Quotes from Serge, the developer:

"You can easily plug it in USB or on your old soundblaster, and play."

“You can just plug X2 in USB or on your Soundblaster, and play,”

I actually couldn't get the X2GS to output audio via USB, but I only tried it out on one system, and that system already has a USB soundbar attached. I didn't spend any serious time troubleshooting; I just hooked it up to line-in for testing. I didn't notice any meaningful difference between the X2GS and using VirtualMIDISynth loaded with the "Timbres of Heaven" sound font, so I removed the Dreamblaster. Maybe a true audiophile will recognize the variations. I now allocate Dreamblasters to retro hardware.

https://coolsoft.altervista.org/en/virtualmidisynth

Now, the Dreamblaster(s) against the Microsoft GM Synth... it is night and day. If I build any "retro," system 9X and earlier, where MIDI might be involved, you can be sure a Dreamblaster is part of the build.

I have the X2GS, X2, S2, and E-wave (and the X2BOX enclosure).

Meatball wrote on 2022-03-09, 18:06:

Quotes from Serge, the developer: […]
Show full quote

Quotes from Serge, the developer:

"You can easily plug it in USB or on your old soundblaster, and play."

“You can just plug X2 in USB or on your Soundblaster, and play,”

I actually couldn't get the X2GS to output audio via USB, but I only tried it out on one system, and that system already has a USB soundbar attached. I didn't spend any serious time troubleshooting; I just hooked it up to line-in for testing. I didn't notice any meaningful difference between the X2GS and using VirtualMIDISynth loaded with the "Timbres of Heaven" sound font, so I removed the Dreamblaster. Maybe a true audiophile will recognize the variations. I now allocate Dreamblasters to retro hardware.

https://coolsoft.altervista.org/en/virtualmidisynth

Now, the Dreamblaster(s) against the Microsoft GM Synth... it is night and day. If I build any "retro," system 9X and earlier, where MIDI might be involved, you can be sure a Dreamblaster is part of the build.

That's the sticky wicket. None of my current PCs have ISA slots, and the PCI/PCI-e SB cards lack the waveblaster header (plus, all of my sound cards are all external now). That's why I was hoping I could do it via USB, without having to deal with weirdness or even hooking it up to an SB ISA card.

Is there a section here, where folks sell "new/refurbed' stock? I'd love to build a 486DX4-100 DOS 6.2.2 machine (like I used to have) or *maybe* a P2/P3 at the top end for Win 9.x, since I really want to play old DOS games from my youth (like all the old adventure games, and few legacy RPGs).

Oh, and I do use VirtualMidiSynth (sometimes FliudSynth, in the case of ScummVM). Growing up, affording things like an SCC-1, MT-32, SC-55, or even the Roland GS wavedaughter board were out of reach (same with the Neo Geo AVS system I used to drool over). I was just thinking "Hey! Maybe I could make a vintage PC to play the games natively, without having to source used MT-32's or SC-55 Mk2 from Japan!".

Now, for the folks that had Amigas, Cloanta's Amiga Forever isn't bad at all. Used to be so jealous, since young me didn't read the fine print where it said "Amiga screens shown" and was disappointed when the games were in CGA on my old IBM PC. 🙁

Buying/Selling is prohibited on this board.

Do you have any spare MIDI/Gameports available? The "Chill n' Phil" MIDI adapter works great (I also own one), and I have used it with a Sound Blaster Live!

https://www.serdashop.com/CHiLLandPhilAdapter

Also, the USB out for the Dreamblaster won't function in Windows 9X. (Unless someone swoops in and gives us a link to get it working of which I am unaware!) Windows will see the device (it won't install natively on Windows 98 and earlier, but it will install on Windows ME). However, Windows 9X does not have the capabilities to play back USB audio without some kind of 3rd party driver (also of which I am unaware).

ThatIdiotCid wrote on 2022-03-09, 18:29:

That's the sticky wicket. None of my current PCs have ISA slots, and the PCI/PCI-e SB cards lack the waveblaster header (plus, all of my sound cards are all external now). That's why I was hoping I could do it via USB, without having to deal with weirdness or even hooking it up to an SB ISA card.

TTSolo cards do have a wavetable header or pads for soldering in such a header.
The cards also support SB-Link, which sadly was rarely available on pure ISA-less mainboards.

In theory, it would be possible to support HID devices etc in pure DOS, too.
If SoftMPU had support for USB controllers and MIDI cables..

