Omarkoman wrote on 2026-08-28, 22:20:

Ok thanks, I must be doing something wrong as no sound is coming from the cm-64, will have a play and try frew more cables etc.

No sound, or no data? Is the MIDI Message light blinking?

I changed the midi cable and its working, annoying as I just bought it brand new. All good now. thank you for the replies.

I want to use the PICOGUS as a MPU-401 ONLY MODE paired with a real MT-32
(this way I will be able to free the joystick port on my ESS sound card)
(I will be using UNISOUND driver on the soundcard)

If I'm not wrong I must set:

1PGUSINIT.EXE /MODE MPU

(/MPU-401 with intelligent mode and IRQ support)

1PGUSINIT.EXE /SAVE

(to get it saved permanently to MPU mode)

Setting IRQ/DMA jumpers...

IRQ: Then I must set a IRQ for the PicoGUS and another for the ESS souncard ?

DMA: Can I simply remove the DMA jumpers on the PicoGus ?

PicoGUS 1.2 and 2.0 can be used with no DMA jumpers set. This is handy for emulating cards like MPU-401 or Adlib that do not use DMA without needing to take up a precious DMA channel.

Thankyou

zzgus wrote on 2026-09-03, 09:57:

I want to use the PICOGUS as a MPU-401 ONLY MODE paired with a real MT-32 (this way I will be able to free the joystick port o […]
Show full quote

I want to use the PICOGUS as a MPU-401 ONLY MODE paired with a real MT-32
(this way I will be able to free the joystick port on my ESS sound card)
(I will be using UNISOUND driver on the soundcard)

If I'm not wrong I must set:

Copy code to clipboard

1PGUSINIT.EXE /MODE MPU

(/MPU-401 with intelligent mode and IRQ support)

Copy code to clipboard

1PGUSINIT.EXE /SAVE

(to get it saved permanently to MPU mode)

Setting IRQ/DMA jumpers...

IRQ: Then I must set a IRQ for the PicoGUS and another for the ESS souncard ?

DMA: Can I simply remove the DMA jumpers on the PicoGus ?

PicoGUS 1.2 and 2.0 can be used with no DMA jumpers set. This is handy for emulating cards like MPU-401 or Adlib that do not use DMA without needing to take up a precious DMA channel.

Thankyou

IIRC you'll definitely need an IRQ (usually 2/9) for MPU-401 mode, so put the IRQ jumper to IRQ2.

I think you can leave DMA jumpers unpopulated for modes that don't use DMA, as other low DMA channels aside from DMA1 might be in use:
- Later ESS cards may utilize DMA0 as a secondary channel which I think is for full-duplex operations (playing and recording at the same time). This is not an issue with Sound Blaster Pro usage.
- DMA3 may be used if your board has ECP-capable LPT (printer) port. LPT port in standard mode doesn't require DMA.

I'm thinking that during this weekend.... I'm going to take the... Big? Plunge and actually use PicoGUS!

Along side... my REAL GUS. So the PicoGUS is actually going to be replacing a real SoundBlaster 16 Vibra.

Before taking the plunge, here's a recap of my plans:
-Sound Blaster emulation: YES
-Tandy emulation: YES
-XBOX 360 Game controller: YES

-CD Image mounting and emulation: NO
-Mouse emulation: NO

Is there a best PicoGUS firmware for this selection of features?

Thank you all for keeping this thread interesting!

Geriatric Danmaku wrote on 2026-09-03, 14:31:

I'm thinking that during this weekend.... I'm going to take the... Big? Plunge and actually use PicoGUS! […]
Show full quote

I'm thinking that during this weekend.... I'm going to take the... Big? Plunge and actually use PicoGUS!

Along side... my REAL GUS. So the PicoGUS is actually going to be replacing a real SoundBlaster 16 Vibra.

Before taking the plunge, here's a recap of my plans:
-Sound Blaster emulation: YES
-Tandy emulation: YES
-XBOX 360 Game controller: YES

-CD Image mounting and emulation: NO
-Mouse emulation: NO

Is there a best PicoGUS firmware for this selection of features?

