Curious what does the SET BLASTER line in autoexec look like ? SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 T6 is the most common for SB16. Did you check the Duke audio settings to see if they match your card settings ?

Off topic but this is where I always hated the PnP creative cards. They sometimes just do not work proper under full DOS where a MediaVision or even a Crystal sound would....

Horun wrote on 2020-04-08, 01:58:

Curious what does the SET BLASTER line in autoexec look like ? SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 T6 is the most common for SB16. Did you check the Duke audio settings to see if they match your card settings ?

Off topic but this is where I always hated the PnP creative cards. They sometimes just do not work proper under full DOS where a MediaVision or even a Crystal sound would....

The BLASTER line is as follows on the autoexec.bat:

SET BLASTER A220 I5 D1 H7 P300 T6

The duke3D audio settings match the card, if I configure it with something different than the correct settings, it throws error when trying to play the sound effects (as opposed to "playing" but nothing sounding which happens with the correct settings).

Huh there has to be an = sign in the set blaster line, also there cannot be a space between it and "set blaster". From Apogee games:
http://www.rinkworks.com/apogee/s/6.4.2.shtml
You might try: SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H7 T3 P300
NOTE: There can be no spaces between the word BLASTER and the equal sign (=).

You are correct, I missed the = when typing the line, but it's there on the machine. Also, it has no space between BLASTER and A220:

SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H7 P300 T6

aha2940 wrote on 2020-04-08, 01:38:

How can this be?

Clearly only the FM part is working. Since samples are apparently played by the applications and you can just not hear them, I'd assume a hardware defect. If it would be a simple configuration error, you would normally get a freeze in at least one of the games when it tries to play a sample.

I'm having problems with one of those (CT2950 - SB16 pro pnp) miself.

Fist off - Did you install CTCM while installing the cards drivers ?

because, when doing a proper install theres like 10 lines of code in autoexec.bat, and 2 on config.sys

i installed mine, run the CTCU or de Diagnose and everytjing is fine, software level, but i dont have sound no matter what i do.
the diagnose tool tells me is everything ok, with the adress, irq, dma, etc, to check mi cable or speakers..

i just simple give up.. and used a crystal card instead (cs4232).

derSammler wrote on 2020-04-08, 06:46:

aha2940 wrote on 2020-04-08, 01:38:

How can this be?

Clearly only the FM part is working. Since samples are apparently played by the applications and you can just not hear them, I'd assume a hardware defect. If it would be a simple configuration error, you would normally get a freeze in at least one of the games when it tries to play a sample.

Yes, I think the same, however I believe the damage may be easily fixable, since the programs seem to see the card as working fine, so the problem may be in the final stages of the audio generation chain...maybe the amplifier or something? anyway, I do not have neither an oscilloscope or any other means to diagnose nor the schematics of the card, so it goes to the "broken hardware" bin.

nuno14272 wrote on 2020-04-08, 11:07:

Fist off - Did you install CTCM while installing the cards drivers ?

because, when doing a proper install theres like 10 lines of code in autoexec.bat, and 2 on config.sys

That's what the installer tends to do, yes. But for an SB16 PnP the only thing really needed is just calling CTCM from Autoexec.Bat to initialize the card. Well, I think you also need SET SOUND=<driver directory>. Even SET BLASTER is not required, because after you run CTCU once, it saves the settings in CTPNP.CFG, and then CTCM reads it from there and configures the environment variable. If you are connecting to an MPU-401 device, you may also need SET MIDI in Autoexec.bat, but just for the digital and FM portions, it's not necessary.

aha2940 wrote on 2020-04-08, 01:38:

I played a bit with the mixer, but all volumes are at the highest setting.

Check also that the inputs and outputs are enabled in the checkboxes on the right.

aha2940 wrote on 2020-04-08, 12:51:

Yes, I think the same, however I believe the damage may be easily fixable, since the programs seem to see the card as working fine, so the problem may be in the final stages of the audio generation chain...maybe the amplifier or something?

The CT2950 is highly integrated, so I don't think you will have much luck repairing something here. I can only think of the CT1703 that could be bad.

dr_st wrote on 2020-04-08, 12:53:

Even SET BLASTER is not required, because after you run CTCU once, it saves the settings in CTPNP.CFG, and then CTCM reads it from there and configures the environment variable. If you are connecting to an MPU-401 device, you may also need SET MIDI in Autoexec.bat, but just for the digital and FM portions, it's not necessary.

