Six soundcards and three daughterboards? Screw me! Never thought it's possible. Now you need a big mixer to wire all of them together!

Is it Epson SD-800 floppy drive?

Very impressive! Which card are you going to connect the pc speaker to? What about the sweet panasonic cd changer?

Cloudschatze wrote:

I'd be happy to share the configuration details, if anyone cares.

Yes please. We do care about such things 😉

Seeing all those stacked sound boards+DBs, another question arises: What about heat? I've only got half the board count in my 486, and it gets considerably warm when the case is closed.

5u3 wrote:

Cloudschatze wrote:

I'd be happy to share the configuration details, if anyone cares.

Yes please. We do care about such things.

I second that..please post!

This thread should be named "ISA bus pwnage"

damn that's sexy, you've won me over

😲 OMG Cloudschatze, that's so incredibly.......beautiful.......I want to cry manly tears of joy 😊 . You just made one of my wildest dreams come true. The music......the wonderful music.......I can just hear it all around me 😁

And I agree with carlostex. This is ISA bus pwnage to the MAX!!!!

One thing that bugs me: how do you deal with the Adlib and Game port resources? That's a potentially nasty can of worms. Is it done through the boot files? If not, how 😕

Of the four cards that have a gameport in this machine, I believe they can all be disabled. The adlib ports do present a challenge, but this is the MIDI General, not the FM General. Seven of the finest sample-based synthesis hardware devices ever assembled for the PC are here :

1. GUS PnP Interwave
2. Korg DB on the PAS16
3. AWE32 EMU8000
4. Rio DB on the AWE32
5. SW60XG
6. SCC-1
7. Soundscape Elite with ESP DB

I would like to point out that Dell's case is really sharp for the time period. No frills or ugly logos here that would "date" the case. The built-in VLB card is an excellent chipset.

Forgive me for my doubts, but I think that you can't start your computer with all the cards together. Joysticks and I/O ports are not a problem, but irq ...

Great Hierophant wrote:

The adlib ports do present a challenge, but this is the MIDI General, not the FM General.

How is adlib a problem? All the cards that listen to #388 will play. Stick as many adlibs you want.

So, after begrudgingly compromising on the address of the SCC-1, ALL sound cards are now concurrently and usably functional using one stupidly simple configuration.

To all of the Mr. Thomases, herein lieth the Devil:

Soundcard Configuration Summary wrote:

Ultrasound PnP BASE : 0x240 IRQ : 3 DMA : 7 ADL : Disabled MPU : Disabled MPUINT : N/A JOY : 0x201 […]
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Ultrasound PnP
BASE : 0x240
IRQ : 3
DMA : 7
ADL : Disabled
MPU : Disabled
MPUINT : N/A
JOY : 0x201

Note: "Gravis MIDI" support available via MEGA-EM and UltraMid.

PAS16
BASE : 0x388
IRQ : 7
DMA : 6
ADL : 0x388
MPU : 0x300
MPUINT : 2
JOY : Disabled

Note: Allows for 16-bit "PAS" playback support in this configuration.

AWE32
BASE : 0x220
IRQ : 5
DMA : 1, 5
ADL : 0x388
MPU : 0x330
MPUINT : 5
JOY : Disabled
E8K : 0x620

SW60XG
MPU : 0x310

SCC-1
MPU : 0x332

SSElite
WAVE : 0x534
IRQ : 10
DMA : 3
ADL : Disabled
MPU : 0x320
MPUINT : 2
JOY : Disabled

CONFIG.SYS wrote:

DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE I=B000-B7FF RAM AUTO DOS=HIGH,UMB FILES=40 BUFFERS=40 STACKS=9,256 […]
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DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE I=B000-B7FF RAM AUTO
DOS=HIGH,UMB
FILES=40
BUFFERS=40
STACKS=9,256
LASTDRIVE=H
DEVICE=C:\CTCM\CTCM.EXE /B
DEVICE=C:\GRAVIS\ULTRASND\IWINIT.EXE ID=GRV00001 INTERWAVE=C:\GRAVIS\ULTRASND\IW.INI -v9
DEVICEHIGH=C:\PROAUDIO\MVSOUND.SYS D:6 Q:7 J:0 M:1,300,2 S:0 T:1
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DD5\PANBIG5.SYS /D:PANIDE01 /N:1 /Q:14 /P:0 /M:2

AUTOEXEC.BAT wrote:

@ECHO OFF PROMPT $p$g SET PATH=C:\DOS;C:\SB16;C:\PROAUDIO;C:\GRAVIS\ULTRASND SET TEMP=C:\DOS SET SOUND=C:\SB16 SET CTCM=C:\CTCM […]
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@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $p$g
SET PATH=C:\DOS;C:\SB16;C:\PROAUDIO;C:\GRAVIS\ULTRASND
SET TEMP=C:\DOS
SET SOUND=C:\SB16
SET CTCM=C:\CTCM
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 E620 T6
SET INTERWAVE=C:\GRAVIS\ULTRASND\IW.INI
SET IWDIR=C:\GRAVIS\ULTRASND
SET ULTRASND=240,7,7,3,3
SET ULTRADIR=C:\GRAVIS\ULTRASND
SET SNDSCAPE=C:\SNDSCAPE
C:\SB16\AWEUTIL /S /R:30 /C:0
C:\SB16\MIXERSET /P /Q
C:\PROAUDIO\PAS F5
C:\SW60XG\EFCON /type:0 /line:127 /mic:000 /midi:127 /vcl:0
C:\SNDSCAPE\SSINIT /I
LH C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:PANIDE01
C:\MSINPUT\MOUSE\CTMOUSE.EXE

CTPNP.CFG wrote:

[PNP] ReadPort=273 MaxCSN=254 BypassPnPOS=1 […]
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[PNP]
ReadPort=273
MaxCSN=254
BypassPnPOS=1

[SB16]
Disable=0
Csn=2
CardId=CTL0042
Serial=0001146a
LogDev=0
Port0=220
Port1=330
Port2=388
Irq0=5
Dma0=1
Dma1=5

[IDE]
Disable=1
Csn=2
CardId=CTL0042
Serial=0001146a
LogDev=1
Port0=168
Port1=36e
Irq0=10

[GAMEPORT]
Disable=1
Csn=2
CardId=CTL0042
Serial=0001146a
LogDev=2
Port0=200

[AWE]
Disable=0
Csn=2
CardId=CTL0042
Serial=0001146a
LogDev=3
Port0=620
Port1=a20
Port2=e20

IW.INI wrote:

[languages] english=English, C:\GRAVIS\ULTRASND\LANGUAGE\ENGLISH default=english […]
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[languages]
english=English, C:\GRAVIS\ULTRASND\LANGUAGE\ENGLISH
default=english

[mixer settings]
SaveOnWindowsExit=true
init=iw8a1,4,1,60,0,61,0,62,0,63,0,5,0,9,0,0,10,-4,-4,83,0,12,36,14,1,15,1,16,1,17,0,18,1,19,0,20,0,0,21,-34,-34,22,-34,-34,23,-1,-1,24,-34,-34,25,-9,27,1,28,94,80,0,81,0,82,0,32,0,0,33,63,63,34,63,63,35,41,43,63,45,0,46,1,47,0,48,0,!,67
default=init
AlwaysOnTop=false
FullView=true

[patch descriptions]
rom_amd_1m=1M ROM Patch Set
amd_4m=4M RAM Patch Set
grav_org=Original UltraSound Patch Set

[vendors]
rom_amd_1m=ROMAMDGM_1_1_
amd_4m=gsfull4m.fff
grav_org=default.fff
default=rom_amd_1m

[vendor amd_4m]
gsfull4m.fff=

[vendor grav_org]
default.fff=C:\GRAVIS\ULTRASND

[patch editor]
patch_editor_dir=

[iwsbos]
library512=
library1024=
memcfg=ROM
SbosVector=7e
Mpu401Emulation=off
quiet=off

[windows]
apm=off
vxd_id=38DA
MaxWaveClients=4
midi_out_synchronous=true

[midi]
layer_atten_adjust=-8

[sndvol32]
UseInterwaveMixer=1

[setup 0]
SynthBase=240
CodecBase=34C
CDBase=0
ATAPIBase=0
MpuBase=0
AdlibBase=0
GamePort=201
IRQ1=3
IRQ2=3
CDIRQ=0
MPUIRQ=0
SBIRQ=0
DMA1=7
DMA2=7
CDDMA=0
mode=legacy
GPusage=IRQ
revision=B0
csn=1
pnprdp=273
UseDma=false
SBDMA=
vendor_id=GRV0001
effects=on
winrdp=273
dosrdp=20b
config=0

SNDSCAPE.INI wrote:

[sndscape.drv] […]
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[sndscape.drv]

; Product ID
Product=Soundscape

; Ports - Base/MIDI and Wave Device
Port=320
WavePort=534
OttoPort=2180

; IRQs - MIDI and Wave/SoundBlaster emulation
IRQ=9
SBIRQ=10

; DMA Channel for Code Load and Wave/SoundBlaster emulation
DMA=3

; Switches - SoundBlaster emulation enable, Joystick enable, Mic/Line mode
; switch and Ext MIDI switch (disables MIDI to local Synth)
SBEnable=false
JSEnable=false
MicMode=false
ExtMidi=false

; Mixer Settings - Master, Synth, Wave, CD/Aux and Mic/Line volumes
MasterVol=127
SynthVol=100
WaveVol=127
CdAuxVol=100,100
MicLineVol=0,0

; Windows Path - path to Windows SYSTEM.INI file
WinPath=C:\SNDSCAPE

Q: Is sharing port 0x388 an issue?

