First post, by baracoota
- Rank
- Newbie
I am at my wit's end. I have a situation where every ISA sound card I use is becoming damaged. I noticed the pattern after realizing that 3 of my cards were no longer producing FM or MIDI Music. Sometime Digital sound worked. I tried isolating the problem after that, and at this point, I have changed out every single part of my setup so that nothing from the original configuration is being used. I started with an old 486 board, then moved to a different 486. Known working sound cards no longer produced sound on the 2nd motherboard. I then tried a Socket 7 Pentium 133 and killed a few more cards and the motherboard itself no longer posts. I then changed every single peripheral (PSU, VGA, monitor, CF adapter,card, and ribbon cable) and switched to another Socket 7 166 and headphones. I tried a CT4170 and it worked. I then hooked up my Roland MA-12's and again, no FM music. I went back to one of the previously damaged cards, a CT2890, and that didn't work with headphones or MA-12's. I did turn the volume up to max on the MA-12's and could hear some faint music. After that, I put the previously working CT4170 in with the MA-12's and there was still no FM music. Turned up to max, heard faint sound, switched to headphones, and now no FM. Another card damaged. I eventually had to try one more card, so I grabbed a CT2980 and hooked up to headphones, and again no music, just digital sound. Never even hooked it up to the MA-12's.
Cards I think were damaged in this process:
1) Terratec Maestro 32/96
2) Ensoniq Opus
3) Ensoniq Opus #2
4) Ensoniq VIVO
5) CT2890
6) CD4170
7) CT2980
Hopefully I've explained things enough to give a general idea of how things happened. I didn't think anything was wrong in the beginning. I just thought I was having some driver/compatibility issues. Now its apparent something is going on here and I can't figure it out. I can't afford to damage another card. If anyone has any thoughts about what might be happening, please let me know. It just doesn't make sense to me. Help!
Note: I do see activity on the IRDY/BIOS LED of my Post Card when playing music, so the music is "working" , but there is no audible output. All cards are recognized, the drivers load, and there are no errors. Just no Music.