The new capacitors are installed and the Soundscape looks and works like new again.

nice work!

Thanks!

Excellent. I'm playing around with a Reveal SC600, which is a near-clone of the S-2000, and trying to compare drivers. What version of SSINIT and SNDSCAPE.COD are you using, if you don't mind?

I have the early "Type-1" SPEA Sound FX version of that clone with the Crystal CS4248 codec and FCC ID FODSWFX1000. It's identical to the SC600.

The SPEA driver floppies that came in the box were bad, so I've been using version 0495.3 from disk images FX104951 and FX104952 I found here: ftp://retronn.de/archiv/old_cds/diamond1997/Driver/MEDIA_FX/

Apparently it's sacrifices the "tone chip" functionality to add Ensoniq's improved SoundBlaster 2.0 support. At some point I'd like to try and find a working copy of the older drivers...

As for the S-2000 drivers, I've been using a different set of drivers for that. I don't recall off hand, but I can take a look when I'm home and let you know.

I realize all the later versions of these drivers are pretty much cross-compatible with both Ensoniq's early reference design sold as SPEA Type-1/SC600 "FODSWFX1000" boards and the later SPEA Type-2/Ensoniq Retail/OEM "LF7SS2016" boards, but I try to use the exact bundled drivers whenever possible.

FesterBlatz wrote:

Apparently it's sacrifices the "tone chip" functionality to add Ensoniq's improved SoundBlaster 2.0 support. At some point I'd like to try and find a working copy of the older drivers...

I bought the SC600 new in box, and the diskettes work. I will try to upload them later tonight after work if you think they will be useful to you.

In the meantime, here are some photos of the version of SSINIT that comes with it:

That would be fantastic, thank you!

Here you go -- hope they work for you!

You have to run SETUP from Windows in order to decompress the files.

Interesting tone and spatial effect options there.

It looks like I put up two shots of the same screen. The missing screen is interesting because it lets you choose MT-32, GM, and SB mode. When you select MT-32, the program loads a series of patches. I don't remember seeing another version of SSINIT do this. I would have to switch into MT-32 mode by running a separate program from the DOS prompt.

I just realized I never followed up with the driver version I'm using on my S-2000. I was just playing some Elder Scolls Arena on my 486 so I quick dropped out of it and grabbed a picture...

SSINIT reports as version 5.01. The SNDSCAPE.COD files are all dated 05-04-1995 but I'm not sure if there's a way to find a specific version number for those.

These drivers work great with my SPEA Sound FX! It's nice to have access to the tone chip.

Thanks!

boxpressed wrote:

Here you go -- hope they work for you! […]
Show full quote

Here you go -- hope they work for you!

You have to run SETUP from Windows in order to decompress the files.

SC600_D1.zip

SC600_D2.zip

boxpressed wrote:

It looks like I put up two shots of the same screen. The missing screen is interesting because it lets you choose MT-32, GM, and SB mode. When you select MT-32, the program loads a series of patches. I don't remember seeing another version of SSINIT do this. I would have to switch into MT-32 mode by running a separate program from the DOS prompt.

The manual selection of modes is something that Ensoniq changed between driver versions. My old manual shows those options. Then the addendum they once mailed me (with new driver floppies) writes about the newer way to choose modes. I actually mailed in a driver bug post card about the Star Trek Technical Manual causing a driver crash in Win 3.1 and they sent me the new driver floppies some time later. 😀

Scans
Ensoniq Soundscape resources (manuals, files, links, help)

@swaaye: I don't suppose you'd happen to have an old set of S-2000 driver disks with a SSINIT that works this way for the S-2000?

When I tried boxpressed's SSINIT for the SPEA/Reveal on my S-2000, it complained the wave port was incorrect and wouldn't fully initialize the board. I assume it's expecting to initialize a CS4248 codec instead of the AD1848. Even though the two are essentially pin-compatible, their configuration registers are handled a little differently and one must be set to emulate the other. Since the Reveal/SPEA clones were apparently based upon Ensoniq's earliest reference design, I have a hunch boxpressed's SSINIT may actually predate the S-2000.

swaaye wrote:

I'm pretty sure that Ensoniq changed that configuration between versions of SSINIT. I think my old manual shows the oldest way it was managed.

As there seem to be some experts here I take the chance to raise a question 😀

I own two of the V7-media fx clones. One of them (on the top) is working perfectly. The other one (bottom) is not recognized at all. I tried several jumper settings and driver revisions without success.

Both cards are in perfect condition and they do not seem to be damaged in any way.

As there are minor differences in the chips on the boards...do you think it is possible they require different driver revisions? Maybe I have not found the correct revision for the dead card yet? Would be my last hope to get this working...

@Predator99: Both of those boards were referred to in driver documentations as SPEA's "Type 2" Sound FX board and except for the sticker should be pretty much identical to an S-2000. At some point SPEA switched from selling Ensoniq's old reference design (referred to as "Type 1", and identical to the Reveal SC600) to re-branded retail S-2000s. The difference in chip revisions you noted are cosmetic and appear to merely be different date and lot codes.

You should be able to use any of the Ensoniq Soundscape S-2000/Soundscape-II/Elite driver bundles with these boards, so if one is working for you and the other isn't, I'm afraid it does seem like you have a defective board. 🙁

I don't suppose you'd be willing to donate/sell the bad board? I'd like to try and create a collection of sample ROM dumps from the various Soundscape versions to put online for archival purposes, but I don't want to risk damaging functional boards. I already have a damaged OPUS (which is also the same ROM used on the VIVO) for this purpose, but having an S-2000 ROM on-hand would be motivation enough to start. The "golden goose' would be a 2MB sample ROM from an Elite because I have a hunch installing a PROM programmed with that image on a 1MB Soundscape would upgrade it to function just like an Elite sans the DSP effects functions of the daughterboard. Unfortunately there are so few Elite's still in circulation that I doubt I'll ever stumble on a damaged "doner" board.

FesterBlatz wrote:

@swaaye: I don't suppose you'd happen to have an old set of S-2000 driver disks with a SSINIT that works this way for the S-2000?

When I tried boxpressed's SSINIT for the SPEA/Reveal on my S-2000, it complained the wave port was incorrect and wouldn't fully initialize the board. I assume it's expecting to initialize a CS4248 codec instead of the AD1848. Even though the two are essentially pin-compatible, their configuration registers are handled a little differently and one must be set to emulate the other. Since the Reveal/SPEA clones were apparently based upon Ensoniq's earliest reference design, I have a hunch boxpressed's SSINIT may actually predate the S-2000.

I think you are in luck.

I have a Gateway 2000 CD from 1994 that has some old S-2000 drivers for Windows 3.1 and DOS, version v1.03.05. They should have the old functionality.

Wow, nice find thank you!

I'll give these a try and report back!

Yes, thanks. I'll try these with my S-2000 as well. Will be interesting to compare the effects and the MT-32 emulation.