VOGONS


486 Multimedia dream build ( 1993/94 )

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Reply 120 of 173, by Intel486dx33

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boxpressed wrote on 2020-02-01, 20:21:
Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-02-01, 20:13:
The Sound Blaster Pro already has a Yamaha YMF chip. It does not have a connector for a daughterboard. […]
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boxpressed wrote on 2020-02-01, 18:59:

LA or wavetable synthesis. MT-32, GUS, or high-quality GM sound card/daughterboard (preferably all).

The Sound Blaster Pro already has a Yamaha YMF chip.
It does not have a connector for a daughterboard.

I would have to get something like the Edison Gold Sound card for that.

What about video?
What was the Best VLB video card back in 1993/94 ?

You just need a Sound Blaster 16 or any 16-bit sound card with MPU-401 compatibility and a wavetable header (like a Yamaha Audician). Not sure why you bring up such an unusual card like the Edison.

I have a Sound Blaster 16 1740 and 1770 with Yamaha OPL3 chip.
These have a Wave Table connector and are dated 1992 and 1993.
What Wave table add-on card would you recommend ?
Dream Blaster X2 ?
Yucatan ?
Other ?

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  • SB16-1770.jpeg
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  • SB16-1740.jpeg
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Last edited by Intel486dx33 on 2022-03-23, 08:35. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 121 of 173, by Intel486dx33

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Would 20ns DRAM be okay for this video card ?

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Last edited by Intel486dx33 on 2022-03-23, 08:36. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 122 of 173, by Intel486dx33

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I might add a card similar to this Turtle Beach Monte Carlo for wave table support and OPL3.

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Reply 123 of 173, by Intel486dx33

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I am going to install Microsoft Office Professional 4.3 today and read the books.
I have already taken the certification courses on Microsoft office so I will just skim through these
Books to refresh my memory.

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Reply 124 of 173, by chinny22

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Simply running setup is a bit boring.
Either create a network or unattended install.
or even better join this to a NT domain and push out via System Management Server

Reply 125 of 173, by Intel486dx33

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chinny22 wrote on 2021-05-27, 09:53:

Simply running setup is a bit boring.
Either create a network or unattended install.
or even better join this to a NT domain and push out via System Management Server

Yeah, I wanted to experience installing Office 4.3 professional via 24 floppy disks.

Reply 126 of 173, by Intel486dx33

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Its a pain to get office installed from floppy disks.
The floppy shuffle brings back memories from the early 1990’s.

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Reply 127 of 173, by appiah4

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I never used Office back then, I was a Works 3.0 guy until much later, like around 97/98 when I moved away from Warp.

Retronautics: A digital gallery of my retro computers, hardware and projects.

Reply 128 of 173, by Anonymous Coward

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I had Word Perfect on both the PC and Amiga. Back then the compatibility thing wasn't such a big deal, since most people didn't have computers at home anyway. For me the word processor was mostly used to printing out school reports on a dot matrix printer.

I don't know why, but I find installing Windows 3.1 software from diskette really satisfying...especially with that blue gradient.

"Will the highways on the internets become more few?" -Gee Dubya
V'Ger XT|Upgraded AT|Ultimate 386|Super VL/EISA 486|SMP VL/EISA Pentium

Reply 129 of 173, by Intel486dx33

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Anonymous Coward wrote on 2021-06-02, 14:33:

I had Word Perfect on both the PC and Amiga. Back then the compatibility thing wasn't such a big deal, since most people didn't have computers at home anyway. For me the word processor was mostly used to printing out school reports on a dot matrix printer.

I don't know why, but I find installing Windows 3.1 software from diskette really satisfying...especially with that blue gradient.

Yes, My first computer which was a 486dx-33 came with DOS 5.0 and Win-3.11
I purchased Quattro pro and Word Perfect for it because it was less than half the price of the MS-Office individual programs.( word, excel )
At computer training education school we used Microsoft Windows, Novell and Office programs so eventually I ended up using Microsoft Office programs and home.

Yes, Microsoft works was okay but it lacked the full functionality of individual MS-Office programs.
From what I remember you could not have an Word document and an excel document open at the same time with MS-Works.
You could only have one document open at at time.

That’s why I went with the full MS-Office suite.

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Reply 130 of 173, by BitWrangler

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I used to like the Corel WordPerfect office suite 7, in theory, it's in the archives somewhere, archives meaning an anonymous brown box in amongst the other anonymous brown boxes.