I won't argue that the Setblaster= line is mostly not required, but there are some older games that the executable actually looks for those variables and uses them. If not old Apogee games would not require it. Just sayin...

derSammler wrote on 2020-04-08, 13:52:

aha2940 wrote on 2020-04-08, 12:51:

Yes, I think the same, however I believe the damage may be easily fixable, since the programs seem to see the card as working fine, so the problem may be in the final stages of the audio generation chain...maybe the amplifier or something?

The CT2950 is highly integrated, so I don't think you will have much luck repairing something here. I can only think of the CT1703 that could be bad.

Agree ! If you can't figure out/force it to work, there must be some type of hardware failure which it would cost another card for parts to repair it.
Have you tried limiting the Setblaster line to mimic an 8bit SB ? Try: SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T3
it makes any game that scans for the variable think you have a SB Pro, it is possible (but unlikely) that 8bit will work when 16 does not. Just a thought...

Horun wrote on 2020-04-09, 00:39:

dr_st wrote on 2020-04-08, 12:53:

Even SET BLASTER is not required, because after you run CTCU once, it saves the settings in CTPNP.CFG, and then CTCM reads it from there and configures the environment variable. If you are connecting to an MPU-401 device, you may also need SET MIDI in Autoexec.bat, but just for the digital and FM portions, it's not necessary.

I won't argue that the Setblaster= line is mostly not required, but there are some older games that the executable actually looks for those variables and uses them. If not old Apogee games would not require it. Just sayin...

I think he just meant it's not required inside AUTOEXEC, as CTCM will set it for you.

Correct, that is what I meant.

quick dirty test if you want to know for sure would be install win95 or above.
Drivers are completely different so you'll know right away if its driver or hardware related

Last time I couldn’t get Wolf3D to play digitized sounds it was due to a DMA conflict. I had a harddrive controller that wanted DMA 1 and had to switch to DMA 3.

You might want to use hwinfo or system information 8.0 to see if you have any irq/dma conflicts.

Thanks for the suggestions guys, will try with Win95 OSR2 and report back.

Edit: Well, at least I tried. The card gets correctly detected by Win95, but it plays no WAV files at all. The software thinks it's playing them (just like the games in DOS) but nothing comes out the speakers. MIDI files and music CDs are played correctly.

Hi! 😀 Before giving up, I'd give it a last try on Win Me and XP.
Both use VDM drivers, maybe they have a higher chance working with the card.
Also, I'd double check CMOS Setup and watchout for ISA/PnP settings.
IRQ 5, 7 and DMA 1, 5 should be "hard-wired" to "Legacy ISA".

Jo22 wrote on 2020-04-15, 12:50:

Hi! :) Before giving up, I'd give it a last try on Win Me and XP. Both use VDM drivers, maybe they have a higher chance working […]
Show full quote

Hi! 😀 Before giving up, I'd give it a last try on Win Me and XP.
Both use VDM drivers, maybe they have a higher chance working with the card.
Also, I'd double check CMOS Setup and watchout for ISA/PnP settings.
IRQ 5, 7 and DMA 1, 5 should be "hard-wired" to "Legacy ISA".

This called my attention...if the SB16 is PnP, why should the IRQs be set for Legacy? I usually set IRQ5 and 11 to legacy because my ESS soundcard (IRQ5) and 3Com NIC (IRQ11) are not PnP, but why would that be needed for the SB16? also: how do I set a DMA to legacy? my BIOS does not have that option AFAIK.

Thanks!!

aha2940 wrote on 2020-04-15, 00:38:

Thanks for the suggestions guys, will try with Win95 OSR2 and report back.

Edit: Well, at least I tried. The card gets correctly detected by Win95, but it plays no WAV files at all. The software thinks it's playing them (just like the games in DOS) but nothing comes out the speakers. MIDI files and music CDs are played correctly.

I don't intend to hijack the thread, but I'd like to mention that I have a complete contrast problem with by CT2940 card which does have an OPL3 chip. It would play WAV files but no MIDI or FM whatsoever. I guess the OPL3 chip is fried? Nothing seems extraordinary on the board physically.

Hi

So, after seeing this thread: SB16 CT2230 Issue and checking some of the links OP there posted, I put jumpers on the IFSD and APSD pins and now digital audio on my SB16 works fine. Yay! That does not eliminate the fact that it is kind of a PoS, but it works and it can be used if I want/need to.

Thanks!