The CT4170 is one of the latest SB16 to have been released and that card doesn't support proper HDMA unlike the other ones so you just have to use the same value as the DMA such as H1 if the DMA channel is 1. This also affects compatibility with some games that takes advantage of 16-bit mixing.

For the IRQ you should use CTCU to set the resources or better yet edit CTPNP.CFG.

DIAGNOSE with /S parameter is not necessary for PnP variants of the SB16, only CTCM is needed to initialize it.

The AUTOEXEC.BAT should be like this for the SB16 initialization in this case:

1SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 H1 P330 T6
2SET SOUND=C:\SB16
3SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E
4SET CTCM=C:\CTCM
5C:\CTCM\CTCM.EXE
6C:\SB16\MIXERSET /P /Q

Gmlb256 wrote on 2021-08-17, 19:01:

The CT4170 is one of the latest SB16 to have been released and that card doesn't support proper HDMA unlike the other ones so yo […]
Show full quote

The CT4170 is one of the latest SB16 to have been released and that card doesn't support proper HDMA unlike the other ones so you just have to use the same value as the DMA such as H1 if the DMA channel is 1. This also affects compatibility with some games that takes advantage of 16-bit mixing.

For the IRQ you should use CTCU to set the resources or better yet edit CTPNP.CFG.

DIAGNOSE with /S parameter is not necessary for PnP variants of the SB16, only CTCM is needed to initialize it.

The AUTOEXEC.BAT should be like this for the SB16 initialization in this case:

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1SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 H1 P330 T6
2SET SOUND=C:\SB16
3SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E
4SET CTCM=C:\CTCM
5C:\CTCM\CTCM.EXE
6C:\SB16\MIXERSET /P /Q

i just changed in ctcu irq to 7 and both dma to 1 ... after restart result is irq 10 dma 0 ... 🤣 wtf?? 😁

tried both. CTCU and also CTPNP.CFG edit ... after restart another random IRQ and DMA ... omg 😁

dudulinek wrote on 2021-08-17, 19:40:

i just changed in ctcu irq to 7 and both dma to 1 ... after restart result is irq 10 dma 0 ... 🤣 wtf?? 😁

There is a reason why PnP sometimes got called Plug and Pray. Could you display the content of CTPNP.CFG file located at C:\CTCM?

On the BIOS try setting IRQ 5, 9, 10 and 11 to "Legacy ISA". Do the same for the DMA channel 0 and 3. Also disable "PNP OS Installed" since MS-DOS is not one of these and this lets the BIOS to configure the resources.

Also you can try the UNISOUND driver as an alternative if anything here is not working.

Gmlb256 wrote on 2021-08-17, 19:48:

There is a reason why PnP sometimes got called Plug and Pray. Could you display the content of CTPNP.CFG file located at C:\CTCM […]
Show full quote

dudulinek wrote on 2021-08-17, 19:40:

i just changed in ctcu irq to 7 and both dma to 1 ... after restart result is irq 10 dma 0 ... 🤣 wtf?? 😁

There is a reason why PnP sometimes got called Plug and Pray. Could you display the content of CTPNP.CFG file located at C:\CTCM?

On the BIOS try setting IRQ 5, 9, 10 and 11 to "Legacy ISA". Do the same for the DMA channel 0 and 3. Also disable "PNP OS Installed" since MS-DOS is not one of these and this lets the BIOS to configure the resources.

Also you can try the UNISOUND driver as an alternative if anything here is not working.

ok i will try change bios thank u so much for help.

btw i can buy CT2950 is this card better than my 4170? Shall i buy? Is 2950 ok for old dos games?

dudulinek wrote on 2021-08-17, 20:21:

btw i can buy CT2950 is this card better than my 4170? Shall i buy? Is 2950 ok for old dos games?

In regard to HDMA compatibility yes. However you may want to stay away from that revision since it suffers from single-cycle DMA clicking and if you intend to use the MPU-401 support in the future.

Single-cycle DMA clicking occurs on older games such as Wolfenstein 3-D and Duke Nukem II where a click is heard when a sample is done during playback. This doesn't happen with the SB16 Vibra and AWE64 cards.

Consider getting the CT2940 since it is one of the best SB16 variants in terms of noise and have less issues aside from MPU-401.

Gmlb256 wrote on 2021-08-17, 20:30:

In regard to HDMA compatibility yes. However you may want to stay away from that revision since it suffers from single-cycle DMA […]
Show full quote

dudulinek wrote on 2021-08-17, 20:21:

btw i can buy CT2950 is this card better than my 4170? Shall i buy? Is 2950 ok for old dos games?

