The AWE32 cards are quite easy to set up.

For DOS: Download the PnP setup utility (If you have a PnP version of the AWE32, if you do not, skip this step) and install it from

http://support.creative.com/downloads/downloa … nDownloadId=230

NOTE: When installing, copy the program into a temp folder, and then extract it (It's a self extracting archive)

Next, install the driver utility from here, same procedure.

http://support.creative.com/downloads/downloa … nDownloadId=273

Make sure that you install Windows 3.1/11 BEFORE you install these drivers, if you plan to run it.

To check if the RAM is working, use the DIAGNOSE tool, and ask it to scan the memory. If it goes through, then your memory is compatible and working.

To install a soundfont you need to place your GM/MT32/GS .sbk file (SF2 files not supported) into the folder (Named something like soundbanks or banks, whatever)
and name it synthgm.sbk for GM, synthmt.sbk for MT32, and synthgs.sbk for GS

Turn on MIDI emulation using the following commands

When using General MIDI do
AWEUTIL.COM /EM:GM
When using Roland MT32 do
AWEUTIL.COM /EM:MT32
When using GS do
AWEUTIL.COM /EM:GS

You need to have appropriate soundfonts for this to work. For the default MT32 soundfont (The GM one is included with the drivers)
look here:

http://www.philscomputerlab.com/drivers-for-awe64-gold.html

NOTE: MIDI only works on real mode DOS games, or protected mode games with dedicated AWE32 support.

Windows is REALLY easy. The best option is Windows 95C. Just install the card, install the OS (Or the other way around if you like) and if it doesn't detect and install it immediately, go to Add New Hardware, and select from the list Sound Blaster AWE32 PnP for PnP cards, and Sound Blaster AWE32 for non-PnP cards. If you do not see either, or these do not work, please download this and install

http://support.creative.com/downloads/downloa … nDownloadId=417

You normally do not need to do this, but this will also upgrade your drivers, so you may want to do it anyways.

For loading soundfonts in Win9x download this utility from the Creative website:

http://support.creative.com/downloads/downloa … nDownloadId=269

This apparently is only for Windows95, but it may work (Untested by me) in Windows 98, most likely as long as you use the VxD drivers for Windows 98 (I am unaware of WDM drivers for the AWE32)

This utility is easy to use. Select Soundfonts, select User Bank, and load your soundfont. You can use protected and real mode Windows and DOS in Window applications (I think) now, and the emulation has almost universal support by Windows programs.

If you have issues, perform clean installs on DOS or Windows 9x, and then reinstall the driver utilities. Make sure your RAM settings are done properly, and you may want to load everything high after the program is done in Autoexec.bat and Config.sys.

Good luck!

Wow! Thanks!

Pardon my ignorance, but in practice what's the difference between GM, GS and MT32?

So far I've been using SF2 soundfonts with my software MIDI device. Is there a large selection of sbk soundfonts? What's your favorite?

I would probably use an SC-55-like soundfont if one is available. Is there a soundfont that delivers GUS-like sound?

[EDIT]
A Wikipedia read mostly answered my first question. The next logical question is, are the modes switched manually?

They are different standards within the standard of MIDI.

MIDI only defines the commands that can be sent through a cable, and that's about it. It can give instrument numbers, banks, notes, velocity, and a few other things, and that's about it.

General MIDI was defined as a standard list of instruments that machines could communicate easily to each other, because before General MIDI you had different standards for Synthesizers, like MT32's specific list of instruments. GS was born out of a need for more than General MIDI could provide, and is thus much more capable.

Personally, I think the AWE32 sounds fine in it's own. Once you get reverb a chorus right, you're fine. It sounds similar enough to a sound canvas.

You'll have to find a small soundfont. My favourite soundfont is 250 MB, so it's only useful for PCI cards on systems with a lot of memory.

And yes, the modes are switched manually. If you're going to be playing a game using MT-32 sound, like Civilization, you will have to enable that before the game (You can create batch files that enable this mode and then start the game). When using a General MIDI game like DOSDoom, you don't need to activate General MIDI emulation if the program has support for it, but you do it the program is being a bit finicky.

SF2 soundfonts can be used in Windows 9x, but there is no way to convert between formats that I know of.

The AWE32 does not fully implement MT-32 compatibility. MT-32 uses different techniques and programmability which is not capable of being replicated completely by a sample based synthesizer. MT-32 mode on General MIDI hardware like an AWE32 is an approximation.

Took me a while to report back. You were very convincing that I should have Win3.x installed before the driver installation so I had to take the time to find my set of original 3.11 floppies.

With that out of the way I have followed your very clear and helpful instructions and got my AWE32 set up in DOS.

I ran DIAGNOSE and tested my SIMMs. All 8MB (2x4MB) were detected and tested good. I'd have to climb in the attic to see if I have any other modules that fit this, but for now let's just work with what I've got here. In case anyone else is searching for SIMM information, contrary to popular belief parity SIMMs do work!

I didn't find reverb/chorus controls yet, are they available under DOS?

I ran Doom and Blood with it. While the default synth soundfont is not exactly my cup of tea, and I knew that ahead of time from recordings on YouTube, I won't say I like it less than OPL3.

Game works fine when "AWE32" for music is selected, but when I chose "General MIDI" instead, my machine locked up on game startup (and MIDI notes hung). Is this due to the fact that Doom is protected mode?

Thanks for all the help!

gdjacobs wrote:

The AWE32 does not fully implement MT-32 compatibility. MT-32 uses different techniques and programmability which is not capable of being replicated completely by a sample based synthesizer. MT-32 mode on General MIDI hardware like an AWE32 is an approximation.

Of course, if it weren't an emulation, if it weren't an approximation, it would say Roland MT-32 on the unit. 🤣

Ampera wrote:

They are different standards within the standard of MIDI.

