SB 16 + AWE64 GOLD FTW

The AWE64 GOLD can have pretty much all the resources disabled, but the one you need...

Interesting point that SquallStrife mentioned, about both cards trying to access port 388 for the OPL3. If the AWE64 can have this resource disabled, it would seem like a good choice for one of the two cards. Unfortunately, I can't remember if the ESS AudioDrive's "init" program can disable this 388 port resource.

AWE64 can even change 388 to something else!

Usually 388 isn't an issue, as some of us have found out, both cards will play the FM music. Shared IRQs and DMAs are more of a concern.

But yea, FM/388 can be disabled on the AWE64 GOLD!

I see. If that's the case, then shared IRQs and DMAs can be avoided, by experimenting with different models of SB and clones. BTW, some old games only route their FM to 388. I'm sure you know that! 😉 😀

Oh yea. If you change the FM port, a lot of games will me mute 🤣

A few SETUP.EXE do have an option though...

Question... is it possible on the ESS cards to disable the onboard wavetable header, or at least change its volume using a software mixer?

Reason is that I'm trying to figure out how to connect an SC55 and XR385 wavetable daughterboard to my machine. If I connect them both to the same sound card they both play at once. I can always turn off the SC55 but can't do the same for the internal wavetable DB.

CWDMIX.EXE should take care of that...

I have found these attached ESS DOS utils useful. Notice there's an "older" sub folder, for older ESS cards. You can run a DOS util called essvol.exe, and I think you can select the volume level for the DB header. Also, it may be possible to disable the DB header using another util included in this zip file, but I can't remember. Either way, you should be OK with either essvol.exe or esscfg.exe

Thanks, that might come in useful. Anyone looking for a full size ESS1868 card to fit a WB daughterboard, try finding a Terratec Gold 16/96.

I dug through my box-o-bits and found an ESS AudioDrive 1869F.
Unfortunately the wavetable header is sort of in the middle of the card, and the card is about an inch shorter than my CT2800.
So basically the daughterboard just hangs there (theres nowhere for its plastic supports to plug into) and it extends below and past the end of the card. It actually extends so far down that the sound card won't fit all the way in the ISA slot.

I suspect that this connector was only added as an afterthought. Were there any daughterboards that were small enough to fit cards like this?

DonutKing wrote:

Were there any daughterboards that were small enough to fit cards like this?

Yes. AFAIK, they were "budget" 1 meg things.

DonutKing wrote:

I dug through my box-o-bits and found an ESS AudioDrive 1869F. Unfortunately the wavetable header is sort of in the middle of th […]
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I dug through my box-o-bits and found an ESS AudioDrive 1869F.
Unfortunately the wavetable header is sort of in the middle of the card, and the card is about an inch shorter than my CT2800.
So basically the daughterboard just hangs there (theres nowhere for its plastic supports to plug into) and it extends below and past the end of the card. It actually extends so far down that the sound card won't fit all the way in the ISA slot.

I suspect that this connector was only added as an afterthought. Were there any daughterboards that were small enough to fit cards like this?

I've read about this problem before.

Would using a ribbon cable in between the soundcard and the daughterboard be possible?
It would be messy, but atleast you could plug the construct into a board that way 😉

Hmm... I have an ESS card... It's older though, ES688. Would that be worth trying out? It wouldn't be for digital or OPL, just the daughterboard.

Well I just bought an Acer Magic S20 ISA card, which has a Crystal CS4231A chipset, a wavetable connector and a YMF262 OPL chip. So we'll see how that goes 😀