What OS? And the question you need to ask yourself is "do I want to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

Easy way is AWE64 - great card for that era and beyond. Hard way is a multi card set up that aims for the stars - SB Pro, WSS, real OPL3, bug free wave table header, great software, sound fonts, daughterboards. But that way madness lies 😈

badmojo wrote:

Hard way is a multi card set up that aims for the stars - SB Pro, WSS, real OPL3, bug free wave table header, great software, sound fonts, daughterboards. But that way madness lies 😈

Hey, you forgot Ultrasound and Covox 😁

Multi-card. Ending up with 4 free slots seems kinda lame.

Setting up a boot menu for using different cards is easy enough.

The OS is gonna be DOS 6.22/Win3.1 I guess.

For Covox, DSS, and OPL3 I can put in one of my Aztech cards.

I do have a WSS card, but a lot of cards do WSS so not sure I really need a dedicated WSS card.

The Compaq version of the GUS PnP is planned to go in the 233MMX setup... but I guess I could put one in here as well. Still have to put my ARGUS beta card together.

An AWE64 is doable with added RAM. Or I could do a CT3670.

A SB Pro 1 is doable as well as I recently acquired one.

Should I use my MusicQuest MPU-401 card or are there some games that would be CPU limited that support the MT-32?

What about CMS? I could put a Sound Blaster 2.0 or a Sound Blaster 1.5 in there.

What about a PAS16?

What cards have a bug-free wave table header?

So many choices.

Lots of stuff you bring up is a better fit with an earlier system, even the PAS16.

I'd probably think about a good SB Pro clone as the base. Something like a TB Tropez or Acer S23 would be an excellent option, although ESS or Yamaha clones would be nice as well. A later issue, quiet SB16 can be a good alternative if the DMA bug and lack of SB Pro stereo mode doesn't bother you or doesn't crop up with the titles you run. This machine and the PMMX are of the generation that can run the handful of titles that actually take advantage of 16 bit SB audio. An AWE64 would be a good choice if CQM doesn't bother you. Later Aztech cards are okay, although they do have some compatibility quirks. Crystal Semi cards are great (aside from the broken CS4235 chipset) if you don't mind CrystalFM.

Beyond that, add whatever you want. Goldfinch cards, an Ensoniq SS Elite, GUS cards, boards with the HOMAC MIDI engine, etc. Most of your options will be with MIDI synths as that's what's most variable in a late DOS/early Win9x build.

There are a million directions you could take this, as you alluded to. In my DX4-100 right now I have a PAS16 to handle FM, a Soundscape S2000, and an MT-32. I have batch files to switch the Soundscape between using the internal MIDI and driving the external synth.

badmojo wrote:

What OS? And the question you need to ask yourself is "do I want to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

Easy way is AWE64 - great card for that era and beyond. Hard way is a multi card set up that aims for the stars - SB Pro, WSS, real OPL3, bug free wave table header, great software, sound fonts, daughterboards. But that way madness lies 😈

I have a 4 sound card setup, AWE 64 Gold, Resound OPL3, LAPCI, RAP10 it all coexists perfactly fine, no need for boot menus for different sound configs. Pickng the right cards is important, some coexist better than others.

Wow this isn’t going to be any ordinary sound set up then, rock on. I’ve had great success using a PAS16 in a multi card config because you can turn bits of it off and the great sounding OPL3 + PAS16 support is really worth having for early 90s era games. A Goldfinch is fun and the Crystal chipsets play nice with multi card too in my experience.

Ok, so how about this:

Turtle Beach Tropez Plus
Sound Blaster Pro 1 (for dual OPL2 fun)
PAS16 - Logitech version with no drive controller.
Music Quest MPU-401 for some nice intelligent mode MT-32 support.
Aztech I38-MMSD802

Should I replace one of these with an Ensoniq S-2000 or maybe with something that has a wave table header?

