@Joseph_Joestar, i've found an interesting bug on the VXD driver from your pack.
If i use the soundfont CT8MGM.SF2 with the Windows 98 game (in Windows mode) Tintin and the prisoners of the sun, i get a bluescreen related to a VXD function crash at level where Tintin is on the boat "Pachacamac".
The crash happen when a musical note is played in the midi track (after like 15 seconds when the level start and it happen all the time).

The crash is gone when i use another soundfont like 2GMGSMT and SC-55 (both no issue on the entire game). It also crash with 4GMGSMT.

It's the first game i get that issue, somehow something is missing in thoses soundfonts and produce a crash.
I thought the driver would handle that issue by just replacing missing instruments to another one or just doing nothing but it seems in some cases it crash xD.

TgamesFR wrote on 2024-10-27, 08:45:

@Joseph_Joestar, i've found an interesting bug on the VXD driver from your pack.
If i use the soundfont CT8MGM.SF2 with the Windows 98 game (in Windows mode) Tintin and the prisoners of the sun, i get a bluescreen related to a VXD function crash at level where Tintin is on the boat "Pachacamac".
The crash happen when a musical note is played in the midi track (after like 15 seconds when the level start and it happen all the time).

Interesting. I'm not familiar with that particular game, but I was made aware by @Falcosoft a while back that Creative's stock 4MB and 8MB soundfonts (which they shipped on the official driver CD) might have issues with some instruments. Not sure if that's causing the crash that you experienced, or if that game was just programmed in an odd way.

In any case, have you tried using Falcofost's fixed version of 4GMGSMT.SF2 from this post? I plan on making that the recommended soundfont when I do another update of the guide.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-10-27, 09:06:

Interesting. I'm not familiar with that particular game, but I was made aware by @Falcosoft a while back that Creative's stock 4MB and 8MB soundfonts (which they shipped on the official driver CD) might have issues with some instruments. Not sure if that's causing the crash that you experienced, or if that game was just programmed in an odd way.

In any case, have you tried using Falcofost's fixed version of 4GMGSMT.SF2 from this post? I plan on making that the recommended soundfont when I do another update of the guide.

I've just tried, nope it still crash exactly with same error. It's not the game itself who crash but the driver and after that Windows 98 is completely frozen with multiple bluescreens and it hangs.
It must be indeed related to the soundfont as changing it to 2GMGSMT and SC-55 fix the problem.

For reference, i've took a photo of the bluescreen :

Btw if @Falcosoft could also improve the 8MN soundfonts it would be great, as the 8MB one sounds better with most of games.

TgamesFR wrote on 2024-10-27, 12:02:

For reference, i've took a photo of the bluescreen :

Troubleshooting that is outside of my ballpark, but I'm guessing it's related to how that game is trying to access certain instruments within the soundfont.

Did this happen with any other game, or just that one?

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-10-27, 12:33:

Troubleshooting that is outside of my ballpark, but I'm guessing it's related to how that game is trying to access certain instruments within the soundfont.

Did this happen with any other game, or just that one?

Only this game at the moment but i gonna soon try many more.

Btw, do you know if we can have SC-55 in ECW format for Dos games ?
And also does it exist a soundfont who is close to Microsoft Synthetizer ? in some games they were developped to sound better with Microsoft Synthetizer on Windows but we loose that option as we use the VXD driver.
I noticed on DirectX diagnostic tool only there we can try it.

SC-55 is great for some games and worst for others. But it's cool to have the choice with more soundfonts.

TgamesFR wrote on 2024-10-27, 13:06:

Btw, do you know if we can have SC-55 in ECW format for Dos games ?

No. The ECW format is proprietary, and only three files were officially released. They were originally included with Ensoniq AudioPCI sound cards, and later with their Creative rebrands.

And also does it exist a soundfont who is close to Microsoft Synthetizer ? in some games they were developped to sound better with Microsoft Synthetizer on Windows but we loose that option as we use the VXD driver.

As far as I know, the Microsoft Synthesizer uses a cut down version of the Roland SC-55 sample set. The SCC-1 soundfont might sound close to that. But if you want the real deal, you need to either get an actual SC-55 or @dreamblaster's X2GS.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-10-27, 13:30:

As far as I know, the Microsoft Synthesizer uses a cut down version of the Roland SC-55 sample set. The SCC-1 soundfont might sound close to that. But if you want the real deal, you need to either get an actual SC-55 or @dreamblaster's X2GS.

