I think I finally found something.

"The AWE32 didn't use its MPU-401 port to access the EMU8000—Creative decided to expose the EMU8000's registers directly, through three sets of non-standard ports, and interpret MIDI commands in software on the host CPU. "

Then I found this AWEUTIL command:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfZOiM2pvg4

It seem that's the missing part I somehow totally missed and no help or readmes mentioned that. Anyway now that I found this command, I have got a new problem. Everytime when I put that command on and then go to game setup, what happens is this: either in music setup when trying change settings or when I start the game, they go totally nuts and tilts instantly. Is my card actually broken? My AWE card is the only one in entire computer so there shouldn't be any IRQ resource issues.

This only works on real-mode games. Any game with a DOS extender (like DOS4gw) will crash as soon as it tries to playback music.

bregolin wrote:

This only works on real-mode games. Any game with a DOS extender (like DOS4gw) will crash as soon as it tries to playback music.

So that brings the question why even real-mode games crashes too?

Post your Autoexec.bat & Config.sys files.
What version of DOS are you running?
System specifications?

If you want General MIDI for games, load Aweutil with the /EM:GM parameter. For FM synthesis or protected mode games, use the /S parameter.
Also, in your Autoexec.bat file, ensure that your SET MIDI environment variable specifies =SYNTH:1 and that your SET BLASTER environment variable matches the settings of your sound card.

jesolo wrote:

Post your Autoexec.bat & Config.sys files. What version of DOS are you running? System specifications? […]
Show full quote

Post your Autoexec.bat & Config.sys files.
What version of DOS are you running?
System specifications?

If you want General MIDI for games, load Aweutil with the /EM:GM parameter. For FM synthesis or protected mode games, use the /S parameter.
Also, in your Autoexec.bat file, ensure that your SET MIDI environment variable specifies =SYNTH:1 and that your SET BLASTER environment variable matches the settings of your sound card.

DOS 6.22 & Win3.1, 486SX2 50Mhz processor, integrated S3 Trio32 graphic card with 1mb memory. 16Mb RAM.

Autoexec.bat:

SET SOUND=C:\SB16
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 T6
SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:G MODE:0
C:\SB16\DIAGNOSE /S
C:\SB16\AWEUTIL /S
C:\SB16\SB16SET /P /Q
@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $p$g
PATH C:\WINDOWS;C:\DOS
SET TEMP=C:\DOS
MODE CON CODEPAGE PREPARE=((850) C:\DOS\EGA.CPI)
MODE CON CODEPAGE SELECT=850
LH /L:2,17264 KEYB SU,,C:\DOS\KEYBOARD.SYS

Config.sys:

DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS HIGHSCAN
BUFFERS=15,0
FILES=40
DOS=UMB
LASTDRIVE=E
FCBS=4,0
DEVICEHIGH /L:1,26864 =C:\SB16\DRV\CTSB16.SYS /UNIT=0 /BLASTER=A:220 I:5 D:1 H:5
DEVICEHIGH /L:3,10592 =C:\SB16\DRV\CTMMSYS.SYS
DOS=HIGH
COUNTRY=358,,C:\DOS\COUNTRY.SYS
DEVICEHIGH /L:2,15792 =C:\DOS\DISPLAY.SYS CON=(EGA,,1)
STACKS=9,256

This is so damn frustrating. I simply wanted a sound card with both OPL and wave ROM for generalmidi/waveblaster music. I really don't want to pay 100€ for a waveblaster card.

why are you running diagnose AND aweutil? usually you only need one. I'd also say you probably dont need CTSB16.SYS or CTMMSYS.SYS either.

BloodyCactus wrote:

why are you running diagnose AND aweutil? usually you only need one. I'd also say you probably dont need CTSB16.SYS or CTMMSYS.SYS either.

It's all what the installation procedure created automatically without asking me so I didn't know if something is not needed.

BloodyCactus wrote:

why are you running diagnose AND aweutil? usually you only need one. I'd also say you probably dont need CTSB16.SYS or CTMMSYS.SYS either.

I did now some testing:

If CTSB16.SYS and CTMMSYS.SYS are not included, there's no OPL/adlib sound in any game, while in diagnose it plays correctly. Funnily even after putting them back in config.sys, adlib was still totally mute in games although I restarted computer several times. Adlib was mute until I ran diagnose. WTF is going on?

Also if "aweutil /S" was the only one, there's no adlib in games. With "diagnose /S" alone it works.

However all of this didn't make any difference to the crash when trying to use midi emulation in real-mode game.

There is a solution to your protected mode General MIDI/Waveblaster music problem, however it requires Windows 95 and higher.

If you use Windows 95 or higher, the AWEUTIL problem with protected mode games will not be present, because the Windows 95 drivers for the AWE32 provide an MPU-401 emulation layer for the proprietary EMU8000 music synthesizer (this requires installing the software for the card - http://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=311&menustate=0) which is controlled by the Windows 95 AWE32 Control Panel. It basically redirects all port accesses to port 330 (or another port number you set your MPU-401 to use) to port 620 (or another port number you set your EMU8000 to use).