MIDI only defines the commands that can be sent through a cable, and that's about it. It can give instrument numbers, banks, notes, velocity, and a few other things, and that's about it.

General MIDI was defined as a standard list of instruments that machines could communicate easily to each other, because before General MIDI you had different standards for Synthesizers, like MT32's specific list of instruments. GS was born out of a need for more than General MIDI could provide, and is thus much more capable.

GS is also Roland-only, since it's Roland's own proprietary extension of the GM standard (just like XG is for Yamaha). If you want the real successor of General MIDI (which was created by an association of manufacturers), try GM2.
MT32 is just whatever the Roland MT-32 used, and not a true standard - it's just that the thing was one of the first affordable sound modules, and therefore many game developers used it.

Frankly, for a standard related to computers designed in the mid-1980s, I find General MIDI nothing short of amazing. There are a few issues that start showing up with the introduction of some later multi-timbral modules (mostly due to the 16 MIDI-channel limit per connection), but those can be worked around. You'd be hard-pressed to find another standard that allows 30 year old pieces of gear to communicate with brand new ones outside of industrial appliances...

Maybe I misunderstood something but I seem to have read that MPU-401 emulation compatibility will vary depending on what DOS extender is used with protected mode game. Could someone elaborate what I would have to do to get General MIDI working with likes of Doom or Blood? Currently if set up for General MIDI those two games hang after a few MIDI notes play. Those use DOS/4GW extender... Should I use another extender?

For chorus and reverb you can either set is in the AWEUTIL application in Windows for Windows games, or you can set it using the AWEUTIL program (Just do AWEUTIL /? and you will find what to do).

For doom I recommend a source port in most DOS cases. You will get the option for higher resolutions, better sound card support, and other things.

Unfortunately I have never been able to get the original doom program to use MIDI, it's just a compatibility issue straight up. DOSDoom is a good sourceport, though it may be hard to find. Do some digging and if you can't find it, I will throw you my copy over a PM.

You might try turning of GM emulation and try using stock AWE32, see if that works any better. Games like Duke 3D have built in support for the AWE too.

Ampera wrote:

You might try turning of GM emulation and try using stock AWE32, see if that works any better. Games like Duke 3D have built in support for the AWE too.

Games with built-in AWE32 support work as expected (like through the default address 620 or whatever), I thought I mentioned that above. They just don't sound all that great with the default sound bank on the ROM the card comes with, and ignores any sound fonts loaded into card's RAM. MPU-401 type interface on address 330 which works using the TRS from Creative seems to have compatibility problems with protected mode games, or at least with DOS extenders that they use. Wikipedia says something about varying degree of compatibility with different DOS extenders. I was hoping that someone on here perhaps knows the exact combo that works.

I think that Ampera has mentioned everything of importance.
I'd thought it might be helpful by attaching a FAQ that came with most AWE32/SB32 sound cards that should also answer your questions around the purpose of AweUtil and the limitations that there are.

Just to quickly touch on some of the points already mentioned.
If you use Aweutil with the /S parameter, then it only initialises your FM synthesis hardware and your EMU8000 synthesis chip. It does not stay resident in memory.
You would use this switch with any game that either uses a DOS extender (like DOS 4G/W) and has direct support for the AWE32 or, if you purely wish to play a game that only has FM (OPL3) synthesis support.
With games that directly support the AWE32, you are stuck with the standard 1 MB ROM sample set that is stored on the AWE32. It will ignore any soundfonts that you load under DOS.
However, many DOS extender games that I've tried out, does seem to play fine via a Command Prompt (from within Windows 9x). You can just maximise the Command Prompt and it will then appear that you are playing the game under DOS.
In such a case, you would not select AWE32 in your game's setup menu, but General MIDI. The added benefit of this is that you can then also load your favourite General MIDI soundfont (within the memory limitations of your AWE32) under Windows and the game will play back that soundfont.

Aweutil with the /EM:xx parameter is only required when you want to play a "real mode" (i.e., non DOS extender based) game that either has General MIDI or Roland MT-32 support. The latter is not ideal to be played on an AWE32 (or even a Roland SC-55), since many MT-32 based games relies on sysex commands to send patches to the MT-32 unit which the AWE32 and SC-55 will ignore. The result is that your games will sound very weird (refer this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_SC-55#CM … MT-32_Emulation)
You can also try to play "real mode" DOS games from a Windows Command Prompt, but I've had mixed results with this. In either case, you would then select General MIDI in the game's setup menu to be able to "read" the soundfont that you've loaded and not the fall back on the standard 1 MB ROM of the AWE32.

Unfortunately, Aweutil can only load soundfonts in the version 1 (*.sbk) format. I've not yet come across a version 1 soundfont that sounds very close to a Roland SC-55. It would be nice if someone could re-write Aweutil to be able to load soundfont version 2 (*.sf2) soundfonts, but I'm not sure whether this would even be possible (due to hardware limitations perhaps).

PS: Doom 1, prior to version 1.4, did not natively support the AWE32. You need to update to version 1.4 or later.

jesolo wrote:

due to hardware limitations perhaps

The AWE EMU8000 hardware does not care about SBK or SF2 or anything. What is uploaded to the sound card's memory bank are raw samples. The TSR/Driver sends the raw samples there, but retains the preset data for these samples in system memory.

How can I get wavetable working via general midi? Everytime after setting /EM:GM command and going into game setup, either when changing into general midi or at least when starting the game it goes apeshit and totally tilts or glitches instantly, either protected mode or non-protected mode games. Only the games with dedicated AWE32 option are working.

I have tried all kind of settings but nothing seems to help but the games always freezes instantly when started. What am I missing here?