As far as I know, both are fine and "true" SB lives. Beware of the SB0200, the earlier Dell OEM live - this is the one with no EAX acceleration in hardware.

pc-sound-legacy wrote on 2021-10-11, 18:19:

As far as I know, both are fine and "true" SB lives. Beware of the SB0200, the earlier Dell OEM live - this is the one with no EAX acceleration in hardware.

This.

However I've heard that the SB0220 needs specific drivers on Windows 9x. Alternatively the Audigy2 ZS drivers works for both cards using a trick done by Joseph_Joestar on the following link: Guide: Installing Windows 9x and DOS drivers on Sound Blaster Live! cards (version 3.1).

One has to make sure that VXD drivers are installed, not the WDM ones due to performance and stability problems.

I didn't really enjoy the SB0220 that much, it wouldn't do any sort of DOSing at all , in windows or true DOS. I'm using a ct4760, it's been a peach thus far.

I have the CD for the 4830 if you would like the drivers that came with the card. Just used it on a 98 machine and seems to be working well.

fxgogo wrote on 2021-10-13, 06:12:

I have the CD for the 4830 if you would like the drivers that came with the card. Just used it on a 98 machine and seems to be working well.

There is no need to do that as it's already on VOGONS drivers.

That is good to know Gmlb256.

If you use LiveWare v3.0 with the CT4830 you should be able to get the SB16 emulation working. The original driver disc may also work too, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

Forget about DOS or SB16 emulation with the SB0220. Otherwise, I've found it to be an excellent card that is frequently overlooked.

You may also find this useful:

Sound Blaster Live! Audio Cards are not all the same

KT7AGuy wrote on 2021-10-16, 21:12:

Forget about DOS or SB16 emulation with the SB0220.

DOS compatibility works just fine on the SB0220 when Audigy drivers are used.

On topic, the CT4830 lacks the CD_SPDIF header and is a 4.1 card. The SB0220 lacks the AUD_EXT header (LiveDrive front panel) and is a 5.1 card.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2021-10-17, 03:41:

KT7AGuy wrote on 2021-10-16, 21:12:

Forget about DOS or SB16 emulation with the SB0220.

DOS compatibility works just fine on the SB0220 when Audigy drivers are used.

On topic, the CT4830 lacks the CD_SPDIF header and is a 4.1 card. The SB0220 lacks the AUD_EXT header (LiveDrive front panel) and is a 5.1 card.

The CT4830 is the only model that I've failed to find a matching install CD that installs smoothly and without problems or tweaks on 98SE (the one on Vogons Drivers linked above doesn't work for me).

Yesterday, I found this ISO on archive.org that seems to work: https://archive.org/details/sb-instal-sb-0220

It's for the SB0220, but it is a late version that seems to work with a range of Live! cards and early Audigy cards.

Rather than running the autorun setup program (which will install the WDM driver), you have to wait for 98SE to detect the plug and play card and ask for a driver. Then you point to D:/audio/drivers/98se_me, and then you tell the setup program to install an older set of drivers and not the default. This installs the VXD drivers.

However, the setup program doesn't install the legacy DOS drivers. Is there an easy way to do this? (I know about Joseph_Joestar's great method for using the Audigy install CD but was wondering if there is another way using only this install CD.) Thanks!

boxpressed,

Here's the original disc that came with the CT4830:
https://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fil … menustate=45,38

KT7AGuy wrote on 2022-01-25, 20:34:

boxpressed,

Here's the original disc that came with the CT4830:
https://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fil … menustate=45,38

Thank you. I think I tried this CD years ago, but I decided to try again. A fresh install of 98SE. It seemed to be working, but then this happened:

This is the sign that the CD is not a perfect match for the card. I don't doubt that it worked for you, but my CT4830 must be different. This pop-up doesn't appear on a smooth install. And the CT4830 is the only model where I can't locate a CD for it.

If you skip this pop-up, the install completes, but then you see this on reboot:

So, it's a no go for me, unfortunately. I appreciate the suggestion.

boxpressed wrote on 2022-01-25, 21:47:

This is the sign that the CD is not a perfect match for the card. I don't doubt that it worked for you, but my CT4830 must be different. This pop-up doesn't appear on a smooth install. And the CT4830 is the only model where I can't locate a CD for it.

This here is the latest and greatest SBLive CD that I found which still offers VxD driver installation. It appears to be from 2001 and its DISK.ID file says:

1Sound Blaster Live! 5.1
2SBL5-CDS5D-W1-L4
3QS : 543594 (CT4870)
4( R10 )

From what I can see in the INF files, this CD might support the CT4830 as well, so give it a shot. On a side note, this version works perfectly on my SB0100 while the one that I found on Vogonsdrivers did not, and gave me a hard lock when selecting the "I have a LiveDrive" option during setup.

During normal installation (autorun) this CD will ask you to choose between VxD and WDM drivers. Be sure to select VxD if you want proper DOS compatibility. The VxD driver version that gets installed is:

14.12.01.0906

This appears to be slightly newer than any of the CDs from Vogonsdrivers. For reference, its driver date code is 5-10-2001.

boxpressed wrote on 2022-01-25, 14:15:

Yesterday, I found this ISO on archive.org that seems to work: https://archive.org/details/sb-instal-sb-0220

It's for the SB0220, but it is a late version that seems to work with a range of Live! cards and early Audigy cards.

That link doesn't seem to work for me, giving out a metadata related error.

