If DOSBox isn't putting out any sound, there may be something wrong in your configuration - could you check your Dosbox.conf and see if the sound may be disabled, or make sure your game in question is set up properly?

You don't need a SB or SB clone to make DOSBox sound. Are you sure sound drivers are properly installed on the host O.S.?

Does your sound card work while playing an audio CD for instance?

If DOSBox isn't putting out any sound, there may be something wrong in your configuration - could you check your Dosbox.conf and see if the sound may be disabled, or make sure your game in question is set up properly?

this is the current setup in my dosbox.conf:

[mixer]
nosound=false
rate=22050
blocksize=2048
prebuffer=10

[midi]
mpu401=intelligent
device=win32
config=

[sblaster]
sbtype=sb16
sbbase=220
irq=7
dma=1
hdma=5
mixer=false
oplmode=opl2
oplrate=22050

[gus]
gus=true
gusrate=22050
gusbase=240
irq1=5
irq2=5
dma1=3
dma2=3
ultradir=C:\ULTRASND

[speaker]
pcspeaker=true
pcrate=22050
tandy=auto
tandyrate=22050
disney=true

In the meantime I have been able to get a different game to output sound, so apparently it's some problem with the game-setup of Syndicate which unfortunately is just a batch file with this single line:

main.exe >nul: /iirq7 /idma1 /iio$220

Should work, but doesn't. Anyone else have problems with "Syndicate" (the original, not "Syndicate Wars")?

cheers

try removing the > /nul: part

And set GUS=false.
Some games have problems with both SB and GUS enabled.