PlanetZ forums - scopeusers.com

Luna II
I am neither satisfied with the support nor with my dealer. (Germany, Bielefeld)
Who can help?
Who got the same/a similar problem?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: grabie on 2001-05-08 16:25 ]</font>

simply change your dealer.

You could also try asking the Problemsolving Forum (you've found it already!) for help by detailing your computer hardware (motherboard, chipset, ram) and seeing if we could help. Also try searching this forum using the search button at the top or <a href=http://planetz.ghostwheel.com/phpBB/search.php>clicking here</a>, to see if your problem/question has already been answered.

Yo Mo and Subhuman,
thanx for your replies.
I already posted a message in this forum:

Luna 2 PC
grabie
2001-04-21 16:37

My simple problem is to find the right hardware to work with 2 Midi ports. (one more than included in Luna II)

Seems like both, the dealer and the support are not competent or/and are not interested in me to be a satisfied customer.
I'm afraid, I am at the point where I would like to give back the card and get my money back! Funny, they do not want to. They rather like to have me as a non-satisfied customer writing these words and questions. (one of them told me on the phone -hotheaded!- he thinks I ask those silly questions to get on his nervs, having fun with this!!!???!!!) Do they fear their customers?


I own a Teratec EWS64xl, which had to leave the system for the Luna to get installed.
My dealer gave me a SB pci 128 to get that 2nd Midi-Port. I tried and tried and he tried at last, but after 4 weeks creamware support wrote a mail: "Take the pci 128 out of the system, it is known that there are problems with this card". (Bad translation!?)
No tips what to do, just these few words!

They did not help me to make my system work with simple 2 midi-ports but they did want to know a lot about my system, searching for the mistake on my side, not on their side.

They even give me the feeling, they do not even want to correspondent with me any more.

Funny, that the card seems to work good
(!!!not perfect: " nil refference or Dispatch == Null on leftside of '.' !!!)

Sad, that they do not seem to care for satisfied cudtomers!
Who made better experiences?

My adress: achsas@gmx.de




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: grabie on 2001-05-09 14:38 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: grabie on 2001-05-09 14:41 ]</font>

Sounds like they were frusterated by someone who hasn't done research on the subject and doesn't know what he needs yet.

I've had very good luck with the <a href=http://www.midiman.com>MidiMan</a> midi interfaces, my friend uses a 4x4 Sportster with his laptop and it works great. I wouldn't suggest a USB midi interface unless you have a motherboard with the i815 chipset, though, so otherwise you'll want to stick with a parallel or serial interface.

Another thing you might try is a Midi Merger. <a href=http://www.google.com/search?q=midi+merger>Search Google</a> to find out more information.

It sounds like the dealer and support tried to help you just fine actually. Perhaps with this new information, you're ready to ask for the proper hardware from your dealer

That error message appears when you make an invalid connection between devices in Pulsar. Virtual Midi Cables only connect to Midi ports on Virtual Devices, and Virtual Audio Cables are only allowed to be connected in certain, meaningful ways. The Luna2 manual (english version here) starting on page 14 of the "Program.pdf" has a great section entitled "Interconnecting Modules" that you might want to look over...

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: subhuman on 2001-05-09 15:09 ]</font>

Yo Subhuman,
I think you misunderstood me:
I knew/know what I want: Build in another soundcard to replace the EWS64 or keep the EWS64 or have a 2nd Midi-port at least.
The dealer didn't even know, I had to take out the EWS, nor that we would have problems with the SB pci 128.

Creamware did not help in those cases nor did the dealer inform himself about the possibilities of the Luna II in conflict with other sound/midi hardware.

In case they didn't react to my complainings instead of always pronouncing that the Luna II is a good working product and they do not want to take it back and i got to clean up my system and so on and so on.

I do not think it is a fine try, when they let me try to configurate my system with a card that is known to make problems.

The dealer said it works, Creamware support told me it causes problems. Funy, they even told me to talk to the SB-manufactor to solve problems with "their" card.

They did not tell me alternative possibilities to work fine with their product. They still just say the product works fine.

I don't think that: "It sounds like the dealer and support tried to help you just fine actually."

I guess I'm not going to work with this dealer again!

Nevertheless I thank you again. You where the first one to realy help in weeks now.

-I'll try that MIDI-merger, though it's a compromise still.

Seems like I should not hold up my rights so high any more?

I better make music instead...!

