SoftMPU project needs your help! (game & sound card testing)

[bjt]

Thanks

[kbs6271]

OKSORI 3.7ET/ 3.8E/ WS16E / WS32B MEF II test
/TEST SYSTEM : 440BX + Pen3 450mhz + 256 ram

1. OKSORI 3.7ET : chip - OKSORI2 327 + OKSORI3 327 / VMP-3200
OKSORI 3.8E : chip - OKSORI2 423 + OKSORI3 414 / VMP-3300
OKSORI WS16E : chip - OKSORIDI 501 + OKSORI3 501 / VMP-3300 / CS4248KL
---softmpu : not load softmpu

2. OKSORI WS32B MEF II (HANSOL version)
: chip - OKSORI4B 627 / CS4231A / SAM9233 + sam8905-1 (4MB)
--- IRQ2/9 NOT SUPPORTED
---SOFTMPU /SB:220 /IRQ:7 /MPu:330 : OK
Ski or Die : pass
Sorcerian : pass


3. OKSORI WS32B MEF II (HANSOL version) Integrated MIDI interface / SAM9233 + sam8905-1(4MB)
--- IRQ2/9 SUPPORTED

1)Princess maker2 - pass / GOOD tempo
2)Curse of Enchantia - pass
3)David Wolf - pass
4)Innocent Until Caught - pass
5)Sorcerian - pass

[bjt]

Added Oksori WS32B-MEF II to compatibility list, thanks.

[bjwil1991]

Got myself stuck between a rock and a hard place right now.

I decided to test out the Aztech Sound Galaxy NX Pro (non-16 and non-PnP) and I used the correct parameters in SoftMPU, including the use of the SBMIDI output parameter, and I get no signals sent to any of my MIDI boxes (no music). The only device that shows anything is my laptop running Munt (Roland MT-32/CM-32L) emulator when running certain games.

My other sound card worked without issues, but NHL Hockey 95 doesn't like newer sound cards. I tried cleaning the contact points on the Joystick/MIDI connection, and that did make my joystick work, same as getting messages when loading Frederik Pohl's Gateway using Munt (displays GATEWAY, Legends Entertainment) and that's about it.

What could be the problem? On top of that, I cannot seem to find drivers that allows configuring the sound card within DOS.

This is what I have when I'm starting the SoftMPU program:

Code: Select all

softmpu /sb:220 /irq:5 /mpu:220 /delaysysex /output:SBMIDI


[jesolo]

What is the model number of your sound card - I38-???????
You can find some of the sound card drivers on Vogonsdrivers - here's a link to the specific model hat you have (this is for the OEM model): http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.ph ... enustate=0
Just copy into a folder on your C:\ drive (preferably C:\SGNXPRO) and run the SGPFIG utility (under the Utility folder) to configure.
In your Autoexec.bat file, insert the following command as well: SET SOUND=C:\SGNXPRO

Alternatively, you can also find the driver for the Sound Galaxy NX Pro on: ftp://ftp.aztech.com/support/DOWNLOAD/sg/
Just open the index.txt file to find the folder for your sound card, but it should be the NXPRO folder.

PS: Let me know if you are able to change the IRQ of your sound card from 5 to 7 - I can't seem to change mine (even though the SGPFIG program allows me to, when I reboot and run it again, it's still set at IRQ5).

[bjt]

SB-MIDI mode doesn't support game that use MPU interrupts, like Gateway. Something like Monkey Island, or even GSPlay is a better test.

[bjwil1991]

What is the model number of your sound card - I38-???????
You can find some of the sound card drivers on Vogonsdrivers - here's a link to the specific model hat you have (this is for the OEM model): http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.ph ... enustate=0
Just copy into a folder on your C:\ drive (preferably C:\SGNXPRO) and run the SGPFIG utility (under the Utility folder) to configure.
In your Autoexec.bat file, insert the following command as well: SET SOUND=C:\SGNXPRO

Alternatively, you can also find the driver for the Sound Galaxy NX Pro on: ftp://ftp.aztech.com/support/DOWNLOAD/sg/
Just open the index.txt file to find the folder for your sound card, but it should be the NXPRO folder.

PS: Let me know if you are able to change the IRQ of your sound card from 5 to 7 - I can't seem to change mine (even though the SGPFIG program allows me to, when I reboot and run it again, it's still set at IRQ5).

Here're the specs of the sound card

Aztech Sound Galaxy NX Pro (non-16 and non-PnP)
Mitsumi IDE CD Drive Controller
Panasonic/Sony IDE CD Drive Controller
SCSI Extension
Virtual Parallel Port
Yamaha OPL3 Chipset (Genuine 100% Authentic)
Chip: AZT-NXPMIX0592
FCC ID: I38-MMSD802 (Non-OEM)

I have the drivers in Windows 98SE as the Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro or compatible, which I know for a fact, is the incorrect driver for it since the external MIDI doesn't work within Windows as well, and SoftMPU doesn't detect the MPU if I use these parameters:

Code: Select all

softmpu /irq:5 /sb:220 /mpu:330


I did change the IRQ from 5 to 7, then to 2 and it keeps its settings after reboot. I'm going to have to find the drivers for Windows 9x and see what'll happen when I reboot to MS-DOS. At least the OPL3 chipset works.

