get ideology, so if the feature X is not mentioned in the
   demo version, nor in the readme.txt, nor in the order form,
   it is not present in the full version.


Q: ...but don't you have plans to introduce this feature X in
   the future?

A: Probably we do. In fact, we are currently planning a MS
   Windows version of SC, that, for example, would include the
   following features:
   * Support for arbitrary length 16 bit samples
   * Improved MIDI support
   * Support for more formats, like: .ULT, .S3M, .MTM
   * Improved support for protracker effect commands in MOD's
   * Support for more sound cards


Q: Cool! When can I get my hands on that beast?

A: We can't say anything yet, because the current demo has been
   out there for two months only and we are pretty much
   monitoring the feedback right now.


Q: I see. Is there anything I can do in order to speed up the
   process?

A: Yes, of course, and your help would be appreciated. Here's
   what you can do:
   1.Order SC
     This is the most convincing way to show your support for
     the ideology SC and its future versions carry. You will be
     kept posted on the latest developments of SC and you will
     be offered new versions as they come along.
   2.Send us your contact address
     ...in order to indicate that you are interested in being
     offered the future versions of SC.
   3.Spread the news
     Tell your friends about SC, give them the demo, and discuss
     SC with the people you know.
   4.Let us know what features you think should be implemented
     in the future.


Q: Where should I write to if I had any comments on SC?

A: BlueMoon Software, P.O.Box 3689, EE-0090 Tallinn, Estonia
   Phone:   +372-641-0048
   BBS/Fax: +372-641-0049
   Email:   sclub@dc.goodwin.ee


Q: How can I contact you guys via fidonet?

A: Write to Priit Kasesalu at 2:490/14.



TECHNICAL
---------

Q: What sound cards are the best for this program?

A: SC runs best with a Gravis UltraSound card, since it handles
   the sampling onboard, and achieves high sampling rates even
   on a 286. With other cards, you need a 386+ to achieve high
   sound quality.
   After the UltraSound, there are other 16 bit cards, like
   Pro Audiospectrum 16 and Sound Blaster 16, which sound almost
   as good.
   Then come 8 bit cards like Sound Blaster, Sound Blaster Pro
   and Covox.
   Then comes AdLib card, and the last is, you guessed it, PC
   Speaker.


Q: Does SC play MIDI files without an external MIDI synthesizer
   or MIDI sound card?

A: SC converts MIDI files, like any other files, to its own
   internal format while loading them. After that, SC completely
   forgets what was the source format of the loaded song. Since
   a General MIDI file does not contain samples, SC loads the
   instruments from its own instrument bank instead - in
   accordance to the patch map which is selected for MIDI file
   loading in the SETUP/MIDI FILES window.


Q: The maximum playback sampling rate for music modules is about
   42 KHz using my Pro AudioSpectrum card. Can't it go up to
   44.1 KHz?

A: No. Like most sound cards, so does PAS not not allow
   arbitrary sampling rate values. For example, one can program
   a PAS to use the sampling rate of 42614 Hz or 44192 Hz, but
   nothing in between. SC basically takes the highest allowed
   rate that will still be smaller than the specified upper
   limit (44100 in the case of PAS).


Q: I would like to use my own samples. What kind of sample
   format does SC use?

A: SC stores its instruments in two types of files. Those with
   the extension .SA are compressed 8-bit samples and those with
   the extension .SY are just data for the internal synthesizer
   of SC (press VIEW/INSTRUMENTS/EDIT/SYNTH to see it). However,
   neither of these formats correspond to some widely known file
   format. So you have to store your sample as a 8-bit raw
   sample data file, use the Import Sample feature (press IMPORT
   in the ADD VOICE window), and then set the proper sampling
   rate (press VIEW/INSTRUMENTS/EDIT/SAMPLING).


Q: Can SC play FM/AdLib and digital instruments simultaneously?