Greetings from
Grabie.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: grabie on 2001-05-10 04:05 ]</font>

Computers can be frusterating, man. I hear you loud and clear. I don't see any reason why the Luna2 wouldn't work with the SBlive (since I've had an SBlive working along side a PulsarI in the past pretty easily), but there are SO MANY combinations of hardware (and software). That's a mac's main selling point.

I've also watched people with both Korg Oasys and Creamware Pulsar have many problems using "good" hardware (CUSL2), so this happens with higher end cards too. They finally got it working using the Intel brand board with the i815 chipset.

Your dealer isn't a computer guru/troubleshooter, probably. It's possible he's seen the Luna2 work with the soundblaster, even, but on a different setup. Creamware support has to deal with lots of different setups and their main goal is to get your Creamware hardware working, not to troubleshoot other audio cards, or your entire computer (as much as you might like or think you deserve... I <i>do</i> understand your thought process here...)

But, really, the "real" solution is to get a "real" hardware MIDI i/O box like the eMagic MT4 or the MidiMan box. I would make a very specific recommendation, but you haven't listed the brand and type of motherboard you have or the rest of your system.

Hope that helps...

yeah man, get a midi interface. or a midi merger - i got one to sell if you are interested. multi-soundcard setups from different manufacturers can create lotsa probs. sometimes it works, sometimes not.

If ya got the cash, get another Luna II, then you will have 2 MIDI ports, and the cards are sure to work together. off the old cards to offset the cost. . .

Yes you are right.

It is not such a BIG problem. Still there could have been more help in troubleshouting from those people.

My actual system is:
Abit Bx6 Rev2 with Celereon 400Mhz CPU,
IBM 20GB, Matrox 60GB Harddisks,
HP CD-writer, Teac CD-player,
512MB RAM, Matrox G450,
Luna II, EWS64xl (not installed),
Diamond Modem on COM 1,
HP-Printer 815C, Canon Scanner FB636u both on USB.

My plan is to change to Asus CUSL 2-C and PIII 1Ghz.

Either a SB-Life or an USB-Midi-Interface (Midiman 1x or 2x) could be the MIDI-solution for me. Any more/better ideas?

Does anyone have hints and tips for my system-configuration with the hardware named above?

(!thanx to subhuman and anonymous again!)

Greetings from
grabie.

i would try and shy you away from a USB midi interface. i would recommend a parallel/serial one instead. they are readily available on ebay and work better with pulsar cuz o pci issues.
rest looks good. cusl2 is tried n true

I would suggest the MidiMan USB interface, but ONLY if you end up with the CUSL2. The CUSL2's USB ports (the 2 on the back of the board) don't travel through the PCI bus (just as the harddisks don't), so you should have no issues with USB stealing any PCI bandwidth from your machine. The MidiSport 4x4 would be a good investment, giving you a little extra room to expand, and a simple connection with no wallwarts.

I would not suggest the MidiSport on a motherboard where the USB shares the PCI bus, like on your current BX board. Also, the additional add-on USB ports for the CUSL2 <i>do</i> travel through the PCI bus, so only use the onboard ones.

Another option, is to sell the Terratec and get another LunaII or a used PulsarI, which would give you 2 Midi ins and outs, plus more DSP and Analog+Digital I/O...

Check out the products I mentioned and tell me what you think...

be careful with what you recommend

also with the cusl-2 there are certain issues with usb/pci.

that usb (and ide) is separated from pci doesn´t eliminate this, it has to do with busmastering and the therefore needed memory bandwidth - so i´m told by rainer hain, an author of the german KEYBOARDS magazine, who tested pulsar/scope during months in several systems.

mfg,
Mo

p.s. imho the perfect board for pulsar isn´t even built yet.

Hello again,

I am waiting for that new Mo-Bo. Still I did not find decision:

No tips for a 2nd soundcard instead of a midi interface?

Still, I am waiting for answers from the
(s)creamware-support. That is why I do not even think about buying a 2nd card from those people!!! May be I will like the product some day. I do not like the support.

Also, there is no connection-cable for the 2nd Luna or Pulsar or Scope or Electra... They did not put one into the box. So I should not expect one in the next one. Another point of bad service, as I would say. (Isn't it mentioned to be there in the manual-pages?)