Up to you, really. As I said, I'd probably look for more MIDI variation in this platform and use the Aztech and/or PAS16 on a 386. I tend to mess around with soft synths, but if you want to work with the genuine hardware and have good coverage of different implementations, you're going to need quite a few cards and a big stack of modules. Just for simplicity, I'll avoid all pre GM technology.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it does innumerate some directions you can go for synth hardware.
Roland:GS w/ CTF
Roland GM/GS
Roland Pro/Rack modules from JV/XV/Integra series
Yamaha XG -> Might be variations within this worth having
Turtle Beach / Kurzweil (eg. Pinnacle, HOMAC daughterboard, etc.)
Korg
EMU Proteus
Ensoniq (with variations in implementation between cards)
CS/Dream pre lawsuit Roland clone
CS/Dream post lawsuit
proprietary ESS
ICS Wavefront
Opti QDSP
Creative Waveblaster 1 & 2/EMU-8k
Aztech Waverider

I think I'll try it out with this setup first. Then if I find I want to swap stuff out, I'll do that.

I do have some external modules - All Roland
MT-100 (MT-32 sequencer)
MT-200 (SC-55 sequencer)
MT-300s (jukebox/player/teaching aid that seems to be in between an SC-55 and an SC-88) - has built in stereo speakers
SC-88vl

I've also got a few wave table header modules, the most significant being a Terratec Producer WAVE XTABLE. The others are just lower end ones that came with cards.

I do have quite a few Opti QDSP cards. I used one of these cards back in the day I think from the time I was running a 386 up till I no longer had a computer with an ISA slot.
One of the only cards I never got rid of.

I also have a few Crystal wavetable cards. Even one that is ESS based with what looks like a pretty nice Crystal wavetable.

I've also got a Yamaha SW60XG, but that is in a different system for use with Final Fantasy VII since it is one of the few games that has a native XG soundtrack.

I use SB16 with DreamBlaster S1 + GUS in my DX4. Ideally, I'd love an MT-32 and SC-55/88 as well, but they have started becoming a bit too pricey for me at the moment.
The GUS is of course awesome for those games that have native support, and the SB16 is one of those "works with everything" type of cards. And since most game sound tracks aren't composed specifically for the OPL2/3 (as in playing to the strength of those chips), but rather for "organic instruments", I feel that the DreamBlaster S1 just adds a bit more versatility.

cyclone3d wrote:

I also have a few Crystal wavetable cards. Even one that is ESS based with what looks like a pretty nice Crystal wavetable.

That sounds like an interesting card.

gdjacobs wrote:

cyclone3d wrote:

I also have a few Crystal wavetable cards. Even one that is ESS based with what looks like a pretty nice Crystal wavetable.

That sounds like an interesting card.

Actually.. I was mistaken. Looking at a couple huge bins of cards and stuff starts to get all fuzzy...

Anyway, the one with the Crystal wavetable has CMI8328 and the ESS one is QDSP.

It's still actually a pretty good card, although I'm not a big fan of that ROM's sound.

cyclone3d wrote:

Ok, so how about this: […]
Show full quote

Ok, so how about this:

Turtle Beach Tropez Plus
Sound Blaster Pro 1 (for dual OPL2 fun)
PAS16 - Logitech version with no drive controller.
Music Quest MPU-401 for some nice intelligent mode MT-32 support.
Aztech I38-MMSD802

Should I replace one of these with an Ensoniq S-2000 or maybe with something that has a wave table header?

Forget about the SB Pro 1 for dual OPL2 fun, it won't be fun i guarantee. This card has issues in a 386DX-40 let alone in a 486. The issue is the delay between commands the YM3812 needs, and the Sound Blaster Pro 1 (unlike a Pro Audio Spectrum) design does not compensate for it. Using a Sound Blaster 1.5 or 2.0 for CMS is not a good idea, those cards will stick to DMA 1 like ticks and they won't let go. This will pretty much negate the use of another card for Sound Blaster compatibility. Only solution is to use a real CMS/GB card. This is now very easy, since all the games have their secrets unlocked to patch a diffeent I/O port for the Game Blaster which i recommend port 210h.

I have now a few years of experience with multi card setups and i've had success, but keep in mind the choice of cards is very important and there are still quirks.

Turtle Beach Tropez Plus is a great start, you'll get SB, SB Pro 2 + ICS Wavefront Wavetable
GUS ACE or PnP Ultrasound or Ultrasound + Interwave
SB AWE 32 CT2760,CT3900 or CT3980 you'll get SB 16, wavetable header + EMU8000
MPU-401 (keropi's new clone) Intelligent MPU-401 + wavetable header
Pro Audio Spectrum (dual OPL2) dual OPL2 support + digital 8bit PAS playback

This config is very much doable. I would save CMS for something like a 386. You could do a multi sound card setup on a 386 like a did, a chiptunes 386:

Sound Blaster Pro 1
Game Blaster (port at 210h)
Innovation SSI 2001 clone
lo tech Tandy sound board

You can always replace the MPU 401 card for another Sound Card like a Sound Scape Elite.

