There was an actual Windows Sound System ISA card. And it had an Analog Devices Codec. I don't see the card around much, so I don't think it sold that well. I don't expect your laptop to actually contain that ISA card (or does it?). But the actual WSS sound interface compatibilty is seen in many sound cards. Anything with the same Analog Devices Codec or the Crystal/Cirrus logic version of that codec. WSS interface is also seen in many later sound card chips from Crystal/Cirrus Logic, Ensoniq, Yamaha, Gravis, etc.
When a soundcard codec has a WSS compatible interface, it is about the digitized sound interface. FM/Adlib requires another chip or extra circuitry that may have been omitted from your laptop.

Also SB16 compatibility was never officially licenced out by Creative Labs. SB-Pro at best. So I would not count on that. A WSS codec is not normally Sound Blaster compatible at all. Again this requires another chip or extra circuitry, or maybe a TSR emulator such as supplied with the original WSS card.

The point is this: WSS is an uncommon ISA soundcard alright, But it is mainly a definition for digitized sound interface compatibility.

Wow, this is a flashback. A Zenith Noteflex was my family's first laptop. We took it on vacation once and there was just enough HD space that I could install one big game on it. I installed Links: The Challenge of Golf and played it to death on that vacation. It took the better part of a minute to re-draw each screen, but it was worth it. Being able to take a computer on vacation, instead of going without computer games for 2 weeks, was the coolest thing in the world back in 1990/1991... even though laptops like that one were the size and weight of ancient tomes.

Anyways, I think that they're saying that 1.0 and 2.0 support FM for sound effects, but not FM MIDI synthesis. The latter seems to be noted because SB16 compatibility was added and they just don't want you to think that that compatibility brings with it all of the features of an SB16. As for not getting SB16 sound, the notes mention that WSSXLAT.EXE is needed for that, so check that you're running that correctly. I'm guessing that it's something that needs to be run from AUTOEXEC.BAT. If there's no installer, you may need to try to figure out what (if any) parameters it takes.

gerwin wrote:

There was an actual Windows Sound System ISA card. And it had an Analog Devices Codec. I don't see the card around much, so I don't think it sold that well. I don't expect your laptop to actually contain that ISA card (or does it?). But the actual WSS sound interface compatibilty is seen in many sound cards. Anything with the same Analog Devices Codec or the Crystal/Cirrus logic version of that codec. WSS interface is also seen in many later sound card chips from Crystal/Cirrus Logic, Ensoniq, Yamaha, Gravis, etc.
When a soundcard codec has a WSS compatible interface, it is about the digitized sound interface. FM/Adlib requires another chip or extra circuitry that may have been omitted from your laptop.

Oh, thanks for pointing this out! I was somehow sure that it was a laptop version of the WSS ISA card, but I'll try to figure out what chip is actually there (maybe I need to disassemble it after all).

gerwin wrote:

Also SB16 compatibility was never officially licenced out by Creative Labs. SB-Pro at best. So I would not count on that. A WSS codec is not normally Sound Blaster compatible at all. Again this requires another chip or extra circuitry, or maybe a TSR emulator such as supplied with the original WSS card.

The point is this: WSS is an uncommon ISA soundcard alright, But it is mainly a definition for digitized sound interface compatibility.

Okay, that might be the correct here. I installed the WSS drivers and TSR for dos is there as well, it works without issues, but there is nowhere clear specifications which parameters it takes, they are written to config.sys by the "Dos compatibility utility".

Osprey wrote:

Wow, this is a flashback. A Zenith Noteflex was my family's first laptop. We took it on vacation once and there was just enough HD space that I could install one big game on it. I installed Links: The Challenge of Golf and played it to death on that vacation. It took the better part of a minute to re-draw each screen, but it was worth it. Being able to take a computer on vacation, instead of going without computer games for 2 weeks, was the coolest thing in the world back in 1990/1991... even though laptops like that one were the size and weight of ancient tomes.

Nice! But luckily I have a bit later version, I think it's from 93 or 94. 486 75MHz, 8 MB RAM, ~500 hard drive. For me this is more authentic, as my first computer had exactly the same parameters, though it was a full desktop computer.

