mwdmeyer wrote on 2022-04-10, 02:49:

I've read that Windows 3.1 does not load the multimedia drivers in "standard" mode.

Windows 3.1 does load multimedia drivers in Standard mode.
Yes, some drivers refuse to work in that mode, but it's a limitation of the driver, not Windows.
Drivers for early Sound Blasters are shipped with Windows, so I would expect them to work in any mode.

In early 90’s i install ess688 soundcard (sound blaster pro clone) in hyundai 286-16 slim desktop without any issues with win 3.1

I vaguely remember that you need the very latest driver update for the win3x part so it works correctly
creative still hosts these drivers in their website

Windows 3.1 does indeed support multimedia in Standard-Mode, except..
Except if manufacturer provides the drivers as VXDs only (286 needs *.DRV drivers).

The same is true to video drivers of high resolution/colour depth.
Some of them do ship with drivers for 386 Enhanced-Mode only.

The sound drivers that come with Windows 3.1x do support Standard-Mode.
You can select the SB 1.5 driver, for example.

By the way: Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions 1.0 had Sound Blaster drivers, too.
These drivers included SB 2.0, SB Pro 1 and SB16.
All of them ran in Standard-Mode, too, which is notable.
So maybe you can use 3.0 MME and upgrade to 3.1x?
Later Creative drivers (later SB16 drivers) required 386 Enhanced-Mode to run,AFAIK.

PS: Back in the 90s I had a PAS16 soundcard in my 286.
It had Standard-Mode friendly drivers for Windows 3.1x.

Thanks guys, I will try with just the Win 3.1 SB1.5 built in drivers first. I wasn't sure if they would work.

I actually had a PAS16 in my 286 but the driver crashes when trying to set the volume via the command line. Also sometimes the sound didn't work until after you ran the test tool. This is why I switched to the SB 2.0.

The SB 2.0 does sound a lot worse, so I will have to review PAS16 again in future.

The 286 is pretty interesting with the various Win 3.1 limitations and the EMS memory stuff. It's fun 😀