A: If both an OPL2 and OPL3 are present in the same system, and an autodetction routine is involved, perhaps. In my system, no. Concurrent FM obviously plays through both the AWE32 and PAS16 if ports 388 - 38B are used, but volume-control/muting options are available, as is simply leaving one card disabled in favor of the other. In addition, re-configuring port 0x388 on either the AWE32 or PAS16 was considered, but results in disastrously broken software support with the latter (surprising, given Media Vision's push to use their API...).

Q: Is sharing IRQ2/9 an issue?

A: Not as configured in this system, given its intended use.

Q: Is that an Epson SD-800 floppy drive?

A: Yes, indeed.

Q: Which card will the PC Speaker and CD-ROM audio be connected to?

A: The CD-audio output is connected to the AWE32. The non-aesthetic cable was unplugged for the photo. I don't plan on doing anything with the PC speaker.

Q: What about heat?

A: With both the AWE32 and PAS16 contending to be the first to spontaneously combust, heat is definitely an issue. The current plan is to simply add an additional fan.

Q: How long does the system take to boot with all of that sound crap?

A: From pressing the power-button to being presented with the DOS prompt, ~21 seconds.

Q: Why use the joystick port on the GUSPnP?

A: It seemed like the most natural host for this:

Q: Mixer?

A: This. (with the GUSPnP output currently being routed through the SW60XG)

Damn Cloudschatze, you always make the most amazing/drooling posts around here. 🤣

@Cloudschatze: Nice, really nice! I'm surprised the SCC-1 is that configurable, as well as disabling the Game ports on 3 of the 4 sound cards (just like Great Hierophant said). Using DOS as the main OS also makes sense - saves a lot of time and makes everything much easier. Well done!

@carlostex: You were right, the Adlib ports just coexist with each other. That's yet another surprise 😮 .

Wonder of wonders. The PAS16's PC speaker "emulation" actually functions in this system (whereas I've never had it work in anything greater than a 386 previously). This, of course, negates any sort of need to route the PC speaker header to any of the boards.

Here is a video demonstration of the system, recorded with a cell-phone, and featuring authentic wife and baby background noises, and volume fluctuations due to the microphone trying to compensate for loudness (and cutting-in/out instead). Awesome!

Narration isn't my thing, so it is what it is. 😵

http://youtu.be/5rYFfRnLwIY

Needs more soundcards.

Am I the only one who was constantly peering at Cloudschatze's reflection in monitor during video playback?

Cloudschatze wrote:

Here is a video demonstration of the system, recorded with a cell-phone,

Amazing. Thanks.
But looks like you can't chose any needed sound card in game, because of unstandard mpu ports, like 0x332.

(And I still doubt that sharing irq 2/9 will work everywhere. What will happen if you run an old game, like spellcasting101, which uses strictly for irq9 mpu401?)

Cloudschatze wrote:

and featuring authentic wife and baby background noises

:) how old is your child?

Cloudschatze wrote:

due to the microphone trying to compensate for loudness (and cutting-in/out instead). Awesome!

It would be great if you recorded another video, with a direct connection of sound and a good camera. :)

easy_john wrote:

But looks like you can't chose any needed sound card in game, because of unstandard mpu ports, like 0x332.

(And I still doubt that sharing irq 2/9 will work everywhere. What will happen if you run an old game, like spellcasting101, which uses strictly for irq9 mpu401?)

With the primary focus being General MIDI (hence the play on words for the title), I'm not really attempting to address the playback of MT-32 soundtracks with this build. That said, there's always the option of going back to my initial configuration, wherein both the AWE32 and PAS16 use 0x300 for MIDI (but only one interface can be active at a time), and the SCC-1 is set to the standard 0x330. I (perhaps incorrectly) assumed that ha‌ving everything concurrently accessible was the more impressive feat, however. 😀

In addition, SoftMPU will work with the AWE32 in the current configuration, so if I decide to either attach a CM-64, or plug into my MIDI network at some point, most software should work with the SB MPU interface regardless. If I go the latter route, I'll have to change the title to something more presumptions, like "God of MIDI," or "Supreme Overlord of MIDI" or somesuch. 😀

how old is your child?

He will be ten weeks old this Thursday.

Cloudschatze wrote:

(Or possibly burning the house down...)

You better not hope that happens as I can imagine the value of the components are quite high 😉