As long as there is no change of behavior at Creamware or/and that "Bits&Bytes" dealer in Bielefeld/Germany, I do not want to work with them again.
The last bad experience is too much. Still the situation is not clear.
They are up to talk to me. They do not.
It would be a mistake, to ask them to sell me something now! Wouldn't it?

Greetings and thanx so far
from grabie.




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: grabie on 2001-05-14 18:25 ]</font>

Hey Grabie,

You have to request the STDM cable from Creamware. You might have to pay $15 or something for them; there is a shortage right now.

Alternatively, you could <a href=http://planetz.ghostwheel.com/phpBB/vie ... m=3&1>make one</a>, it doesn't sound so hard, and I should honestly try it myself here, a rainbow colored one would be cool

As for a second sound card, I would suggest, as I have previously, another Luna II. Then, you get more I/O, more DSP power, and your MIDI port. You will need an STDM cable, but that's not too difficult to get, and if you have problems obtaining one, then Private Message me here, and I will see what I can do.

Honestly, you're looking for issues and trouble if you are trying to mix two different brands of audio cards. If you're going to do that, then <i>the most stable motherboard to get</i> is the Intel D815EEAL. You can't overclock or tweak it much, but it's the only 815 board that I know of that can run both the Korg Oasys and Creamware Pulsar in the same system.

Mo, I am careful with what I recommend. I have used the MidiSport 4x4 USB before and it was easy to setup, and less than $150. It even has Windows 2000 drivers But, no product is perfect and every setup is different, which is why I was very specific about where it works best.

I use a USB keyboard and USB mouse on my CUSL2.

Finally, Grabie, why do you complain so much about support from your dealer, support from creamware? I've always dealt on a professional level (1. asking precise questions, 2. complete with very detailed setups, 3. after testing a variety of options first and 4. reading the manual), and have always received support within 48 hours.

Perhaps it's because you are missing one of the 4 items in my list above. I am sure all Support Centers are bombarded with cries of help from users (especially with a product as complex and that gives you as much as a Creamware DSP card), and they must answer as many different questions, sifting through emails which they can't answer (like "WHY DOESNT MY SOUNDBLASTER WORK WITH MY PULSAR") etc.

Honestly I've found it difficult trying to get you the information you need.

Finaly?

It took 2 months untill I got the support, I desired from Creamware. Still I don't feel shure about the whole situation...

This happened although I did my best to help them helping me!

I (think I) did take care about those 4 items you mentioned, Subhuman.

The dealer still does not show interest to sell a working system, which could work for me.
Seems like he finds enough customers, who are satisfied or do not complain...

My problem is to buy and get a working music-computer. I do not have to build neither sell nor test-configurate it myself. This is the dealers/sellers/manufacturers problem.

I guess I am going to check the market and see who can satisfy my desires the best way.

People who mention their problems in priority to mine, alhough I pay money to get my problems solved, look suspicious in my eyes.

It is funny for example, Creamware does not suggest to take a 2nd Luna in their answering-support mail, I received today.

I wonder what they think about me/their product. This is not a good selling/buying argument, is it?!
All the communication took/takes place in a very agressive and unfriendly way. I had to get loud and they try to defend themselves (see your last statement, subhuman) and start slow to find solutions.


Subhuman, I guess I know what you mean, though.

I like, that you care!

Greetings from grabie.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: grabie on 2001-05-15 15:21 ]</font>

I hope you find the "plug it in and it works" solution you're looking for. Have you considered a Macintosh and something straightforward like the MOTU2408?

I have a rock solid system, but I did do a lot of tests and fiddling to get it just right. At least you have people who have already done it around to help

I wish you the best of luck in whatever road you chose to follow.

I just sent a Mail to CW.

I'm looking forward to what they are going to say about a 2nd Luna.

Seems like I'm a scientist/explorer ("Forscher" -n german), too...

grabie,

In all my experiences with Pulsar, the most rock solid setup is using the ASUS CUSL2 motherboard, a minimum of 256megs of ram, a fast 7200RPM hard disk, and as few other cards besides maybe network and AGP Video as possible. My system has a AGP graphics and 3Com Network, and my 2 Creamware cards, and that's it.

Think simple, stream-lined, and don't install many programs. Also, there are a bunch of optimizations you need to make so that Windows doesn't mess with your audio. I'll post them up here at some point.

Okay I have a beta version of my <a href=http://planetz.ghostwheel.com/phpBB/vie ... rum=3&0>PC optimization document</a> up now...