If you're planning to install the Windows 9X, your best bet is to use a non PNP card along with your AWE64. About the SB16, I've installed two of these (different reversions) on two different PCs, and they are just fine, but you should recap the card with high quality electrolytic caps.

Correct, the bug only happens if the same card is doing digital audio and midi at the same time.
So a second card gets around the issue.

That said Creative cards tend to attract premium prices. If just using as a MIDI interface I'd check whats the cheapest ISA card you can get then confirm if it has a wavetable header.
eg my Opti 82C928 can be had real cheap, it's not great but as far as a MPU interface is no better or worse then a soundblaster.

I've always thought a GUS would be nice but only have 7 games out of my entire collection that would benifit so has been low on my priority list. However I'm now seriously considering a PicoGUS for it's virtual CD-ROM, also something I don't really need but having 2 "nice to have" features and if you then include the wavetable header, it start's to look like a really good deal.

cant say enough about a picogus 2.0 with a mt32-pi wavtable combo. Covers basically any mt32 / GM games would need and for mt32 you get hard mpu so that frees up memory that softmpu would need.

another affordable option is the phill and chill adapter for use your awe64.

dominusprog wrote on 2025-09-07, 20:00:

If you're planning to install the Windows 9X, your best bet is to use a non PNP card along with your AWE64. About the SB16, I've installed two of these (different reversions) on two different PCs, and they are just fine, but you should recap the card with high quality electrolytic caps.

I am planning to install Win95 OSR2, but it's going to probably be used mainly for DOS gaming, I can see why a non PnP is a better option to just set and forget and avoid headaches with resource management with the AWE64.

chinny22 wrote on Yesterday, 03:26:

Correct, the bug only happens if the same card is doing digital audio and midi at the same time. So a second card gets around th […]
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Correct, the bug only happens if the same card is doing digital audio and midi at the same time.
So a second card gets around the issue.

That said Creative cards tend to attract premium prices. If just using as a MIDI interface I'd check whats the cheapest ISA card you can get then confirm if it has a wavetable header.
eg my Opti 82C928 can be had real cheap, it's not great but as far as a MPU interface is no better or worse then a soundblaster.

I've always thought a GUS would be nice but only have 7 games out of my entire collection that would benifit so has been low on my priority list. However I'm now seriously considering a PicoGUS for it's virtual CD-ROM, also something I don't really need but having 2 "nice to have" features and if you then include the wavetable header, it start's to look like a really good deal.

Excellent, thanks for the clarification. I did suspect that would be the case but still wanted to confirm. I can get a ViBRA16C for quite cheap, hence why I was mentioning it. But I will keep on the lookout for other ISA cards.

The GUS mode is nice, from some videos I watched showing some games that support it, it's great, but unfortunately so few take advantage of it. If I were to actively use a couple more features of the PicoGUS, yeah, it would be very good deal. For an older PC like a 286 class or so it's perfect.

Pickle wrote on Yesterday, 12:01:

cant say enough about a picogus 2.0 with a mt32-pi wavtable combo. Covers basically any mt32 / GM games would need and for mt32 you get hard mpu so that frees up memory that softmpu would need.

another affordable option is the phill and chill adapter for use your awe64.

That is exactly the combo I was initially aiming for since I want to keep stuff internal and tidy, so I'd like to avoid external modules like the MT32-Pi and such.

Building a retro gaming PC nowadays gets pricey really fast, even with "relatively cheap" parts, it all adds up quickly so, I am trying to cut some corners if possible.

It's a shame that they removed the WT header from the AWE64 series... I guess given the capabilities it offers when it comes to soundfont support, it makes sense.

chinny22 wrote on Yesterday, 03:26:

I've always thought a GUS would be nice but only have 7 games out of my entire collection that would benefit so has been low on my priority list.

I am the same, and for years I was content to do without, but recent GUS clones with a wider array of features (got my order in for a MK1869 Xtreme) helped justify reconsideration.

GearCross wrote on Yesterday, 13:53:

The GUS mode is nice, from some videos I watched showing some games that support it, it's great, but unfortunately so few take advantage of it. If I were to actively use a couple more features of the PicoGUS, yeah, it would be very good deal. For an older PC like a 286 class or so it's perfect.

I considered PicoGUS for a time despite my bias against emulation-based options. What decided against it for me is its lack of support for proper ADPCM channels (a problem the real GUS does NOT have, remarkably, probably because it is tuned to emulate the original Sound Blaster and/or shareware developers proportionally embraced GUS more than the mainstream) as I am a fan of classic Apogee games. Goes to show: homework always has to be done on these sorts of things.

That is exactly the combo I was initially aiming for since I want to keep stuff internal and tidy, so I'd like to avoid external modules like the MT32-Pi and such.

Not sure if you missed it but the mt32-pi has wavetable versions so it really can be all internal.

BaronSFel001 wrote on Yesterday, 14:18:

GearCross wrote on Yesterday, 13:53:

The GUS mode is nice, from some videos I watched showing some games that support it, it's great, but unfortunately so few take advantage of it. If I were to actively use a couple more features of the PicoGUS, yeah, it would be very good deal. For an older PC like a 286 class or so it's perfect.

I considered PicoGUS for a time despite my bias against emulation-based options. What decided against it for me is its lack of support for proper ADPCM channels (a problem the real GUS does NOT have, remarkably, probably because it is tuned to emulate the original Sound Blaster and/or shareware developers proportionally embraced GUS more than the mainstream) as I am a fan of classic Apogee games. Goes to show: homework always has to be done on these sorts of things.

I don't mind emulation or a modern recreation of old tech when the real deal is either unobtanium and/or extremely expensive. The GUS having the reputation it has... no wonder their current price tag. If not for its functionality, just the way it looks is something to behold.

Pickle wrote on Yesterday, 18:09:

That is exactly the combo I was initially aiming for since I want to keep stuff internal and tidy, so I'd like to avoid external modules like the MT32-Pi and such.

Not sure if you missed it but the mt32-pi has wavetable versions so it really can be all internal.

Oh no, I didn't miss it, the wavetable-pi from Scrap Computing or the Midiforge Maestro from Bits und Bolts are exactly what I am looking for, but I'll most likely go for the former, since the kind of SMD headers used in the latter are oddly hard to find, and I don't really want to wait to order from Aliexpress and the likes.

Yeah I’ve only built scrap computing’s. I solder both the pcb and pi on the long side of the header. It does take some time to remove the plastic part of the header and clip the posts.
Also if your not aware there’s a dos tool that can change the mt32pi over midi

Yeah, I actually found out about it a couple days ago, found it quite interesting, though my plan is to not have any controls on the wavetable board itself, but have the buttons and the OLED screen on a 5 1/4 bay