Early AWE32 models have jumpers or an EEPROM to configure the card's resources, these models are easier to install on mainboards with buggy or no ISA PnP support (e.g. 486 or older systems). Other than that, the differences are not really important (minor chipset revisions, different CDROM interfaces).

There are value models without SIMM sockets, stay away from these if you want to upgrade the sample RAM size.

As far as I know, there is no AWE32 model without the infamous "hanging notes bug" in the MPU401 MIDI interface.

The SB32 variant has much cleaner sound due to the newer Vibra chipset, but lacks a real OPL3 FM chip, bass/treble/gain mixer controls and the Waveblaster interface.

Thank you VERY much! That really helps clarify the (minor) differences between the various versions! 😀

Get CT3900 nonPnP revision. Or CT3980 PnP. With these two i didnt notice that bug.

c.imp wrote:

Get CT3900 nonPnP revision. Or CT3980 PnP. With these two i didnt notice that bug.

My CT3900 has the bug. I also have a CT3980 which seems to be OK, but there are reports of this one also be affected.

Where you notice that bug with your CT3900?

c.imp wrote:

Where you notice that bug with your CT3900?

The usual suspects: ID shooters like Doom and Hexen.
On my CT3900 it usually takes a long time until the first hanging notes pop up (about half an hour of playing time), but the bug is definitly there.
I use the card as host for my DB50XG anyway, because the bug only shows up in a few games, and it can be avoided by selecting a card other than SB for the digital effects (e.g.: GUS).
And I don't really have a choice, all the ISA slots in my machines are filled with sound cards 😉

Ah you about that...
I hear him sometimes too in described games after couple hours of playing. I think this not so serious bug not depended on revison of awe32 card or creative DSP version (sb/2.0/pro/16/32/64) and related for all ISA creative cards with mpu-401 interface.
As we know original roland mpu-401 interface specfication restrict IRQ sharing between mpu-401 itself and other devices. Big benefit of AWE32 - it is most featured pc sound card with extremely small number of system resources requirements. And it use only one irq for all features in comparison with other professional and just good cards like GUS that use separate IRQ for midi. And sometimes with parallel pcm streming MIDI interface on card began skip some heavy blocks, i think. Maybe this is payment for that. And of course non-buffered creative mpu-401 interface not good thing too.
Regular sb16 doesnt have emu8000 sythesizer and echo processor. Maybe IRQ on that cards not so overloaded as on awe32 and midi on this old cards less buggy because of that?
And about constant weird midi bug on some revisions - this is another and much bigger midi problem on awe32, wich can be easy detected with hexen map02 midi song.
What do you think?

I hope i can explain my vision of this problem with my ugly english, uh? 🙁