Hello all,

I am using scc-1’s MPU401 to talk to my MT32. Since I often run into Buffer overflow / Exc. checksum err situation I want to use softmpu purely as SysEx delayer.

When using softmpu /mpu:330 /delaysysex my mt32 correctly shows SoftMPU. But each sierra game will hang during start. The MT32 transmit light is working for some seconds and than rhythmically just blinks without the game starting.

Am I doing something wrong / do you know about any solutions for this behavior?

Thanks a lot

You're not doing anythng wrong. Which system are you using with the SCC-1?

On my Packard Bell Pack-Mate 28 Plus, I used SoftMPU for a bit before I wrote a program that turns off the cache for certain games (that are either speed sensitive for both the computer and Roland MT-32) and it'll turn on the cache once the game exits.

Here are the cache control programs that I use on my machine.

Cacheoff - turns off L1-L2 cache
Cacheon - turns on L1-L2 cache

I also wrote a lot of Batch files and I have the following entered when I want to load a game:

SIERRA.BAT (example)

1@echo off
2echo Sierra On-Line games
3echo.
4@echo off
5echo [----------------------------------------]
6echo [ A - A10      C - TCBQ     I - ICEMAN   ]
7echo [ K - KQGAMES  P - PQGAMES  Q - SQGAMES  ]
8echo [ S - SILPHEED X - EXIT                  ]
9echo [----------------------------------------]
10echo.
11@echo off
12echo Sierra On-Line: A10: Tank Killer, The Colonel's Bequest
13echo Codename: Iceman, King's Quest 1-6,
14echo Police Quest 1-3, Space Quest 1-3, Silpheed
15echo.
16@echo off
17choice /c:ACIKPQSX /T:X,15 "Which Sierra On-Line game would you like to play: "
18IF ERRORLEVEL 8 GOTO END
19IF ERRORLEVEL 7 GOTO SILPHEED
20IF ERRORLEVEL 6 GOTO SQGAMES
21IF ERRORLEVEL 5 GOTO PQGAMES
22IF ERRORLEVEL 4 GOTO KQGAMES
23IF ERRORLEVEL 3 GOTO ICEMAN
24IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO TCBQ
25IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO A10
26
27:A10
28call a10.bat
29goto end
30
31:TCBQ
32call tcbq.bat
33goto end
34
35:ICEMAN
36call icm.bat
37goto end
38
39:KQGAMES
40call kqgames.bat
41goto end
42
43:PQGAMES
44cacheoff
45call pqgames.bat
46goto end
47
48:SQGAMES
49cacheoff
50call sqgames.bat
51goto end
52
53:SILPHEED
54cacheoff
55call silpheed.bat
56goto end
57
58:END

GAMES.BAT

1...
2GOTO EXIT
3
4:EXIT
5cacheon

I’m trying to use SoftMPU on my Windows 98 machine but I get an error telling me that the port trap failed. I am using QEMM 9.0. QEMM 7.5 caused SoftMPU to crash when launched, and EMM386 wasn’t detected by it. I am using port 330 for the MPU address, and my sound card is using IRQ 5 and Port 220.

My specs are as follows:
Pentium II 400Mhz
128MB RAM
Compaq 332857-001 Motherboard
Geforce 2 MX400 graphics card
Ensoniq ES1373 AudioPCI sound card

So is this usable with AWE64, as Aweutil doesn't emulate intelligent mode of MT-32 that some games require?

CarvisJocker wrote on Yesterday, 15:00:

I’m trying to use SoftMPU on my Windows 98 machine but I get an error telling me that the port trap failed. I am using QEMM 9.0. […]
Show full quote

I’m trying to use SoftMPU on my Windows 98 machine but I get an error telling me that the port trap failed. I am using QEMM 9.0. QEMM 7.5 caused SoftMPU to crash when launched, and EMM386 wasn’t detected by it. I am using port 330 for the MPU address, and my sound card is using IRQ 5 and Port 220.

My specs are as follows:
Pentium II 400Mhz
128MB RAM
Compaq 332857-001 Motherboard
Geforce 2 MX400 graphics card
Ensoniq ES1373 AudioPCI sound card

Can you "see" the MPU-401 MIDI port in DOS?
It's been a while but, I believe you require a DOS driver to enable the sound card under DOS.
As I recall, it was called Sbinit.* and EMM386.EXE must be loaded.

Mike_ wrote on Yesterday, 19:17:

So is this usable with AWE64, as Aweutil doesn't emulate intelligent mode of MT-32 that some games require?

The purpose of SoftMPU is to emulate an intelligent mode MPU-401 MIDI interface using supported sound cards that has a UART mode MIDI interface (it does also support older sound cards that just had the standard MIDI out port but with reduced functionality).
So, by outputting the MIDI data via your MIDI/joystick port to an external device (like the MT-32) SoftMPU would then emulate the intelligent mode MPU-401 MIDI interface for those ganes that does require it.
Aweutil has a totally different function.

jesolo wrote on Yesterday, 22:05:

The purpose of SoftMPU is to emulate an intelligent mode MPU-401 MIDI interface using supported sound cards that has a UART mode MIDI interface (it does also support older sound cards that just had the standard MIDI out port but with reduced functionality).
So, by outputting the MIDI data via your MIDI/joystick port to an external device (like the MT-32) SoftMPU would then emulate the intelligent mode MPU-401 MIDI interface for those ganes that does require it.
Aweutil has a totally different function.

So you need a physical external device instead of being able to use the internal EMU8000 in AWE cards?

Mike_ wrote on Yesterday, 23:04:

jesolo wrote on Yesterday, 22:05:

The purpose of SoftMPU is to emulate an intelligent mode MPU-401 MIDI interface using supported sound cards that has a UART mode MIDI interface (it does also support older sound cards that just had the standard MIDI out port but with reduced functionality).
So, by outputting the MIDI data via your MIDI/joystick port to an external device (like the MT-32) SoftMPU would then emulate the intelligent mode MPU-401 MIDI interface for those ganes that does require it.
Aweutil has a totally different function.

So you need a physical external device instead of being able to use the internal EMU8000 in AWE cards?

The internal EMU8000 is not a General MIDI device..

appiah4 wrote on Today, 06:08:

The internal EMU8000 is not a General MIDI device..

I know but with Aweutil it can be used as one. So I was wondering if it would be possible to emulate intelligent mode with SoftMPU and then output that to Aweutil, but apparently not.

Mike_ wrote on Today, 10:13:

appiah4 wrote on Today, 06:08:

The internal EMU8000 is not a General MIDI device..

I know but with Aweutil it can be used as one. So I was wondering if it would be possible to emulate intelligent mode with SoftMPU and then output that to Aweutil, but apparently not.

No, as far as I know it can not, it does not even truly exist at a real MIDI port..