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awe 32 3670

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First post, by cnpr

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Hello all, been looking at a 3670 on ebay right now that I am interested in. currently I have a awe 64 4380 (I think its a value). Will the card on ebay beat it if I were to get it?

Reply 1 of 16, by cyclone3d

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Basically an AWE64 with simm slots, so yeah.

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Reply 2 of 16, by firage

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Very very similar cards. CT4380's that I see use the same old CT1745A-TBP mixer chip, so no sound quality advantage expected against the CT3670 SB32. What you get with the longer SB32 is standard SIMM for SoundFonts.

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Reply 3 of 16, by Ampera

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I currently own two 3670s, and I consider them to be possibly the best option for an all in one DOS/Windows ISA sound experience. There are of course better options that cover specific things for more money, but these are often cheap, they run on anything with an ISA slot, have good support for at least OPL3 in DOS games, and they sound great. The SIMM slots also make it not impossible to upgrade the memory, unlike the AWE64 where it's near impossible to track down a memory expansion.

Reply 5 of 16, by Ampera

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http://www.synthfont.com/links_to_soundfonts.html

I often consult this list. The CT3670 has a very good built in sound, near to the SC-55 by Roland (Not quite as good, but close). Make sure to get one small enough to fit onto whatever expanded memory you are using. I believe the max is around 28MB?

Reply 7 of 16, by BeginnerGuy

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gdjacobs wrote:

Yes, IIRC the EMU chip can address 32mb of which 4mb is reserved for ROM.

Just in case anybody wants to be precise.. I get 28,672KB reported available on mine with 32MB installed. Just be prepared for a good 30-45 second extra wait at bootup if you're crazy enough to use a 28MB sound font 😎

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Reply 8 of 16, by Ampera

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BeginnerGuy wrote:
gdjacobs wrote:

Yes, IIRC the EMU chip can address 32mb of which 4mb is reserved for ROM.

Just in case anybody wants to be precise.. I get 28,672KB reported available on mine with 32MB installed. Just be prepared for a good 30-45 second extra wait at bootup if you're crazy enough to use a 28MB sound font 😎

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This sounds like a challenge...

Reply 10 of 16, by Ampera

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Cga.8086 wrote:
WHY CT3670 ? Is that the best awe32? or ct3600 is better? […]
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WHY CT3670 ?
Is that the best awe32?
or ct3600 is better?

Can anyone explain?

The CT3670 has the same EMU chip as the AWE64, but it also has SIMM slots to make memory expansion even remotely possible.

When I say the CT3670 is the best AIO option on a budget, I mean all things considering. There will be things that do everything the AWE32 can do, but just way better. There are AWE32s with real OPL3, and there are MIDI synths that will absolutely crush an AWE32. It's just that the AWE32 has the best combination of everything, and they can be had for relatively cheap. They have alright MIDI support in DOS, and perfect support in Windows. The OPL isn't real, but also isn't bad. It has MT32 and GS simulation options that offer a compromise for those with small pockets. The PCM audio is perfectly fine.

If I wanted the BEST period correct sound options I would probably combine a AWE64, a Sound Blaster Pro 2, a UART intelligent mode MIDI card running an MT32 and SC-55 on a switch, somewhat similar to what LGR did. This is with some debate the best sound option for DOS compatible early to mid 90's sound, but you would bleed your pockets dry for it. The AWE32 is a good bit of middle ground, and the CT3670 is the best for the money, as most other nicer AWE32s run for a LOT more (100+ USD).

Reply 11 of 16, by BloodyCactus

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If you have an AWE64 and want an AWE32, I'd go for one with a real Yamaha FM chip, otherwise, there is no point going from AWE64 to AWE32.

--/\-[ Stu : Bloody Cactus :: [ https://bloodycactus.com :: http://kråketær.com ]-/\--

Reply 12 of 16, by cyclone3d

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BloodyCactus wrote:

If you have an AWE64 and want an AWE32, I'd go for one with a real Yamaha FM chip, otherwise, there is no point going from AWE64 to AWE32.

