I’m not a 286 expert either. But personally I’d like to have one at some point as well. I have a SB 2.0, CT1350b to be exact sitting in my closet waiting for a 286. It has the CMS chip slots and when the time comes I will upgrade it with those for as much compatibility as possible.

If you go Adlib all sound effects will be stuck to the PC Speaker only. That said I would also make sure your build has a good PC speaker. Plenty of early games seem like they only support PC speaker sound if you didn’t have a Tandy, so a good one comes in handy.

FinalJenemba wrote on 2023-06-14, 07:56:

I’m not a 286 expert either. But personally I’d like to have one at some point as well. I have a SB 2.0, CT1350b to be exact sitting in my closet waiting for a 286. It has the CMS chip slots and when the time comes I will upgrade it with those for as much compatibility as possible.

If you go Adlib all sound effects will be stuck to the PC Speaker only. That said I would also make sure your build has a good PC speaker. Plenty of early games seem like they only support PC speaker sound if you didn’t have a Tandy, so a good one comes in handy.

The particular options I am considering are:

• Adlib (Clone)
• Snark Barker (SB 1.5 clone with CMS chips, Non-PnP)
• Aztech BXII Extra (SB 2.0 clone, Non-PnP)
• Edison Gold-16 (ES688/OPL3 Pro 2.0 clone, Non-PnP)
• Sound Blaster 16 CT1740 (OPL3, Non-PnP)
• PCMIDI MPU-401 Intercace

The case has a beefy PC Speaker. I'm also not short on expansion slots so multiple card config is an option.

Looking at my games list Adlib is the only supported soundcard until '91 where I have 2 games with SoundBlaster support (Dune II, Gods)
92-93 more and more games support SoundBlaster but plenty support but plenty still only have Adlib.

Going off this true OPL chips is really important but a case can be made for needing SoundBlaster support.
And of course MT32 support for Sierra games

Maybe this may interest you Sonic Buster 8: A highly SB2.0-compatible 8-bit ISA sound card with OPL3 😉

LABS wrote on 2023-06-14, 09:19:

Maybe this may interest you Sonic Buster 8: A highly SB2.0-compatible 8-bit ISA sound card with OPL3 😉

Gentleman, you had my curiosity.. Now you have my attention! 😮

I'd use OPL2 based card on a 286 system. OPL3 just feels too new for a 286 and since OPL2 is more speed sensitive then certainly it should be used on systems that are not too fast.

I'd choose original 8-bit PAS and Roland LAPC-I for a 286. Both would be high-end cards of the time but not too new for a late 286. Of course both cards are very rare and expensive. I would like to use PAS because that would make 286 system something special: no SB compatibility at all but that might not matter much on a 286.

But if the target is 87-89 games, then PAS is too new. It would be simply a very expensive Adlib-clone. So in this case I would choose a card with CMS support (nice to have but not very useful). That would be any Sound Blaster 1.0-2.0 or perhaps Ati Stereo F/X. Ati would be better quality and make the system somewhat special and different.

I've used SB 2.0 with CMS chips on my 286 build. 286 feels like a nice opportunity to mess with CMS stuff, and also pre-SB16 Creative cards sound very nice for my taste. So out of your list I'd pick a Snark Blaster.

One big limitation of the pre-SB Pro cards is that they use line-in only for recording, but can't mix it in with the output. So feeding MT-32 into those cards will not work, you'll need an external mixer. Not sure if Snark Blaster has the same limitation though. Then again, I'd argue a 386 or a low-end 486 is a better option for MT-32 stuff. Also not sure if a lot of early MT-32 games actually do any sound effects on SB, I think you can just plug your speaker jack into the MT-32.

Personally, I think that both 8-/16-Bit sound cards are fine. Or OPL2/OPL3 when it comes to FM.
An 286 PC belongs to the AT class, just like 386/486 PCs.
It has same 16-Bit ISA slots, too.

In case of games, it merely has the downside of not supporting DOS4GW titles.
Which ironically are the ones coming Miles Sound System or other middleware audio drivers
supporting OPL3, General MIDI, GUS or EMU8000 (AWE32).

So it makes sense limiting the 286 to older titles nowadays, if the favorite games don't run.
If an SB 1.x or SB 2.0 or ATI Stereo FX is installed, CMS/GameBlaster support is possible.

I went that route on my Schneider Tower AT 220. It's a 286 system running at 10 MHz.
It's very quick and can run some 386/486 era games nicely, such as flight sims or graphic adventures.

