Note, MT-32 WAS the best sound of it's day. It does not really compare to modern digital soundtracks you find in games now. Compared to the adlib though, it is fairly obvious which sounds better. The only reason the games don't support both FM synth and MT-32 at the same time is because the developer choose not to do so. It is technically possible for a game soundtrack to use both.

Side note for others: Quest Studios http://www.queststudios.com/ has mp3s of various Sierra games recorded from an MT-32 that you can listen to. Judge for yourself if you think they are the bomb. 😉

Better or not it locks up and thats not good. I'd rather have adlib and be able to play the game correctly. Maybe this is just a dosbox thing?

Hmmm. I'll give it a test on my MT-32. I've not had any problems yet, but I did not play it to that point in the game. I'll get back to you.

Ok, I tested this out on my Larry 1 VGA remake. Mine is setup to use the MT-32 with Sound Blaster from the install program. I checked the version from the in game control panel its ver 2.1 (click the sierra logo).

Nope, did not crash for me. It does not use Adlib for the glub glub sound, it is a Sound Blaster DAC sound effect (like a wave file). I hear the sound effect about 4 times and the game contines just fine, no crash. My copy of Larry 1 is from the Larry's Greatest Hits and Misses collection CD. Can't figure why it is locking up for you, it may be a bug in the version you have, or there is some other issue with your MT-32. I don't think it is a timing issue either as I was running my DOSbox at 16000 cycles.

Could you try something for me? Have you beaten this game before? I would like you read my other thread about my timing issue and see if it happens to you. Maybe this version of the game is messed up...

Yeah I beat it but that was ages ago and not under DOSbox. I remember most of the game without a walkthrough. Sure, I'll see if that "Oops! You did something we didn't think of" error entering the wedding chapel after the disco happens as well.

OK, I see in your other post you have got a new version of the game. Glad that is working for you then. I forget how short of a game Larry 1 actually is. 😁

I haven't tried the mt-32 on it yet....but I dont have to anymore now that Soundblaster w/ adlib sound works properly. 😀 The adlib has a certain charm in sierra games..... 😉

Yeah... right.

Burn AdLib, burn! [Vorbis 2MB]

? Get a question right in the quiz and tell me it sounds good...a blurb of misc sounds 🙄

Better yet, play Quest for Glory 4 and throw rocks to hear drumbeats...

Seriously as good as general midi / mt-32 sounds it can't do adlib sound effects and ends up playing instruments instead. Since all sierra games have adlib sound effects at some point or another it sound really wierd...Try casting spells in qfg4! 😳

Why are you rambling on the sound effects when your original question was (and I quote):

avatar_58 wrote:

I always heard MT-32 was THE soundcard for music

Geeze, start appropriate topics and you might get appropriate answers.

Well whats the point of the mt-32 if it can't work for everything? All the effects that are normally destined for the adlib come put like instruments....in other words it sounds like a marching band collapsing when larry is hijacked in the alley. 😦 Its like that in every other game as well. They really need a feature to send adlib effects TO the the adlib even when mt-32 is selected.

Well most games supported both the MT-32 and the Sound Blaster so you would get digitized sound effects and then MT-32 for music. Only the 16 color Sierra games and older would do MT-32 by itself.

Even then, the MT-32 does do more than just instuments. The default set of timbres has some misc sounds such as a Telephone, Birds, ect. The MT-32 could also have custom patches uploaded to it Via SysEx messages, so sounds could then be almost anything.

The Adlib only uses an FM synth chip. So none of its sounds are even close to sounding real.

In the end though, it comes down to what you as the listener prefer. I'll take my MT-32 over an Adlib any day.

If it does more than instruments then it must not be setup right on my comp.. 😖

In all Sierra games you'll know it is using the MT-32 when on it's LCD you see some message from the game. For example in Space Quest III you'll see the message "Insert Buckazoid" on the LCD when the game first loads.

If you don't see that, make sure the game is set to MT-32 and not General MIDI. There is a difference between thoose modes. If that is right, then make sure in your Windows (assuming you use Windows here) sound control panel is set to the correct MIDI Out device. I use a Edirol USB MIDI adapter so I set my control panel to use that. If you have a Sound Blaster card and conect your MT-32 the joystick port using the special adapter cable, then you should choose "SB MIDI Out" from the list. My best guess is you are hearing the General MIDI set from your sound card, and not the actual MT-32.

Well excuse my ignorance...but I assumed that Dosbox/VDMsound could do mt-32 emulation? If not then why does it sound different between the two modes? Is there a "real" way to get the emulation? 😒

What, then, is the sound canvas in Ultima 8? I can choose between that and roland and they sound MUCH better than adlib/general midi? I'm now royally confused emulation wise....

No, DOSbox 0.63 does not emulate the MT-32. It currently emulates MPU-401, the MIDI interface used by the MT-32. Not the MT-32 itself. If you try to use MT-32 games over the MPU-401 interface in 0.63 you are accessing the Windows General MIDI device. Since the instruments map differently between MT-32 and General MIDI, a MT-32 game will sound like crap.

If you want to try an MT-32 emulator for Windows, take a look at Munt.
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=123616
I've used it under Windows, it works but it is not perfect.

Note: munt does not included the MT-32 roms needed. But, a little Google can go a long way.

Before you go through all the trouble, download a few mp3s recorded off of a real MT-32 from http://www.queststudios.com/quest/Sierra1.html

I've heard those. I will try munt later, hopefully my opinion changes eh? 😊

Question: What file type is the rom? I keep finding text files...but I can't seem to locate the rom (and I know its against rules to post the location)

Wish google would be more helpful