Kahenraz wrote on 2023-01-20, 21:59:
This card would be attractive for combining a known good digital FX chip for Sound Blaster Pro, a genuine Yamah OPL chip, and working MPU401 (wave table or external). I think I read that some of the features are available on optical as well.
My impression on this is that it's very similar to the Orpheus 1 but with the added benefit of a Yamaha OPL, which would otherwise require a second sound card (and a second slot), which may not even be a compatible configuration.
I haven't tried it, but is it possible to disable the FM portion of the Orpheus 1 or confure it to a port other than 0x388 so that another card can be used instead? This is what I do in another machine where I use the OPL chip from an ISA card but the FM from a PCI card.
Not quite. Orpheus I and II have a true OPL3 chip. The main novelty of the Orpheus II is the InterWave chip, offering GUS playback capabilities on the same card.
With Orphinit, you can change the 0x388 address indeed, and even disable the OPL chip.
kinkong wrote on 2023-01-20, 21:52:How does this compare to the MK8330 (ignoring MPU401 capability and price)? Would that make Orpheus II the go to for win9x?
Orpheus is an SB Pro compatible, with a true OPL3 chip, WSS support, wavetable and an optional PC-MIDI (Intelligent MPU-401). Its target is "early" DOS, as it has no SB16 compatibility. Still you can install it in Win9x, there are drivers for it and you will get sound. But if your focus is Win9x, there are better options.
MK8330 is more of a jack of all trade, with up to SB16 support, WSS, no real OPL3 chip but technically a 1 to 1 clone, and an optional PC-MIDI expansion. It will be useful in DOS, and in Win9x. If you have a heavy focus on Win9x with a bit of DOS on the side, I'd recommend the MK8330.
