First post, by retro games 100
- Rank
- l33t
Introduction
I am testing a Creative SoundBlaster 2.0 8-bit ISA sound card.
1) Link to the Deluxe (but older) SoundBlaster 2.0 DOS and Windows 3 driver files - but read note 1 below! Filename is "SoundBlaster 1.0 CT 1350B Install Disks.rar". Source: Malik's SoundBlaster mediaFire downloads page.
2) Link to the more recent SoundBlaster 2.0 DOS and Windows 3 driver files. Filename is "SoundBlaster 2.0 CT 1350B Install Disks.rar". Source: Malik's SoundBlaster mediaFire downloads page.
3) Link to the SoundBlaster driver and software update package. Filename is "SoundBlaster 2.0 Updated Dos Win3.11 Drivers.rar". Source: Malik's SoundBlaster mediaFire downloads page.
4) Link to another SB2 driver package. See note 4 below. Filename is Sblast2.zip.
5) Link to the Stason jumper specification webpage for this sound card.
Notes
1) I couldn't get this package to work 100% with my CT1350B revision 4 card. The DOS installation works, but not the Windows 3 installation. Something isn't quite right. I think this software is for the "deluxe" SB2. I don't know why this doesn't appear to work for my SB2. I tried to install it twice - the second time I tried, I used a completely fresh install of DOS and Windows (3.11 / wfwg). I couldn't get the digital sound to work in Windows. There seemed to be no hardware conflicts. I don't think the Windows 3 software installation was fully successful. I read the FAQ readme files, but none of their suggestions worked.
Please note that this package contains older drivers compared to the software package in download link number 2 above, so I wouldn't spend too much time with it. A good thing about this package is the "deluxe" extras you get to use in DOS. This includes a DOS-based talking Parrot demo (not the "Parrot 2" software for Windows), and a version of "SB talker" that pretends to be a doctor. There is also a multimedia presentation demo. Fun stuff! 😀
Conclusion - install the DOS software only from this packge, and don't install anything for Windows 3, then put it to one side on your HDD (ie rename the C:\SB to something else), then install the software in link number 2, so that you get the non-deluxe software installed to C:\SB, but that software uses the updated files, and also the Windows software will work correctly.
Also, this contains older software for Monologue, version 1.5. You can get an update for this, found in link number 4 above. I wonder if this deluxe software is for an old 8-bit SB *Pro* card, rather than a SB 2.0 card? However, I distinctly remember the DOS install screen saying SoundBlaster 2.0 on it, so perhaps it was for a SB2 card with extra chips on it? I notice that other deluxe extras in the C:\SB folder are for multimedia demos, but the weird thing is that this installation does not add the multimedia drivers drivers to the config.sys file. OTOH, the updated software (not deluxe) does add these MM drivers. Strange.
2) All of this software worked in both DOS and Windows 3. It also contains more recent driver files compared to the software in link number 1 above. I recommend that you use this software for both DOS and Windows. You can then run the update, found in link number 3 above, and explained below.
3) This will update all of your DOS and Windows SB2 files. I tested this, and it worked. Copy all of these files to a floppy disk, and run install. The install program will identify your soundcard, and update only the relevant files on your HDD.
4) I used this software to install the updated Monologue for Windows (version 1.7), and also the SB Talker DOS program. Please read the included readme file for installation instructions. The other disk1 to 4 stuff is the same as the software in link 2 above, and so you can ignore it.
5) The "undocumented / tech support testing" jumpers near the output jacks are not documented.
Recordings
2.5 minute recording here. Includes the "deluxe" multimedia demo (recording only), DOS talking parrot, SB Talker, and a tune played from the SB Windows 3 MIDI file player.
Using it in Windows 3
Using the software in link 2 above (and not link 1 above), there's more updated software to use.
Hehe!
Time to make the coffee!
The card
That's curious. On the back of this CT1350B card, there's a sticker saying it's a CT1350A card. Perhaps this is the reason why the "deluxe software" in the downloads link 1) area above didn't work with this card?
