nobleEightfold wrote on 2024-04-12, 02:21:As a troubleshooting step, have you tried selecting sound blaster for sound fx and for music instead of soundblaster + MT32 - do […]
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As a troubleshooting step, have you tried selecting sound blaster for sound fx and for music instead of soundblaster + MT32 - do the sound fx work then in this configuration? If not, then getting the sound fx to work through sound blaster only first might be a step toward getting it to work with sound blaster + MT32. If the sound fx do work, then there could definitely be some bug or other conflict happening with the soundblaster + MT32 configuration.
I just tried Flashback on my P3 1GHz machine, and I am unable to get the install/setup program to correctly configure/detect the sound blaster when chosen for the sound fx. In game, the menu option for sound fx behaves in the same way you describe: disabled, and when toggled on are set off again. This is without an MT32.
In DOSBox, the install/setup program detects the sound blaster fine and I hear the gunshots in game. They do sound slightly different from when adlib is selected but they both sound like gun shots to me. I don't know if there are any other differences in sound fx between sound blaster and adlib.
Given my situation with my P3, the issue probably isn't related to the MT32 (unless you can get sound FX working with the MT32 out of the equation, then it might be...). I do know that many games have Sound Blaster detection problems for faster processors. How fast is your processor?
Okay, yes, following those diagnostic steps it definitely has problems with Soundblaster effects, regardless of music source. My full system specs are:
AMD 5x86 133MHz
32MB 60ns EDO memory
VLB C&T 65550 VGA
ISA ESS1868f on A220, I7, D1, P330 - MIDI for Flashback only works using SoftMPU
ISA RTL8019 NIC with XTIDE ROM
64GB CF card (<1GB C:, 63GB D:)
Win 98SE DOS 7.1
Tried with no config.sys, HIMEM only, as well as my default HIMEM+EMM386 setup. Two different speeds; stock at 133MHz, and using SETMUL.EXE to disable L1 cache (it displays an indicated 33MHz at that point):
Adlib music + Adlib effects @ 133MHz
Adlib music is okay, effects are okay. In-game menu shows effects and music both enabled, and can be toggled on/off correctly.
Adlib music + Adlib effects, L1 cache disabled (setmul l1d, shows ~33MHz)
Adlib music is okay, effects are okay. In-game menu shows effects and music both enabled, and can be toggled on/off correctly.
Adlib music + SB effects @ 133MHz
Adlib music is okay, no effects played. In-game menu shows effects disabled and refuses to stay toggled on.
Adlib music + SB effects, L1 cache disabled
Adlib music is okay, no effects played. In-game menu shows effects disabled and refuses to stay toggled on.
MT-32 music + Adlib effects @ 133MHz
MT-32 music is okay, effects are okay. In-game menu shows effects and music both enabled, and can be toggled on/off correctly.
MT-32 music + Adlib effects, L1 cache disabled
MT-32 music is okay, effects are okay. In-game menu shows effects and music both enabled, and can be toggled on/off correctly.
MT-32 music + SB effects @ 133MHz
MT-32 music is okay, no effects played. In-game menu shows effects disabled and refuses to stay toggled on.
MT-32 music + SB effects, L1 cache disabled
MT-32 music is okay, no effects played. In-game menu shows effects disabled and refuses to stay toggled on.
It's any combination of Soundblaster effects that doesn't work. Music source works regardless of what I set, and Adlib effects always work, too.
I'm not overly worried about lack of Soundblaster effects, since the Adlib option seems to be equivalent except a slight loss of clarity. It's just *why* Soundblaster doesn't appear to work on my real system in this one game.