The point is, the CT3670, although the name is SB32, is really an AWE64 with a cheap RAM upgrade path.

It will also have a much cleaner output than the regular AWE32 cards.

I would get a separate card for OPL3 and not worry about an AWE32 with OPL3.

Yamaha modified setupds and drivers
Yamaha XG repository
YMF7x4 Guide
Aopen AW744L II SB-LINK

Reply 13 of 16, by Ampera

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cyclone3d wrote:
The point is, the CT3670, although the name is SB32, is really an AWE64 with a cheap RAM upgrade path. […]
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BloodyCactus wrote:

If you have an AWE64 and want an AWE32, I'd go for one with a real Yamaha FM chip, otherwise, there is no point going from AWE64 to AWE32.

The point is, the CT3670, although the name is SB32, is really an AWE64 with a cheap RAM upgrade path.

It will also have a much cleaner output than the regular AWE32 cards.

I would get a separate card for OPL3 and not worry about an AWE32 with OPL3.

Not true. It's an AWE32. Not only does one of the main chips say AWE, it's also listed as an AWE32 on Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_AWE32

It does, however, share similarities with the SB32. It has no onboard RAM, and no wavetable header. It's still an AWE32 though.

Reply 14 of 16, by cyclone3d

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Ampera wrote:
cyclone3d wrote:
The point is, the CT3670, although the name is SB32, is really an AWE64 with a cheap RAM upgrade path. […]
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BloodyCactus wrote:

If you have an AWE64 and want an AWE32, I'd go for one with a real Yamaha FM chip, otherwise, there is no point going from AWE64 to AWE32.

The point is, the CT3670, although the name is SB32, is really an AWE64 with a cheap RAM upgrade path.

It will also have a much cleaner output than the regular AWE32 cards.

I would get a separate card for OPL3 and not worry about an AWE32 with OPL3.

Not true. It's an AWE32. Not only does one of the main chips say AWE, it's also listed as an AWE32 on Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_AWE32

It does, however, share similarities with the SB32. It has no onboard RAM, and no wavetable header. It's still an AWE32 though.

It has the same chip as the AWE64. You can even flash the AWE64 firmware onto it.

All of the AWE32 cards and all the other SB32 cards have the EMU8000 chip on them.

It may be called an AWE32 or a SB32, but it really isn't.

http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2012/07/s … 64-options.html

Yamaha modified setupds and drivers
Yamaha XG repository
YMF7x4 Guide
Aopen AW744L II SB-LINK

Reply 16 of 16, by firage

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Ampera wrote:
cyclone3d wrote:
The point is, the CT3670, although the name is SB32, is really an AWE64 with a cheap RAM upgrade path. […]
Show full quote
BloodyCactus wrote:

If you have an AWE64 and want an AWE32, I'd go for one with a real Yamaha FM chip, otherwise, there is no point going from AWE64 to AWE32.

The point is, the CT3670, although the name is SB32, is really an AWE64 with a cheap RAM upgrade path.

It will also have a much cleaner output than the regular AWE32 cards.

I would get a separate card for OPL3 and not worry about an AWE32 with OPL3.

Not true. It's an AWE32. Not only does one of the main chips say AWE, it's also listed as an AWE32 on Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Blaster_AWE32

It does, however, share similarities with the SB32. It has no onboard RAM, and no wavetable header. It's still an AWE32 though.

It's an SB32; the difference between the two is the onboard RAM, and lack of it makes it not an AWE32. Often ignored and really makes no difference compared to other developments within the model line, but the Wiki article is certainly wrong to list it as an AWE32 when they have a second listing for the SB32.
The model marking on these cards is on a sticker on the back: https://www.milanuncios.com/otros-componentes … 0-220219487.htm

The AWE64 that we were comparing with the CT3670 is a pretty good card to begin with. It could be worth it to upgrade to the bigger PCB for SoundFonts; besides that part, it's going to have the same pros and cons.

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