Instead, to use QS300.bin, you must go to Options -> XG synth, and enable "QS300 (requires DB50XG)":
you can then open the three QS300-related windows from View.
File -> Open can only be applied to setups of the XG.
When you exit the program, it automatically saves the current settings to Current.bin, but you can also save (and then open) your own.
Of course it's very confusing that QS300.bin has the same extension.
If I have time I'll release a new version of XG Manager pretty soon in which either QS300.bin or the XG setup files are renamed.
My DB50XG is on an ancient Roland MPU-AT ISA card.
Both were given to me by a friend about 15 years ago, but for several years I didn't do anything with the DB50XG.
Then, mostly out of curiosity, I wrote XG Manager, including the support for the QS300 section of the DB50XG.
I thought that the XG sounds themselves were just "OK", but that the XG effects were very good indeed.
I found the QS300 sounds "interesting". (I have no idea how they would strike me now though...!)
However, by that time new motherboards no longer contained ISA slots, and my limited research didn't find any PCI cards that supported daughterboards, so I was forced to keep at least one machine with an ISA slot for the MPU-AT + DB50XG.
A few years ago I decided I'd had enough of all my ISA stuff, so I dismantled three of my four ISA PCs and threw all parts in a couple of garbage sacks, including the MPU-AT and the DB50XG.
However, a few hours later I changed my mind and fished out the MPU-AT and DB50XG (luckily they hadn't been damaged), and I kept my only remaining ISA PC. It's all still working...
Still, I've felt a bit of a dinosaur, still offering XG Manager, in particular with its support for the DB50XG's QS300 section.
Who on earth could still have an ISA machine with a DB50XG card?
So I was very surprised to hear that you indeed still have a DB50XG, and doubly so that it's on a PCI card!
I've now found your Terratec card's specs on the internet:
I can indeed see the daughterboard socket on the photo, but I can't find any reference to it in the Technical Details section, so it's not as if Terratic were actively advertising the daughterboard socket even back in 2002...
Do you know if there were/are any other PCI cards with daughterboard sockets?
I doubt if I would be willing to spend money on such a card (second-hand or even new), but in any case it's good to know that such cards did/do exist.
Talking about dinosaurs, I still have a P3 / 500Mhz running win95 with a Soundblaster 16 ASP and a Waveblaster 1. I also have that Roland MPU card in use as 2nd midi port. Of course with the ancient software. Midisoft Session, Voyetra Digital Orchestrator and Cool Edit. Those where times. :-)
I have been able to find Miroslav Vacura's SWEDIT program without resorting to web.archive.org, and have put it into the Files section of https:/groups.io/g/QS300 .
I'm very familiar with the MIDI-OX site, so I'm not sure why I'd never noticed XGC.
Or maybe I once did, but have forgotten I did. I'm getting old...
Yes, I've noticed too that the Sounds links don't work any more.
They might indeed be interesting, so I'd be grateful if you could make them available one way or another.
Hi Mark, hope you don't mind me digging up an old thread.
I didn't realise that your XG Manager had support for QS300 (4-part) voices until I came across this thread. In partial answer to your question " Who on earth could still have an ISA machine with a DB50XG card? " - well, that's not the only way to access the QS300 sounds. I have an equally ancient Yamaha MU10 module, which is basically the only stand-alone version of the DB-50XG they made. It's about the size of an old video cassette and has nothing but volume sliders, MIDI in/out and audio in/out. The earlier (MU5) and later (MU50 etc) modules didn't have this (QS300) voicing option.
So, at some point, I will try your software with the MU10 and report back. My recollection of it was that it was surprisingly noisy, but I often wondered if that was due to poor gain settings in the XG synth or output settings - so your software may allow me to play with those and see if it can be improved. Given the many other synths I have acquired since the MU10, it will never be the jewel of the studio, but it is always nice to know there is still a way to get the most out of any bit of kit.
So, thank you for XG Manager being still available and, as long as you are minded to do so, that's great. The world is a big place with lots of individuals with niche interests, but the internet does at least allow them to 'get together' to enjoy their particular thing - e.g. QS300 mode within XG!
Interesting: I never knew that there was a stand-alone version of the DB-50XG (including QS300 support).
Then again: my ignorance isn't very surprising, given the fact that I only became involved with the DB-50XG perhaps 10 years after its heyday.
My recollection of it was that it was surprisingly noisy, but I often wondered if that was due to poor gain settings in the XG synth or output settings
All I can say is that I can't remember ever noticing any noise problems with my DB-50XG.