Thank you all for keeping this thread interesting!

Overall strategy tip :

"Divide and conquer" = one of the great master strategies from history .

You'll have an easier ride if you take the time to make each card work in that system - BY ITSELF, without the other card in the machine. So that when you take the final plunge to make both cards work together, you will know that any problems are a result of the *combination*. Rather than trying to make both cards work together from the start, and then facing multiple levels of uncertainty if any issues arise ("is it caused by a conflict??" / "or is it just because I have no RL experience with the PicoGUS by itself??").

That strategy applies to anybody trying to get PicoGUS working together with another sound card. Or indeed any hardware combination at all! Divide and conquer.

LSS10999 wrote on 2026-09-03, 10:28:

IIRC you'll definitely need an IRQ (usually 2/9) for MPU-401 mode, so put the IRQ jumper to IRQ2.

The IRQ for MPU-401 only mode is optional - The card's software will forge intelligent mode ACK responses without an IRQ which gets most games working. The IRQ is required if you want to play the few remaining games that are checking for the full intelligent mode interface (Gateway and A-10 Tank Killer come to mind)

LSS10999 wrote on 2026-09-03, 10:28:

IIRC you'll definitely need an IRQ (usually 2/9) for MPU-401 mode, so put the IRQ jumper to IRQ2. […]
Show full quote

IIRC you'll definitely need an IRQ (usually 2/9) for MPU-401 mode, so put the IRQ jumper to IRQ2.

I think you can leave DMA jumpers unpopulated for modes that don't use DMA, as other low DMA channels aside from DMA1 might be in use:
- Later ESS cards may utilize DMA0 as a secondary channel which I think is for full-duplex operations (playing and recording at the same time). This is not an issue with Sound Blaster Pro usage.
- DMA3 may be used if your board has ECP-capable LPT (printer) port. LPT port in standard mode doesn't require DMA.

Solved as you said... IRQ on 2/9 and NO DMA.

Do you guys know how PicoGUS "EMULATES / RESOLVES" the MPU-401 Intelligent mode?

Do you know if it's based on SOFTMPU ?

I'm only using PicoGUS in MPU mode that I could replace by "softMPU" (if it's more accurated/updated) and use the Pico for Gravis for example...

Thankyou

zzgus wrote on Yesterday, 09:50:

Do you guys know how PicoGUS "EMULATES / RESOLVES" the MPU-401 Intelligent mode? […]
Show full quote

Do you guys know how PicoGUS "EMULATES / RESOLVES" the MPU-401 Intelligent mode?

Do you know if it's based on SOFTMPU ?

I'm only using PicoGUS in MPU mode that I could replace by "softMPU" (if it's more accurated/updated) and use the Pico for Gravis for example...

Thankyou

I believe it's based on code from Dosbox, SoftMPU requires a compatible device on IRQ 2/9 for it to work as well. Typically you would use a sound blaster on IRQ9 to do the IRQ work.

The PicoGUS can do GUS and MPU-401 at the same time, the MPU side won't have access to the IRQ but as I mentioned above it still works with most games. Running SoftMPU without an IRQ device will have about the same level of compatibility.

zzgus wrote on Yesterday, 09:50:

Do you guys know how PicoGUS "EMULATES / RESOLVES" the MPU-401 Intelligent mode? […]
Show full quote

Do you guys know how PicoGUS "EMULATES / RESOLVES" the MPU-401 Intelligent mode?

Do you know if it's based on SOFTMPU ?

I'm only using PicoGUS in MPU mode that I could replace by "softMPU" (if it's more accurated/updated) and use the Pico for Gravis for example...

