I understand the ES1370 is likely the most hated sound card on Vogons, but hear me out.

I installed the drivers just fine, and the card works amazing for Windows programs and games. However, in DOS games, the card often hangs notes for no discernible reason, grinding the entire system to a near halt in doing so. This occurs in both General MIDI and Sound Blaster mode with the horrible FM emulation.

However, I discovered that if I hold down any key on the keyboard, the card works “correctly”. That is, the program no longer comes to a near halt all the time, but still often freezes. I recorded the first level of Doom to demonstrate, while holding down a key on the keyboard. I moved around in game a few times to also demonstrate the random hanging.

I’m at a loss as to what might be causing this; any help would be appreciated!