[jesolo]

Just take note that the NXPro sound card does not have an MPU-401 UART MIDI interface (that was only introduced with the second generation of Sound Galaxy sound cards utilising the AZT-1605 chipset, except for one model from the first generation that I've picked up does have an MPU-401 UART MIDI interface, namely I38-MMSN812).
As such, you don't have port 330h available and cannot output any MIDI via that port.
This card's MIDI port is practically identical to that of the Sound Blaster and Sound Blaster Pro range of sound cards.

I've attached a Windows 95 driver release for most of the early Aztech cards (from the 1st to the 3rd generation), but take note that there were no official Windows 95 drivers released for the NXPro cards (refer to the Readme.txt file and what is in the "Other" folder).

WIN95DRV.ZIP

Aztech - Windows 95 drivers

(281.01 KiB) Downloaded 56 times

I think my IRQ problem is related to the Virtual parallel port and the fact that my actual LPT1 port is already utilising IRQ7.
I'll try and disable that and see if I can assign IRQ7 then to the sound card.

[bjwil1991]

Which sound card should I get? I was thinking about getting the Sound Blaster Pro 2 sound card, but IDK if it'll work or not, plus I have to DL the drivers for it onto my laptop, burn it onto a CD, and copy the file(s) from the CD to either a couple of floppies or onto my hard drive.

I have an old Diamond Multimedia Sonic Impact S70 from the late 1990s, but the card is having issues ATM. The card does have Sound Blaster Pro emulation for DOS, including in Windows DOS Box (Command Prompt), which is great for me since it'll run without issues, but the issue is the sound card is having problems with everything, in a matter of speaking. I'll edit or reply to this when I get the old card to work again.

[dr.zeissler]

Please help, I do not get the mt32 working with my performa 630 dos. Softmpu says ok with MPU:330 /IRQ:5 /SB:220 but I hear nothing.
Perhaps the joystick-interface is not fully wired? Apple used some kind of Vibra16 Chips it say DSP 4.13 found. Any idea?

Thx
Doc

[bjt]

Does the MT-32 and joystick to MIDI cable work on another machine?

Does it work on the Mac in DOS without SoftMPU?

[dr.zeissler]

1. Does the MT-32 and joystick to MIDI cable work on another machine?
2. Does it work on the Mac in DOS without SoftMPU?

1. I'll have to test that with my PII and tell you later.
2. No, because there is no other way to add a mpu401-card for Dos in this mac.



As you can see, it's an all-in-one design. Mac and PC are sharing components directly. The soundblaster-card/chip is differnt from a PCI-166Mhz-Dos-Card that I am using in my PowerMac 7300. That PCI-Dos-Card has a Vibra16c PNP. CTCM does not find any PNP card in my Performa 630 DOS.

In the first post seems to be a picture of the Vibra-Chip on the Performa 630DOS viewtopic.php?p=259810

Doc

[dr.zeissler]

It does not work

I don't know what soundchip/card apple exactly used for the Performa630-Dos.
A working cable, tested with a PII-CT4170 and softmpu with ski or die ("s mt32")
is used with the PC-Setup 1.64 and Dos622. Softmpu reports DSP4.13 and
SB220 IRQ5 MPU330 but I can't hear anything in skiordie.

[Kamerat]

Just tested an Avance Logic ALS4000 PCI sound card. Runs fine with games requiring IRQ 2/9. Configured IRQ trigger mode to "Edge" instead of "Level" in ALS4KDOS.CFG.

[dr.zeissler]

Mapping the apple-modem-port to COM1 in the PC-Card-Software does get me a Signal, but it sounds terribly wrong.
I use a modem-cable and an midi-man-mac with installed midimanager and midi-driver for the macintosh-side of the performa-630-dos.
This works quite well for the midi-games with the macintosh. If I use this same connection while starting the doscard and
softmpu with output to COM1 then I get a signal, but it sounds terrible wrong, perhaps the connection is to slow?

[dr.zeissler]

Dear Developers of SoftMPU, Do You see anything here that causes softmpu not to work with the PC-Side?
http://macintoshgarden.org/sites/macint ... tibles.pdf

Thx!

[bjt]

Just tested an Avance Logic ALS4000 PCI sound card. Runs fine with games requiring IRQ 2/9. Configured IRQ trigger mode to "Edge" instead of "Level" in ALS4KDOS.CFG.

Thank you, added to the compatibility list.

[bjt]

It does not work

I don't know what soundchip/card apple exactly used for the Performa630-Dos.
A working cable, tested with a PII-CT4170 and softmpu with ski or die ("s mt32")
is used with the PC-Setup 1.64 and Dos622. Softmpu reports DSP4.13 and
SB220 IRQ5 MPU330 but I can't hear anything in skiordie.

Could you try a simpler test case please, for example playing a midi song using GSPlay.

[dr.zeissler]

I now have the original SB-16 Installer Disk for the 630DOS. There is a "playmidi"
and if I start this I get the error that I have to start "sbmidi" and if I start
this the midi-files are played through the internal speaker. Does this help?

[bjt]

Not really. GSPlay is here: http://www.midimusicadventures.com/qs/m ... splay1.zip