boxpressed wrote:

This is something that you can do with the AWE32 (EMU8K + external module) only if a game natively supports the AWE32, plus you have to deal with Creative's buggy MPU-401 implementation.

That's what I was thinking of.

badmojo wrote:

I have this CS9233-CQ based wavetable card, similar to your AOpen card above. The SB Pro voice is fantastic and the GM quite goo […]
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I have this CS9233-CQ based wavetable card, similar to your AOpen card above. The SB Pro voice is fantastic and the GM quite good too, I think. If it weren't for the revolting sounding OPL3 clone it would be a winner. So close yet so far.

I tried this card in a 1GHz PIII last night and apparently it has speed issues. I tried it in 3 games and both WSS and SB Pro mode spazzed out either immediately or within the first minute of play. An ES1688 based card works perfectly in the same system / games.

Just thought I'd mention it...

Interesting. I've been testing most of these wavetable cards on my bench system, which is a Cyrix 5x86-120 on a 486 PCI mobo. Which games were you playing?

Yar this thing obviously wasn't designed with 1 GHz in mind but my ES1688 is older than this and works A-OK.

Games were:

Daggerfall - WSS played at chipmunk speed
Network Q RAC Rally Championship - both SB Pro and WSS mode started glitching within ~30 seconds of starting the game.
Terminal Velocity - sound setup program hang when testing SB Pro

It worked OK in my P166MMX - I do want to like this card but it keeps giving me reasons to toss it.

I dont know if i can ask here, but can you list all NO TSR specific controller chips by manufacturer and model number? Im looking for a card which would let me use Waveblaster connector for use with Dreamblaster x2.

The perfect card for me would be:
- MIDI waveblaster connector with MPU-401/GM DOS compatibility
- Yamaha OPL3 chip
- No TSRs
- Need to be CPU speed independent (no chipmunk or FM garbled sound at 500MHz k6-2 CPU)
- DAC with around 90dB SNR
- S/PDIF OUT pins

The card you describe doesn't exist! SPDIF output isn't really a thing for ISA cards (partially in the case of some cards with the EMU8k), nor can most cards approach that level of SNR (Crystal Semi codecs come closest, I believe). Besides, most DOS titles only feature 8 bit audio which limits your dynamic range.

Doppler wrote:

- MIDI waveblaster connector with MPU-401/GM DOS compatibility - Yamaha OPL3 chip - No TSRs - Need to be CPU speed independent ( […]
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- MIDI waveblaster connector with MPU-401/GM DOS compatibility
- Yamaha OPL3 chip
- No TSRs
- Need to be CPU speed independent (no chipmunk or FM garbled sound at 500MHz k6-2 CPU)
- DAC with around 90dB SNR
- S/PDIF OUT pins

Which Yamaha OPL3 chip? Original YMF262, or the sampling-rate converted later models like OPL3-SAx? Note that OPL4 includes OPL3 but it's also sampling-rate converted.

Some SB AWE models have SPDIF output, but I think these all have CQM, not Yamaha OPL3.

It's not the card's job to be CPU independent, it's the job of motherboard, BIOS settings and software using the card. I recall I had no issues with my K6-2 and Asus T2P4, though it was a K6-2 450MHz and it was a pretty good motherboard.

Maybe two different cards could do that together?

Jepael wrote:

Some SB AWE models have SPDIF output, but I think these all have CQM, not Yamaha OPL3.

I believe it's only FM and EMU8k MIDI that's capable of being output via SPDIF which is why I mentioned partial support for digital out. Certainly FM can be processed on the EMU chip after being passed in digitally from the FM synth, but I believe PCM isn't routed through.

Jepael wrote:

Which Yamaha OPL3 chip? Original YMF262, or the sampling-rate converted later models like OPL3-SAx?

YMF262 would be better.
I have an OPTi 82c929A on my eye for a while, with waveblaster connector, original YMF262 and 80dB SNR but without S/PDIF (lets assume I DONT NEED S/PDIF badly). But the high SNR somewhat turns me off. I hate noise, and worse that i red here on VOGONS that this OPTi chip hates high clocked CPU's (chipmunks/garbage sound). What I know is that it doesnt need TSR to work in DOS.

There are too much options in ISA cards. I dont have such money to buy all and test it myself. Just looking for an alrounder which would get me SB 16bit compatibility, clean sound, real OPL3 and daughterboard GM MIDI in DOS.

SB16 compatibility not going to happen unless you get a SB16 (I think an Audio Excel model does SB16). But you don't need SB16 compatibility; there's no meaningful difference between it and SB Pro compatibility for DOS games.

Also, if you're going to use a wavetable DB anyway, you don't need a card with built-in wavetable. Get get a Yamaha 719-based board and use it with your DB.

Sorry! I was not clear enough:
1. I had on my mind SB 44.1kHZ 16-bit Stereo sample playback feature
2. I know that I do need only waveblaster header on the board. I was asking earlier for built in wavetable on the cards showed in the first post because I wasnt shure what I could buy. Sorry again here for off-topic.

Doppler wrote:

1. I had on my mind SB 44.1kHZ 16-bit Stereo sample playback feature.

I think what Boxpressed is referring to is that there aren't (m)any? DOS games that use 44.1 KHz and 16 bit. Even most early Windows games use 11 KHz or 22 KHz samples, like Quake and Quake 2.

Perhaps some FMV games use 44.1khz. I'm not entirely sure myself. I personally want 16 bit/44.1k output on MPXPlay, just cuz.

this thread should be stickied (along with the wavetable samples sister thread). i've referenced it at least a dozen times for the detailed specs. honestly, there's enough info to put in an excel spreadsheet.

i was curious though, is there a card on this list with onboard wavetable that meets all the following criteria:
- opl3 or exact clone
- wss compatible
- mt-32 default instrument set

i have 1 other question that i probably already know the answer to: can the qs700/qs1000/82c941 wavetable chip load a mt-32 default instrument set?