Sound Blaster: From best to worst

Grzyb wrote on 2024-03-20, 13:36:

Sound Blaster: From best to worst

Thank You .. i saw the excel board but it still doesn't explain the difference between the two types of opl chips.. or in fact it doesn't even says which one is the better.. it is just a list but in numeric order not in quality order..

CT1747 contains licensed OPL3 circuit - I think no difference here.

Do you plan on using an external synthesizer/daughterboard? If so, see if you can check the DSP version on the CT1790. If it is 4.04 or 4.05, it should be free of the hanging note bug. Otherwise, I would stick with the CT2230, since it is cheaper and is most likely less noisy.
More info here: Sound Blaster 16 Bugs and Deficiencies Summary

I have a CT2230 with the Creative-branded OPL3, and to me it's pretty much indistinguishable from the Yamaha-branded ones I've used in the past. TIE Fighter, Tyrian, Doom, and Duke 3D all sound very similar to other OPL3 captures that I've heard in the modern era too.

TheMLGladiator wrote on 2024-03-20, 14:43:

Do you plan on using an external synthesizer/daughterboard? If so, see if you can check the DSP version on the CT1790. If it is 4.04 or 4.05, it should be free of the hanging note bug. Otherwise, I would stick with the CT2230, since it is cheaper and is most likely less noisy.
More info here: Sound Blaster 16 Bugs and Deficiencies Summary

No i only want it to use it for dos and win 95 games ..

Hi.. just a little update i am about to buy the CT 2230 .. so i found this driver on the side for the same model ,

http://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1135&menustate=0

but i am not sure what asp means? Is this an official driver should i use this or find an other one ?

The ASP is the Advanced Signal Processor, which was an optional add-on for the card that let it do some real-time effects to sounds. Not much software ever used it, and your card likely doesn't have the ASP chip installed. The drivers you found will work just fine with the CT 2230.

MadMac_5 wrote on 2024-03-21, 14:17:

The ASP is the Advanced Signal Processor, which was an optional add-on for the card that let it do some real-time effects to sounds. Not much software ever used it, and your card likely doesn't have the ASP chip installed. The drivers you found will work just fine with the CT 2230.

Thank You

I am getting the card tonight.. I am wondering that under Windows 95 i just have to install the driver , but how can i install it for dos , and Win 3.11 .. As i heard i have to edit autoexec.bat file am i right? Can someone help me out of it please..

the CT2230 has jumpers to set the i/o ports (by default 220h for the SB16 part and 330h for the MPU-401 part), while DMA and IRQ are configured in software. if you reboot from win95 to DOS you shouldn't have to do anything, provided your SET BLASTER line in autoexec.bat matches whatever resources are allocated in win95.

for booting straight to dos, run diagnose.exe /s to initialize the card with the parameters in SET BLASTER, or just diagnose to select the resources yourself. win3.11 will need a seperate driver.

auron wrote on 2024-03-22, 18:34:

the CT2230 has jumpers to set the i/o ports (by default 220h for the SB16 part and 330h for the MPU-401 part), while DMA and IRQ are configured in software. if you reboot from win95 to DOS you shouldn't have to do anything, provided your SET BLASTER line in autoexec.bat matches whatever resources are allocated in win95.

for booting straight to dos, run diagnose.exe /s to initialize the card with the parameters in SET BLASTER, or just diagnose to select the resources yourself. win3.11 will need a seperate driver.

Sorry for the stupid question , but where can i find diagnose.exe file?

if it's not part of your driver package, grab the s64basic.exe file mentioned in this thread: AWE32/64 DOS utility versions

You can also use unisound driver if you like. It is very easy to setup.

Hi .. i got the card.. and i think i might be scammed.. because i put the card in a isa slot and boot up Win 95 , but it did not detect any new device.. i know its not a pnp device but it should show up in device managger automaticly.. right?

I haven't used 95 in a while, but I don't think so? In 98 you can do a manual search for non-pnp hardware from the install new hardware option in Control Panel, I would imagine 95 is similar.

No.
If it's not PNP, it's not detected on boot up.
It may be detected during installation, but if Windows is already installed, you have to use "Add new hardware", or something...

yes i figured it out.. i had to use add hardware manually now it works.. just one small problem that under doss it really loud .. how could i reduce the master volume under dos?

ok i figured out i had to set the master level, by running mixerset.exe