In regard to HDMA compatibility yes. However you may want to stay away from that revision since it suffers from single-cycle DMA clicking and if you intend to use the MPU-401 support in the future.

Single-cycle DMA clicking occurs on older games such as Wolfenstein 3-D and Duke Nukem II where a click is heard when a sample is done during playback. This doesn't happen with the SB16 Vibra and AWE64 cards.

Consider getting the CT2940 since it is one of the best SB16 variants in terms of noise and have less issues aside from MPU-401.

complete ignor my settings 😜

1https://youtu.be/Wbe3P5xFFy0

... i think i will put back to computer Live SB0220 old games very bad midi but general midi in other games are fine. Maybe ill try ESS ES1938S Solo-1

dudulinek wrote on 2021-08-17, 21:03:

... i think i will put back to computer Live SB0220 old games very bad midi but general midi in other games are fine. Maybe ill try ESS ES1938S Solo-1

Ok. The DOS compatibility with PCI sound cards are not good compared to the ISA ones because the ISA DMA is not compatible with the PCI bus. The Sound Blaster Live! requires EMM386 to be loaded prior initialization.

As for the video, I saw the CTPNP.CFG and some of the settings are wrong there. I suggest setting these values for Dma0, Dma1, Port1 and Irq0:

1Dma0=1
2Dma1=1
3Port1=330
4Irq0=7

Dma0 is the low DMA, Dma1 is HDMA and Port1 is the MPU-401 port (forgot to say that detail). When finishing editing that file set it to read-only just in case:

1ATTRIB CTPNP.CFG +R

So it won't be modified. If the DMA settings are still not working use H3 for the BLASTER environment and Dma1=3 for CTPNP.CFG and set back DMA Channel 3 back to "PCI/ISA PnP" on the BIOS.

On the "PNP/PCI Configuration" settings I saw that you almost set everything to "Legacy ISA". I told you some specific IRQ and DMA channels there to set not everything.

Just a heads up that the sb0220 is a dell OEM card albeit the improved one. Not sure but I doubt it has any DOS support. I never had much problems with my vibra tbh, should be able to prevent the is to handle IRQs and be ok..

Joakim wrote on 2021-08-17, 21:38:

I never had much problems with my vibra tbh, should be able to prevent the is to handle IRQs and be ok..

Same with my AWE64 here. Normally these cards should be able to set any free IRQ, DMA and port resources but sometimes the auto-configuration causes some unusual things to the CTPNP.CFG file.

Gmlb256 wrote on 2021-08-17, 21:42:

Joakim wrote on 2021-08-17, 21:38:

I never had much problems with my vibra tbh, should be able to prevent the is to handle IRQs and be ok..

Same with my AWE64 here. Normally these cards should be able to set any free IRQ, DMA and port resources but sometimes the auto-configuration causes some unusual things to the CTPNP.CFG file.

so u think i have to buy awe32/64?

I tried this card with no luck. Drivers not working under pure DOS 6.22.

1https://www.philscomputerlab.com/ess-es1938s-solo-1.html

So installed drivers from here and result is midi playing fine but sound effect no. Games like descent detecting NO IRQ ... there is in setup after detection h220 i* d1 hd5 😁 irq is STAR

1https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=19212

Joakim wrote on 2021-08-17, 21:38:

Just a heads up that the sb0220 is a dell OEM card albeit the improved one. Not sure but I doubt it has any DOS support. I never had much problems with my vibra tbh, should be able to prevent the is to handle IRQs and be ok..

SB0220 working in DOS without any problem. But with only with mainstream games like doom, blood, duke3d, descent, warcraft 2, Transport Tycoon ... problem is with older games emulation working very bad 🙁

1https://youtu.be/KYBEioMifP8

dudulinek wrote on 2021-08-18, 00:55:

so u think i have to buy awe32/64? […]
Show full quote

Gmlb256 wrote on 2021-08-17, 21:42:

Joakim wrote on 2021-08-17, 21:38:

I never had much problems with my vibra tbh, should be able to prevent the is to handle IRQs and be ok..

Same with my AWE64 here. Normally these cards should be able to set any free IRQ, DMA and port resources but sometimes the auto-configuration causes some unusual things to the CTPNP.CFG file.

so u think i have to buy awe32/64?

I tried this card with no luck. Drivers not working under pure DOS 6.22.

