Turtle Beach Montego II A3D 2.0

To be honest, that machine is a little low end for the titles which use A3D and EAX. You could try the Montego II with Unreal (and UT), Thief, CS, maybe some others.

Perfect video for you: What is the best sound card for Windows 98 Super Socket 7?

As much as I love the Vortex 2, the games that have awesome A3D sound usually don't run that well on the SS7 machine. But it's a great sound card regardless.

If I had to recommend another card it would be the Audigy 2 ZS.

PhilsComputerLab wrote:

Perfect video for you: What is the best sound card for Windows 98 Super Socket 7?

As much as I love the Vortex 2, the games that have awesome A3D sound usually don't run that well on the SS7 machine. But it's a great sound card regardless.

If I had to recommend another card it would be the Audigy 2 ZS.

Are there any issues running the Audigy 2 ZS under win98? Are there any recommended drivers to use? It would be great to use that card as i also have the Live Drive for it and would it possible to route the sound from the ISA card into the ZS and use the front panel for both sound cards?

Regarding the Vortex 2, I currently have a SQ2500 in my PIII Tualatin machine which i use for late Win98 games like HL etc so i guess i can lave the Montego II for a different machine 😀

Bancho wrote:

PhilsComputerLab wrote:

Perfect video for you: What is the best sound card for Windows 98 Super Socket 7?

As much as I love the Vortex 2, the games that have awesome A3D sound usually don't run that well on the SS7 machine. But it's a great sound card regardless.

If I had to recommend another card it would be the Audigy 2 ZS.

Are there any issues running the Audigy 2 ZS under win98? Are there any recommended drivers to use? It would be great to use that card as i also have the Live Drive for it and would it possible to route the sound from the ISA card into the ZS and use the front panel for both sound cards?

Regarding the Vortex 2, I currently have a SQ2500 in my PIII Tualatin machine which i use for late Win98 games like HL etc so i guess i can lave the Montego II for a different machine 😀

the most annoying issue with an Audigy 2 ZS under windows 98 is getting the drivers installed, the install CD doesn't detect the card and when you try to installed them manually it comes up as "creative audio processor"
you could feed the ISA card's output to the audigy 2 ZS via line in but this may not work under DOS, Better off with something like the original Audigy or an SB Live! or an AWE64 gold.

- Creative PCI128 / ESS Ensoniq AudioPCI (ES1371 / ES1373) - great dos support, good midi sinth, comes with 2, 4 and 8mb patches. Midi synth also works in dos, and has general midi support. Also quite cheap and easy to find.
- Yamaha DS/XG (YMF724 / YMF744) - Great windows soundcard - great midi synth, has "legacy mode" witch works great with lots of DOS games running under windows. Has 3d audio (sensara or something) and runs well under dos. No wavetable midi synth TRS under dos unlike the PCI128.
- Aureal Vortex 1 or 2 - great card for newer systems. A3D support, good midi synth (under windows). Decent dos compatibility but like the Yamaha, no wavetable midi TSR under DOS (unless you attach a daughtercard).

If you play mostly under windows and play games with midi support, get the yamaha. Otherwise go for the Ceative / Ensoniq.

Bancho wrote:

Are there any issues running the Audigy 2 ZS under win98? Are there any recommended drivers to use? It would be great to use that card as i also have the Live Drive for it and would it possible to route the sound from the ISA card into the ZS and use the front panel for both sound cards?:

The audigy 2 is more suited to a socket a or socket 478 rig running windows XP. Win98 drivers are not the best.

Bancho wrote:

Are there any issues running the Audigy 2 ZS under win98? Are there any recommended drivers to use? It would be great to use that card as i also have the Live Drive for it and would it possible to route the sound from the ISA card into the ZS and use the front panel for both sound cards?

Regarding the Vortex 2, I currently have a SQ2500 in my PIII Tualatin machine which i use for late Win98 games like HL etc so i guess i can lave the Montego II for a different machine 😀

It's all explained. The driver versions I used are also shown.

the most annoying issue with an Audigy 2 ZS under windows 98 is getting the drivers installed, the install CD doesn't detect the card and when you try to installed them manually it comes up as "creative audio processor"

Hmm that's not what I found. I've captured the entire installation process. You install the WDM drivers from the CD, then use the Start menu option to switch over to VXD.

For rocking ISA and PCI sound cards, what I do is imply disable the ISA card in device manager. Under DOS only install the ISA card drivers and you're good to go.

PhilsComputerLab wrote:

the most annoying issue with an Audigy 2 ZS under windows 98 is getting the drivers installed, the install CD doesn't detect the card and when you try to installed them manually it comes up as "creative audio processor"

Hmm that's not what I found. I've captured the entire installation process. You install the WDM drivers from the CD, then use the Start menu option to switch over to VXD.

Think I may need to revisit the ZS 2 drivers then

I think it's worth the effort. The card sounds sooo good 😀

PhilsComputerLab wrote:

I think it's worth the effort. The card sounds sooo good 😀

Manually installing the WDM and / or VXD drivers from the "audio/Drivers" folder on the disc work via device manager, but still only shows up as "Creative audigy processor", setup from the CD won't work though. the sound works and sounds good though, but none of the utilities are installed(e.g. the start menu app to swap between WDM and VXD). Maybe something funky with my 98se install, but I remember having similar issues trying to get an audigy 2 value working a while back.