Osprey wrote:

Anyways, I think that they're saying that 1.0 and 2.0 support FM for sound effects, but not FM MIDI synthesis. The latter seems to be noted because SB16 compatibility was added and they just don't want you to think that that compatibility brings with it all of the features of an SB16. As for not getting SB16 sound, the notes mention that WSSXLAT.EXE is needed for that, so check that you're running that correctly. I'm guessing that it's something that needs to be run from AUTOEXEC.BAT. If there's no installer, you may need to try to figure out what (if any) parameters it takes.

Yes, I have this driver and it correctly provides SB1 compatibility, couldn't find a full list of parameters for it.

rawonam wrote:

Nice! But luckily I have a bit later version, I think it's from 93 or 94. 486 75MHz, 8 MB RAM, ~500 hard drive. For me this is more authentic, as my first computer had exactly the same parameters, though it was a full desktop computer.

Yeah, that's definitely a much later model. I think that ours was something like a 486/25 with only 1-2MB of RAM and something dinky for a hard drive, like 32MB (or else I would've installed more than just one game). I'm a bit surprised that Zenith was still making laptops in 1994.

rawonam wrote:

Yes, I have this driver and it correctly provides SB1 compatibility, couldn't find a full list of parameters for it.

The only other thing that I can think of is to try setting the Blaster environment for an SB16 in AUTOEXEC.BAT, like so...

SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 H5 P330 T6

...with I7 changed to I5 if you're using IRQ 5. I'm not sure if that makes any difference on non-SB hardware, but it's something to try.

I had to open the computer to see the sound card, it turned out to have a CS4231-KQ chip, nothing else that I could identify. Not much info on the Internet.

I found some drivers for Noteflex 486 laptop (crysemaud.zip is circulating on the net), it is indeed a CS4231 driver, but the package is missing 12 files, among them all the *.drv, so it can't be used. Notable is that it by inspecting setup.inf one can see that opl3.drv is supposed to be installed and the port is 388h. Doesn't help too much either.

The drivers for CS4232 don't work either: they install correctly, but digital sound plays in a loop or hangs the system, MIDI is played without visible issues, but no sound is heard from anywhere.

I guess to have MIDI sound I'd need to find a PCMCIA, serial or parallel solution.

The CS4231 codec is well documented and very common: http://www.cebix.net/downloads/bebox/cs4231a.pdf
It is practically identical to the Analog Devices AD1848 codec, as found on an actual Windows Sound System ISA card.

The Windows Sound System ISA card is the only card I know of which has no controller chip paired with such a codec. This means it is pretty bare and hardware incompatible to anything but WSS itself. So the same goes for your laptop.

CS4232 is not comparable at all. since it is a controller and codec together in one chip. The controller handles PnP, Bus interfacing, SB compatibility, MPU and FM interfacing, Joystick and sometimes IDE/CD-ROM interfaces. This is the usual way in which soundcards were designed. Your laptop seems to lack a controller chip and therefore does not have such functionality.

Your best bet are Laptop specific WSS drivers, or maybe the drivers for the original WSS ISA card, since it is the only card comparable to the hardware in your laptop. Except that your laptop is missing the FM/OPL chip, AFAIK.

gerwin wrote:

The CS4231 codec is well documented and very common: http://www.cebix.net/downloads/bebox/cs4231a.pdf It is practically identica […]
Show full quote

The CS4231 codec is well documented and very common: http://www.cebix.net/downloads/bebox/cs4231a.pdf
It is practically identical to the Analog Devices AD1848 codec, as found on an actual Windows Sound System ISA card.

The Windows Sound System ISA card is the only card I know of which has no controller chip paired with such a codec. This means it is pretty bare and hardware incompatible to anything but WSS itself. So the same goes for your laptop.

CS4232 is not comparable at all. since it is a controller and codec together in one chip. The controller handles PnP, Bus interfacing, SB compatibility, MPU and FM interfacing, Joystick and sometimes IDE/CD-ROM interfaces. This is the usual way in which soundcards were designed. Your laptop seems to lack a controller chip and therefore does not have such functionality.

Your best bet are the drivers for the original WSS ISA card, since it is the only card comparable to the hardware in your laptop. Except that your laptop is missing the FM/OPL chip, AFAIK.

Thanks gerwin!
Well, I do have working drivers (WSS), just wanted to make sure that there is no OPL3 chip there. Looks like there isn't.
I found instructions for the laptop that instruct first to install this Crystal Business Audio driver before installing Windows Sound System, so I thought there might be something more than pure WSS there. Apparently there isn't, because I can't see how they differ, digital sound works well without the Crystal Business Audio.