Unfortunately, games like Keen IV, Jill of Jungle, Wing Commander, SkyRoads, Mission Supernova (German),
In Search of Dr. Riptide or Gateway or Wonderland do support SB 1.x and AdLib, but are not taking advantage of the OPL3.
Those games that would usually want an extender (Sam&Max, Knights of Xentar, MegaMan X etc).

On the other hand, again, EMU386 can make some games make work that require a 386 processor, but no 32-Bit DOS Extender.

That makes Japanese Visual Novels run, along with the Kanji fonts (Seasons of the Sakura, Runaway City, 3 Sisters Story) etc.
Same goes for other converted PC-98 titles like Marble Cooking or Rusty.
Screenshot: Re: Timeline of MS-DOS for NEC PC98 and more
And these in turn usually support OPL2/AdLib via IBMPMD sound driver. Edit: Correction - "PMDIBM.COM"
Along with high-res 640x400 graphics (640x480 view port). So VGA graphics make sense, just like with a 386/486.

So all in all, a 286 is very capable. Unfortunately, most users treated it like an XT class system.
Which is sad but also. understandable.
It was a platform that existed between generations.
When it was introduced, little to no software titles took advantage of its features.
And then, the 386 was soon around the corner..

Windows 3.1x probably is/was probably the platform that has the latest software for a 286.
Simply because users made compatible software for it without thinking about supporting the 286 specifically.
The development tools for Windows 3.1x were mostly 16-Bit through and through.

Personally, I've had a Pro Audio Spectrum 16 installed in my 286 back in the 90s.
It had an SCSI interface that was useful for using a CD-ROM drive.
Thus, I got my PAS16 as part of a multimedia upgrade kit.

It also worked fine on Windows 3.1 in Standard Mode.
I could record/playback in CD quality and have OPL3 MIDI via Voyetra Super Sapi driver.
On Windows 3.1x, the PAS16 was fully functional, despite the fact that the PC was a 286.

Speaking of music, some Amiga trackers do profit from 16-Bit Stereo support.
Same goes for FM. AdLib Tracker and similar programs may benefit of an OPL3 stereo chip.
Sadly, 286 support isn't the best here.

So bottom line, a 286 is fine for either type of sound card.
Merely AWE32/64 and Gravis Ultrasound and similar advanced cards should be in a 386/486/586, rather.
Simply because these cards rely on V86-based emulation utilities and 386+ software titles so much.

PS: If authenticity is important, I'd go with either an GameBlaster or 8-Bit Sound Blaster by Creative Labs. Or a plain AdLib.
Not a genuine SB Pro 1 or 2. The reason is FM/DAC volume balance. Even a SB16 (or SB Pro clone with mixer) is a better alternative than a real SB Pro.
See FM and PCM Volume Balance of SB Cards

appiah4 wrote on 2023-06-14, 07:40:

I'm in the process of building a 286 PC. For the first time. And yes, I also think 286 is quite useless from a retro gaming point of view, but it is a piece of computer history I never used intimately and I want to get to know it better.

I'm hoping you'll be pleasantly surprised. This is the era of the early Sierra, LucasArts, and SSI games, which are some of the classics. So IMHO, it's a pretty good era to game in. 😀

1a. Is an Adlib enough, or do I need a SB compatible card for digital sound?
1b. If yes, is OPL2/SB 2.0 compatible enough here or do I want to go with OPL3/Pro 2.0 compatible regardless?

Adlib w/ OPL2 is enough.

My favorite sound card for this era is the MediaVision Thunder Board. It's an SB1.0 clone, but I just treat it as an Adlib card with a built-in joystick port.

I also wouldn't bother with other options at the time (e.g. CMS) unless you're particularly curious about how they sounded. Adlib and MT-32 offered the best sound/music options for that time.

2. I suppose an intelligent MIDI interface card is a no brainer considering SoftMPU won't run?

Yes, for MT-32 support. MT-32 support is definitely useful for late 80s gaming. An alternative would be a Roland LAPC-I, but those are quite pricey and rare these days.

3. Do I want to try my luck with a PnP or Semi-PnP card or should I just stick to Non-PnP cards I have?

Stick with era-compatible cards. Since the games of the era supplied their own drivers, it basically ends up being a PnP experience.

I have a 286 with four sound cards and it's amazing to me how things work just by picking the sound card option in the games themselves. No drivers needed on start up, no mucking around with hardware settings. Everything just works.