Copy code to clipboard

1https://www.philscomputerlab.com/ess-es1938s-solo-1.html

So installed drivers from here and result is midi playing fine but sound effect no. Games like descent detecting NO IRQ ... there is in setup after detection h220 i* d1 hd5 😁 irq is STAR

Copy code to clipboard

1https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=19212

Joakim wrote on 2021-08-17, 21:38:

Just a heads up that the sb0220 is a dell OEM card albeit the improved one. Not sure but I doubt it has any DOS support. I never had much problems with my vibra tbh, should be able to prevent the is to handle IRQs and be ok..

SB0220 working in DOS without any problem. But with only with mainstream games like doom, blood, duke3d, descent, warcraft 2, Transport Tycoon ... problem is with older games emulation working very bad 🙁

Copy code to clipboard

1https://youtu.be/KYBEioMifP8

I'm not saying that you should buy a SB AWE32/64. I have one of these cards and it exactly uses the same configurations programs for the resources and have not any issues.

Also did you try UNISOUND which I mentioned prior? You should have much less problem with this universal driver for setting the resources.

The DOS support for PCI sound cards can be hit and miss and I find them more useful on Windows. The FM emulation for the Sound Blaster Live! is mediocre in my experience.

You could put both the ess card and the sb0220 in there and deactivate the ess one in in windows. I have this setup on both my DOS rigs.

But with other cards. I only have an ess on my retro laptop and it sounded quite nice in DOS except for the static noise but that is probably not the sound chip..

I'm in the process of rebuilding every rig I have without anything made by creative, except maybe my XP rig since I can't live without EAX at that point.

ok ... ok ... ok ... problem solved guys 😀 My new friend. Everything now work fine 😀

dudulinek wrote on 2021-08-18, 16:48:

ok ... ok ... ok ... problem solved guys :) My new friend. Everything now work fine :) https://i.ibb.co/L9Hbhn7/IMG-20210818-154 […]
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ok ... ok ... ok ... problem solved guys 😀 My new friend. Everything now work fine 😀

Glad that you sorted it out! Great that the card has a real OPL3 there!

One thing to be careful with the CT2950 is with the single-cycle DMA bug there though. If that doesn't annoy you then it's fine.

Gmlb256 wrote on 2021-08-17, 19:01:

The CT4170 is one of the latest SB16 to have been released and that card doesn't support proper HDMA unlike the other ones so yo […]
Show full quote

The CT4170 is one of the latest SB16 to have been released and that card doesn't support proper HDMA unlike the other ones so you just have to use the same value as the DMA such as H1 if the DMA channel is 1. This also affects compatibility with some games that takes advantage of 16-bit mixing.

For the IRQ you should use CTCU to set the resources or better yet edit CTPNP.CFG.

DIAGNOSE with /S parameter is not necessary for PnP variants of the SB16, only CTCM is needed to initialize it.

The AUTOEXEC.BAT should be like this for the SB16 initialization in this case:

Copy code to clipboard

1SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 H1 P330 T6
2SET SOUND=C:\SB16
3SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E
4SET CTCM=C:\CTCM
5C:\CTCM\CTCM.EXE
6C:\SB16\MIXERSET /P /Q

Is this a software problem in configuring games or a hardware limitation. So if you can get a game configured with high=low dma =1) it plays back 16 bit mixing etc, exactly the same as a card supports high dma(ie your not missing anything or lower quality sound) . I noticed the physical high dma gold contacts pins are missing on my ct4170 compared to my ct4180. I don't really know the point of high dma then, if everything still works in 16bit on cards like ct4170. What does it actually enable, a slight overhead speed improvement on say a 386 compared to when using just low dma?

Riikcakirds wrote on 2021-08-19, 14:15:

Is this a software problem in configuring games or a hardware limitation. So if you can get a game configured with high=low dma =1) it plays back 16 bit mixing etc, exactly the same as a card supports high dma(ie your not missing anything or lower quality sound) . I noticed the physical high dma gold contacts pins are missing on my ct4170 compared to my ct4180. I don't really know the point of high dma then, if everything still works in 16bit on cards like ct4170. What does it actually enable, a slight speed improvement on say a 386 compared to when using just low dma??

For the CT4170 it seems to be a hardware limitation as the CT4180 uses the older Vibra16C chip instead of Vibra16XV. The point of using HDMA is for better DMA transfer performance when using 16-bit mixing.

Some DOS applications doesn't work with low DMA values for HDMA when selecting the SB16 option as these applications only allows real high DMA.