hard1k wrote:

Guys, it's as low as on the regular SB16/AWE64/Vibra cards, not lower, not higher. <snip>

Dang you're right. The render you posted skewed the view a bit I think.

Interesting project. Looking forward to buy one, if it's affordable.

Is it compatible with a Sound Blaster Pro 2.0 in Stereo for PCM sound, or is that a hardware limitation of the Creative chips?

No Creative SB16 card supports SB Pro. I think they had inherent limitations in the DSP. To do this, the EMU would likely be best used like a Goldfinch with an SB Pro chipset on the same card.

Hello guys!

We are happy to announce that the second prototype PCBs have arrived, so the tests will begin soon - we're still waiting for some components, but most of them are here already.
As you can see from the PCB and from the changelog in the first post, we've implemented most of your requests from the questionnaire. No other major changes will be made at this point, unless the current design shows some serious flaws. So, if my calculations are correct, the next PCB batch will be a production run, and it might get ready just in time for the Boxing Day. Fingers crossed!

Pictures of the current PCB for your viewing pleasure:

OK, that's HOT..

really sexy

VERY nice. how will you plan on doing sales? i am very keen 😀

There will be at least 2 options - blank PCB and fully assembled/tested product.
However it is still too early to talk about pricing, preorders, ETA, etc.

...work in progress...

Way cool, looks great!

That looks really awesome - thanks for listening and incorporating all the feedback!

I just fell in this thread and I find this sound card integration interesting. Although it seems to me that it's too late, I'm going to make some suggestions as well:

to implement (if you would like it):
1) An internal 2-pin header for digital out
In this way you can to connect to CD_SPDIF internal header of Live & Audigy creative sound cards
I use this to internally link my Goldfinch with my audigy 2 and use the effects of the KXproject.

2) Two or three holes on the PCB to insert mini spacer to fix the wavetable addon card.

Do you have any schematic (specially on the Mpu, OPL3 and analog parts) ?

I'm already half out of my mind by the expectation of nirvana this card would take me to.

hard1k, please put me in whatever list you are bookkeeping.

brownk wrote:

I'm already half out of my mind by the expectation of nirvana this card would take me to.

hard1k, please put me in whatever list you are bookkeeping.

Ditto, this is beyond awesome. I am closely watching this project with much anticipation. Please put me on the list 😀

Thanks to all of you guys, there's no list at the moment, as soon as we start accepting pre-orders we'll let you all know by an announcement in this thread, so stay tuned and check your updates from VOGONS.

stacker139 wrote:

1) An internal 2-pin header for digital out

Noted, will try to implement that.

stacker139 wrote:

2) Two or three holes on the PCB to insert mini spacer to fix the wavetable addon card.

Unfortunately there won't be any new holes (yet I'm personally for those, but the rest of the team don't like to drill the PCB without some absolute need; moreover the questionnaire has proved that not many people really need those holes).

stacker139 wrote:

Do you have any schematic (specially on the Mpu, OPL3 and analog parts) ?

We haven't yet decided to make the schematics publicly available, but we'll think about it later.

Some new pics:

Looking very forward to this project!

As far as I have read this on the AWE64 Legacy the EMU8K wavetable is not available as generic MPU-401 port.

Are there any considerations to make it available as it was implemented on the Waveblaster II?

No, we're keeping it as is. First, there is not much sense in it as it would deprive the Soundfont loading capability. Second, CT8920 chip is a highly integrated one, with no datasheet available, and hiding all of the former discrete chips (including the EMU8000) inside, so we've had to treat it as a black box with no deep alteration of the original schematics.

hard1k wrote:

No, we're keeping it as is. First, there is not much sense in it as it would deprive the Soundfont loading capability.

Ok, so having the Emu8K directly accessible through 0x620 and providing general MPU-401 access to it through e.g. a MC68K would not be possible at the same time?

And every feature beyond GM, like SF loading would require some protocol extension like other sound cards implement (e.g. SAM9407).