The difference between normal MIDI and the wavetable header is mainly this:
MIDI uses a ground-loop, wavetable uses 5v levels (TTL).
Some opto-couplers etc. could be used to make a host card for wavetable cards..

Meatball wrote on 2022-03-09, 19:18:

Buying/Selling is prohibited on this board.

Darn. I've checked out every liquidator I know (and some recommended to me) and even that Free Geek Twin Cities place cited by a certain Youtuber. Other than that very first Gen Cisco Router I found for my boss for a video, everything is pretty much too new.

I've seen things on eBay, but that's like "I score my used gear from my former college roommates sketchiest friend". (not to mention that the CPU's I really want, seem to largely be found from Russian sellers, and with the sanctions and all, good luck with that).

Do you have any spare MIDI/Gameports available? The "Chill n' Phil" MIDI adapter works great (I also own one), and I have used it with a Sound Blaster Live!

https://www.serdashop.com/CHiLLandPhilAdapter

Afraid not. I rebuilt all my PC s for workstations, and each of them has external sound cards/EQs. I don't even use the onboard audio (and considering how many parts I've crammed in them, there's zero room for an SB AE-5, AE-9, Audigy, or a Z, and none have waveblaster daughterboard headers. And ISA slots are a non-starter. Hence my "Man,, hope I can use a Rolad USBMIDI card, or I'll be spending the rest of the year slooooowly assembling a vintage PC'

Also, the USB out for the Dreamblaster won't function in Windows 9X. (Unless someone swoops in and gives us a link to get it working of which I am unaware!) Windows will see the device (it won't install natively on Windows 98 and earlier, but it will install on Windows ME). However, Windows 9X does not have the capabilities to play back USB audio without some kind of 3rd party driver (also of which I am unaware).

Well danggit! Guess I'll be grabbing a used SC55 from Japan, since the ONE ISA SCC-1 card I've seen, is trying to sell for $1,000 on eBay. I've never lucked across the Roland GS daughterboards.

(I was hoping for a 2nd MT-32PL and a Dreamblaster XSG2 in that box as a stop gap in my Win 11 Pro machines, for use in ScummVM & Dropbox, but that sounds like a non-starter on vintage gear). I refused to get a Soundman Wave or an AWE64 Gold, like I did back in the day, ,thanks to the hanging note issue.

Oh well, appreciate the heads up, and the explanations! 😁

Jo22 wrote on 2022-03-09, 21:29:

TTSolo cards do have a wavetable header or pads for soldering in such a header. The cards also support SB-Link, which sadly was […]
Show full quote

ThatIdiotCid wrote on 2022-03-09, 18:29:

That's the sticky wicket. None of my current PCs have ISA slots, and the PCI/PCI-e SB cards lack the waveblaster header (plus, all of my sound cards are all external now). That's why I was hoping I could do it via USB, without having to deal with weirdness or even hooking it up to an SB ISA card.

TTSolo cards do have a wavetable header or pads for soldering in such a header.
The cards also support SB-Link, which sadly was rarely available on pure ISA-less mainboards.

In theory, it would be possible to support HID devices etc in pure DOS, too.
If SoftMPU had support for USB controllers and MIDI cables..

The difference between normal MIDI and the wavetable header is mainly this:
MIDI uses a ground-loop, wavetable uses 5v levels (TTL).
Some opto-couplers etc. could be used to make a host card for wavetable cards..

If my workstations weren't so jam packed with cards, that PCI Terratec would do the trick. No room inside them for an extra card, though. 🙁

Meatball wrote on 2022-03-09, 19:18:

Also, the USB out for the Dreamblaster won't function in Windows 9X. (Unless someone swoops in and gives us a link to get it working of which I am unaware!) Windows will see the device (it won't install natively on Windows 98 and earlier, but it will install on Windows ME). However, Windows 9X does not have the capabilities to play back USB audio without some kind of 3rd party driver (also of which I am unaware).

It's important to realize that this is not a Win9x restriction. The DB X2(GS) is NOT an USB Audio device, it cannot output digital audio through USB. It's just an USB Midi device meaning that if an OS has USB class compliant Midi driver (Win 9x has not) then you get a Midi Out port so Midi software can send Midi messages to DB X2. The DB X2 has an analog audio out (mini jack) so you can get the rendered audio by connecting a speaker directly to it or by connecting it to the Line In of your sound card.