Version 1.01 for Audigy is available now! See first post.

Known 1.01 bug:
- if you are using Creative's TSR SB16+FM emulation - the SYNTH level in ek2m is not working, WAVE level controls WAVE+SYNTH both channels

Enjoy!

Hi Parus,
thank you for you great work! The mixer works perfect. I tried it on CT4620.
I have found only one disadvantage and it is that I can not to mix two audio analog signals together (for example CDIN + AUXIN => SPDIF OUT). It is not a matter of your MIXER but all analog inputs are a part of AC97 according to your schema. If I am wrong please correct me.
And what about Audigy card? Should I mix two analog signals together? I mean LINE IN with whatever analog input => SPDIF OUT). It seems that it is possible because LINE IN do not pass through the AC97 like the rest analog inputs.
I am curious about Audigy 2 schema.
P.S. Thank you for the BEEP IN!

w0lf42 wrote:

I did some more reading the documentation and trying options. I'm sure I'll refine this, but this works. […]
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I did some more reading the documentation and trying options. I'm sure I'll refine this, but this works.

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1ek1m -b
2ek1m -as mix
3ek1m -ai aux 100
4ek1m -ai line 100
5ek1m -ai cd 100
6ek1m -io ac97 100 100 100 100 100 100

Thank you again for this software!

You can use not these large keys anytime. Just make dump file with full matrix and edit it as a text file then use it to load ekm with necessary parameters:

PARUS wrote:

For boot mixer type ekm -b or ekm -boot. As default mode there are working analog front, analog rear (+SPDIF3), analog center/sub, and there is AC97 input disabled.
Then type command ekm -c > filename.ext with any filename and you'll create config file. It has text format, please see readme. For the future regular boots you don't need along a -boot key with default parameters. Just edit them in your config file and place in autoexec.bat the command ekm -f filename.ext. [Be sure the program runs in the current directory or in one of PATH-directories.]

Rabanik, you can mix all AC97 analog inputs on Live and on Audigy! It is the MIX mode 😀.

Yes. All analog inputs work now! Thanks. It is amazing project. My favorite card is Audigy SB0090. This one has a working SPDIF02 IN on AUD_EXT header as you mentioned according to the SBLive! cards. It is pity that there is no way to get two other analog inputs LINE2 IN and AUX2 IN from 5,25" panel.
Maybe l0v3r or Samir should help with this problem. Does anyone know these guys?
https://www.hardwareheaven.com/community/thre … nt.51279/page-5

Hi Parus,

I must say I'm really impressed with your project. I'ts really useful for a busy space like mine where I cannot afford to have a mixing table.

Everything I wanted to do works, in the best possible way.

With this I can mix what I consider the best DOS audio setup. Great SB16 compatibility, true OPL3 with digital output, MT-32, SC-55 and DB50XG (without hanging note bug) to cover all the main options for music and of course optical drive. And I still have 2 digital and 1 analog inputs available.

Also I have to say that I haven't notice any impact in compatibility or any memory footprint. And thanks to mixing in the Live instead of the old AWE32 the overal quality of the audio has improved greatly, to the point that sometimes I wonder myself if I made a mistake and the audio is coming directly from the SB Live (it isn't, I haven't installed any driver for DOS)

This is my setup, quoting from some time ago when I explained my plans:

Schyz wrote:

AWE32 - OPL3+EMU8k -> internal SPDIF-in - Wave-out -> Line-in in the back with a male to male 3.5 mm stereo cable (this i […]
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AWE32
- OPL3+EMU8k -> internal SPDIF-in
- Wave-out -> Line-in in the back with a male to male 3.5 mm stereo cable
(this is following your recommendation for cleaner AWE32 audio)

Keropi's MPU 401 clone
- Internal wavetable -> internal Aux-in with typical analog CD-Audio cable (the MPU 401 card has an internal line-out header for the midi daughterboard)
- External Roland CM-500 -> secondary external Line-in in external module / front panel

Optical Drive
- Internal CD-In with typical analog CD-Audio cable

The only criticism is that maybe the interface can be a bit hard to understand at the beginning, but once you get a proper working config it's just a matter of saving the configuration to a file and forget about it. I have even created a couple of batch files that allow me to switch between the wavetable and the external Roland synth (as both use por 330) just by tweaking the volume levels, but I see how it can be even better than a mixing table as you can customise and save levels per game and just run a batch file to launch each one.

Really good job. Thank you!

w0lf42, Rabanik, Schyz, thank you very much!

Schyz, it's useful not only for a busy space. You said yourself that you followed my advice to take MIDI sounds from AWE cards via SPDIF, mute all AWE mixer except WAVE channel and take it via analog LINE OUT. This lets you get cleaner sound from AWE cards. If you try choose for this goal one of external mixers you will find that mixer which can do ANALOG+DIGITAL inputs at the same time costs a hundreds of euros 😀
EMU10k mixer is easy to use with one computer and multiple several external MIDI devices. But if you use not single retro computer but multiple computers this mixer is uncomfortable you understand why.

Rabanik, when I did only think about internal EMU10k mixer idea I did think already about I2S inputs without 5'25 extension. I bought on ebay SPDIF>I2S converter but haven't received it yet. It's about 3-4 months. I think I will not see it 😀 Please show your ideas about I2S inputs. It is possible to connect ANALOG>I2S or SPDIF>I2S converters.
I bought too 4-5 months ago an SB0230 card with 4th SPDIF input on 5-pin header like on SB0220 card. I know the 4th SPDIF input doesn't work. I told about it to developer of this mixer and wait if his search for correct DSP registers will be successful or not.