Thanks for the SCC-1 soundfont i will try it right now.
Do you have others soundfonts i can download ?
I prefer stay with soundfonts and don't buy additionnal hardware anyway.

TgamesFR wrote on 2024-10-27, 18:37:

Thanks for the SCC-1 soundfont i will try it right now.
Do you have others soundfonts i can download ?
I prefer stay with soundfonts and don't buy additionnal hardware anyway.

Honestly, I don't use soundfonts as much anymore, since I now have a Roland SC-155 and a Yamaha YMF744. Those two handle General MIDI, GS and XG music well enough for my needs. Nowadays, I mostly use my Audigy cards for EAX.

Maybe someone else can offer more recommendations.

I've checked with a debugger and some researchs, i've found out the issue.
The channel 9 in the midi file of the level is associated with a non existing instrument (or something not standard) and when the driver try produce sounds it's out of range.
It's the fault of the maker of the music for doing that mistake but as the driver throw a exception it bluescreen Windows and not just catching the problem.

Depending of the sound card and driver i think it's handled, because i remember well in 1998 when i had another Card it wasn't crashing, just the musical notes were silent.

I've edited the original midi file with the change on channel 9 and now no longuer any bluescreen with any soundfont loaded !

TgamesFR wrote on 2024-10-28, 15:26:

I've edited the original midi file with the change on channel 9 and now no longuer any bluescreen with any soundfont loaded !

Nice work! I assumed that it might be related to how the game uses the instruments and the issues with Creative soundfonts.

Maybe post a diff file between the original MIDI file and the patched one, in case someone else runs into the same problem

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-10-28, 15:32:

Nice work! I assumed that it might be related to how the game uses the instruments and the issues with Creative soundfonts.

Maybe post a diff file between the original MIDI file and the patched one, in case someone else runs into the same problem

Yes here the original file : https://www.mediafire.com/file/pk1ptv1w8vjlnz … NTIN05.MID/file

And here the fixed file : https://www.mediafire.com/file/qf07gyh4iutf4q … NTIN05.MID/file

The only needed change was to re-associate a instrument to the channel 9.

BEFORE :

AFTER :

If the same problem occurs on another game, just doing that method will fix the bluescreen issue.

Please help me.
I have an Audigy 2 ZS Platinum.
SB16 emulation in Windows 98 works like a charm.
I followed all the steps to configure in in pure DOS.
Everything seems ok.

When I try to run SBEGO I get an error message.

My system

CPU : Intel core2duo 3Ghz
MB : Asrock Conroe 1333-d667
RAM : 2Gb
VIdeo : Geforce 6600 GT
Audio : Sound Blaste Audigy 2 ZS Platinum

I can confirm that this guide works for installing the drivers in Windows XP SP2. The creative setup wasn't identifying my Audigy 2ZS so I used the steps in this guide without a problem

lucagb76 wrote on 2024-11-04, 21:55:

When I try to run SBEGO I get an error message.

I'm not familiar with that program, as it's not a part of my guide.

MarmotaArmy wrote on 2024-11-05, 12:52:

I can confirm that this guide works for installing the drivers in Windows XP SP2. The creative setup wasn't identifying my Audigy 2ZS so I used the steps in this guide without a problem

Yeah, it will work on Win2K/XP just fine.

Of course, you have to use WDM drivers in that case, and there's no DOS compatibility.

Will this guide work for model SB0360 as well?

Studiostriver wrote on 2024-11-06, 02:26:

Will this guide work for model SB0360 as well?

I don't remember seeing any reports about that particular model in this thread.

But feel free to try it and let us know how it goes.

About Audigy 2 ZS in Real DOS on Windows 98, can we just put C:\AUDIGY12\AUDIGY12.EXE in DOSSTART.BAT (Windows folder) to automatically init the sound card under dos ?

TgamesFR wrote on 2024-11-06, 20:15:

About Audigy 2 ZS in Real DOS on Windows 98, can we just put C:\AUDIGY12\AUDIGY12.EXE in DOSSTART.BAT (Windows folder) to automatically init the sound card under dos ?

Yes, you can, but you will still need EMM386 or similar in CONFIG.SYS. Personally, I would make a shortcut to the game you want to run and use a custom AUTOEXEC.BAT/CONFIG.SYS configuration just for the single game. This way you won't pollute your CONFIG.SYS with EMM386.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-11-06, 13:19:

Studiostriver wrote on 2024-11-06, 02:26:

Will this guide work for model SB0360 as well?

I don't remember seeing any reports about that particular model in this thread.

But feel free to try it and let us know how it goes.

I will give it a shot then. 😀