Unicorn herding operations are proceeding, but all the totes of hens teeth and barrels of rocking horse poop give them plenty of hiding spots.

Reply 131 of 173, by Intel486dx33

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I Just watched a MovieCD. Played okay. Not the greatest detail but audio was okay.
Video card - Cirrus logic 5429 with 2mb memory, 800x600 , 265 colors.
https://archive.org/details/GATEMINDSEYE-MovieCD

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Reply 132 of 173, by Intel486dx33

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This is a good , quiet computer that performs very well.
My only gripe is the 20ns cache on the motherboard but I can confirm that this is original cache
So it must have been tested on up to a 66mhz CPU.

What do you think is this Cache speed a bottle neck hampering my computer ?

Specs:
486dx4-100mhz CPU
256kb cache @ 20ns
16mb , 60ns FPM ram
33mhz bus on motherboard.
VLB video card with 2mb ram.

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Reply 133 of 173, by Intel486dx33

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I had a problem with mis-match ram that was causing the computer not to perform well.
I removed and mis-matched ram and am just using 16mb of 60ns FPM ram now and the
Computer performs well.
I think the CPU is pretty much running at optimal performance now. And has now become the limiting factor on this computer.
But the computer is stable and performs well now.
Plays VideoCD Movies well and audio and game play is better now with no stuttering or hesitation.

Last edited by Intel486dx33 on 2021-12-19, 10:57. Edited 2 times in total.

Reply 134 of 173, by Caluser2000

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Anonymous Coward wrote on 2021-06-02, 14:33:

I had Word Perfect on both the PC and Amiga. Back then the compatibility thing wasn't such a big deal, since most people didn't have computers at home anyway. For me the word processor was mostly used to printing out school reports on a dot matrix printer.

I don't know why, but I find installing Windows 3.1 software from diskette really satisfying...especially with that blue gradient.

IIRC as long as the word processor could export doc in RTF format cross compatibility was breeze.

There's a glitch in the matrix.
A founding member of the 286 appreciation society.
Apparently 32-bit is dead and nobody likes P4s.
Of course, as always, I'm open to correction...😉

Reply 135 of 173, by Intel486dx33

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Here are my latest benchmark scores since I fixed the mis-matched ram issue.
I am now running matching pair of 8mb ( 60ns ) FPM ram for a total of 16mb ram.

Topbench score went up from 199 to 216
Speedsys score remain about the same at 39 points.

But this computer runs really good.
It can play MP3’s and Video CD’s without hesitation.
Plays everything designed for a 486 computer just fine.
And it runs very quiet which is what I really like.

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Last edited by Intel486dx33 on 2022-05-24, 13:18. Edited 2 times in total.

Reply 136 of 173, by appiah4

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Intel486dx33 wrote on 2021-09-16, 05:49:

It can play MP3’s and Video CD’s without hesitation.

Hahaha not this shit again 🤣.

Retronautics: A digital gallery of my retro computers, hardware and projects.

Reply 137 of 173, by Intel486dx33

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Hey Guys,
What changes should I make to this file to optimize the SB Pro found card ?

1) I can turn down audio levels but to what ?
2) what about mixer level ?
3) I don’t see a setting for the Yamaha OPL3 chip ?

I want this to emit as little noise as possible.

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Reply 138 of 173, by appiah4

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The only silent SB Pro I know of is Terratec Gold 16/96. Otherwise, you may as well quit trying.

Retronautics: A digital gallery of my retro computers, hardware and projects.

Reply 139 of 173, by Intel486dx33

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Guys,
I want to add a second sound card with the “Dream Blaster X2 GS” wave table.
Here are my options.
Which card do you think would work best for DOS/Win3.11 ?

1) Sound blaster 16 with Yamaha OPL3
2) Sound blaster Vibra 16-s with Yamaha OPL3
3) Turtle Beach Monte Carlo with Yamaha OPL3
4) Yamaha Audician 32 ( Yamaha OPL3 )
5) Sound Blaster AWE32 with Yamaha OPL3
6) Opti sound card with Yamaha OPL3
7) Crystal sound card with Yamaha OPL3
8-) Diamond audio chip sound card
9) K2Y-16 Pro with Yamaha OPL3
10 ) Edison Gold ESS with Yamaha OPL3

Or should I break down and get the Orpheus ?
If so which model Orpheus should I get ?
But which one of the above listed cards do you think is best ?

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Last edited by Intel486dx33 on 2022-03-23, 08:42. Edited 5 times in total.