Shponglefan wrote on 2023-06-14, 16:21:

Stick with era-compatible cards. Since the games of the era supplied their own drivers, it basically ends up being a PnP experie […]
Show full quote

3. Do I want to try my luck with a PnP or Semi-PnP card or should I just stick to Non-PnP cards I have?

Stick with era-compatible cards. Since the games of the era supplied their own drivers, it basically ends up being a PnP experience.

I have a 286 with four sound cards and it's amazing to me how things work just by picking the sound card option in the games themselves.
No drivers needed on start up, no mucking around with hardware settings. Everything just works.

The PAS16 also belongs in this category, maybe. Partly, at least. While it is software-configurable, it pre-dates Plug&Pray.
The PAS16 setup program looks very much like MS-DOS 5/6.x or Windows 3.1x setup and has an integrated diagnostic program.
The MPU-401 and Sound Blaster "emulation" can be disabled, if needed (SB 1.5 compatibility is provided by integrated Thunder Board).

Personally, I got a PAS16 and SB16 CT1740 to co-exist in a Pentium PC once. That way, I had support for two major 16-Bit standards.
The only problem was the OPL3 on SB16. It caused a high-pitched noise up until I ran diagnose.exe and ran all tests manually.
The cause likely is (was) that the PAS16 uses the OPL3 base address for its own purpose and has special circuitry.
Ironically, the half-PnP or PnP SB16 models sometime have a physical jumper or option in CTCU/CTCM o disable FM chip.

appiah4 wrote on 2023-06-14, 08:23:

[…]
Show full quote

• Adlib (Clone)
• Snark Barker (SB 1.5 clone with CMS chips, Non-PnP)
• Aztech BXII Extra (SB 2.0 clone, Non-PnP)
• Edison Gold-16 (ES688/OPL3 Pro 2.0 clone, Non-PnP)
• Sound Blaster 16 CT1740 (OPL3, Non-PnP)
• PCMIDI MPU-401 Intercace

The SB16 is overkill. The SB Pro capability of the ES688 will mostly stay unused, but possibly you want to run games like Wolfenstein 3D that use the SB Pro mixer to pan monoraul digital sound. In that case, the ES688 is the best fit. 286 games supporting a small selection of samples for digital effects do exists, so the Adlib clone would be second tier. I don't see any practical differences between the Snark Barker and the Aztech card for your setup, but I suppose the Aztech card will be cheaper, so if you need to buy one, get the Aztech card. On the other hand, if you already have a Snark Barker, it's a shame not to use it!

The MPU-401 interface is only interesting if you want to connect an dedicated MIDI synthesis system (actual MT32, Pi-based MT32 emulator, some kind of wave blaster). Be aware the the MT32 emulation mode of modern GM synthesizers is a mediocre fit the default sample configuration of the MT32. If you dislike OPL3 clones because they sound "wrong", you generally don't want any "MT32 compatible" synthesizer, too. GM synthesizers are cool, but only if the game is targetting GM instead of trying to get the most of a MT32.

Jo22 wrote on 2023-06-15, 17:42:

The PAS16 also belongs in this category, maybe.

The PAS16 requires a setup program / driver installation does it not?

What I was referring to earlier was that cards like the Adlib, Game Blaster, etc., didn't require any sort of setup or driver installs. Drivers were supplied by individual games, so if the game supported the card, you would just choose that sound option and it would just work.

Shponglefan wrote on 2023-06-16, 12:43:

Jo22 wrote on 2023-06-15, 17:42:

The PAS16 also belongs in this category, maybe.

The PAS16 requires a setup program / driver installation does it not?

What I was referring to earlier was that cards like the Adlib, Game Blaster, etc., didn't require any sort of setup or driver installs. Drivers were supplied by individual games, so if the game supported the card, you would just choose that sound option and it would just work.

Yes, it needs an initialization utility. But it's not Plug&Play. MVSOUND.SYS is also working as a sound driver, sort of.
On the other hand, the PAS16 was one of the oldest soundcards.
It's part of the very short list of soundcards natively supported by OS/2 2.1x MMPM/2.

Strictly speaking, though, your statement isn't complete, either.
AdLib had a sound driver, SOUND.COM, on diskette. Some of the Legend Entertainment games require it (Spellcasting series).
Same goes for Game Blaster and 8-Bit Sound Blasters.
The equivalent to SOUND.COM was SB-SOUND.COM.
Edit: CMS support on the Sound Blaster 2.0 requires a "driver" (init) program, at least.

http://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1692&menustate=0

Anyway, it's true that this doesn't affect the hardware itself.
The early Sound Blasters could be configured in hardware, by using jumpers.
Once set, the they'd use these settings no matter what.

