The problem is, how do you activate and deactivate just the ports you want to be used?

If both XR385 and MT-32 are connected to the same soundcard, they'll both play at the same time. Then you just need to mute the XR385 when you're playing a MT-32 game, and turn down/turn off the MT-32 when you're playing a General MIDI game.

Usually FM volume controls the daughterboard volume too. You can set the mixer using a batch file when you start the game.

If you want two separate MIDI ports you'll need a second soundcard. YMF71x will coexist nicely with a SB16, that's what I use. Other options are Terratec EWS (two MIDI ports on one card) or MPU401/SCC-1/LAPC-I. In this case General MIDI should go on port 300 and MT-32 on 330, as some old games are hardcoded to output Roland sound on port 330.

Hopefully I have understood the problem correctly but let me know if not 😀

bjt wrote:

If both XR385 and MT-32 are connected to the same soundcard, they'll both play at the same time. Then you just need to mute the […]
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The problem is, how do you activate and deactivate just the ports you want to be used?

If both XR385 and MT-32 are connected to the same soundcard, they'll both play at the same time. Then you just need to mute the XR385 when you're playing a MT-32 game, and turn down/turn off the MT-32 when you're playing a General MIDI game.

Usually FM volume controls the daughterboard volume too. You can set the mixer using a batch file when you start the game.

If you want two separate MIDI ports you'll need a second soundcard. YMF71x will coexist nicely with a SB16, that's what I use. Other options are Terratec EWS (two MIDI ports on one card) or MPU401/SCC-1/LAPC-I. In this case General MIDI should go on port 300 and MT-32 on 330, as some old games are hardcoded to output Roland sound on port 330.

Hopefully I have understood the problem correctly but let me know if not 😀

If you turn down the FM volume when you play Mt-32 games so the XR385 doesn't make a noise, wouldn't the FX that come out of the SB16 also be muted? Or am I missing the something here? Mt-32 games also need sound from a SB so the FX are listened?

I have a YMF71x and Sb16 tried putting them together but had some issues.

a) Which sound card do you have the Mt-32 plugged to?

b) How does a game that cannot be configured eg. "Secret of Monkey Island", decide which sound card to be used?
And which port to be used?

c) Imagine that the Mt-32 is connected to the SB16 via 2 cables that exit the Mt-32 and go into the Line In from the Sb16.
Do you then hook up another cable from the SB16's Line Out to the Yamaha Line In? Or you directly take the sound out from the SB16 into a mixer?

I don't know if I have made myself clear. If not, I'll try to hook both up and see what comes out. And try to be more specific.

Turning down the FM volume should only affect FM music (i.e. OPL3) and the XR385. There is a seperate WAVE volume for digital FX.

a) Either, but makes sense to plug MT-32 into YMF71x and XR385 into SB16 because of the daughterboard header issue.
b) Monkey Island uses port 330, AFAIK all games use 330 by default. So you need to configure YMF71x to listen on port 330 and SB16 to listen on port 300 using jumpers or diagnose/setupsa. General MIDI games usually (always?) let you output music to port 300.
c) Both are valid approaches. Personally I have YMF71x (with XR385) connected to SB16 line in and SB16 to mixer. MT-32 direct to mixer also.