Can you check the VxD driver version on that CD? I'm curious if it's newer than the one I linked to above.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2022-01-27, 04:13:

boxpressed wrote on 2022-01-25, 14:15:

Yesterday, I found this ISO on archive.org that seems to work: https://archive.org/details/sb-instal-sb-0220

It's for the SB0220, but it is a late version that seems to work with a range of Live! cards and early Audigy cards.

That link doesn't seem to work for me, giving out a metadata related error.

Can you check the VxD driver version on that CD? I'm curious if it's newer than the one I linked to above.

The VXD drivers are dated 8/28/2003

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2022-01-26, 05:37:

This here is the latest and greatest SBLive CD that I found which still offers VxD driver installation. It appears to be from 20 […]
Show full quote

boxpressed wrote on 2022-01-25, 21:47:

This is the sign that the CD is not a perfect match for the card. I don't doubt that it worked for you, but my CT4830 must be different. This pop-up doesn't appear on a smooth install. And the CT4830 is the only model where I can't locate a CD for it.

This here is the latest and greatest SBLive CD that I found which still offers VxD driver installation. It appears to be from 2001 and its DISK.ID file says:

Copy code to clipboard

1Sound Blaster Live! 5.1
2SBL5-CDS5D-W1-L4
3QS : 543594 (CT4870)
4( R10 )

From what I can see in the INF files, this CD might support the CT4830 as well, so give it a shot. On a side note, this version works perfectly on my SB0100 while the one that I found on Vogonsdrivers did not, and gave me a hard lock when selecting the "I have a LiveDrive" option during setup.

During normal installation (autorun) this CD will ask you to choose between VxD and WDM drivers. Be sure to select VxD if you want proper DOS compatibility. The VxD driver version that gets installed is:

Copy code to clipboard

14.12.01.0906

This appears to be slightly newer than any of the CDs from Vogonsdrivers. For reference, its driver date code is 5-10-2001.

Thanks -- will give this one a shot tomorrow!

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2022-01-26, 05:37:

This here is the latest and greatest SBLive CD that I found which still offers VxD driver installation. It appears to be from 20 […]
Show full quote

boxpressed wrote on 2022-01-25, 21:47:

This is the sign that the CD is not a perfect match for the card. I don't doubt that it worked for you, but my CT4830 must be different. This pop-up doesn't appear on a smooth install. And the CT4830 is the only model where I can't locate a CD for it.

This here is the latest and greatest SBLive CD that I found which still offers VxD driver installation. It appears to be from 2001 and its DISK.ID file says:

Copy code to clipboard

1Sound Blaster Live! 5.1
2SBL5-CDS5D-W1-L4
3QS : 543594 (CT4870)
4( R10 )

From what I can see in the INF files, this CD might support the CT4830 as well, so give it a shot. On a side note, this version works perfectly on my SB0100 while the one that I found on Vogonsdrivers did not, and gave me a hard lock when selecting the "I have a LiveDrive" option during setup.

During normal installation (autorun) this CD will ask you to choose between VxD and WDM drivers. Be sure to select VxD if you want proper DOS compatibility. The VxD driver version that gets installed is:

Copy code to clipboard

14.12.01.0906

This appears to be slightly newer than any of the CDs from Vogonsdrivers. For reference, its driver date code is 5-10-2001.

This one almost worked! It installed without a hitch unlike every other CD. But then, no sound. I like how this installer asks if you want VXD or WDM. I don't know if I've ever seen another one that does that.

boxpressed wrote on 2022-01-27, 15:23:

This one almost worked! It installed without a hitch unlike every other CD. But then, no sound.

Interesting. This is the first time I've heard about that kind of behavior - drivers properly installed, but no sound. Does the SBLive entry show up correctly in Device Manager? No exclamation marks anywhere? And are the volume sliders definitively not muted?

Also, out of sheer curiosity, do the WDM drivers from the same CD work on that CT4830?

I like how this installer asks if you want VXD or WDM. I don't know if I've ever seen another one that does that.

Yeah, that's pretty neat. It's also funny how Creative openly tells us that VxD should be used for gaming and WDM for music creation and other professional audio work.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2022-01-27, 15:37:

Interesting. This is the first time I've heard about that kind of behavior - drivers properly installed, but no sound. Does the […]
Show full quote

boxpressed wrote on 2022-01-27, 15:23:

This one almost worked! It installed without a hitch unlike every other CD. But then, no sound.

Interesting. This is the first time I've heard about that kind of behavior - drivers properly installed, but no sound. Does the SBLive entry show up correctly in Device Manager? No exclamation marks anywhere? And are the volume sliders definitively not muted?

Also, out of sheer curiosity, do the WDM drivers from the same CD work on that CT4830?

I like how this installer asks if you want VXD or WDM. I don't know if I've ever seen another one that does that.

Yeah, that's pretty neat. It's also funny how Creative openly tells us that VxD should be used for gaming and WDM for music creation and other professional audio work.

In Device Manager, there was only one item -- the SB Live. That was odd and never happened before. No exclamation marks and no muting. I did not try the WDM drivers but will try later. The CT4830 is one of life's great mysteries.

boxpressed wrote:

In Device Manager, there was only one item -- the SB Live. That was odd and never happened before.

This driver CD is a bit different. It creates a separate section for DOS emulation called "Creative Miscellaneous Devices". Here's how Device Manager looks on my SB0100 with VxD drivers from that CD installed:

If you have that section as well, then it's safe to assume that the driver installation was successful.

Try running Creative Diagnostics which should have been installed by default, alongside the drivers. I wonder if you'll get any sounds during the various tests from that utility.