This might suggest that any noise problems you had were in the analog part of the audio chain after the MU10.
Alternatively, there may indeed have been some "clumsy" gain settings in the MU10 itself.
I still have the ISA machine containing my DB-50XG, and as far as I know everything is still working.
So XG Manager is still in "mainstream support", to use a Microsoft term.
So if you encounter any problems, just let me know and I'll see what I can do.
Stopped by to report my DB50XG history as you guys seem to have somewhat similar situation that I was when always looking for waveblaster connectors back in the days :)
Got DB50XG in 1997 and put it to SB16 ISA sound card -> DB50XG really was noisy and the reason was the awful Sound Blaster
Upgraded to Aureal Vortex 2 in maybe 1999/2000 -> Somewhat better quality
Upgraded to Terratec Aureon Sky because Aureal never released working drivers for Win XP -> Much better quality
Upgraded to some Soundblaster Game-X card and the DB50XG went to shelf for over 15 years... there simply was no card containing the waveblaster connectors for modern motherboards (pci-e bus)
BUT from 2020 onwards my DB50XG is back on its duty and with great sound quality :) the magic is this Chill board: CHiLL V - Serdashop ordered as a kit and the soldering is easy to do but fully soldered version would of course be extremely easy. Remember to get the housing box CHiLLBOX XL Enclosure - Serdashop too :)
With Chill the DB50XG audio quality is extremely good, no background hissing/distortion and the card is now a real standalone synth.
And after this I found XG Manager and I must give very big thanks to Mark, it was then the first time ever after some 23 years of ownership my card finally outputted its great QS300 sounds!
QS300.bin should not be opened via File -> Open.
Instead, to use QS300.bin, you must go to Options -> XG synth, and enable "QS300 (requires DB50XG)":
you can then open the three QS300-related windows from View.
File -> Open can only be applied to setups of the XG.
When you exit the program, it automatically saves the current settings to Current.bin, but you can also save (and then open) your own.
Of course it's very confusing that QS300.bin has the same extension.
If I have time I'll release a new version of XG Manager pretty soon in which either QS300.bin or the XG setup files are renamed.
Hope this helps,
Mark
Hi,
Thanks for the quick response and the even faster update.
Now I only need time to play around.
P.S.: Ik spreek ook nederlands. (België)
My DB50XG is on an ancient Roland MPU-AT ISA card.
Both were given to me by a friend about 15 years ago, but for several years I didn't do anything with the DB50XG.
Then, mostly out of curiosity, I wrote XG Manager, including the support for the QS300 section of the DB50XG.
I thought that the XG sounds themselves were just "OK", but that the XG effects were very good indeed.
I found the QS300 sounds "interesting". (I have no idea how they would strike me now though...!)
However, by that time new motherboards no longer contained ISA slots, and my limited research didn't find any PCI cards that supported daughterboards, so I was forced to keep at least one machine with an ISA slot for the MPU-AT + DB50XG.
A few years ago I decided I'd had enough of all my ISA stuff, so I dismantled three of my four ISA PCs and threw all parts in a couple of garbage sacks, including the MPU-AT and the DB50XG.
However, a few hours later I changed my mind and fished out the MPU-AT and DB50XG (luckily they hadn't been damaged), and I kept my only remaining ISA PC. It's all still working...
Still, I've felt a bit of a dinosaur, still offering XG Manager, in particular with its support for the DB50XG's QS300 section.
Who on earth could still have an ISA machine with a DB50XG card?
So I was very surprised to hear that you indeed still have a DB50XG, and doubly so that it's on a PCI card!
I've now found your Terratec card's specs on the internet:
I can indeed see the daughterboard socket on the photo, but I can't find any reference to it in the Technical Details section, so it's not as if Terratic were actively advertising the daughterboard socket even back in 2002...
Do you know if there were/are any other PCI cards with daughterboard sockets?
I doubt if I would be willing to spend money on such a card (second-hand or even new), but in any case it's good to know that such cards did/do exist.
Vriendelijke groeten,
Mark.
Hi,
Here is some more info on soundcards that have a waveblaster connector.
https://vsr.informatik.tu-chemnitz.de/twiki/bin/view/Sonstiges/WaveTable...
Talking about dinosaurs, I still have a P3 / 500Mhz running win95 with a Soundblaster 16 ASP and a Waveblaster 1. I also have that Roland MPU card in use as 2nd midi port. Of course with the ancient software. Midisoft Session, Voyetra Digital Orchestrator and Cool Edit. Those where times. :-)
Thanks very much for the link; it's very helpful!