Thankyou

I got this from ChatGPT:

1Yes. I looked at the current PicoGUS source code, and there is a fairly clear answer: PicoGUS's MPU-401 Intelligent Mode is not implemented entirely from scratch. It is mainly based on HardMPU and DOSBox-X, and was then adapted by the PicoGUS author for the RP2040.
2Where does it come from?
3The PicoGUS project itself states this in its credits:
4“MPU-401 emulation adapted from HardMPU and DOSBox-X”
5So the lineage is essentially:
6DOSBox → HardMPU → PicoGUS
7although it is not simply a matter of copying one of the two projects: PicoGUS combines and adapts parts of both.
8And this is particularly interesting for what we were discussing about your MT-32, because HardMPU was specifically designed to provide real MPU-401 Intelligent Mode in hardware, rather than just UART mode.

Then... can I assume that as it's based on HardMPU it can be more accurated than SoftMPU ?
Well. looking at HARDMPU github:

HardMPU: An intelligent MPU-401 compatible MIDI interface based on an Atmega microcontroller and SoftMPU software.

Then Hard MPU it's based on SoftMPU... then softmpu has to be more accurated as I see is updated more recently ?

Thankyou

NeoG_ wrote on Yesterday, 10:27:

The PicoGUS can do GUS and MPU-401 at the same time

But only in UART mode then ?

zzgus wrote on Yesterday, 10:37:

NeoG_ wrote on Yesterday, 10:27:

The PicoGUS can do GUS and MPU-401 at the same time

But only in UART mode then ?

As written above;

The IRQ for MPU-401 only mode is optional - The card's software will forge intelligent mode ACK responses without an IRQ which gets most games working. The IRQ is required if you want to play the few remaining games that are checking for the full intelligent mode interface (Gateway and A-10 Tank Killer come to mind).

Basically, with an IRQ it's essentially indistinguishable from a real MPU-401 card. Without an IRQ it works with most intelligent mode games, but not all.

Hello all! I took the plunge noted above today. AND took the advice from ShredDoc: One soundcard at a time.
Results:
PicoGus in GUS mode sounds GREAT
PicoGus in SoundBlaster 16 mode sounds GREAT
PicoGus in SoundBlaster 16 mode in Windows95 sounds GREAT! No config, just worked! It did help that the resources were exactly the same as the SB card it replaced.
PicoGus with original wired XBox360 controller: NOTHIN. This part I just don't get.
- /joy 1 included in pgusinit.exe launch options
-pgusinit.exe launch indicates no errors
-while pgusinit.exe is running, I can see the expected sequence of lights on the controller init: X goes dark, X lights up all four segments for a second, then X lights up the upper left.

Using the XBox controller in DOS games was the thing I wanted to have which the two big GUS and SB16 cards could not deliver.

Confirming: ONLY PicoGUS is installed as a sound card. No other GUS, no other SB, no other PAS, or anything else.

Any ideas? What can I try?

Geriatric Danmaku wrote on Today, 01:42:

Hello all! I took the plunge noted above today. AND took the advice from ShredDoc: One soundcard at a time. Results: PicoGu […]
Show full quote

Hello all! I took the plunge noted above today. AND took the advice from ShredDoc: One soundcard at a time.
Results:
PicoGus in GUS mode sounds GREAT
PicoGus in SoundBlaster 16 mode sounds GREAT
PicoGus in SoundBlaster 16 mode in Windows95 sounds GREAT! No config, just worked! It did help that the resources were exactly the same as the SB card it replaced.
PicoGus with original wired XBox360 controller: NOTHIN. This part I just don't get.
- /joy 1 included in pgusinit.exe launch options
-pgusinit.exe launch indicates no errors
-while pgusinit.exe is running, I can see the expected sequence of lights on the controller init: X goes dark, X lights up all four segments for a second, then X lights up the upper left.

Using the XBox controller in DOS games was the thing I wanted to have which the two big GUS and SB16 cards could not deliver.

Confirming: ONLY PicoGUS is installed as a sound card. No other GUS, no other SB, no other PAS, or anything else.

Any ideas? What can I try?

After running pgusinit /joy 1, run pgusinit /save, having the joystick port available from cold start may have an effect. Is there any other card in the system that may use port 201? Since the PicoGUS is a dumb port terminal for the joystick, it can't really show any errors if anything else in the system is interfering, it just silently does nothing in that case.