By the way v1.01 for Audigy is not final in any case! There will be some add-on. It will make nice sound hues. Wait 😀

Rabanik, the first attempt with 4th S/PDIF input is unsuccessful. He tried some DSP registers but it isn't working 🙁

I've even installed KX driver which has very very advanced mixer with a lot of different faders and I couldn't find it. 4th input is silent yet. I don't know is it worth or not to work on this trouble.

There are inputs now:

LINE
CD
AUX
BEEP mono
TAD mono
MIC mono
SPDIF1
SPDIF2 - Audigy only
CD SPDIF
LINE2
AUX2

I think that's enough. Three AC97 analog stereo inputs, three AC97 analog mono inputs, two high-quality NON-AC97 analog stereo inputs, two (three on Audigy) digital inputs.
Audigy's final mixer is almost done and soon we'll think about Audigy2.

I'm attempting to pass the MIDI input from one sound card (ISA) into my Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 (PCI). The 40-pin header says that it has MIDI in (pin-27) and I have updated my configuration file to accept MIDI input:
-io synth 100 100 100 100 100 100

My Yamaha MU80 does not detect a signal -- though it does detect a MIDI signal if I send one directly from the Sound Blaster.

I know that my ISA card is working -- if I plug it into the Yamaha MU80, I get sound.

Is there a configuration setting that I need to setup?

Thanks

w0lf42, a "synth" channel is a part of SOUND mixer and NOT MIDI ROUTING. If you turn MIDI volume on your ESS/YMF/SB16/AWE/AU8830/TB/etc it doesn't mean you switch on/off MPU401 channel on it. This mixer does the same too. It's SYNTH volume only. Its own synth! And this mixer does NOT any MIDI routes! You can't use MIDI input/output via this mixer.

Thanks for the clarification.

Bummer. "ek2m -b" just tells me "No compatible devices found." This is with the SB0090 Audigy in a PIII Tualatin machine.

No such complaint when run in a Windows DOS prompt, for whatever reason.

It was tested on i440EX, i440BX, SiS661FX, i865, KT333 (I don't remember fine ek1m or ek2m, but ek2m was fully tested on 865).

What is your chipset?

440BX. It's a complex CUBX-E build with an YMF719, AWE64, the Audigy, Voodoo5 and Voodoo2. Every bit of IRQ's and DMA's in use somewhere. 😀

Haven't troubleshot the issue by making any hardware changes yet.

I never had 440BX myself. But ek1m was tested on BX. And I don't remember about ek2m. Let's ask people who is BX owner too. I have i845 with ISA and i865 with ISA and therefore I don't want buy 440BX at all (you understand why) but I'll ask all my friends on "local" forums who has BX and Audigy.

Who is BX and Audigy1 owner can you repeat please? We are interested in ek2m working in pure DOS. Thank you.

I just launched my SB0160 and SB0230 on my old i440EX PII-266 machine with ek2m ver:1.01. Both are working. My SB0090 is plugged into computer which is far from me now. But I don' see any reason why 0160/0230 work and 0090 doesn't work. I believe 0090 should work too. And I think all three revisions should work on 440BX too.

firage, please check your system again closely.

And I ask to all: who has 440BX machine please check ek2m too and tell about in this topic. Thank you!

The problem disappeared after a reformat and reinstall of 98SE. I will let you know if I learn anything more about the issue.

A 1 month ago when I received TB60XG board I checked it with my Audigy card. The TB60XG has 18-bit SPDIF output. I found that two SPDIF inputs on 40-pin header both "understand" 18-bit signal. And CD SPDIF input doesn't 😀. It detects only 16-bit signal.

Of course the benefit of this information is very little because most, almost all "home-use" sound cards have 16-bit digital output. But nevertheless fact is.

Hello,

I cannot get your program to work. I am using a SBLive value.

ekm without parameters gives freeze (EMM386) or exception 06 (JemmEx) or sometimes also "Your Program caused a Divide Overflow Error".

ekm -b gives freeze.

My configuration is this:

MSI MS-9105
2x Intel Pentium III 1.4GHz
2048MB DDR266
GeForce 6800LE
SBLive Value at IRQ5

Regards,
Eric

What version of program do you using?
Have you tried "clean" OS without any drivers, managers? Please read above about issues which were eliminated after full OS reinstall. I recommend first to boot clean MS-DOS 6.22/7.10 from boot floppy or CD and try ek1m v0.49.

Next, probably, it's too much memory. There are sometimes such issues possible in DOS. I use burnmem.sys manager before booting any others. I recommend to limit RAM to 64mb for DOS menuitem section and to 512mb for WIN menuitem section.

Next, probably, it's IRQ conflict. What do you mean "5"? Do you booting Creative's TSR SB16 emulation for DOS? Is this "5" for PCI slot where the card is plugged or for SB16 emulation? I recommend to try another IRQ or even another slot.

By the way you can try ek1m in Windows 98 environment and see. If it's OK please seek what's wrong in pure DOS (see above).

And: I don't know if this program was tested in DR-DOS or PC-DOS. I know only about MS-DOS 6.22/7.10 (and use it myself). What is your system? (I suspect it's Windows 98 DOS 7.10)

Hi, thank you for your quick reply.

It is indeed MS-DOS 7.10 from Windows 98. The system is functional otherwise, including DOS sound compatibility. I wanted to change the volume of SB-Emulation audio but the setting in SBEMIXER doesn't seem to do anything (only CD and MIDI volume can be adjusted it seems)

I've tried booting with ONLY HIMEM from DOS 6.22 which limits it to 64MB, without any other drivers or autoexec entries, and the program also just freezes. I'm using version 0.49 for SBLive.

And yes, the card is assigned a PCI IRQ 5, but changing this IRQ to something else did not help, neither did changing the slot 🙁

PS: By the way, chipset is Via Pro 266T (VT8633 northbridge and VT8233 southbridge)