This method works with protected mode games (examples include Doom 1/2, Duke Nukem 3D, etc), however they must be able to run in a Windows 95 DOS box/window (MS-DOS Prompt), otherwise the AWEUTIL problem will reappear (once you start the computer in Windows 95 MS-DOS mode)

This method also allows you to use custom .SF2 and .SBK format soundfonts with MS-DOS programs (subject to the Windows limitations listed above, as well as an adequate amount of RAM installed on your AWE32).

Also, AWEUTIL is not necessary when using Windows 95, as the Windows 95 AWE32 drivers initialize the OPL3 and EMU8000 chips (only in Windows 95, MS-DOS mode requires AWEUTIL, which does not have MPU-401 emulation for protected mode games, and it is required to initialize both the OPL3 and EMU8000 chips, because the OPL3 is wired into the EMU8000's DAC).

Sooo... this have been so confusing but I made success eventually. Basically in Win95 everything works just fine. I can play all the general midi supporting games perfectly from windows. Both real-mode and protected mode games works just fine with general midi in windows!

The only issue was that my favourite game (Apogee's Hocus Pocus) always says that "invalid parameter in blaster environment variable" which means it plays general midi just fine but can't play sound blaster effects and in dos mode it's opposite 🤣

Hocus Pocus simply can't work when there's awe card's "E620" parameter in Blaster environment which Creative program creates automatically if it's missing. However, even though I removed that parameter and then made autoexec.bat into read-only state, the game still complains about invalid parameter while there's no "E620" in autoexec.bat.

The solution was simple: Keep autoexec.bat in read-only and then have "AWEUTIL /EM:GM" command from dos before starting the game and it worked! 😊 😊 😊 😊

If only this card could work in my 486 DOS machine as well... 😒

grommit2007 wrote:

There is a solution to your protected mode General MIDI/Waveblaster music problem, however it requires Windows 95 and higher.

I didn't see your post when writing mine. Hocus Pocus game was the only one not working properly but managed to fix it. Hocus Pocus is not protected mode hence I had hopes to be able to play it in 486 DOS computer but every game just crashes.

I would also suggest not using the .SYS DOS files from Creative as well, as they consume a lot of conventional DOS memory, and are only used by a proprietary Creative player utility. Under DOS, the SET BLASTER variable and the AWEUTIL /S command should be sufficient to initialize the card.

Also, is your card non-PnP, semi-PnP, or fully PnP?

grommit2007 wrote:

I would also suggest not using the .SYS DOS files from Creative as well, as they consume a lot of conventional DOS memory, and are only used by a proprietary Creative player utility. Under DOS, the SET BLASTER variable and the AWEUTIL /S command should be sufficient to initialize the card.

Also, is your card non-PnP, semi-PnP, or fully PnP?

Yeah figured. Readme said to use them in config.sys but the game would not run because of low memory.

I don't even need to run aweutil /S if I let it start windows and then restart into dos mode. Then only /EM:GM is enough.

My card is non-PnP model.

also your is missing the EMU8k port. like E620, but you'd need to verify it yours is 620 or not.

SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 E620 T6

The best way to use AWE sound cards is as General MIDI devices under Win9x (including DOS games running from a Windows DOS box), and for DOS use it as a SB16 with AWE synth for games that support it (partial list here) and SB16 with FM music for games that don't explicitly support AWE synth.

This requires only AWEUTIL /S to initialize the EMU800 for AWE/FM modes. The GM emulation in DOS is buggy, limited, and unreliable as you found out, so I would never bother with AWEUTIL /EM.

BloodyCactus wrote:

also your is missing the EMU8k port. like E620, but you'd need to verify it yours is 620 or not.

SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 E620 T6

If you didn't read my post, I omitted it for a reason because my favourite game says ""invalid parameter in blaster environment variable" if E620 is there. So far it seems that all the games work even without it.

grommit2007 wrote on 2019-03-02, 01:32:

@grommit2007

You sent me a PM regarding Audigy 4 & SB X-Fi Elite Pro drivers.. but I can't reply back coz of this forum's re+arded rules.
Yes, I got the Discs for both cards.. but am unable to post them on vogons drivers, because more re+arded rules and because nobody answered my messages (*ahem*.. SqallStrife)

B24Fox wrote on 2020-06-27, 22:35:

@grommit2007 […]
Show full quote

grommit2007 wrote on 2019-03-02, 01:32:

@grommit2007

You sent me a PM regarding Audigy 4 & SB X-Fi Elite Pro drivers.. but I can't reply back coz of this forum's re+arded rules.
Yes, I got the Discs for both cards.. but am unable to post them on vogons drivers, because more re+arded rules and because nobody answered my messages (*ahem*.. SqallStrife)

You ain't been around these parts very long have you?

The rules are there for a reason.

B24Fox wrote on 2020-06-27, 22:35:

@grommit2007 […]
Show full quote

grommit2007 wrote on 2019-03-02, 01:32:

@grommit2007

You sent me a PM regarding Audigy 4 & SB X-Fi Elite Pro drivers.. but I can't reply back coz of this forum's re+arded rules.
Yes, I got the Discs for both cards.. but am unable to post them on vogons drivers, because more re+arded rules and because nobody answered my messages (*ahem*.. SqallStrife)

Being insulting towards people is not going to convince them to put up the drivers any faster.