#AW CD-ROM Follow-up
22 messages in this thread
Attention CD-ROM users! I've got the official go-ahead from the AmigaWorld
editors to work on a successor to my popular article on CD-ROMs that
appeared in the March 1991 issue. This next one is scheduled for the August
1992 cover date.
From the correspondence it generated, it's apparent that I wasn't basic
enough for some people, and not detailed enough for others. For example,
this article will include more step-by-step directions about what you need
to do to add a CD-ROM drive to your Amiga. Also, I'll be more specific
about sources for interesting CD-ROMs, and hope to reveal a few more discs
that most people haven't heard of.
A few developments will make this more interesting. CBM has shown their
CD-ROM drive, but isn't shipping it yet. In the mail today, I just got info
about a new CD-ROM driver that allows access to Mac HFS discs! Gee, yet
another thing the PC can't touch…
So, let's start a thread about the state of Amiga CD-ROM. tell me which
discs you're using, where you got them from, and what you did and didn't
like about the CD-ROM coverage you've seen so far, so we can fix it this
time 'round.
Who's got a CD-ROM driveer that reads MAC HFS discs?
Mark
John,
A local store has a special on a CDROM drive intended to be used with a
Soundblaster (whatever that is). I have been told that it's a SCSI drive,
but the sdalestype at the store says it has a proprietary interface
specific to the Soundblaster. Would like to know what's what before
speculating with that much cash. Any ideas?
-larry
Larry, the Soundblaster (digitized sound, FM synthesis, MIDI port, etc)
card for PC-clones has a PROPRIETARY interface (not SCSI). Made to work
with a particular Chinon brand drive. Drives that work with the ProAudio
Spectrum are, however, SCSI.
– Mike Lehman, author of CD+G for CDTV.
Thanks for the info Mike. I'll save my money until I find one I can be sure
will worki.
-larry
I doubt it's SCSI. I believe most of those bundled cards/ROMs use a
high-speed serial link from the drive, and then blast it in through the
interface card. Unless you see the SCSI connector, unless you know the
brand of CD-ROM, you're risking your cash.
This is one area I plan to cover in my article. I want to explain why
CD-ROMs seem so cheap on the PC, yet much more expensive for the Amiga…
Thanks John,
Mike Lehman agrees, and I think I'll just save the money and wait a bit.
-larry
Larry,
I don't know much about CDROM, but I do know that SoundBlaster is a music
and sound card for the MS-DOS machines. I know that it works with MIDI,
too. You see, I have a daughter who works with bands and orchestras, and
she is looking at the SoundBlaster to do some work she needs to do. And
that is ALL I have learned about it, except that it costs about $200.
Betty
Betty, ma'am… for a bit more, I think, they have the SoundBlaster
Professional out now. Not terribly familiar with it, but from the brief
look I had, it looked very powerful and complete. Maybe that's the version
that works with midi, as I don't recall the stock SoundBlaster working with
Midi (I'm debating about getting it or the Thunderboard… someday <sigh>).
Today must be Wednesday. I never could get the hang of Wednesdays.
Actually, the SoundBlaster has an optional add-on Midi interface, while the
SoundBlaster Pro comes with the Midi interface standard. The Pro is not
that much "better" than the standard SB (IMHO) – it does have a second FM
synthesis chip, so their are twice the sound voices available, and stereo
capabilities. The CD-ROM interface on these cards is non-standard – it's
definitely not a SCSI interface. (I'm getting quite a collection of PC
sound cards sitting around here 🙁 ).
– BobR
Which one do _you_ recommend? Particularly for development work?
Today must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
>Which one do _you_ recommend? Particularly for development work?
That primarily depends on what you're developing and what your marketing
expectations are. If you are developing an entertainment software product
targeted for the "mass market" (what ever that is), you probably need 'em
all. Note that I currently have 4 sound boards sitting
around here, and will be aquiring at least two others within the next
couple of weeks.
If you're developing for a Windows-hosted product and are willing to
require either Windows 3.1 or the Multimedia extensions for 3.0, then you
can (possibly) get away with any board that is "MPC compatible", whatever
that means. Note that I haven't done any work in this area, so my
knowleged is (at best) limited.
For a DOS hosted product, if your budget is extremely limited (whose
isn't?), then you can probably get away with any of them and shoot for the
"lowest common denominator" of the Adlib standard, since that will work
with both of the SoundBlaster boards, the Covox SoundMaster II, as well as
the Adlib board. If you want to push it a bit more, you can use the
SoundBlaster Pro to develop "adlib compatible" drivers as well as a
specific driver for the SB Pro.
As you can see, there's no "easy" answer. BTW, what the heck's this
doing in an Amiga forum? <grin>
– BobR
We're discussing the 'features' of that other OS <grin> Thanks for the
info. I was thinking of going with a Thunderboard for preliminaries. I'd
like to be able to do my audio development on the Amiga, then just convert
the files to a format that the DOS machines can read. I dunno. My brain
hurtz 🙂
Today must be Friday. I never could get the hang of Fridays.
Eet – you are supposed to be using an AMIGA!!
Betty
I am??? <blush> Well, Betty, ma'am… us small furry aliens like to eat
too, I spose. Besides, I'm on my A3000 right now. Frankie Stein is about
1600 miles away. 🙂
Today must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
Betty,
He does. He's sitting about 4 feet from me now. We wouldn't let him
bring his PC when he came out here.
I'm glad to know that you are taking good care of Eet, Vic – and keeping
him away from bad influences and such.
Betty
John,
Why don't you just upload the article and we'll fill in the blanks 🙂
–Paul
Whappin' from the Wine Country
John–
Can you tell us what product allows the use of Mac CDROM's on our favorite
machine? I am about to choose between Xetec's and Canadian Prototype
Replica's products…is it one of them?
Jonathan
– via Whap!
As I said, I've looked at this software and it's still "beta" and
unannounced, so I can't say who they are.
Jonathan,
I've used Mac CDROM's on my Amiga using AmaxII and a Mac driver
supplied by Xetec.
———————————————-Don- via Whap!