"WaveBlaster connector"; ah yes, I suddenly remember that's what it was called...
Those were the days indeed!
I never suspected there were so many cards (both ISA and PCI) that had these connectors, nor that there were so many daughterboards.
However, the tag "Currently the best buy! (2005-01-02)" doesn't exactly inspire confidence that any of these cards are readily available these days...
But at least I know now what to look for if and when I want to move my DB-50XG to a PCI card.
Thanks!
Mark.
Here is an older editor and some info for the DB50XG.
http://web.archive.org/web/20041211230325/http://www1.cuni.cz/~vacuram/S...
The links for the Sounds are dead, if you need some I can upload them.
I have been able to find Miroslav Vacura's SWEDIT program without resorting to web.archive.org, and have put it into the Files section of https:/groups.io/g/QS300 .
... and here, look for XGC.
http://www.midiox.com/
Thanks for those links!
I'm very familiar with the MIDI-OX site, so I'm not sure why I'd never noticed XGC.
Or maybe I once did, but have forgotten I did. I'm getting old...
Yes, I've noticed too that the Sounds links don't work any more.
They might indeed be interesting, so I'd be grateful if you could make them available one way or another.
Mark
Hi Mark, hope you don't mind me digging up an old thread.
I didn't realise that your XG Manager had support for QS300 (4-part) voices until I came across this thread. In partial answer to your question " Who on earth could still have an ISA machine with a DB50XG card? " - well, that's not the only way to access the QS300 sounds. I have an equally ancient Yamaha MU10 module, which is basically the only stand-alone version of the DB-50XG they made. It's about the size of an old video cassette and has nothing but volume sliders, MIDI in/out and audio in/out. The earlier (MU5) and later (MU50 etc) modules didn't have this (QS300) voicing option.
So, at some point, I will try your software with the MU10 and report back. My recollection of it was that it was surprisingly noisy, but I often wondered if that was due to poor gain settings in the XG synth or output settings - so your software may allow me to play with those and see if it can be improved. Given the many other synths I have acquired since the MU10, it will never be the jewel of the studio, but it is always nice to know there is still a way to get the most out of any bit of kit.
So, thank you for XG Manager being still available and, as long as you are minded to do so, that's great. The world is a big place with lots of individuals with niche interests, but the internet does at least allow them to 'get together' to enjoy their particular thing - e.g. QS300 mode within XG!
Cheers
Bill
Interesting: I never knew that there was a stand-alone version of the DB-50XG (including QS300 support).
Then again: my ignorance isn't very surprising, given the fact that I only became involved with the DB-50XG perhaps 10 years after its heyday.
All I can say is that I can't remember ever noticing any noise problems with my DB-50XG.
This might suggest that any noise problems you had were in the analog part of the audio chain after the MU10.
Alternatively, there may indeed have been some "clumsy" gain settings in the MU10 itself.
I still have the ISA machine containing my DB-50XG, and as far as I know everything is still working.
So XG Manager is still in "mainstream support", to use a Microsoft term.
So if you encounter any problems, just let me know and I'll see what I can do.
Mark.
I have an sw1000-xg & Kenton plugstation (with VL, DX, AN and PF cards) - all running through my old Intel Q9550-based Win 10 DAW !
This machine is dual boot (32 bit for sw100 & 64 bit OS's).
Hello
Stopped by to report my DB50XG history as you guys seem to have somewhat similar situation that I was when always looking for waveblaster connectors back in the days :)
Got DB50XG in 1997 and put it to SB16 ISA sound card -> DB50XG really was noisy and the reason was the awful Sound Blaster
Upgraded to Aureal Vortex 2 in maybe 1999/2000 -> Somewhat better quality
Upgraded to Terratec Aureon Sky because Aureal never released working drivers for Win XP -> Much better quality
Upgraded to some Soundblaster Game-X card and the DB50XG went to shelf for over 15 years... there simply was no card containing the waveblaster connectors for modern motherboards (pci-e bus)
BUT from 2020 onwards my DB50XG is back on its duty and with great sound quality :) the magic is this Chill board: CHiLL V - Serdashop ordered as a kit and the soldering is easy to do but fully soldered version would of course be extremely easy. Remember to get the housing box CHiLLBOX XL Enclosure - Serdashop too :)
With Chill the DB50XG audio quality is extremely good, no background hissing/distortion and the card is now a real standalone synth.
And after this I found XG Manager and I must give very big thanks to Mark, it was then the first time ever after some 23 years of ownership my card finally outputted its great QS300 sounds!