That's why I have a soft spot for the CT17xx series of 16-Bit Sound Blasters (sometimes called Noise Blasters).
They don't cause nearly as much headache as the later Plug&Pray models.

However, the PAS16 is different here. It doesn't cause any Plug&Play headaches as far as software-selectable configuration goes.
The settings do stick once set.

Jo22 wrote on 2023-06-16, 15:37:

Strictly speaking, though, your statement isn't complete, either. AdLib had a sound driver, SOUND.COM, on diskette. Some of the […]
Show full quote

Strictly speaking, though, your statement isn't complete, either.
AdLib had a sound driver, SOUND.COM, on diskette. Some of the Legend Entertainment games require it (Spellcasting series).
Same goes for Game Blaster and 8-Bit Sound Blasters.
The equivalent to SOUND.COM was SB-SOUND.COM.

Yes, it's true that depending on the specific game, some required external TSR drivers to be loaded prior to launching the game.

Typically separate TSR programs those would be included. IIRC, the original Spellcasting 101 included the SB-SOUND.COM TSR as part of the main install, though they might have not included SOUND.COM? The later Legend Entertainment games just use command line to pick sound options via the main executable.

A bunch of SSI games of the same era (Pool of Radiance, Gateway to the Savage Frontier, etc.) also used separate TSR programs for different sound cards and they used batch files to load them as part of running the game.

FWIW, I typically use either original Adlib or MediaVision Thunder Board cards (SB 1.0 clone) on my older 286-era system. Never ran a setup program for these cards and I've always relied on the games provided drivers to run audio.

Honestly don't think about it too much. The 286 era runs from just after the dawn of the PC right up to the early 90's with VGA, digital effects, networked games and the like. Almost the full breadth of the golden years of DOS gaming fit into the 286 (despite what some latecomers to the platform would have you believe!).

Really it comes down to what cards you can acquire and the slot type you have available (8 or 16 bit).

At a minimum Adlib compatibility is a must. I'd also argue that a 286 would definitely be in the era of digital effects, so a Soundblaster (or equivalent) is highly desireable. I wouldn't be too worked up over the type - as long as whatever card you've got supports Soundblaster 1.0 or 2.0 then you've got 98-99% of all compatible titles covered.

Without a genuine Soundblaster, then something based on the ESS688 or ESS1868 is probably your next best option.

Don't be scared about using a 16bit Soundblaster or ESS card in a 286!

+1

I'd simply pick the soundcard that meets the expectations the best.
Heck, even a SB16 Vibra or other late SB16 wouldn't be totally out of place.
It vaguely resembles an AdLib card and can be made work with EMU386 (can run CTCM/CTCU on a 286) or UNISOUND. 🙂

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_1 … r_16_WavEffects

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_Lib,_I ... ard_(1987)

The 16-Bit DMA issue of certain Vibras or other models would even be a non-issue here,
because most 286 games limit themselves to using 8-Bit PCM audio, anyway.

Edit: There was that single-cycle DMA click thing, I vaguely remember. Must check.

And in Windows 3.1x, just use the built-in SB 1.5 driver.
Merely the CQM synthesis might be a bit of a downer. Though some late SB16 models also had a "Creative OPL" chip, which is a real OPL3.

Edit: I'm mention this because late SB16s aren't causing a big financial loss.
They were made in big quantities and should be available for not so much money, still.
They're also nice to have in the cupboard for testing purposes, maybe.

Or, how about one of these early Aztech cards?
They look very bulky and ancient, as if they were from the XT era.
Some models even have Covox/Disney emulation built-in, making it great for XT era games.

Here's a chart:
https://dosdays.co.uk/topics/Manufacturers/aztech.php

https://ilovepa.ws/aztech-sound-cards/
Aztech Sound Galaxy cards

Then there's TopTek with the TopTek Golden series..
It's a nice Sound Blaster alternative, too.

Thanks for all the input guys! I settled on this:

8-bit, SB2.0 compatible, has a mixer for input feom MT-32, Non-PnP. Seema to tick all mu moxes untin Noise Buster is released 😅

I use a slightly different model (with surface mounted OPL2 chip) of this card in my Toshiba T3200 (286 luggable), it is a very good fit there ~
I did a few mods such as adding PC speaker input to the card and then run the final output into the speaker itself so I get all the sound from internal speaker.

Thatbis my main issue with the card, no PC Speaker connector. I wonder whether I can use then Phone connector for that..