An often overlooked feature of the Aureal cards is the ability to choose what synth to use in a DOS Box/Window. It supports A3D 2.0 and might not be used to fullest extent but he already has it. This is the perfect PCI card to run DOS games without booting into pure DOS. Yamaha software synth, external, internal, SB Live with soundfonts, whatever, etc. easy to use. Plus, Thief 1 etc with A3D 1.0. An Aureal 1 would be just as good in this PC. That's my reason, I have a similar setup.

squareguy wrote:

An often overlooked feature of the Aureal cards is the ability to choose what synth to use in a DOS Box/Window. It supports A3D 2.0 and might not be used to fullest extent but he already has it. This is the perfect PCI card to run DOS games without booting into pure DOS. Yamaha software synth, external, internal, SB Live with soundfonts, whatever, etc. easy to use. Plus, Thief 1 etc with A3D 1.0. An Aureal 1 would be just as good in this PC. That's my reason, I have a similar setup.

Midi synth sounds better on the DX-XG then in does on vortex 1 and 2 cards. In fact I'd rate the vortex card's synth lower then the PCI128 (the 8mb soundfonts on the PCI128 sound pretty good). I just don't like the provided soundfonts much - they sound bland compared to the DS-XG witch has a powerful and realistic drumkit while the vortex drumkit is kind of faded. Vortex cards are best used for A3D. Yamaha for MIDI and the PCI128 for dos wavetable synth.

As for ease of use, the Yamaha card has a "Yamaha Legacy Audio" device witch is availabe for dos games - it's DMA and IRQ setting are selectable from control panel using the yamaha app. Also things like reverb, chorus and on the 744 you can load other soundfonts from there. It's EXTREMELY easy to use - just like the vortex, but it's more MIDI oriented while the vortex cards are clearly geared towards 3d audio.

I dont use the Aureal for midi at all. I use it to selct which midi I want in a DOS Box / Window. I mostly use Yamaha DX-XG myself.

Regarding the Audigy 2 ZS installation, I performed a full installation (all the bloatware) from the CD, then switched to the VXD drivers. The CD ISO can be found on VOGONS driver website.

Well i fitted the Audigy 2 ZS along with the Live drive and installed the drivers off the CD. Bit off a ball ache getting it to install but it finally did and switched to the VXD drivers. Just need to see if i can pass the Yamaha's sound through the ZS so i can utilise the live drive with the volume control.

Doom II sounds so good on the Yamaha's wavetable.

Just need to get that yellowed front sorted and it will be complete 😀

PhilsComputerLab wrote:

Perfect video for you: What is the best sound card for Windows 98 Super Socket 7?

As much as I love the Vortex 2, the games that have awesome A3D sound usually don't run that well on the SS7 machine. But it's a great sound card regardless.

If I had to recommend another card it would be the Audigy 2 ZS.

Really dig the video. Bookmarked for future builds - thank you

synrgy87 wrote:

PhilsComputerLab wrote:

the most annoying issue with an Audigy 2 ZS under windows 98 is getting the drivers installed, the install CD doesn't detect the card and when you try to installed them manually it comes up as "creative audio processor"

Hmm that's not what I found. I've captured the entire installation process. You install the WDM drivers from the CD, then use the Start menu option to switch over to VXD.

Think I may need to revisit the ZS 2 drivers then

The original Audigy drivers are likely preferred, but if all else fails, you may try an older version of "kx project". I had an Audigy 2 that I just could not for the life of me get to work on a build I did a few years ago. Windows 98/SE is no longer supported, but there are old versions that supported it.

That is a nice build OP. Similar to my own:

I use a K6-3+ CPU OCd to 550Mhz, 256MB of ram, and an Aopen AX59-PRO mainboard. Until recently I used a Riva TNT2 PRO, but since I started playing at 1600x1200 I switched to my Leadtek Geforce 2 GTS.

Regarding sound - I use a YMF744 DS-XG for windows 98 - mostly because I play quite a few DOS games under windows 98 dosbox, and those have MIDI music. For pure DOS I use a GUS Clone - Primax Soundstorm M16C. The GUS only runs in DOS, and since it' non-pnp it doesn't show up in windows at all as long as you don't install drivers. The Yamaha card requires a TSR to work in dos, so as long as it's not loaded, all DMA and IRQs are available for the GUS. The only place they bump heads under both OSes is the address - the GUS uses 240h while the yamaha uses 220h.

Regarding the yellowing - you can try retro-bright - strong peroxide solution or cream (at least 15% concentration, 20% or more preferred) + direct sunlight or UV lamp. I find myself liking yellowing more and more, since it shows the machines age and gives it character, so as long as it's relatively uniform and I have bay covers of similar yellowing I don't mess with this "retro plastic patina".

squareguy wrote:

I dont use the Aureal for midi at all. I use it to selct which midi I want in a DOS Box / Window. I mostly use Yamaha DX-XG myself.

I use a vortex 2 in my tualatin build and I love it. Wouldn't put it in anything slower tough.

beastlike wrote:

The original Audigy drivers are likely preferred, but if all else fails, you may try an older version of "kx project". I had an Audigy 2 that I just could not for the life of me get to work on a build I did a few years ago. Windows 98/SE is no longer supported, but there are old versions that supported it.

original CD just won't install the drivers, it claims no audigy 2 zs detected, going to try with a fresh 98se install, There's something not quite right going on. The sound out of the Audigy 2 ZS is really nice though. Didn't want to go into too much detail here n hijack the thread. just thought it was worth mentioning as i've run into the same issue a few times over the years.

Builds are looking good though 😁 I think the yellowing adds character