My Socket 7 system comprises of the following ATM:

Yamaha YMF724 PCI - SB, SB Pro 2, real OPL3
Sound Blaster AWE32 CT2760 - SB, SB16, + EMU8000 8MB RAM + Dreamblaster X2
Terratec Maestro 32/96 - WSS, dream SAM9233 4MB GS patch set + NEC XR385
Gravis Ultrasound PnP - Ultrasound + Interwave 8MB RAM
Pro Audio Spectrum - dual OPL2, 8 bit PAS digital

So i've got OPL3 across 2 cards. I really like the way the Yamaha 724 card sounds, too bad the compatibility with games is not 100%, but it should be around 95%. Dune 2 is one of the games where it locks when digital samples are played. I mostly use the Yamaha card for everything, using the AWE32 for games that don't work on the Yamaha and when i want to go a bit different with SB16 or i want AWE synth sound specifically. SB16 is IMO kind of redundant when you have a GUS card. The Maestro card doesn't add anything new, except it allows for 2 MPU ports, with the internal synth sitting at 320h and the wavetable header with the Yamaha XG at 300h.
The Pro Audio Spectrum gives me the best OPL sound in the games that support it. I use this card exclusively for one of my favorite DOS games ever: Microprose's Fleet Defender. And i can also use this card in a myriad of other Microprose titles which support the PAS natively, with arguably the best support for dual OPL2 sound in games.

carlostex wrote:

Forget about the SB Pro 1 for dual OPL2 fun, it won't be fun i guarantee. This card has issues in a 386DX-40 let alone in a 486. The issue is the delay between commands the YM3812 needs, and the Sound Blaster Pro 1 (unlike a Pro Audio Spectrum) design does not compensate for it.

I've heard of this before but I'm wondering how common the issue actually is. I had an SBPro 1 on a 486DX2-66 back then. Is this a problem only with a few older games? I don't remember ever encountering sound issues on that machine.
I can't remember if the SBPro was ever used on our Cyrix 6x86, but it definitely lasted most if not all the time of our 486.

What are some specific games that have this issue with the SB Pro 1?

lvader wrote:

I have a 4 sound card setup, AWE 64 Gold, Resound OPL3, LAPCI, RAP10 it all coexists perfactly fine, no need for boot menus for different sound configs.

😀 It's not a marvel because only two of them do require IO, IRQ, DMAs at the same time. Two others are only synths and not difficult in co-configuration with "full" speech/synth sound cards.
I have on my regular retro system really four sound cards (not synths) which require all these resources. They occupy:
1) IO 220 IRQ 7 DMA 1
2) IO 240 IRQ 5 DMA 0 DMA 5
3) IO 250 IRQ 3 DMA 7
4) IO 260 IRQ 9 DMA 3 DMA 6
plus MPU IO 300 320 330 and MPU IRQ 11
- and they all coexist perfactly fine, no need for boot menus for different sound configs. This is really 4 cards built hard to setup. And cards such as LAPC-I, ADlib/OPL clones, SW60XG, Goldfinch are configuring by any child.

Well, just installed the SB Pro 1 and ran the TEST-SBP program and it sure sounds like the dual OPL2 is working fine.

Could it be that the issues with faster CPUs depends on the chipset?

Going to test with Ultima Underworld next.

EDIT: My card is a CT1330A rev 6.

Could it be that the earlier Sound Blaster Pro revisions had issues with faster systems and and later revisions work fine? (edited)

Edit: Looks like rev 3-7 were available commercially and maybe rev 1 and 2 were pre-release since I am not really finding any pictures of them.

Rev 7 is what I am assuming the revision would be for the one that doesn't have a rev on it, but has a serial number like the SB Pro 2 cards.

I'd be willing to take one for the team if somebody wants to send me a rev 3 or 4 card 🤣

The only physical difference I saw between rev 5 and 6 is R5 is a different color and maybe a different value, but I couldn't find any super clear pictures to tell the value on the rev 5 card.