A: That's correct. Also please note that SC casts the FM
   instruments into digital form, using its built-in software
   synthesizer, and then plays them without resorting to the
   synthesizer on the sound card. That's why you can even use
   the plain PC Speaker in order to listen to the FM music.



TROUBLESHOOTING
---------------

Q: I'm using a Pro AudioSpectrum 16 but I cannot use my
   external MIDI synth with the program.

A: The problem probably lies in the MPU emulation of PAS16.
   Strangely enough, some users have been able to solve this
   problem by DISABLING the MPU emulation on the MVSOUND.SYS
   command line (in CONFIG.SYS), and then enabling MPU again
   using the PAS util PROAS.EXE (manually, or in AUTOEXEC.BAT).


Q: I just got a demo of SC and I love it. However there is an
   annoying tapping or consistent clicking that slows but does
   not go away at HQ mode.

A: You probably have a Sound Blaster or Sound Blaster Pro card.
   The clicking is caused by the fact that the original Sound
   Blaster does not allow continuous sound output. It treats
   the sound as series of short clips, and it needs to be
   reprogrammed at the start of each clip. Every reprogramming
   event generates a click. This problem is fixed in the full
   version of SC for Sound Blaster 2.0 and Sound Blaster Pro by
   using the Auto-Initialize DMA Mode in order to generate
   click-free sound. There is no cure, however, for Sound
   Blaster 1.0 and Sound Blaster 1.5.


Q: I tried exporting a song to MOD file. The result sounded
   quite ok, but all instruments did not play and the song
   sounded somewhat different.

A: This is probably due to the fact that, in some sense, MOD
   format is more restricted than SN format - so there is no
   simple way to convert SN to MOD. For example, if there are
   more than 4 (or 8 in the case of 8-channel MOD) instruments
   playing simultaneously, SC has to decide what voice(s) to
   omit. In order to compose MOD-s with SC you should make the
   conversion easier for SC by using the following tricks:
   1.Do not use more voices than 4 (8) at a time. You can check
     out the current number of voices in the HQ PLAY window;
   2.Do not use balance slides. Even better: make the song
     monophonic by changing the balance to 0 for all voices;
   3.Resample your instruments to 8363 Hz, which is the standard
     for MOD files, before using them (press VIEW/INSTRUMENTS/
     EDIT/SAMPLING to resample an instrument).
   4.Set the global tempo in the VIEW/SONG OPTIONS window to
     100% and don't use tempo values other than 72, 84, 96, 108,
     126, 150, 186.



ORDERING
--------

Q: What is included with the program if I order it?

A: You will get an illustrated 120-page bound manual, and two
   labeled installation disks. Refer to the order forms for
   the general features of SC you will get for your money.


Q: How fast can I receive the package?

A: If you order directly from BlueMoon Software, you will
   receive it in two or three weeks, depending mainly on how
   fast the postal system works. We use air mail for all orders
   in order to reduce delivery time.
   Times for the U.S. and German distributors of SC should be
   similar.


Q: Are the mailing costs already included in the price?

A: Yes, if not stated otherwise in the appropriate order form.


Q: When do we have to pay - after or with ordering?

A: With ordering, just as stated in order form. Sorry, no COD-s.


Q: I'm in Canada. How can I order SC?

A: You can order from the U.S. distributor.


Q: I'm living in a very remote place X. Can I order from here or
   do I really have to move all the way to USA, Canada or
   Germany before ordering?

A: SC is available everywhere. Use the international order form,
   unless you are from North America or Germany.
   In North America or Germany you should use the appropriate
   U.S. or German forms.


Q: Do you keep your users posted on new developments and newer
   versions and of SC?

A: Of course.


Q: Will it be possible for users to obtain newer versions of SC
   free of charge?

A: We will guarantee that you will be offered new versions as
   they come along. However, we cannot guarantee that they will
   be free of charge.
   Of course, that does not mean that we wouldn't send you free
   bugfixes and free updates if they are simple enough. In fact,
   we have done that once already: after implementing the MOD
   save feature, we sent the newest version of SC to our
   customers - absolutely for free.
