Should I buy an AWE32 or not?

Written by Mathias C. Hjelt
V1.0 - 16 Sep 95


Ever since people started reading these pages, I've received questions like:
..and so on. On this page I've tried to summarize my thoughts regarding this stuff. I hope it can be of some help for all of you who are thinking about getting a new card.

But don't expect me to be an oracle - this problem, should I buy an AWE or not, can never be answered with a simple yes or no just like that. For some people, it's yes, for some, no. For some applications, absolutely yes, for some, definitely no. And in many cases, the answer is "yeo" or "nes" - simply put, "you decide".

These topics and points of view are discussed on this page:

The MIDI musician

As such, the AWE sounds like a rather poor synth. It's noisy, it's unbalanced (in terms of frequency response), and it's built-in General MIDI instruments are ridiculous even when they are drenched in noise. But, this does not stop the creative musician. The sound quality of the AWE can be improved, if not fixed completely, and the built-in sounds can be replaced by high-quality ones. All it takes is a little patience and a little money (for 2, 8 or 32 megs of RAM to store those high-quality samples in, and perhaps also an external DAC for the ultimate sound quality).

The built-in 512kB RAM is of no big help if you want to use lots of custom patches, so be prepared to purchase those SIMMs right away. Also be prepared to download up to hundreds of megs until you find the really cool SBKs (patch files) - the net is stuffed with totally worthless SBKs, but there are some cool ones too. There also some companies that produce commercial SBKs that ought to be pro.

However, no matter how much RAM and professional samples you stuff the AWE with, and no matter whether you're using an external D/A converter or not, it'll never sound like a professional synth or sampler. There are limits in both the software and the hardware which you have to take into consideration if you're looking for a card that will fit into a professional gear setup. For the money you'd spend on an AWE + tons of RAM + external DAC you'd get one heck of a cool real synth or card. However, the best way of finding out how bad these problems are, is to listen to an AWE action - preferrably one loaded with pro patches. Some people aren't disturbed at all by these flaws, while other people immediately classify the AWE as a cheap consumer device unsuitable in pro surroundings. You have to find out your oppinion yourself.

Using Windows-based programs is a must, sort of. As far as I know, no DOS-based sequencers or trackers support the AWE completely, and although the Linux-support is being developed all the time, it seems like all new programs are being written for MS Windows.

What about the QSound 180 degree soundscape, and that stuff? Well, you can have QSound on the EMU music, but then you won't get reverb and chorus which are much more valuable. And that part about realtime compression/decompression - it only works on the wave audio stuff, not on synth music.


The MOD and Tracker man

Tracker-style programs are easy to use (at least easier than regular MIDI sequencers in case you don't have an external MIDI controller to input music with), and rather popular since the files they produce can easily be spread and listened to through just about any soundcard on the market.

These module trackers either mix the music with software and play it through the wave audio channel, or use the Gravis UltraSound for the hard work - in case you've got such a card. As far as I know, there are no trackers around that use the EMU 8000 for playback, so only the SB16-compatible wave audio channel will be used with this kind of programs. So if you only are interested in making mods, and don't care about MIDI music at all, think twice.

Listening to various types of modules through the EMU 8000, with reverb and chorus which makes the sound kick ass, is possible thanks to programs like AWEmod and AWEplay, developed by other AWE users out there (not Creative, that is!).


The harddisk recorder

The AWE isn't the ultimate card for harddisk-based recording and editing of music, because of this:


The game freak

Although many magazines rate the AWE32 as the ultimate choice thanks to its 100% SB-compatiblity, I'm not so sure it's the best thing you can find if you want tough sounds in games.

Since there is no processor on the AWE, its synth isn't MPU-401 MIDI compatible unlike most other new hot cards and daughterboards, and the software emulation (General MIDI, MT32 or GS) doesn't work with protected-mode games. However, most new games seem to have AWE32 MIDI support which allows the MIDI music to be played through the EMU8000 synth without any software emulation, extra drivers, or stuff like that. Unfortunately, no (or close to no) games use the EMU for sound effects and custom samples, so that part will still be handled by the regular SB16-compatible wave audio channel.

For games that for some reason use the OPL3 FM synth for music or sound effects, the AWE hardware provides a nice feature: reverb and chorus. These two effects definitely make FM music sound more interesting, but they can't do wonders - FM is always FM.

What about the ASP/CSP, QSound, and all that? Forget it - no games support the CSP, unless Creative has started writing games lately.


The scene dude

I really don't know that much about the PC demo scene, but it seems like the only card that is accepted on the scene is the GUS, but if you're lucky you'll find demos that have support for earlier SB models like SB16, Pro 2.0 and those. No use of an AWE, though.


The DSP scientist

With its two DSPs (CSP & Effects Engine) the AWE32 may seem to be rather interesting for those who are into realtime processing of sounds, DSP programming, sound analyzing, and stuff like that - but it isn't. The CSP is rather simple and the programming tools are expensive. The Effects Engine is heavily integrated into the EMU synth, and there are no tools for writing custom algorithms at all. The A/D and D/A converters are lousy, making the AWE unusable for serious signal processing, measuring, etc. Further information on these matters can be found on the following pages:


Top 10 advertisement cliches and expressions that must die

You find them everwhere. In mags, ads, manuals, stores, newsgroups, product guides, show windows, TV commercials, on packages, on the net, in your ears, in your eyes, your mind and stomach (well, it hasn't been proved, but I guess that's why they make you feel nauseated).

Whenever you run into any of the expressions listed below, close your eyes, ears and wallet, and run for your life.
Those were the 9 first ones I could think of. And the 10th and last one is a special one, it's the worst marketing trick I've ever seen. It stinks, it's surrounded by mystique, ignorance, money, big business, dreams about a distant future, more money, unexplored experiences, it's something that is going to change your life forever, right away, right here, in your home, in your room, on your desk, in your PC, simply put it's a miracle from outer space. They call it multimedia.