I think I found a solution to my original question. I'll need to breadboard something when I get the spare time. Here's the documentation I found:

https://www.alsa-project.org/files/pub/datash … ess/DsSolo1.pdf

I mean, if some Chinese mom and pop shop can do it, shouldn't be too hard.

songoffall wrote on 2024-01-06, 15:53:

boB_K7IQ wrote on 2024-01-06, 03:17:

Another great sound card from the 1990s was the Crystal Semiconductor cards. CS made the good A/D and D/A delta-sigma convert […]
Show full quote

Another great sound card from the 1990s was the Crystal Semiconductor cards. CS made the good A/D and D/A delta-sigma converters starting in the late 1980s we used to use.

I had some of those boards until recently. They were fairly high dynamic range.

I was hoping the ISA adapter could have worked for an ISA sound and DSP card I made way back when.
Since I designed and bread-boarded it, I might actually be able to get it to work ! But that board was hand wired and not that great, noise wise.

Making a hi-fi card wouldn't be that complicated tbh. But reusing older chipsets for cards with legacy features is a bit more problematic.

With today's components, it is easy. Back around 1990, Crystal semi was one of, if not, the first semiconductor company to make good high dynamic range delta-sigma converters.
We used to use them in our company's (Symetrix) pro audio digital products. Then it was AKM which is still a biggie that made delta-sigma converters inexpensive.

Anyway, back then, I was surprised to find CS PC audio cards and they were good. Mid 1990s and beyond, I required at least 8 audio I/O channels.
I also bought an 8 channel I/O + midi interface mid-late 80s from Gadget Labs from their first batch. Used it for years. It used either AKM or CS audio converters.

boB

boB_K7IQ wrote on 2024-01-10, 15:44:

With today's components, it is easy. Back around 1990, Crystal semi was one of, if not, the first semiconductor company to make […]
Show full quote

songoffall wrote on 2024-01-06, 15:53:

boB_K7IQ wrote on 2024-01-06, 03:17:

Another great sound card from the 1990s was the Crystal Semiconductor cards. CS made the good A/D and D/A delta-sigma convert […]
Show full quote

Another great sound card from the 1990s was the Crystal Semiconductor cards. CS made the good A/D and D/A delta-sigma converters starting in the late 1980s we used to use.

I had some of those boards until recently. They were fairly high dynamic range.

I was hoping the ISA adapter could have worked for an ISA sound and DSP card I made way back when.
Since I designed and bread-boarded it, I might actually be able to get it to work ! But that board was hand wired and not that great, noise wise.

Making a hi-fi card wouldn't be that complicated tbh. But reusing older chipsets for cards with legacy features is a bit more problematic.

With today's components, it is easy. Back around 1990, Crystal semi was one of, if not, the first semiconductor company to make good high dynamic range delta-sigma converters.
We used to use them in our company's (Symetrix) pro audio digital products. Then it was AKM which is still a biggie that made delta-sigma converters inexpensive.

Anyway, back then, I was surprised to find CS PC audio cards and they were good. Mid 1990s and beyond, I required at least 8 audio I/O channels.
I also bought an 8 channel I/O + midi interface mid-late 80s from Gadget Labs from their first batch. Used it for years. It used either AKM or CS audio converters.

boB

Haha, that makes you one of the luckier ones. I only had PC speaker sound up to 2001, when I built a P4 based system with SoundBlaster Live! ))) The only PC with a sound card was the school "server". I missed out on most of the good stuff from the 80s and 90s and am now making up for it.