wrote:Have you checked if the bug depends on the ISA clock speed?
Yes. The bug is independent from ISA bus speed/recovery times, CPU/FSB speed, cache settings, or any other hardware-related thing I can imagine.
The only thing that seems to matter is the DSP version.
wrote:I just wish someone would put the pinouts of the damn AWE64 RAM header! I want to solder a 16MB 72-pin SIMM to my AWE64, damn it!
I've sent off for one. Should get it soon!
If you can trace the pinouts of the SIMM slot back to the AWE64's RAM header, I'd really appreciate it. I've got a 16MB SIMM that's just waiting to be used somewhere, but I don't want to buy the SIMMConn. I'm a cheap *******, so I'd rather use as many DIY solutions as possible.
Creator of The Many Sounds of:, a collection of various DOS games played using different sound cards.
There are additional electronics on the simmconn, as well as configuration jumpers. I don't think it's as easy as to connect pin with pin.
wrote:There are additional electronics on the simmconn, as well as configuration jumpers. I don't think it's as easy as to connect pin with pin.
It's possible that those may be to allow it to accommodate a wider variety of RAM sticks?
As long as the additional electronics aren't too complicated and the parts are easy to get, I'm fine with that.
Creator of The Many Sounds of:, a collection of various DOS games played using different sound cards.
I take it Creative's memory modules are rare and very expensive?
Added a new sound from my SoundBlaster Vibra16 model CT2260. Go to the first post to have a listen to the sound card.
Got two Vibra16S CT2860 cards. A little bit disappointed. The SB Pro 2.0 still sounds better. The CT2860 is noisy and there are two clicks right at the start of the song.
http://www.mediafire.com/?czdrzqbd97a6xh1
Recording of 2nd card. No clicks this time, but just as noisy...
Sounds like the majority of my Genesis Model 2s with Sega's nasty audio amp. Those have a similar hiss in the background, but it's much worse on those Genesis Model 2s than on your two SoundBlaster Vibra16S CT2860s. To think I was about to get a SoundBlaster Vibra16S model CT2800. My SoundBlaster Vibra16 model CT2260 has a hint of hissing, but nowhere near as noticeable as the Vibra16S model CT2860. It's a good thing I went for a SoundBlaster Pro 2.0 rather than that SoundBlaster Vibra16S model CT2800(a friend was going to purchase either card for me as payment for some repairs on two of his broken consoles).
Creator of The Many Sounds of:, a collection of various DOS games played using different sound cards.
I'm surprised you guys don't mod the amps on your cards.
wrote:I'm surprised you guys don't mod the amps on your cards.
They all use TEA20205B Stereo AMP (SB 1.5, Pro 2.0, SB 16, AWE64 apart from GOLD). But the quality across cards still varies.
My particular CT model might just be a poor implementation. DonutKings Vibra16S sounds better and pretty much like my SB Pro 2.0
wrote:To think I was about to get a SoundBlaster Vibra16S model CT2800. My SoundBlaster Vibra16 model CT2260 has a hint of hissing, but nowhere near as noticeable as the Vibra16S model CT2860. It's a good thing I went for a SoundBlaster Pro 2.0 rather than that SoundBlaster Vibra16S model CT2800(a friend was going to purchase either card for me as payment for some repairs on two of his broken consoles).
DonutKing just received his CT2800 so should be interesting. But his other Vibra16S card sounds great! Not sure what the model is though.
Yeah I'm quite happy with the CT2800, don't really any noticable hissing. I sometimes get quantization noise I think its called? Some sort of low interference sound especially when there is disk activity. But I get that with the CT1690 SB Pro as well. So I'm not sure thats to do with the sound card or not.
If you are squeamish, don't prod the beach rubble.
Well I've managed to make some recordings of both Monkey Island 2 and Halloween Harry/Alien Carnage.
I have recorded 2 cards, a CT2800 (Vibra 16S) and a CT2740 (non-PNP, with the original 3-chip Creative chipset). The CT2740 doesn't have a line out so I had to use the speaker out. I couldn't get it to quite the same volume as the CT2800 unfortunately.
With Halloween Harry, the recording includes the apogee fanfare, the intro and the title screen. If you want to skip to the title screen its about the 2:40 mark on both cards. The noise/crackling on the CT2740 is quite evident at this point.
I also have a CT1690 SB Pro which I will try to record sometime this week for comparative purposes. Also have a few other cards like a CT2900, CT2960 etc which I'll try as well if I get time.
To be honest I can't really hear the noise you refer to on the CT2860 recordings; but then my hearing isn't 100% (listened to too much heavy metal when I was a teenager \m/ - also all the tractors, mowers and motorbikes probably didn't help either 🤣 )
You have this "hearing the computer thinking" noise. It's on both cards, though the 2740 is worse. So I guess that's just the machine you are using for testing.
Creative Cards aren't shielded very well they be noisy depending on what machine you use...
The hiss sounds very similar to mine. Interesting...
Well looks like we will hang on to our SB Pro cards for a little bit longer 🤣
Yes I've noticed that thinking noise too. I even get it in my 386 with an SB pro.
This particular system was just a 486 DX2/66 motherboard run outside a case on a static bag. Perhaps the lack of metal to absorb interference increases this thinking noise effect?
So overall do you think the CT2800 is comparable to your CT2860?
Can you point me to a recording for MI2 That you consider clean?
If you are squeamish, don't prod the beach rubble.
From the cards I have, the cleanest is easily the Soundblaster Pro 2.0!
Around 4:00m is a short bit of silence where you can usually hear noise. I record the intro, the campfire scene and finally the Part I tune...
Recording attached!
If your BIOS has a Spread Spectrum setting (probably not on a 486 but you never know) then that might reduce system noise at the possible expense of stability.
I think some of it must be to do with the case, motherboard and power supply - when I bought my GUS Max, all the way back in the 90's, it was very, very good in terms of noise; much better than the SB 2.0 (and the subsequent SB16 it was replaced with) - but since being resurrected in a modern motherboard with other different bits and bobs it actually picks up quite a bit of noise and interference.
My collection database and technical wiki:
https://www.target-earth.net
I found this on youtube, and thought it was quite good -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4uZLIacmNc (It's titled "Sound Blaster Pro MIDI music")
I think the first reggae track is the best, and features a nice clean bass sound. I wonder what CT model number this person is using?
